Emperor Mage (13 page)

She was
beginning to see why humans from tlje western islands to the eastern kingdoms
of the Roof of the World came to see the emperor's aviary. These birds were
like feathered jewels. She also noted the care they received, which impressed
her more than all the emperors wealth.

Checking
the sun's position, she saw there was plenty of time before she needed to
return for breakfast. I'm going to change, she told her new friends. Don't
worry—I won't hurt anyone.

Removing
her boots, she crouched on the platform and closed her eyes, remaking herself
as a starling. Her body shrank swiftly, clothes falling away. She sprouted
bronze-and-black speckled feathers, and grew a yellow beak. Her legs became
stilts, her feet three long toes. Done, she ruffled her feathers and cackled,
then took to the air.

The
leafbirds joined her. The parrot finches came behind, twittering in their
eagerness to show her the nooks and crannies they had discovered. The birds had
nests tucked everywhere in this huge room. Not only had they made use of the
trees and bushes that were natural choices, but they had built in the joints of
the enameled green metal strips that supported the panes of glass forming the
ceiling and most of the walls. Only one wall was stone. This the birds followed
down, headed for the Man and his treats. While the food and water dishes
throughout the aviary were kept full, the Man always had something extra good.

She was
so wrapped in the flock that she nearly followed them to beg a treat from
Ozorne. Only when she saw him and a newly arrived companion did she back up
hurriedly, almost colliding with the finches. The emperor would know that a
starling did not belong with his exotic treasures. She perched.

concealing
herself in a clump of leaves. Ozorne's

companion
was Numair.

Once
out of view, she changed the shape of her head and ears, becoming more like an
owl than a starling. Now she could hear the men clearly.

"—checked
the baths, and the gardens, and she is nowhere to be found. If she is here and
you are concealing her from me—"

"Be
assured, Draper, she is nor here. We had hoped she would be, to see how our
birds have improved."

"If
they have, then you have no further need of her. We all prefer that you leave
her in peace."

"We
are inclined to give her grace and favor." Ozorne's tone was haughty.
"She has served us well, and we wish to reward her."

"She
requires no rewards for your providing, Your Imperial Majesty" Never
before had the girl heard Numair sound this harsh. "She is well enough as

she
is."

"Such
heat over a girl child, and one without . family or connection to recommend
her. Why concern yourself in her affairs? You will forget she exists the moment
some rare tome of magic conies into your hands, or some arcane toy. That has
always been your way. You take up with someone, make them feel you are their
sworn friend, then turn on them the moment you have what you wanted from them."

"How
like you to see it in those terms," retorted Numair. "She is my
student. You will never understand that. You never could sustain so profound a
tie. Once you gained your throne, you decided you no longer required mere human
bonds."

Stop it,
Numair.' Daine thought, watching the emperor's eyes flicker with some odd
emotion. Can't you see he wants to upset you?

"Human
bonds," Ozorne said quietly, studying gilded nails. "I am certain you
and your lovely student have a most profound bond. Must you share a bed with
her animals as well as with her?"

Numair
s hand lashed, and slammed against the suddenly visible sheet of emerald fire
that appeared around the emperor. Lights flared where he struck; he yanked the
hand back, rubbing it. "If you interfere with her, if you harm her in any
way, it will be a breach of the peace accords." His breath came hard under
the words. "All of the Eastern Lands will unite to destroy you." He
stalked out of the aviary, dark cheeks burning crimson.

Daine
was breathless. What had possessed him to hit Ozorne? The suggestion that
Numair was interested in her for sexual reasons had been made before; he'd
laughed it off. If anyone took offense over such things, it was Daine herself,
and only because the speaker did not understand Numair was too honorable ever
to take advantage of her.

The
emperor remained oddly still for several long moments after Numair s exit.
Wondering if he were in a trance, she changed once more, until she looked at
him with an eagles eyes. Now she saw fine-pearled sweat on Ozorne s face. The
pupils of his eyes had opened all the way up, in defiance of the light that
streamed through the glass walls. His breathing came deep and soft; his mouth
trembled

slightly.

Slowly
he lifted his right hand and held it palm up. Emerald light in four different
streamers spi-raled from the air before him, forming a small and fiery cyclone
in his open palm. Bit by bit it solidified into a human shape. It was Numair
dressed in rags, hair tumbling around his face.

When
the image was complete, Ozorne, left hand palm-down, began to crush it. The
image shrieked, its tiny voice a perfect copy of Numair s own. It screamed and
screamed as Ozorne bore down. The emperor was smiling.

Daine
fled to her clothes. She heard the image s cries as she became human, dressed,
and left the aviary as silently as she could. Racing back to the guest wing,
even with her hands over her ears, she thought the screams followed her.

Numair
said nothing when she came late to breakfast, picking at his food as she told
the others she'd paid a predawn visit to the aviary and gotten lost - coming
back. If anyone noticed that she barely ate, or that she trembled so hard that
she spilled her juice, they made no comment. Afterward, as they were preparing
to go, Numair said, "Daine, you asked to speak to me alone. Let's go to my
room."

Alanna
heard. "Then I go, too."

"It
isn't needful—it's just a magic thing," explained the girl. She'd prefer
to confront him about what she'd seen with no witnesses.

"If
you visit a man's room, you need a chaperon." The lady knight shook her
head. "Really, Numair, you know Carthakis. They think an unveiled woman is
no better than she ought to be. Until we leave here, you can't talk with her
unless she is chaperoned or you can manage it in public,"

"A
fine thing, when I can't talk to my student alone," said Numair,
red-faced, "Lets go, then."

Inside
his room, Daine smeUed perfume in the air, a mixed-flower scent she recognized,
"Did Varice have a chaperon?" she muttered to Alanna.

The
woman kicked "her lightly. "Perhaps she didn't want one for what she
was here to do."

Daine
scowled. A midwifes daughter, she knew very well that men enjoyed going to bed
with women they weren't necessarily married to. Lately, the knowledge that
Numair had such affairs had begun to irk her. She didn't want to mention that
to him; she was afraid he'd laugh.

Once
inside, the door closed, Numair spoke a word. Black fire bloomed in every
corner, covering the windows and door. "It's safe now." He sat on the

bed
next to Alanna. "Talk."

Daine
told them what the badger had said, and reminded Numair of Rikash's words.
"It's hardly new," the mage said once she was done. "Seers
throughout the Eastern and Southern Lands have been giving warnings of some
disaster that looms over Carthak. Without better information, we have no reason
to break off the talks and return home. Have you such information?" Daine
shook her head.

"Next
time, tell the badger he must be more specific, if the warning is to be of any
use."

"What
about that breath thing the badger did?" Alanna inquired. "Do you
know what it is?"

"Oh,
I know," said Daine grimly. "And I don't like it—not one bit."

A dead
animal was on display in this room as well as in hers: not a tiger, but a
stuffed king vulture, fully two-and-a-half feet long. It was posed on a tall
pedestal in the corner, the purples, reds, oranges, and yellows of its head
were as bright as if the huge bird were still alive. Daine went over and
removed the handkerchief someone had put over its skull. Looking at it, she saw
that the fine cambric bore a delicately embroidered initial, V.

Scowling,
she thrust it into her pocket and looked at the adults. "Here's what the
badger did." She rubbed her palms on her breeches, then grasped

the
vulture with both hands. Light blazed around her fingers, blinding her. She
blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, but the first hint that she had
succeeded came when a wing brushed her ear. When the spots were gone, she found
the vulture leaning forward, his many-colored face inches from hers.

Daine
smiled. "Hello," she told him. "I need to sit." Her knees
quivered; she went to the bed. Once sitting, she put her head between her knees
to hold off a faint.

FIVE

PALACE TOUR

"Daine?"
Alanna came over to check her pulse.

"I'm
fine. Just dizzy." She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths, then
sat up. From some pocket Numair had produced his vial of wake-flower, a scent
guaranteed to revive the dead. Just the threat of having to smell it cleared
her mind.

The
vulture flapped awkwardly across the room, clutching the wooden screen over the
window. He pecked at the openings in the wood. Six feet in wingspan, he made
the room much smaller.

"Is
your weakness part of this new working?" asked Numair.

"I
don't know. The times it happened before— the tiger rug in my room, and a
three-horn skeleton in the Hall of Bones—it was just a flash. They didn't move
about for long."

"I
need to sit," Alanna said, and did. "The— what did you say?—tiger,
and the three-horn. Did you bring them to life on purpose?"

"No.
It was an accident." The vulture hopped onto the bed and leaned against
Daine.
     

"That
may explain why you're weak. This time you tried to do it." The Champion
looked at Numair. "Do you agree?"

The
mage tugged his long nose. Daine braced herself. That tug always came before a
flood of learning. "To reason without information is fruitless. To acquire
more information, Daine must conduct further experiments." Numair rubbed
his temples. "What precisely did the badger say?"

She
repeated it as closely as she could remember.

"The
tiger and three-horn—what happened?" He paced as she explained, the
vulture watching him with interest, "You are sure neither the slave in
your room nor Lindhall saw anything?"

"No,
I don't think they could have covered up if they saw."

Alanna
laughed shakily, "Nor could If*

Daine
tickled the bird's foot, and he nibbled her hair, "I can't talk with him,
It's like he's got no mind. But he must, mustn't he? He looks like he can
think."

"The
timing is inconvenient," Numair said, toying with his black-opal pendant.
"We can't investigate properly while we are here, I will say this
much—what you have done sounds like no wild magic I have ever heard. Only the
gods can bring the dead back even to a seeming of life,"

"I'm
no god," protested Daine. "What if the badger passed some of his
godness on to me?"

The
mage shook his head. "There is nothing in the writings about animal gods
to indicate they are able to do such a transfer. Not only that, but normally
their power affects only those of their own species. The badger's magic should
apply to badgers alone, as the wolf god applies only to wolves, and so on. Only
the great gods have power that translates across species: Mithros, the Goddess,
the Black God, the Graveyard Hag, the Master of Dream Gainel—"