A Handful Of Men - The Stricken Field Part 17

"So I understand, ma'am."

"Then I think I want my son present."

"That might be very wise."

Grr! Obviously the jotunn sorceress had been told more than the mundane queen had. Angrily, Inos went off to find Gath.

That decision proved to be an error. Gath was not to be found and when she went in search of the meeting itself, everyone of any importance had disappeared, also. Eventually she tracked them down, in one of the nearby cottages. The room was tiny, and now crammed with people. Two men had to move before she could even squeeze in through the door, and others stood in front of the tiny windows, blocking the light. She made out Jarga's pale hair, and thena"to her intense annoyancea" Gath's, also. There was nowhere left to sit, so she stood where she was, head bent under the low ceiling.

An elderly dwarf was speaking, and the others' respectful silence showed that he was someone of importance. All she could see of him was a white beard.

". . . remain in session at least two more weeks. Everyone is very anxious to head home at this time of year, you understand. Crops to plant. Rivers open." He coughed. "But of course we shall certainly spare time to hear an address by the warlock of the north."

Raspnex's guttural voice came from roughly the same direction. "Who else? Suppose we produced, oh, let us just a.s.sume that the new imperor was pa.s.sing by and wished to convey his respects? Would the Directorate agree to hear him?"

"If he was brief."

Inos felt a sort of silent chuckle s.h.i.+mmer through the group, but no one laughed aloud. There were complex politics at play here. The Nordland amba.s.sador was going to be told what had transpired, but did not wish to attend in person. Superst.i.tion was only an excuse; he had other reasons. The imperor was present, but not officially, because officially he was a prisoner of war. That a.s.sertion would declare the imperor in Hub an imposter. There was a lot of deniability about. Dwanis.h.i.+an politics were notoriously labyrinthine at the best of times.

"And what of the queen of Krasnegar, were she here?" Raspnex inquired.

The old man sighed. "If the proctor insisted her topic was important, the directors might stay for her opening remarks. She would find herself addressing an empty hall very shortly, though. We have no business dealings with Krasnegar, you see."

"Could you arrange for such a session without announcing who the guest would be, Proctor?"

There was a long pause. Inos was thinking furiously. Dwanish was ruled by the Directorate, and the proctor was the current presiding officer, so that white beard belonged to the ruler of the realm, as much as there ever was one. The two goblins were standing together off to her right. Frazkr was probably present somewhere; Gath and Shandie and Raspnex certainly were. Who the four or five others were, she had no idea. If any of them was a spy for the Covin, surely Zinixo would not be able to resist such a catch?

"You frighten me," the proctor said, as if his thoughts had followed her own. "Even if I convene a secret session, suppose the usurper learns of your presence? He may smite the hall with thunder." Clearly he was well aware of the situation.

Raspnex spoke harshly. "He would prefer to take us alive, I think. But is Dwanish prepared to submit already? Will you tender your allegiance with no struggle at all? Before he even threatens?"

"The Directorate would have to discuss the matter."

"What course of action will you offer for its approval?" the warlock demanded angrily. "Debates require a motion."

"Tell me what you plan to ask of us." The old man was wily.

Raspnex sighed. "Only that you spread the word of our resistance so that all the sorcerers may hear of it and take hope. We ask their aid; the usurper extorts it. We cannot alert them occultly without revealing ourselves to the enemy. Mundanes will not be involved otherwise."

The old man coughed painfully. "You underestimate your nephew. I remember him as a child. As soon as the meeting breaks up, he will know of it, if not before. He will learn you are in Dwanish and will hold our land to ransom. How do you plan to depart?"

"Quickly!"

"Not quickly enough. If you go by sorcery, he will follow. If you take a boat, he may boil the river."

There it was. The proctor had expressed the problem exactly.

Raspnex sighed. "We shall ask each member of the Directorate to keep the secret for two weeks. During that time, we shall make our escape."

The old man snorted. "Three hundred men? Keep a secret from sorcerers? Most certainly the usurper has agents in Gwurkiarg, and they will be curious to know what the Directorate discussed in camera."

"The risk is ours."

"No. You may bring down vengeance on all of us. I know his spite. Your pet.i.tion is refused." The old man stirred, as if to rise.

The warlock shrugged. "Your term expires when?"

"In ten days. You are of course free to approach my successor. He may reopen the matter or not, as he chooses."

"If we decide not to do so, would you allow my friends to depart in peace?"

The proctor was shuffling toward the door. "The amba.s.sador has interceded on their behalf. We have no quarrel with her Majesty of Krasnegar or her son, and the imp obviously cannot be who he claims to be. Personally I wish you all good fortune. Go with my blessing."

Men scrambled to their feet from the floor and'the scanty furniture. Inos moved away from the door. The fresh air that poured in was a big relief. As the room emptied, she slipped over to the solitary little bed and sat down beside Jarga.

In a few moments the dignitaries had departed. The door remained open, giving welcome light. She glanced around and saw only the pitiful handful she expecteda"Raspnex, Shandie, Frazkr, Gath, Pool Leaper, Moon Baiter, Jarga and herself. Old sorcerer Wirax was there, too, and she had not known he was back.

The grubby little room was still crowded. She wondered briefly who lived in this cramped squalor, and what it would be like to spend a lifetime in it. A bed, a stone chest, a couple of stools, and a tablea"no pictures, no flower vases, no rugs or bright cus.h.i.+ons.

"We came a long way for nothing," Shandie said sadly.

"Not at all!" Only Raspnex had remained standing, solid as a granite tombstone on his great boots. He rubbed his beard, making a scratchy noise, and his expression was the grimace he used as a smile. "The plan remains unchanged!"

"It does?"

"Certainly. Officially the old rascal wants no part of it, but you heard what he said at the end. He was telling us to go aheada"and definitely warning us against his successor!"

Deniability, Inos thought. Gath was sitting on the floor, peering between his bony knees at her. He was grinning, too, which was an ominous sign.

The imperor sighed. "Explain."

"Tomorrow we gatecrash," Raspnex said jovially. "Remember that I'm still warden of the north as far as that bunch of mineowners, wheelwrights, and ironfounders is concerned. If I march into one of their meetings and demand a hearing, I'll get one."

Shandie was uncomfortably perched on a coal scuttle. "So how do you know there isn't a Covin agent in the hall?"

"That's where he comes in!" the warlock proclaimed, jabbing a thick finger in the direction of Gath. "He and I stand by the door as they convene. If I see a votary spell going in, I depart, smartly."

Shandie frowned. "Why Gath?"

"Because he'll know if I'm going to, so he'll tell me beforehand. He's our advance warning! If he foresees disaster while we're speaking, again he'll tell us before it happens." The warlock shot an apprehensive glance at Inos, who was breathing fire and pawing the ground, figuratively.

"Can my son foretell the future better than you can, your Omnipotence?"

He waved his hands like shovels. "Not better, no. This is hard to explain. I can foresee things. Most sorcerers can, some better than others. But it's a noisy, conspicuous thing to do, and most of us don't do it much, because it can be extremely confusing, and even dangerous. Sorcerers have been known to fall into unbreakable trances trying to decide between conflicting futures, and others stumble upon their own deaths. Your son does it all the time because he can't help it, so he's learned to live with it. If he wasn't the sort of young man he is, it would have driven him insane. Fortunately his range is short, and his power is so weak that it barely shows up. It's sort of diffuse. Like a fly buzzing in the background. Unless you're looking for it, you don't see it. Hear it. Whatever."

Gath was positively leering now, watching Inos. Perhaps bait was not quite what Raspnex had in mind for him, but it was close enough. She clenched her fists and restrained her temper, waiting to hear what Shandie would say.

He was obviously unhappy. "And if you detect Covin agents, what's the alternative?"

"Then we try to spread the word privately among the other directors, as many as we can reach. Later, in small groups."

The imperor glanced around the little room, studying the faces of the dwarves and goblins. He seemed to find little comfort in them. "That kills any chance of reaching Nordland by midsummer."

"We'll have to split up anyway, sooner or later."

"I suppose so. If that's the best we can do, then we have to risk it. How about the escape afterward? The proctor was right, you know. The Covin will want to know what's been discussed, and it can certainly find out."

Raspnex shrugged his ma.s.sive shoulders. "You and I and the boy remain. The others should leave right away. Jarga's got a boat waiting. As for usa"as you may have guessed, this cottage is s.h.i.+elded. I know of several other s.h.i.+elded houses. We'll hole up in one of them and wait until the hue and cry dies down."

Shandie said, "Umph!" He did not look at Inos. Nor did he look overjoyed at the thought of half a year under house arrest in beautiful downtown Gwurkiarg. Gath was still grinning.

"Give up, your Majesty?" Raspnex jeered.

Shandie scowled. "I don't like it, but as they say you can't make chickens without breaking eggs."

The warlock turned to Gath. "You willing, young *un?"

Gath sn.i.g.g.e.red. "No, sir."

Raspnex glared. "No?"

"Ask my mother, sir."

All eyes swung to Inos. Her skin p.r.i.c.kled. What she was about to suggest might provoke an attack by the Covin within minutes. Faking a calm she did not feel, she smiled innocently at Shandie. "I believe you made my husband a promise?"

The imperial scowl deepened. "I did. I'm not sure it's still valid, though. I take it you don't approve of your son being involved in this?"

"I think it's the craziest nonsense I ever heard and I certainly won't let him be dragged in. I won't have anything to do with it myself, either. I think you're going about this the wrong way."

The men all stared at her, and she wondered if the sorcerers were prying into her mind. They might find a few surprises in there.

Raspnex had certainly become very thoughtful. "Tell us." She pointed to a little shelf above the hearth. "Can you make that candlestick fall down?"

"Yes."

"Can you make it fall down tomorrow?" He nodded, his eyes like agates.

"When do you rattle the ambience, as my husband calls it? Now, when you cast the spell, or later, when it takes effect?"

"I dunno." The warlock scratched his beard again. "Let's try it."

There was a moment's silence, and then the candlestick fell off the shelf.

"Well?" he demanded, looking around.

"When it works, mostly," Moon Baiter said, and the others were nodding.

"I felt almost nothing at the beginning," Jarga said. "What I thought," the warlock agreed. "That's when the power acts. Holy rocks! She's got it!"

With a surge of relief, Inos turned to the jotunn beside her. "How long would it take us to run to your s.h.i.+p and set sail?"

Jarga smiled broadly. "About an hour. Less."

"Gath?"

He nodded vigorously, as if so full of mirth that he did not trust himself to speak.

"And he does it?" she asked.

More gleeful nods. "Yes he does, Mom."

"Wait a minute!" Shandie barked. "You've lost me."

"Oh?" Inos said. "You need me to spell it out for you?" He glared. "Please!"

"Quite simple. The warlock appears before the Directorate in a couple of weeks. But he does it now. Then we depart."

Shandie blinked. "Is that possible?"

Raspnex had his gruesome leer back. "I don't see why not. I've never tried it, but if I can do it to a candlestick, I can do it to me."

"And the Covin won't notice you doing it? Now, I mean."

"How can it? I told you this room is s.h.i.+elded. I transport us two weeks into the future. Proctor said they'd still be in session in two weeks, so we might as well use that time. I send us there for ten minutes, or an hour, however long we think we need. We do what we want to do, and then we're not there anymore." He uttered a dwarf's millstone chuckle, more amused than Inos could ever recall seeing him.

Shandie looked ready to tear his hair. "How do you get the power through the s.h.i.+elding? I thoughta""

"Don't. We walk out that door two weeks from now and I transport us to the Treasury."

The imperor shook his head disbelievingly. "This is really going to work?"

"Ask Prince Gathmor."

"We do go on the s.h.i.+p," Gath said quietly. "Gurx? That's its name. Her name, I mean. I saw that earlier. All of us, and the amba.s.sador, too." He pulled a face. "And dreg Vork."

The imperor wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "G.o.d of Madness! We go before the Directorate two weeks from now, but they can't follow us because we left today? Inos, who taught you this?"

Triumph felt very, very good. "I worked it out. It's just an extension of the kind of paradox Gath pulls off all the time. I don't suppose it would work backward, would it?"

"Ugh!" Raspnex shuddered. "Go and do it yesterday, you mean? I certainly won't try that! But I can't see why not tomorrow, or two weeks from now."

"And you can take me, too?" Shandie asked uneasily. "You don't go!" Inos said. "I told you you've been going at this the wrong way. Forgive me, Omnipotence, but I don't think begging is the best way to influence a collection of, er, mineowners and whatever else it was you called them."

Raspnex was glaring now. So, she saw, were Frazkr and old Wirax. They must be reading her thoughts.

So, apparently was Jarga. "Gang of ornery, miserly, bullheaded, rockbrained dwarves," she remarked with a smirk.

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Inos said gratefully. "But remember that Dwanish and the Impire are at war. If Sha"if his Majesty appears before them, claiming to be rightful imperor, it is going to distract . . . Well, let's say that the debate may stray from the subject you wish to discuss."