by Victor Poole
"I see," Ajalia said. "Go upstairs and find Ossa. Tell her to go learn how to cook from Fashel. Then you may go."
Philas had strolled up to them now, and Isacar, who, Ajalia saw, was beginning to think highly of himself because of the interesting magic that was going on, nodded and hurried towards the stairs.
"He's going to get himself beaten, isn't he?" Philas asked, looking a little like his former self. His eyes were on the place where Isacar had gone.
"He's young," Ajalia said with a shrug, "and his old master was a heel."
"I'll do it for you," Philas said, without any malice. He sighed, and thrust his hands into his pockets. "This is getting to feel quite like home," Philas said, looking around the hall.
"Can you fly, as well?" Ajalia asked.
"Oh, everyone can fly," Philas said with a shrug. "Flying is easy."
"I told Fashel about you," Ajalia said. Philas kept his eyes steady, but his ears darkened a little.
"Oh," he said.
"Do you think I mean that I said you were a drunk?" Ajalia asked, reading the expression in Philas's face, and the sudden deflation in his shoulders.
"Sun already told her that," Philas said sourly. "What else would you say to her?" he asked.
"I said that you're important, and that you get what you want," Ajalia said. "And that you're going to be the king of Saroyan."
"Oh," Philas said, brightening. "Pardon me," he said, and he ducked into the hall that led into the kitchen. Ajalia smiled. She went down the great hall, and began to look casually into the rooms that lay to the side nearest her. She heard a chatter of voices at the front of the hall, and saw that the boys had landed, and were talking together. Chad was drifting gracefully to the floor. Ajalia wondered suddenly where Esther was. One of the boys sprinted over the hall towards her. He slid to a halt in front of her, and looked up at her with shining eyes.
"Leed says he saw you kill the dragon," the boy gasped hurriedly. "Chad says he won over Esther, and she's going to teach us to catch the lesser witches. And Leed wants you to see him after dinner." Ajalia nodded, and the boy ran away again. Isacar came down the stairs, and hurried across the hall to the group of boys. Isacar raised his hand in farewell when he saw Ajalia, and he grinned. Ajalia thought of what Philas had said, about Isacar spoiling for a beating. She had begun to think the same thing herself. She would not actually hit Isacar; that was for little boys, and stupid slaves, but she would humiliate him, if he continued to behave in an uppity manner. Isacar was valuable to her, because of his personality, and his potential, much in the way Chad had been useful to her for so long. Isacar was still very green, and his attitude was jarringly bossy, but, Ajalia thought, he would mellow quickly, and in a few months, if she handled him well, Isacar would be a model of discretion and quiet genius.
Ajalia resumed her casual survey of the rooms at the side of the hall. She looked into one room, and saw that the chairs were askew. It was the same room that Philas had emerged from. Ajalia went in, and began to adjust the furniture.
"What is it now?" she heard Delmar ask impatiently, and she looked around and saw him squeezed into a corner of the room, the two slim leather books in his lap.
"Why are you sitting on the floor?" Ajalia asked. Delmar looked up, and his expression cleared.
"Oh, it's you," he said. He stood up, and stretched. "I don't know," he said, looking at the floor. "I'm used to it, I guess. Philas was just here," he added, crossing to a chair, and dropping into it. "He wanted advice about relationships, or something. He was very persistent." Delmar looked quite annoyed. Ajalia smiled. "What?" Delmar asked.
"Philas is falling in love with someone," Ajalia said, looking infernally pleased. Delmar's eyes widened.
"Really?" he asked. He had been glancing down at his books, as though irritated at the interruption, but now he stared at Ajalia with wholehearted attention. "Who?" Delmar demanded.
"Fashel, my new cook," Ajalia said. Delmar's face broke into an evil grin.
"Ha!" Delmar said.
"What are you saying 'ha!' for?" Ajalia asked. Delmar looked at her with cunning in his eyes.
"It means that Philas will suffer now," Delmar said with satisfaction. "She's engaged to be married to that other young man."
"He broke it off," Ajalia said. She moved the chairs into place, and arranged the curtain, which had been pulled to one side. "Were you playing with this?" she asked, frowning at the twisted fabric.
"Philas was," Delmar said, turning his attention back to the books in his lap. "He was very emotional." Ajalia smiled again. "Is Philas going to marry that girl now?" Delmar asked, his voice distracted. Ajalia saw that Delmar was once more absorbed into the book he was reading. She tied up the curtain, and then turned and saw that Chad had come to the door of the room.
"I saw you come in here," Chad said apologetically. He glanced at Delmar. "Am I interrupting?" he asked.
"No," Delmar said, waving his hand at Chad. "I'm reading. Come and talk to Ajalia. That will keep her from talking to me about interesting things."
"Is Philas getting married?" Chad asked, coming in and edging towards a chair.
"I thought you were going with the others," Ajalia said. "Isacar said you were." Chad's face darkened.
"Isacar is bossy," Chad said. "I've worked for you a lot longer than he has, but he thinks he's some sort of important person. It's very irritating," Chad told Ajalia.
"Yes, it is," Delmar agreed, without taking his eyes from the page.
"Leed's doing almost everything, and Daniel's making everyone get along," Chad added, "but Isacar talks as though he was the only responsible person around."
"Mm," Delmar agreed.
"I'd like to just smack him, sometimes," Chad said vehemently.
"If Isacar is bossy," Ajalia suggested, "why do you listen to him?" Chad's head moved back, as though Ajalia had hit him in the nose with a feather.
"I don't listen to Isacar," Chad said, but his voice sounded doubtful.
"Maybe Isacar thinks that he's in charge," Ajalia suggested, "because no one tells him that he isn't."
"Hm," Chad said, "you make an interesting point. Well, goodbye," he said, and dashed out of the room. Delmar looked up from his book.
"Where is he going?" Delmar asked.
"To humiliate Isacar," Ajalia said.
"Oh," Delmar said, looking down at the page again. He had one finger laid against the place where he was on the page. "Coren is dead," he added, as though commenting the weather.
"How did he die?" Ajalia asked.
"He just died," Delmar said. He turned the page. "Denai showed up with the body early this morning. He said that he had taken Coren down towards the docks, and several people were around, staring, and when Denai was talking to one of the ship's captains, Coren just crumpled up on the ground, dead."
"That's odd," Ajalia said, but then she remembered her fight with the second black worm. "Oh," Ajalia said.
"What?" Delmar asked, without looking up.
"I told you that I fought with the black dragon. Is that what you called them? Black dragons?" she asked. Delmar nodded. "They looked like worms to me. The second one was just outside the city wall, and it was licking that pile of shadows that used to be Bain. A piece of Coren's soul was mixed into that pile."
"That could have killed him," Delmar said. "Wait," he said, "but what happened to the shadows? They just got licked by the dragon?"
"No," Ajalia said slowly. "I blew them up."
"Oh," Delmar said at once. "Well, that would kill Coren, sure." Ajalia looked at Delmar, who seemed to be taking this conversation well.
"Why would it kill him?" Ajalia asked.
"Because you destroyed a part of his soul," Delmar said, "and because he was bound to serve the evil ones."
"Who are the evil ones?" Ajalia asked. Delmar marked his place again with a finger, and looked up.
"The two dragons," Delmar said. "They are the source of all evil in the world."
"But what does that mean?" Ajalia asked. "I killed both of them, so now is there no more evil?"
"I expect there is still evil," Delmar said reasonably, "but now it isn't being supported by otherworldly forces." Ajalia stared at Delmar.
"Well, isn't that a big deal?" she asked.
"Yes," Delmar said, turning back to his book. Ajalia wanted Delmar to get a little more worked up about this.
"So I single-handedly destroyed the horrible evil in the world, all by myself, and without really meaning to, and you're going to sit and read your book?" Ajalia asked.
"Yes," Delmar said, looking up again. "Is that okay?" Ajalia blinked.
"I don't know," she said. "Shouldn't we tell everyone?"
"You know how some people don't really believe in a sky angel?" Delmar asked.
"Yes," Ajalia said.
"And now whittle down the people who believe in the actual reality of the evil dragons to you and me, and you have an idea of how many people will believe you," Delmar said.
"Leed knows," Ajalia said defensively. "He went out and got a lot of the stones that came out of the fight."
"What do those stones do?" Delmar asked. Ajalia chewed on the inside of her cheek. She was thinking of the way her master's insides had sparkled with light and condensed gems of colored magic.
"They light up," Ajalia said. "Oh, don't tell anyone."
"Okay," Delmar said. Ajalia watched him read.
"Does it bother you that your little brother is dead?" she asked.
"No," Delmar said. He turned another page. "I am very relieved that I did not have to do anything about him myself."
"You're welcome," Ajalia said. Delmar looked up.
"Oh, are you upset?" he asked. "I didn't mean that I was glad you did something about him. You had to do something about that dragon. I'm sorry." Ajalia told herself that she was being angry for no reason, but she still felt quite angry.
"Where's Wall and Yelin?" she asked. She had a suspicion that Delmar had become efficient, and that she was the last to know about his new and improved personality. For some reason, Ajalia found that this enraged her.
"In prison," Delmar said, without looking up. "Awaiting trial for treason. Do you want Yelin?" he asked, glancing at Ajalia.
"I don't know yet," Ajalia said slowly. Delmar noticed the expression on her face, and he smiled at her.
"What's the matter?" Delmar asked. Ajalia found, once again, that it was difficult to stay angry at Delmar.
"I was mad at you," she complained, "and now I'm not."
"I'm sorry," he said, and he sounded genuinely apologetic.
"You keep being perfect," she explained, "and I keep getting just angry enough to berate you about something, and then you go and fix whatever it was."
"What did I do?" Delmar asked. He did not sound defensive; he sounded curious, and he looked with a measure of adoration at Ajalia.
"You're very good at being the Thief Lord," Ajalia said.
"Thank you," Delmar said. "I know I am." He sounded quite pleased with himself. Ajalia laughed.
"I expected to be holding your hand about things," Ajalia admitted. "I didn't think you'd be competent for a while."
"Oh," Delmar said, "I can see how you would have expected that."
"Yes," Ajalia said. She frowned. "I suppose you've already thought about arranging new trade relations with Saroyan."
"Yes," Delmar said. "I had two meetings about that this morning."
"Has Leed told you about the boys?" Ajalia asked.
"They're forming an army for me," Delmar said, and he very nearly blushed. "I think it's very sweet of them."
Ajalia sat down; she put her chin on her fist, and stared at Delmar.
"What?" he asked.
"You're just perfect," Ajalia said.
"Philas wanted to know how I got you to like me," Delmar told Ajalia with a smile. "I wouldn't tell him, and he nearly cried."
"I feel almost sorry for him," Ajalia said. "I've never seen him like this before, ever."
"I told him that he would have to be persistent, if he really liked her," Delmar said. "And I said that he should try not to lie about things."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was the soft whisper of Delmar turning the pages of his book. Ajalia watched him read, and she thought about children. She saw that Delmar was nearing the end of his book; only a few thick pages remained.
Ajalia had never wanted children of her own; she was not opposed to the idea of children, but the instability of her life as a slave, and the sheer enormity of motherhood had kept her from thinking with any seriousness of the prospect. Delmar was beginning to make Ajalia feel distinctly sentimental. She thought about her master coming to Slavithe, and about the land of Talbos nearby. She thought about the two black worms, which Delmar had said represented the deepest evil in the world. She guessed that he meant by that, the deepest evil in Slavithe. Ajalia had a hard time believing that she had actually destroyed any worldwide threat when she had exploded the two heavy black worms.
"Delmar," Ajalia said.
"Yes?" Delmar asked. He turned to the last page in the book. Ajalia watched him read. When he had closed the book, and looked up at her, she met his eyes, and frowned. "What is it?" he asked.
"Have you ever thought," she asked, "about becoming the king of Talbos?"
"Well," Delmar said, and Ajalia saw that he had.
"Does that mean yes?" Ajalia asked.
"My grandfather is quite old," Delmar said, "but he is not in ill health at all. He could live for another fifteen years."
"Yes," Ajalia said.
"His oldest daughter, the princess of Talbos, has a husband," Delmar said. He sounded as though he were choosing his words carefully.
"What is wrong with him?" Ajalia asked.
"I didn't say there was anything wrong with him," Delmar said cautiously. Ajalia laughed.
"Delmar," Ajalia said bluntly, "either this man is insane, or he is evil. I can't see why else you would have that look on your face when you spoke of him."
"Well," Delmar said, frowning.
"Is he insane?" Ajalia asked.
"Well," Delmar said, his face squishing, as though he would not like to commit himself to such a strong word. "I wouldn't say he is actually crazy."
"So he's evil," Ajalia prompted. Delmar frowned at her, looking slightly irritated.
"There's nothing really wrong with him," Delmar hedged.
"How old is he? What does he look like?" Ajalia asked.
"Um," Delmar said. He looked a little uncomfortable.
"Why does the king put up with him, if he's so awful?" Ajalia asked.
"He's not awful to the king," Delmar said quickly. "He can be very nice, when he wants to be."
"So he's awful to everyone but the king?" Ajalia asked.
"Um," Delmar said again, looking distinctly embarrassed.
"Or he's only rotten to you," Ajalia guessed.
"Well," Delmar said, flushing, "yes."
"Why?" Ajalia asked. "Does he know that you would be a better king of Talbos than he would?"
"Oh, he'll never be king," Delmar said at once. "The princess will be queen. My grandfather is writing a new set of laws. He doesn't like his son-in-law that much."
"Oh," Ajalia said. She felt thoroughly skeptical about the whole scenario. "So he doesn't like you, because he knows you have a better chance of being king than the princess does of being queen?" Delmar turned quite red.
"Well, she is my aunt," Delmar said, as though he felt a little ashamed of what Ajalia was saying.
"Yes, and you'd be an excellent king of Talbos," Ajalia said. Delmar flushed again, and the corners of his mouth tugged upwards.
"Well," he said, "that's neither here nor there."
"No," Ajalia said. "I think all the people of Talbos are thinking that you'll be king soon. You're a much better age, and you're not married to a dramatic pile of garbage."
Delmar looked at Ajalia, aghast
.
"You can't call Lerond a pile of garbage!" Delmar said.
"Why not?" Ajalia asked. "He is, isn't he?" Delmar's lips heaped themselves up into an indeterminate pile.
"Yes," he admitted. His expression turned stern. "But it isn't polite to say so, because he's married to my aunt," Delmar explained.
"Not for long, he isn't," Ajalia said. Delmar stared at Ajalia.
"No," Delmar explained, "you don't seem to understand. My aunt, the princess, is already married to this man."
"I know," Ajalia said, "but your aunt, the princess, is going to drop him like a hot rock as soon as your grandfather, the king, declares you his heir, and crowns you king of Talbos." Delmar blinked several times. "You're going to be in charge, and you don't like Lerond," Ajalia pointed out. "I bet you a whole host of money that your aunt, the princess, is going to ask her father, the king, to change a few laws so that Lerond can be driven straight out of the picture about five minutes after you are elected the heir."
"But," Delmar said, frowning. He was clearly torn between believing Ajalia, who, up to this point had always been right, and believing what his parents had taught him his whole life, which was that he was a feckless loser who would never amount to much.
"Yes?" Ajalia asked. Delmar's mouth was working from side to side.
"But," he said again, and Ajalia could see him struggling to think of a reasonable objection to what she had said.
"Wasn't your father the oldest son?" Ajalia asked.
"Yes," Delmar admitted.
"And doesn't that make you the oldest son of the oldest son?" Ajalia asked. Delmar grimaced.
"Well, yes," he said, "but."
"But?" Ajalia asked. Delmar looked as though he was ready to spew forth a whole host of reasons, but then he breathed in, and let out a deep sigh.
"You're probably right," Delmar said.
"Right about what?" Ajalia asked. Delmar made an irritated face at her.
"You're probably right that a lot of people in Talbos think that I'll be appointed king," Delmar said. "Especially now that I'm the Thief Lord."
"And you can do magic," Ajalia said. "And you're making the whole dead falcon prophecy come true, which is making the robbers and the rogue priests from Talbos gleeful and cooperative, probably for the first time in five hundred years."