Off Armageddon Reef (30 page)

“Why?” Tirian asked harshly. “If Wave Thunder already knows they're traitors, what am I supposed to add to his knowledge about them?”

“Anything you can,” Gray Harbor said slowly, his eyebrows tightening. “Anything that might help.” He sat back in his chair, gazing at the duke narrowly. “Surely you don't need me to tell you how it works, Kahlvyn. I would have thought you'd be as eager as I am to do that!”

“Why should I be?
You
aren't the one some unknown foreigner is accusing of
treason
.” Tirian snorted angrily and pushed himself up out of his armchair. He stamped over to the fire and glared down into the crackling flames, his back to his father-in-law, his hands clasped behind him and his shoulders tight.

“Why should I be so eager to defend my name—my family's name—against that sort of accusation?”

“To discredit him in turn,” Gray Harbor said, still speaking slowly, staring at the younger man's rigid spine.

“Shan-wei with
him!
” Tirian growled. “I'm the King's cousin, not some wretched little backcountry baron! Why should I care about the charges of some ragged adventurer?”

“You shouldn't,” the earl said, more slowly yet, “…unless they're true.”

Tirian wheeled back to face him, just that little bit too quickly, and saw it in his father-in-law's eyes. Saw that Gray Harbor hadn't been quite as drunk as Tirian had thought he was. Saw the concern in those eyes turning into something else—something both far sadder and much harder—as the speed of his turn, or some flicker of his own expression, abruptly confirmed what Gray Harbor had so desperately wanted not to believe.

“Langhorne,” the earl said softly. “They
are
true, aren't they? You already knew Lahang is Nahrmahn's chief agent here in Tellesberg.”

Tirian opened his mouth, obviously to deny the accusation. But then he paused. He stood for a moment, looking at the earl, then glanced at Hauwyrd.

“Yes,” he said then, his voice clipped but composed. “Yes, Father. I knew Lahang was one of Nahrmahn's spies. And I'll admit he approached me, wanted to recruit me into a plot against Haarahld.”

“And you never told anyone.” Gray Harbor's words were no longer slurred. They came crisp, cold. There was anger in them, and sorrow, and Tirian shrugged.

“No, I didn't,” he agreed. “Why should I? If Lahang wanted to use me in some plot against Haarahld, he'd have to give me some of the details, wouldn't he? How better to position myself to discover what Nahrmahn was up to?”

“If that's what you were really thinking, you should have taken the information to Bynzhamyn the instant Lahang approached you.”

“And risk having the secret get out before I'd had the opportunity to actually learn anything?” Tirian began. “I hardly think—”

“Spare me,” Gray Harbor interrupted sharply. Tirian looked at him, and the earl shook his head. “I've known Bynzhamyn Raice for more than twenty-five years; you've known him almost that long. We both know that secrets entrusted to him don't ‘get out.'” He shook his head again, slowly, sadly. “No, Kahlvyn. The only reason you wouldn't have told Bynzhamyn would be that you were considering accepting Lahang's offer.”

Despite the thunder grumbling overhead, despite the rain pounding on the skylights, and the crackle of the fire, silence seemed to hover in the library. And then, finally, the Duke of Tirian nodded.

“I was,” he conceded. “And why not? My blood's the same as that in Haarahld's veins. My grandfather was his grandfather. If that kraken had taken his life, and not simply his knee, the throne would have been mine. Why shouldn't I consider the possibility that it still could be?”

Gray Harbor stared at him, as if seeing him for the very first time.

“I thought I knew you,” the earl said at last, so softly his voice was all but drowned by the sound of the furious winter rain. “But if you can ask me that, then I never knew you at all, did I?”

“Of course you did.” Tirian made a throwing away gesture. “I've been your son-in-law for fourteen years. You've become my father in truth, not just in name. Anything I may have thought, may have done where Haarahld is concerned, doesn't change that.”

“It changes
everything
, Kahlvyn,” Gray Harbor said. “Can't you even
see
that? I was the King's man, his servant, before I was ever your father-in-law. I swore an
oath
to him—the same one you swore—and I can't break it. Not for you, not for Zhenyfyr or the boys. Not even for me, for
my
love for my daughter's husband.”

“I see.”

Tirian stood gazing at him for endless seconds, hands clasped behind him once again, then shrugged slightly.

“So, I assume I can't talk you into forgetting about this, or throwing your lot in with mine?” The duke smiled crookedly. “We'd make a formidable team, Father. Think about it. The Kingdom's ranking duke and the First Councillor? We could do it, if you could just forget about that oath of yours.”

“Never,” Gray Harbor said firmly, sadly.

“Which leaves…what?”

“Bynzhamyn's already more than half convinced Merlin's accusations were accurate,” the earl said. “Seafarmer's already investigating. And now,
I
know the truth, Kahlvyn. It's only a matter of time, and not much of that, until the King knows, as well. I think you have only one chance to salvage anything from this, and that's to turn King's Evidence.”

“Confess what I've done? Throw myself on Haarahld's mercy and promise to tell him everything I know?”

“What else can you hope for?”

“I can still hope to
win
, Father,” Tirian said softly.

“
Win?
” Gray Harbor repeated incredulously. “How? It's over, Kahlvyn! All you can do now is try to minimize the damage. You're Haarahld's cousin, and he and Cayleb both love you. Of course they'll be angry—furious! But you're also the most important nobleman in the entire kingdom, after Cayleb himself. Obviously this is going to change everything where their trust in you is concerned, but if you admit what you've done, do your best to help undo it, Haarahld will do all he can to keep the entire thing quiet. You know that!”

“Dear, loving Cousin Haarahld,” Tirian said, his voice harder, an ugly light glittering in his eyes. “Father, it should be
me
on the throne, not him!”

Gray Harbor's expression hardened. He looked at his son-in-law, and he saw the man he'd always known…and a total stranger. A stranger so soured by ambition and resentment that he'd become both traitor and would-be usurper, yet somehow been able to conceal the depths of that bitter emotion from everyone.

Even from those who loved him.

“Kahlvyn,” the first councillor said coldly, “the throne is
not
yours. It never will be. Accept that now, and do what you can to make amends with Haarahld while the opportunity still exists.”

“I don't think so,” Tirian said.

Gray Harbor stiffened in his chair, and Hauwyrd's hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, but the duke ignored the guardsman, gazing straight into Gray Harbor's eyes.

“It seems I can't convince you to join me,” he said, “but I'm afraid you can't convince
me
to join
you
, either, Father. Which leaves us with a bit of a problem, doesn't it?”

“You can't win, Kahlvyn.”

“I disagree.” Tirian reached up to rest one hand on the mantelpiece of the fireplace beside him and smiled at his father-in-law.

“I know you, and I know Wave Thunder,” he said easily, almost lightly. “You wouldn't have blabbed about this to anyone else—not yet. Seafarmer, yes.” He nodded. “I'll give you that, and Seafarmer may have spoken to one or two people he knows and trusts. But that's all, so far.”

“And it's enough,” Gray Harbor said flatly.

“No, Father, it isn't,” Tirian disagreed. “I'm afraid events are going to force me to do something I wanted to avoid, but this isn't exactly something I never planned for.”

“What do you mean?” Gray Harbor demanded, his voice suddenly taut.

“I mean I'd hoped the only person I'd have to kill would be Cayleb.” Tirian shook his head in what appeared to be genuine regret. “I didn't want to do even that much. Maybe if I had, I would have planned better.”

“You admit you planned to murder your own cousin? Your Crown Prince?” Gray Harbor sounded as if he couldn't believe it, even now.

“It was my idea,” Tirian acknowledged. “Lahang was nervous. He and Nahrmahn didn't want anything to do with it at first. But Nahrmahn came around when I pointed out that I was Zhan and Zhanayt's regent.”

“And the King?” Gray Harbor's voice was no longer taut. It was leached of emotion, flattened and yet fascinated.

“That would have been more difficult,” Tirian admitted. “On the other hand, I felt reasonably confident Nahrmahn would be so…enthusiastic, shall we say, after Cayleb's death that I could trust him to make a respectable effort to remove Haarahld, as well. I'd have preferred that, actually.”

“Well, it isn't going to happen now,” Gray Harbor said.

“No, not that way. But I do have my own friends in the Palace, and I am the King's cousin. I'm afraid it's going to be much messier this way, but this Merlin fellow of yours will help make it work for me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It's simple.” Tirian smiled thinly. “I'm afraid there are about to be several murders here in Tellesberg tonight. Wave Thunder, Seafarmer, most of Seafarmer's senior investigators—since I don't know which of them he's talked to, I'll have to attend to all of them. And Lahang will have to go, too. I can't have anyone who knows about my…association with him or Nahrmahn.”

Gray Harbor's expression was appalled. Less because of what he was hearing than because of who he was hearing it
from
.

“Everyone will be horrified when they hear the news,” Tirian continued. “Fortunately, you will have come to me tonight and warned me of your suspicions about this Merlin. Your fear that he's actually in the employ of Nahrmahn, himself, part of some plot against the Crown. Your concern that the King has given his trust too quickly, allowed this stranger too close to him and to Cayleb by naming him one of Cayleb's personal guards.

“Given your obvious concern about him, the moment I hear about the murder of Wave Thunder and so many of his most senior investigators, I'll immediately go to the Palace with my own most trusted guardsmen. Obviously, if Merlin really is guilty of all you think he is, it will be essential to arrest him before he can do any more damage. Unfortunately, as everyone knows from his rescue of Cayleb, he's a very gifted swordsman and, as it turns out, assassin. His entire reason for ‘saving' Cayleb from his own employer's ‘assassins' was to get him inside the Palace, where he could kill
all
of Haarahld's immediate family. By the time my guardsmen and I can reach him, he and the other members of Haarahld's own Palace Guard he's managed to suborn will have murdered the King and the Crown Prince. My guardsmen and I will, of course, kill the traitors in the Guard and manage to save Zhan and Zhanayt's lives, and I'll immediately proclaim a regency in Zhan's name.”

“That's insane,” Gray Harbor said almost conversationally. “No one would believe it.”

“I think differently.” Tirian smiled again. “Some of my friends at court would be prepared to support me, whatever happened. Others, even if they doubt all the circumstances, will see Haarahld and Cayleb dead, Zhan a mere child, and enemies surrounding us on every side. If not me, then who? Or do you think they'll embrace a dynastic civil war with Nahrmahn and Hektor waiting to pounce? And who knows anything about this ‘Merlin'? He's a stranger, a foreigner who appeared under mysterious circumstances and who's been busily worming his way into the King's favor! Half the nobles at court probably already fear the influence he might come to wield, and none of them
know
him. They'll be happy enough to see the last of him. Especially”—his smile disappeared, and his eyes narrowed—“when Haarahld's own First Councillor confirms the reasons for
my
suspicion of him.”

“I won't do it,” Gray Harbor said flatly.

“I think you should reconsider that, Father.” There was no threat in Tirian's voice, only a tone of reason. “Who
will
you support, if Haarahld and Cayleb are dead? Will
you
stand father to a civil war? Simply hand the Kingdom over to Hektor and Nahrmahn? Or will you do what's best for Charis and support the only person who can hold the Kingdom together? You told me my only chance was to turn King's Evidence for Haarahld. Well, I'm telling
you
that your only chance to serve the Kingdom is to turn King's Evidence for me.”

“Never.”

“Never is a long time, Father. I think you'll probably reconsider, given enough time to think about it.”

Gray Harbor started to stand up, then gasped in astonishment as a heavy hand pushed him firmly back down in his chair. His head snapped around, and he looked over his shoulder, eyes widening, as Zhorzh Hauwyrd looked back at him.

“I'm sorry, Father,” Tirian said, and Gray Harbor's eyes whipped back around to him. The duke shook his head, and continued with that same note of sincerity. “I'm afraid I realized a day like this might come. Have you forgotten Zhorzh was in my service before yours? That I was the one who recommended him to you when you first retained him, not to mention putting in a good word for him when your last guardsman suffered his…accident.”