‘Ahho, friend Vanion!’ Kring said as he and his tall beloved entered. ‘You’re just the man I was looking for.’
‘It’s good to see you, too, friend Kring. How are things going in Samar?’
‘It’s quiet. The Cynesgans have pulled back from the border. Is there something going on to the south that I haven’t been told about?’
‘Not that I know of. Why do you ask?’
‘The Cynesgans were massing just across the border, and we were expecting them to come across to lay siege to Samar almost any time. Then several days ago they pulled back and left only a few units in place. The rest of their army marched south.’
‘Why would they do that?’ Vanion asked, frowning.
‘Probably to meet the Church Knights,’ Aphrael replied.
Vanion turned to see the Child Goddess calmly sitting in her usual place on Sephrenia’s lap. She had not been there a moment before. There was no point to making an issue of it. Aphrael would never change. ‘The Church Knights aren’t coming from that direction, Divine One,’ he said.
‘We know that, Vanion,’ she replied, ‘but Stragen and Talen have been busy in Beresa. They’ve managed to convince the Dacite spy that there’s a huge fleet of ships flying Church flags knocking about in the Gulf of Daconia. Evidently the Dacite passed the word on, and the Cynesgan High Command took it seriously enough to send their main force south to defend southern Cynesga.’
‘But they know that the Church Knights are coming overland through Astel.’
‘They know about that force, Lord Vanion,’ Itagne said, ‘but they must have been convinced that there’s another coming by sea.’
‘There aren’t that many of us, Itagne.’
‘You and I know that, Lord Vanion, but it’s generally believed here in Tamuli that there are at least a million of you fellows. The term “Church Knights” conjures up visions of armies stretching from horizon to horizon.’
Vanion frowned. ‘Oh,’ he said finally. ‘I think I understand. During the Zemoch wars, we joined forces with the armies of the kings of Eosia. The Tamul observers must have thought that everyone in armor was a Church Knight.’
‘I think I’ll have a talk with the Emperor,’ Itagne mused. ‘Titles of nobility might be in order for your pair of thieves. This imaginary fleet of theirs seems to have pulled half the Cynesgan army off the border and most likely pinned down the Arjunis as well.’
‘It’s a great little fleet,’ Vanion grinned, ‘and you don’t even have to feed the sailors. Let’s keep the stories alive.’ He looked at Aphrael. ‘Could you arrange some illusions, Divine One?’
‘Dragons? Flights of angels?’
‘How about a thousand ships hull-down on the horizon instead?’
‘What do I get in return?’
‘Stop teasing,’ Sephrenia told her with a gentle smile.
‘Where would you like your make-believe boats, Vanion?’
He thought about it. ‘Why don’t you just bounce them up and down the coastline of Daconia and western Arjuna?’ he suggested. ‘Let’s run the Cynesgans and Arjunis ragged trying to position themselves to defend against landings.’
‘I’ll go take care of it right now,’ she said, slipping down from her sister’s lap, ‘before I forget.’
‘When did you ever forget anything?’ Sephrenia smiled.
‘I don’t know. I must have at some time, though. I’ve probably forgotten exactly when.’ She gave them all an impish little smile, and then she vanished.
Kring was sitting at Mirtai’s side, and he had been squinting speculatively at the ceiling, absently running one hand over his stubbled scalp. He was not free to use the other, since Mirtai had taken possession of it. Her contented, almost placid, expression clearly said that she did not intend to release his hand in the foreseeable future.
‘If Divine Aphrael can keep those Cynesgan troops more or less permanently distracted, Tikume and I’ll be able to hold Samar without any help,’ the Domi said, ‘particularly now that we know how to deal with Klael’s soldiers.’ He rubbed even more briskly at his scalp.
‘Quit worrying at it,’ Mirtai told him. ‘I’ll shave you just as soon as we finish here.’
‘Yes, love,’ he agreed immediately.
‘Oh, that reminds me,’ Vanion said. ‘Sparhawk had a talk with Bhelliom. Klael’s soldiers can only breathe our air for about a day.’ Kring nodded.
A tall Atan came in and murmured something to Itagne.
‘I’m really awfully busy right now, old boy,’ Itagne objected.
‘He’s most insistent, Itagne-Ambassador.’
‘Oh, very well.’ Itagne rose to his feet. ‘I’ll be right back, Lord Vanion,’ he said and followed the Atan from the room.
‘Did Sparhawk find out what country Klael’s soldiers come from, friend Vanion?’ Kring asked. ‘I’d sort of like to avoid that country.”
‘I don’t think you need to worry, Domi Kring.’ Sephrenia said. ‘Klael’s soldiers were brought here from someplace beyond the stars.’
Kring frowned. ‘You might want to have a talk with Sparhawk, friend Vanion,’ he said. ‘I enjoy a good fight as much as the next man, but if he’s going to declare war on the whole universe, he ought to let the rest of us in on his plans.’
‘I’ll definitely speak with him about it, Domi Kring,’ Vanion said. Then he sighed. ‘I wish we’d known more about Klael’s soldiers earlier. The Church Knights encountered them in the mountains of Zemoch and lost half their number in killed and wounded.’
‘I’m sorry, friend Vanion. Did you lose many old comrades?’
‘Many, Domi Kring,’ Vanion replied sadly, ‘many.’
‘How’s friend Engessa coming along?’ Kring asked Betuana.
‘Aphrael says that he’s recovering, Domi,’ she replied. ‘I’d like to see that for myself, though.’
Itagne returned, accompanied by a Tamul wearing slightly out-of-date clothing. ‘Would you please see to it that we’re not disturbed?’ he said to the Atan guard in the hall. Then he closed and bolted the door. ‘I have some good news for a change,’ he said then. He put his hand on the stranger’s shoulder. ‘This is my very dear—though new-found friend, Ekrasios,’ he said.
Betuana frowned. ‘That is not a Tamul name,’ she said.
‘No, your Majesty,’ Itagne agreed, ‘It’s not. Actually, it’s Delphaeic. The Delphae are such a musical people. It probably derives from the fact that they still speak classical Tamul. My friend here just stopped by to advise us that the Delphae have decided to come out of their splendid seclusion. Ekrasios, this is Preceptor Vanion, the close friend of Anakha. The regal lady is Betuana, Queen of the Atans. The short fellow is Domi Kring of the western Peloi. The tall, pretty girl with the death-grip on his hand is Mirtai, his betrothed, and the exquisite Styric lady is Sephrenia, High Priestess of the Goddess Aphrael.’
‘Nobles all,’ Ekrasios greeted them with a formal bow. ‘I bring greetings from Beloved Edaemus. Divine Aphrael hath persuaded him that we have common cause in the current situation, and he hath thus relaxed his centuries-old prohibition upon us. I am sent to thee, Lord Vanion, to advise thee that I and diverse companions are at thine immediate disposal. Where might we best be deployed to further our cause?’
‘If I may, Lord Vanion?’ Itagne interposed. ‘It just occurred to me that the Delphae might be best suited to empty those ruins in the Arjuni jungles. If Ekrasios and his friends were to appear in all their glowing splendor at the gates of Scarpa’s down there, the rebels would probably go back home and peaceful pursuits, just as fast as they possibly could.’
‘Well said,’ Mirtai murmured her agreement.
‘He certainly moves around, doesn’t he?’ Ulath said to Tynian as the beer wagon with Sparhawk and Kalten perched atop the barrels rumbled past on the ancient street. ‘Last I heard, he was in Dirgis.’
‘The natcherl rules don’t seem t’ apply t’ ol’ Sporhawk,’ Tynian replied in a bad imitation of Caalador’s dialect. ‘What do you think? Should we slip back into real time? Or should we stay where we are?’