Shards of a Broken Crown (19 page)

Patrick said,
“I’ll prepare messages for my father. If I can’t
give the murderous bastard to the hangman, I’ll give him to the
Keshians. We’ll need to send a message to welcome our newest
Duke into the ‘family,’ and let him know to prepare for a
mobilization of his men.”

James rose, and
said, “If Your Highness will excuse me?”

Patrick waved
him away, and Arutha rose. “If I may be excused for a few
minutes to speak with my son?”

Patrick nodded
and turned to his page. “Have a scribe come here at once.”

Arutha led his
son out to the waiting room and moved away from the others gathered
to await the Prince’s pleasure. Softly, so as not to be
overhead, he said, “What of Dash?”

“We were
separated. Malar and I—”

“Who’s
Malar?” interrupted Arutha.

“A servant
from the Vale of Dreams we encountered. His caravan was attacked and
he survived in the wilderness for a month or more.”

“Malar,”
said Arutha. “That name’s familiar.”

“Malar
Enares,” Jimmy supplied. “That’s his full name.”

“Yes, it’s
familiar, but I can’t place it.”

“I don’t
know why you’d know it, Father. His master was an important
merchant, perhaps that’s where you know it from.”

Arutha said,
“Most of my records are still in boxes from when we evacuated
Krondor. Normally, I’d have my clerk look for that name. If I
still had a clerk.”

Jimmy said,
“Well, if you recognize the name, he’s more than he seems
to be. I’ll keep an eye on him if he’s still around when
I get back to Krondor.”

Arutha put his
hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “Do that. Rest now and be ready
to leave in a day or two. Patrick should have something to send to
Duko in two days at the outside. We’ll need some sort of
ceremony and pomp, a formal surrender and an investiture of office. I
wish old Jerome was still alive.”

Jimmy grinned.
“Grandfather never got along with him.”

“No, but
he was as good a Master of Ceremony as I’ve ever known. If you
needed the proper welcoming ceremony for a creature from the lower
hells, he could find it for you and have it ready on short notice.”

Jimmy said, “I
think a meal and a nap will do for me right now.”

“By the
way,” said Arutha, “Lord Silden is here. He brought
Francine with him.”

“I saw
her, just before I went in to see you and the Prince. She was coming
in from a morning ride. She’s grown up.”

“I
remember you used to think her a pest when you were children in
Rillanon. Does she still want to marry you?”

Jimmy laughed.
“Only if I’m lucky. I’m having the midday meal with
her if I can stay awake.”

Arutha smiled.
“You’ll manage.” Then his manner turned somber. “I
just wish we had some word about your brother.”

Jimmy nodded.
“Me too.”

Arutha squeezed
his elder son’s shoulder briefly, then returned to die Prince’s
office. Jimmy thought about lunch with Francie and decided he wasn’t
as tired as he had been before. He decided he might wander down to
the guard captain’s office to see if any reports from the West
had come in since the night before. He might be lucky and hear
something of Dash.

Pug moved
through the door of the “temple,” finding it empty. From
behind the converted warehouse he could hear the sounds of shouts and
children laughing. He hurried through the empty building, past a
makeshift altar, through a kitchen area, and into the work yard
attached to the old warehouse.

Nakor squatted
near a child who was blowing bubbles with soapy water. Other children
chased and grabbed at the bubbles, but the former gambler stared
intently at a bubble being formed on the end of the little boy’s
pipe. It expanded, as Nakor said, “Slowly, slowly.”

Then, as it
reached the size of a melon, the little boy gave in to the impulse to
blow hard, and it popped as a stream of tiny bubbles surged from the
tip of the pipe. The other children in the yard erupted in laughter,
shrieking with delight as the bubbles sailed away on the afternoon
breeze.

Pug laughed and
Nakor turned. At seeing the magician, Nakor’s face split into a
wide grin. “Pug, what wondrous timing!”

Pug approached
and they shook hands. “Why?”

“The
bubble. A thought came to me while watching these children and I
needed to ask you something.”

“What?”

“That
story you told me, of when you, Tomas, and Macros went back to the
dawn of time, remember?”

“I could
hardly forget that,” replied Pug.

“You said
there was this gigantic explosion that launched the universe outward,
didn’t you?”

“I don’t
know if I put it exactly like that, but yes, that’s basically
what happened.”

Nakor laughed
and did a tiny dance for a minute. “I have it!”

“Have
what?”

“I have
been wrestling with a thought since you told me that story, years
ago. Now I think I understand something. Watch the boy as he blows a
bubble.” He turned to the boy. “Charles, again, please.”

The boy obliged
by blowing a single large bubble. “Watch it expand!”
insisted Nakor. “See how it grows larger!”

“Yes,”
said Pug. “What is the point?”

“It’s
a drop of soapy water, but you force air inside, and it grows! It
gets bigger, but the content of the water droplet is the same. Don’t
you see?”

“What?”
asked Pug, genuinely perplexed at Nakor’s latest revelation.

“The
universe! It’s a bubble!”

Pug said, “Oh
. . .” He paused. “I don’t see.”

Using his hand,
Nakor made a curving motion, as if describing a sphere in the air.
“The stuff of the universe, it was blown outward, like the soap
bubble! Everything in the universe, is on the surface of the bubble!”

Pug stopped a
moment, considered what he heard, then said, “That’s
amazing.”

“Everything
is moving away from everything else at the same speed! That’s
the only way it’s possible.”

Pug was
genuinely impressed with the insight. “Now, what does it mean?”

“What it
means is we now have a clue as to how things in the universe work.
And that might give us a better understanding of what it is we do in
the middle of this universe.”

“On the
surface, you mean.”

“On the
surface,” conceded Nakor.

“Then what
is in the middle?” asked Pug.

Nakor grinned.
“The void. That grey stuff you talk about.”

Pug paused.
“That would . . . make sense.”

“And when
you create a rift, you bend the surface of the bubble!”

Pug shook his
head. “You just lost me.”

“I’ll
explain it all to you some other time. Now, if I could just figure
out how the Hall of Worlds figures into all this. . ..”

Pug said,
“You’ll think of something, I am certain.”

Nakor said, “You
had a reason to visit with me?”

“Yes, I
need your help.”

Nakor said,
“Children, continue playing.”

“Who are
these children?” asked Pug as Nakor led him back into the
temple.

“The sons
and daughters of people who live nearby, people who are attempting to
rebuild their ruined homes and businesses, but who have no place for
their children while they do. We give them a safe place to leave the
children rather than let them run the streets.”

“And when
the businesses are rebuilt, the children will return to help their
parents.”

“Correct,”
said Nakor. “In the meantime, we build some nice credits with
people who will be inclined to help us out along the way. Skilled
tradesmen, for the most part.”

“You’re
really committed to this Temple of Arch-Indar, aren’t you?”

“I’m
committed to getting it built,” said Nakor.

“After
that?”

Nakor shrugged.
“I don’t know. I’ll leave this to someone better
able to run it than myself. It’s not really my calling. If it
were the Temple of the Lost God of Knowledge, maybe, though I think
I’ve had enough of Wodar-Hospur’s handiwork for a
lifetime.” He referred to the magic codex which he had
possessed for many years, an artifact which had given him incredible
knowledge and power, but which had also threatened his sanity.

“What
then?”

“I don’t
know. I think I’ll move on.”

They reached
Nakor’s office and Pug closed the door behind them. “Are
you thinking of leaving Sho Pi in charge?”

“I don’t
think so. He’s . . . heading for a different path, though I’m
not sure what that might be.”

“Someone
else?” asked Pug as he sat.

Nakor nodded.
“I’m not sure, but I think I may know who.”

“Care to
enlighten me?”

“No,”
said Nakor with a grin as he sat down. “I might be wrong, then
I would look foolish.”

“Heaven
forfend,” Pug said dryly.

“Now what
sort of help do you need from me?”

Pug explained
the situation with the Saaur to the north, then finished by saying,
“Patrick wants me to deliver an ultimatum, and if they refuse
to depart from the Kingdom, he’s ordered me to destroy them.”

Nakor frowned.
“Tales of your powers have been circulating for some years, my
friend. I thought it but a matter of time before someone in authority
attempted to bend you to their cause.”

“I’ve
served the Kingdom without orders before.”

“True, but
you’ve never been under the authority of an impetuous boy
before.”

Pug sat back in
his chair, and said, “I’ve never considered myself under
anyone’s authority since coming to my power. As a Great One of
the Tsurani Empire, I was outside the law, subject to no authority
save my own conscience and a mandate to do what was best for the
Empire.

“Since
returning to Midkemia, the crown was content to leave me alone, to
let me conduct my business down in Stardock as I saw fit. King Borne,
and King Lyam before him, were satisfied knowing I would do nothing
to cause harm to their realms. Now, about this ‘go destroy our
enemies’ order of Patrick’s, I’m not sure what’s
best to do.”

Nakor pointed at
Pug. “You’ve lived on another world, Pug. That boy up in
the castle has barely spent more than a couple of years of his life
off the island of Rillanon. You’ve been a slave and a man
beyond the law of the land, you’ve labored in a kitchen and you
are afforded the rank of Duke. You’ve traveled in time.”
Nakor smiled. “You’ve seen a lot of things.” He
lost the smile. “Patrick’s a scared boy, but he’s a
scared boy with a bad temper and an army who will obey him. That’s
a dangerous combination.”

“Maybe I
should go to the King.”

Nakor said,
“Perhaps, but I’d save that option until you’ve
talked to the Saaur and seen if you can convince them to leave.”

“Would you
consider coming with me? You have a wonderful knack for knowing what
to do in unusual situations.”

Nakor was silent
a moment, then said, “Preventing the death of many would be a
good act. Yes, I’ll come with you. But you could do me a favor,
first.”

“What?”

“Come with
me.”

Pug stood and
followed Nakor out of the office. In the far corner of the large hall
Sho Pi and a pair of acolytes were in discussion. Nakor shouted, “Sho
Pi, you keep an eye on the children. I’ll be back.”

He took Pug
through the streets toward the castle, but short of where they would
normally turn to approach the main drawbridge of the castle, they
turned and followed another street down toward a burned-out section
of the city. Reaching a checkpoint, they were halted by a pair of
guardsmen, wearing tabards of the Baron of Darkmoor. “Halt,”
said one in a bored tone of voice.

Nakor said,
“This is Pug, Duke of Stardock, on a mission for the Prince of
Krondor.”

“Sir!”
said the guard, coming to attention. He might not have seen the
magician before, but every soldier in the West knew of him by
reputation and he looked the part.

“We need
to commandeer a score of prisoners for a work detail,” said
Nakor.

“I’ll
fetch some guards to accompany you,” said the sentry.

“No need,”
said Nakor, holding up his hand. “We can take care of
ourselves.”

He motioned for
Pug to follow and hurried by before the guard could object. Pug said,
“We’ll be fine.”

They entered an
area of a half-dozen city blocks, razed by fire and catapults, where
the prisoners of war were being kept. Nakor found a large boulder and
climbed atop it. He shouted in the language of Novindus, “I
need some workers.”

A few men nearby
looked over and one or two continued to pay attention, but no one
came near. Nakor waited a moment, then climbed down. “This
isn’t working. Come along.”

He hurried
deeper into the milling camp of men. On all sides dirty and
hungry-looking mercenaries sat in idle conversation. As he moved
deeper into the press of men, he said, “I need some carpenters,
cartwrights, wheelwrights, wagon makers!”

One man said, “I
used to be a carpenter, before I was forced to fight.”

“Can you
turn a wheel?”

The man nodded.
“I can shave spokes, too.”

“Come with
me!”

“Why
should I?” said the man. He was in his fifties, grey-haired,
and looked filthy and miserable.

“Because
you’ve got nothing better to do, have you? And you’ll get
better food and you’ll get paid.”

At that the man
said, “Paid? I’m a prisoner.”

“Not
anymore, if you want work. I’ll make you a priest of
Arch-Indar.”

“Who?”
asked the man in confusion.

“The Good
Lady,” said Nakor impatiently. “Now, just come along and
say nothing.”

The exchange was
repeated a half-dozen more times, until Nakor had selected seven men
with the required experience. Several others had come forth, but
lacked the requisite skills. When they had returned to the pair of
guards manning the exit, Pug said, “I’m taking these men
with me. They have skills I need for a project.”