The Orb And The Spectre (Book 2) (17 page)

   "Oh Sire, if I had only known! Believe me, I had no idea. When Lord Fectur expressed his concern for you and asked my advice--"

   "Yes, yes. I understand that. I hold nothing against you personally. But what can be done? I have to get out of here!"

   Melropius stood stiff and shamefaced. "Lord Fectur has ordered me to bring you whatever medicines I deem necessary, Sire. I have herbal potions to help you sleep and to calm your nerves; stimulants to help your appetite--"

   "Calm my nerves!" Leth exploded. "Don't be a fool, man! Do you understand what you are saying? I have been overthrown! This is the
most vile treachery, and you talk of calming my nerves!"

   "Sire, I regret this, believe me." Melropius shifted from foot to foot and was close to tears. "I will do all I can to help you. But these are Lord Fectur's instructions."

   "Do you believe me insane, Melropius?"

   "No, Sire.
Of course not. But you are under a great deal of strain--"

   "Damned right I am! But can you not see,
Melropius, that I will never be allowed to return. Fectur has no interest in passing power back to me. Why would he?"

   Melropius stood open mouthed in shock. "S-Sire. . . . It-it-it is only
a m-matter of time. A few days. A w-week or two, perhaps."

   Leth turned away. "You have not seen, have you, Melropius?"

   The door opened silently and Fectur entered. "If you have given King Leth his medications, Doctor, you may leave."

   Melropius hurriedly departed, his bald head bowed. Leth glowered at Fectur, barely able to control himself. He was bigger, stronger than Fectur, and Fectur had entered without guards to protect him. Nor did he carry a visible weapon.

   But Fectur was a master. He had taught Leth in many forms of combat as a youth, as he had taught Issul. What he had taught had been a fraction of what he knew. With deepening anger Leth acknowledged that in this respect also he was powerless against Fectur. He acknowledged too that any assault by him upon the Lord High Invigilate would be further evidence against him

   "Well, you have it all now, Fectur.
As you have presumably always wanted. What of me, though? I presume I will simply disappear now? How will you manage it?"

   Fectur shook his head, tutting his tongue in mild admonishment. "Tsk, tsk, Sire. It is not like that at all. I am concerned for you, that
is all. Your refusal to see it is yet another symptom of your illness, I fear. But with rest and proper care I, and Doctor Melropius, believe you will recover in full and be ready to take up your right and appropriate station again within a very short time."

   Leth scoffed. In the Hall of Wise Counsel Fectur had spoken of Leth's 'temporary' removal from office, but from Fectur's point of view there could never be anything temporary about it. He would not willingly take second place again. His days would be numbered if he ever allowed Leth to resume sovereignty. He saw that as surely as he saw the stricken king before him.

   But to simply kill Leth was out of the question. Fectur would have to bide his time. Close house arrest - or close medical supervision - would have to suffice until a suitable accident could be arranged. He would engineer Leth's end, somehow, just as with all the deviousness and resources at his command he had engineered his fall.

   And the children, too!

   That only came to Leth now. Fectur could permit no heirs to threaten his future.

   Leth marvelled at him for a moment, even as he despised him. His moment had been perfectly honed and taken. Had Issul been here he could never have accomplished the coup. Even had he succeeded in bringing Leth down, she would automatically have assumed the throne in Leth's stead. But then Fectur would never have tried if he had believed that Issul could intervene.

   Only now did the dark notion strike Leth. Was Fectur behind Issul's disappearance? Had he had her murdered?
Was Fectur in league with the Karai?

   Leth felt the blood of fury scald his cheeks and almost burst at his temples. Fectur was observing him closely, and presumably guessed his thoughts, for he said, "Before you ask, Sire, I know nothing of the Queen."

   Leth stayed silent, not knowing what to believe. Fectur crossed to a table and took a pomegranate from a silver fruit platter. He picked up a knife and split the skin, laid half the fruit upon the tabletop, the knife beside it. He strolled away, picking at the hemi-shell of fruit with a little silver scoop, his back to Leth.

   Leth glanced at the knife. Two steps and it was his. Two more and it could be deep in the flesh of Fectur's loathesome back.

   Except. . . .

   It was what Fectur wanted. This was his challenge to Leth, and he relied on the King's state of mind to drive him to it. The fruit-moistened blade would never touch Fectur's skin; he was too adept, far too skilled. But the attempt would be the
excuse. . .  enough to have Leth restrained, placed in a cell, under restraint, where he could harm no one.

   "You have come to gloat," Leth said.

   "Sire, it is not like that." Fectur turned, his face betraying no disappointment but his eyes like stones.

   "Then tell me what it is like."

   Fectur spooned out the last few pomegranate seeds and tossed the empty shell onto the table, ignoring the other half. He looked at Leth but said nothing.

   "What have you done with Venger?" Leth demanded.

   "He is where a condemned criminal should be."

   "Do not harm him, Fectur! I need him."

   "You need him?"

   "
We
need him. Enchantment's Reach. He still has vital information to impart."

   "I have yet to be convinced of that."

   "Fectur, I gave him my word that he would come to no harm."

   "This man tried to murder you."

   "No. The assassination attempt was staged to bring about - as he and the True Sept believe it - the coming of the Legendary Child."

   "Or perhaps he is spinning you a tale to win his freedom."

   "No. He speaks the truth."

   Fectur pressed a last fragment of pomegranate between his incisors. "It makes little difference."

   "It makes all the difference, Fectur! We do need the True Sept now. Venger must not die."

   "Sire, you are not well."

   "
Don't patronize me!
"

   Fectur stood with infuriating blandness, waiting. Leth said, "He will not be executed, Fectur. Do you understand?"

   "I understand that you are perhaps overtired, Sire. It is better if I leave you now to rest."

   He took from his robe a scrolled parchment and put it on the table. "For your reference, this is the list of offences and omissions of which you are accused, to which I referred in the Hall of Wise Counsel."

   He turned towards the door.

   "Your triumph will be short-lived," said Leth.

   Fectur paused. "How so?"

   "Can you defeat the
Karai and their god? Or are you perhaps in league with them?"

   "I am not, be assured of that. But a change of policy may be called for. Now, Sire, you must rest."

   "I want to see my children," said Leth suddenly.

   Fectur hesitated,
then gave a curt nod. "I will have the Prince and Princess brought."

   When he had gone Leth paced the room in distraction. How could Fectur dispose of both him and his two children without losing the vital support of his allies? Somehow, he was convinced, Fectur would contrive the means. And it would be soon.
As soon as he reasonably could.

   Most probably it would be Leth first. As Regent Fectur could then take his time over dealing with the children.
A year, perhaps two or even more, and then another tragic accident. Something in their food, most likely. The simultaneous deaths by the same cause of one or two of their attendants would add gravity and authenticity.

   But did Fectur have a year or two to spare? What of the
Karai? What had he meant by 'a change of policy'?

   Leth went to his study, bolted the door and took out the blue casket. He flipped open the lid. The dazzle of blue flooded him and he found himself in Orbelon's world.

   "Orbelon! Orbelon!"

   There was a delay,
then the familiar sounds as the bent figure hauled itself out of the mist. "Ah, Leth. I did not expect you so soon. A few moments later and you would not have found me."

   "Why? Where do you go? Where
can
you go?"

   Orbelon chuckled to himself. "It is just something I have been experimenting on."

   "You speak as though you are leaving."

   "How can I leave myself?"

   Leth closed his eyes, striving to think clearly. "Orbelon, I need your help. I’m desperate."

   Quickly he recounted all recent events to the bundled god-creature. "I’ve been rendered powerless, Orbelon. I can do nothing. Whatever Fectur tells the people they will believe. He may even parade me before them to reassure those who are loyal to me that I still live. But he has taken everything and will certainly dispose of me at the earliest opportunity."

   "What will it take to regain your power?" enquired Orbelon.

   "A massive vote of confidence, a revolt. . . . I don’t know precisely."

   "Fectur's death?"

   "In
itself that would not be sufficient, not as things currently stand. It would throw the kingdom into anarchy, or open it wide to the Karai."

   "But you have supporters?
Powerful supporters?"

  
"Of course. But the war takes their attention and they can’t divert themselves to my cause - not to a direct confrontation with Fectur. He holds immense power, Orbelon. I have badly underestimated him."

   "So it seems. This is grave.
Most grave."

   "Can you do anything?"

   "Me? I am a prisoner in my world as you are now in yours. I don’t see how I can act to help you." He fell silent.

   "Then I’m contemplating the end of all I stand for and all I and my forbears have worked to achieve."

   "What else have you learned since we last spoke, Leth? You were to meet with a man and discuss the Legendary Child."

   Leth told him of his discussion with Grey Venger, of the True Sept's claim of duplicity in arranging Venger's assassination attempt upon him. He told him of his sudden conviction in regard to Ressa and the creature upon Sentinel's Peak and the outcome of that violent and tragic meeting. Orbelon seemed interested in
this, even a little agitated, and paid particular attention to Leth's description of the creature. Presently he said, "It is true. Your fears may be confirmed, for if the poor girl was inseminated by one of my kind, the normal human gestation would not be a factor."

   "But you said earlier that it had not been possible for a god to impregnate a human woman."

   "I said it was not possible in my time. Eons have passed, the world will have changed incalculably."

   "What of the One True God who will rule supreme alongside the Child?"

   "I can’t say at present. But it seems you may have an unlikely ally now."

   "What do you mean?"

   "The True Sept consider you to have no soul. They’ve said they cannot allow you to die by ordinary means, at least until they have achieved their aims. If that is so, then they are surely bound to aid you now."

   "Grey Venger is imprisoned. Fectur could well have him executed, may already have done so."

   "But the Sept. . . if its members know what is afoot, will they not intervene?"

   Leth put the heels of his palms to his eyes, striving to think clearly. "I don't know. I simply don't know. Orbelon, this prophecy of the King Without A
Soul. . . does this not refer to you?"

   "It would appear it may. But the True Sept doesn’t know I exist. Hence they must continue to direct their attentions to you."

   "But from where has the notion of the Soulless King come?"

   Orbelon slowly shook his great head. His reply, when it came, was not what Leth wished. "You should return now, Leth. I will give myself immediately to investigation of this."

   "Orbelon, wait!"

   But the ragged figure had lifted his staff. Leth was cast from his world, back to his own study. There was a knocking sound and the muffled sound of someone calling.
"My lord! My lord! Are you there?"

   It came from beyond the door of his study. Someone, a woman, was at the door. Half in a daze he rose and crossed the
chamber, drew back the bolts. His children's governess, Cascane, stood there; a guard, Fectur's, was behind her. She quickly curtsied, a strained look upon her face. "My lord, I was told you wished to see the children."