The Sword Of Angels (Gollancz S.F.) (114 page)

‘Who’s the stranger?’ Lukien whispered as he sat beside Aric.

‘Don’t know,’ said Aric. ‘I just got here.’

Ghost took the seat beside Lukien. ‘What’s this about?’

Aric shrugged. ‘Don’t know that either.’

Lorn found an empty chair on the other side of the table, directly between two of Daralor’s aides. He spied the red-bearded stranger suspiciously, refusing a drink offered by the soldier to his left. The old king looked uncomfortable, as if dreading Daralor’s news. Lukien felt a similar shiver. None of them spoke, waiting for the prince to explain things. At last Daralor cleared his throat and got to his feet.

‘You want to know why you’re here. You can probably imagine why. We’re just days out of Liiria now. It’s time to plan.’

There was steel in Daralor’s voice. Every man around the table straightened.

‘By the end of this week we will be at the border. We’ve marched for miles and our journey is nearly ended. We are strong and we are ready to fight, and it’s time for all of us to get right with our hearts and with our heads.’ Daralor looked around the room at each of them. ‘We’re not all coming back.’

The men nodded quietly. At his side, Lukien felt Malator squirming within the Sword of Angels.

‘Horatin, stand up, please,’ said Daralor. He gestured to the stranger with the red beard. The man stood, his arms at ease at his sides. Daralor continued, ‘You’ve all noticed him. His name is Horatin. He’s a Reecian, a member of Raxor’s Red Watch.’

The prince waited for a reaction. It came quickly in gasps from the
men. Lukien reared back a little, stunned. As one who’d fought the Reecians for years, he knew a thing or two about the Red Watch. They were indeed assassins, and the best spies on the continent. At once a hundred questions leapt to Lukien’s mind. Daralor stayed them with a raised hand.

‘He came this morning, in secret,’ said Daralor. ‘From Raxor himself. The Reecian King has prepared himself for battle.’ Prince Daralor gave a smile to Aric. ‘He’s kept his promise to us.’

‘I knew he would,’ Aric whispered faintly.

‘Horatin has risked his life to come here. Others of the Red Watch weren’t so lucky. He’s brought news with him from Liiria you all need to hear.’

Ghost leaned into Lukien’s ear. ‘He must be a good spy,’ he chirped. ‘I didn’t see him come in. You?’

Lukien shook his head, hushing Ghost. Daralor turned to the Reecian, bidding him to speak. In his weary voice, Horatin began, ‘My king sends his greetings, and his thanks. He is grateful to brave Nith. My country and king have suffered greatly, and we are grateful to have your help. I left my king three days ago. His army is at the river Kryss, waiting to cross the border into Liiria.’

‘He doesn’t know about us yet, not for certain at least,’ Daralor piped in. ‘But news of our army coming north has reached Liiria.’

‘Right,’ said Horatin. ‘We heard about you not even a week ago. My king sent me down to find you, and to find out if you were really coming north.’

‘King Raxor has been waiting for us, apparently,’ said Daralor, a bit ruefully. ‘And not very patiently, either. Horatin has told me that his king is . . .’ The prince hesitated. ‘Let’s say he’s unwell.’

Horatin grimaced at the description. ‘King Raxor has lost his son. And thousands of other men, too. The people of Reec demanded he move against Baron Glass. They love Raxor and have rallied to him. He’s ready to die for them, but now he waits to see if the rumours of Nith coming to help are true.’

‘So he’s ready to fight?’ Lukien asked.

Horatin looked at him, then at Daralor. The prince said, ‘You can answer him.’

‘Yes, my king is ready,’ said Horatin to Lukien directly. ‘What is your name, sir?’

Lukien stood. ‘My name is Lukien of Liiria.’

Recognition flashed on Horatin’s face. He grinned wildly. ‘I thought as much.’

A charged moment passed between the two old adversaries. Daralor put himself between them quickly, saying, ‘I’ve told Horatin about all of
you. Even you, King Lorn. But we will get to that. More importantly, Baron Glass has been making ready for us. He has his armies dug in around Koth, especially around the old library.’

‘Glass is obsessed with the library,’ said Horatin. ‘He’s making every effort to protect it this time.’

‘That makes sense,’ said Lukien. ‘Library Hill is better fortified than Lionkeep, and a lot higher. Aric and I have fought from Library Hill. It’ll definitely give Thorin an advantage this time.’

Aric nodded uncomfortably. ‘That’s right. Horatin, how many men does my father have?’

‘It’s hard to tell,’ replied the Reecian. ‘We’ve had spies in Koth, but too many of them have been captured or killed. Not many Liirians have come to Glass’ banner. They’re Norvans, mostly. And there’s a new man with Thorin, a duke from Hanging Man named Cajanis.’

Lorn grunted in disgust. ‘I know him. He’s loyal to Jazana Carr.’

Horatin said, ‘He’s brought an army of at least three thousand with him, and more are on the way.’

‘And what about Jazana Carr?’

The question, of course, came from Lorn, who could not contain himself any longer. Horatin turned to Lorn, seeming to recognizing him. Daralor nodded as if to confirm the Reecian’s suspicions.

‘You are King Lorn,’ said Horatin. ‘Then you most of all will want to know this. The rumour you have heard about the Diamond Queen is true. She is dead.’

Lorn sat frozen in his chair. ‘Dead. You are sure?’

‘There is no doubt of it. I myself was sent to kill her at Richter, along with Baron Glass. But the queen wasn’t with him, and Baron Glass discovered our plot. Two good men of the Red Watch died that night by the baron’s own hand.’

‘And Jazana Carr?’ pressed Lorn. ‘What of her?’

‘A few days later she was dead,’ said Horatin. ‘When Baron Glass returned to Lionkeep he beat her. I don’t know why; no one knows why. After that she killed herself.’

‘You’re sure of this?’ asked Lukien.

‘There is no doubt of it, Sir Lukien.’

The news left Lukien strangely empty. In the years he had spent in Jazana’s service, she had always been kind to him. Her conceits were legion, but her heart was bigger than her brain. Seeing Lorn’s glee over her death angered Lukien.

‘This is great news,’ said Lorn, sighing as though he had slipped into a warm bath. ‘Without Jazana Carr, Norvor has no leader. They will welcome me again.’

Lukien gritted his teeth, holding back an insult. Daralor steadied Lorn’s excitement.

‘Your Norvans follow Baron Glass now, King Lorn. Until he is gone, you still have no kingdom.’

‘Excuse me, Prince Daralor, but Baron Glass is not a Norvan, and I think I know my people a bit better than you do. Baron Glass has the bitch-queen’s fortune, no doubt, but not her blood. The people need a rightful ruler.’

‘Maybe,’ said Horatin sharply, ‘but Baron Glass won’t let go of Norvor easily. The dukes of Norvor flock to him still, because he is powerful and they are afraid of him. Listen to me, all of you – not one of you really knows what we are up against.’

‘I do,’ Aric spoke up. ‘I’ve seen my father close up, Horatin.’

‘As have I,’ said Lukien. ‘Your words are well meaning, Reecian, and I respect them. But I don’t need to be taken to school about Baron Glass or what he has become.’

‘And the rest of you?’ queried Horatin. He scoffed in their faces. ‘Be cocky at your peril.’

‘We are Nithins, Watchman,’ chastened Daralor. ‘We do not frighten easily.’

‘That is good,’ replied Horatin, ‘because once you see Baron Glass in his armour, you will know what hell looks like.’

‘Baron Glass is near his end,’ predicted Lorn. He pointed at Lukien. ‘The Bronze Knight holds the means to his undoing.’

‘Fate above, who knows?’ said Lukien, shaking his head. ‘I have the Sword of Angels. You’ve heard of it by now, Horatin. Whether or not it can beat Baron Glass, even I cannot say.’

Daralor appeared disappointed. ‘Lukien, you will not be alone. We will all be fighting to beat Baron Glass.’

Aric shrank at this. Lukien put a hand on his shoulder and said to him, ‘And some of us will be trying to save him.’

‘Baron Glass is our mutual enemy,’ said Lorn. ‘I have no problem with that. When he is done, I will return to Norvor as king.’ He looked pointedly at Lukien. ‘And then I will send for my family, just as I promised them.’

The barb bounced off Lukien, who was wholly disinterested in the argument. ‘Horatin, tell us what else you know,’ said Lukien.

Daralor took up a rolled parchment leaning against his chair and laid it flat across the table. ‘With what Horatin knows we can start planning our movements.’

‘I’m sorry, Prince Daralor, that’s not what I meant,’ said Lukien. ‘I have a personal question, if I may.’

‘Personal?’ said Horatin.

Lukien leaned forward. ‘It’s about Baron Glass and Koth. There was another of us from Jador who went to north to Liiria, a boy named Gilwyn Toms. Have you heard anything about him?’

‘Ah, the boy!’ Horatin laughed. ‘He is Glass’ obsession.’

‘He’s alive?’ asked Lukien.

‘He is. Baron Glass protects him. He’s given the boy the library to run. He’s like a son to the baron. From what our spies have told us, the two of them are inseparable.’

‘I knew it!’ crowed Lukien. ‘I knew Gilwyn would still be alive!’ He clapped his hands together gleefully. ‘And if Gilwyn is alive he’s been trying to reach Thorin. Aric, there’s hope for your father yet.’

Aric smiled grimly. ‘Maybe. But if there’s not and he must die, then that is how it should be.’

But Lukien was in too good a mood to think such dour thoughts. Just hearing about Gilwyn had lifted his spirits out of the doldrums. Daralor continued to speak, tracing his finger over his map and quoting figures to his aides. The back and forth continued for nearly an hour. Lukien listened to all of it, satisfied that the prince had done his best. They would likely be outnumbered when they got to Koth, and Thorin would have the advantage perched high on Library Hill. Still, the Nithins had the heart and the charisma of Daralor to lead them. The Reecians had something even more powerful – a thirst for vengeance.

Finally, when Daralor had said his peace, he glanced across the table at Aric, who had listened to the back and forth without adding a word. ‘Aric,’ said Daralor gently, ‘it’s time you went back to King Raxor. Horatin will be leaving in the morning. I want you to go with him.’

Aric nodded, giving no complaint. ‘If that is best, Prince Daralor.’

‘We’ll need to ride fast,’ said Horatin. ‘My king still doesn’t know for certain that your army is coming north to join him. He has to have this news quickly.’

‘I can ride fast,’ Aric assured him.

‘Good,’ said Daralor. He gave Aric a warm wink. ‘We’ll be behind you, just as quick as we can. The rest of you, make yourselves ready. In a few days, we’ll be at war.’

They were being dismissed, and Daralor’s aides knew it first. The Nithin officers got to their feet and began filing out of Daralor’s tent. Ghost and Aric did the same. Lorn lingered a bit longer, catching snippets of conversation on his way out, as did Lukien. Horatin took his time, still talking with Prince Daralor as the meeting broke up. Lukien watched the Reecian, hoping for an opportunity to speak with him. There was still one question pressing in his mind, a matter even more personal than that of Gilwyn. Deciding not to be rude, Lukien left the tent to wait for Horatin outside. Ghost and Aric had already headed back to the food line, while
Lorn had cornered two of the Nithin officers, peppering them with questions. The camp had fallen silent as most of the army had settled down for a night’s rest. Daralor’s bodyguard’s outside the tent eyed Lukien but did not shoo him away.

Finally, Horatin emerged, looking haggard and hungry. He walked past Lukien without noticing him until the knight hurried up behind him.

‘Horatin, wait,’ called Lukien. ‘I have a question.’

The Watchman paused and turned toward him. ‘Yes?’

Lukien was careful to keep his voice low. ‘It’s about your king. Aric Glass told me about a woman he keeps, a foreigner. Her name is Mirage.’

Horatin drew back. ‘What of her?’

‘Do you know her?’

‘I know of her,’ said Horatin. ‘Why?’

Lukien decided to tread carefully. ‘Horatin, I know she is your king’s woman. Aric told me about them. I just want to know how she fares.’

‘She is a friend of yours?’

Lukien nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘I see.’ Horatin averted his eyes. ‘Sir Lukien, the woman Mirage is not in Reec. She left my king some time ago to be with Baron Glass.’

‘She did?’ Lukien was stunned. ‘But I thought King Raxor was in love with her.’

‘He was indeed,’ lamented Horatin. ‘That did not stop her. Nor did my king stop her, either. He gave her leave to go the baron.’

‘So what then?’ asked Lukien. ‘Have you had any word from her?’

Horatin’s discomfort grew. ‘We have had no word from her, no. Sir Lukien, I did not tell you all of my story about our attack on Richter. Jazana Carr was not there. We were mistaken.’

‘So?’