Ironcrown Moon: Part Two of the Boreal Moon Tale. Julian May

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СКАЧАТЬ was on his feet, clenching his big fists. He began to pace back and forth. A flash of lightning lit the room, followed almost at once by a crash of thunder. ‘Damn that scheming wizard! I knew I should have lopped off his treacherous head. But our mother couldn’t bear losing her precious brother!’

      Queen Mother Cataldis was a gentle but steel-willed woman. Neither Conrig nor Stergos could bring themselves to oppose her.

       Three visiting Brothers…scholars…outside library yesterday when all the others were away at the Solstice Eve feast.

      ‘Lord Stergos says there were three suspicious Brothers of Zeth working near his apartment yesterday,’ Snudge said. ‘By the library.’

      The High King bent over the bandaged man. ‘Gossy! Can you tell Snudge their names?’

       Can’t recall. Ask Dean of Studies, Vra-Edzal.

      Snudge reached for a wax tablet and stylus that lay on a bedside table beside a tray of medicines, wrote the name down, and handed the tablet to the king. ‘This man will know, sire.’

       Deveron…examine my rooms. See if there really is a hiding place…empty. Those unholy tools of the Beaconfolk must not reach Kilian…Aahl The pain…very bad.

      ‘Never fear, my lord. I’ll do as you say. If Darasilo’s Trove has been stolen, the thieves can’t have gone far yet. We’ll catch them.’

       The sigils and books must be destroyed You know what Kilian and Beynor would do with them. Even my dear brother might…Promise me!

      ‘I promise, my lord.’

       The pain…the pain…No more, Deveron. Summon the doctors and I’ll take the poppy draft. God have mercy on me ..

      ‘What’s he saying?’ Conrig demanded.

      ‘He’s finished speaking. He wants the doctors. He’s in agony.’

      Conrig strode to the door and shouted for the medical attendants to return. They flocked back, and several of them lifted the burn victim, parted the ointment-smeared bandages covering his mouth, and administered the narcotic draft that had been refused earlier.

      ‘You must leave him now, Your Grace,’ one of the doctors said. ‘He will sleep for many hours.’

      Conrig scowled, but he finally turned away and beckoned Snudge to follow. When the two of them were alone in the corridor, the king asked sharply, ‘What did you promise Lord Stergos you would do?’

      ‘Pursue the mysterious Brothers,’ Snudge said evasively, ‘presuming they stole the sigils and the books.’

      ‘If those three are the villains who burned poor Gossy,’ the king said with quiet menace, ‘they shall have their own close acquaintance with flame.’

      ‘Perhaps they’re still hiding in the palace. But it’s more likely that they escaped in the confusion and fled the city. A search must begin at once, sire. You’ll need to summon this Vra-Edzal. He can provide the names and descriptions of the three, and perhaps even arrange for drawings of their faces. This would greatly assist both the windsearchers and the untalented hunters. The Lord Constable, Earl Marshal Parlian, and the other members of your Privy Council will have to know about this.’

      Including Duke Feribor Blackhorse, who might have played a key role in the disaster! But there was no way of proving that, nor even any chance now of discussing the possibility with Stergos.

      ‘Hmm.’ Conrig looked away, thinking. ‘I must decide how much to tell my counselors. Unfortunately, we can’t avoid giving out some sort of description of the stolen trove. But it should be as vague as possible – old books of great value only to alchymists, and a few small stone carvings. We’ll offer a large reward, but make it seem that the most important consideration is capturing those who wounded Stergos and destroyed the library. All of the searchers will be sworn to secrecy. Others will learn soon enough about this damned collection of moonstone sigils, but we must keep their dread capability secret. Only you and I and Stergos must ever know of that.’

      ‘Not the Conjure-Queen?’ Snudge asked softly. ‘Her Subtle Loophole would readily scry the location of the stolen things.’

      ‘God forbid! If Ullanoth found them before we did, it could bring on a catastrophe far worse than the one we already face. You do understand that, don’t you, Snudge?’

      ‘Yes, sire. I was not sure you did.’

      ‘Impudence…’

      ‘However, you face something of a dilemma here, sire. I think Queen Ullanoth is bound to learn something about the theft before long. News of the palace fire will spread from one end of the island to the other. Fortunately for us, there’s no easy way for her to get her hands on the trove, even if she scries its location. Her Sending is unable to take back anything to its point of origin. She’d have to come after the trove using her natural body. That would be quite difficult for her, given the situation in Moss and her present state of physical frailty.’

      ‘What are you driving at? What’s the dilemma?’

      ‘If the thieves aren’t captured in short order, you may be forced to ask for her help. To prevent the trove from falling into the hands of Kilian or Beynor.’

      ‘God’s Eyes! Of course. One of them certainly planned the theft.’

      ‘Or both,’ Snudge said. ‘This is what Lord Stergos believes. He asked me to inspect the scene of the conflagration. Perhaps I might find some useful indications.’

      ‘The burned-out wing can hardly be cool yet, but the oncoming rainstorm will take care of that.’ Outside the corridor windows it had grown very dark, and the lightning and peals of thunder were now almost continuous. ‘When you finish, come to my study. We still must talk of the reason why I called you back to the city.’

      Snudge let his chagrin show. ‘How remiss of me! This terrible disaster wiped all thought of the other matter from my mind.’

      ‘We’ll talk of it later.’ Conrig turned abruptly and strode away.

      Snudge started off in the opposite direction, intending to go to the knights’ lodging in the Square Tower where he had left Gavlok and the others. He was going to need help searching the ruins, and he already felt deathly weary. The anguish emanating from the mind of Lord Stergos had deeply affected his own humor. It was a troubling aspect of his wild talent that he was only beginning to come to terms with. There were other considerations as well, but they didn’t bear thinking of now.

      And neither did his motive for not telling King Conrig all that he had promised Lord Stergos.

      

      Snudge, Gavlok, and the three squires armed themselves with iron-shafted pikes, donned waterproof military cloaks and heavy boots, then set off to begin the miserable task of poking through steaming rubble. A torrential deluge now beat down upon the palace. Since the damaged wing had largely lost its roof and was open to the elements, the rain had quenched the last of the flames. Most of the firefighters had withdrawn.

      When СКАЧАТЬ