Vlad Taltos - Phoenix Part 22

I looked back at the bodies, looked at my grandfather, and said, "One got away, huh?"

He shrugged. "I've never been able to kill women. This is a weakness we have from being human."

"You're lucky she wasn't a sorcerer," I said.

"Perhaps. But there is little time. You must leave at once."

"If you'll come with me."

He shook his head. "I have nowhere to go. They will find you."

I chewed my lip. "There may be a place," I said. "Bide." "Morrolan.

Funny-talking Dragonlord. Dragaeran witch. Wielder of Blackwand.

Morrolan. Morrolan. ..."

"Who is- Vlad?"

"Himself."

"Where are you? Are you all right? The whole city-"

"I know. I'm in the thick of it, but I'm all right. I request sanctuary, Lord Morrolan. For myself and for my grandfather. "

"Your grandfather? What happened?"

"Phoenix Guards tried to burn his shop down. He prevented them from doing so. "

"I see."

"Where are you now?"

"The Imperial Palace, but I'll be leaving soon."

"What are you doing there?"

"I was preparing to defend the Empress, if necessary. But the siege was broken. "

"Siege?"

Your Easterners, Vlad "'Oh. Who's with you?" "Aliera, Sethra."

"Sethra? That must have made quite a stir. "He chuckled. "/ wish you could have seen it. What about you? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, as far as the rebellion goes, but I've got Jhereg troubles. That's why I need sanctuary. " "I seem to recall another Jhereg-" "Yeah, me, too. But we're in a hurry, Morrolan. There may be some goldcloaks coming back, and-"

"Very well, Vlad. You revive sanctuary for at least seventeen days.

Probably for~ever. And your grandfather as well, of course. I'll inform Teldra. " "Thanks. See you soon."

I turned to Noish-pa and said, "It's settled. We can stay at Castle Black." He frowned. "What is that?"

"A floating castle, Noish-pa. It's really quite comfortable. You'll like Morrolan, He-" "He is an elf?"

"Yes, but-"

"No. I will remain here"-"

I smiled. "Very well. I know I can't make you leave " "Good."

I went over and sat down in one of his chairs. He frowned and said, "Vladimir, you should go now "

"No."

"What?"

"If you stay, so do I. You can't make me leave, either." "They will return in foresee."

"Indeed. And with sorcerers. But I know some tricks " "Vladimir-"

"Both of us or neither, Noish-pa." He looked me in the eye, then a bit of a smile came w his face "Very well Vladimir. Bring me to the elf castle."

"Be prepared to be sick, Noish-pa."

"Why?"

"Teleport spells do that to humans. I don't know why."

"All right, then." He picked up Ambrus, his familiar, and took one last glance around the shop. "Let us leave at once, then."

I put one arm around my grandfather's shoulders and concentrated on the courtyard of Castle Black. When the image was clear, I drew on the power, shaped it, and felt the familiar twist in my bowels. South Adrilankha vanished, and the walls of the courtyard appeared in reality to match the picture in my mind.

Noish-pa looked queasy, but otherwise all right. I watched j his face as he slowly recovered, even more slowly than I did, and became aware of the size of the courtyard, of the ground below us, and then of the symbols on the walls and the huge double doors some forty paces in front of us.

"How can this elf know the Art?" he asked.

"He's very unusual for a Dragaeran," I said.

When he was able to, we walked together up to the doors, which opened before us. Noish-pa looked at me but didn't comment. Lady Teldra gave us a courtesy and said, "Lord Vladimir, we are so relieved that you are safe, and delighted that you will be staying with us. And you, sir, your grandson has spoken so much and so highly of you that we were nearly afraid to hope for the honor of your presence here someday. We are delighted that you have come, though sorry for the hards.h.i.+p that forced the journey on you. Please be welcome. I am Teldra."

She is, after all, of the House of the Issola.

He stared at her, his mouth opening and closing, and then his face lit up in a big grin and he said, "I like you," and, for the first time, I think I saw Lady Teldra actually touched.

She showed us in. "The Lord Morrolan requested that you await him in the library," she said. "If you would follow me?"

Noish-pa seemed awed by the display of Castle Black as we made our way down the marble halls and up the wide stairways. Ambrus looked around as well, as if he were memorizing an escape route. I could almost see Noish-pa making notes to himself to study various of the sculpture paintings, and psiprints we pa.s.sed. Lady Teldra would have been willing to stop and let him examine them then, and would gladly have told all their histories and given brief biographies of the artists, but I badly wanted to sit down.

Morrolan's library is actually quite a complex of rooms so it was helpful to have her show us which one. It says something either about him or about Dragaerans in general that his books were arranged neither by subject nor t.i.tle, but, primarily, by the House of the author.

We awaited him in the largest room, which was, quite naturally, filled with books written by Dragonlords.

We had hardly gotten seated, and Lady Teldra was just pouring the wine, when he entered. We both stood and bowed, but he motioned us to sit. He bowed deeply to my grandfather, rising in time for Loiosh to land on his shoulder. Rocza flew over to Ambrus, who hissed at her and then allowed herself to be licked, which startled me'

We all sat down again, and Lady Teldra poured us all wine, giving the first gla.s.s to my grandfather. I said "On behalf of my grandfather, Morrolan, thank you. We-"

Never mind that'" he said' "Of course you're welcome here as long as you want to stay but do you know about Cawti. I stopped with the gla.s.s halfway to my lips carefully set it down, and said, "Tell me."

She's been arrested again. This time under direct orders from the Empress. The charge is treason against the empire. Vlad she's facing execution."

Lesson Fourteen.

FUNDAMENTALS OF BETRAYAL.

I felt my grandfather's eyes on me, but I didn't look at him. I said, "Has a trial been set?"

"No. Zerika says she's going to wait until the troubles are over."

"Troubles? Was that her word for it?"

"Yes."

"I see. Has Norathar done anything?"

"Not yet. She's been directing troops. She says-"

"Directing troops? In the city?"

"No, she's putting together an invasion force for Greenaere."

"Oh. That's a relief, anyway."

"Why?"

I shook my head. It would be too hard to explain. "How much have you heard about what's going on?"

He shrugged. "Disorders. I was at the Imperial Palace during the second attack, and throughout the siege, so I mostly know about activities there, but I heard at least some of the rest. Zerika says things should be under control by tomorrow morning."

"Under control," I repeated. I looked at Noish-pa, but this time he was looking away." "Yes" continued Morrolan. "Sethra has established order in-"

"Sethra! Lavode?

"Sethra the Younger."

"How did she end up in command?"

"The brigadier of the Phoenix Guards resigned yesterday over some dispute with the Empress. I don't know the details."

"Maybe he didn't like the idea of slaughtering thousands of helpless Easterners."

"Helpless? Vlad, weren't you listening? There were attacks on the Imperial Palace. They laid siege to it. They actually threatened the Empress-"

"Oh, come now. She could have teleported out anytime she wanted to."

"That isn't the point, Vlad. Threatening the sanct.i.ty of-"

"Can we change the subject?"

"You asked," he said stiffly.

"Yeah. Sorry." Loiosh flew back to my shoulder and nuzzled my ear. I said, "What about the war?"

"Are you sure you want to hear about it?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to get Cawti out of there. The first thing I need to know is what's going on with the Empress, so I can decide how to try to influence her. Does that make sense?"

He seemed startled; I guess that sort of thinking wasn't what he expected of me. Then he said, "Very well. The Empire is still trying to put together an invasion fleet to attack the Greenaere and Elde alliance"

"Trying?"

He looked grim. "A task force sailing from Adrilankha Northport in preparation for an attack on Greenaere was itself attacked by several alliance wars.h.i.+ps, and three of them were sunk. I don't know how big they were, or how many were lost, or-why are you smiling?"

Why was I smiling?

I took a sip of wine without tasting it. I had never particularly cared about the Empire one way or the other; that is, it was there, I lived in it and ignored it. Even the onset of war hadn't inspired any particular feelings in the sense of who I hoped would win the conflict. But now, I realized, I wanted the Empire to be hurt. Very much I wanted them to be hurt. I would love it if the Empire was tumbled, inconceivable as that was. I wanted to see the Ob rolling, broken, on the ground. I wanted to see the mighty Palace, with all its pillars of silver, and its walls cut of black marble, rooms in which ten Eastern families could live, burned to the ground.

I remembered only flashes of the last two days in South Adrilankha, but there were looks on faces that I knew I'd remember as long as I lived, and if the only way to ease the pain was the destruction of the Empire, then that's what I wanted. In a life governed by hatreds, this hatred was a new one. Maybe it was what Cawti had felt all along.

Maybe now I could understand her.

I tossed aside dreams of the Empire fallen; such dreams would not win my wife's release. In fact, the best would be if I could find a way to...

If I could . . .

"Nothing," I said. "I think I know how to save Cawti, though."

My grandfather looked at me sharply. Morrolan said, "Oh?"

"Do you think you'd be willing to help? I will also need Aliera's help, and, I think, Sethra's. And possibly Day-mar's."

"What do you have in mind?"

"I'll explain when we're all together. Say, this evening-I should warn you, it will be dangerous."