Inheritance (17 page)

Lynan nodded wisely, as he had learned to do while attending his mother’s court, but mostly he was concentrating on Jenrosa herself and not her words. He decided she was more attractive than he first thought. He liked the snub nose with its spray of freckles. When she smiled, her face changed, became softer somehow, and when she frowned, he could not help the urge to stroke her cheek and console her. But, his alcoholic bravado gone, he kept his hands to himself.

“Why don’t you present your argument to your maleficum?”

Jenrosa looked aghast. “Are you serious? Do you have any idea how much the hierarchy have invested in the old beliefs? How many decades—centuries!—of research and practice? They would throw me out! They would burn me at the stake!”

“We don’t burn people anymore,” Lynan pointed out.

“My grandfather Berayma VII banned that right at the start of his reign.”

“Then they’ll convince your brother to bring it back.”

“Just for you?”

Jenrosa nodded. “God, yes. They hate heretics.”

Lynan leaned forward and refilled her glass.

She took the bottle from him and shook it. “The wine is almost gone,” she said sadly.

Lynan reached into a dark recess under one of the lower bookshelves and retrieved a second bottle.

“Magic!” she declared.

“So what would you like to see your theurgia study?”

“To begin with, the same things sailors and explorers have to study. They use the stars to get their directions.”

“I know
that
,” Lynan said. “Everyone knows that. Why should the theurgia study what everyone else already knows?”

“Because there is no formal system incorporating all the ways the stars are used for navigation. And more importantly, finding your direction implies having at least some idea of where you are at any given time. If we could refine the methods the sailors use, we may be able to devise a way of finding out exactly where we are, anywhere in the world.”

Lynan considered her words, then smiled. “Ah, but what if it is a cloudy night!”

Jenrosa looked at him sourly. “You have to begin somewhere.”

Lynan swallowed. “Speaking of beginning somewhere—”

“Oh, yes, of course! You now have one of the Keys!”

Lynan blinked. How did that happen? He was going to talk about
them
, not about him. “Yes, I have one of the Keys, but what I was trying to say—”

“What does it mean?”

“What does what mean?”

“Well, what responsibilities do you take on?” She waved her hands at him. “No, no, don’t tell me! It’s the Key of Union, right?” Lynan nodded, feeling a little adrift. “So that means you’ll be responsible for administering the provinces?”

“No. That is the king’s duty. I’ll be a kind of ambassador. Berayma will use me to represent the throne outside of Kendra.”

“A toast,” Jenrosa said, raising her glass. “To the king’s new representative to the provinces!”

Lynan raised his glass halfheartedly. “It means, of course, that I may not return to Kendra for many years. There are some things I would like to do before I—”

“You’ll begin with a grand tour,” Jenrosa interrupted. “Across Kestrel Bay to pay a visit to Goodman Barbell in Lurisia. Then west to Aman, and a word.with King Marin; I hear he’s a conniving old goat, so you’ll have to be on your guard. And then farther west, into the Oceans of Grass, and you’ll see all the tribes of the Cherts—”

“If I can find any of them,” Lynan pointed out.

“—then east to Hume, and Queen Charion,” Jenrosa continued, unabated. “I’ve heard she is the most cunning of all the king’s subjects. Your will learn much from her, I think.”

“She will undoubtedly learn a great deal from me,” Lynan said dryly. “And where do I go after Hume?”

“South to Chandra, and King Tomar II.”

“He was a friend of my father’s,” Lynan said quietly.

“Then it will be like visiting an uncle,” Jenrosa said, moving closer to Lynan. “I spoke to him once. He was here on one of his state visits and came to the theurgia’s school. He spoke to each of the instructors and students personally. He was round and jolly, with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen.”

“He lost his wife at sea about twenty years ago. Her ship was attacked by Slavers. They never found her body.”

“That would explain the eyes,” she said. “What part of the tour will you enjoy the most, I wonder? I think it will be the trek through the Oceans of Grass. You probably won’t find many Chetts, but you’ll see some amazing things.” Her eyes took on a distant look. “Grass stretching from one horizon to the other, huge herds of strange animals with horns and long, flowing manes. Wild horses, thousands of them, not afraid of anything under the sky. Thunderstorms as big as continents sweeping overhead. Or maybe you’ll like Lurisia the best. Everything’s green in Lurisia, and it’s always hot. Rowers the size of meat plates, insects with rainbows instead of wings…”

“Maybe you should make the grand tour,” Lynan joked. “I’ll stay behind to play at court.”

Jenrosa shook her head. “Oh, no. Kendra is my home. I don’t want to leave.”

“The way you speak of all these distant lands it sounds as if leaving Kendra is something you want more than anything else.”

“Believe me, your Highness—”

“Lynan, please.”

“—I want to stay right here. But I can imagine you will enjoy yourself so much you’ll never want to come back.”

Lynan finished his wine and refilled the glass. “Well, Kendra has one thing in its favor. That’s where you’ll be.”

She looked at him hard, then fidgeted uncomfortably and stood up. “I see.” She looked like an animal that has suddenly realized it is in a cage.

Lynan stood up, too, drew in a deep breath to speak. Just as he opened his mouth, someone started banging on the door.

“Oh, damn!” he exclaimed, his breath coming out in a rush. “Go away!”

The banging only increased in ferocity.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, your Highness!” shouted Pirem. There was such urgency in his voice that Lynan almost went to the door immediately.

“Maybe the king needs to consult with his new roving ambassador,” Jenrosa suggested.

“Pirem, couldn’t it wait?”

“Now, Your Highness, please!” Pirem banged the door a few more times for effect.

Jenrosa laughed quietly. “You don’t suppose he’s been listening outside, do you, and wants to make sure you don’t say anything too foolish?”

“Foolish?”

“Your Highness, please!”

Lynan could no longer ignore the pleading in his servant’s voice. He stomped down the stairs to the door and opened it slightly. “This had better be important, Pirem—”

He managed to get no more out before Pirem, breathless and pale and carrying Lynan’s coat and sword belt, forced his way in. He pushed his master away from the door, quickly glanced back at the corridor, then slammed it shut. He grabbed Lynan by the hand and dragged him up the stairs into the turret room. The servant’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of his head. “Quickly, Lynan, you have to leave the pal—” His words died in his throat when he saw Jenrosa.

“How long has she been here?” he hissed.

“Pirem, you forget yourself! And what business is it of yours how long Magicker Alucar has been here?”

Pirem wrung his hands in distress. “Oh, I am sorry, your Highness, but not as sorry as you’ll be if you don’t leave the palace right now! This very minute!”

Jenrosa stood up. “What’s happening?”

Pirem thrust himself between her and Lynan. “How does His Highness know he can trust you?”

“What are you talking about?” Lynan demanded angrily.

“She may be one of
them
!” he hissed.

Lynan shook his head in frustration. “You have some explaining to do, Pirem. Be quick.”

“Your brother’s dead!”

“Dead? Which brother?”

“The king! He’s been murdered!”

There was a stunned silence, then Lynan said sternly. “That isn’t funny, Pirem. Your sense of humor is as sour as your tongue—”

“I don’t think he’s joking,” Jenrosa said, carefully watching the servant. “Can’t you see how terrified he is? Pirem, how can you know Berayma is dead? Who killed him?”

“I saw his body!”

Lynan grabbed his servant by the shoulders. “
Who
killed him, Pirem?
Who
?”

“Orkid! An‘ Dejanus!”

Lynan stared at Pirem, not knowing what to say, not wishing to believe his servant’s words.

“Your Highness, please believe me. I haven’t been drinkin‘. I wasn’t dreamin’. I know I’m an old fool sometimes, but I’m not an idiot!”

“Tell me what you saw,” Lynan said, struggling to remain calm. “
Everything
you saw.”

“There isn’t time for that!” He took Lynan by one arm and tried dragging him down the steps. Lynan resisted with all his strength. “They want to kill you, Lynan!”

“Kill me?”

“I’ll explain as we go,” Pirem said and again pulled on Lynan’s arm, at the same time handing Lynan his cloak and sword belt. “Follow me!”

There was enough of the boy in Lynan, and still enough authority in Pirem’s voice, to make him obey the command. Pirem led the way out of the room and down into the main part of the palace, not far from Lynan’s chambers. “You can’t go back to your room, that’s the first place they’ll look for you. We have to get you a horse.”

He led the way toward the royal stables, followed by Lynan and an uncertain Jenrosa. Lynan stopped and told Jenrosa to return to make her own way out of the palace. “I don’t know what’s going on, but there’s no need for you to become involved.”

Jenrosa agreed readily. “I want no part of a palace revolution.” She turned to go, but froze at the sound of tramping feet and jangling armor coming from around the corner at the far end of the hallway. “Then again…” she said halfheartedly.

“Come now!” Pirem pleaded. “Quickly, before they see us!”

He ducked down a side corridor, followed by his two charges, and hurried through a maze of little used passages and servants’ ways. They soon heard a commotion from the general direction of Lynan’s quarters.

“They’ve just discovered you’re missing,” Pirem said grimly, then stopped suddenly.

“What’s wrong?” Lynan demanded.

“I’m an idiot! They’ll be waitin‘ for you at the stables!” His brow furrowed in concentration. “But you still need a horse.” Then his eyes lit up. “The Royal Guards’ stables! They won’t think of that! Not yet, at least.”

They started off again, and a few minutes later they came out into an area behind the palace, near the stables of the Royal Guards. Pirem turned to the other two. “Be quiet, for God’s sake, or we’re all dead!” he said between clenched teeth. “We’ll have to work quickly and quietly to get you a mount, Your Highness.”

“But where will I go?” Lynan asked, his voice rising.

“Away from here,” Pirem answered, peering into the darkness as he spoke. “After that, I can’t help you, an‘ I’ll slow you down if I come with you.” He peered into the darkness for a moment, then hissed, “The way is clear!”

At a half-crouch the three fugitives ran across the open ground to the first enclosure. Lynan’s nose wrinkled.

“Don’t they ever clean these stables?”

“Of course they do, your Highness, but only once a day. These aren’t the Royal Stables. There, in the fourth booth, that looks like a good mount.”

The horse was a fine-looking brown mare with a clean coat and a nose splashed with white. As Jenrosa led her from the booth, Lynan put on his coat and buckled on his sword belt. Pirem then helped him select a harness and saddle from those hanging from a wall opposite the entrance, and handed a bridle to Jenrosa.

“I was in my room, your Highness,” Pirem started explaining suddenly, “when Harnan Beresard came asking me to find you an‘ tell you that the king wanted to see you right away.” The two men lifted a saddle off its hooks and carried it to the waiting mare. As Lynan adjusted the saddle’s straps, Pirem continued his story.

“I couldn’t find you, o’course…” Pirem glanced at Jenrosa. “… so I went to tell the king there’d be a delay. When I got to his room, I heard voices, so I didn’t go straight in, thinking it best to wait until whoever it was had finished their business with his Majesty. Then I recognized the voices as belonging to Orkid an‘ Dejanus. They were saying how some plan had to go right or somethin’, an‘ I realized they could be talkin’ for hours, so I crept up to the door quiet as a cat to catch someone’s eye.”

Lynan’s fingers were fumbling at tasks that had been automatic for years. Jenrosa was having similar difficulties fitting the bridle.

“I was lookin‘ into the room…” Pirem grabbed Lynan’s arm so tightly it hurt. His old, rheumy eyes looked up into Lynan’s face, tears rolling down his cheeks. “The king was on the floor in a bloody heap! I think they stabbed him right in the…” Pirem gagged, but managed to finish the sentence in a burst, “… in the neck, your Highness, pierced like a sticker in a boar’s belly, an’ the blood was everywhere.”

Jenrosa swayed and held onto the mare’s head to stop herself from falling. Lynan was already crouching, but he too suddenly felt faint. He put a hand on the horse’s flank to steady himself.

“They saw me! As I ran away, I heard Orkid tell Dejanus to kill me, an‘ then to come after you! But I know this place like the back of my hand, all the servants’ ways, so I was able to get to you well before them. You know the rest.”

Lynan slowly stood erect, taking the reins from Jenrosa. Pirem was resting against the wall, his hands shaking.

“Thank you, Pirem,” Lynan said softly, trying to keep his voice even despite the fear threatening to overwhelm him. “You have risked your life to save mine. I will never forget it. Now you and Jenrosa must go. Find a place to hide, and I’ll try and let you know what happens to me.”

“What will you do?” Jenrosa asked.

Lynan shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe King Tomar will help. But the first thing I have to do is get out of Kendra.”

Pirem moved to the stable door and waved to him. “There is still no one here. Go now, your Highness, while you can. Quickly!”

Lynan led the mare out to the open and mounted, then turned to say goodbye to his companions.