The Mirror of Her Dreams (49 page)

His bodyguards stationed themselves behind him.

'As you have heard,' Master Eremis resumed at once, 'she is the lady Terisa of Morgan. She was brought among us by Imagery.'

No one reacted to this announcement: perhaps it was self-evident.

'Beyond that, you already know as much of her as I do- certain secondary details aside.' He couldn't resist a leering grin that made the Armigite snigger. But he suppressed it quickly. 'She reveals nothing. She has no discernible talent for Imagery. I brought her here so that you will understand what the Congery has done in an effort to answer Mordant's need-and what we now propose to do.

'My lords, our dilemma is yours, and we are not blind to it. Mordant is in great danger. And King Joyse has lost his senses. Therefore we have done what Imagers have always done. We have cast an augury.

'A great amount of time was required to do this. It is not a simple thing to create the glass needed for such specific augury. But when the glass was done, the augury was cast. As best we can, we have acted on what we learned.

'I will not trouble you with lengthy explanations of augury. It is enough to say that the matter of interpretation is difficult. Put simply, our augury shows Mordant's peril. It shows an alien figure of great power. It shows scenes of victory. And it appears to imply a connection between the figure of power and the Domne's youngest boy, Geraden.

'As it happens, this same figure of power is visible in one of Master Gilbur's most celebrated mirrors.' Master Gilbur gave the room an indiscriminate glare. 'We came to the conclusion,' Eremis continued, 'that this figure was the champion who would save Mordant-if he were translated in the right way. And we agreed-not without some debate-that it must be Geraden's task to perform the translation.'

He leaned back and indicated Terisa with a nod. 'She is the result. In some way which we cannot explain, Geraden's translation went awry.' Then he paused to enjoy the perplexed frowns and muttering of the lords.

The Tor twitched in his seat. 'I know that Geraden,' he rumbled. 'He is a good boy. A true son of his father.' Absent-mindedly, he yawned and took another pull from his flagon.

After a moment, the Armigite said in a tone of rising indignation, 'Do you mean us to believe, Master Eremis, that Mordant is to be saved by this'-he slapped the back of his hand in Terisa's direction-'this
womanT

'No, my lord Armigite.' The Fayle's voice was as dry and brittle as ever; but it held an unexpected authority. 'Master Eremis would never ask that of a man who has no wife and no daughters. He means us to understand the decisions which the Congery has made because of the lady Terisa's translation.'

'Exactly, my lord Fayle.' Despite his stern expression, the laughter in Master Eremis' eyes implied a comment on the Armi-gite's embarrassment. 'It is my hope that seeing the lady Terisa will enable you to grasp why we have determined now to turn our backs on the obvious interpretation of our augury.

Though he figures prominently in the augury, we have decided to forgo Geraden's assistance, Master Gilbur will perform the translation as soon as you wish him to do so.'

Terisa thought the room was getting colder. But-she protested. But-that wasn't what the Congery had decided. Master Eremis was going too far.

The Tor made a soft snoring noise. The other men were more attentive, however. The Termigan stared at Master Eremis. The Armigite's mouth hung open. Prince Kragen's gaze darted watchfully around the room, gauging what he saw. The Fayle moved his lips as if he were talking to himself. In the surprised silence, Terisa could hear the creak of the bodyguards' leather as they shifted on their feet.

All at once, her sense of the situation changed. Despite his strange manner, Master Eremis had the ability to amaze her. Now she understood what he was doing. He was trying to forge an alliance, trying to place all three of the forces here-the lords, the Congery, and Alend's representative-into positions from which they would find it impossible to refuse him. Lacking the strength of the King, or even the authority of the mediator of the Congery, he was forced to resort to these subtle ploys. But the point of his manoeuvring was to save Mordant.

Abruptly, Prince Kragen slapped his hands down on the table and crowed, 'Bravely done, Master Eremis! You are audacious and resourceful, and you have my admiration. This is the union you offer us-Alend and the lords of Mordant and the Congery. I would not have believed there to be a man anywhere bold enough to make such a proposal-and clever enough to make it possible by bringing us together.'

'Master Eremis is indeed audacious and resourceful,' said the Fayle. 'Our reward for forming the union he wishes is the chance to employ the Congery's champion as if he were our own.'

'You say a 'figure of power',' the Termigan put in brusquely. His tone suggested distaste, but his flat eyes revealed nothing. 'What do you mean?'

'A moment, my lord Termigan,' the Fayle insisted mildly. 'I must claim precedence.'

The Termigan closed his mouth.

'Amend me if I am mistaken, Master Eremis.' The Fayle's blue eyes glittered like a bird's. 'Has not King Joyse forbidden any translation which deprives its object of volition?'

'He has,' snapped Master Gilbur. The greater our need for Imagery, the more he strives to paralyse us.'

'
And is he aware that your champion will be brought among us involuntarily?'

Master Eremis spread his hands like a shrug. 'My lord, that is one of many reasons why we must meet in secret. Our wise King will not lift his hand in Mordant's defence. But he will take Orison stone from stone to prevent a forbidden translation.'

'I see,' the Fayle replied. 'Forgive my interruption, my lord Termigan.'

Tor my part,' said the Perdon fiercely, 'I favour anything which will keep Festten's butchers on their side of the Vertigon. I have sworn to send King Joyse my dead and wounded if I am attacked-and I will do it.'

The Armigite looked like he was going to be sick.

The Termigan hadn't shifted his gaze from Eremis. Softly, he said,
'
Tell us about this 'figure of power', Master Eremis.'

'What is the need?' Gilbur demanded sourly. 'He is
augured.
We must have him.'

But Master Eremis answered, 'He has weapons which hurl a destructive fire. His armour protects him from all attack. Seeing him in battle, we cannot imagine how even an army would be able to stand against him. Surely he will be proof against wolves and ghouls and devouring lizards. Pits of fire will not harm him. He will be able to fight this vile Imagery at its source.'

'Better and better.' Prince Kragen's smile shone like his moustache. 'What
is
that source, Master Eremis?'

'I believe,' Eremis replied as grimly as his private excitement allowed, 'that he is the arch-Imager Vagel.'

The Tor made a snorting noise. He raised his head, glanced around blearily for a moment, then heaved himself to his feet. 'My lords, I must go to my bed. I have become too old for so much carousal.'

'Do not go, my old friend,' the Fayle remonstrated gently. 'You must help us to a decision.'

The Tor blinked hard. 'What decision? I have none to make. I will not return to Marshall. I am
old,
I say. These questions are too much for me. If King Joyse means to destroy Mordant, I will be here to assist him. I will stand at his side to the end.' He made a small chuckling noise. 'He deserves me.' Then he began to shuffle his bulk towards the door. 'My son always said I was a fool and a coward for not giving him more than two hundred men when he first set himself to become King. Now my son is dead. I should not have been so cautious.'

Slowly, he lumbered out of the room.

To Terisa's surprise, the Armigite said, 'The Tor is right. We should all go to bed. A decision like this should not be made quickly.' His eyes showed white, and there was sweat on his upper lip. 'What if we are discovered? What if Castellan Lebbick comes upon us? We need time-we must choose with care.' His voice cracked. Struggling for dignity, he concluded, 'I do not like decisions.'

With considerable asperity, the Perdon snapped, 'My lord Armigite, your father is groaning in his grave. Did he fight so many bloody-handed battles against'-he flicked a glance at Prince Kragen-'against foes of every description, simply to surrender his Care to a half-man who does not like decisions?'

The Armigite flushed, but was too nauseated to retort.

'My lords,' the Perdon went on, 'Armigite is bordered on the east by Perdon-on the west by Fayle and Termigan- on the north by Alend. We are enough. The Armigite cannot oppose us all. He will permit us to make his decisions for him.'

There was a moment of silence while the Armigite squirmed and the Perdon looked hotly around him. Then the Fayle said,

'
Be explicit, my lord Perdon.' He sounded like a dry husk. 'What is the decision you propose?'

'I propose the union Master Eremis has offered us,' replied the Perdon at once. 'I propose that we join together to draw up a plan of battle-against Cadwal as well as against these attacks of Imagery. King Joyse we will ignore. When Prince Kragen has had time to ready his forces'-he spoke as though he could hear trumpets, and his bald head seemed to gleam with enthusiasm- 'the lords of the Cares will march with him and the champion of the Congery for the preservation of the realm.'

Master Eremis sat very still, trying not to smile. Down the table from him, Giibur had covered his face with his heavy hands.

'That's eloquent, my lord Perdon.' The Termigan's tone betrayed neither approval nor sarcasm. 'I'm considered a loveless man. Certainly, I've got little use for any of you, my lords-and none for King Joyse. But Termigan is my
Care,
From the depths of its copper mines to the expanse of its wheat fields and the heights of Sternwall's towers, it's mine.

Tell me this. When Cadwal is beaten-and the Imagery has been defeated-and Joyse is deprived of kingship-who is going to rule Mordant and Termigan? Who is going to have authority over my Care?'

Prince Kragen replied with surprising promptness, The lady Elega.'

Elega?
Terisa thought as if she had been kicked.

'She is your King's eldest daughter, his rightful heir. And I have had the pleasure of her acquaintance in recent days. She understands power and rule better than you know.' He paused. 'And she is not Alend.'

'A woman,' groaned the Armigite, apparently seeking to regain lost stature. Then you will marry her, and Margonal will become king over us.'

Kragen's eyes glittered dangerously, but he didn't deign to retort. Instead, he asked the Termigan, 'Is she acceptable to you, my lord?'

'
My lords,' interposed the Fayle. For the first time, he unfolded his arms and put his long, thin fingers flat on the table. The veins in the backs of his hands bulged crookedly. This must stop.'

At once, every eye in the room was on him.

'I have heard enough.' He sounded old and tired; yet there was an undercurrent of firmness in his voice. 'If you mean to accept this alliance, you must be content to do so against my opposition. Fayle will support the King.'

In an apologetic tone, he added, 'You must understand that I am the father of his wife. Queen Madin is a formidable woman. Whatever choice I make here, I must justify to her.'

'Women and women!' The Perdon was on his feet, his features clenched in anger, 'Must Mordant be destroyed because you cannot stand before your own daughter? Or because Prince Kragen is enamoured of Elega? Or because'-he brandished his moustache at Terisa-'Master Eremis desires to bed this product of Imagery? My lords, such questions are not important! Our ruin musters against us while we debate petty considerations. We must-'

'No, my lord Perdon.' Though the Termigan didn't raise his voice, he made himself heard through the Perdon's ire. 'You'll do what you want. But you'll do it without me. My lord Fayle is too polite to say what he thinks. I'm not so courteous. There is some plot here. My lord Prince agrees with all this too easily. I
know
the Alend Monarch. When he closes his hand around Mordant, he won't release it-not unless the lady Elega has already agreed to become his proxy.'