Читать книгу The Complete Elenium Trilogy: The Diamond Throne, The Ruby Knight, The Sapphire Rose - David Eddings - Страница 22

Lord Abriel, the Preceptor of the Cyrinic Knights of Arcium, stood at the green-draped window of Vanion’s study in the south tower of the Pandion Knights’ chapterhouse, looking out at the city of Cimmura. Abriel was a solidly built man in his sixties with silvery hair. His lined face was devoid of humour, and his eyes were sunk deep in their sockets. He had removed his sword and helmet upon their arrival, but still wore the rest of his armour and his pale blue surcoat. Since he was the eldest of the four preceptors, the others deferred to him. ‘I’m sure that we’re all aware of most of what’s been happening here in Elenia,’ he began, ‘but there are a few things that need a little clarification, I think. Would you mind if we asked you some questions, Vanion?’

‘Not at all,’ Vanion replied. ‘We’ll all try our best to answer any that you might have.’

‘Good. We’ve had our differences in the past, my Lord, but in this situation we’ll want to set those aside.’ Abriel, like all the Cyrinics, spoke in a considered, even formal, fashion. ‘I think we need to know more about this Martel person.’

Vanion leaned back in his chair. ‘He was a Pandion,’ he replied with a trace of sadness in his voice. ‘I was forced to expel him from the order.’

‘That’s a little terse, Vanion,’ Komier said. Unlike the others, Komier wore a mail shirt rather than formal armour. He was a heavy-boned man with thick shoulders and large hands. Like most Thalesians, the Preceptor of the Genidian Knights was blond, and his shaggy eyebrows gave his face an almost brutish look. As he spoke, he continually toyed with the hilt of his broadsword, which lay on the table before him. If this Martel’s going to be a problem, we all ought to know as much about him as we can.’

‘Martel was one of the best,’ Sephrenia said quietly. She sat in her hooded white robe before the fire, holding her teacup. ‘He was extremely proficient in the secrets. That, I think, is what led to his disgrace.’

‘He was good with a lance, too,’ Kalten admitted ruefully. ‘He used to unhorse me on a regular basis on the practice field. Sparhawk was probably the only one who was a match for him.’

‘Exactly what was this disgrace you mentioned, Sephrenia?’ Lord Darellon asked. The Preceptor of the Alcione Knights of Deira was a slender man in his late forties. His massive Deiran armour looked almost too heavy for his slight frame.

Sephrenia sighed. ‘The secrets of Styricum are myriad,’ she replied. ‘Some are fairly simple – common spells and incantations. Martel mastered those very quickly. Beyond commonplace magic, however, lies a deeper and far more dangerous realm. Those of us who instruct the Knights of the Church in the secrets do not introduce our pupils to that level of magic. It serves no practical purpose and it involves things that imperil the souls of Elenes.’

Komier laughed. ‘Many things imperil the souls of Elenes, my Lady,’ he said. ‘I felt a certain wrench in mine the first time I contacted the Troll-Gods. I gather that this Martel of yours dabbled in things he should not have?’

Sephrenia sighed again. ‘Yes,’ she admitted. ‘He came to me asking that I instruct him in the forbidden secrets. He was very intense about it. That’s one of Martel’s characteristics. I refused him, of course, but there are renegade Styrics, even as there are renegade Pandions. Martel came from a wealthy family, so he could afford to pay for the instruction he wanted.’

‘Who found him out?’ Darellon asked.

‘I did,’ Sparhawk said. ‘I was riding from Cimmura to Demos. That was shortly before King Aldreas sent me into exile. There’s a patch of woods three leagues this side of Demos. It was just about dusk when I passed those woods, and I saw a strange light back among the trees. I went to investigate and saw Martel. He’d raised some kind of glowing creature. Its light was very bright – so bright that I couldn’t make out its face.’

‘I don’t think you’d have wanted to see its face, Sparhawk,’ Sephrenia told him.

‘Perhaps not,’ he agreed. ‘Anyway, Martel was speaking to the creature in Styric, commanding it to do his bidding.’

‘That doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary,’ Komier said. ‘We’ve all raised spirits or ghosts of one kind or another from time to time.’

‘This was not precisely a spirit, Lord Komier,’ Sephrenia told him. ‘It was a Damork. The Elder Gods of Styricum created them to serve as slaves to their will. The Damorks have extraordinary powers, but they are soulless. A God can summon them from that unimaginable place where they dwell and control them. For a mortal to attempt that, however, is sheer folly. No mortal can control a Damork. What Martel had done is absolutely forbidden by all of the Younger Gods.’

‘And the Elder Gods?’ Darellon asked.

‘The Elder Gods have no rules, my Lord – only whims and desires.’

‘Sephrenia,’ Dolmant pointed out, ‘Martel is an Elene. Perhaps he felt no obligations to observe the prohibitions of the Gods of Styricum.’

‘So long as one is practising the arts of Styricum, one is subject to the Styric Gods, Dolmant,’ she replied.

‘I wonder if perhaps it might have been a mistake to arm the Church Knights with Styric magic as well as conventional weapons,’ Dolmant mused. ‘We seem to be dabbling in an area best left untapped.’

‘That decision was made over nine hundred years ago, your Grace,’ Abriel reminded him, coming back to the table, ‘and if the Knights of the Church had not been proficient in magic, the Zemochs would have won that battle on the plains of Lamorkand.’

‘Perhaps,’ Dolmant said.

‘Go on with your story, Sparhawk,’ Komier suggested.

‘There’s not too much more, my Lord. I didn’t know what the Damork was until Sephrenia told me about it later, but I knew that it was something we were forbidden to contact. After a while, the thing vanished, and I rode in to talk with Martel. We were friends, and I wanted to warn him that what he was doing was prohibited, but he seemed almost mad somehow. He shrieked at me and told me to mind my own business. That didn’t leave me any choice. I rode on to our motherhouse at Demos and reported what I’d seen to Vanion and Sephrenia. She told us what the creature was and how dangerous it was to have it loose in the world. Vanion ordered me to take a number of men and to apprehend Martel and to bring him to the motherhouse for questioning. He went completely wild when we approached him, and he went to his sword. Martel’s very good to begin with, and his madness made him all the more savage. I lost a couple of very close friends that day. We finally managed to overpower him and we dragged him back to the motherhouse in chains.’

‘By the ankles, as I recall,’ Kalten added. ‘Sparhawk can be very direct when he’s irritated.’ He smiled at his friend. ‘You didn’t endear yourself to him by doing it that way, Sparhawk,’ he said.

‘I wasn’t trying to. He’d just killed two of my friends, and I wanted to give him plenty of reasons to accept my challenge when Vanion was finished with him.’

‘Anyway,’ Vanion took up the story, ‘when they brought Martel back to Demos, I confronted him. He didn’t even try to deny what he’d been doing. I ordered him to stop practising the forbidden secrets, and he defied me. I had no choice but to expel him from the order at that point. I stripped him of his knighthood and his armour and turned him out of the front gate.’

‘That could have been a mistake,’ Komier grunted. ‘I’d have had him killed. Did he raise that thing again?’

Vanion nodded. ‘Yes, but Sephrenia appealed to the Younger Gods of Styricum and they exorcized it. Then they stripped Martel of the most significant of his powers. He went away weeping and swearing revenge upon us all. He’s still dangerous, but at least he can’t summon up horrors any more. He left Elenia and he’s been hiring his sword out to the highest bidder in other parts of the world for the past ten or twelve years.’

‘He’s just a common mercenary then?’ Darellon asked. The slender Alcione Preceptor had an intent look on his narrow face.

‘Not quite common, my Lord,’ Sparhawk disagreed. ‘He’s had Pandion training. He could have been the very best of us, and he’s very clever. He has wide contacts with mercenaries all over Eosia. He can raise an army at a moment’s notice and he’s totally ruthless. I don’t believe that Martel believes in anything any more.’

‘What does he look like?’ Darellon asked.

‘A little bigger than medium size,’ Kalten replied. ‘He’s about the same age as Sparhawk and me, but he’s got white hair – he has had since he was in his twenties.’

‘I think we might all want to keep an eye out for him,’ Abriel suggested. ‘Who’s the other one – Adus?’

‘Adus is an animal,’ Kalten told him. ‘After Martel was expelled from the Pandions, he recruited Adus and a man named Krager to help him in his activities. Adus is a Pelosian, I think – or maybe a Lamork. He can barely talk, so his accent is a little hard to identify. He’s a total savage, devoid of human feelings. He enjoys killing people – slowly – and he’s very good at it.’

‘And the other one?’ Komier asked. ‘Krager?’

‘Krager’s fairly intelligent,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘Basically, he’s a criminal – false coins, extortion, fraud, that sort of thing – but he’s weak. Martel trusts him to perform tasks that Adus wouldn’t be able to understand.’

‘What’s the link between Annias and Martel?’ Count Radun asked.

‘Probably nothing more than money, my Lord.’ Sparhawk shrugged. ‘Martel is for hire and he has no strong convictions about anything. There are rumours that he has about a half-ton of gold hidden somewhere.’

‘I was right,’ Komier said bluntly. ‘You should have killed him, Vanion.’

‘I made the offer,’ Sparhawk said, ‘but Vanion said no.’

‘I had reasons,’ Vanion said.

‘Was there anything significant about the fact that there were Rendors in the party that attacked Count Radun’s house?’ Abriel asked then.

‘Probably not,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘I’ve just come back from Rendor. There’s a pool of mercenaries there in the same way that there is in Pelosia, Lamorkand, and Cammoria. Martel draws on those people whenever he needs men. Rendorish mercenaries have no particular religious convictions, Eshandist or otherwise.’

‘Do we have enough evidence against Annias to take before the Hierocracy in Chyrellos?’ Darellon asked.

‘I don’t think so,’ Patriarch Dolmant said. ‘Annias has bought many voices in the higher councils of the Church. Any charges we might bring against him would have to be supported by overwhelming proof. All we have now is an overheard conversation between Krager and Baron Harparin. Annias could wriggle out of that rather easily – or simply buy his way out of it.’

Komier leaned back in his chair, tapping at his chin with one finger. ‘I think the Patriarch has just put his finger on the key to the whole affair. As long as Annias has his hands on the Elenian treasury, he can finance these schemes of his and continue to buy support in the Hierocracy. If we aren’t careful, he’ll bribe his way to the Archprelacy. We’ve all stood in his path from time to time, and I’d guess that his first act as Archprelate would be to disband all four militant orders. Is there any way we can cut off his access to those funds?’

Vanion shook his head. ‘He controls the Royal Council – except for the Earl of Lenda. They vote him all the money he needs.’

‘What about your Queen?’ Darellon asked. ‘Did he control her too – before she fell ill, I mean?’

‘Not even a little,’ Vanion replied. ‘Aldreas was a weak king who did anything Annias told him to do. Ehlana’s an altogether different matter, and she despises Annias.’ He shrugged. ‘But she’s ill, and Annias will have a free hand until she recovers.’

Abriel began to pace up and down, his lined face deep in thought. ‘That would seem to be our logical course then, gentlemen. We must bend all of our efforts to finding a cure for Queen Ehlana’s illness.’

Darellon leaned back, his fingers tapping on the polished table. ‘Annias is very cunning,’ he observed. ‘He will easily guess what our course is likely to be and he’s certain to try to block us. Even if we succeed in finding a cure, won’t that immediately put the Queen’s life in danger?’

‘Sparhawk is her Champion, my Lord,’ Kalten told him. ‘He can cope – particularly if I’m there to back him up.’

‘Are you making any progress on a cure, Vanion?’ Komier asked.

‘The local physicians are all baffled,’ Vanion replied. ‘I’ve sent out requests for others, though, but most of them haven’t arrived as yet.’

‘Physicians don’t always respond to requests,’ Abriel noted. ‘This might be particularly true in a situation where the head of the Royal Council has a certain interest in not seeing the Queen recover.’ He considered the problem. ‘The Cyrinics have many contacts in Cammoria,’ he said. ‘Have you considered taking your Queen to the medical faculty at the University of Borrata in that kingdom? They’re reputed to be experts in obscure ailments.’

‘I don’t think we dare dissolve the encasement that surrounds her,’ Sephrenia said. ‘At the moment it’s all that sustains her life. She could not survive a trip to Borrata.’

The Preceptor of the Cyrinic Knights nodded thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps you’re right, madame,’ he said.

‘Not only that,’ Vanion added. ‘Annias would never let us take her out of the palace.’

Abriel nodded bleakly. He considered it for a moment. ‘There’s an alternative. It’s not as good as having the physician actually look at the patient, but sometimes it works – or so I’ve been told. A skilled physician can learn a great deal from a detailed description of symptoms. That would be my suggestion, Vanion. Write down everything you know about Queen Ehlana’s illness and send someone to Borrata with the documents.’

‘I’ll take it,’ Sparhawk said quietly. ‘I have certain personal reasons for wanting the Queen restored to health. Besides, Martel’s in Cammoria – or at least he’s reputed to be – and he and I have a few things to discuss.’

‘That raises another point,’ Abriel said. ‘There’s a great deal of turmoil in Cammoria right now. Someone’s been stirring up civil unrest there. It’s not the safest place in the world.’

Komier leaned back again. ‘What would you gentlemen say to a little show of unity?’ he said to the other preceptors.

‘What did you have in mind?’ Darellon asked.

‘I’d say that we all have a stake in this,’ Komier replied. ‘Our common goal is to keep Annias off the Archprelate’s throne. We all have champions who stand above their comrades in skill and bravery. I think it might be a good idea for us each to select one of those champions and send him to join Sparhawk in Cammoria. The assistance couldn’t hurt, and the sending of men from all four orders would convince the world that the Church Knights stand as one in this matter.’

‘Very good, Komier,’ Darellon agreed. ‘The militant orders have had their differences in the past few centuries, and too many people still think that we’re divided.’ He turned to Abriel. ‘Have you any idea who’s behind the trouble in Cammoria?’ he asked.

‘Many believe that it’s Otha,’ the Cyrinic replied. ‘He’s been infiltrating the central kingdoms for the past six months or so.’

‘You know,’ Komier said, ‘I’ve got a strong feeling that someday we’re going to have to do something about Otha – something fairly permanent.’

‘That would involve coming up against Azash,’ Sephrenia said, ‘and I’m not sure we want to do that.’

‘Can’t the Younger Gods of Styricum do something about him?’ Komier asked her.

‘They choose not to,’ she replied. ‘The wars of men are bad enough, but a war between the Gods would be dreadful beyond imagining.’ She looked at Dolmant. ‘The God of the Elenes is reputed to be all-powerful,’ she said. ‘Couldn’t the Church appeal to Him to confront Azash?’

‘It’s possible, I suppose,’ the Patriarch said. ‘The only problem is that the Church does not admit the existence of Azash – or any other Styric God. It’s a matter of theology.’

‘How very shortsighted.’

Dolmant laughed. ‘My dear Sephrenia,’ he said. ‘I thought you knew that was the nature of the ecclesiastical mind. We’re all like that. We find one truth and embrace it. Then we close our eyes to everything else. It avoids confusion.’ He looked at her curiously. ‘Tell me, Sephrenia, which heathen God do you worship?’

‘I’m not permitted to say,’ she answered gravely. ‘I can tell you that it’s not a God, though. I serve a Goddess.’

‘A female deity? What an absurd idea.’

‘Only to a man, Dolmant. Women find it very natural.’

‘Is there anything else you think we ought to know, Vanion?’ Komier asked.

‘I think we’ve just about covered everything, Komier.’ Vanion looked at Sparhawk. ‘Anything you want to add?’ he asked.

Sparhawk shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘What about the Styric who set the church soldiers on us?’ Kalten asked.

Sparhawk grunted. ‘I’d almost forgotten that,’ he admitted. ‘It was at about the time that I heard Krager and Harparin talking. Kalten and I were wearing disguises, but there was a Styric who saw through them. Not long after that, we were attacked by some of Annias’ people.’

‘You think there’s a connection?’ Komier asked.

Sparhawk nodded. ‘The Styric had been following me around for several days, and I’m fairly sure he was the one who pointed Kalten and me out to the soldiers. That would connect him to Annias.’

‘It’s pretty thin, Sparhawk. Annias has some fairly well-known prejudices where Styrics are concerned.’

‘Not so many that he wouldn’t seek out their help if he thought he needed it. On two occasions I’ve caught him using magic.’

‘A churchman?’ Dolmant’s expression was startled. ‘That’s strictly forbidden.’

‘So was plotting the murder of Count Radun, your Grace. I don’t think Annias pays too much attention to the rules. He’s not much of a magician, but the fact that he knows how it’s done indicates that he’s had instruction, and that means a Styric.’

Darellon interlaced his slender fingers on the table in front of him. ‘There are Styrics and then there are Styrics,’ he noted. ‘As Abriel pointed out, there’s been a great deal of Styric activity in the central kingdom of late – much of it coming out of Zemoch. If Annias sought out a Styric to instruct him in the secrets, he might possibly have contacted the wrong one.’

‘I think you’re overcomplicating things, Darellon,’ Dolmant said. ‘Not even Annias would have dealings with Otha.’

‘That’s presuming that he knows he’s dealing with Otha.’

‘My Lords,’ Sephrenia said very quietly, ‘consider what happened this morning.’ Her eyes were very intent. ‘Would any of you – or the kings you serve – have been deceived by the transparent accusations of the Primate Annias? They were crude, obvious, even childish. You Elenes are a subtle, sophisticated people. If your minds had been alert, you’d have laughed at Annias’ clumsy attempts to discredit the Pandions. But you didn’t. Neither did your kings. And Annias, who’s as subtle as a serpent, presented his case as if he believed it was a stroke of genius.’

‘Exactly what are you getting at, Sephrenia?’ Vanion asked.

‘I think we should give some consideration to Lord Darellon’s line of thought. The presentation this morning would have overwhelmed a Styric. We are a simple people, and our magicians do not have to work very hard to persuade us to their way of thinking. You Elenes are more sceptical, more logical. You are not so easily deceived – unless you’ve been tampered with.’

Dolmant leaned forward, his eyes betraying his eagerness for a contest at logic. ‘But Annias is also an Elene, with a mind trained in theological disputation. Why would he have been so clumsy?’

‘You’re assuming that Annias was speaking in his own voice this morning, Dolmant. A Styric sorcerer – or some creature subject to one – would present his case in terms that would be understood by a simple Styric and then rely upon magic to induce belief.’

‘Was someone using that kind of magic in that room this morning?’ Darellon asked, his face troubled.

‘Yes,’ she replied simply.

‘I think we’re getting a bit far afield,’ Komier said. ‘What we need to do right now is get Sparhawk on his way to Borrata. The quicker we find a cure for Queen Ehlana’s illness, the quicker we can eliminate the threat of Annias altogether. Once we cut off his supply of ready cash, he can consort with anybody – or anything – he wants to, for all I care.’

‘You’d better get ready to ride, Sparhawk,’ Vanion said. ‘I’ll write down the Queen’s symptoms for you.’

‘I don’t think that’s necessary, Vanion,’ Sephrenia told him. ‘I know her condition in much greater detail than you do.’

‘But you can’t write, Sephrenia,’ he reminded her.

‘I won’t have to, Vanion,’ she said sweetly. ‘I’ll tell the physicians in Borrata about the symptoms personally.’

‘You’re going with Sparhawk?’ Vanion looked surprised.

‘Of course. There are things afoot that seem to be focusing on him. He might need my help when he gets to Cammoria.’

‘I’ll go along, too,’ Kalten said. ‘If Sparhawk catches up with Martel in Cammoria, I want to be there to see what happens.’ He grinned at his friend. ‘I’ll let you have Martel,’ he offered, ‘if you’ll give me Adus.’

‘Sounds fair,’ Sparhawk agreed.

‘You’ll be passing through Chyrellos on your way to Borrata,’ Dolmant said. ‘I’ll ride along with you as far as that.’

‘We’ll be honoured to have you, your Grace.’ Sparhawk looked at Count Radun. ‘Might you want to join us as well, my Lord?’ he asked.

‘No. Thanks all the same, Sir Sparhawk,’ the count replied. ‘I’ll return to Arcium with my nephew and Lord Abriel.’

Komier was frowning slightly. ‘I don’t want to delay you, Sparhawk,’ he said, ‘but Darellon is right. Annias is sure to guess what our next step is likely to be. There are only so many centres of medical learning in Eosia; if this Martel fellow is already in Cammoria, and still taking orders from Annias, he’s almost certain to try to keep you from reaching Borrata. I think it might be best if you waited in Chyrellos until the knights from our other orders catch up with you. A show of force can sometimes avoid difficulties.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ Vanion agreed. ‘The others can join him at the Pandion chapterhouse in Chyrellos and ride out together from there.’

Sparhawk rose to his feet. ‘That’s it, then,’ he said. He glanced at Sephrenia. ‘Are you going to leave Flute here?’

‘No. She goes with me.’

‘It’s going to be dangerous,’ he warned.

‘I can protect her if she needs protection. Besides, the decision is not mine to make.’

‘Don’t you love talking with her?’ Kalten said. ‘All the mental stimulation of trying to puzzle out the meaning of what she’s saying.’

Sparhawk ignored that.

Later in the courtyard where Sparhawk and the others were preparing to mount for the ride to Chyrellos, the novice, Berit, approached. ‘There’s a lame beggar boy at the gate, my Lord,’ he said to Sparhawk. ‘He says he has something urgent to tell you.’

‘Let him through the gates,’ Sparhawk said.

Berit looked a bit shocked.

‘I know the boy,’ Sparhawk said. ‘He works for me.’

‘As you wish, my Lord,’ Berit said, bowing. He turned back towards the gate.

‘Oh, by the way, Berit,’ Sparhawk said.

‘My Lord?’

‘Don’t walk too close to the boy. He’s a thief and he can steal everything you own before you go ten paces.’

‘I’ll keep that in mind, my Lord.’

A few minutes later, Berit came back escorting Talen.

‘I’ve got a problem, Sparhawk,’ the boy said.

‘Oh?’

‘Some of the primate’s men found out that I’ve been helping you. They’re looking for me all over Cimmura.’

‘I told you that you were going to get in trouble,’ Kurik growled at him. Then the squire looked at Sparhawk. ‘What do we do now?’ he asked. ‘I don’t want him locked up in the cathedral dungeon.’

Sparhawk scratched his chin. ‘I guess he’ll have to go with us,’ he said, ‘at least as far as Demos.’ He grinned suddenly. ‘We can leave him with Aslade and the boys.’

‘Are you insane, Sparhawk?’

‘I thought you’d be delighted at the notion, Kurik.’

‘That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life.’

‘Don’t you want him to get to know his brothers?’ Sparhawk looked at the boy. ‘How much did you steal from Berit here?’ he bluntly asked the young thief.

‘Not very much, really.’

‘Give it all back.’

‘I’m very disappointed in you, Sparhawk.’

‘Life is filled with disappointments. Now give it back.’