Mistress of mistresses (9 page)

Barganax
said, 'It is seven year to-day since I did come of age and take power here in
Zayana, and never yet have I omitted the custom I did that day begin.'

He
stood up to go, but now Medor spoke against it: There were no harm to change
it; and remember, did aught go miss, 'twere more than your own life you laid in
hazard. Go not, Lord.'

'Vandermast,'
said Barganax. 'what say you?'

'They
have given their reasons,' answered that ancient man. ‘I would hear your
grace's reasons on the contrary part.'

'Imprimis,'
said the Duke, 'whose turn should it serve to yerk me one under the fifth rib?
Not old Jeronimy's, nor theirs that stayed with him: it should raise a cloud of
wasps about their ears should in three days sweep 'em out of Meszria. Nor yet
our discontented lords: they cry for action, and that were a strange road, to
murder me: by my soul, they can look for no other to lead 'em. The King's?
True, there's some coldness betwixt us, but I'll not suspect him of things
myself would not soil my hands withal. But indeed I do know all these men. Pew!
I am not to begin Duke.'

'Horius
Parry,' said Medor then, ‘would not stick to murder you.'

'His
hands are full, playing spoil-five with the King for
Rerek,' the Duke replied. 'Come, Medor,' he said:
*I am minded to go my own gate; and when I must skulk and beware in my own
presence-chamber, then were I best slain indeed, and high time to say adieu.
Attend me, Medor. But is not this right reason?' said he over his shoulder,
passing by, to Doctor Vandermast. Vandermast made no reply, but as he and the
Duke crossed glances it was as if two diverse wisdoms of age and of hot youth
rose from their wells, recognized each his make, and clipped hands together.

Now
was Duke Barganax come about three-quarters of his way down from the throne to
the lower end of the chamber, walking and discoursing with this man and that,
with Medor at his elbow, when there came a stir about the main doorway, as if
some would have entrance but, because of the lateness and because the Duke had
voided the throne, was denied. The Duke sent one to inquire and see; that one
came back on the instant to say that here was the Earl Roder craved audience
and would not take their no for it. 'Let him come in,' said the Duke, and received
him where he stood.

'My
lord Duke,' said Roder, 'I am obliged to kiss your hand; and, ere I go further
in a business which in this public place I dare not pronounce but between my
teeth, I would entreat you of a matter, easy for you to grant, and condition
absolute of our more large and secret conference.'

'Our
fashion is not curious,' answered the Duke, marking his disordered
countenance. 'Yet do I wonder a little, if the matter crieth so loud for
urgency, why you came not sooner. Or why sent you with so much parade of
secrecy (for I saw it, my lord, through eyes that serve me) to fetch away the
Admiral and the Chancellor, already pricked off for the presence? Or why, for
a last point of wonder, you now come here without them.'

'That
is the condition I spoke on,' answered he. 'I am to beseek you confirm us,
under your royal word, safe conduct and assurance all and severally of our
lives and persons, which done we shall straight to the matter, but until then
we may not.'

To
this the Duke -listened with apparent wonder, then fell a-laughing. 'What
coil's here?' he said. 'Sure, the man's frantic. What, Medor, I shall be apt to
think they mean me mischief indeed, if their own sick minds do make 'em start
like rabbits at such fairy-babes o' their own imagining. Howbeit, content you,
Earl; I do swear you peace and grith, safe conduct to come and to go with
liberty of life and of body on all lawful occasions in my dukedom of Zayana,
for you and for my lord High Admiral Jeronimy and for my lord Chancellor Beroald;
and unto this you have my royal word, as I do trow on the high and blessed Gods
and Goddesses Who keep the wide heavens.'

'I
am beholden to your grace,' said the Earl. 'And yet, were it ask a further
boon, I think they would treasure it much in writing.'

The
Duke's eye gleamed. 'You have witnesses, my lord. And indeed, if my bond were
better than my word, you might stand in some peril now.'

'Forgive
me,' said Roder then. 'We are content with your royal word, and in this I am the
mouthpiece of all three of us. And truly,' said he, chuckling in his beard, ‘I
may now disclose to your grace the inwardness of my calling of 'em out: 'twas
because we should not all three be in your hand afore we had ta'en assurance of
our safety. But now, had you been minded to entreat me evilly, he and Beroald
do stand at your doors without the citadel with enough stout lads mustered
under arms as—'

The
blood rushed to Barganax's face and neck, and his hand leapt to the dagger at
his belt. Roder said, 'I am sorry. But your grace will not forget your oath,
nor you will not strike a weaponless man. Will't please you enter your closet
and suffer me bring in the Admiral and the Chancellor, when we shall confer
with you about matters of most weighty consequence.'

'You
are a brave man, Roder,' said Barganax at length, folding his arms and speaking
close in the Earl's face. 'Bring in your friends. This circumspection of
peace-pledges, and this armed alertness when we were never yet at variance, are
clean past my understanding. But tell 'em, for their better counsel, 'twas well
you had my oath before I knew you threatened force against me. Had I known or
seen it, my answer had been pat and to the purpose.'

The
Earl Roder, as a man that hath escaped a danger the full menace of which he had
not apprehended till the danger was past, went forth somewhat shaken from before
the face of the Duke.

When
they were set in Duke Barganax's closet, the lord Admiral took up the word:
they were but five there, those three great officers of state, the Duke himself
and Doctor Vandermast. 'It was unadvisedly done,' said the Admiral; 'and we
will first tender to your grace our large regrets and most humbly crave your
pardon. Yet shall you consider, when you know all, that these be great news and
sudden, and something in a manner to root up all past custom and example, so as
we know not where we stand, in a manner; and albeit we do well think, my lord
Duke, that it shall still lie to our interest, both yours and ours, to hold
each by other, sith it well may so come about as that like dangers from the
like quarter should menace us both, yet in a manner—'

'My
good lord Admiral,' said the Duke, ‘I pray you put out of mind this of the
soldiers. I am satisfied: not another thought will I give it. But, for the
matter in hand, we shall the more readily follow your argument if you will
first tell us these news you speak on.'

'Earl
Roder', said Jeronimy, 'hath rid from the north this morning with tidings of
sudden and great import.'

'Give
me in a word, what is it?' said the Duke.

'Then,'
said Roder, 'in a word: the King is dead.'

'Heavy
news; but 'tis ten months old.'

'Nay,
nay: King Styllis is dead,' said Roder. 'Four days since, in Rerek, in's camp a
little beside Hornmere. I was by his bed, held his hand in mine when his soul
took flight.'

Those
three lords narrowly watched the Duke who, from his late posture of careless
ease, was sat upright at these tidings, his strong and delicate hands grasping
the edge of the table of carved sandalwood. His eyes were on Roder's, but
seemed to gaze through and beyond him: for a minute he was silent. At length he
spoke, saying, *He died young. The Gods rest his soul. He was my brother,
though he ne'er was good to me.' He lowered his gaze and was silent again, his
fingers drumming on the table. None spoke. Then, as if waking to common things,
he looked up and said sharply: 'Dead, by what means?'

'Eating
of some venomous confection,' answered Roder. He paused an instant, then
blurted out, 'The common tittle-tattle doth loudly say your grace did poison
him.'

Barganax
narrowed his eyes. He fell a-drumming once more on the table. Then, 'I doubt
not, my lord Admiral,' said he, 'you have surveyed the field anew ere you came
to me with this, and perceived that it is well that you and I should have
Meszria solid behind us in our next business. Were it the Vicar had took him
off with poison, 'twas first to be looked for he should lay the blame to me.'

None
spake. Jeronimy leaned forward on the table, spreading out his hand palm
upwards, and cleared his throat once and again as if in prelude to a speech.
Beroald saved his embarrassments by saying, 'Your grace will wish to see all
the circumstances before you would determine what were best to do. It were fit
you now produce the King's testament, my lord.*

Roder
at that word drew from his bosom a parchment sealed with the royal sign manual.
The blood came and went under his swarthy skin, though there was small space to
mark it, for the beard grew nigh up to his eyes, and the hair of his head,
stiff like a brush, began scarce an inch above his eyebrows. Uneasily he looked
at the Duke and said, 'I would desire your grace have patience; and lest you
should be deceived to suppose these dispositions coloured any whit by my
advisements, be sure you lay your time aright: this testament was execute this
fourth of April, as the King's highness' own hand under his seal doth testify,
and your grace knoweth well that 'twas not till three days later I did upon
commandment go to him in Rerek.'

'Well,
well,' said the Duke, 'what's this to the purpose? Let me have it; as sour as
it is, my lips are primed for it.'

Therewith
the Lord Roder, bracing himself as a man in posture to dive into an ice-cold
tarn in winter time, read out the parchment, that was writ in manner following:

'By
me
Styllys
, sonne of
Mezencius
of
glorous memorye uppon whome be pece, greatt Kyng of Fingyswold and of al
stattes and domynyons apparteigning thereunto, bee it by riht of guift or
lawfull inheretaunce or costom of prynses or riht of conquest by the
destroyenge swherde of my greatt Father or mine owne, in wycch large
discrypcioun without dowbt casten or throwen uppon the fullness of the same is
imbrased or concluded the domynyons places and pryncipalites foloing naymely
that is to sayne my nolle maine territorie and kyngdame of Fingyswold and the
citty of Rjalmar being the capital citty thereof and prencipall sette or
syedge of my statte and gouernement; and my territorie or londe of Reerec and
places cytuate and plaste ther withynne being in especially but not exclusively
the fortelaces or strangg houlds of Laimac, Cessary, Maegra, Caima, and
Anijanna; and my marche of Ulba now gouerned undir my direccion and for my
soole behoolfe and sarvys by the after naymed my Vicare of Rerec as aforn
sayde; and my cuntree or lond of Mezria and the citees castills fortrasses
towneshyps ballywekes herborowes ylands and in a generaltie all the places
there withynne buylt or unbuylt dwellid in or unhabyted, but not to exclud
aught that is not naymed or emplyed in this large generaltie save and exept
only the ducall apponage of Zajana whereof I doo of my brotherly loove and
affectione renounse al claymes of soverainty in fauour and for enjoyment of
Barrganax
, reputed sonne of the sed Kyng Mezencius of
glorous memorie vpon whome be peace, wycch sed Barrgnax
I
doo heereby irreuocably indue and envest and the
heiers of his bodye for euer with the sayde apponage, being nycely and
puntyvally limitted by the bundaries or limytts descrived or delineate on the
mappe wycch by this My roialle Seall of fingyswold is made faste unto this My
roialle testment—'

'Let
me see it,' said the Duke. He looked carefully at the map, nodded, showed it to
Vandermast, thea passed it back to Roder. Roder proceeded:

‘I
the
sayde Kyng Syllys do beqwithe and giue my roiall estatt and name of Kyngdam and
al my holle Realme and Pocessyons afore sed or what somever save as exepted
unto my Systyr
Antiope
Prynsace
of Fingyswold being besydis myself the soole summing Chylde borne in wedloke of
the sayde greatt Kyng Mezencius vpon Whome bee pece. And considering how that
the mortality of kynges is subgette unto the inconsederat and fyckle stoopes
and strypes of Fate noe les miserablely than comon mens mortallity, therfore in
cace the sayde Prynsace Antiopy should bee in time of My deth nat yet come unto
full aage of xviii yeeres, with addycyon of iii yeeres in consideracion that
shee is a wommon and that
I
doo
coumpt hir as nat fit to euse full dyscreccion and awtoritee tyll shee be full
xxi years of aage,
I
do
dyrect and wylle that the lorde
Hoorius Parrye
my wel loued and trusted servaunt being in some
degrie of My kynnedred or affinitie and being heereby confirmed by Me in his
estatt and roialle offyce as Vicaire on my behalve and my successours in my
befoare naymed kyngdame of Reerec shaibe protectour and wardeyne of my systyr
during her minorite and shall in Her name rewll the realme as Regent during
that time afoare sed and shall charisshe and care for Her diligently and
louyngly in al poincts as a Father should and in al things estudie hir propper
good and saftie and the inhansement of hir realme and soverainty. But as
touching my sayde kyngdam of Mezria—'