Emperor and Clown (15 page)

“What
would happen then?” the princess asked, looking worried.

“I
have no idea, ma’am, but you couldn’t keep changing a gown into a coat and then
... a nightshirt, maybe ... and so on, and not have the cloth fall apart on you
eventually, could you? So I think that sorcerers probably just use magic on
themselves, not sorcery-temporary, not much more than illusion. Like what I
just did to my face.”

She
chuckled, thinking he was in a better humor. “When will we round the corner
into the Morning Sea?”

“A
couple of days, I expect.”

“And
how long after that to Ollion?”

“A
week at least. Longer with stops on the way.” She paused, then said, “Is that
an estimate, or can you see?”

“It’s
an estimate, ma’am. Foresight is tricky.”

“Yes?”

He
didn’t want to be interrogated like a child, but he must not forget that he
owed her his life, even if he didn’t really want it much now. She had certainly
risked her own for him.

“Premonition
and foresight aren’t quite the same,” he explained, floundering at finding
terms for the ineffable concepts of magic. “I got a little premonition with my
second word, although that’s unusual, and I seem to have some foresight now. I
used premonition when I said I wouldn’t follow Inos west to Qoble. What would
have happened, I don’t know, but it would have been very bad. It’ll never
happen now, so I’ll never know. Foresight ... Even sorcerers have trouble with
that, and it’s especially hard to foresee yourself, because you start to get
nervous, and make plans ... I wish I could say this better.”

“Oh,
do take your time, this is fascinating!”

The
ship rolled forward over a crest, showing waves marching on over the endless
ocean to meet the boundless sky. Why could he not dwell out here forever on the
clear clean sea? Who needed land?

“A
witch, a sorcerer, and at least one warlock all tried to foresee me and failed,”
Rap said suddenly. He hadn’t meant to. He decided it wasn’t her he didn’t want
to tell, but nosy old Sagorn. To ask her not to repeat his words would not be
fair, though. “You remember what the magic casement showed when I went near it?
A white glare?” He noticed that his voice was rising and his fists had clenched
on the rail. He tried a small calming magic on himself.

“Of
course.”

“It
hurts!” Rap said. Ishist had told him that. “I foresaw me arriving in Ollion, I
think, and we will travel in a coach, a big green one. And then I think I
caught a glimpse of Hub-I don’t remember exactly. And then . . .” He shivered
despite himself. “White! Like the sun ... please, I don’t want to talk about
it.”

He
was shaking, and his fists had clenched again. She covered one with a wet,
chilled hand. “Of course! I’m sorry I pried . . . I won’t tell the others what
you said.”

She
was absurdly concerned and apologetic. Evil take it, but he didn’t want to be
mothered, either! “That’s all right, ma’am. I should have explained sooner.
Something awful happens in Hub ... I’m afraid you’ll have to manage without a
seer. A foreseer, at least. Anytime I try to look forward now, even a couple of
hours, all I can see is-that.”

And
his premonition was growing worse every day. “Then you must stay away from Hub,
Master Rap!” Her sympathy was quite genuine. He forced himself to fake a smile.
“I don’t think I can escape. It’s destiny. I think I’m as helpless as ... as a
pebble in a chicken’s crop.”

And
everyone knew where they went.

Meanwhile,
in the glory hole, the rat made a dash for escape. Rap reached down and turned
it, and Pooh grabbed as it went by. Rap laughed aloud, and the princess gave
him a strange look.

Dearest
Aunt, Greetings!

Please
excuse the lack of a date and address, which would be proper. I have quite lost
track of the days, but I can give you a rough idea of my location. I am writing
this on board a nasty little ship-from which I hope to escape very
shortly!-close to Elmas, which is in Ilrane! We have crossed the bar and are
riding the tide up a very still river. (You may not think so from my
handwriting) This was the best pen I could find. I had to ask a sailor for one,
and he must have thought I said marlinespike.) The Big Man is writing to his
brother, and so I shall ask to have this note enclosed. It may be the last
chance I get to write to you for some time, and of course I must be circumspect
with names, etc.

Now,
my news! I am well, and quite a confident sailor now. We made very poor time at
first. The notorious Kerith Passage was a lamb, a sleepy kitten, a featherbed,
crystal calms alternated with drowsy zephyrs ... thick cream, one long lullaby!
You get the gist. And HOT! The Big Man was ready to snap the mainmast with his
TEETH! Our ship was a week late and almost out of fresh water when we got to
Ullacarn. None of us went ashore there. Our merchant friend is probably still
lurking around, even if his superior is not-yellow hat. You know who I mean.
But even he might still be around sometimes, because his friends are thicker
than ever. The Big Man will be telling his brother all about that, though. We
silly women mustn’t worry about men’s affairs, must we?

Then
we set sail for Angot. The usual route follows the coast, and I was quite
looking forward to seeing Thume again from a safe distance! It was not to be.

Despite
its name-which the captain assured me is historical, not geographical-the Sea
of Sorrows is renowned for the gentlest sailing anywhere in the Summer Seas.
Don’t believe anything a sailor tells you, Aunt.

If
that was CALM, I cannot imagine what STORMY looks like!

In
my honor, I suppose, it mounted one of the worst typhoons the old-timers can
remember. My literary skills are quite inadequate to describe it, but it did do
wonders for my abilities at praying. Star of Delight was more fortunate than
many fine vessels, I fear.

But
the Gods were merciful and the return of fair weather found us with half our
rigging and a bad list, somewhere southwest of Qoble. Except that we had
bypassed three planned stops, we were slightly ahead of our original schedule
when we limped into the world-famous harbor at Gaaze, which I had never heard
of. It’s on the other side of Qoble from Angot.

So
I was back in the Impire proper! How long it seems since you and I crossed the
pass at Pondague with Andor and that horrible proconsul) Yet it isn’t much more
than half a year.

Gaaze
(which has, as you know, a world-famous harbor) looks to be quite a pleasant
city, but I barely set foot there. The Big Man and a couple of his friends went
ashore first and came back very soon with fists clenched and brows knotted!
Djinns are no longer welcome in Qoble, they were told. In fact, a general
roundup of djinns was expected at any moment!

So,
even if the passes were still open, we could not get into the Impire through
Qoble.

Fortunately,
the Big Man was able to buy early passage to Ilrane, and here we are, two days
later, safe and sound in elf land. None too soon, either! This is a dirty old
tub, which stinks of bilge like sewage, and whose principal cargo seems to be
fleas. Believe it or not, Aunt, its official name is Lady of Many Virtues and
Much Beauty. Even the captain has better names for it.

So
now we hope to find horses and head north. That is, if we can get permission!
Elves, I am told, are very suspicious of strangers. I shall not be sorry to see
the last of the sea, but this may be my last chance to send a letter-I’m afraid
the Imperial post will not be calling in Zark from now on. What fools men are!

I
do hope you are well, My Dear Kade. I miss you and long to see you again. I
expect you are keeping busy, knitting overcoats for camels or something.

And
what about Rap? I have tried to speak to the Big Man about him, but he refuses
to talk on that subject at all. I shall make one more effort before he sends
off his letter to his brother, and hope I can persuade him to relent. Rap is no
threat to anyone, and he was only trying to help. I am sure that if he were to
be banished from the kingdom, nothing would ever drag him back. If I do manage
to arrange this, will you try to see that Rap has some money when he leaves,
and give him my best wishes? I should love to have heard all his adventures. He
was duped by a warlock, I fear, and what happened really wasn’t his fault. I am
sure he meant well-please tell him so, if you car.. And if I can’t win a
release for him, do see if you can do anything to ease his captivity. But I’m
sure you’ll have done your best already.

From
all the stamping on the roof, I assume that this floating pesthole is about to
dock, so I’ll close this letter now ...

The
harbor at Elmas was a river mouth, flanked by steep wooded hills that were
reflected on the mirror surface. Half a dozen ships lay at anchor. Small boats
flitted around them, most being rowed in the total calm. A few were being poled
near the shore, and there oxen plodded along a towpath, hauling barges. Inos,
standing on deck beside Zana, decided that she was not impressed with Ilrane so
far. There was nothing to see, because the valley curved abruptly both upstream
and seaward. She felt deliberately shut out, and said so.

“Secretive
people,” Zana agreed, and nodded approvingly.

Soon,
however, the little tenders began to flock around Lady of Virtues, and elves
came swarming over the side. Azak’s entourage of djinn fighting men made up
most of the passenger list; most of the crew were jotnar. By comparison with
those, the elves looked puny. They also all seemed extremely young, an invasion
of children. But their mirth and the lilt of their voices illuminated the air
like birdsong, and their skimpy garments fluttered and flamed like butterfly
wings. Most of the men wore only a loincloth, the women very little more, and
all were barefoot. Every few minutes one would jump over the side to cool off
and come swarming back up the ladder or anchor chain, laughing and sparkling.
With golden skins and haloes of golden curls and their outsized eyes flashing
in every shade like diamonds, they were children of light and sky, who barely
belonged to the earth at all.

Inos
was entranced. The Uphadly girls she had met at Kinvale had been part elvish,
but they had seemed no more than imps with permanent jaundice. These merry
golden children were magically different from imps, and a most welcome change
from the sullen djinns and rancorous jotnar who had been her only companions
for so long. She decided she might enjoy her visit to Ilrane, and she wondered
about clothing. At the moment she was enveloped in a chaddar, swathed and
veiled so that only her eyes showed. It was a comfortable enough garb for the
dry glare of the desert; in this salty, muggy maritime air, she felt half
boiled.

“Zana?”

“My
lady?”

“If
I were to strip down to about what those girls there are wearing and then jump
overboard-what would Azak say?”

Zana’s
ruby eyes widened amid a million tiny wrinkles. “I doubt if he would ever allow
you back on the ship.”

Inos
sighed-true! And there was the matter of her mutilated face. She would have to
become reconciled to wearing a veil, or else learn not to mind people staring
at her.

The
deck bustled with elves and jotnar, plus the djinn passengers who persisted in
getting in the way. Azak had just finished a long conversation with an elf, who
had accepted a coin and gone ashore by the most direct route, his arms flashing
like bird’s wings as he swam. He was moving very fast, almost leaving a wake,
so he at least must be as young as he had seemed. Azak was watching, leaning on
the rail by himself. Now was the time!

Inos
strode over and waved her letter under his nose, “Dear?”

It
did not feel so strange now. She would work her way up to more passionate terms
later, and maybe the use of the words would begin to feel natural. Sincerity by
self-hypnosis ...

“My
love?” He smiled approvingly-he knew what she was doing and seemed to
appreciate the effort. “I should like this to go to Kade, please? With your
letter to Kar?”

“Of
course.” Azak took the letter in his big swordsman’s hand. “You have sealed it?
I must read it.” And now ...

Or
had he really just said what she thought she’d heard?

Yes,
he had. “You do not trust me, husband?”

He
smiled down at’her blandly. “It will take me time to learn to trust you, my
darling. Men of my country do not give trust easily.”

When
you tell me you love me, I will tell you I trust you.

Inos
took a couple of deep breaths and then said in the sweetest tones of which she
was capable, “Then read it by all means.”

Azak
broke the seal. He turned around to lean his back against the rail and
proceeded to read the letter.

Suddenly
he looked up, his face dark as an arctic storm. “You spoke with a sailor?”

“Zana
was there!” Inos said hastily.

“Ah!
Your pardon!” He went back to reading, while Inos wondered how much it would
take to bribe Zana-even if she had any money, which she hadn’t.

Azak
finished, nodded, folded it, and slipped it inside his robe. “It will be sent.
You were discreet. You do realize that the chances of it reaching Arakkaran
safely are slim?”

“We
can but try.”

He
nodded. “And don’t bother pleading for your boy lover. The matter is closed.”

Another,
even deeper breath. She laid her hands on the rail, stared at the green
hillside, and forced her voice to stay soft and level. “You are being very
unfair, husband. He was never my lover. I have had no lovers in the past and I
have sworn to be true to you in the future. I resent your choice of words.”

“We
shall not discuss it further.”

Inos
turned on her heel and walked away before she said anything that would make
matters even worse.