The Mirror of Her Dreams (64 page)

'My lord King'-the Tor's voice was quiet and harsh-'I am sure you understand that I am not motivated by benevolence.'

The King ignored him. 'Nevertheless,' he said to Terisa, working visibly to recover his equanimity, 'we must all bear our burdens as we can. Mine is hop-board.' Again, he gestured towards the table. 'This problem beats me. Are you sure you won't take a look at it for me? It's really quite demonic,' Slowly, the skin around his eyes crinkled with humour and enjoyment. 'And I think you know something about it.

'Please?'

Without quite intending to do so, she faced the table. After all, it wasn't entirely fair to say that his smile alone had seduced her into her game with Prince Kragen. She had had her own odd reasons for what she did. It wasn't fair to place all the blame on King Joyse.

When she saw the arrangement of the men on the board, she understood his idea that she knew something about it. The position was virtually a stalemate: it was the same position she had played for against Prince Kragen. Whose move was it? If white's, the game could go on: if red's, the only available play would complete the stalemate.

'It's red's turn,' answered the King, although she hadn't spoken.

'I see what you mean,' she murmured. 'There's no way out of that. Adept Havelock must be joking.'

'Oh, I don't think so. He doesn't have that kind of humour.' King Joyse frowned at the board. 'There is a way out. I'm sure of it. I simply can't imagine what it is.'

Terisa shook her head. The subject of hop-board held no interest for her. To dismiss it, she said, 'I haven't played for years. The only thing I can see is to back up and start over again. Try to avoid arriving in this position.'

He gave her another of his radiant smiles. 'My lady, I wish life were that simple.'

Under the influence of his joy, she thought suddenly that she caught Havelock's joke. 'In that case,' she said, 'try this.' Without pausing to reflect, she took hold of the edge of the table and tilted it back and forth just enough to slide most of the men off their squares. In an instant, the impending stalemate became chaos.

Grinning, she turned back to the King.

He obviously didn't think what she had done was funny. A look of nausea on his face, he stared at the board. His frailty came back over him; his eyes filled as if he were on the verge of tears.

Hastily, she tried to explain, 'I still think Adept Havelock was joking.' She indicated the board. 'Does he have
that
kind of humour?'

King Joyse gave no sign that he heard her.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. It's just a game.'

Without warning, his eyes flashed like steel glimpsed through water. To you, it's just a game. To me, it's the difference between life and ruin.'

Moving so feebly that he nearly tottered, he went back to his chair. The difficulty with which he lowered himself into his seat made her ache as if in some way it were her fault.

'My lord King,' Geraden asked, 'are you all right? Can I get anything for you?'

Slowly, King Joyse shifted his damp blue gaze towards the Apt. 'I notice you haven't been paying much attention to my orders,' he rasped acidulously. 'I distinctly told you not to see or speak with the lady Terisa. I told you not to answer her questions. Do you call what you've been doing obedience? I expected better loyalty from a son of the Domne.'

His accusation surprised Geraden. The Apt's head jerked up: his concern changed to a scowl. 'My lord King,' he replied slowly, holding his emotions like a bit clamped between his teeth, 'I would obey your orders if I understood them. But they don't make any sense.

'You've lost interest in Mordant. You insulted Prince Kragen badly enough to start a war with Alend. You let the Congery summon that champion, when the Fayle did everything he could to warn you. We need all the friends we can get. I'm not willing to treat the lady Terisa like an enemy.'

King Joyse looked too tired and old to keep his head up; but his gaze didn't waver. 'Are you through?'

Geraden took a sharp breath. 'No.' Stiffly, he said like a formal confession, 'My lord King, the day after you commanded me not to see or speak with the lady Terisa, I took her to the mirror which brought her here and attempted to return her to her own world.' Then he stopped, held himself still.

Like Geraden, Terisa expected anger from King Joyse. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had sent for the Castellan. Apparently anticipating the same reaction, the Tor shifted forward in his chair, braced himself to speak.

But the King only sighed. He leaned back and rested his chin on his chest. Staring vaguely into the rug, he murmured, 'One grows old so quickly. This should have happened when I was younger. I was strong enough when I was younger.'

Terisa wanted to ask-gently, gently-What should have happened? But Geraden had been too shaken by the King's accusation to let it drop.

'I tried to translate her back to her own world because I believe all the things you used to say about the reality and integrity of what we see in mirrors. I think she deserves the freedom to leave whenever she wants. If I had known you were going to let the Masters translate their champion-if I had known you were going to turn your back on the ideals you talked about when you created the Congery in the first place-I would have tried a lot harder to get her out of here.' What he was saying wasn't recrimination: it was an appeal. Terisa could hear his heart in it. 'Why did you do it? Their champion nearly killed us. He left a hole the size of a small village in the northwest wall. We might as well invite Cadwal and Alend to besiege us. And he's still out there, ready to tear down anybody who gets in his way.'

And Myste is out there, Terisa thought. Your daughter. She's trying to catch up with him.

'My lord King, the Fayle tried to warn you. Why didn't you let him warn you?'

King Joyse didn't bother to glance at the Apt. When Geraden finally fell silent, the King didn't reply for a moment. Then he said, 'Because I didn't see fit to do so.' A tremor of bitterness and pain ran through his voice. 'Do you think you're qualified to make my decisions for me? I was fighting to make Mordant and the Congery whole long before you were old enough to fall on your face in pigwallows.'

Geraden flushed at this jibe, but couldn't retort to it.

'I let the Masters have their champion because I didn't choose to stop them.

'Besides,' King Joyse added sourly, 'Eremis is under arrest.

That should make you happy. Lebbick will arrest Gilbur when he finds him. The perpetrators are going to be punished. What more do you want?'

'I want to
understand,'
cried Geraden.

Tush, young Geraden,' the Tor rumbled unexpectedly. 'I doubt that the Domne has any thick-skulled sons. Surely you are not stupid. It must be obvious by now that my lord King does not
wish
you to understand.'

Geraden whirled to face the Tor. 'But
why?
I'm just an Apt. I'll never become a Master. What harm would it do if I understood? Who would it hurt?'

The Tor lifted his shoulders fatly. Speaking half into his flagon, he asked, 'How did I gain an audience with the King?'

Hauled up short, Geraden blinked at the old lord. Slowly, he said, 'You howled outside the door until he let you in.'

King Joyse snorted quietly.

In disgust, the Tor grimaced. 'You cannot convince me that you are stupid. I insist that you are not. How did I gain an audience with the King when I first arrived in Orison?'

Geraden opened his mouth. 'I-' Then he closed it again.

'Young Geraden'-the Tor emphasized each word-'the King does not wish you to understand. I suggest that you return to your quarters and beat your head against the wall until your skull cracks enough to let a little light shine in.'

'Yes, go,' King Joyse muttered at once. 'I'm tired of being reminded how little my own people respect their King.'

Sharply, Geraden turned back to the King. Now Terisa saw something wild in his eyes, something extreme enough to be dangerous. Nevertheless his balance had become steady, as if urgency improved his poise. 'Actually,' he said, 'I should be used to this.' His tone was almost calm. 'I was always the youngest. My brothers didn't have the patience to explain things to me very often.' Almost calm-and almost threatening. 'I probably do better when I figure it out for myself.'

Without glancing away from King Joyse, he asked Terisa, 'My lady, will you come with me?'

'She will stay here,' King Joyse answered for her.'I want to talk to her.'

So he did want to talk to her. Terisa didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned. To Geraden, she said, 'I'll see you later,' trying to reassure him. 'We'll think of something.' Then she waited while he made up his mind to leave.

Before he left, he gave her a look like an iron promise-a look that hinted at passion and authority. Then he was gone.

As the door closed, the Tor sighed thickly. He emptied his flagon and settled his bulk more comfortably in the chair as though he intended to take a nap.

Terisa faced King Joyse.

Instinctively, she felt sure she knew why King Joyse wanted to talk to her. And she meant to take advantage of the opportunity. She was angry. Castellan Lebbick had hit her. King Joyse insisted on causing Geraden pain. Master Eremis had been arrested. She was angrier than she had realized.

Her voice shook slightly as she said, 'You knew Master Eremis was arrested. Castellan Lebbick has been reporting everything to you.' That seemed a safe deduction. 'You knew he was going to arrest me. You
let
him attack me like that. If the Tor hadn't stopped him, I would be in a cell by now.

'I seem to recall hearing you argue I might be a powerful Imager-I was like an ambassador-I had to be treated with respect. Do you call this respect?'

As if he intended to answer her, he raised his head. He shifted in his chair to face her squarely. Now there was no petulance or bitterness in his expression. He looked grave with all the seriousness of his years, as intent on her as his watery gaze permitted-and so sorrowful that she was taken aback.

'My lady,' he asked softly, 'where is my daughter?'

So she was right. Her pulse beat faster. At last she had something somebody else wanted, something she could use. As long as she didn't betray Myste, this was her chance.

The prospect frightened her; but she clung to it with both hands. 'Which daughter?' she returned despite the tremor in her voice. 'You have several.'

She expected indignation and anger-that was what she always expected-but King Joyse remained quiet. His expression didn't change. For a long moment, he studied her through the moisture in his eyes. Then he indicated the chair across the table from him. 'My lady, will you be seated?'

At first she hesitated, Perhaps she would be stronger if she stayed on her feet. But his sadness was as persuasive as his smile.

She went to the chair, pulled it away from the table to dissociate herself from hop-board, and sat down.

When she was seated, he said in the same soft, grieving tone, 'My lady, my daughter Myste is gone. Where is she?'

Suddenly, her tongue was so dry that she could barely swallow. Like a frightened but stubborn child, she asked, 'My lord King, why did you let Castellan Lebbick arrest me?'

The room seemed uncomfortably warm. Again, the King's eyes gave a hint of steel. He held her gaze until he faltered and looked down. Then he breathed almost inaudibly, 'My lady, do not play this game with me. It is more dangerous than you imagine.'

For a few seconds while her heart hammered and her stomach knotted, she nearly backed down. She didn't have the strength to face him. Anybody was stronger than she was. As she had with Saddith, she felt that vulnerability and weakness were her only defence, her only weapon.

But backing down now wouldn't accomplish anything. The King would still want to know about his daughter. He would still demand answers. If she gave up what she wanted, she wouldn't make herself safer. And it would be more difficult for her to avoid betraying Myste.