“Go ahead and strike,” he urged. “We skyfaithers are prepared for persecution.”
“Persecution I” Bronwynn gasped.
“Of course. I’m not fooled by your pretended mercy. If you truly stood with us, you’d untie us and let us get on with our task.
Moreover, you would don a robe yourself and follow me into Chaomonous.”
“Follow you!” she spat. “I’d not follow you anywhere!”
“I cannot say that shocks me.” He sneered. “Since you’ve chosen to follow Admon Faye.”
Bronwynn glared at him, her eyes blazing. “You can’t make me believe Erri thinks as little of Pehnen as you do.”
“But he does,” Naquin lied. It wasn’t so much that he meant to lie. It was simply that Naquin had debated this point so many times since Erri found him that he’d convinced himself it was the truth even if Erri didn’t realize it as yet
“That’s a liel” Bronwynn roared.
“Child, you’re speaking about things you simply don’t have the experience to comprehend. The land has been changed a great deal since we’ve rid ourselves of Pelmen. Untie me, and perhaps I can explain the words of the Prophet to you more fully, and ”
Bronwynn didn’t give him a chance. She jammed his gag back into his mouth and whipped out her knife. “The next sentence you utter in my hearing will be your last!” she warned, as she held the blade to his throat. “You listen to me. I once wore a robe like yours. Wore it proudly. I followed Pelmen as he led me to the Power, and I did that proudly. But I find no pride in these colors now. So Erri thinks Pehnen was an imposter? Well. Maybe he was. I only know that if you’re what’s become of the reborn faith Pelmen espoused, I want none of it!” She gazed around the cluster of bound skyfaithers who stared at her, their anxious eyes bulging above their gags. Then she looked over her shoulder. Admon Faye leaned against the cliff face a hundred feet away, watching her and laughing with his cronies. Her face flushed, and she looked back at Naquin. “If I hadn’t made such a fuss about saving you, I’d give you back to Admon Faye. Since I did, I’m going to cut your bonds and send you on through. Interpret it as you will,” she continued sarcastically. “Say that the Power moved me to do it. But I swear, if you so much as touch your gags before you reach Chaomonous, I’ll send every slaver in Dragonsgate down on your heads, do you hear me?” she shouted at the group. They nodded eagerly, and she started cutting through their bonds, leaving Naquin for last. “Begone!” she shrilled as she cut his last rope, and she booted him in the rear. He joined the rest of the pack as they raced down the sour then mouth on foot. Then she sheathed her knife and walked off to find Pinter and Tibb. As usual, they squatted on their haunches, arguing. They stopped when the Princess joined them and looked up at her expectantly.
“I’m ready,” she announced. “Teach me how to murder.”
“Pahd! Pahd, get up!”
“Hnim… humph… hunh?” said Pahd mod Pahd-el, as he crawled out from under a favorite pillow. “What the… what’s (yawn)… the trouble, mother? Is it breakfast already?”
“It’s midafternoon, Pahd!” Chogi Jan Pahd-el, his mother, replied scornfully. “You had half a duck for your midday meal. Don’t tell me you don’t remember?”
“Remember? Do I remember?” Pahd asked blearily, rubbing his eyes.
“Yes, you remember!” Chogi yelled impatiently. This drew Pahd’s wife, Sarie, to her husband’s defense.
“Please, Chogi, let him alone. He got hardly any rest last ”
“Ridiculous!” Chogi blustered, throwing out her generous chest and stomach and propping her fists on equally generous hips. “All he does is sleep.”
“Why, that’s not true,” Sarie protested. “Is it, darling?” she called sweetly to her husband.
Pahd snored.
“You see,” Chogi growled.
“Why not let him alone? It’s hard business running a kingdom
“I should know,” Chogi replied vehemently. “I’ve been running this one ever since his father died.”
“And probably before that,” Sarie huffed to herself.
“I heard that!” Chogi said, thrusting her bulldog’s visage into Sarie lan Pahd’s pretty, if vacant, face. “You just tell me where we’d be if I didn’t take steps to administer this realm.”
“We’d be living peaceful, ordinary lives right here as normal people do,” Sarie answered. “People in Ngandib-Mar don’t need to be ruled, any more than Pahd needs to rule them. We’d all get on very well if you just left things alone.”
“I know why he married you.” Chogi scowled. “It’s because you’re content to let him sleep his life away, in exchange for your court and your crown!”
“Why not?” asked Sarie sensibly. “It’s what he wants.”
“Well, it’s not what I want!” Chogi finished, and she walked over to jerk the covers off her slumbering son. “Get up!” she roared again.
“Hmm? What? What’s that? Breakfast time?”
“I’ve brought someone to see you, Pahd.”
“Fine,” said Pahd as he snuggled down again. “Let him look as long as he likes.”
“Oh, no,” Chogi said, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him upright.
“This one you’re going to talk to.”
“What about?” Pahd yawned.
“Remember months ago, before the crisis with the dragon, when you asked me to find you a court power-shaper?”
“I did?”
“You did.”
“Certainly I remember.” Pahd nodded. “Where did the fellow go, by the way?”
“We never found one,” Chogi roared.
“We didn’t?” Pahd asked Sarie.
“No, dear,” she replied.
“Most inefficient,” Pahd mumbled. “Remind me to make a decree deploring inefficiency…” He was eying his favorite pillow longingly.
“No need,” Chogi snorted. “I’ve found one for us
“Really!” Sarie said, genuinely delighted.
“I thought that would get your attention, Sarie… at least…”
Obviously it hadn’t gotten Pahd’s. His eyes were closing, and his head listed to one side. “Wake up!” Pahd came back to attention.
Momentarily.
“Where is he?” Sarie bubbled.
“Send in the power shaper ordered Chogi lan Pahd-el, and a servant lazily moved to obey. “He’s outside,” Chogi explained, not troubling to hide her own excitement “He’s a most dynamic man if a bit short…”
“Announcing Flayh,” said the servant as he reentered,
“Flayh?” asked Sarie.
“Just… Flayh? That’s all?” Pahd said drowzily. “Rather unimpressive title.”
“I have others, but why be redundant?” Flayh had stepped into the room and suddenly commanded the attention of everyone. Even Pahd. “I am Flayh. Let’s leave it at that.” He wore his splendid red and white cape. He’d thrown back the hood, and it stood upon his shoulders like a high collar.
“Certainly looks the part,” Pahd mumbled.
“Pay no attention to the King,” Chogi said apologetically. “He often says things he doesn’t mean.”
“I do not.” Pahd snarled. “Do I?” he asked Sarie.
“No, dear,” she replied.
“You see,” Pahd said.
“Yes, you do,” said his mother, staring him down.
Pahd raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and looked at Flayh. “All right. I do. So…*’ He sighed, and bit his Up. “Shape.”
“Pahd, we don’t want to rush the man,” said Chogi, smiling at Flayh.
“I’m not offended,” Flayh interrupted, and he threw his cloak aside.
He was a lean, powerfully built hound.
“A puppy!” Pahd said, clapping his hands. The two ladies were awestruck.
Flayh was again a man.
Pahd looked a bit crestfallen. “I rather liked the puppy, myself…”