The Sword and the Flame (48 page)

It was nearing dusk—the red-gold disk of the sun was lowering in the sky away westward over Gerfallon's broad back—before Quentin found an opportunity to slip away alone. Blazer was saddled and waiting for him and bore him quickly through the deserted streets of Askelon and out onto the plain.

Quentin found the shaded bower without any trouble; he had been there before with Durwin and remembered the bank overlooking the for-est pool as a place where the hermit loved to come and idle away the hours on a summer's day. The grave mound was fresh and neatly overlaid with stones—a simple grave such as the hermit would have wanted—and already tender green shoots of new grass could be seen poking up between the rocks.

The king stood for a long time gazing reflectively at the grave, remembering the life he had known with the holy hermit of Pelgrin, as the simple folk called Durwin still. That temporal life had now ended, but another had begun; and Quentin knew that he would see his friend again, that they would be together in a place without separation or the painful intrusion of death, and he was content to wait until that time.

The sound of hoofbeats signaled the end of his quiet reverie, and he turned to see two riders approaching. He waited while they dis-mounted and tied their horses to a poplar branch beside his. “So, I have been followed. I thought you two might have found a better way to occupy yourselves,” said Quentin.

Toli grinned and took Esme's hand. “We wanted to talk to you in privacy,” he explained. “I saw you leave the celebration, so we waited a little and came after you.”

Quentin nodded but said nothing, waiting for Toli to continue. Toli glanced sideways at the woman beside him and then back at the king, licked his lips, and announced, “We have made a decision . . .”

“Oh?” teased Quentin. “Was there a decision to be made?”

Toli dropped his eyes. “Please, it was not an easy choice to make.”

“I am sorry. Forgive me,” said Quentin quickly. “Of course—it would not be easy for either of you. And it will not be easy for me. If I make light of it, it is only because I shall feel your absence most acutely.”

“Absence?”

“You will be going away. I know. But I could not be happier for either of you. It is the best thing—” He stopped when he saw the look that passed between Toli and Esme.

Esme laughed gently and replied, “We are not going away. At least not together. Not yet.”

“No?”

“No,” said Toli firmly.

“I am going to Dekra,” said Esme. “I felt something there that I must search out for myself. I felt the spirit of the God Most High move within me; I had a vision. He may be calling me to serve him in a special way. I want to go back and find out—I
must
find out. I want to learn all I can of the one I have pledged my life to before I make a life with another.”

“I see,” said Quentin, nodding. “I know how you feel. I felt the same way, but it seems that Dekra was never chosen for me. My future lies on a different path.” He turned to Toli. “And you?”

“I will remain by your side, Kenta.” Toli looked lovingly at Esme and clasped her hand more tightly. “It is true that we love each other, and per-haps someday we will join our lives. But for now—” He smiled, and the light kindled in his deep, dark eyes. “For now you are still saddled with me, my friend.”

“And forevermore, so it would seem.”

“Come, then,” said Toli. “Let us return to the celebration together.” He glanced at the grave, and then at his master. “If you are ready.”

Quentin looked back at the simple mound and said, “Yes, I am ready. We have already said our good-byes. He came to me, you see. I did not realize it then; I was in no condition to know for certain.

“In those first black days when I was out searching for my son—insane with grief and exhausted beyond pain or sleep—I found myself on Holy Island. Perhaps I had been led there. However it was, Durwin appeared to me: I know now that it was he. He said good-bye and told me we would be together again. He knew how much it meant to me to see him one last time, and he came back to tell me to trust in the Most High. Had I but listened, I would have borne this trial more easily and accounted myself more worthily.”

Toli looked long at his friend and said finally, “Yes, Kenta, you have changed. I saw it when you stood in the temple yard, and again in the Great Hall. You have come to terms with your frailties as a man, and this makes you more of a king than before—a true priest king.”

Quentin shrugged. “I only know that I no longer burn to inaugurate the new era. The Most High will accomplish that as he will, and in his own time.”

The three rode back to Askelon across the plain, stopping at the site of the King's Temple ruins, where inexplicably scores of people moved among the toppled stones, clearing away the rubble. Quentin recognized his master mason among them and hailed him. “Bertram! What is happening here? What are you doing?”

“Sire.” The man bowed. “We are preparing the site for building.”

“Why? Who gave the orders?”

The old mason scratched his jaw and cocked his head to one side. “No one ordered it, my lord. It was the townspeople's idea; they insisted—said their new god ought to have a new temple. They aim to build one themselves. With your blessing, of course; we will follow the plans you have made.” Bertram scuttled away then, returning over the heap of broken stone to supervise the work.

“Do you see this?” said Toli. “The new era has come in force. It is here around us. Do you wish to stay and help?”

Quentin raised his eyes to the sky, where the first evening stars were already blazing like jewels in the clear, high dome of heaven, though away to the west the horizon still held the rosy tint of the sun. “No,” replied Quentin, lifting the reins and turning Blazer toward home. “Come. The Most High has chosen other hands to build his temple. That is as it should be.”

Bria met them at the balcony overlooking the garden. She wrapped her arms around her husband. “I wondered where the three of you had gone.” She glanced at Toli and then back to the king. “All is well?”

“It has never been better,” replied Quentin, kissing her lightly on the cheek. Throughout the enormous garden below, lanterns were being lit among the trees to twinkle like stars in a firmament of leaves.

“Then come in to the table; the banquet is about to begin,” said Bria, leading them across the balcony. The doors of the great hall had been thrown open wide to reveal long tables with food of every kind and description, and a host of eager guests waiting to be called to join in. Everywhere music played, and laughter drifted and mingled on the soft evening breeze, along with the sweet perfume of the garlanded flowers that bedecked the hall and garden.

“Yes, but the feast can wait a moment longer. First I want to see my children. Let me go and find them.”

Toli, Esme, and Bria watched him hurry down the steps into the garden, darting among the merrymakers in search of the prince and princesses. “I remember a night like this—exactly like this—when King Eskevar returned,” said Toli. “A celebration to rival this one, to be sure.”

“No, not like this one,” said Bria. Her voice held a trace of sadness. “My father even then did not care for his family as Quentin does.” She smiled and nodded to where the king returned bearing one youngster on his back and two others in his arms, all of them laughing happily. “You see? He has changed.”

Toli nodded slowly. “A new era is begun, my lady.”

“Indeed! Then let us hope it lasts a thousand years,” said Bria.

“Ten thousand!” added Esme.

“Let us hope it lasts forever,” said Toli.

“Come along,” called Quentin, striding past them. “We must not be late for our own celebration!” He marched through the doors with his young ones, and Bria took her place at his side; Toli and Esme came on behind. They all reached the high table to find Ronsard and Theido with Renny and his parents, and Pym the tinker with Tip at his feet, and all the other guests of honor already assembled and in their places.

Quentin seized his goblet and held it aloft, saying, “Welcome, fair friends one and all. Let the banquet begin!” And they all sat down to feast in the Hall of the Dragon King.