by Jack Vance
“When will you undertake the ceremony of coronation?”
“Soon. I have sent a courier to King Audry, asking his advice. A response should arrive before the week is out. Until then I will have nothing further to say.”
“But you have not ruled out our candidate Duke Ankhalcx?”
“I have come to no firm decision. If King Audry instantly mobilizes a great army and marches west, naturally I will not throw open the gates to you.”
“In any case, you will still wish to nominate and anoint your successor?”
Gax reflected a moment. “Yes.”
“And when will this ceremony occur?”
Gax closed his eyes. “Seven days from today.”
“You will give me no prior indication of your intentions?”
Gax spoke with his eyes closed. “Much depends upon the news from Avallon. In truth, I expect very little, and I will die a bitter death.”
The Ska departed, tight-lipped and muttering among themselves.
III
THE TROICE WARSHIP TIED UP TO A DOCK in the Xounges harbor. Aillas disembarked with Tatzel, the captain and two others from the ship’s crew.
The group passed under a raised portcullis, through a tunnel thirty feet long and out upon a narrow cobbled street which wound up to the market square. The facade of Jehaundel loomed opposite: a set of ponderous stone blocks, devoid of grace or delicacy. The group crossed the square, entered Jehaundel by the front portal, which was opened for them by a doorkeeper.
In an echoing stone foyer a footman came forward. “Sir, what is your business here?”
“I am a gentleman of South Ulfland and I request an audience with King Gax.”
“Sir, King Gax is ill, and sees few persons, especially if their business is casual or inconsequential.”
“My business is neither one nor the other.”
The footman brought the High Chancellor from his office, who asked: “You are surely not another courier from Avallon?”
“No.” Aillas took the official aside. “I am here on a matter of urgency. You must take me directly to King Gax.”
“Ah, but that I am not allowed to do. What is your name and how is your business so urgent?”
“Mention my presence only to King Gax and in private.
Tell him that I am intimate with Sir Tristano of Troicinet, whom perhaps you yourself will remember.”
“I do indeed! What name, then, shall I announce?”
“King Gax will want my name spoken to himself alone.”
“Come this way, if you please.”
The High Chancellor led them into the main gallery and indicated benches along the wall. “Please be seated. When the king is able to see you, Rohan the chamberlain will so inform you.”
“Remember! Not a word to anyone but King Gax!”
Half an hour passed. Rohan the chamberlain appeared: a stocky short-legged person of mature years, with a few wisps of gray hair and an expression of chronic suspicion. He inspected the group with automatic distrust. He spoke to Aillas, who had risen to meet him. “The king has taken favorable notice of your message. He now confers with the Ska, but will speak with you shortly.”
The conference in King Gax’s bedchamber was short indeed. Sir Kreim, already on hand, stared sullenly into the fire. As soon as Dukes Luhalcx and Ankhalcx entered, King Gax indicated a blond young gentleman dressed in the flamboyant style of the court at Avallon.
“There is the Daut courier. Sir, read out King Audry’s message once again, if you please.”
The courier snapped open a scroll and read: ” ‘To the attention of Gax, King of North Ulfland: Royal cousin, I send you my dearest regards! In the matter of the Ska brigands, I counsel that you fall on them tooth and nail and defend your great city for yet another brief period, until I can mitigate one or two carking local problems. Then together we will destroy this black-hearted human plague once and for all! Be of good cheer, and know of my hopes for your continued good health. I am the undersigned, Audry, King of Dahaut.’”
King Gax said: “That is my message from Audry. It is as I expected; he intends to do nothing.”
Luhalcx, with a grim smile, nodded. “So then: what of my proposal?”
Unable to repress his fury, Sir Kreim called out: “I beg you, sir, make no commitments until we have conferred!”
Gax ignored him. To Luhalcx he said: “Put your proposal in the form of a written protocol, with your guarantees delineated in bold black ink. In three days will be the coronation.”
“Of whom?”
“Bring me your solemn handwritten document.”
Luhalcx and Ankhalcx bowed and left, the chamber. They descended the stairs and turned down the great gallery. To the side sat a group of five persons. A young woman in their midst cried out in a poignant voice: “Father! Do not pass me by!”
Tatzel jumped to her feet and would have run across the gallery had not Aillas caught her around the waist and pulled her back down upon the bench. “Girl, sit quiet and make no bother!”
Luhalcx stared incredulously from Tatzel to Aillas and back once more to Tatzel: “What are you doing here?”
Aillas spoke: “Address your remarks to me! The girl is my slave.”
Luhalcx’s jaw dropped in new bewilderment. “What idiocy is this? My man, you are mistaken! This is the Lady Tatzel, a Ska noblewoman; how can she be your slave?”
“By the usual process, which you of all people must know in every detail. In short, I captured her and subdued her to my will.”
Duke Luhalcx slowly came forward, eyes glowing. “You cannot do such a deed to a noble Ska lady, and then dismiss it so casually in front of her very father!”
“It is no hardship whatever,” said Aillas. “You have never strained at the deed. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and suddenly you find the idea incredible. Do you not sense a taint of unreality?”
Duke Luhalcx showed a wolfish grin and put his hand to his sword. “I will kill you dead; then the unreality, and reality itself, will disappear.”
“Father!” cried Tatzel. “Do not fight him! He is a very demon with the sword! He cut Torqual to pieces!”
“In any event, I will not fight you,” said Aillas. “I am in this palace under the protection of King Gax. His soldiers will come to my call and put you in a dungeon.”
Duke Luhalcx looked uncertainly from Aillas to a pair of armed pikemen who stood immobile nearby, watching the encounter with the cool gaze of lizards.
Rohan the chamberlain came into the hall, and approached Aillas. “His Highness will see you now.”
“He must see me as well,” declared Duke Luhalcx with sudden vehemence. “This is an intolerable case, which he must adjudicate!”
Rohan tried to argue that turmoil might excite King Gax, but his protests went unheeded. However, at the door to the bedchamber, he excluded all but Aillas, Tatzel and the Duke Luhalcx, who strode forward and addressed King Gax from close by his bed.
“Your Highness, I bring my complaint to your attention. When I walked along your gallery I discovered this fellow and with him my daughter, whom he holds by force and claims as his slave! I bade him to relinquish her to me; as a Ska noblewoman she cannot be subjected to such indignities!”
King Gax asked huskily: “Did the enslavement occur here at Jehaundel, while she was under the protection of my roof?”
“No; the deed was done elsewhere.”
King Gax looked at Aillas. “Sir, what have you to say?”
“Your Highness, I plead natural law. Duke Luhalcx has enslaved many free folk both of South and North Ulfland, including, so it happens, myself. He does not remember me, but for a goodly period of my life he forced me to serve him as his servant at Castle Sank, where I became acquainted with Tatzel. I escaped from Sank; I became a free man, and then, when opportunity offered, I captured Tatzel and made her my slave.”
King Gax looked at Duke Luhalcx. “Do you have Ulfish slaves in your custody?”
“I d
o.” Luhalcx spoke with lame dignity, for already he saw how his case was going.
“Then how, in logic, can you protest this instance? Even though it must cause you pain.”
Duke Luhalcx bowed his head. “Your adjudication is fair and just; I stand reprimanded for my protests.” He turned to Aillas. “How much in gold will you take, that I may recover my daughter?”
Aillas said slowly: “I know of no gauge which measures the value of a human life. Luhalcx, take your daughter; she is useless to me. Tatzel, I give you into the care of your father. Now, if you please, you may depart, and allow me to consult with good King Gax.”
Duke Luhalcx gave a short nod. He took Tatzel’s hand and the two departed the chamber. Remaining were Rohan and the two guards by the door.
Aillas turned to King Gax. “Sire, our business must be transacted in total secrecy.”
Gax croaked: “Rohan, leave us together. Guards, stand outside the door.”
With poor grace Rohan departed the chamber, and the guards moved into the hall. Aillas turned back to King Gax. “Sire, my name is Aillas.”
Half an hour later Rohan became uneasy and looked through the doorway. “Sir, are you well?”
“Quite well, Rohan. I need nothing; you may go.”
Rohan departed. Aillas asked: “Do you trust Rohan?”
King Gax uttered a wry chuckle. “It is generally felt that Kreim is to be the next king; profit and place go with him, and I am deemed, accurately enough, as good as dead.”
“Not quite,” said Aillas.
“Rohan devotes himself to my welfare by night and by day. I count him among my few true friends.”
“In that case, let us include him in our discussions.”
“As you wish. Rohan!”
Rohan appeared with a promptitude which suggested an ear to the door. “Sir?”
“We wish you to contribute your wisdom to our discussions.”
“Very well, sir.”
Aillas said: “The ceremony of coronation will take place three days from now. Apparently your best hope is to surrender the city to the Ska along with the crown. Therefore Sir Kreim must act either tonight or tomorrow night, or his dreams will be forever shattered.”
Gax stared forlornly into the fire. “Were he king, could he not hold Xounges as I have done?”
“Perhaps, had he the will to do so. Still, Xounges is not so impregnable as you may think. Do sentries patrol the cliffs by night?”
“For what reason? What could they see but foam and black water?”
“If I were attacking Xounges, I would choose a dark calm night. A rope ladder would be lowered from somewhere along the cliffs, and warriors waiting below in small boats would climb this ladder, then lower more ladders and more warriors would climb the cliffs. In short order hundreds of men would have arrived to enter your city.”
King Gax nodded weakly. “No doubt you are right.”
“As another case, how is your harbour guarded?”
“At sunset two heavy chains close off the entrance; no ship, large or small, can enter. Then the portcullis is lowered.”
“Chains will not hold back swimmers. On a dark night a thousand men could ease into the harbour, towing their weapons on floats, then hide aboard ships already at the docks until morning. As soon as the portcullis was raised, a pair of posts could be positioned to make any attempt to lower it impossible. Leaving the ships immediately and charging into the city, the army would have control of Xounges within the hour.”
King Gax gave a dismal groan. “The years have made me heavy. Needless to say, changes will be made.”
“A good idea,” said Aillas. “But for now, more urgent affairs press on us, and we must plan for all contingencies. By that I mean Sir Kreim.”
The afternoon passed. At sunset King Gax took his evening meal of gruel with a few morsels of mince-meat, chopped apple and a goblet of white wine. An hour later the guards at the door were changed, and new guards came on duty. Rohan indignantly reported that the two new guards were cousins to Sir Krelm’s spouse, of rank far too high to be standing guard duty by night. Bribes had clearly been paid and influence exerted: so declared Rohan, furious, if for no other reason than the contravention to his personal authority.
Darkness came to Xounges. King Gax composed himself for sleep and Rohan retired to his own chambers.
Jehaundel became quiet. In Gax’s bedchamber the fire burned low on the hearth. A pair of wall-sconces on the back wall cast soft yellow light, leaving the high groined ceiling in shadow.
A faint thud of footsteps sounded from the hall. The door eased open with a quavering creak. A heavy shape stood silhouetted against the light of torches in the hall.
The figure came quietly into the room. From his bed Gax croaked: “Who is there? Ho, guards! Rohan!”
The dark shape spoke softly. “Gax, good King Gax, you have lived long enough and now your time has come.”
Gax called out huskily: “Rohan! Where are you? Bring the guards!”
Rohan appeared from his chamber. “Sir Kreim, what does this mean? You are disturbing King Gax!”
“Rohan, if you wish to serve me both here and later in Dahaut, hold your peace. Gax has outlived his time and now must die. He will smother under a pillow and it will be as if he died in his sleep. Interfere at your peril!”
Sir Kreim went to the bed and picked up a pillow.
“Hold!” said a voice. Sir Kreim looked up to discover a man watching him from across the room with sword drawn. “Sir Kreim, it is you who are about to die.”
“Who are you?” rasped Sir Kreim. “Guards! Carve me the liver of this importunate fool!”
From Rohan’s chamber three Troice seamen came to stand by the door; when the guards entered they were seized and stabbed. Sir Kreim rushed to attack Aillas; steel clashed and Sir Kreim reeled back from a wound in his chest. Before he could renew the attack, one of the seamen leapt on his back, bore him to the floor and stabbed him through the heart.
Again silence held the room. Gax spoke: “Rohan, call porters; have them carry these hulks out and throw them over the cliff. See to it; I am going back to sleep.”
IV
ON THE DAY BEFORE THE CORONATION, Aillas Went OUt Upon Xounges’ fabled walls. They were, he decided, as proof against assault as tradition had asserted, if guarded by alert defenders.
He stood on the battlements, looking out across the Skyre, one foot in an embrasure and leaning against the lichen-stained merlon. Farther along the battlements he noticed Duke Luhalcx, with his brother Duke Ankhalcx, both in flowing black cloaks, and Tatzel, wearing a gray wool knee-length frock, a black cape, gray stockings which left her knees bare and black ankle boots. A red felt cap with the shortest of bills controlled her hair against the efforts of the wind. After a single glance, Aillas paid no more heed to the three, and he was moderately surprised when Duke Luhalcx came purposefully toward him, leaving Ankhalcx and Tatzel together fifty yards along the parapet.
Aillas brought himself erect, and as Luhalcx stopped before him, gave a formal half-bow. “Good day, sir.”
Luhalcx bowed curtly. “Sir, I have given much thought to the circumstances which have brought us into contact. There are certain ideas which I feel compelled to place before you.”
“Speak.”
“I have tried to put myself into your position, and I believe that I can understand how you might be prompted to pursue and capture the Lady Tatzel; I too consider her a person of great charm. She has described to me in detail your journey across the wilderness, and your general courtesy and concern for her comfort, which clearly was not due to any regard you might have felt for her status.”
“That is quite true.”
“You showed more forebearance than I myself might have used in a similar case, or so I fear. I am puzzled by your motives.”
“They are personal, and reflect no discredit upon the Lady Tatzel. Essentially, I cannot bring myself to use a woman by force.”
Luha
lcx gave a wintry smile. “Your motives would seem to do you credit, even if, in so saying, I seem implicitly to be denigrating the policies of the Ska… . Well, no matter. My own feelings translate into gratitude that Tatzel escaped harm, and so, for want of anything better, I give you my thanks, for at least this particular phase of the affair.”
Aillas shrugged. “Sir, I recognize your courtesy, but I cannot accept your thanks, since my acts were not intended for your benefit; if anything, to the contrary. Let us simply leave matters as they are.”
Duke Luhalcx showed a rueful half-smile. “You are a prickly fellow; this is for certain.”
“You are my enemy. Have you received recent news from home?”
“Nothing fresh. What has happened?”
“According to the captain of the ship, Ulf troops, with the aid of a Troice contingent, have retaken Suarach and destroyed the Ska garrison.”
Luhalcx’s face became still. “If true, that is grim news.”
“From my point of view, you had no business in Suarach to begin with.” Aillas paused a moment, then said: “I will advise you, and if you are wise you will follow my instructions to the letter. Return to Castle Sank. Pack all your precious relics, your portraits and mementos from antique times, and your books; remove these to Skaghane, because soon, soon, soon, Castle Sank must burn to the ground.”
“You make me a harsh forecast,” said Luhalcx. “It is futile; we will never forsake our dream. First, we will take the Elder Isles, then we shall exact our great revenge upon the Goths who drove us from Norway.”
“The Ska have a long memory.”
“We dream as a people; we remember as a people! I myself have seen visions in the fire, and they came, not as illusions, but as recollections. We climbed the glaciers to find a lost valley; we fought red-headed warriors mounted on mammoths; we destroyed the cannibal half-men who had lived in the land for a million years. I remember this as if I had been there myself.”
Aillas pointed. “Sir, look where those waves come sweeping in from the Atlantic! They seem irresistible! After a thousand miles of steady onward motion they strike the cliff and in an instant they are broken into foam.”