The Dark Lord's Demise (19 page)

"Can you tell us what's happened since we last saw you?" Kurt
asked. He realized it was a hopeless request.

Tiqvah smiled. "I shall try. As you know, I was a very young man
when my father died-about your age, Wesley. My mother followed
my father in death soon afterward. Truly I believe she died of a
broken heart." (Lisa got a lump in her throat. She blinked hard
and concentrated on Tiqvah's words.) "In truth, I was too young to
assume the kingship of this land. Certain advisors in the palace
took charge of me. They taught me their ideas. I learned my lessons well, so eager I was to prove myself. Now I begin to doubt
some of what I was taught." He glanced toward a dim corner of the
room. "I do not mean to disregard your wisdom, Hazilon. You have
always given good counsel."

For the first time the children noticed that another figure stood
in it corner of the council chamber. It was a man in a long dark purple robe. Strange intricate symbols of gold thread were woven
into the robe. His face was clean-shaven and angular. On his
close-cropped gray hair was a small purple cap something like a
beret. He bowed slightly but said nothing.

Queen Hisschi spoke. Her voice was soft music in the quiet
room. "Allow me to introduce Hazilon, high priest of the One
Above All. He is our trusted advisor and friend as well as guide in
all matters of our worship of the Unchanging One."

Tiqvah's arms trembled. The queen rested her hand on the
back of his hand, and he sat down-heavily for a man of his gaunt
build. He sighed. "It is sad indeed that I ever lost touch with these
important, with these vital ... I am weary. I must come to the point.
I have need of brave Regenskind with gifts such as you possess."
He looked intently at the children. "Very few of my subjects know
what I am about to tell you. Do you swear secrecy?"

The Friesens held their breaths and nodded.

"A severe illness is upon me. It has afflicted me for over a year.
The royal physicians are baffled. It has wasted my body and stolen
my strength, except in short spells when I am able to summon my
old powers."

"I was afraid you weren't well," Lisa said. "All the same, you
didn't look sick in that parade today."

"But did you see me walking? No. You saw my steed walking for
me. I usually go among my people on horseback. They do not realize my own legs have difficulty. The fullness of my royal robes covers the gauntness of my body."

"And nothing can be clone for you?" Kurt asked.

"I sought advice from the wise Hazilon. He entreated the Lord
of All. Soon we discovered that honey made by our weaver bees is
the best medicine for my illness. Perhaps you have not seen the
weaver bees. They are a strain developed since your last visit to
Anthropos."

"We've met up with them," Wes said dryly. Queen Hisschi looked
at him sharply.

Tiqvah went on: "The honey soothes but does not cure. I consume a small dose each day; more if my weakness is heavy upon
me. Such is the case today." He folded his hands on the tabletop and leaned forward to rest his forehead on them. He took deep,
noisy breaths. Hisschi looked at him tenderly for a moment. "I
shall continue for you, my lord," she said. She turned to the children. "Two seasons ago the hives on the palace grounds did not
produce so much honey as usual. Last season, even less. The supply is dangerously low. A new swarm of bees recently left a hive
and vanished. Shamnith and Ildreth, the royal beekeepers, tell us
that the swarm mysteriously died."

The queen emphasized her final two words: mysteriously died.
The Friesens stiffened in horror. Wes especially felt sick. He had
killed that swarm! Not only was he about to lose the king and
queen's favor-his guilty face would give him away even if he said
nothing-but he had destroyed Tiqvah's means of getting medicine. He chewed his lip. Did Shamith and Ildreth think they were
still at large? Did they know the children were here in the palace?

Wes glanced at the queen. Her steady eyes met his gaze. With
her next words she stripped away all their defenses. "I am told that
you have special powers that can subdue the bees."

The children did not know what to say. Queen Hisschi smiled.
"Never fear," she assured them. "We know that a mistake was
made. The laws of Anthropos are just and fair." They thought of
the hall of inquiry, the cruel Commander and his officials, the old
prisoner who was carried away shouting. The laws of Anthropos
might be just and fair, but ,justice and fairness seemed dead-or
dying!

The queen's next words distracted them from their doubts: "His
majesty wishes you to travel on his behalf, on a mission to the
Island of Geburah in Lake Nachash. Do you know of this place?"

Asking the children if they knew of the Island of Geburah was like
asking you if you know your own neighborhood. They nodded vigorously and waited to hear what the queen had to say next.

Queen Hisschi gestured toward the priest Hazilon. He stepped
out of the shadows. In the light from the window, his eyes glinted
with cold intelligence. The children knew he had missed nothing
of the conversation so far. He revealed little of his own feelings.
Yet there was something admirable and even noble about his dignified reserve.

Hazilon took over where the queen had left off. Wesley thought
his voice had a clean, sharp edge, like the edge of the Sword of
Geburah. "I am honored to enlighten you further about this mission for his majesty. Among the servants of the palace are eagles
with the power of speech. The strength of their flight and vision is
beyond compare. They serve as the royal observers."

"You mean they do aerial reconnaissance?" asked Kurt.

Hazilon glanced at the king and queen. "The words are not
familiar to us. In any case, not long ago an eagle flew over the Island of Geburah and brought back hopeful news. A weaver bee
colony flourishes on the island. The queen has sent an eagle convoy to confirm the sighting. If it is true, no doubt great stores of
honey are to be found there."

"In the ruins of the fortress, you mean?" Wes inquired.

The priest frowned and fingered the gold embroidery at his collar. "A fortress does stand there. It is uninhabited but hardly in
ruins. The weaver beehives may be in the fortress walls. Or they
may be in caves at the water's edge. The eagles will soon inform
us.

The queen explained, "No ordinary citizen of Nephesh dares
approach a large colony of weaver bees. We considered sending
Ildreth and Shamith, for they have a way with the creatures. But
now-praise to the Lord of All!-you have come to us. My lord,
"higvah, wishes you to journey to the island and bring him back
honey, as much as you can carry."

Wes shuddered as he again felt the fiery bee stings. "Thank you
for your confidence in us, your majesty. But I'm not sure we can
handle the bees like we did the other (lay. I don't have the-"
Again he had started to say "the Sword of Geburah" and stopped
himself. "I don't know if I have the courage."

Tigvah raised his head. The color was drained from his face.
"My friends, the Undying One will provide what you need. You
must travel to the royal lodge on the southern shore of Lake
Nachash. There at the foot of the cliffyou will find boats. I myself
have not visited the lodge in years. The memory of my father's
death there was too painful, and now my weakness makes the journey impossible."

The boys exchanged a quick look. The royal lodge. That was
where abandoned children supposedly went for fresh air and sunshine before they moved on to happy homes with families. Wes
decided to take a risk. "When we go to the lodge, will you have us
take some message from your majesties to the children?"

Tiqvah blinked. "What children?"

Kurt took a deep breath. "The children who are there to regain
their health."

Hisschi rose and came around behind the king's chair. She placed her hands on his shoulders and massaged them gently. Tiqvah closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Hisschi smiled and
said, "Yes, abandoned children lodge under our royal protection
before they go to homes where they are wanted. We are in cotnmunication with them." She paced hack and forth behind Tiqvah's
chair. Her eyes glowed with new intensity. Her beauty was intensified by the fire of purpose. "You are wise," she said to the Friesens.
"Surely you have seen how the land of Anthropos prospers. We are
at peace with the kingdoms around us. For this we are glad. We
thank the True Shepherd who gives us peace and prosperity."

The king appeared to regain some strength. He opened his eyes
and sat up straighter. "You know that in my youth I served the True
Shepherd," he said. "I am ashamed to say that after the death of
my father and mother, other concerns took his place in my heart.
It was not so much rebellion as a slow slipping away. But lately I
have remembered ... remembered ... Hisschi my queen and the
good priest Hazilon have drawn me back toward the Ever Living
One." He spread his hands out to the children. "I had begun the
journey in my spirit. Your arrival brings me further along the
road." His face grew sad. "Years have passed since Gaal has been
seen in Anthropos. We know not why he denies us his presence.
But as I was saying ... what was I saying? Forgive me. Forgive me. I
am weary."

The queen quickly took over. "Despite the efforts of the king
and Hazilon and myself, many of our people have cast away the
worship of the True Shepherd. They do not consider the One who
gives us prosperity and peace. The king wishes to devote himself to
leading our people back into right worship. But if his life is tragically cut short-" Her voice caught in her throat. She blinked and
regained her composure. "If his life is cut short, the land of
Anthropos will wither and die from the inside as a great tree rots at
its heart."

Tiqvah smiled the broadest smile they had seen on his face so
far. "You must think of this journey not as a mission for me but for
the Lord of All-Gaal the Shepherd-and for the Changer. May
they be blessed forever! Do you accept?"

At that moment from outside the window came a noisy thrash of wings and the harsh call of a bird. The racket increased as more
bird voices and wings joined in. Shadows raced across the window,
blocking and then revealing the sun. Hisschi stood up. "It is our
eagle convoy. They have returned from their flight over the
island." She hurried to the window. "What report have you?" she
called.

With a hoarse cry, a huge bird lit on the outside window ledge.
Its dark body filled the window, and its head (which was above the
window frame) could not be seen. "What news, Vulcanus?" asked
Hisschi.

The bird theist its head down and wiggled itself through the
window. Once inside it extended to full height and perched on the
inside ledge, blocking out much of the sunlight. The Friesens
gasped at the bird's appearance. It sat hunched down with head
low and shoulders high. The head was bright red, not because it
was covered with red feathers. In fact, the head had no feathers at
all.

Kurt whispered to the others, "That's no eagle. That's a buzzard!"

"Turkey vulture," Wes corrected in a whisper. "Same thing."

"Yuck!" whispered Lisa.

"What news, I ask?" the queen repeated. The bird ignored her.
It preened its black breast feathers with its blunt hooked beak.
Hisschi folded her arms. Hazilon rolled his eyes and shifted his
weight. Tigvah drummed his fingers on the table. Apparently this
delay was part of the bird's routine. It would talk when it was ready.

Tiqvah filled the time with introductions. "Vulcanus, since you
choose to hold us all in suspense, allow me to introduce the young
gentlemen, Wesley and Kurt, and the young lady, Lisa. They will
accompany you on your next journey to the island."

The vulture swiveled its naked head toward the children and
blinked its small eyes. Wes knew the squinty appearance was decepfive. The bird had vision like an eagle's. All the same, how could the
king and queen possibly mistake this ugly thing for an eagle?