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What was to come . . .
"In a secret scrambling fight, both Umerue and Lord Arhys were slain."
Dy Cabon blinked. "Royina, don't you mean Lord Illvin? We just met Lord
Arhys."
"Just so. The demon jumped to Arhys's wife a mistake from its point of view,
it appears, because she promptly seized control of it and forced it to stuff
Arhys's severed soul back into his own body, stealing strength from his
younger brother Illvin to keep his corpse moving all the same. Some distorted
species of death magic I will ask you, Learned, to expound the theology of it
at your earliest convenience. And then the marchess feigned it was Illvin
injured, and the princess killed, by the princess's Jokonan clerk, whom she
terrified into fleeing."
"So that's what I felt when I saw her," whispered Foix, sounding much
enlightened. "Another demon."
"I witnessed everyone's testimony," avowed Liss loyally. "It's all true. We
even questioned the demon, though that wasn't much use. When Lord Arhys was
struck in the fight this morning by that Jokonan lancer, the cut appeared on
Lord Illvin's body. It was dreadfully uncanny." She added reflectively, "Bled
like a stuck pig, too. Well, so he would they do stick pigs with lances, I
think."
Ista glanced at the sun and measured the shortening shadows in the stone
courtyard. "In a while, you will speak with all concerned, and bear witness as
well. But dy Cabon, listen. I do not know why your god has brought me to this
house of woe. I do not know what, or who, can be saved out of this ghastly
tangle. I do know that at some point, one way or another, that demon has to be
driven out of Lady
Cattilara. It is wild to escape, with her body by preference, but it will kill
her in order to fly in another's if it gains the chance. Arhys is beginning to
deteriorate, body and, I fear, mind as well. Worse I suspect his soul may
already be sundered. Lord Illvin is dying slowly, being drained by this
sorcery of more life than his body can replace. When he dies, his brother
ends, and Cattilara, I believe, will be swallowed by her demon."
She stopped, drew breath, looked around at the shocked faces staring back at
her. Not one, she realized with a chill, was staring at her as though she had
gone mad. They were all staring at her as though she was going to tell them
what to do next.
Booted footsteps echoed in the archway. Ista looked up to see Lord Arhys
enter, observe her and her little court, and approach. He stopped and gave her
a bow, then stood taken rather aback by the staggered, searching looks he was
collecting from his new guests.
"Lord Arhys." Ista's nod acknowledged the bow. "I have been apprising my
escort's acting captain and my spiritual conductor of the true state of
affairs here at Porifors. It is necessary that they know, that they may guard
and advise me to best effect."
"I see." He forced a grimace into an unfelt smile. He paused a moment as if
considering what to say for himself apologize for being dead, perhaps? then,
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apparently defeated by the quandary, passed on to more immediate affairs. "My
scouts are dispatched, but not yet returned. Our prisoners were not very
cooperative, but it appears their patrol was the screen of some larger force,
given the task of cutting communications on the road between Porifors and Oby.
And that the attack on dy Gura and the divine was premature in some fashion
that we were unable to extract from them, for all the howls we squeezed out.
We are taking precautions topping our cisterns, warning the town, sending
riders to alert outlying areas to be on guard. I have heard nothing of such a
Jokonan force from my own men along the border, but ... I have been much
distracted from my duties these past few days."
Ista pursed her lips on a worried exhalation. "An attack from Jokona? Why
now?"
He shrugged. "A delayed reprisal for the death of their princess? We had
expected one before this. Or
... a much-less-delayed attempt to regain a great prize, lately lost." His
gaze on her was grave.
Despite the heat, Ista shivered. "I would not chose to bring down such trouble
on any host, least of all you. Perhaps ... I should remove to Oby." Run away?
A beguilingly sensible cowardice, that. Leave this castle, leave this tangle,
leave these anguished and benighted souls to sink under the accumulating
weight of their misjudgments, misery, and love . . . she could run away. She
could.
"Perhaps." He gave her an ambiguous nod. "But only if we can be sure we have
secured the road, or else we would just be delivering you into Jokonan hands,
a gift already unwrapped. I must ride out this afternoon I can't stop now. You
must see that," he added with peculiar earnestness. "You must not stop me
now."
"Since I know not how," she sighed, "you are safe from that chance for the
moment. Other chances, I
cannot speak for."
"I shall be forced to take my rest, shortly "
"Illvin must be allowed to eat, especially now," she said, alarmed.
"I do not wish otherwise. But I would see his new wound, first."
"Ah. That would be wise, I think."
As he seemed to expect her company, she rose and followed him up the stairs,
her people trailing in unconcealed curiosity. The entry of so many persons
alarmed Goram, whom Ista tried to reassure with a few soft words; he seemed
more consoled by Liss's kindly pat on his shoulder. At the march's direction,
he unwrapped Illvin's new bandage. Arhys's inspection was brief, experienced,
and grim. Foix and dy
Cabon peered with diffident interest at the bloody tear in Arhys's tunic as he
bent over his silent brother.
When the march turned away, they crowded up to the bedside to get a whispered
account from Liss.
Arhys's hand clenched and unclenched on his sword hilt. He murmured to Ista,
standing with him a little apart, "I confess, I was not altogether sorry to
find those Jokonan soldiers out on my road this morning. I
think some part of me was starting to hope for a better death. Less .. .
ignominious, than the first, less shameful to my father's honor. I see there
is a problem with this plan."
"Yes," said Ista.
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