Then his brothers appeared about him, his sister came spiraling down from the sky and with one touch read the massive heart attack that had taken Rod's life before his fall. Together they knelt by their father, each immersed in his or her own thoughts and prayers. Then together they lifted up his body and bore it away.
"SO WE ARE bereft of mother and father in the same year."
"It's not supposed to happen this way. Papa wasn't supposed to die until we were in our fifties, and Mama was supposed to outlive him by ten years."
"I was prepared to console her and help her out of her grief, but not for this!"
"We will have to help each other, then," Magnus said gravely.
No one said anything. The silence was enough for him to feel the tightening, the resentment of his seeming assumption of authority, especially after his long absence. Then the mood relented, and Cordelia allowed, "At least we have each other—and there are more of us."
"There are," Magnus agreed, "but for this first night, perhaps we each need to be alone with our grief, to take the first step in coming to terms with it." He rose and turned away to the door. "Good night, my sibs."
"Good night," several voices said.
Alea stared at Magnus's back, turned a questioning glance to Cordelia, who could only shrug. Exasperated, Alea rushed to catch up with Magnus.
"What was that all about?" she demanded.
"I'm not one to stay where I'm not wanted," he answered.
She could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. "But she's your sister! They're your brothers!"
"I think it will take a few years for us to re-establish our relationships," Magnus said. "After all, when I left home, I was still the font of wisdom to Gregory, and Geoffrey was still testing himself against me."
"And Cordelia?" Alea was glad she asked, because the question brought a smile, albeit a small one.
"Well," Magnus said, "Cordelia and I were always squaring off as to which had the authority—unless someone attacked us, of course. Still, she does seem to resent my coming back." He came to a stop, frowning into the darkness. "Perhaps that's it. Perhaps I'd be welcome as a visitor, if they could be sure I would leave." His face darkened. "And perhaps I should." He began to walk toward their suite again.
"Perhaps not!" Alea hurried to catch up with him. "Perhaps you should stay and wait until, inch by inch, they've moved over and made room for you again!"
"Perhaps," Magnus admitted, but didn't sound as though he believed it.
ALTHEA PUSHED ASIDE her peasant bonnet to ask Raven, "Do you really trust any of them?"
Raven cast a quick glance at the VETO agents carrying sacks of provisions into the kitchen of Castle Gallowglass and said, "Not for a second. They'll turn on us the moment we've finished executing the Gallowglasses."
"Then why did Durer call the Mocker for help?"
Raven shrugged. "Common enemies. We both need to eliminate the Gallowglass family if we're to have any hope of taking over the government—but the second the brats are dead, start shooting the VETO agents."
Althea started to say that the totalitarians must be planning the same fate for them, but she shivered too badly at the thought.
Dressed as peasants and carrying sacks of provisions, the SPITE agents trooped into the castle beside the file of VETO agents.
THE AMUSEMENT AT dinner was muted, but the Gallowglasses and their spouses were managing to smile and enjoy the reassurance of one another's company.
"The kingdom still stands, at least," Gregory observed.
"Yes, thanks to your valiant efforts in fighting off the monsters." Alain raised a glass. 'To my friends and guards!"
"To the Prince who had the good sense to talk before he fought." Geoffrey raised his glass in return.
"Aye, and the brave knight who spoke on his peasants' behalf." Cordelia raised her cup, too. "To your cousin Geordie!"
"Yes, well met at last!" Alain said with relief. "Now the family can heal—I hope."
Magnus watched with a half-smile, but Alea sizzled beside him. Didn't any of them realize how much Magnus had done to fight off all their enemies? Deliberately, she raised her own cup and said loudly, "To kin and friendship!"
'To friendship!" the others chorused. All their cups rose, then all drank.
Alea blinked in surprise, amazed that her toast had been accepted.
"To enemies!" said a voice.
The Gallowglasses looked up in polite surprise as men and women in peasant garb stepped out of doorways, moved from behind tapestries, appeared in the minstrels' gallery—all levelling crossbows that bore ominous gems beneath the bolts.
A man who appeared aged and emaciated stepped forward before all the rest with a mocking smile. "Your servants salute you."
"You, then, are the one called Durer?" Gregory asked.
"He is—and I am the Mocker." Another lean and wrinkled man stepped forward with a bow. "Your parents' ancient enemies—and your own."
"Do not think to attack us with your psi powers," Durer said, "for both our organizations have enlisted locals who are very powerful espers."
"And you think they are stronger than all our powers joined together?" Gregory asked, amused.
The Mocker frowned. "I assure you, you have very little to smile about."
"Surely seeing our enemies face-to-face at last is cause for delight," Cordelia said.
"Then at least you will die happy." Durer raised his weapon and pulled the trigger—then pulled it again and again, his look of triumph transforming to horror.
"Fire!" the Mocker yelled, and all the agents squeezed triggers and pushed firing buttons. Only two of the crossbows loosed bolts—but those nosedived into the flagstones. A few of the jewels glowed brightly with rays that gathered, but never burst out.
"We have telepaths of our own, you see," Cordelia said, her face taut with strain, "to aid us in restraining your weapons."
"And soldiers to disarm you," Alain said.
Loops of rope dropped down and around each of the agents; the soldiers who held them pulled tight. The agents shouted in alarm and anger, struggling to twist free, to turn their weapons on their captors, but the soldiers kicked their feet out from under them and forced them to their knees.
Durer glared at Allouette and hissed, 'Traitor!"
"Traitor!" Allouette was on her feet, face burning with anger as she advanced on him. "You dare call me traitor, you whose agents stole me from my cradle? You who sent me to false foster parents who twisted my sexuality and smashed my self-esteem deliberately and methodically? Whose successors debased me and abused me and shaped me into a weapon to strike at their enemies? You dare call me traitor?"
"They housed you and fed you!" Raven cried. "They changed your diapers and bandaged your cuts!"
"And called me whore and told me I had been born corrupt!" Allouette raged. "Nay, you have fashioned your weapon—now feel its sting!" She glared at Raven, eyes narrowing.
Raven screamed, clutching her head, then fell to the floor writhing in agony. "Cut it off! Cut if off to stop the pain!"
Allouette's mouth opened in a rictus of anger and effort, and Raven went limp. Then Allouette turned that awful glare on Durer.
"She betrayed you!" Durer shouted to Gregory. "She is our agent! She won your heart only so that she could be here within your midst to destroy you—as she maimed your eldest brother!"
"Fool, do you truly believe we do not know that?" Gregory stepped up beside his wife. "By titanic effort, my mother managed to undo the worst of the damage your agents had done to Allouette. Then my love told us all she had done, all the malice she had borne toward us."