Mortalis

by R. A. Salvatore

Chapter 2 Distant Voices

  We must stand united on this," the always excitable Brother Viscenti loudly insisted to Abbot Je'howith. "Would you prefer that King Danube insinuated himself into affairs of the Church?"

  The way Brother Viscenti changed his inflection at the end of that question altered it from rhetorical to skeptical, even to sarcastic, a point not lost on brothers Francis and Braumin Herde, who were holding their own conversation a short distance away. All the important monks who were in Palmaris had gathered this morning in preparation for their final meeting with King Danube before his departure from the city. Braumin Herde and his trusted companions, Holan Dellman, Castinagis, and Viscenti, were there, along with Francis of St. -Mere-Abelle, Abbot Je'howith of St. Honce in Ursal, and a contingent of lower-ranking monks, the only remaining leaders of the home abbey of St. Precious, led by Brother Talumus, a young but eager man who had been instrumental in the momentous events of the previous months. All the Abellican Church owed a great debt to brave Brother Talumus, in the estimation of many, Braumin Herde included.

  "You think of the King as an enemy," Abbot Je'howith replied at length to Brother Viscenti. "That is a mistake, and possibly a very dangerous one. "

  "Nay," Brother Braumin remarked, coming over to intervene. Brother Viscenti would often lose his good sense in the throes of his agitation, and any ill-considered retorts at that time would not bode well. Abbot Je'howith, who had lived for so many years in Ursal, who had helped tutor young Danube Brock Ursal upon the man's premature ascent to the throne, held the base of his power in the secular rulers of Honce-the-Bear. " Not as an enemy," Braumin Herde continued, pointedly moving in front of Brother Viscenti, cutting him off from Je'howith. "But King Danube's agenda is not our own. His is based in the worldly, while ours must ascend to the spiritual. "

  "Pretty words," Je'howith said with more than a little sarcasm.

  "But true enough," Master Francis was swift to respond, moving quickly to Braumin's side.

  Je'howith glared at the man; there was no love between them. Francis had been Markwart's right hand. Markwart had even prematurely promoted him to master, and then to interim bishop of Palmaris, and then to the coveted position of abbot of St. Precious, though Francis had immediately resigned when Markwart died, after the revelations that the demon dactyl had been guiding the Father Abbot. But Je'howith, too, had been firmly in Markwart's court, and that court could have remained strong even after the Father Abbot's demise. Indeed, if Francis and Je'howith had stood unified then-with Elbryan the Nightbird dead in the other room and Jilseponie unconscious-both the abbots might have taken up the reins of power right where Markwart had left off, assuring Je'howith the position of Father Abbot. He would have groomed young Francis to take his place after his death, and he was not a young man. But, for some reason that Je'howith could not understand, Francis would not play the political game.

  Indeed Francis, citing Markwart's last words and drawing liberal inference from them, had called upon the Church to appoint Jilseponie Wyndon as mother abbess!

  "King Danube would take us in a direction that best suited him," the Abellican Church's youngest master went on.

  "And in these times of despair, when so many have died in the fighting, when food is short in so many reaches, and illness is rampant across the land, when so many are unsure in both their secular and spiritual concerns, would not a joining of Church and Crown be seen as a reassurance that they, the common folk, have not been abandoned?" Abbot Je'howith recited with a dramatic flourish. "Would not the show of a bond between beloved King Danube and the new leaders of the Church bring confidence and hope to the despairing kingdom? "

  "And there will be such a bond," Brother Braumin replied, "a partnership, but we will not be subjugated to the King of Honce-the-Bear. While our immediate goals of alleviating the ravages of war seem similar, our longterm aspirations remain very different. "

  "Not so different," Je'howith insisted.

  Brother Braumin slowly shook his head, making it clear to Je'howith and all who were watching-and that included every monk in the room, by this time-that he was not going to surrender this crucial point.

  Everyone in the room understood that if King Danube tried to insinuate himself into the Abellican Church now, it would be very difficult, given the lack of experienced and charismatic leadership, for the Church to hold him at bay.

  "Father Abbot Markwart attempted such a joining," Master Francis reminded them, referring to the fairly recent appointment of Marcalo De'Unnero as bishop of Palmaris, a title that conveyed the power of both Church leadership and secular control over the city. The city had been without a baron since beloved Rochefort Bildeborough had been murdered on the road to Ursal-and the subsequent evidence had implicated De'Unnero and his preferred use of the tiger's paw gemstone as the killer-and Markwart had tried to take advantage of the emergency.

  But that action had only prompted Danube to come north, with his army and his entourage, to protect his power base within the city.

  "A complete disaster," Francis went on. "And so it will be again if the King asserts his power and influence where they do not belong. "

  Brother Braumin looked over at Francis and nodded solemnly. The two were not friends-far from it!-despite Francis' apparent transformation since Markwart's death, but Braumin did appreciate his support at this crucial time. AU the Church could crumble around them, Braumin understood, if they did not act and choose wisely in the coming months.

  Braumin looked back at Je'howith and saw clearly that the man could become a difficult enemy. Je'howith had spent decades securing his comforts and his power, and both owed more to King Danube than to the Abellican Order.

  Braumin stared at Je'howith solemnly, then slightly nodded his head, indicating a quiet corner of the room where they might negotiate this disagreement less publicly.

  She had a difficult time climbing out of bed that morning, as on almost every morning. By Braumin Herde's estimation, the events of this day would be more critical than any powrie attack that ended short of the vicious dwarves conquering the whole of the kingdom. But to weary Jilseponie, it was just another in an endless, and futile, stream of meetings. Always they talked and organized, shifting the balances of power, but Pony had come to believe that in the overall scheme of things, in the history and the future of humanity and the world, all their little games would have very little impact.

  So many people viewed everything as momentous and important, but was it really?

  That question had haunted Pony since the death of Elbryan, had followed her every step, had stilled her tongue during those meetings when she knew the consensus was in error. In the end, what did it matter?

  Even the war with the demon dactyl. They had gone to Aida and destroyed its physical manifestation, but that seemingly important and heroic deed, in which Avelyn and Tuntun the elf had given their lives, had only led to more misery. Father Abbot Markwart, who was fearful of his power base, was on the road to declaring Avelyn a heretic and had sent out brothers to murder him. In Markwart's desperate search to find the new keepers of the stolen gemstones-Elbryan and Pony-he had gone after Pony's adoptive family, killing her stepbrother, Grady, on the road, and imprisoning Graevis and Pettibwa in his dungeons, where they had died horribly.

  That had only spurred more conflict that Pony had hoped would end it all. And so it had-for Markwart and Elbryan-but they were hardly cold in the ground before the bickering had begun anew, before new problems, grave problems according to Brother Braumin, had reared up to threaten the supposed fruits of all their sacrifices.

  As she considered it all, Pony put her hand to her belly, to her womb, which the demon Markwart had so violated, taking her child from her, stilling the heartbeat that had found such rhythm with her own.

  Now they were fighting again, and in her time of grieving, Pony could not bring herself to believe that it would ever end. Without that optimism, that flicker of hope, ho
w could she leap out of bed with excitement to attend to another of the so-called important meetings?

  She did manage to rise, wash, and dress, though, for the sake of brothers Braumin, Dellman, Castinagis, and Viscenti, who had stood strong beside her and Elbryan in their time of need, who had refused to turn against them despite their own imprisonment and the threat of torturous deaths at the hands of Markwart. She had to do it for Brother Romeo Mullahy, who had leaped from the blessed plateau at the Barbacan to his death rather than surrender to Markwart. She had to do it for Avelyn, for the Church he had envisioned-even though she was certain it would never come to fruition.

  Her responsibilities enabled her to put one foot in front of the other along the corridors of St. Precious.

  When she turned the last corner into the hallway that ran in front of the meeting room, she came upon another whose stride, markedly different from her own, was full of eagerness and strength.

  "Greetings, Jilseponie," Duke Kalas said, edging to walk close to her side. "I would have thought that you would have been inside with the brothers long before this, preparing for the King's visit. "

  "I have spoken with Brother Braumin many times," Pony casually replied, her reference to Braumin only-and not the higher-ranking monks, particularly Abbot Je'howith-speaking volumes about her stance on the present issues.

  Kalas remained quiet; the only sound in the corridor was the soft padding of Pony's light shoes and the hard clacking of Kalas' military boots.

  Before they reached the door, the Duke strode ahead of her and then turned back so that she had to look at him. "A difficult fight on yesterday's morn," he said.

  Pony chuckled at his abrupt subject change. "Not so, I would think," she replied, "since so few were wounded. "

  "A testament to the power of the Allheart Brigade," the proud Kalas quickly added. "The powries were many and were eager for battle, but our precision formations and practiced coordination cut their ranks asunder and sent them running. "

  Pony nodded despite her nagging suspicions. She had no hard proof, after all, to dispute the Duke's words.

  Kalas moved in front of her and forced her to stop abruptly. "I was pleased to see you on the wall when I rode back into Palmaris," he said, staring at her intently. "It is good that you should witness such a spectacle as the Allheart Brigade in these troubled times, that you might gain confidence that we, you and I, are fighting the same enemies. "

  It took all of Pony's considerable composure not to laugh in the man's face. He was making a play for her-oh, not for the present-for he, like everyone else, understood that she, less than four months widowed, was still grieving for Elbryan. No, Kalas was being far more subtle and polite. He was sowing seeds-she saw it so clearly. In truth, such occasions had become quite common. She was able to easily put aside her vanity and harbor no illusions that her beauty and charm were winning the hearts of the visiting nobles of Danube's court. She knew she was a beautiful woman, but so were many of those who had followed the King and his court to Palmaris, courtesans well versed in the arts of seduction. Pony understood the truth behind Kalas' words. She was an important figure now, with more potential for power within Church or State than any other woman in the kingdom, including Delenia, the abbess of St. Gwendolyn, the highestranking woman in the Abellican Church. Pony had been tentatively offered the highest position in the Order by several of the monks in Palmaris and certainly would have been given, at least, the Abbey of St. Precious as her own with a mere word. And she had been offered Palmaris by Danube, to serve him as its baroness.

  If Pony was at all interested in this game of political intrigue, she could, in a matter of days, step into the thick of the highest levels of power.

  Duke Kalas, a political animal if ever Pony had seen one, understood that, of course, and so he thought his charms well placed. Except that, to Pony, those charms themselves were the most lacking.

  "If injured upon the field, I would have insisted on Jilseponie for my healer," the Duke went on; and it was obvious that he thought he was paying her the highest compliment.

  Again, Pony had to work hard not to laugh. She understood Duke Kalas very clearly. The man could have nearly any woman in the kingdom; he could snap his fingers or run them through his thick black mop of curly hair and bat those pretty dark eyelashes of his and have the ladies of Ursal's court fainting on the floor. Pony knew that, and didn't deny that the man was physically handsome, beautiful even.

  But how that image faded next to her Elbryan! Kalas was like a magnificently painted landscape of majestic mountains, an image of beauty, but Elbryan's beauty went far deeper. Elbryan had been those mountainswith the crisp, fresh air, the sounds, the sights, the smells, the exhilarating and real experience. Kalas was mere swagger, but Elbryan had been the substance; and this man, for all of his pride and puff, seemed a pale figure beside the ghost of Nightbird.

  She recognized that she wasn't keeping enough of her true feelings off her face when Duke Kalas stiffened and moved aside suddenly, clearing his throat.

  Pony turned her head away from him, chewing her bottom lip, hoping that she had not done too much damage to Brother Braumin's cause, and hoping that she would not burst out into mocking laughter.

  "The King was delayed," came a voice behind them, and they turned to see Lady Constance Pemblebury moving fast to catch up to them. The woman repeated her message, eyeing Pony directly as she spoke. Neither Pony nor Kalas missed Constance's point: King Danube had been delayed because of her.

  Pony rolled her eyes, fighting the feeling of mocking helplessness in the face of such abject stupidity. Constance-who, by all rumors, had been seducing King Danube for years-saw the attractive Pony, ten years her junior, as a threat and wanted to openly lay her claim to Danube.

  How could Pony explain it to her? Could she grab the woman by the shoulders and shake her until her teeth rattled?

  "He bids that we wait for him before entering the audience chamber," Constance went on, shifting her gaze to Duke Kalas. "Of course, you may go," she said dismissively to Pony, who chuckled, shook her head, and turned back for the door, acutely aware that Duke Kalas' eyes were following her every step.

  She had rebuffed the man, perhaps had even embarrassed and insulted him, but likely, she knew, he would take that as a challenge and would come after her all the more blatantly in the days ahead.

  A man like Kalas always had something to prove.

  "It was only a year ago since the last College of Abbots was convened," Brother Braumin said to Abbot Je'howith when the two were alone at the side of the large audience hall. "How much the world has changed since then!"

  Je'howith eyed the younger monk with suspicion. That last College of Abbots had been a disaster, of course, considering all that had occurred since then. Markwart had declared Master Jojonah a heretic and had used the King's own soldiers-for some reason that even Je'howith had not understood and still did not understand-to have the doomed heretic dragged through the streets of St. -Mere-Abelle village and then burned at the stake. At that same College, Markwart had issued a formal declaration of Brother Avelyn as a heretic; and now, it seemed as if the Church might begin the process of canonizing the man!

  Braumin read Je'howith's expression correctly, and he gave a helpless chuckle to alleviate the tension. "We have learned much since then," he said. "Hopefully, the Abellican Church can begin to mend the wounds it has opened. "

  "By canonizing Avelyn Desbris?" Je'howith asked skeptically.

  Braumin held up his hands. "In time, perhaps that process will find enough support to begin," he said noncommittally, not wanting to start that fight now. "But before we begin to discuss any such action, before we even begin to determine who was correct-Father Abbot Markwart or Master Jojonah and Brother Avelyn-we must, by the King's own command, put our present house in order. "

  Je'howith's skeptical glare returned tenfold. "You have long ago decided which of them chose the
proper course," he said accusingly.

  "And it is a case I intend to make against you, and strongly, should you decide, after all that we have seen, to side with Markwart," Brother Braumin admitted. "But, again, we have not the time, nor the folly, to begin such a batde at this hour. "

  Je'howith backed off. "Agreed," he said.

  "And we must quickly convene a College of Abbots to elect a new Father Abbot," Brother Braumin went on, "and to secure the position of abbot of St. Precious. "

  "Why, Brother Braumin, you are not yet even a master. As an immaculate, you would likely be invited to a College of Abbots, though you would have no voice there. And yet you speak as if you personally intend to call one. "

  "Master Francis will nominate me as abbot of St. Precious before King Danube this very day," Braumin announced. "Brother Talumus and all from St. Precious will second that nomination. " He paused and looked at the old monk directly. "And Jilseponie, who has refused the post, will act as third. "

  "Children leading children!" Je'howith retorted, raising his voice in ire. Braumin knew that the man's anger was born of frustration, for, in truth, the old abbot would have little leverage in preventing the ascension of Brother Braumin. "And," he sputtered, "that woman! Jilseponie! She is not of the Order! She will have no say in any of this!"

  "She is of the Order, my friend," Brother Braumin calmly replied. "Can you doubt her prowess with the gemstones, a clear sign that she is in God's favor? Can you deny Father Abbot Markwart's last words? "

  "He was delirious," Je'howith insisted. "He was near death. And, besides, he did not nominate Jilseponie-that was foolish Brother Francis' doing. " "It was the greatest moment of clarity our Father Abbot experienced since long before the last College of Abbots," Braumin Herde replied. "Since before he sent Brother Justice to hunt and kill Brother Avelyn. Since before he abducted the poor Chilichunk family and let them rot in the dungeons of St. -Mere-Abelle. You know that my words are true and that they will ring powerfully to the other abbots and masters, many of whom had come to question Markwart long before the most recent revelations. Master Francis followed Markwart along that dark road, and he has returned to the light to tell the truth of it. "

  Je'howith spent a long while digesting Braumin's argument, seeking some flaw. "I will not oppose your ascension to the position of abbot," he conceded.

  Braumin's smile was cut short as Je'howith pointed a long, thin finger at him. "But only if Bishop De'Unnero does not return. "

  "He is discredited by his own actions even if he does," Braumin argued. "We know that he stood with Markwart in the final battle. "

  "We know little of his role," Je'howith countered.

  "He is implicated in the murder of Baron Bildeborough. "

  "Hardly," Je'howith scoffed. "He is implicated only in the eyes of those who so hated Markwart that they saw his treachery in every event. There has been no formal connection to the murder of the Baron, other than the fact that Bishop De'Unnero is known to be proficient with the tiger's paw gemstone. Hardly damning evidence. "

  "Then why has he run off?" asked Braumin.

  "I will support your nomination if he does not return with some plausible reason why he should reassume the leadership of the abbey, as Father Abbot Markwart had determined," Je'howith said resolutely. Brother Braumin, after a moment, nodded his concession.

  From Je'howith's posture, though, Braumin soon came to realize that there would be a price for that support. "What do you want?" the young monk asked bluntly.

  "Two things," Je'howith replied. "First, we will treat the memory of Father Abbot Markwart gently. "

  Braumin's expression was one of sheer incredulity, fast transforming into disgust.

  "He was a great man," Je'howith insisted.

  "Who culminated his life's work with murder," Braumin retorted quietly, not wanting to draw anyone else into this particular phase of the discussion.

  Je'howith shook his head. "You cannot understand," he replied. "I'll not argue concerning the final actions of Dalebert Markwart, but you cannot judge the whole of his life on an errant turn-"

  "A wrong choice," Braumin interjected.

  Je'howith nodded, apparently conceding the point-but only for now, Braumin understood. "By either definition, an errant turn in his life's work," Je'howith said. "And we would be in grave error to judge all he accomplished based on the failings of his last days. "

  It was more than just "his last days," Braumin knew, and the whole manner in which Je'howith was framing the discussion left a sour taste in the idealistic young monk's mouth. "A man might lose sainthood over a single indiscretion," he reminded him.

  "I am not asking you to beatify Dalebert Markwart," Je'howith replied.

  "Then what?"

  "Let us honor his memory as we have his predecessors'," Je'howith explained, "as we have for every father abbot, save the few who led the Church far astray. "

  "As did Markwart. "

  Je'howith shook his head. "He was a man thrust into a difficult situation, a position complicated by war and by the actions of those two men you so dearly cherish. You may argue that he chose wrongly, but his reign as father abbot was not one marked by controversy and terror. Indeed, under the guidance of Father Abbot Dalebert Markwart, the Church attained great heights of power. Had there ever been such a cache of gemstones granted in the most recent stone showers? "

  "Avelyn's work," Braumin dryly put in; but Je'howith hardly seemed to notice, so caught up was he in his mounting tirade.

  "Under his leadership, we achieved the position of bishop of Palmaris. Though that did not end well, the mere fact that King Danube allowed such a maneuver speaks volumes for the Father Abbot's diplomacy and influence. "

  Braumin started to shake his head, but merely sighed instead. He did not want to allow any mercy into the discussions of the wretch Markwart; he wanted the Father Abbot condemned throughout history as the downfallen sinner that he had become. But there were practical considerations here. Je'howith might well prove an unconquerable obstacle to any tributes, canonization or otherwise, that Braumin and his companions tried to formalize for Avelyn or Jojonah. Braumin held no love for Je'howith-he considered the man a kindred spirit to Markwart-but he understood that Je'howith stood at a crossroads now, that the man could either become a dangerous enemy or, if Braumin managed to handle him properly, an inconsequential onlooker.

  "And you should consider the emotions of the populace," Je'howith went on. "They are nervous and hardly certain of whether good or evil triumphed in Chasewind Manor that fateful day. "

  "Markwart had fallen long before that battle," Braumin Herde stated flatly.

  Je'howith nodded, his grin wry. "Perhaps, and perhaps the common folk will believe that. But do understand, my young friend, that Markwart was no enemy to the people of Palmaris. " "De'Unnero . . . " Braumin Herde started to argue.

  "Was not Bishop Francis," Je'howith replied. "Yes, they hated De'Unnero, and they curse his name still, though I believe the man was misunderstood. "

  Braumin Herde nearly choked.

  "But they were not so badly disposed toward Francis. "

  "Who speaks ill of Markwart," Braumin put in.

  "Not so," Jo'howith replied, "not publicly. No, Brother Braumin, the folk of Palmaris are nervous. They know the outcome of the battle at Chasewind Manor, but they do not know what that means. They hear the edicts of King Danube, proclaiming victory for all the folk, but they take in those words but tentatively, recognizing the truth of the rivalry between the two great men, Danube and Father Abbot Markwart. "

  Braumin Herde shook his head as if to dismiss the notion, but Je'howith stared at him hard and paused there, allowing him time to let the words sink in. The old abbot had a significant point here, Braumin had to admit. When Pony had tried to assassinate Markwart the first time-and had, by all appearances, succeeded-there had been open weeping in the streets of ;

  Palmar
is. Markwart had done well in his last days to win over the folk, had ( come to the city under flags of honor, with glorious trumpets blaring. He | had reconciled, through Francis, with the merchants by compensating them for De'Unnero's confiscation of their magical gemstones. He had taken on King Danube privately; the peasants knew little of that skirmish. Perhaps old Je'howith was indeed speaking wisely, the young monk had to concede. Perhaps treating Markwart's memory with a bit of mercy would serve them all well in the coming days.

  "What is your second demand?" Braumin asked.

  Je'howith paused, a telling hesitation to perceptive Braumin. "There is a vacancy within the Church, obviously," the old man began solemnly.

  Braumin nodded for him to continue. Of course he knew what Je'howith might be hinting at, but he wasn't about to make this any easier on the old wretch.

  "Master Engress is dead," Je'howith went on, "and while Father Abbot Markwart might have desired to see young Master Francis as his heir, it is obvious that such a thing cannot come to pass now. Never would so young and inexperienced a man be accepted as father abbot. Many do not even truly accept him as a master. "

  "He would have been eligible for the tide this coming spring," Braumin replied. "His tenth year. "

  "And you?" Je'howith asked, his tone offering to Braumin a trade-off of support. "A year ahead of Francis and not yet even a master. Have you enough years, Brother Braumin, to be elected as an abbot of an abbey as prominent and important as St. Precious? "

  Braumin knew that Je'howith's words of opposition against him and Francis would sound reasonable to any gathering of abbots and masters. If Je'howith was to claim that Markwart, delusional and ill, erred in promoting Francis prematurely, then how might Braumin and Francis, both attempting to discredit Markwart on just those grounds, make the opposite case? Despite that, Braumin remained steadfast and would not follow Je'howith to that which he apparently desired. "No," he said simply. "You are asking me to support you in a bid for the title of father abbot, but that I cannot do. "

  Je'howith's eyes narrowed and his lips became very thin.

  "Even Master Francis will not back you," Braumin said bluntly. "And as he was deeply connected to the Father Abbot, as were you, his abandonment of your cause will ring loudly in the ears of the other electors. "

  Braumin did not blink, matching the angry man's stare. "It will not be you, Abbot Je'howith," he said. "Never were you prepared for such a position, and your allegiance to the King in a time such as this-when the lines between Church and Crown have been so blurred, when the people have so turned against your former ally, Markwart-is not a desirable trait. "

  For a long while, Je'howith seemed to Braumin to be composing a retort, perhaps even a tirade, but then there came a call that King Danube was in the building, and the news seemed to calm the old abbot dramatically. Braumin understood the change, for Je'howith had been put under great pressure by King Danube to put the Abellican house in order, a demand the King would not debate.

  "Who then?" Je'howith asked sharply. "The woman? "

  Braumin shrugged and wound up shaking his head. "IfJilseponie would accept the nomination . . . "

  Je'howith began resolutely shaking his head.

  "As your Father Abbot desired, by the interpretation of Master Francis," Braumin pointedly added. "Then I, and Francis and many others, would back her with all our hearts. "

  "I am not so sure that Brother Francis' heart remains strong on this issue," Je'howith said slyly.

  "We could rally enough support without him," Braumin insisted; though in truth, he didn't believe his declaration. He knew that Francis was indeed leaning against Pony's nomination now, and that without Francis-or even with him-selling the idea of a mother abbess at all, let alone someone not even formally affiliated with the Church, would be no easy task!

  "And you would tear the Abellican Church apart," Je'howith insisted.

  "And better our Church of Avelyn might be for that!" Braumin snapped back. "But no, fear not, forJilseponie has declined the offer. She will not be the next leader of the Abellican Church. "

  "Who then?" Je'howith asked. "Does young Braumin reach so high?"

  Indeed, Braumin had been considering that very thing, though while his closest friends, Castinagis and Viscenti, had thought it a wonderful notion, even Brother Francis had hesitated. Francis had been very blunt with Braumin, telling him that he was too young and far too inexperienced to be accepted by the other leaders, and far too naive to handle the realities of the politics that would accompany such a position.

  IfJe'howith had given him any hint of softening, though, Braumin might have continued to consider the try.

  "You are not nearly ready," Je'howith said, and Braumin recognized that the man was speaking sincerely. "Perhaps if you backed me and I was elected, I would consider taking you as my protege. "

  "No," Braumin returned without hesitation. "It will not be you, Abbot Je'howith. "

  Je'howith started to say something, but paused and sighed. "There is Abbot Olin of St. Bondabruce in Entel. "

  Braumin bristled visibly, shaking his head.

  "He will be a strong candidate," Je'howith replied.

  "His ways are more attuned to those of Behren than those of Honce-theBear," Braumin pointed out; and it was true enough, and everyone in the Church knew it. Entel was Honce-the-Bear's southernmost major city, on the coast in the northern foothills of the Belt-and-Buckle, a mountain range that separated the kingdom from Behren. Entel's sister city was, in fact, Jacintha, Behren's seat of power, located on the coast in the southern foothills of that same range, a short boat ride from Entel.

  "Even so, if we, who have witnessed the drama of the last weeks, do not present a unified front, Abbot Olin will likely win the day," Je'howith replied.

  "But you-as I-do not think him a wise choice. "

  Je'howith shrugged.

  "There are many masters of St. -Mere-Abelle qualified in experience and in temperament," Braumin suggested. He saw that Je'howith was obviously not enamored of the idea. "Fio Bou-raiy and Machuso. "

  "Bou-raiy is not ready, and is too angry; and Machuso spends his days, every day, with peasants," Je'howith said. "Better another-Agronguerre of St. Belfour, perhaps. "

  Braumin had no answer; he hardly knew the abbot of that northernmost Honce-the-Bear abbey, St. Belfour in the wilds of the kingdom's Vanguard region.

  "Yes, Abbot Agronguerre would be a fine choice," Je'howith said.

  Braumin started to ask why, but he stopped short, recalling an image from the previous year's College of Abbots, the only time he had ever seen Abbot Agronguerre of St. Belfour. The man had been sitting right beside Je'howith, chatting easily, as if the two were old friends.

  Only then did Brother Braumin appreciate that Je'howith had led him to this point purposefully. Je'howith hadn't held serious thoughts of becoming the next father abbot. Of course not, for his ties to the King were too great and many of the other abbots, involved in continual power struggles with regional dukes or barons, would outright oppose his ascent.

  "There are other masters at St. -Mere-Abelle-" Braumin started.

  "Who will not even attempt to gain the post if Brother Braumin and his friends, the very monks who witnessed the demise of Markwart, were to throw in their votes for an abbot of a different abbey," Je'howith interrupted.

  Brother Braumin chuckled at the absurdity of it all and admitted to himself that Francis had been correct in assessing that he, Braumin, was not yet ready for the politics of the position of father abbot.

  "Go and ask Master Francis, if you wish," Je'howith offered, "or any of your other friends who might know of Abbot Agronguerre. His reputation for fairness and gentility is without reproach. True, he is not a forceful man, not a firebrand, as was the younger Markwart, but perhaps the Church is in more need of stability now, of healing. "

  Braumin nodded as Je'howith played it out, as he came to un
derstand the man's interest in Agronguerre. For Agronguerre would undoubtedly support Je'howith, would protect the abbot of St. Honce's interests in the coming years. Agronguerre was abbot of St. Belfour, after all, in wild Vanguard, which was ruled by Prince Midalis, Danube Brock Ursal's younger brother; and Braumin knew enough of that situation to recall that it was a tight bond in the northland, a friendly camaraderie between Church and Crown.

  "He is a good man of sterling reputation," Je'howith insisted, "and he is not a young man, not much younger than myself. Understand that I am asking you for our mutual benefit. Even without your backing, or that of Brother Francis, I could throw the College into turmoil by announcing my intent to try for the office. Perhaps I would not command the votes to win, but surely I could persuade many away from you-or whomever it is that you choose to back-enough so that either Abbot Olin or the Abbot Agronguerre would gain the position in any case. "

  "Then why do you speak to me of it? " Braumin asked.

  "Because I fear that Olin will take the post, and will try to strengthen the ties between the Abellican Church and the pagan yatol priests of Behren," Je'howith replied.

  And Olin would not look so kindly on Je'howith and his close ties to the King of Honce-the-Bear, Braumin thought.

  "So allow the memory of Father Abbot Markwart its peace," Je'howith said, "as it should have, given the man's decades of honorable service to the Church. "

  Braumin's lack of retort was all the confirmation Je'howith seemed to need. "And support me as I support Agronguerre," the old abbot went on.

  "And when he dies, if you have proven yourself in the position of abbot of St. Precious-an appointment I will support-and if I am still alive, then I give you my word now that I will back your own ascent to that highest level, Brother Braumin. "

  "I will learn what I can of Abbot Agronguerre," Brother Braumin agreed, "and if he is all you say, then I agree to your choice. " He nodded and bowed slightly, then turned to go and join his friends.

  "One thing you should know as well, Brother Braumin," Je'howith remarked, turning the younger monk back around. "At last year's College of Abbots, Abbot Agronguerre did not agree with Father Abbot Markwart's damning decree against Master Jojonah. He even expressed his concerns to me that we might be too quick to condemn Brother Avelyn, given that we did not know the extent of the man's actions in league with, or against, the demon dactyl. "

  Braumin nodded again and began to consider that the meeting with Je'howith had gone much better than he could have ever hoped possible.

  Pony saw the final exchange between Braumin and Je'howith, the latter surely no friend of hers! She had heard nothing of their discourse, though, and so she watched Brother Braumin closely as he turned and started away, noting the apparently satisfied spring in his stride, a gait that only increased when he spotted Pony and headed straight for her.

  "Jousting with the enemy? " she asked.

  "Trying to smooth the trail," Braumin replied. "For surely it is filled with deep ruts since Jilseponie will not heed our call. "

  Pony laughed at the man's unrelenting pressure. They simply could not hold any conversation without Brother Braumin pushing at her to ally formally and openly with the Church, with the new Abellican Church that he and his companions had determined to bring into being. " If you believe that the road would become smoother and easier if I accepted your invitation to bid to become mother abbess, then you are a fool, Brother Braumin," she replied.

  "You have the deathbed blessing of a father abbot. "

  "A fallen father abbot," Pony reminded, "a man I brought to that deathbed. "

  "One who found a moment of clarity and repentance in his last moments of life," Braumin came back. "And that moment will be honored within a Church that espouses penitence. "

  Pony chuckled again at the brother's unrelenting idealism. Could he not see the fallacy of his own prediction, that the College of Abbots would become so enmeshed in attempts at personal gain that Markwart's last statement, and Francis' interpretation of it, would be viewed with skepticism or even dismissed outright? But they had already been through this argument a dozen times at least, and Pony had no heart for it again. Nor the time, for a moment later, Duke Bretherford entered the room and announced the arrival of King Danube Brock Ursal.

  Danube swept into the room, Constance and Kalas flanking him and a line of Allheart knights in shining armor behind them.

  "My time is limited, for the tides will soon be favorable," he said, motioning at the large oval table set for the gathering. As one, the monks and the nobles-and Pony, who still wasn't sure exactly how she fit in or where she was supposed to sit-headed for their seats, then waited patiently and deferentially as King Danube took his own.

  "Grace us with the blessing," the King bade Abbot Je'howith, a slight against Braumin, Talumus, and particularly Francis that was not lost on Pony.

  Je'howith gladly complied, calling for God's blessings in these troubled times, for His guidance that His Church might put itself into proper order to erase the errors of the past year.

  Pony listened carefully and marveled at how well the old man avoided specific judgments in his prayer, at how he gave no indication of who it was he thought had made those vague mistakes. Yes, Je'howith was a crafty one, she reminded herself. She-and, to her thinking, Braumin and the others would do well to follow her lead-didn't trust him in the least.

  "What are your plans? " King Danube asked immediately after the prayer was ended. He looked to Braumin as he spoke, but his bluntness had obviously caught the monk by surprise, and Braumin quickly turned to Francis for support.

  "We will convene a College of Abbots as soon as it can be arranged, obviously," Abbot Je'howith interjected, "perhaps in St. Precious rather than St. -Mere-Abelle. Yes, that might prove wise in these troubled times. "

  The other monks around the table didn't seem to agree at all. "The College is always held at St. -Mere-Abelle," Brother Viscenti pointed out rather sharply.

  "But, perhaps-" Je'howith started.

  "We have not discussed the location," Brother Braumin put in, "and now is not the time to announce any such change as you propose. "

  Brother Viscenti started to respond again, as did Brother Francis, while Brother Talumus and some of his St. Precious entourage began talking excitedly about the possibilities of such an honor. But then suddenly King Danube slammed his fist on the table and leaped up from his seat.

  "I have warned you!" he began. "All of you, to put your house in order. Can you not see the fear on the faces of the people you pretend to serve? Can you not understand that your foolish bickering will rip this kingdom apart, spiritually at least? Well, I shall have none of it!"

  "Brother Braumin and I have come to agreement concerning the next father abbot," announced Je'howith, obviously uncomfortable at the startling outburst and likely regretting his suggestion of a change of location for the College.

  King Danube settled back into his seat, staring at Braumin for confirmation, as were many surprised Abellican monks.

  "We have come to . . . an understanding," Braumin began. "My choice, and Father Abbot Markwart's-repentant Father Abbot Markwart'schoice to lead our Church sits beside me," he explained, patting Pony's shoulder. "But, alas, Jilseponie will not heed our call at this time, and so Abbot Je'howith and I have found some common ground. "

  "And will the rest of us be enlightened concerning that ground?" a scowling Master Francis put in.

  "Of course," Brother Braumin replied. "We made no decisions-such are not ours to make-but merely discussed the matter and tried to find some agreement, a proposal shaped between us that I might bring to my colleagues and Abbot Je'howith to his. "

  Francis nodded, indicating that Braumin should go on.

  "We must speak privately about this," Braumin answered and turned to the King. "But the College of Abbots will succeed in its task of appointment, and of the correct appointment for the
times. I assure you, your Majesty. "

  "As we have come to agree on the new abbot of St. Precious," Je'howith added, surprising everyone. "Master Francis, with great generosity and foresight, has abdicated the post, and plans to nominate . . . " He paused and motioned to Francis.

  "I had th-thought that Brother Braumin," Francis stuttered, obviously caught off his guard. "Once he has been formally proclaimed as master . . . "

  "Yes," they heard Brother Talumus say with enthusiasm.

  "Immaculate Brother Braumin will become interim abbot of St. Precious within the week," Abbot Je'howith insisted, "and we will formalize that appointment as soon as we have heard any assenting or dissenting arguments. "

  King Danube looked at Braumin, and the monk shrugged. "If asked to serve, I would not refuse," he said.

  Danube nodded, apparently satisfied with that. He paused then and put his chin in his hand, his gaze drifting off to nowhere in particular. All the rest of the people around the table likewise quieted in deference to the King, and Pony understood then that Danube was in control here and that the brothers of the Abellican Church would do well to disturb him not at all. The less King Danube needed to turn his gaze toward the Church, the better the Church would survive.

  Danube remained apparently distant for a long while-Pony got the distinct feeling that the man was testing the patience of those around him, waiting to see if anyone would dare to speak. Finally, he sat up straight and stared at Pony.

  "And is your decision-or shall I call it your compromise?-Brother Braumin, that it will be a man or a woman who heads the Abellican Church? " Danube asked.

  Pony, embarrassed as she was, didn't turn away but met Danube's stare.

  "Unless Abbess Delenia of St. Gwendolyn makes a bid for the position of mother abbess, it will be a man," Braumin answered.

  "And Abbess Delenia would have no chance of assuming leadership of the Church, even should she so desire it," a bristling Abbot Je'howith was quick to add.

  The man's tone made Pony glance his way, trying unsuccessfully to determine whether he was upset because of the mere suggestion that a woman might head the Church or because King Danube had asked the question of Brother Braumin instead of him.

  "So you have refused the offer, then," Danube said to her as she turned back to him. "The Abellican Church hands you one of the most powerful positions in all the world, and you turn it down? "

  "Brother Braumin and others offered to sponsor me as a candidate for mother abbess," Pony corrected, "but many others within th^e Church would have rejected such a proposal. It is a fight I choose not to wage, and the leadership of the Church is a position I do not feel that I have earned. "

  "Well said," said Je'howith, but Danube cut him short with an upraised hand.

  "You underestimate your charisma, Jilseponie," the King went on, "and your accomplishments and potential accomplishments. I doubt not at all that the Abellican Church would fare well under your guidance. "

  Pony nodded her thanks for the somewhat surprising compliment.

  "But perhaps Je'howith's and the others' loss might become my gain," the King went on. "Since you have chosen to reject the offer of the Church, I ask again if I might somehow persuade you to accept the barony of Palmaris. "

  Pony looked down and sighed. Everybody wanted her in his court. She understood the attention-she was a hero among the common folk now, and those common folk had been doing more than a litde grumbling about the King, and especially about the Church, of late-but she could not believe how much faith these leaders were willing to place in her. "What would I know of ruling a city, my King? "

  Danube burst out into laughter-too much so, it seemed to Pony and to several others who, she noticed, were glancing nervously around, particularly Duke Kalas and Constance Pemblebury, who were both scowling.

  And when she thought about it, Pony wasn't surprised. Kalas, after all, had hinted at some amorous feelings for her, and Constance was the King's favorite. Had Danube's exaggerated laughter just put Pony into the middle of some intrigue with those two?

  She sighed and looked away, back at Brother Braumin, who was staring at her nervously.

  Pony gave in and started laughing as well.

  "So you agree that your statement was absurd?" Danube was quick to ask. "What would Jilseponie know of leadership indeed!"

  "No, your Majesty," Pony replied. "I laugh because I cannot believe . . . " She stopped and just shook her head helplessly. "I am not suited to be baroness, or for any other rank you wish to bestow upon me," she said, "as I am not suited to be mother abbess of a Church whose policies and intricacies I hardly understand. "

  "Nonsense," Danube declared, but Pony was shaking her head even as he barked out the word. "Nobility runs in your blood," the King went on, "if not in your lineage, and your ascent to the court of Honce-the-Bear would prove most beneficial. "

  Still she shook her head.

  The King stared at her long and hard then, another uncomfortable moment, and then he gave a helpless sigh. "I see that I shall not convince you-no, Jilseponie Wyndon, you are one of extraordinary character and determination. "

  "Stubborn," Brother Braumin dared to interject, breaking the tension.

  Again the King laughed. "But in a manner suited to heroes," he said. "A pity that you'll not change your mind, and truly a loss for both of us, eh, Abbot Je'howith?"

  "Indeed," the old abbot said unconvincingly.

  Pony continued to alternate her gaze between the King and his two secular advisers, and neither of them stopped staring at her for one moment.

  "Palmaris will be in firm and fine control," the King went on, addressing the whole of the gathering again. "Duke Kalas will stay on as ruler, for as long as he feels necessary. Also, because of the continuing hostilities outside of Palmaris' wall with the powries, goblins, and even reports of giant bands roaming the region, he will keep half the AUheart knights. That should suffice to allow the folk of Palmaris some peace of mind. "

  Pony glanced at Francis and Braumin and the other young monks, their distress showing her that they understood well the meaning of the King's decision. Danube didn't fear any goblins or powries or giants, for Palmaris' garrison had proven itself time and again in the war against them. No, when the King spoke of potential enemies, he was subtly referring to those enemies Duke Kalas might face from within, particularly from St. Precious. The Allheart knights would make Chasewind Manor a veritable fortress and would strengthen Duke Kalas' influence tremendously.

  At first, Pony, too, was more than a little distressed by the news. Privately, at least, she found herself siding with Brother Braumin; she did believe in the man and his cause. That admission nearly made her speak up then, announcing that she had changed her mind and that she would accept an offer to join the Church, not for the position of mother abbess but as an adviser to Brother Braumin in his new position of abbot of St. Precious. Almost-but even as she considered the action, Pony thought of Elbryan and her lost child, thought of the futility of it all, the waste of effort to battle enemies that seemed to her, at that moment, eternal.

  She kept silent; indeed, she turned inward through the rest of the meeting. No further surprises came forth, from either Danube or the monks, and their business was quickly concluded. Pony did note the glare that Constance Pemblebury bestowed on her as they were leaving the audience hall, a scowl that deepened tenfold when King Danube took Pony's hand and kissed it, expressing his gratitude yet again for her actions and her sacrifice and proclaiming that Honce-the-Bear was a better place by far because of Jilseponie and Elbryan, Avelyn Desbris and the centaur, Bradwarden, Roger Lockless, and-to Pony's and everyone else's absolute surprise-because of the quiet working of the Touel'alfar.

  And then Danube and that moment of gratitude were abruptly gone; the King, Constance Pemblebury, and Duke Bretherford rode forth to the docks and the waiting ships. The reality of the still-gloomy day settled over St.
Precious.

  A temporary moment of truce, Pony thought as she considered the King's last words to her. A brief shining moment, unlasting in the gloom. Like all such moments.

  Pony was on the roof of St. Precious's highest tower again later that day. The spectacle over at the dock section-with the tall ships unfurling their sails, the crowds cheering, the trumpets blaring-did not hold her attention for long. Rather, she found herself looking north, beyond the city's great wall, beyond the farmhouses and the rolling hills. Looking in her mind's eye to Dundalis and her past-and perhaps, she thought seriously, her future.