Emperor and Clown (6 page)

Then
she went in. He was a blurred dark shade in a chair, with specter-pale shanks
connecting it to the floor. Something that was probably a sheathed sword lay at
his feet. She settled herself carefully in a chair opposite.

“Lights
may be inadvisable,” she said cautiously. “Indeed they may! I regret disturbing
your sleep like this.”

“I
was not sleeping.” She would not mention nightmares of incandescent
sorceresses. “I was invoking the God of Love.”

After
a thoughtful pause, Sagorn said, “Why Them?”

“Because
it must have been They who appeared to Inos. I can’t think why none of us
realized. Trust in love, They said.”

He
sighed. “How true! And Inosolan did not, did she?”

“She
did not realize! We believed that you were all dead-that the imps had killed
you.”

“And
the faun, also, obviously.”

“Yes.
May I offer some refreshment, Doctor? There is usually some fruit and-”

He
raised a pale blur of a hand-her night vision had never been good, and now it
was terrible. “That is not necessary.”

“So
how did you escape from Inisso’s chamber, Doctor? And how on earth did you
manage to bring Master Rap here, all the way from Krasnegar in so short a time?”

Sagorn
chuckled dryly, an oddly nostalgic sound. “I did not bring him. He brought me.”

Ah!
Sudden relief l “Then he is not only a seer, he is a sorcerer?”

“Just
an adept, ma’am. He knows two words of power.”

“His
own ... and you told him yours?” Pause. “Yes, I did.”

“That
was extremely generous of you.”

“It
seemed advisable at the time,” he murmured, and she wished she could make out
his expression. For a moment neither spoke-there was just so much to say!
Kadolan’s head was whirling as she became aware of all the possibilities.

“You
are good friends, then, you and Master Rap?”

“Fellow
travelers on a strange road. But I have come to appreciate Master Rap. Even for
a faun he is . . . `tenacious’ would be the politest term. He is steadfast and
honorable. I owe him much.”

Detecting
curious undertones, Kadolan waited for more, but apparently there was not to be
more.

“So
to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Doctor?” Formality was always the
safer path in emotional moments.

He
threw back his head and guffawed. “Kade, you are a wonder! You do recall ...
but I suppose this is no time for reminiscences.”

“Hardly,”
she murmured. “If the guards find you, you may have enough time to write your
entire life story.”

“Or
no time at all?”

“Exactly.”

How
long ago had it been-thirty years? Longer ... she happily married in Kinvale,
her brother passing through on his travels with his mentor Sagorn. Good times,
but long ago, and she would not allow him to promote a passing encounter into a
friendship that had never been. Sagorn had been much older than she in those
days, and more a tutor than a friend to Holindarn. Keep it formal.

“Well,
now,” he said. “The boy is now in jail, I understand.”

“That
is true. He is lucky to be alive.”

He
chuckled. “Then age must rescue youth. You and I must organize his escape
before the sultan changes his mind.”

Had
there been an odd timbre to that remark also? Since her eyesight had started
failing, Kadolan had come to depend much more on nuances of tone than she ever
had in her youth. She felt a twinge of caution, as if some young swain at
Kinvale had overstated the value of his estates or boasted of his prospects in
the military. Her hunches in such matters were usually reliable. Men trusted
words more than women did, as a rule, and hence were less mindful of how they
were spoken.

“But
of course!” she said eagerly. “How do you propose we go about it, though? The
sultan gave orders that he was to be most strictly guarded.”

“Quite!
I have seen palaces in my time, but never one so like an armed camp. I do not
believe that a rescue is humanly possible ... mundanely possible!” Carefully
Kadolan said, “So?”

“It
would seem that the God’s caution to Inos referred to the stableboy. Not Andor,
certainly. Nor, I suspect, the sultan.”

“Is
Master Rap in love with my niece?”

Another
of his dry chuckles . . . “Ha! He has fought his way past warlocks and
sorcerers and dragons, out of jails and castles, jungles and pirate ships,
through storm and shipwreck to reach her side. And I think in return he would
happily serve her as ostler for the rest of his days.”

Kadolan
tried to swallow the nasty knot in her throat. Just as she had feared-a
stableboy! And a faun! The Gods had strange ideas sometimes. How could she have
known?

“Then
we must do everything we can for him. Explain your plan, please.”

“I
propose that Inosolan make amends for her failure to trust in love.”

That
startled her. “Inos? A single word from her to the sultan would-”

“No!”
Sagorn said sharply. “A word to me.”

“Oh!”
Now Kadolan saw, and her distrust swelled up like a summer thunderhead. Dawn
was coming. The sage’s face was a little less of a vague paleness. She could
see his eyes now. “Her word of power, you mean, Doctor?”

“Exactly.
The sultan took precautions against an adept escaping. He ordered that the
prisoner must not be allowed to speak, and must be watched at all times, and so
on. He did not consider the possibility of another adept attempting a rescue,
and I am confident that an extrication could be effected by an adept. We-my
associates and myself, that is-know at present only a single word, and we
reduced our power when we shared it with Master Rap ... not that we grudge the
sacrifice, of course. No regrets! To be truthful, the loss was not as severe as
I would have expected. Perhaps our word is known by many people, so sharing it
with one more made little difference. But a second word is certainly requisite
for the venture I have proposed.”

Kadolan
sat and thought for a while, hoping to hear some more before she explained the
problem.

“And
if he dies in jail,” Sagorn said, his voice a little harder, “then what we gave
away will be returned to us.”

“So
you hope to go to Inos-”

“I
think Jalon may be the answer here, ma’am. He is a skilled mimic, of course,
and quite expert at female impersonation. Zarkian costume could hardly be more
suited to the purpose. If you were, to invite your niece to your quarters to
hear a remarkable female singer, then I doubt that the sultan would object.” He
waited for reaction, then added testily, “And after that, you will have to
arrange a private interview, of course. That should be possible, I think.”

Kadolan
took a deep breath. “Sharing the words is always risky, is it not? You yourself
explained that to us. Of course your own integrity is beyond question, Doctor,
but if Inosolan shares her word with you, then can you guarantee your
associates’ good behavior afterward? Or would she fare like the woman in ...
Fal Dornin, I think it was?”

He
sighed. “She is well guarded here, ma’am.” That was not much of an answer.

“It
is the only possible solution!” he insisted.

The
first breath of morning twitched the drapes with a hint of impatience. Time was
slipping away. She cut the knot. “It is impossible. The sultan and sultana are
not in residence.”

Sagorn
released a long hiss of breath. “When do you anticipate their return?”

“At
least two weeks,” she said cautiously. That was true.

Silence.
She saw him rub his cheek. The sky was growing brighter beyond the arched
windows. Dawn came swiftly here.

“Too
late, Doctor?”

“Yes.”
There was a note of defeat in that voice, and Kadolan did not like the
implications.

“Have
you any word of Master Rap’s condition?” she asked.

The
lanky form seemed to sink deeper into the chair. “Not good, ma’am. Not good at
all.”

Hmm!
He had not mentioned that sooner, and she wondered why. It would have added
urgency to the request.

Give
him a word of power, indeed!

“In
any case, would it not have been better strategy for Inos to have passed her
word directly to Master Rap? A mage could not be held captive; even Prince Kar
said so. And more in keeping with the tenor of the God’s command, too?”

Sagorn
uttered a sort of hollow chuckle. “The point _would seem to be moot. And just
how could the sultana have ever visited that dungeon without the sultan finding
out and stopping her?”

There
was another answer, though. Kadolan’s prayers had been heard.

“Could
you visit that cell, Doctor?”

“Me,
ma’am?”

“You
and your . . . invisible companions.”

His
pale eyes glittered in the feeble wisps of dawn light. “Why do you ask?”

Aware
that she was fencing with a celebrated mind, and must certainly lose the match
very shortly, Kadolan said, “You could take a message?”

“Possibly,
at the risk of all our lives. What message would be worth it?”

“A
very confidential one.”

She
did not need dawn to be aware of his suspicion. “I wish you to take me now to
see Master Rap,” she said firmly, and was surprised at how firm that was,
considering the way her insides were behaving. “We had better go at once, as
daylight is not far off.”

Sagorn
stayed still as a crouching leopard for long seconds. Then he said, “I never
could understand how so powerful a sorcerer, a former warlock, could have known
but three words.”

It
was hopeless. “Doctor?” she said blankly. “We must hurry if-”

“Inisso
gave one word to each of his three sons.”

“That
is the legend.” She began to rise.

“The
words now known by Inosolan and Kalkor and Angilki. But the fourth descended in
the female line?” Hopeless! Kadolan sighed and sat back again. “Do tell,” he
said coldly.

“Yes,”
she admitted. “The kings have never known of it. When our mother died,
Holindarn was still a bachelor, so she passed it to me. But always it belonged
to Krasnegar-so that there would be another available if it were needed, I
suppose. When he married Evanaire, then of course I told her.”

“
`Of course,’ you say? Few would!”

The
ancient secret was out. Kadolan had laid herself open to murder now. “I don’t
think it can be a very powerful word, Doctor. Evanaire was a marvelously
popular person, but she had always been a sweet girl. And I am no worker of
miracles. Never have been. Just a useless aristocratic parasite.”

“And
the finest chaperon and trainer of young ladies in the Impire!” He thumped the
arm of the chair, raising a puff of dust. “I should have guessed! The missing
fourth word!”

“I
never believed in it ... but I did feel something when Evanaire died. The very
day.”

“Of
course you would-your power had increased! And your niece needed your talent!”
He was suddenly excited, the scholar slaying a mystery. “And it was not Inos
whom Elkarath detected working magic in Thume-it was you! Your occult power at
work when your ward was in danger!”

“Gracious!”
She had not thought of that. “How did you ever hear about that?”

“The
missing fourth word!” he said again ... gloatingly?

She
hauled herself to her feet. “Missing no longer. I wish to share it with Master
Rap.”

Still
Sagorn remained in his chair. “How ironic! When the imps were breaking down the
door and Inosolan and I were arguing about telling the boy our words to make
him a mage-there you were with a fourth word, and could have made him a full
sorcerer!” He cocked his head quizzically. “Would you have done so, had he been
willing?”

“Probably.”
She had not been required to decide then. “Had I thought that Krasnegar needed
it. I truly fear it may not be strong enough to do any real good, but ... who
knows? Let us go and try to give it to him now.”

Sagorn
stared up at her unwinkingly. He had draped a woman’s robe over himself, and
did not seem to be wearing very much under it; his scrawny arms were bare. “You
are either a very brave woman or a very foolish one, Kadolan. You are
suggesting something that is absolutely impossible.”

“What
happened to your devoted friendship for Master Rap?”

“Tell
me the word, and I will get him out of that cell. I swear!”

“No,
Doctor. I shall tell it to the stableboy or no one.”

Tension
crackled in his voice. “Why, for the Gods’ sake?”

“Because
I think you are sent. You are the answer to my prayers.” Suddenly the strain
won, and her temper flared, as it had done perhaps three times in her adult
life. She shouted. “Now, which is it to be? Do you help me, or do I yell for
the guard and turn you in?”

His
jaw dropped. “This is utter madness, Kade!”

“I
mean it! I shall scream for the guards.”

“But
I cannot take you myself! I should certainly have to call Andor to help, and
anything he can’t handle will need Darad. They will know what I know, and Gods
know what they will do.”

She
nodded. “It will be a very interesting journey. Try to find something to fit in
that closet there. There are some ancient masculine garments. Now, if you will
excuse me for a moment, Doctor?”

Heart
thundering wildly, she headed back to her bedroom.

Kadolan
had not dressed herself faster in fifty years, yet all the time she was doing
so, she was thinking of Sagorn’s warning about Darad. Sir Andor, of course,
might very well try to charm her into babbling her word of power to him now that
he knew of it, but the words themselves were supposedly proof against magic,
and Andor without occult amplification she thought she could rebuff.

Come
to think of it, last year his talent had challenged hers head-on at Kinvale,
and she had held the field.