Hederick The Theocrat (20 page)

The rocking of the centaur's gait nearly lulled Mynx to sleep, especially curled up as she
was inside the Diamond Dragon. When the centaur halted, however, the thief awoke and made
herself sit up. The walls of the Diamond Dragon glowed violet around her. Beyond them,
even though she knew the Diamond Dragon was made of something impermeable, she could make
out the contents of Kiffle-wit's pocketa few buttons, three coins, a stub of chalky stone,
and an apple. Even the ruby the kender

had stolen from Gaveley's den was there. The artifact seemed to hum, and soon Mynx's head
pounded from the beelike drone. Despite the small space she occupied, the air was cool.
She listened. “ Tis time to halt and gather our strength, little one. Slide down from my
back. We shall share wine and fine cheese from my pack.” “Nothing for me, thank you. Oh,
just some wine, please,” Kifflewit's lilting voice rejoined. “And, oh, maybe a little
cheese. Don't you have any bread, Phytos?” The centaur must have had some, for Mynx heard
a muffled, “Mmmm, thanks,” that told her the kender had found something that suited his
tastes. She could have used a chunk of bread herself, not to mention wine and cheese. If
she remained in the dragon very long, would she starve? “Hey!” she shouted. “Hey, out
there! Kifflewit! Phytos! Help!” She waited in vain; nobody heard her words. “Wouldst thou
like some more cheese, kender? 'Tis quite a good variety, Qualinesti, full of elven vigor.
I traded a full bag of fine-quality grain for it.” “Mmmm ... Thank you.” Kifflewit
coughed. Mynx, annoyed, struck the flat of her hand against the Diamond Dragon. The blow
aggravated the drone into a bell-like tolling that set Mynx's teeth on edge. “Hey, you
two!” she shouted. “Help!” She tried screaming as loud as she could. The artifact took her
scream and returned it tenfold, until Mynx thought she would shout her lungs out from
sheer frustration. All right, so they couldn't hear her. Maybe Mynx could make her
presence known some other way. The kender must realize she was here, but he couldn't be
relied upon. Mynx pinned her hopes on the centaur. She braced her hands on the sides of
the dragon and rocked to one side. The artifact wobbled slightly. Encouraged, Mynx pushed
even harder the other way, and the Diamond Dragon tipped so far in that direction that
Mynx lost her balance on the slippery bottom and tumbled to her knees. “Blast this thing
to the Abyss!” she shrieked, then had to cover her ears again from the resulting
reverberations. Then a huge handdid that monstrous palm, those fat fingers, those imposing
nails really belong to a little kender?crashed into the pocket, swept under the Diamond
Dragon, and carried it and its occupant out of the pouch and into the light. Mynx leaped
to her feet and rocked back and forth again, harder than before. The centaur had to notice
something oddthe artifact was moving of its own volition. “See what I have, Phytos?” the
kender chirped. He wrapped his fingers around it securely. Mynx fumed, but kept up her
strenuous efforts. Phytos did not look up from arranging the items in his pack. “ 'Tis
time we continued, little one. We're not even out of the vallenwoods. We have many leagues
... By the gods!” The centaur's head was up now, violet eyes staring. “What is that thou
holds, kender? It glows like lightning! 'Tis magic! Is it evil?” “It was Hederick's,
Phytos. He gave it to me, back at the temple.” Phytos clucked. “Did he, kender? And could
it be that the High Theocrat is unaware that he gave thee such a precious bauble?”
Kifflewit faltered. “I... I don't remember.” He brightened. “Anyway, I'm keeping it for
him. Until he needs it again.” “Let me see it.” The kender opened his hand. Mynx held her
breath. New fingers, slender and strong, cradled the artifact. The centaur's angular face,
with those piercing eyes, came into view. Mynx jumped and waved, rocked the Diamond
Dragon, and shouted Phytos's name until she was hoarse. The slim fingers closed firmly
around the quivering artifact. “By the gods, kender, the bauble glows so that I am nearly
blinded! It seems to tremble with magic. Put the thing back in thy pocket and keep it
safe. If 'tis Hederick's, it may prove useful to us in the coming war.”

“War?” Kifflewit's voice held new interest. He replaced the Diamond Dragon in his pocket.
Mynx slumped to the artifact's bottom, disconsolate. “Hederick's forces committed an
atrocity against my race,” Phytos told the kender. “His minions slew four of my
companions. It is highly likely that my tribe will choose to retaliate, little one.”
Kifflewit's voice went even more shrill with excitement. “Centaurs, go to war with humans?
Wow! Has that ever happened before, Phytos? Is that...”

“I neither know nor care, little one.” The curt reply was followed by a soft, “Come,
Kifflewit Burrthistle. Tis time we left. My glade lies outside the vallenwoods, and we've
a way to go.” Inside the Diamond Dragon, which remained inside the kender's pocket, Mynx
beat her fists against her knees and howled.

*****

“The revelations went well tonight, Your Worship,” Dahos said. Hederick grunted
noncommittally as he arranged his scrolls in the room of his quarters. He had summoned the
high priest, then refused to speak to him or dismiss him. He'd learned an important lesson
from Venessi, his motherthat silence is the worst prison imaginable. Hederick half-smiled.
Let the priest suffer for fear of losing his neck, he thought. The Plainsman had erred
twice in the preceding day. First with the centaurs. Then he'd allowed Tarscenian to
escape once more. Did Hederick have to oversee everything to make sure things were always
done correctly? The High Theocrat had no doubt that if he, Hederick, had been leading the
guards against Tarscenian this afternoon, the old fool would have been executed and out of
the way by now. Still, the half-elf Gaveley had had some valuable information for the High
Theocrat. Tarscenian was planning vengeance against Hederick, Gaveley informed him,
although exactly what form that vengeance would take the half-elf had professed not to
know. Hederick had paid him well for the warning. “As if there were any doubt that
Tarscenian continues to stalk me,” Hederick muttered. “Tarscenian won't rest until he sees
me dead. He's supremely jealous of me.” “Your Worship?” Dahos's voice held a spark of
hope. Hederick said nothing in reply. After a suspenseful wait, the high priest sagged.
The High Theocrat stifled a chuckle. Suddenly he felt a twinge in his upper torso. He
clasped a hand against his breastbone, moved his beloved leather-swaddled pendant aside,
and gingerly probed a tender spot. He'd felt odd intermittently since this afternoon, when
he'd ordered the black-robed mage executed. The mage had injured him, but the god Sauvay
had healed him before hundreds of people. Hederick wished he could remember exactly what
happened, but his memory seemed impaired. Still, he had seen and noted witnesses of his
miraculous revival. There could be no greater sign of Hederick's favor in the eyes of the
Seeker gods. For a moment the High Theocrat considered unwrapping the leather covering and
admiring the Diamond Dragon. But, no, he'd nearly lost it oncethen a second time this
afternoon, his aides told him. No telling when Tarscenian would attempt his evil-doing.
Hederick would keep the treasure under cover, close to him. “Sauvay smiled upon me today,”
Hederick said suddenly, momentarily abandoning his oath to shun the high priest. “Yes,
Your Worship,” Dahos returned quickly. “It is truly...” “How are your plans coming for the
reconsecration ceremony, Dahos?” Hederick cut in. “They are ... going well,” Dahos replied
carefully. “We should be able to conduct the ceremony in three or four days. I have sent
word to the Highseekers Council that...” “Hang the damned Highseekers Council, you dolt!”
Hederick snapped. “This is my temple. I don't need that batch of old women and sinners
snooping around Eroly-don. I can conduct my own ceremony, myself.”

“But the Praxis says ...” Hederick's voice took on a new edge. “I am the judge here of
what the Praxis says, Dahos. Don't overstep yourself. It could be a fatal mistake.” “I
.... ” “Yes, High Priest?” Dahos swallowed and stood taller. “Nothing, Your Worship.”

*****

Snoop cursed his luck as he crept along the shoreline, spyglass in his left hand, dirk in
his right. It was growing dark, and he knew pitifully little about the area where the land
met Crystalmir Lake. Snoop hated the outdoorsall bugs and poison ivy and fanged creatures
with no sense of civilization. The bucolic folks who frequented the area outside Solace
actually enjoyed stalking animals and birds and killing themand for food, not even for a
meaningful bounty! And as for fishing, well, the day that Snoop would be found trying to
lure a slimy fish onto a hook so that he could skin it and cut out its entrails and cook
and eat it would be the day he'd... well, the day he'd eat dirt.

No, give Snoop city life any day. True, Solace was a bit small for Snoop's liking, but
Gaveley had made it worth his whilefor these last few years, at least. Snoop had chafed
lately. With the Diamond Dragon, though, Snoop hoped to set up his own thieves' ring.
Someplace far from Gaveley, it was certain, but that was fine. He'd heard tales of many
cities stuffed with riches that beckoned a clever thieves' ring such as the one Snoop
longed to run.

He'd be cursed if he'd settle for his measly cut of Tarscenian's bounty. Not when he could
have that Diamond Dragon free and clear, all his own. Snoop tripped over a stone in the
gathering dusk, and swore aloud. There was no sense to Gaveley's latest plan. Why order
Snoop to follow Tarscenian when everyone in the ring knew the stranger was bound to head
straight for Hederick? The question rankled in Snoop's mind, eating away at him until he
thought he'd go mad. It was an unfamiliar feeling. He'd never questioned Gaveley's methods
before.

“I could be lounging in the grass behind some tree right now, watching the infernal temple
through my glass,” Snoop grumbled. “Instead, I'm being eaten alive by mos-quitos, I'm
soaked up to my knees trying to keep one eye on some fool who's drifting around the lake
in a leaky boat. Damn the luck!” There was no point lowering his voice, not this far out
in the woods. “No one out here but the bugs and the rabbits to hear me, anyway.”

He swung up his spyglass... and there was Tarscenian, sitting calmly in the blasted canoe.
“Not even rowing, for the gods' sake!” Snoop mumbled. “And he isn't swatting bugs, that I
can see. It isn't fair. Gods, how can that canoe be making such speed? And Gaveley and Xam
both know where he's going, so why tell me to follow?”

He broke off his harangue. There was one excellent reason, it occurred to him, why Gaveley
would have sent Snoop on this particular wild-goose chase. The half-elf hoped to get to
Hederick first and steal the Diamond Dragon for himself. The thief-turned-spy sorted out
his thoughts. “Not that the guards'd let a half-elf into the temple, of course. Gaveley
couldn't get in himself unless . . .” Snoop thought harder. Example after example came to
his mind, instances in which Gaveley had had no trouble at all gaining entrance where he'd
been expressly barred. And Gaveley had a hulking man like Xam to back him up. Snoop had no
one.

No one but the man he'd been ordered to trail, that was. The man who knew more than anyone
else about the Diamond Dragonincluding, no doubt, where Hederick kept it. Snoop started to
run toward Erolydon. He'd be blasted to the depths of the Sirrion Sea before he'd let
Gaveley get the best of him.

He arrived, sweating and panting, and crouched near some trees just south of the temple.
The last worshipers were being let out through a gate in the southern wall. A priest
slammed the door behind

the chattering people. Snoop heard three bolts being thrown, then nothing. The thief
leaned, wheezing, against a tree, and trained his glass on the western horizon. Therethere
was Tarscenian, just arriving at the seaward wall of the temple. Snoop squinted through
his lens. The old man was just staring into the water as though he was thinking. Why
didn't he hurry, for the gods' sake? Didn't the idiot know the sky would soon be dark?
Snoop swore anew. He watched, aghast, as the water churned around the small canoe and
exploded around Tarscenian, who disappeared into the boiling waterTarscenian, the only one
who could lead Snoop to the Diamond Dragon!

The thief found himself racing along the shoreline, heedless, for the first time in his
career, of who might see him. Tarscenian had to survive to lead him to the artifact, Snoop
raged. After that, he planned to end the old man's life with a thrust of his dirk, but
until then... Snoop drew out a grapnel and rope and tossed the barbed hook atop the wall.
He pulled himself up hand over hand until he reached the top. A quick glance showed no one
inside the compoundno eyes to see him. There was hope, after all. Snoop retrieved his
grapnel and hurried along the wall. He adroitly sidestepped the slivers of sharp metal and
chunks of jagged glass that Hederick had ordered set into the top of the marble to
discourage intruders.

Snoop came to the end of the southern wall and turned north. A short dash, and then he was
on the wall above Tarscenianor, at least, above the roiling water where Tarscenian was
probably drowning. Snoop squinted in the dying light and saw what appeared to be a huge
froglike thing poking at the man over and over. A fish with a harpoon?

Snoop snugged the rope around a chunk of glass. Then he dropped the grapnel so that it
rested just at the surface of the water. Tarscenian saw the hook and made a break for it,
the fishlike creature following. This wasn't all that different from garroting someone in
an alley in Haven, Snoop reflected. He snagged the koalinth just under the gills. The
aquatic hobgoblin jerked back in sudden pain, setting the hook. Then it leaped above the
water, panic-stricken. Snoop wrapped the rope once more around the wall outcropping.

There was a jerk, then the koalinth was left shrieking and struggling, its bloody gills
dangling just above the waterline. Snoop climbed partway down the rope to where Tarscenian
was treading water. Both waited until the beast suffocated.