The Mirror of Her Dreams (83 page)

After that first second, however, his entire posture shifted. The bones in his spine and shoulders straightened themselves, making him taller. His expression became at once bleaker and stronger, as if all the weaker or more awkward lines of his cheeks and jaw were being honed away. His eyes gave hints of authority.

That explains it,' he said flatly. 'No wonder he wants to stay away from Artagel and me.'

Then he added, 'Elega got him into this.'

She knew on some level that his crisis wasn't over-that perhaps it was just beginning-but his immediate reaction relieved her so much that she almost kissed him. 'So we haven't necessarily lost,' she breathed. 'You can tell Argus and Ribuld to forget Elega. They can follow Nyle.'

Geraden didn't appear to be listening: he looked like he was concentrating hotly on his own thoughts. But he replied in a murmur, '
If
they can find him. That's going to be the hard part. If they can find him, maybe we can stop him before he does something even King Joyse will have to punish.'

Abruptly, he swung into motion. 'Come on. We've got to tell somebody about this.'

He was already at the door. Starting after him, Terisa blurted, Tell who? Why?'

'Not King Joyse,' he answered as if she were thinking fast enough to keep up with him. 'He probably wouldn't listen anyway. And Castellan Lebbick would probably over-react. He might have Nyle cut down on sight. The Tor would be better.' The way he held the door for her was like a command for haste. 'It's the only thing we can do right now to protect Nyle. If we aren't able to stop him-and he gets caught-he'll be less likely to be executed if what he's doing doesn't come as a surprise.'

He said this with such conviction that she believed him. In spite of her mud-streaked clothes and blood-marked skin, she kept pace with him.

He hurried all the way to the King's apartment without tripping once.

They were admitted to the suite readily because King Joyse wasn't there. 'Off somewhere with his Imager, I suppose,' the Tor muttered in explanation. 'His courtesy never fails, but he tells me as little as he can to keep me from howling.'

His voice was a subterranean gurgle, as though it emerged from somewhere deep in his great fat-and the passages that let it out were filling up with wine. Days of use were marked on his green robe by wine and food-stains. His unshaven jowls and oily hair showed that he had been neglecting his toilet.

'I am a patient man, young Geraden,' he confided past his flagon. 'I have spent no small number of years in the world, and I have learned that fat is more enduring than stone. But the truth is that my presence here has not accomplished quite what I intended.' He flapped one hand in a gesture that made Terisa notice the absence of the King's hop-board table. 'He has simply moved his games elsewhere.'

He sighed lugubriously, and his eyes misted. 'It is a sad thing to be neglected at my age.'

Listening to the Tor, Terisa began to lose confidence. Nevertheless Geraden was wound too tightly to be deflected.

'You appointed yourself chancellor, my lord,' he reminded the Tor. 'You said you would take action in the King's name. That ought to be easy, if he isn't here to contradict you.'

The Tor gave Geraden a sour look. 'You are too young to understand. If I wish mutton rather than duckling for my next meal, I have only to speak. If I decide to appoint a holiday and make every lady in Orison do without her maid, I can do so without raising my voice. Who here has any desire to oppose the will of the King's old friend?' One fist beat out the words as his anger rose. 'If I take it upon myself to declare war tomorrow, I have no doubt that I will be obeyed.

'But the
King,
young Geraden!' He raised his bulk to emphasize his point. 'Where is the
King?
Where is the man who ought to be shamed by every command I issue in his name? Off playing
hop-board
with Adept Havelock while his realm
crumbles.'

Slowly, the Tor subsided.'As for Castellan Lebbick,' he sighed, 'he now holds what little effective power is left in Orison. But even he finds it difficult to ignore me. And he does not want to submit his decisions for my opinion, so he avoids me. I suspect he secretly passes judgement on all my orders before they are carried out.

'It appears I have chosen a foolish way to grieve for my son.'

Terisa tried to catch Geraden's eye; she wanted to send him a mental message, urging him not to tell the Tor about Nyle and Elega. The old lord was starting to remind her of Rev Thatcher.

Geraden refused to receive her signal, however. He was fixed on the Tor, and his expression had softened, although his manner remained grim. 'I'm sorry, my lord,' he said roughly, 'I don't have time for your grief.'

Under his fat, the muscles of the Tor's face tightened dangerously; but Geraden went ahead without pausing. 'I need to talk to King Joyse. Since he isn't here, I'll have to talk to you. I can't take this to the Castellan. I'm not going to tell it to anybody who isn't a friend of my father's.'

He had caught the Tor's attention, 'I consider the Domne a friend,' the lord rumbled slowly. 'And your past courtesy outweighs your present rudeness.' He had blinked the blur of wind from his eyes: his gaze was hard. 'I am interested in what you need to tell the King.'

Terisa was suddenly ashamed of herself. Rather than distrusting the Tor's despondency, Geraden was trying to help.

The perception made her squirm. She had never done anything to help Rev Thatcher. She had listened to him for hours, but she had never tried to help.

'You've probably heard the rumour that King Joyse thinks the lady Elega has turned against him.' Geraden didn't need to feign harshness; the bleak strength which had brought him here rasped in his voice. 'Well, he's right.'

As gently as the bite of a crosscut saw, Geraden told the Tor what he knew about Elega and Prince Kragen and Nyle. When he had recited the basic facts, he added,Two of my friends- two guards-are following her around. But she knows we're suspicious of her now. She'll be more careful. I'm going to tell my friends to forget her and concentrate on Nyle.' He said his I brother's name in a tone of forced impersonality. 'Maybe he'll lead us to the answers.'

The Tor's gaze held: his eyes looked like bits of glass embedded in pastry dough. 'I hear quite a number of rumours,' he commented when Geraden was done. 'Duty outside this door is dull, and many of the guards liven it with conversation. I have heard a rumour that your brother Artagel, who is reputed to be the best swordsman in Mordant, faced the High King's Monomach and fell.' His tone didn't become clear until he asked, 'Is he seriously injured?'

Geraden swallowed convulsively. 'Yes.'

Unblinking, the Tor studied Geraden for a moment. Then he said, 'I have lost a son, I will not have it said to the Domne that I sat drunk on my hams while one of his sons was killed by the High King's Monomach and another sold himself to the Alend Monarch. What do you wish me to do?'

At once, Geraden replied, 'Don't let Castellan Lebbick interfere. Make him leave Nyle alone.' He was plainly relieved to get away from the subject of Artagel. 'And tell him to assign Argus and Ribuld to me. Tell him I'm doing you some kind of favour and I need their help.' He sounded clear, almost authoritative, as if he had been involved in situations like this all his life. The last time they tried to help me, he roasted them for it. They'll do a better job if they don't have to dodge him the whole time.'

He sounded so sure of what he was doing that Terisa wanted to give him a round of applause.

Nevertheless he was sweating by the time he was done.

The Tor regarded him gravely for a little while longer. Then he turned his head and let out a cheerful yell that made Terisa jump and brought the guards promptly into the room.

'Yes, my lord Tor?' one of them inquired. He was on good terms with the self-appointed chancellor. 'You bellowed?'

'Mongrel!' snorted the Tor. That was not a bellow. That was a polite request for attention.' His chuckle sounded like belching. 'If you ever have the misfortune to hear me bellow, you will not speak of it so calmly.

'But now that you are here-' He rolled his eyes at the ceiling as though he were contemplating an entire litany of desires. 'I want cranberry sauce with that duckling which the cook is already so late in providing. I want more wine. I want peace or war with our enemies, whichever will cause them the most consternation.' He rubbed a fat hand over his jowls. 'I believe I want a barber. But most of air-suddenly, his voice seemed to have a knife hidden in it somewhere-'I want the Castellan.'

Briskly now, he said, 'Be so kind as to inform him that I require a few moments of his time-almost immediately.'

'As you wish, my lord Tor.' Grinning, the guards withdrew.

The Tor looked at Geraden and shrugged. 'He may not come at once, but I will nag until he does.'

Thank you, my lord Tor,' the Apt breathed sincerely. 'That should make things easier.'

With a flutter of his free hand, the Tor waved gratitude aside. After a moment's consideration, he said severely, 'Young Geraden, your reputation for mishap is entirely misleading. You have shown me that my King has a need for his chancellor which I did not suspect. I believe I will begin to assert myself.'

Pointing a pudgy finger at the Apt, he added in an ominous rumble,
'
In the meantime, I advise you to stop Nyle before he goes too far. The union of the Cares already grows fragile. An open rupture now between King Joyse and the Care of Domne may bring us all to grief.'

Quickly, he emptied his flagon. Then he drawled happily, 'While you are otherwise occupied, I will take it upon myself to teach my lady Elega the fear of discovery.'

For an odd moment, Terisa felt like laughing. The idea of a confrontation between the huge old lord and the regal princess tweaked her fancy. But her amusement was primarily a reaction to strain: as soon as she glanced at Geraden, it evaporated. His grin was a rather feverish imitation of the smile Artagel wore into combat.

Fortunately, the Tor also noticed his expression. 'You may go now, young Geraden,' he said firmly, 'unless you have more treachery to reveal? I do not mean to share my duckling with anyone. Send me word as soon as you have news of Artagel.'

Thank you, my lord.' At once, Geraden headed for the door.

Terisa wanted to thank the Tor more thoroughly, let him know how much he did for Geraden. But she couldn't do that and still follow the Apt.

The old lord seemed to understand, however. Take care of him, my lady,' he muttered, dismissing her. 'He has need of you.'

Flashing him her best smile, she left the apartment and pursued Geraden down the stairs.

He slowed his pace after a flight or two so that she could catch up with him. 'I've been away from Artagel too long,' he said. 'Will you excuse me? I would take you with me, but the physician won't let you in. I practically had to threaten his life to see Artagel myself. You can find your way back to your rooms, can't you? Will you be all right?'

'Geraden-' She put her hand on his arm to make him hear her. 'You did the right thing with the Tor. You gave him what he needed.' Unaccustomed to saying such things, she sounded terribly stilted to herself-and she hated it. But she didn't back down. Tin proud of you.'

That reached him. The muscles around his eyes unclenched, and something that looked like a smile caught at the corners of his mouth. 'I like him,' he explained simply.

'I'll be all right,' she promised. 'Go see Artagei. Send me a message right away.'

He nodded and immediately took off at a run.

She went back to her rooms alone and spent the rest of the day trying not to think.

The next morning, Artagel's physician ventured the opinion that his patient might live.

At once haggard with exhaustion and giddy with relief, Geraden brought the news to Terisa before going to his own rooms for some rest. 'Now it's just a question of infection,' he reported. 'If he can get through that, he's going to make it.'

As an afterthought, he added, The Tor did it. Argus and Ribuld are working for me now. Castellan Lebbick doesn't like it-but I guess the Tor told him I had some ideas about how to protect you from Gart. So far, they haven't been able to locate Nyle.'