The False Martyr (66 page)

“
Rather,
I know and accept my position. I am hated and destined to be more
hated still, but I must deliver the
invaders
’ terms – and they are
called the
Darthur
, not
Darters
. You and your rebellion have no chance of overthrowing me.
What you
can
do
is bring down the wrath of the Darthur upon us all.”

“
But I cannot . . .
“

“
Stop and listen! You will
continue to lead this rebellion just as you have. You will organize
it. You will fund it. You will guide it. I want you to make sure
that you bring every city, every district, ever farm and village
into your fold. I want every one of them to be unified against
me.”

“
I . . . I don’t . . . how
can you . . . .”

“
For the next several
weeks, you will organize and plan. You will tell your supporters
that you see a way for me to be overthrown, but only if I become
overconfident. You will sanction only minimal dissent prior to
that. There should be just enough to keep the soldiers nervous,
enough to keep them focused and vigilant. Di Valati Wallock will
work with you behind the scenes. The Church, though seeming to
support me, can be a refuge and source of organization for
you.”

“
But I have promised . . .
.”

“
I don’t care that you
have made agreements with other valati. Wallock is Di Valati, and
you will work with him.” Ipid took a breath, remembered his
purpose, forced himself to be the model of detachment.
None of this is personal
, he reminded himself.
The only
thing that matters is that he does exactly what he’s
told.

Ipid waited until he had
Allard’s full attention, until he had reordered his thoughts
regarding the hierarchy of the Church. “The tensions will grow, of
course. You will allow your followers to do just enough to keep
their rage in check, but nothing to disrupt the flow of food and
men to the invaders.” He paused to emphasize the point. “I will
repeat. You, your followers, their followers will do nothing to
disrupt the flow of goods and men to the invaders. Is that
clear?”

Allard looked toward the
ceiling, cane tapping on the floor as he thought. “It can be done,
but not for very long.”

“
I need four weeks, maybe
less. After that, the invaders will be satisfied and will move on.
When they go, I go.”

“
And that is how you can
make this offer?” Allard smiled genuinely for the first
time.

“
Yes. When the time comes,
I will send you a message. You, your men, the members of
parliament, the former governors, anyone who needs to burnish their
reputation with the distinction of ‘hero’ will descend on
Wildern
. You will stage a daring attack on
your own estate. Seeing your unification and resolve, I will flee.
You will be a hero. The invaders will be gone. Parliament will meet
and elect you as the next Chancellor. You will bind the nation
together after our struggles and rebuild as the man who overthrew a
tyrant. You will have everything you desire and the Kingdoms will
have a chance at peace when this is over. Do you see now why I have
spared you?”

Allard Stully stroked his
cane in contemplation. “My father used to say that deals are like
women, the ones you crave most are the ones that will break your
heart. Far better, he said, to look for the skinny ones, the
splotchy ones, the ones with tangled hair. Those, he said, can be
fattened, cleared, and combed to beauty without ever knowing their
true value. This deal seems far too flawless. I feel like the boy,
first drinks still burning in his throat, who finds himself in the
arms of the tavern’s most beautiful woman. He thinks himself the
luckiest lad in the world until the deed is done and she states her
price. So where are the pimples, Lord Chancellor? What is your
price?”

Ipid could not help but
smile. He was on familiar ground now, discussing contract terms
with a fellow man of business. “In order to save this nation, I
must wring it dry. I must drive it to the edge of starvation and
ruin, must steal all its protectors, and work it to the bone. You
will not inherit the same Kingdoms you have known. To use your
analogy, you will inherit a woman who has been beaten bloody. She
is beautiful, but only if you can somehow nurse her back to health.
And even then, the scars may be unsightly.”

Allard stared at Ipid for
a long time, held his eye. Finally, he rose, nearly leaping from
his seat, and rapped his cane on the table. “I accept! But I have
one concession and one stipulation. The concession is that I do not
control Dorington. Lord Bairn will not join me. He sees this as his
chance to break away from the Kingdoms and restore the South as its
own nation.”

“
So I have heard,” Ipid
admitted. “I appreciate your honesty, but I think this will work in
our favor.”

“
In our favor? As goes
Dorington, so goes the South. It is militarily the strongest city
in the Kingdoms. You cannot hope to meet the invaders’ terms
without it, and I cannot fix these Kingdoms if I start my rule with
a civil war.”

“
I will take care of
Dorington. Whatever happens there, wash your hands of it. Do not
allow their rebellion to spread, but do not oppose it either.” Ipid
could not help but sigh. He knew what had to happen should Lord
Bairn follow the path he had chosen, but that did not mean he had
to like it. “Let Lord Bairn be. Neither threaten nor cajole him.
Let him have his uprising. When the time is right, he will serve as
the final catalyst you need to solidify your support.”

“
As you say, Lord
Chancellor.”

“
And your
stipulation?”

“
My family. I wish my
family to be spared from all this. I’d like your assurance that
they will not be used as pawns against me.”

Ipid nodded, thinking of
how his own son was being used against him. “We’re all pawns now,
Allard, but I have no quarrel with your family. My deal is with
you, and that is how it will remain.”

Allard let out a great
breath as if that had been his only hope all along. He stood,
looked around the room, then motioned to a cart near the door.
“Shall we drink to our
partnership?”

“
I must depart,” Ipid
replied. “Ambassador an’ Pmalatir will return in a few days. He
will help you with the governors and parliamentarians in any way
required. He will also provide me with regular reports on your
progress and help coordinate our activities. As you said, it is
well known that he will not deal with me. This makes him the ideal
conduit. I will do nothing to oppose you or your allies as long as
you keep them under control. I will not demean either of us with
further threats about failure or betrayal. We both know where our
interests lie and what we must do to see them
fulfilled.”

Allard
stopped his progress toward the crystal decanters and turned
to see his guest off. “I agree with you completely and think we
have come to the rare arrangement that benefits all parties
equally. I can see no reason for it to go foul. I am surprised to
say that I am sorry to see you go. Will you leave as you
came?”

“
Yes. Unfortunately, it is
not as easy as it seems.”

Perfectly on cue, shouts
rose from across the grounds. “Riders! Riders
approaching!”

Allard’s head snapped
toward Ipid. His eyes grew wide. He drew up his cane as if he might
use it as a weapon. His bodyguards tensed, hands gripping the
rapiers at their sides. “What . . . what is this?” he
stammered.

“
The te-am ‘eiruh need
emotion to use their powers,” Ipid explained. “We needed to create
some anxiety in order to return to Wildern.” Shouts, the sounds of
panic, rose from the grounds. Hooves crunched across gravel. A
voice rose over it all, demanding the presence of Allard
Stully.

“
What’s happening? What
was all this we just discussed?” Allard looked on the edge of
hysteria. His guards had drawn their swords and were
advancing.

Ipid glanced behind him to
Liano. He nodded, black hood rising and falling a single time.
“Nothing will come of it,” Ipid promised. “You will spend a couple
of days in a cell. The grain you have hidden will be confiscated.
As will this house, your lands, warehouses, and boats. But your
increased credibility with the resistance will more than make up
for it, and you can reclaim all those things when you are
Chancellor.” Allard looked on in shock as Ipid explained. Shouts
rose, accompanied by a few screams. A door crashed open. Allard
Stully’s name rang through the halls. “Ambassador an’ Pmalatir will
see to your release. You will go into hiding with your family. It
will not be the life you are used to, but it is only for a few
weeks.”

Ipid felt the tug at his
emotions as Liano created the portal behind him. “Goodbye, Allard,”
Ipid said with a small bow. “I will be in touch.” He turned and
walked through the portal just as the door to the chamber crashed
open, wood splintering where the lock was torn from the
sash.

“
Allard Stully?” a
familiar voice bellowed. Field Marshal Landon stepped out from
behind two men who crouched in the doorway with crossbows ready.
Another dozen soldiers crowded the hall behind him. Lamplight
glistened from his steel breastplate and the long blade of his
sword. “You are under arrest by order of the Chancellor. Tell your
men to drop their weapons.”

Ipid did not see if the
order was followed. He was pulled into a vortex of swirling black
and was gone.

Chapter 38

The
33
^rd
Day of Summer

“
Kian and his gang have
gone out,” Mark told Dasen, though he hadn’t asked. “He said you
two are supposed to stay here and rest.” The innkeeper licked his
lips. His eyes scanned Dasen up and down then looked around him
into the room.

“
Okay,”
Dasen said. “That's good.” He realized only then how ungrateful he
sounded and added quickly, “I mean, we’ve had a hard few weeks. We
could use the time.”
He tried to
keep his voice low so that he would not disturb Teth, who was just
stirring in the bed behind him. He stepped aside to allow the
innkeeper and his tray into the room then motioned toward the bed
in hope that he would keep quiet.

The innkeeper set his tray
on the table with a clattering of dishes. He winced. “Sorry, I
don’t usually do the deliveries, but I wanted to see you. I heard
about what you’d been through. I wanted to say, I’m sorry. I can
only imagine how hard that must have been.”

“
Thank you. We ah . . . .”
Dasen did not know what else to say. What had the innkeeper heard?
That he had used his powers to kill hundreds on the fields outside
Thoren? Why did that earn him sympathy? He looked back at Teth to
keep from saying more. She was sitting up and rubbing her
eyes.

Mark watched Dasen then
Teth with sympathetic eyes. He reached a hand out and patted
Dasen’s arm. “You’re safe here,” he assured. “Kian told us what
you’ve faced, and we’re on board with helping. My wife and I worked
out a plan last night to keep you hidden. When we’re done with the
morning service, we’ll be up to give you all the details. In the
meantime, I’m having some clothes sent up. My wife is altering them
now. For now, just keep to the room. All the rooms down this hall
have been given over to Kian and his gang, so you're safe enough
here, but the rest of the inn is packed to bursting, and I can’t
guarantee someone won’t recognize you, especially now that you’ve
cleaned up. Once you’re comfortable with your costumes, you'll have
more freedom, but for now just stay here.” He eyed them both until
they nodded.

Dasen couldn’t imagine a
disguise good enough for him to leave this room. “I think I'll be
happy to stay here,” he told the innkeeper as he turned to
leave.

“
Don't worry,” Mark
assured. “When Margot is done, your own mothers won't recognize
you.” He looked at Dasen then toward Teth with a smile.

Dasen felt his stomach
flip. He found Teth. She looked like she’d been slapped.

Mark must have seen the
expression as well. “Well maybe your mothers could spot you in a
fall cornfield, but your mothers aren't looking, so trust me, as
long as you don't give away the costumes, they won't give you
away.”

“
It's not that,” Dasen
said embarrassed. “Our mothers are dead. They died in a fire when
Teth and I were little.” He looked at Teth expecting to see her
collapse into tears, but she was looking away, seemingly in another
world.

“
I'm sorry. I . . . I
didn't mean . . . I’m sorry.” Mark looked honestly sad. “I should
get back to my other guests. I'll be back with my wife when we have
a break. Just relax until then. You look like you’ve been through
the Maelstrom.”

“
We very nearly have,”
Dasen agreed and looked toward Teth. The innkeeper followed his
eyes. His expression turned sad as if somehow sharing the sorrow
she’d carried the past week. “Thank you,” Dasen finished as Mark
pulled his eyes from Teth and slipped back out the door, closing it
firmly behind him.