“Good then,” said Minuet, watching the barn swallows swoop and dive after insects over the garden full of grey dandelion heads. “And we shall see,” she thought.
“Ah!” said Razzmorten at the sight of Peredur. “That was quick. Good. Yes. This one's an hour glass, and this one here is a quarter hour glass. So. After eight, three turns of the big glass followed by two of the little one makes half past eleven.”
“So at eight, you'll set out with your brutes,” said Herio. “And you're certain that you'll be safely hidden within sight of the enemy by midnight. Aye?”
Veyfnaryr nodded.
“Well then,” said Herio, “We're on our way to pass the word to the dragoons.
Why don't you join us, Thunderman? There might be things we'll find we've yet to coordinate.” And with that, he and Sulacha stepped out into the glorious afternoon, followed by Flame and Mwg.
“And here's our moment to finalize our plans,” said Minuet as she came to the table and began rolling up the map. “Ri Neron. Have you Spitemorta's castle's floor plans?”
Neron had them laid out the moment the table was clear. “This is her bower, the top storey of this entire wing. And down... here is her bedroom,” he said, stopping with a peck of his finger.
“How would you ever know?” said Daniel.
Neron sighed. “Veyfnaryr and I scryed her when she was about to give an address,” he said with a look of sheepish guilt.
“If she knows we’re coming,” said Ariel, “why would she ever sleep there? I wouldn't.”
Good point,” said Minuet. “But she doesn't know the exact day, for one thing.
Who knows what she considers likely. She's either there or she isn't. My first guess is that she'll be there under heavy guard. If not, we'll search until we find her. But we are not leaving that castle until the witch is dead!”
“Oh we'll get her, Grandmother,” said Daniel, sharing a fleeting look with Ariel.
“We'll take down the entire castle if we must, but we will get that witch tonight. Ariel and I have spent our lives getting ready for this.”
“Where do we go in?” said Minuet. “We won't be able to locate her outside her wards.”
“The place least likely to be guarded,” said Razzmorten. “Might there be a particularly good place that you remember?”
Neron shook his head.
“The buttery or the pantry...” said Ariel.
“Yea,” said Daniel. “But the butler might be awake...”
“And we'd have to go through the kitchen...” said Ariel.
“So why don't we just start there?” said Daniel. “Let's start in the kitchen.”
“Spitemorta dies tonight!” said Minuet, giving him a one-armed hug. “I know you and Ariel will triumph.”
“I do think it prudent to consider that the witch may be sleeping elsewhere in the castle,” said Razzmorten. “That's what I'd do if I were her.”
“Then we'll just have to search until we find her,” said Ariel.
“It mightn't be that difficult,” said Razzmorten. “Minuet and I both know what her magic feels like. We ought to feel it if we get close to where she is.”
“Unless she's learnt to hide her aura,” said Minuet. “She'd surely do that unless she's fancied all along that her great tools of power made it unnecessary to bother with her basic skills.”
“She's like that,” said Razzmorten. “You tell me.”
“Obviously we've no choice but to be ready for either possibility,” said Minuet.
“Including her not being in the castle at all,” said Neron.
“That is a possibility,” said Razzmorten, “but I suspect that like all tyrants, she's come to believe herself invincible, even godlike. I doubt that she'd ever abandon her seat of power at her very opportunity to destroy the twins and rule the world without challenge for the rest of her days.”
“I agree, Father,” said Minuet. “She also knows that despite the extent of her constabulary and armed forces, she'll have to be the one to bring down the twins. She'll be in the castle somewhere.”
“I agree that she being out of the castle is the least likely,” said Neron. “It just seems better that we've at least thought about the possibility...”
“Yea,” said Daniel. “As Ariel and I have been doing for years, now. And even if she hides her aura, when Captain Bernard reaches Niarg Proper, a point will likely be reached when Spitemorta will bring the Staff and Heart into play. And when she does, we'll know right where she is.”
Everyone fell silent for a spell, listening to an oriole and to the bells of a pair of ewes grazing next to the back step. Neron shared a rocking chair sort of nod with Razmorten and Minuet. Those twins really did have it all down pat.
“So,” said Minuet. “Shall we all go get some rest before supper?”
“How would anyone ever manage a nap with all this excitement?” said Ariel.
“Spells dear,” said Minuet. “You know enough to put yourself under a good three hour spell.”
***
Today Spitemorta was having dinner with Abaddon in her solar. She'd had sent up a pair of ducks, roasted with sour cabbage. This was the second time she had rung her bell. “Damn them!” she said, smacking down the bell by her plate.
“What did you need?” said Abaddon, setting down his bread and knife.
“It's gotten hot with all that sun coming through the glass.”
“Well here then,” he said, wiping his mouth and pushing back his chair.
“That's their damned job,” said Spitemorta.
“I don't mind in the least,” he said, pausing to admire the black shields with red hour glasses leaded into the centers of each window. He began unlatching and swinging them in as he took glances out at the view of the Port of Niarg in the distance and at Spitemorta's belted argent sows rooting about their pen far below. It was a very long way down, perhaps as much as six or seven storeys. “Is this too much air?”
She shook her head as she topped up her goblet from a flagon of deep red Darklander wine. “So,” she said, pinching off a piece of breast as he returned to his chair.
“Your betrothed and her brother. Any idea when they might show up?”
“I don't think of her that way,” said Abaddon with a look of irritation. “Very well, she is indeed my betrothed, but not for long. Right? I mean, you're right certain that you'll take them out with the Heart and the Staff, then. Aye?”
“They haven't a chance,” said Spitemorta. “But since you're not convinced, I invite you to be at my side when I blow your Elven strumpet and her brother to smithereens. I know you'll want to applaud.”
“You're right,” he said with a smile. “There's not one thing in this world I'd like more than to see the death of the witch of my life. Thank you Mother, for inviting me to the party.”
“It's good to have you home, Abbey,” she said with a wicked fire in her eyes.
“You and I always were alike. And I'm delighted that James hasn't managed to change you. And once we've slain the twins, we shall find dear James and his licentious wife and treat them to a most slow and painful death. Wouldn’t you like that?”
“You know I would,” he said with a wicked glint in his own eye. “It's my dream come true. I used to imagine the day I could join you and Nana Demonica in the dungeon for some sport. Maybe James didn't have it in him, but I knew I had.”
A couple of pecks on the door had Spitemorta looking up to find Coel on his way in instead of any of her help. “You do like to interrupt me, don't you General?” she said, wiping her mouth.
“I delight in it, Omnipotence,” he said. “And since you've ordered me to keep you informed of every development in this uprising, I've little choice. If you appoint times for my reports, it will not be necessary for me to interrupt you.”
“So what have you come to report, General?”
“I've just spoken with Captain Perran by ball and he says that the rebel ships are staying out of sight, a few miles
off the coast. He can't figure out what they're waiting for.”
Spitemorta frowned. “That's odd,” she said. “Have your troops stayed well back from the coast, so they'd not be spotted? Or have some of your soldiers been careless with a campfire?”
“The forces along the coast adjacent to the castle are all under the command of men who were once mercenaries in my service, Your Omnipotence. They do not make the sorts of mistakes which would give them away to an enemy. Perhaps,” he said with a glance at Abaddon, “there's a spy in the castle relaying information to the rebels.”
“If there is, find him,” she said, thrusting out her chin as she filled her glass again.
“Now if there's nothing else, we would like to finish our late dinner.”
“But there is, I'm afraid,” said Coel.
“What, then?”
“I've arranged for Dora and her wet-nurse to stay at Pilar Paleys until this is all over. It would be prudent if you stayed there as well...”
“You idiot! You can't possibly be advising me to go cowering with my help in your filthy wooden tower while those murderous Elves run free in my castle.”
“Actually I am,” said Coel. “And it seems that I'm forever reminding you that you're every bit as mortal as the rest of us. Do you seriously want to risk having your daughter grow up without a mother? You need to be safely away from here, leaving my men and me to deal with the twins.”
“You overstep General,” she said, pouring the last of the flagon onto her brimming goblet to run over onto the table and floor. “Abaddon here and I shall slay the twins. Your men couldn't begin to. I'm the only one who walks this earth with the power it takes. The twins will remain a threat to all until the moment they come to me.”
“Very well then,” he said turning on his heel for the door. “I shall see that Dora remembers you.”
“Damn you!” shouted Spitemorta as she hurled the flagon out over Coel's shoulder to smash in the polished stone hallway before he managed to close the door.
Abaddon clinched his teeth.
“Pandora!” she screeched, knocking over her goblet with her hanging sleeve as she sat. “There is no Dora.”
“I like him,” said Abbey as a pair of pigeons waddling along the window ledge outside took flight.
“You didn't catch his implication that you were a spy?” she said as she struggled to cut off the offending sleeve with her knife.
“He appears to have a good head on his shoulders,” said Abaddon with a shrug.
“And even though he vexes you, he seems to care about you. He's at least looking out for your interests. And I'd suspect me too, if I were him. Here I appear at the very moment the rebels move against you and I've been living with them for years. He has no way of knowing me, and I'm undoubtedly the very most conspicuous possibility for a spy that he knows about. Even so, I'll bet he knows better than to consider me the only possibility. If there's really a spy about, he'll find him. And once he does, he'll come to trust me, since I'm not a spy.”
“Of course he cares for me,” she said, turning aside to hide her smile. “After all, I'm what his whole life is about. Too bad that I must execute him once the rising is over.”
“Seriously? Might I ask why?”
“Surely you've seen his lack of respect,” she said, looking incredulous. “It simply cannot be allowed. After all, I am the first empress of the entire world in all history. I'm omnipotent. He refuses to bow and he acts as if we were equals under nearly all circumstances. He makes me appear weak. And it would be a worldwide disaster if I became a fool in the eyes of my subjects. My hands are tied. The unfortunate general must die.”
“I see,” said Abbey. “Well. You’re the empress, Mother. You know best.”
“Yes,” she said with a pious nod. “Yes I do.”
***
Queen Vorona, Inney and Tramman stood with their birds hidden by wards in the late afternoon sun on the meadow hilltop east of Eglos-Derowek, watching a vanguard of Gwaelian soldiers marching into view in the broad grassy swag between the hills.
“There they come, yonder,” said Inney, catching her breath and still holding Vorona's hand from leading her out onto the hilltop to show her. “That's the army we saw.”
“Marching through the bottom between the hills is an odd way to come if they're after us,” said Vorona as she dropped Inney's hand to string her bow. “How many did you think you saw?”
“We only managed to count parts of a column and make estimates,” said Tramman.
“And?”
“We each reckoned that there could easily be as many as a thousand of them,” he said.
“That's what we've got, counting our strike falcons,” said Vorona. “And with us being the ones hiding in wait, we've got the advantage.”
“We might have,” said Tramman. “But we saw that they're hauling on carriages in the rear a good score of those heavy incendiary powder gonnes which our scouts saw them demonstrating just outside Jyantylesk. They can throw stones and iron balls enough faster than any sort of catapult that one can't see them fly. And if they load them with a gravel of pellets, they might indeed slay whole scores of us and our birds at a time.”
“Yea?” said Vorona. “Well, we'll still have the advantage if we surprise them from the rear and go after the troops manning the gonnes first thing. Relay to Olloo that everyone should stay hidden until they pass and then be ready to hit the gonnes when I give the word. Help him get everyone ready, then bring him to me at my sitting rock on the other side of Eglos-Derowek yonder, before the enemy has a chance to get past us.”
Olloo and Tramman had just gotten the austringas and their strike falcons into position behind wards when the colonel leading the Gwaelian vanguard came to a halt right in front of them, down the hill from Eglos-Derowek. The colonel called forth a couple of officers, pulled out a spyglass and began studying the edge of the woods.
“What the Pitmaster is that thing?” said Olloo.
“I've no idea, other than it looks like something he's using to search for us.”
“What?” said Olloo. “Like unto a scrying ball or some sort of far away reading glass?”
Tramman shook his head and then nodded at the colonel, who had just put down his glass and was speaking with his officers.
“Let's see if we can hear what they say,” said Olloo. And staying hidden by their wards, they quietly led their birds as near as they dared to the Gwaelian colonel.
“Now Lieutenant,” said the colonel. “Do I have it right? Is this where you saw the hoard of Elven rangers?”
“Out yonder a bit, yea,” said the lieutenant. “All bivouacked next to the woods.
Theah was quite a mess of them, too.”
“Now I've heard tell that Elves can hide in plain sight because of their magic,” said the colonel as he raised his glass to study the woods again. “It makes me wonder if they're still here. Have the standard-bearer raise the white flag. I don't want the Elves a- thinking we've come to attack them. We shall sit here and wait for a time and see. They'd better be here. They'll all be slain without our help.”
“Did I hear that right?” said Tramman. “How could they ever be here to help?”
“Let's go see Vorona,” said Olloo.
They found her sitting on her rock with Inney, being guarded by Sheshey and her own bird, Coileach (Kellagh to Vorona's subjects). “Why'd they stop?” she said, standing up to peer under her hand.
“This could be a trick,” said Tramman. “But I swear they sounded as though they were here to help us attack Gwael. Why on earth would they do such a thing?”
“Maybe they don't like a foreign witch for empress,” she said.
“That or a trick,” said Olloo.
“Then you and I had better find out which it is, Olloo,” she said, nocking an arrow to her bowstring as she set out through the grass with Coileach at her side.
“Your Majesty...” said Olloo.
“You know better than to call me th
at,” she said, stopping short.
“Yea. But it's a good way to remind you that you're our queen.”
“I ain't forgot it when I'm still a-giving orders,” she snapped.
“And if you get killed, you won't be,” said Olloo. “Let me take Tramman instead.”
“Yea!” she said, laughing out. “We can do without him.” Suddenly she had them both by the ear. “Now each one of you, look 'ee here,” she snarled. “If you ones get kilt, beidh tu briseadh mo chroi. You'll break my heart. I'll hike my skirts and make water on your graves. I'll hunt ye down in the afterlife and give you each a damned good licking.”
And with that, she gave them each a fierce hug and a shove.
“Me too!” called Inney. “I'll never forgive you!”
They got back down to the Gwaels in time to find the captain searching the grass and scattered daffodils of the down with his spyglass, looking for where Inney's voice had come from. Olloo gave Tramman a jab with his elbow and they dropped their wards, keeping their birds hidden.
“Just as I thought,” said the colonel. “You Elves have been here the whole time.”
“We certainly could've been,” said Olloo. “Now why would you ever want to help us? I should think that you'd know why we're here.”
“I'm Colonel Coel,” said the colonel, pulling off his helm and a gauntlet and holding out his hand.
“I'm Olloo. And this is Tramman...”
“And to answer your question, my brother, who commands all of the empress's forces on the Northern Continent, sent word to expect your attack,” said Colonel Coel, holding up his hands. “Even so, we truly have come here to aid you. Our steward, who is the very worst sort of tyrant, is naught but a puppet dangling from the hand of the mad Reaper Witch herself. Aiding you may well be our only chance to take back the country, since the forces loyal to the witch and steward outnumber us. But if you join us, we may well be able to overthrow the steward and be free of her. Meanwhile, you have even more at stake than we have, for Spitemorta has found out about you, and she has vowed before my brother to slay every last one of you.”
“We shall take your offer to our queen and be back directly,” said Olloo.
Heart of the Staff - Complete Series Page 214