by Jess Allison
“Alert security,” he snapped to his orderly. “There’s a dangerous wild animal loose in the park. Evacuate the people and hunt the animal down.”
“Belay that order,” said Princess Lil’Li calmly.
The orderly, on his way out, stopped and looked uncertainly from the princess to his captain.
“That animal is not dangerous to the innocent, Captain,” Princess Lil’Li assured him. For a moment, soldier and princess eyed each other, and then Captain Y’Nota gave a sharp nod to the princess and told his orderly to belay the order.
A healer stepped out of the crowd and took Ja’Nil by her arm, moving her to one side of the room. He placed an oval shaped stone over the knife wound and held it firmly in place.
“Ouch!”
“Stay still,” he ordered. Ja’Nil stood still; the bleeding stopped almost immediately.
I’m not leaving without a healer for our village.
Nobody was paying much attention to Lord Raptor who, was sitting on the floor, clutching his broken arm, cursing and moaning, until Princess Lil’Li came out from behind the Council Table and walked over and looked down at him.
“I suspect he killed his wife, too,” she announced.
“She’s insane,” roared Lord Raptor, suddenly sitting up straight and forgetting to moan. “The truth is she killed her own mother. The bitch, excuse me, the Princess Bitch is consumed by ambition and her lust for power.”
Princess Lil’Li looked around, saw Ja’Nil with the healer at the side of the room, and gestured her forward.
The Princess grabbed hold of The Thread of Truth that Ja’Nil was still holding in her hand. The Princess held it up so all could see that both her hands were on the wire, and said in a ringing voice, “I swear to the Lord of the Circle and to all the citizens of Cancordia, I have not killed anyone, most especially Queen Ten’Aj, my beloved mother. I also do swear that I will always put my country and its citizens first in my heart. I vow to be the best Ruler and servant of Cancorida I can be.”
Her hands did not burn down to stumps; there was no change in the wire’s color, no fireworks of any kind. Princess Lil’Li handed the wire back to Ja’Nil and looked at Lord Raptor.
“Your turn,” she said, and gestured for Ja’Nil to bring The Thread of Truth to Lord Raptor.
Feeling absolutely no sympathy for the man, Ja’Nil, holding the Thread of Truth in both hands, approached Lord Raptor. He scrambled to his feet carefully, supporting his broken arm with his left hand. He looked around wildly, but he was hemmed in on all sides.
“Bitch,” he hissed at Ja’Nil, sounding like a Purueean snake. “I’ll get you.”
Injured, unarmed, and surrounded, Lord Raptor was still terrifying.
“Put the Thread around his neck,” said Captain Y’Nota.
“Stay away from me,” snarled Lord Raptor.
Captain Y’Nota signaled, and suddenly soldiers surrounded Raptor. Y’Nota took the wire from Ja’Nil and fastened it around the thrashing Raptor’s throat.
Ja’Nil, well knowing the Thread had gotten wet, was horrified. What if Raptor took a chance and lied? Would the Thread work? Probably not. Was he going to be vindicated because she had let the ring get wet?
Princess Lil’Li moved to stand in front of him. “Now tell us, Lord Raptor, did you kill Ten’Aj, Queen of all Cancordia?”
Raptor tried to twist free of the soldiers holding him. “My arm,” he whined.
“Answer the question. Did you kill the Queen?” There was a long moment when the princess and the prisoner glared at each other. “Refusing to answer is the same as a guilty plea.
You’re a lucky man; at least you have a choice as to how you’ll die; hanging or decapitation.”
Lord Raptor looked around at all the people staring, waiting to see him die.
“Do something!” he yelled out over the heads of the crowd. Ja’Nil turned to see to whom he was speaking, but of all the people watching the action, no one in particular stood out.
“Answer the question, scum,” said Y’Nota
Lord Raptor seemed to go mad. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Of course, I killed that slut of a Queen. Poisoned her, and laughed while she was dying.” He gave a high-pitched laugh. “Killed my wife, too. Kissed her,” he laughed again, “and snapped her neck. Didn’t need her anymore. I rule Cancordia!” He was screaming now. This was the crazy Lord Raptor, Ja’Nil had met in the torture room.
“You’ll rule only in the Seven Hells,” Captain Y’Nota told him. He gestured to his soldiers who tightened their grip on him.
“My arm,” he screamed.
“Don’t worry, Lord Raptor.” said Princess Lil’Li. “A healer will be called before you are hung.”
Suddenly sane, he looked at her and smiled a terrible smile. “I will live to see you on your knees begging me for death.”
The soldiers took him away.
CHAPTER 34
They put him in a cell, and took off all his fancy clothes, cutting away the sleeve that covered his broken arm.
All the while, he cursed them, and when one of them accidentally knocked into his damaged arm, he accused them of deliberately torturing him.
"Ah, shut up," said one of the exasperated guards.
Lord Raptor went back to cursing and threatening them.
They ignored him.
"Do you know what’s going to happen to you?” Lord Raptor looked around at the circle of guards, who all stared back at him with stony faces. "You will die for this," he promised them. “All of you.”
"Right you are, your Lordship. We’ll die, all right. But not before we see you kicking in the wind, hanging from a rope around your throat."
Lord Raptor grew paler, and was quiet when one of the guards, pretending to have a rope around his own neck, made all sorts of grisly noises, as if he was choking to death. Lord Raptor looked away. The others laughed.
Just then, a healer, tall and thin, with a shining baldhead, arrived. "I'm to attend his broken arm," he announced.
The guards stopped laughing and became very professional. The healer was allowed into the cell.
Lord Raptor, now dressed in a washed-out, orange colored, shapeless robe that barely covered his shins, sat on the bunk, while the healer pulled up a stool near him and began taking objects from his bag.
"You can leave now," he told the guards.
"Don't think so, Healer Sir," said the oldest guard. "The prisoner’s to have double guard all the way to the gallows, he is."
The healer shrugged and applied himself to cleaning and splintering Lord Raptor's wounded arm.
"Does this hurt?" asked the healer.
"Yes."
"What about now?"
"Of course it hurts."
"And this?"
"What?" Lord Raptor leaned closer to see what the healer was doing.
"I have a message for you," said the healer in a soft voice.
"What? Ow! That hurt."
One of the guards chuckled.
"Keep your voice down," said the healer, busy with the wounded arm.
"What message?" asked Lord Raptor.
"A man will come with the password, "travel gate.”
"And?"
"He will deal with the guards and unlock your cell. Go with him. He will take you to safety."
"When? When will he come?"
"Within hours."
Lord Raptor leaned back and rested his head against the flaky, white washed wall. He knew it! Of course, he would be rescued. A man such as he was had many supporters. A man such as he, did not die at the hands of scum. And when he returned in triumph… Ah, what he would do when he returned.
The healer finished his work and stood up. "I'm finished here," he said to the bored guards. "I’ve given the prisoner something for the pain. He'll probably sleep the next few hours."
As one of the guards opened the cell door to let the healer out, he said, "I've been getting this rash lately."
The healer smiled, reached into his bag, and
handed over a small jar of ointment. "Put this on the rash at least twice a day."
"Well, thinkee, I'll do that."
The healer closed his bag and left without a backward look. Lord Raptor watched him go, and then lay down on the bunk and became very quiet.
***
Two hours later, a man dressed in a blue guard's uniform entered the cellblock. He stopped in front of the guards, who were playing a desultory game of cards. One of the card players looked up in surprise.
"We ain't due for relief for another two – who the hell are you?"
The newcomer leaned forward, and with one quick swipe, cut the guard's throat. The other guard leaped to his feet, while at the same time reaching for his sword. But he'd made the mistake of sitting with his sword arm against the wall. As he stood, his chair fell over, he tried backing up to give himself room to draw, but the fallen chair impeded his movements. He was much too slow.
The assassin had plenty of time to thrust his own sword deep into the man’s chest. For a moment, killer and killed looked into each other's eyes. The killer smiled, and withdrew his sword as his victim slid to the floor, lifeblood dribbling out of his mouth.
The killer carefully wiped both his sword and his knife on the tunics of his victims.
Lord Raptor was standing at the cell door, both hands gripping the bars. "Good," he said. “Good. Scum, that's what they are."
"Were," said the killer, as he bent over one of the guards and lifted the keys attached the dead man's belt.
Lord Raptor watched the man warily as he unlocked the cell door. But the killer made no attempt to enter the cell or threaten him.
"Travel gate," said the assassin reassuringly. Then, "Come with me," and started down the hallway without even a glance at Lord Raptor.
"Where are we going?"
The man didn't answer.
Lord Raptor stopped. "I said where are we going?"
The killer stopped and walked back.
"You have an admirer," he said.
"I have many admirers," replied Lord Raptor.
"Yes? Well, this is helping you escape."
"Who?"
"He'll meet you at the gate. He's hoping to be able to work with you."
Lord Raptor hesitated for a moment, but really, what choice did he have? As long as he was in the palace, it was only a matter of time until he was recaptured. If he could get to Raptors’ Keep, the power would be his. And maybe he could use this admirer of his. Lord Raptor had a pretty good idea who the man was. Together they would be unstoppable.
"Lead on," he told the killer.
***
The man led Lord Raptor, down hallways, up stairways, into tunnels and through deserted gardens, that Lord Raptor, with all his familiarity with the Palace, had never known existed. They met no one until they arrived at the Queens' Audience Gate.
Lord Raptor’s admirer was waiting at the gate. Instinctively, Raptor stopped at the sight of the hooded shape. Then he realized who it was, and smiled confidently.
"I thought it would be you," Lord Raptor said to the shrouded figure.
"Did you, my Lord?"
"I am in your debt," said Lord Raptor, giving a the person a short jerky bow. "I will not forget this when once I claim the throne."
"That is still your plan?"
"Absolutely."
“I admire your determination.”
Lord Rapter’s savior turned to the assassin. "Thank you, Le' Rod. As usual, you performed with great competence." The assassin just grunted. "I assume transportation is awaiting Lord Raptor?" The voice was light, pleasant, almost musical.
The assassin nodded and turned to Lord Raptor. "You go through the gate into the square," he instructed. "To the left is Rocking Lane. The stable is halfway down, on the right. A blood horse and five outriders are waiting for you."
"I can’t appear in the square dressed in prisoners’ clothes," Lord Raptor protested.
"Of course not." He handed Lord Raptor a hooded robe.
"Good luck, my friend," said the hooded figure.
"Thank you, L –."
"Ahh, No names." The figure held up a warning hand.
Lord Raptor smiled. "I will expect you to join me at Raptors’ Keep," he said. "We have plans to make."
"I will be there before the next full moonrise."
Lord Raptor donned the hooded robe in a jaunty manner and started down the travel gate. It was set at the quarter mark, so he hadn't far to go. About halfway to the exit, it occurred to him that his co-conspirator had not said which moonrise. He had half turned, when he felt it; a strange pulling sensation, as if half of him wanted to go one way and half the other. The feeling grew stronger.
"What the Seven Hells?"
Someone was changing the gate’s settings! Didn’t they realize he was still in the gate? He looked back and could clearly see the two people watching him. He looked forward; the exit was just as far away.
The feeling had become pain.
"No!" He shouted.
Which way to go? Were they doing it on purpose? He started to run. His muscles were like rubber bands, stretched to the snapping point. He was being pulled in half. He screamed and screamed, but no sound came out of his tortured throat.
His mind, of course, was the last part of him to die.
CHAPTER 35
It was the next day. All that remained of Ja’Nil’s wound was a thin white scar on her right cheek. “Your badge of courage,” Princess Lil’Li had called it.
Ee’Rick and Ja’Nil were waiting for the Princess in her private office, much smaller and more business-like than yesterday’s Council Chamber. The Princess, dressed in subdued shades of white, in mourning for her mother, entered. Two council members, the Cloud Person who had sat at her right hand side yesterday, and the Earth Person of military carriage and piercing eyes, accompanied her; Ja’Nil and Ee’Rick bowed.
“I make known to you my two Regents,” she said to them. “Xi’Lef, she indicated the older man, the Cloud Person, and Ei’Luj,” pointing to the woman, the Earth Person.
The Regents both nodded to them.
The Princess seated herself behind her desk and indicated the others should also sit. “Obilon Ee’Rick,” she said, “We are anxious to resume diplomatic relations with your people.”
Ee’Rick smiled politely. “I’m willing to talk, your Highness, but all final decisions rest with my father and his council.”
“We are aware of that. Shall we meet tomorrow to begin our talks?”
“Agreed.”
The Princess then grinned, which made her look a lot less daunting, and turned her attention to Ja’Nil. “Tell me, Ja’Nil of the Fisherfolk. Was that really The Thread of Truth?”
Ja’Nil shrugged. “It came from Lady Fayre’s ring. She said she was wiring your mother the truth.”
“Pity Lord Raptor was too scared to lie,” said Ei’Luj, the Earth Person. “I would have liked to see his head severed from his neck.”
Ja’Nil decided not to mention that the wire had gotten wet and there was a good chance it wouldn’t have worked.
“I am especially in your debt, Ja’Nil,” said the princess. “Please tell me how I can reward your services to Cancordia and to me.”
About to deny any need for a reward, Ja’Nil stopped and thought about it. There really were two things she wanted. “A Healer for my village,” she said.
“You will return to your village? I thought to offer you a place here at court. Cancordia needs advisors who are brave and intelligent, and who I know have the best interests of Cancordia in their heart. You will always be welcome here,”
“I’m due for my adult ritual,” said Ja’Nil, very conscious that Ee’Rick was watching her.
“I would be pleased to sponsor you here in the palace,” offered the princess.
Ja’Nil hesitated. She wasn’t even sure that the merchandice in her aunt’s cottage was enough to pay the priests for her ritual, and here the Princess --soon to be Queen-- of Ca
ncordia, was offering to sponsor her. How could she refuse?
So she listened in some disbelief as her own mouth opened and her own voice said, “Thank you, but I am of the Fisherfolk. I want to celebrate the ritual in my own village.”
And it felt so right.
“Then you shall have your Healer by tomorrow.”
“Thank you. There is one other thing, your Highness. The other reason I came to Cordia was to find the father of three children that are staying at Redbird Keep.”
The princess looked at Ei’Luj.
“Give me his name and any other information you have,” said the Earth Person. “He will be found.”
“Huge,” said Ja’Nil happily. Now all I have to do is find my way home.
There was the sound of chimes and Captain Y’Nota entered. He bowed politely to the
Princess and her Regents and nodded to Ja’Nil and Ee’Rick, giving Ee’Rick a long, thoughtful
look.
“You have something to report, Captain?” asked the Princess, causing him to forgo his examination of Ee’Rick.
“Lord Raptor’s two guards were found dead a few minutes ago; their throats were cut.”
“What!”
“And Lord Raptor?” asked the Xi’Lef, the Cloud Person.
“He escaped for a short time.”
“You have recaptured him?” Xi’Lef’s tone was sharp.
“Not exactly. His body was found in the travel gate at the Queen’s Audience Chamber,” said Y’Nota.
Ei’Luj, the other regent, shuddered. “How did you identify him?” she asked.
“His head was only slightly misshapen. The rest of him was barely recognizable as human. He must have realized what was happening and tried to run back.”
“I don’t understand,” said the Princess.
“He was killed by the gate,” Y’Nota said.
Ja’Nil swallowed down her nausea. I knew that thing was a weapon.
“How could...?”
“Someone reoriented the gate while he was in it. A painful death.”
“Someone? You mean it was done deliberately?” The princess looked very pale.
“He was killed by whoever started this insidious rebellion,” said Y’Nota bluntly.