The King's Name (38 page)

"Oh, I understand," I said. "I even pity you. I know about Morthu. But you could have spoken to me like this at the truce talks, you could have stopped giving in to Morthu; you killed Urdo by your own will and with your own hand and I cannot forgive that. As for my own private self, well Angas, old friend, if you don't get out of my sight right now I am going to do my best to kill you barehanded."

It would have given me a great deal of pleasure. But he left, not looking back, and I took off the rest of my armor and went down to the river.

—23—

Greatest of all living men is Aulius who has restored the state the great soldier, the great patron of art, the great administrator, Aulius, most renowned son of mother Vinca.

Fresh from his victory over the Sifacians

(and their adherents, our treacherous fellow-citizens,)

he returns to Vinca to march in triumph to be proclaimed the father of his country, bringer of peace, saviour of the state.

From the Northern snows to the Southern desert from one end of Empire to the other, everyone takes notice of his goodwill, his mercy, his benevolence.

Everyone offers flowers, or writes praise songs.

— "The Civil Wars Are Over Forever,"

Flaccus, Aulian Ode 2

As soon as I was dry and dressed in clean clothes, I dealt with Govien's most urgent queries. I wished that

Emlin was here, or Masarn for that matter, or ap Erbin. I decided that from now on I would train all my decurios so that they could do a tribuno's work at need. The problem wasn't that Govien couldn't do it; he could, he just didn't trust himself with it. I agreed with his dispositions and reassured him. Then I went to find

Darien.

He was sitting outside Urdo's tent arguing with a round-faced man wearing a torn and soot-stained drape. As I

came up he made a gesture of dismissal, and the man grabbed his hand. I stepped forward. I had brought the spear with me, without considering it, and now I found it ready in my hand.

Before I could reach him two of the guards had dragged the man away from Darien. They heaved him up and slung him down in a patch of mud, then watched with their hands on their weapons as he backed away.

"Who was that?" I asked, curious.

"Ap Alexias of Caer Custenn," Darien said, his eyes on the man. He beckoned to the guard.

"Send someone to follow him and make sure we know where he goes. He should not leave the camp. If he attempts any mischief, bring him to me."

"Yes, my lord," the guard said, and strode off.

There were other people waiting to speak to Darien, but he dismissed them. "Come back later,"

he said. "I

would speak to my mother alone for a while. If Raul comes, send him to me."

Page 142

"Ap Alexias was one of the men who worked the war machines," Darien went on quickly, when we were alone but for guards and messengers, who waited where they could catch hand signals but not overhear quiet conversation. "He knows nothing about their construction, only their operation. He is the only survivor of their

Lossian crews. He expects me to provide a ship to take him back to Caer Custenn."

I snorted. "Really?"

"I told him he was free to take passage on any Narlahenan trading ship, as far as Narlahena, where he would doubtless be able to find a ship going east into the Middle Sea. He said his money and possessions were

lost when his camp was looted. He seemed to expect I would make restitution."

"Can he know so little about war?" I asked.

Darien shook his head. "Sheer effrontery, I think. But he is a long way from home. If he had known how to build war machines I might have found a place for him."

"He has surrendered?"

"They have all surrendered, except Morthu and Cinon. Now they have lost, now at last they will talk peace terms sensibly. It is enough to make me tear my hair. We could have been at this stage half a month since if any of them would listen. Though Morthu not being here makes that much easier."

"It's Morthu I wanted to talk to you about," I said, and hesitated.

"Certainly he is the worst outstanding problem," Darien said. He looked seriously at me, and then suddenly his face changed and he looked ten years younger, no longer the confident young king, only an uncertain boy. "I have not welcomed you back. Where have you been, Mother?"

"It took me a little while to find my way back here," I said.

"That thing Morthu threw at me—" he began.

"I was caught up in it," I said, without explaining what it was. "The gods helped me find my way back."

"Great thanks to them," Darien said. "And thank you," he added.

"I should have blocked it with the spear, if I'd been quick enough," I said awkwardly. "But Morthu, who sent that thing, is still there, still in Caer Tanaga and still making trouble. I have heard that you have been negotiating and he may escape?"

"He has offered to go to Narlahena and not come back," Darien said. "He has refused to fight a single combat. He has the Queen, and the people of Caer Tanaga as hostages."

"He must not escape," I said. "He must be brought to trial. I am glad he refused the single combat, because that would not do either. It wouldn't be much better than sneaking in and murdering him, now that we have won and we must rebuild the Peace. He must be tried for his sorcery and his treason in public. His poison can't be allowed to spread, and if he lives or if he dies quietly then it might not die with him. It's not just his curse that is still killing people; it's the lies he's told and will still tell. You know how insidious they are. You know how much he can harm the Peace. He has to stand trial, and soon."

Darien's eyes gleamed. "But how could we make him stand trial?" he asked.

"Make him," I said. "Take Caer Tanaga, and capture him, and force him to come to trial, quickly, while everyone is still here."

"But how can we take Caer Tanaga?"

"The same way Arling did. Quickly, and from the water, when it is lightly held. This is Thurrig's idea, he suggested it to me the night after the battle. Amala is there, and Gomoari-onsson, and what's left of Arling's house lords. Amala has been writing to Thurrig, asking him to come and take her back to Narlahena. If Thurrig's fleet came, or some of Thurrig's fleet that is here, with Thurrig visible, then they
Page 143

might think they were friends and let them get close and dock. And then we would have people inside the defenses and could take the city."

Darien raised a hand and one of the waiting messengers came up. "Find Admiral Thurrig and ask him to come here," he told her. She ran off, her loose hair flying about her face.

Everyone's hair seemed to be loose or cropped, according to their custom. There were few enough in camp with nobody to mourn, after Agned. "If that worked, it would get us inside the defenses, but not inside the citadel," Darien said. He started scratching lines in the dust, ships and numbers of fighters they could carry. "And they will know that Thurrig fought on our side in the battle."

"They will, yes," I said. "But it might still work. He could fly his own banner, which would confuse them. It doesn't need to fool anyone for very long. As for the citadel, I have just been reminded that Garah got out.

Someone could get back in that way and open the gates, though it would be very dangerous because Morthu may know how she came out. She has insisted on volunteering to go back that way."

"How long have you been back?" Darien asked.

I stopped, confused, and glanced at the sun. "Two hours, maybe a little more," I said. "Why?"

He grinned at me. "Because already you have a plan, and not only a plan but volunteers.

When were you planning for this expedition to leave?"

"As soon as possible," I said. "If you agree, tonight. The Agned flows into the Tamer below Caer Tanaga, so we could sail down and then up, and they would not know where we had come from. At the same time the alae could be riding down to go inside and help when they could."

"It will take longer than that to move the alae up, and they would really be needed," Darien said.

"How many ships were you planning on taking?"

"I think three. More than that would be suspicious, and with three we ought to have just about enough people."

"I'm not sure how many defenders they have there," Darien said, frowning. "Cinon's there, too, and I don't know how many they left when they came here for the battle."

"A sudden attack taking them by surprise," I said. "And the people of the town would be on our side as soon as they saw who we were."

"Do you have volunteers ready for the ships, too?"

"I have promised Ulf Gunnarsson he can go," I said. "I don't have any others." I hadn't thought about it in detail, but it came to me as I was speaking. "Perhaps half armigers who have been trained to fight in close quarters, and half Jarnish infantry who had some experience fighting in the Isamagan war. Atha's people probably know the most about fighting in towns, but I wouldn't really trust them to know how to stop."

"I was teasing, about volunteers," Darien said. "I'm amazed you even have one. Is Ulf still looking for death? I

was surprised he survived the battle. He can certainly go if he wishes it, he deserves it. He took a blow meant for me just after poor Rigol fell, and we might have all gone down to be Urdo's honor guard if not for Ulf."

"That was a bad moment there," I said.

"I didn't get a scratch from it," Darien said. "I think you and I and Father Cinwil are the only people on either side who didn't get at least a minor wound in the battle."

I shook my head at the thought of it. "As for Ulf," I said, after a moment. "I don't think he's looking for death so much as wanting to kill Morthu. Mostly I think he just wants to be doing something, anything. I feel some of that myself, but that's not the real reason why I want to go on this expedition. I feel as if there's something I

need to do, something the gods made sure I would be here to do, and this is it."

Page 144

"If Masarn were still alive I'd make you stay back," Darien said. "You're needed, and this is dangerous. But there is nobody else capable of commanding a force like that, unless Thurrig takes charge of it all himself, and he's an old man now. Sending any of the other kings would be as bad as sending you. The new decurios are too new to send. And of course poor Luth needs a month to get hold of a new idea."

"Who will bring up the alae?" I asked.

"I'll do that myself," Darien said off-handedly.

"What about the peace talks?" I asked.

"It's almost all agreed, and Raul can cope," he said. "In any case, we will want the kings at Caer Tanaga for a trial, if we can capture Morthu alive."

"What about Cinon?" I asked. "Dead or alive?"

Darien paused. "Dead might be better," he said softly. "He is a fool from a line of fools, he has a daughter who is about two years old and no other heir, and it might be better to put all of Nene under Alswith's rule, along with her own land. Her son could marry Cinon's daughter when they are both old enough, if they can bear each other, to make it formal. He hates anyone with Jarnish blood beyond reason, and many of them are his own people now. Urdo has heard so many appeals from the Jarnish farmers of Nene this last five years. I would rather do without him if I can."

Before I could say anything more I caught sight of Thurrig, coming up the slope toward us.

"I am glad to see you better," he said to me, before he bowed and greeted Darien.

"My mother is well, and has a plan," Darien said, and explained it briefly.

Thurrig smiled at the thought of taking the city quickly, and grunted at Darien's figures, but roared with outrage at the thought of getting there that night. "Impossible," he said. "The wind, the tide, the currents at

the confluence with the Tamer! Have either of you ever been in a boat? They're not like horses that you can just point the right way and get there, or change direction on a knife edge.

With a fair wind a ship is the fastest way to get anywhere, but without one it's slower than walking. And if the wind is with us for going down the Agned, it will be against us when we go up the Tamer, or the other way around, which is more likely at this time of year. I could get to Caer Thanbard faster than Caer Tanaga, from here. Dusk! We would be lucky to get there at sunset tomorrow."

"Sunset tomorrow it is, then," Darien said. "When will you start?"

Thurrig stopped, in mid-rant, and spluttered wordlessly for a moment, so much he almost choked. I laughed.

"Oh, laugh, will you," he said, when he had his breath again, laughing himself. "I have been too much with

Custennin, I had forgotten what a king's decisions sound like."

"You do understand the danger?" Darien said. "They may know at once you are loyal to us."

Thurrig gave him an appraising glance. "I knew that when I suggested it, Suliensson. It seems like a good chance. As for when we should start, I will answer decision with decision and say we should start as soon as we can get everyone ready to leave. I have taken on water already."

The spear seemed to move a little in my hand, as if eager for the fight to come. "Shall I gather up volunteers?"

I asked.

"In a moment," Darien said. "I want to speak to you about another matter."

"I'll leave you to that and see you at the ships," Thurrig said, and bowed to us both.

I smiled, watching him go.

"He has served four generations of us now, and remains his own man," Darien said. He was smiling too.

Page 145

"He is a good man and an honest one," I said. Then I turned to him. "What did you want to discuss?"

"If I am moving the alae, I shall break this camp and have everyone follow us to Caer Tanaga,"