The Shadowmagic Trilogy. John Lenahan

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СКАЧАТЬ next time I had the audacity to ask questions, she would die. Over the next two years I smuggled gold out to the Runelords that had been cut off, and planned a rescue of my wife. I had not seen her for months, and when I finally gained access to the tower, she was not there. I learned that my wife had been killed a month before, defending a fellow prisoner. No one had told me.’ He paused and then forced himself on. ‘I knew that Cialtie would find out I had been there, so I escaped. Ever since I have been organising this secret fighting force. We call ourselves the Army of the Red Hand. Our goal is to dethrone Cialtie.’

      ‘If your army is a secret one,’ I said, ‘then why are you telling us?’

      ‘Out of respect for Prince Araf I will not lie to you, and also because you will not be allowed to leave here until we have mounted our attack.’

      ‘What?’ Araf shouted.

      ‘I am sorry, my lord, this must be,’ Lorcan said, as the room filled with scores of armed guards – none of them, I noticed, were Imps.

      We drew our weapons but it didn’t look good – even if we hacked our way out of this room there was an army outside.

      ‘Put down your weapons,’ Lorcan said, ‘your detainment will not be long. Our attack begins soon.’

      The way I looked at it, putting down weapons was a good idea. If these guys wanted to stuff Cialtie, I wasn’t going to get in their way. I lowered my sword and looked at Araf. He reached into his shirt and came up with a wooden whistle. He blew two shrill notes on it that were so high I thought they were going to pierce my eardrums. The effect was instantaneous: at once there was a tremendous commotion outside the room, and every entrance was flooded with confused Imps brandishing weapons. Araf dropped his staff and held his hands up in a calming gesture. I found myself standing in the middle of a room packed full of confused and agitated Imps and Leprechauns all pointing swords. As usual in situations like this, I laughed.

      An important-looking Imp pushed through the crowd. ‘Prince Araf, what is amiss?’

      Araf glanced at Lorcan. ‘Nothing is amiss, my kinsman. Master Lorcan and I were talking about the loyalty of the Impmen and I provided a demonstration – well done. Now, with Master Lorcan’s leave, you may all go back to your posts – Imps and Leprechauns.’

      All eyes turned to Lorcan, who kept his gaze firmly fixed on Araf. We were in for another one of their famous stare-downs. As usual Araf won. Lorcan nodded and once again it was just Beardy and us.

      Araf stepped up to the Leprechaun – there was so much tension in the air, you could swim in it. Araf spoke first. ‘I have no desire to create a mutiny in your ranks, Lorcan. I understand your need for secrecy and I am not unsympathetic to your ultimate goal, but we must not be detained.’ Before Lorcan could speak, Araf continued. ‘Let me introduce to you a member of my company. This,’ he said, pointing to his left, ‘is Essa of Muhn.’

      Lorcan looked very surprised. He bowed and said, ‘Princess.’

      Essa barely nodded back. It was a nice moment.

      ‘By your lady’s leave,’ Araf said to Essa, ‘would you show Lorcan what is around your neck?’

      Essa pulled out the finger-length crystal that her father had used on me.

      ‘Do you recognise this?’ Araf asked.

      Surprising Lorcan seemed to be becoming a pastime of ours. ‘Is that an Owith glass?’ he stammered.

      ‘It is,’ Essa answered. ‘I believe the queen of the Leprechauns holds the other one.’

      ‘She does. I have seen it.’

      ‘Then you know what it can do?’ Araf asked.

      ‘It catches lies.’

      ‘Essa, would you be willing to give Lorcan a demonstration?’

      Essa took off the necklace and held it towards Lorcan. ‘What is your name?’ she asked.

      ‘Lorcan of Duir.’ The glass remained clear.

      ‘This time,’ Essa said, ‘I want you to lie. What is your name?’

      ‘I am – Finn of Duir,’ Lorcan said. The crystal instantly went black.

      ‘Why we are here and where we are going,’ Araf said, ‘we cannot tell you, but with Essa’s leave, I propose that you may use the glass to swear us to secrecy. The glass will show if we intend to break our vow.’

      Lorcan agreed. We all, in turn, swore to keep secret our knowledge of the Army of the Red Hand and their plan to attack Castle Duir. The glass remained clear. Lorcan returned the necklace and thanked Essa.

      I broke the awkward silence. ‘Hey, what about that cup of tea you promised?’

      By the time dinner was served we were all pals – comrades in arms. Lorcan explained that he really wasn’t ready for an invasion but he had to hurry it because of the meeting of the Runelords.

      ‘What meeting?’ Araf asked.

      ‘Cialtie has called a meeting of the lords for a Runecasting. We suspect he is going to try to find out where we are hiding. We need to attack soon if we want surprise on our side.’

      ‘Who is performing the Runecasting?’ Essa asked.

      ‘Cialtie said it will be Nieve, but according to our sources Nieve has been missing for days. We can’t confirm this.’

      Essa and I looked at each other but said nothing.

      ‘How long before you attack?’ Araf asked.

      ‘I have sent word to all of my reserves to meet here by the end of the week – after that, as soon as we are ready. Some lords are on our side and are trying to delay the meeting.’

      ‘Too long have the Imps and the Impwives watched our crops wither and our children suffer for the want of gold,’ Araf said. ‘I do not know Cialtie’s motives for hoarding so much gold. I only know that I do not trust him. We will leave in the morning. I cannot speak for my companions, but I will try to return to join you before you move out.’ He stood and extended his hand. Lorcan took it.

      ‘I stand with my kinsman,’ Fergal said.

      Essa and I stood. ‘I am ruled by my father and do not know his mind on this matter, but I wish you success,’ Essa said.

      ‘My future is just too crazy to promise I’ll be back in time,’ I said, ‘but kick a bit of Cialtie butt for me – will ya?’

      Araf and Fergal went outside to address the Imp troops. Essa asked Lorcan if we could see the courtyard where the Tree of Knowledge once stood. It wasn’t far. The room we were in was adjacent to the courtyard – it was one of the few rooms that had remained whole. The courtyard was strewn with rubble from walls that had been pulled down. The ground was charred like the bottom of a giant campfire – it smelt like an old campfire as well. Essa walked to the middle and scrabbled in the black dust until she found a charred root.

      ‘This was the Tree of Knowledge,’ СКАЧАТЬ