Emperor Mage (6 page)

Lindhall
awaited them in front of a pair of broad white doors on which green flowering
vines had been painted. He bowed low to the emperor and smiled at Daine, then
turned and opened both doors, thrusting them wide. He clapped twice.
Light-globes in the hall that lay before them came to life, to reveal a wonder.
On the walls, birds had been inlaid with gold strips. Tiny gems served them as
eyes, while craftsmen had used pieces of bright, colorful stone for their
plumage. Kitten trilled her appreciation.

"Oh,
glory," breathed Daine. "Your Imperial Majesty, this
is—wondrous."

"It
is well enough," the emperor said coolly, surveying the inlays. "We
thought it pretty when we designed it, but no image can take the place of a
living bird."

She
couldn't disagree, but the walls still had to be the finest thing to come from
human hands.

At the
end of the hall stood another pair of doors, these made of long glass panels.
They were frosted and set in a network of metal pieces enameled a bright,
emerald green and shaped like vines.

"I
am A fool" Ozorne was upset. "They will be asleep. We can have
light-globes—they are used to that; I often read here at night, but to disturb
their rest, even to care for sick ones..."

"You
must leave that to me," Daine told him. "I won't frighten them, and I
won't let the ones who are well interrupt their rest. It's more important to
start work now."

"Master
Lindhall, will you remain and get whatever Veralidaine needs?" inquired
the emperor. When Daine looked at him curiously, he tried to smile. "To
see them ill, and to be helpless—do you think less of me? I cannot watch."

She
smiled. "I don't think less of you, sire. I know what it's like to be
helpless when a creature you love is ill and you can't do anything."

Lindhall
sketched a rune in the air with a glowing finger. When the design was complete,
the glass doors opened. He bowed deeply to the emperor, holding the posture,
until Daine realized that both of them were waiting for her to do the same.
Again she'd forgotten that she was not dealing with King Jonathan! She
curtsied, wobbling a bit, as Zek squeaked and hung on to her curls. Kitten sat
up on her hindquarters and bowed, too.

Emperor
Ozorne nodded and left, vanishing in plain view as he passed the white doors.

Lindhall
went into the aviary first, using finger-snaps to wake two small light-globes
near the entrance. They illuminated the area around the door, revealing a
marble bench and walks that led between banks of large, thick-leafed plants.
Daine looked up and saw the shadows of trees overhead. In the darkness she
could hear the murmur of fountains and brooks, and the brush of damp greenery.
In her mind, she could hear the whispers of sleeping and waking birds, both
well and ilL

Lindhall
closed the doors behind them.

"You
don't have to stay," she said quietly. The number of birds in this chamber
was surprising, and the thread of ill health weaving through her senses made
her feel slightly ill herself. She was starting to regret the last grape she'd
eaten. "It'll be fair boring."

"I
believe I will stay in any event," he said, breathy voice kind.
"Partly because I should like to see you at work, but also partly because
I know Numair will feel better if I am with you."

Daine
nodded. "Would you mind holding Zek, then?" she asked. To the
marmoset she explained, "I'm going to need that shoulder."

Resigned,
the tiny animal climbed down her outstretched arm and onto LindhaU's immense
palm. Zek was beginning to realize that his new friend had her own ways of
doing things. Lindhall sat on the bench, stroking Zek s many-colored fur with
one finger, while Kitten leaped up beside him and settled down to wait.
"Daine, may I give you a word of warning?"

Looking
around, the girl saw the immense bole

of a
tree nearby. "About what, sir?" She settled into a fold between two
large roots, resting her back against the tree.

"The
emperor." LindhaU's pale eyes were troubled. "He shows his best side
in regard to his birds, and to animals in general. He possesses—other
sides."

She
smiled at him. "I'll keep it in mind." She didn't think she had
needed the extra warning—not after two years of finding imperial claws hooked
into all parts of Tortall. Closing her eyes, she called her patients to her.

The
ones in the best condition came first, heads bobbing on weakened necks. Some
barely had the strength to fly, a result both of the disease and of the appetite
loss that went with it. Daine looked deep inside herself until she found the
pool of her magic. She drew it up not in threads, but in ropes, sending fibers
of it into each of the birds resting on her shoulders and legs.

If they
had a disease, it was like none she had ever seen. To her inner eyes, it
shadowed the dab of copper fire that was each bird's wild magic, leaving a film
that grew until it blotted out the animals fire, and its life. She burned the
shadows away in every bird that could reach her, then rose to find those that
couldn't. She ached all over, particularly in her joints. She ignored it and
felt her way into the shrubbery that concealed the rest of her patients

from
her. Many were on the ground, too weak to move. Three had died since the last
time the place was cleaned. She stubbornly went after each flickering life
light she could sense.

Some
had made it to aboveground nests. The thought of climbing the large trees of
this indoor enclosure was daunting, but she found a stair that followed the
walls in an upward spiral. Using it, she searched out the rest of her patients.
At last she had seen to all of them. Lindhall must have heard her coming down
the stair: he, Kitten, and Zek met her at the bottom.

"How
did it go?" the man asked.

"They're
healed—for now, at least. Oh, dear." Now that she was in somewhat better
light, she could properly see that her hands, arms, and dress were coated with
heavy, white droppings. Before coming down, she'd scraped the worst off with
leaves and twigs, but her splendid gown was ruined. Even one of Kitten's
magical sounds wouldn't save the cloth.

"Perhaps
I should continue to hold Zek," Lindhall said tactfully. "Would you
like me to show you to your room?" She brightened, looking up at him, and
he laughed. "My dear, I've lost more garments to animal droppings than I
can count. Clothing is not worth a candle when placed against what you have
done here. Come. We'll go through the gardens, where no one will see you."

Kitten,
following them down the hall with the bird inlays on the walls,
whistle-croaked- The stone birds lit up. Lindhall grinned with pleasure as
lapis, jade, and citrine shimmered in their natural colors. Once that had
faded, they went out into the gardens.

"What
was wrong with the birds?" he asked, navigating the tangled paths.

"It's
not a disease. Could they have eaten moldy seed or anything like that? I think
they were poisoned somehow,"

"Its
possible, though the slaves are vigilant with the food that goes to those
birds. They have to be. Do you think the poisoning was deliberate?" They
passed a large, many-tiered fountain lit from within by glowing stones.

"I
don t know. If they get sick again, I can check their food and things like
that. Should I mention poisoning to the emperor?"

"Please
don't. He would kill the slaves. It wouldn't matter to him if the poisoning
were deliberate or not—only that it happened. He might torture them first, to
see if it was deliberate, but it wouldn't do much good. All his personal slaves
are mutes."

Daine
shivered as they entered another wing of the palace. Now she knew their
surroundings: the guest quarters, near the wing set aside for the Tortallan
delegation. A slave dozing in the central

area
onto which the rooms opened jumped to his feet and held the door to Daine's
room, trying not to stare at her.

"She
will be going out to bathe in a few moments," Lindhall said. The slave
nodded without looking up. "Daine, will you be all right? Shall I have
Lady Alanna look in on you?"

She smiled
up at him. "I'm just tired, and I need to wash, that's all. Thank you,
Master Lindhall. Numair said you are very kind, and he was

To her
amusement, the lanky mage blushed, "WeH, good night, then."

About
to enter her room, she said, "Oh, wait— -if its possible, can the birds be
left alone all day tomorrow? They can be fed as long as food's left
quietly" She had seen food trays and water bowls somewhere in the aviary.
"If there's a way to keep it dark in the aviary for half of the day, I'd
use it."

He
looked interested. "Of course — I can manage it, actually. Glass walls
conduct magic well, and it's no great matter to make them dark. You want the
birds to sleep? Even the healthy ones?"

"It
won't harm them, and the rest will get the sick ones over their reaction to the
healing. Birds are funny." She yawned. "When they're up and alert,
their bodies use energy faster than any other animals. The magic sticks better
if they can sleep for a while after I'm done."

"I
shall take care of it. Try not to fall asleep in your bath. Good night,
Veralidaine—and welcome to Carthak." He closed the door for her.

"I
like him," the girl told Zek and Kitten drowsily.

So do
I, replied the marmoset as Kitten also nodded agreement.

Slowly,
half asleep already, Daine began to gather her bathing things.

She
woke early, with no ill effects from the previous night's work. By the time she
dressed and left her room, a large breakfast had been kid out in the area
common to the bedchambers occupied by the Tortallans. The others were emerging
from their rooms to eat there.

"It
went quite well last night," Duke Gareth said once they were settled.
"Some of the imperial ministers are more forthcoming than others, but that
is to be expected. I am particularly happy with the reports I've had of jyow,
Daine."

Startled,
the girl looked up, her teeth halfway into a bite of melon. Blushing crimson,
she put the forkful onto her plate again. "Me, Your Grace?"

"Emperor
Ozorne heard from Master Lindhall that you cured his birds in one
session," explained Harailt of Aili. "The emperor is very
pleased—says he has to think of a proper way to express his thanks."

"It's
like that with some men in high places," commented Gareth the Younger,
buttering a rolL "Things that would impress us have no effect on them, but
a kindness done to creatures they love, they never forget." He looked at
Daine, brown eyes uncomfortably keen. "I hope you'll continue to stay on
his good side. The ministers' definition of concessions they will and won't
make changed to our

benefit
after the emperor thanked us for bringing it you.

Daine
frowned as she passed a roll to Kitten, That didn't sound much like the way
Ozorne had described himself—as a ruler whose lords told him what to do.

"Which
reminds me " Numair said, feeding Zek as the marmoset sat on his lap.
"We're scheduled to have a tour of the imperial menagerie after
breakfast."

Daine
gulped. "A menagerie?" King Jonathan had possessed rare, caged
animals when she first came to Tortall. Even going near it had been a torment
until the king began to change it, making it into enclosures that resembled the
captives' original homes.

"Ozorne
would never ill-treat his animals," said Numair, seeing the discomfort in
her eyes.

"Don't
slight him by staying behind," added Gareth the Younger.

Alanna
hugged Daine around the shoulders.

"She
wouldn't think of it, Gary. Leave her be."

Daine
smiled at her friend, and slipped the rest of her melon to Kitten. Somehow she
wasn't hungry anymore.