of the earthenware jars they were passing around.
‘Strange place to be holding a drinking-party,’ Ulath murmured. I wouldn’t come out this far into the woods for something as ordinary as that.’
‘Is this it?’ Vanion asked Flute, who was nestled in Sephrenia’s arms, concealed by her sister’s dark cloak.
‘Is this what?’
‘You know what I mean. Is this what we’re supposed to see?’
‘I think so,’ she replied. ‘I’ll know better when they all get here.’
‘Are there more coming?’
She nodded. ‘One, at least. The ones who are already here don’t matter.’
They waited as the peasants in the clearing grew progressively more and more rowdy.
Then a lone horseman appeared at the far edge of the clearing, near the road. The newcomer wore a dark cloak and a slouch hat pulled low over his face.
‘Not again,’ Talen groaned. ‘Doesn’t anybody on this continent have any imagination?’
‘What’s this?’ Vanion asked.
‘The one they call Sabre up in Astel wore the same kind of clothes, my Lord.’
‘Maybe this one’s different.’
‘I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high.’
The man on horseback rode into the firelight, dismounted, and pushed back his hat. He was a tall, gangly man with a long, pock-marked face and narrow eyes. He stepped up onto a tree-stump and stood waiting for the peasants to gather around him. ‘Hear me, my friends,’ he said in a loud, harsh voice. ‘I bring news.’
The half-drunk babble of the peasants faded.
‘Much has happened since last we met,’ the speaker continued. ‘You will recall that we had determined to make one last try to resolve our differences with the Tamuls by peaceful means.’
‘What choice did we have, Rebal?’ one of the peasants shouted. ‘Only madmen would attack the Atan garrison – no matter how just their cause.’
‘So that’s Rebal,’ Kalten whispered. ‘Not very impressive, is he?’
‘Our cause was made just by Incetes himself,’ Rebal was responding, ‘and Incetes is more than a match for the Atans.’
The mob murmured its agreement.
‘There is good news, my friends,’ Rebal declared. ‘Our emissaries have been successful. The Emperor himself has seen the justice of our cause!’
A ragged cheer went up.
‘I rejoice even as you,’ Rebal continued, ‘but a new peril, far more grave than the simple injustice of the corrupt Tamul administrators, has arisen. The Emperor, who is now our friend, has been taken prisoner by the accursed Church Knights! The evil Archprelate of the Church of Chyrellos has reached half-way around the world to seize our friend!’
‘Outrageous!’ a burly peasant in the crowd roared. ‘Monstrous!’
The rest of the peasants looked a bit confused, however.
‘He’s going too fast,’ Talen whispered critically.
‘What?’ Berit asked.
‘He’s changing course on them,’ Talen explained. ‘I’d guess that he’s been cursing the Tamuls for the last year or so – the same way Sabre was up in Astel. Now he wants to curse somebody else, but he’s got to uncurse the Tamuls first. Even a drunken peasant’s going to have some suspicions about the miraculous conversion of the Emperor. He made it all too fast – and too easy.’
‘Tell us, Rebal,’ the burly peasant shouted, ‘how was our friend, the Emperor, taken prisoner?’
‘Yes, tell us!’ another man on the far side of the crowd howled.
‘Planted henchmen,’ Talen sneered. ‘This Rebal’s about as subtle as a club in the face.’
‘It was clever, my friends,’ Rebal declared to the crowd, ‘very clever. The Church of Chyrellos is guided by the demons of Hell, and they are the masters of deceit. The Tamuls, who are now our friends, are heathens, and they do not understand the guile of the heretics of Chyrellos. All unsuspecting, they welcomed a delegation of Church officials, and among those foul heretics who journeyed to Matherion were Knights of the Church – the armored minions of Hell itself. Once in Matherion, they seized our dear friend and protector, Emperor Sarabian, and they now hold him prisoner in his own palace!’
‘Death to the Tamuls!’ a wheezy-voiced old man, far gone in drink, bawled.
One of the other peasants rapped him sharply across the back of the head with a cudgel, and the slightly out-of-date demonstrator sagged limply to the ground.
‘Crowd control,’ Talen sniffed. ‘Rebal doesn’t want people making any mistakes here.’
Other peasants, obviously more of Rebal’s planted henchmen, began to shout the correct slogan, ‘Death to the Church Knights!’ They brandished crude weapons and assorted agricultural implements as they bellowed, emphasizing their slogan and intimidating the still-confused.
‘The purpose of these monsters is all too clear,’ Rebal shouted over the tumult. ‘It is their plan to hold the Emperor as hostage to prevent the Atans from storming the palace. They will sit safe where they are until reinforcements arrive. And make no mistake, my friends, those reinforcements are even now gathering on the plains of Eosia. The armies of the heretics are on the march, and in the van there come the Church Knights!’
Horrified gasps ran through the ranks of the peasants.
‘On to Matherion!’ the fellow with the cudgel bellowed. ‘Free the Emperor!’
The crowd took up the shout.
Rebal held up one hand, ‘My blood burns as hotly as yours, my friends!’ he shouted. ‘But will we leave our homes and families to the mercies of the Knights of the Church? All of Eosia marches toward Matherion! And what stands between accursed Eosia and fire-domed Matherion? Edom, my friends! Our beloved homeland stands in the path of the heretic horde! What mercy can we expect from these savages? Who will defend our women from foul rape if we rush to the Emperor’s aid?’
Cries of chagrin ran through the crowd.
Rebal moved quickly at that point. ‘And yet, my friends,’ he rushed on, ‘our defense of our beloved homes may yet aid our friend, the Emperor. The beasts of Eosia come to destroy our faith and to slaughter the true believers. I know not what course you may take, but I pledge to you all that I will lay down my life for our beloved homeland and our holy faith! But in my dying, I will delay the Church Knights! That Spawn of Hell must pause to spill my blood, and their delay will give the Atans the time to rally! Thus may we defend our homes and aid our friend in one stroke!’
Sparhawk began to swear, half strangling to keep his voice down.
