The Queen of Swords (8 page)

“I am told you come with urgent news,” said King Onald. “Have you travelled from our eastern coasts?”

“From the west,” said Corum.

“The
west
? Is trouble beginning there, also?”

“Excuse me, King Onald,” Rhalina said, removing her helmet and shaking out her long hair, “but we were not aware that there was any strife in the east.”

“Raiders,” he said. “Barbarian pirates. Not long since they took the port of Dowish-an-Wod and razed it, slaying all. Several fleets, as far as we can gather, striking at different points along the coast. In most parts the citizens were unprepared and fell before they could begin to fight, but in one or two small towns the garrisons were able to resist the raiders and, in one case, took prisoners. One of those prisoners has recently been brought here. He is mad.”

“Mad?” Jhary said.

“Aye—he believes himself to be some kind of crusader, destined to destroy the whole land of Lywm-an-Esh. He speaks of supernatural help, of an enormous army which marches against us…”

“He is not mad,” Corum told him quietly. “At least, not in that respect. That is why we are here—to warn you of a huge invasion. The barbarians of Bro-an-Mabden—doubtless your coastal attackers—and the barbarians of the land you know as Bro-an-Vadhagh have united, called on the aid of Chaos and those creatures which serve Chaos, and are pledged to destroy all who side, knowingly or unknowingly, with the Lords of Law. For Lord Arioch of Chaos has been but lately banished from this particular domain of Five Planes and can only return if all who support Law are vanquished. His sister Queen Xiombarg cannot give aid directly, but she encourages all her servitors to throw their weight behind the barbarians.”

King Onald stroked his lips with a thin finger. “It is graver than I had imagined. I was hard put to think of effective ways of stopping the coastal attacks, but now I can think of nothing which will enable us to resist such a force.”

“Your people must be warned of their peril,” said Rhalina urgently.

“Of course,” replied the king. “We will reopen the arsenals and arm every man that we can. But even then…”

“You have forgotten how to fight?” suggested Jhary.

The king nodded. “You have read my thoughts, sir.”

“If only Lord Arkyn had consolidated his power over this domain!” Corum said. “He could aid us. But now there is too little time. Lyr’s army marches from the east and his allies sail from the north…”

“And doubtless this city is their ultimate destination,” murmured Onald. “We cannot possibly withstand the might which you say they command.”

“And we do not know what supernatural allies they have,” Rhalina reminded him. “We could not remain any longer at Moidel to discover that.” She explained how they had learned of Lyr’s ambitions and Jhary smiled.

“I regret,” he said, “that my little cat cannot fly over great stretches of water. The idea distresses him too much.”

“Perhaps the priests of Law can help us…” Onald said thoughtfully.

“Perhaps,” agreed Corum, “but I fear they have little power at this moment.”

“And there are no allies we can call upon,” Onald sighed. “Well, we must prepare to die.”

The three fell silent.

* * *

A little later a servant entered and whispered something to the king. He looked surprised and turned to his guests.

“We are all four summoned to the Temple of Law,” he said. “Perhaps the powers of the priests are greater than we know, for they seem aware of your presence in the city.” To the servant he said, “Have a carriage prepared to take us there please.”

While they waited for the carriage, they bathed quickly and cleaned their clothes as best they could and then the little party left the palace and entered the simple, open carriage which bore them through the streets until it came to a low, pleasant building on the western side of the city. A man stood at the entrance. He looked agitated. He was dressed in a long white robe on which was embroidered the single straight arrow which was the symbol of Law. He had a short grey beard, long grey hair and his skin was also almost grey. In all this, his large brown eyes seemed to belong to another.

He bowed as the king approached.

“Greetings, my lord king. Greetings, Lady Rhalina, Prince Corum and Sir Jhary-a-Conel. Forgive me for the sudden nature of my summons but—but…” He made a vague gesture and then led them into the cool temple which was almost entirely undecorated.

“I am Aleryon-a-Nyvish,” said the priest. “I was awakened early this morning by—by—my master’s master. He told me many things, but ended by naming the names of you three travelers and saying that you would soon be at the Court of the king. He said I must bring you here…”

“Your master’s master?” Corum said.

“The Lord Arkyn himself. The Lord Arkyn, Prince Corum. None other.”

And then, from the shadows at the far end of the hall a tall man walked. He was a comely man, dressed like a nobleman of Lywm-an-Esh. There was a gentle smile upon his face and his eyes seemed full of a sad wisdom.

The form had changed, but Corum immediately recognized the presence as that of Arkyn of Law.

“My lord Arkyn,” he said.

“Good Corum, how dost thou fare?”

“My mind is full of fear,” Corum replied. “For Chaos comes against us all.”

“I know, but it will be long before I can rid my domain of Arioch’s entire influence—just as it took him a great long time to rid the domain of mine. There is little material aid I can offer thee as yet, for I am still gathering my strength. However, there are other ways in which I can help. I can tell you that Lyr’s allies have now joined him and that they are dreadful things from the nether regions. I can tell you that Lyr has another ally—an unhuman sorcerer who is the personal messenger of Queen Xiombarg and is capable of summoning further aid from her plane, though she would destroy herself if she attempted to come into this realm in person.”

“But where might
we
find allies, Lord Arkyn?” Jhary asked reasonably.

“Do you not know, you of many names?” smiled Lord Arkyn. He had recognized Jhary-a-Conel for what he was.

“I know that if there be an answer then it may well be some form of paradox,” Jhary replied. “That is one thing I have learned in my profession as companion to champions.”

Again Arkyn smiled. “Existence is a paradox, friend Jhary. Everything that is Good is also Evil. You know that, I am sure.”

“Aye. That is what makes me so insouciant.”

“And it is what makes you so concerned?”

“Aye.” Jhary laughed. “Then is there an answer, my Lord of Law?”

“That is why I am here, to tell you that unless you find aid for yourselves then Lywm-an-Esh will of a certainty perish and with it the cause of Law. You know that you have not the strength, ferocity or experience to withstand Lyr, Glandyth and the rest—particularly since they may now call upon the power of the Dog and the Bear. There is one people of whom I know who may be willing to ally themselves with your cause. But they do not exist in this plane—or in any of the planes I rule. Save for yourself, Corum, Arioch had succeeded in destroying all with the power to resist Chaos.”

“Where do they exist, my lord?” Corum asked.

“In the Realm of Queen Xiombarg of Chaos.”

“She must be our bitterest enemy!” Rhalina gasped. “If we could enter her realm—and I do not see how that is possible—she would welcome the chance to slay us!”

“I know that she would—once she found you,” Lord Arkyn agreed. “But if you went to her realm you would have to hope that her attention would be so focused on the events in this realm that she would not realize you had entered her own.”

“And what is there that might help us?” Jhary said. “Surely nothing of Law! Queen Xiombarg was more powerful then her brother Arioch. Chaos must hold full sway in her realm.”

“Not quite—and not so much as in her brother Mabelode’s realm… There is a city in her realm which has resisted all she could have brought against it. It is called the City in the Pyramid and the people who dwell in it are of a highly sophisticated civilization. If you can reach the City in the Pyramid, you may find the allies you need.”

“But how can we travel to Xiombarg’s realm?” Corum said reasonably. “We have no such powers.”

“I can make it possible for you to do that.”

“And how, in five planes, shall we find a single city?” Jhary asked.

“You must ask,” said Arkyn simply. “Ask for the City in the Pyramid. The city which has resisted Xiombarg’s attacks. Will you go? It is all that I can suggest if you would be saved…”

“And if you, too, are to be saved,” Jhary pointed out with a smile. “I know you gods and I know that you manipulate mortals only to achieve those things you cannot yourselves achieve, for mortals may scurry where gods may not go. Have you other motives in encouraging this course of action, Lord Arkyn?”

Lord Arkyn looked humorously at Jhary. “You know the ways of gods, as you say. But I can tell you no more save that I gamble with your lives as freely as I gamble with my own destiny. What you risk, I risk. If you do not succeed in all I hope, then I will perish, all that is gentle and good in this realm will perish. And you need not go to Xiombarg’s realm…”

“If there are potential allies there, then we will go,” Corum said firmly.

“Then I will open the Wall Between the Realms,” said Arkyn quietly.

He turned and walked back into the shadows.

“Ready yourselves,” he said. He was now invisible.

Corum heard a sound in his head—a sound that was soundless, but which blocked out all other sounds. He looked at the others. They were evidently experiencing the same thing. Something moved in front of his eyes—a dim pattern superimposed on the more solid scene which showed his companions and the simple walls of the temple. Something vibrated.

And then it was there.

A cruciform shape stood in the middle of the temple. They moved around it in wonder but, from whatever angle they regarded it, it retained the same perspective. It was a shimmering silver in the cool darkness of the temple and through it, as through a window, they could see part of a landscape.

Arkyn’s voice came from behind them.

“There is the entrance to Xiombarg’s domain.”

Strange black birds flew across the section of sky they could observe through the peculiar window. A distant sound of cackling.

Corum shivered. Rhalina moved closer to him.

Now King Onald’s voice: “If you would stay here, I will think no less of you…”

“We must go,” Corum said almost dreamily. “We must.”

But Jhary, with a suggestion of defiant jauntiness, was the first to step through and stand there, looking up at the unpleasant birds, stroking his cat.

“How shall we return?” Corum said.

“If you are successful, then you will find the means to return,” said Arkyn. His voice was growing weaker. “Hurry. It takes much from me to hold the gateway open.”

Hand in hand with Rhalina, Corum stepped through and looked back.

The cruciform shape of shimmering silver was fading. They saw Onald’s concerned face for an instant and then it was gone.

“So this is Xiombarg’s realm,” said Jhary with a sniff. “It has a brooding air about it.”

Black mountains lay on two sides and the sky was bleak. The horrid birds flew into the mountains, still screaming. Ahead, a foul sea washed a rocky shore.

IN WHICH PRINCE CORUM AND HIS COMPANIONS GAIN THE FURTHER ENMITY OF CHAOS AND EXPERIENCE A STRANGE, NEW FORM OF SORCERY

1

“
W
HICH WAY
?” J
HARY
looked about him. “The sea or the mountains? Neither’s inviting…”

Corum sighed deeply. The morbid landscape had instantly depressed him. Rhalina touched his arm, her eyes full of sympathy.

Though she looked at Corum, she spoke to Jhary who was now adjusting his ever-present sack on his shoulder. “Inland would be best, surely, since we have no boat.”

“And no horses,” Jhary reminded her. “It will be a fearful long walk. And who’s to say those mountains are passable when we reach ’em?”

Corum gave Rhalina a quick, sad smile of gratitude. He straightened his shoulders. “Well, we made up our minds to enter this realm, now we must make up our minds which way to go.” His hand on the pommel of his sword, he stared towards the mountains. “I have seen something of the power of Chaos when I journeyed to Arioch’s Court, but it seems to me that that power extends further in this realm. We’ll head towards the mountains. There we may discover some inhabitants who may know where lies this City in the Pyramid Lord Arkyn mentioned.”