Shadowblood

Chapter Four

Rik waited behind the curtain in the alcove, hardly daring to breath. He kept very quiet and very still, two things at which he had a lot of practise. Through a slit in the drape he could see the plush leather covered chairs. Asea welcomed High Inquisitor Joran and bade him take a seat. It had not taken long for the High Inquisitor to come calling. He had barely been in Halim a day.

“This is a pleasure, Lord Joran,” Asea said. “It does my heart good to see you here. We shall soon need all the help we can get.”

“It is through the mercy of the Light that I am here. The way was long and beset with peril.”

“We live in troubled times.”

“You speak the truth.” A note of subtle irony sounded in the statement. Joran had a wonderful voice, and he used it with the skill of a virtuoso.

“You must tell me of your journey.”

“Winter is a bad time of the year for travelling- the mountain passes were closed. It was deemed inadvisable to sail through Harven so that meant landing at Westport and overlanding it. After that snow, bandits, poor food, abominable roads. I will not bore you with the sordid details.”

“You could not bore me.”

“I have read your letters to the Queen with great interest. It is one of the reasons I am here. Queen Arielle has asked me to look into the matters you refer to.”

I have read your letters to the Queen. There was an assurance of power, of familiarity with the monarch, a hint of confidences betrayed, of a grasp of the upper echelons of power in Joran’s voice. Rik was unsure as to why the Inquisitor had taken that line. He was as out of his depths here as a Terrarch would be in the rookeries of Sorrow.

“I am glad she takes you into her confidence as well. It reassures me that one so wise should have her ear.” Asea’s voice too held hints of other things. She had been the Queen’s confidante for much longer than Joran, or so she implied.

“You flatter me, Asea, although my vanity welcomes your words.”

Asea’s tone changed. Bonhomie evaporated. There was a clipped menace to her delivery. “Since you are privy to my private correspondence with Arielle, you know that I fear someone seeks to open a Gate to Al’Terra.”

Joran’s reply was as easy as his previous statements. “It is one reason why I am here. That is a matter of the utmost gravity…if a Gate has been opened then it heralds the end of the world as we know it.”

“And yet you said the Gate is only one of the reasons you are here.”

“You are correct. Her majesty is very disturbed by rumours concerning the death of her cousin, Queen Kathea. It almost beggars belief that Lord Malkior was the killer. He was a Terrarch of the old blood, one of the First. Hardly an assassin.”

“I believe we can be frank with each other, Inquisitor Joran. Lord Malkior was a follower of the Shadow.”

Rik suppressed a shudder. That information was not something he wanted revealed to the Inquisition. It might lead to questions about his own heritage.

“You are asking me to believe that one of the First, a high noble of the Terrarchy was a servant of the Princes of Shadow?” Joran’s tone was good-humoured but Rik heard the subtle mockery in it. He wondered whether it was real, or merely intended to goad Asea into saying more. He had known thief takers who used similar such techniques. Her response was dry.

“It has happened before.”

“On Al’Terra.”

“Your order has accused others of being followers of Shadow on this world.”

“Indeed it has. I suspect a lot of those charges with trumped up for political reasons.”

“You seem remarkably cynical about such things for an Inquisitor.”

Joran sighed. “I have been a seeker after truth for a very long time, Milady. You and I are both aware of how these things work. Times were bad during the Conquest. Questionable things were done during the Schism as well.”

“You are saying you do not believe me?”

“That I did not say. I am merely saying it’s a disturbing thing to hear talk of things emerging from our darkest legends to walk in the light of day.”

“Such things have happened before.”

“I would prefer to believe, as some of my generation do, that the Shadow is a mere metaphor for the darkness in our souls.”

“You were not born on Al’Terra. You did not see the wars we fought.”

“I lack that privilege.”

“You may not lack it for long. If the Gate is opened.”

“As you have said, we can be frank with each other. One reason I am here is to find out if there was any reason for you spreading these disturbing tales, if you hoped to gain something from telling these things to the Queen.”

“What could I have to gain from it?”

“From our invading Sardea? Your animosity towards the Queen-Empress is well known.”

“As is Queen Arielle’s.”

“The fate of nations is rarely decided by one person’s likes or dislikes; rational calculations of self interest usually intervene.”

“One would like to believe so. I have seen it otherwise.”

“In your letter you hinted that you knew who killed Her Majesty’s mother.”

“Malkior did that.”

“Many people suspected your hand in that.”

A flat silence descended on the room. Joran was only saying what many people thought, but Rik guessed very few people had ever said it to her face. After a beat the Inquisitor continued. “It certainly lets you off the hook if it’s true.”

Asea did not reply and Joran was the first to break the silence that ensued.

“I am merely reporting what has been said. What happened to Malkior? I have heard rumours of his body being cut up and buried in separate pieces.”

Joran had certainly acquired a lot of information in the short time he was here. It might be a good idea to find out who the Inquisitor had talked with since his arrival. There were informers everywhere.

“Hanging, drawing and quartering is the usual fate of regicides.”

“But according to what you told the Queen, Malkior was already dead.”

“That does not alter the penalty.”

“True, and it would prevent any unfortunate attempts at resurrection or reanimation. I understand it was your acquaintance, the half-breed Rik who killed him.”

“Along with the Palace guard.”

“I would like to talk to the youth.”

“I am sure that can be arranged.”

“Let us hope so. I am keen to hear his side of the story. I have not summoned him yet for he is under your protection and I wanted to discuss matters with you first.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I would like to talk with him- soon.”

“You shall. He has nothing to hide.”

“We all have something to hide.”

“That statement includes yourself, Inquisitor.”

“As a member of the Inquisition I have a special dispensation for my sins. They are committed in the service of church and state. This is very fine wine by the way.”

“It comes from my cellar in Redtower.”

“I understand you have petitioned the Queen to be allowed to adopt this Rik into your House.”

Although she had told Rik she had done this, the Inquisitor’s words confirmed it. He felt a thrill pass through him. In this, as in other things, she appeared to be keeping her word.

“I trust the Queen has approved.”

“It is a most unusual request. He is a half-breed.”

“That is the case, but he is as gifted as many full Terrarchs. He has more raw talent for sorcery than anyone I have ever encountered, and it would be a dangerous thing to leave him untutored.”

“There is more than one way of dealing with that.” The menace was obvious in the Inquisitor’s voice.

“It would be a crime to waste such talent when it could be at the disposal of the realm.”

“Human sorcerers have proven very prone to corruption by the Shadow.”

“In this case, I believe the Terrarch side of his heritage will prove the stronger.”

“Have you any idea of the boy’s parentage?”

“The human mother is known. The father is not.”

“He was raised by humans?”

“An orphanage in Sorrow, and then a soldier of the Queen.” Rik was glad Asea had missed out the long period between when he fled the orphanage and took the Queen’s coin. He doubted Joran would be too thrilled to hear about his time as a thief on the streets of Sorrow. But all it would take would be a little digging for him to find out, and who knew where that would lead?

“He freed the unfortunate Queen Kathea from the Serpent Tower.”

“If she had lived she might have ennobled him herself.”

“It’s a pity she did not then, for that would have saved us some difficulties.”

“Difficulties?”

“These are not tolerant times. There are factions are Court who would not look kindly on the ennobling of one with human blood. The Emerald faction is a power in the land now. I don’t have to tell you that.”

“If there is anything I can do to help smooth the path. I am not without friends or gold.”

“I would be pleased to talk with this Rik as soon as possible.”

“I will make sure he gets the message.”

“What do you think of Lieutenant Sardec?”

“He is a very conscientious young officer.”

“I understand he has a human lover. He fought a duel over her.”

“I have heard some such gossip. I can assure you it in no way impairs his efficiency.”

“He was in command of your bodyguard during your mission to Harven.”

“And before that, when I visited Deep Achenar.”

“That was a mission for which he should have been commended. As I understand it, you prevented Uran Ultar from being resurrected. The return of such a demon at this exact moment could have been very dangerous to our war effort.”

“I think it’s all part of a pattern.”

“I am inclined to agree. We sent people to Achenar. They found the bodies of the Ultari, and the Magisters detected the residual energies of the portal. I read the report. So did her majesty.”

“You have been busy.”

“Not as busy as you. We would like to know more about the disappearance of the Serpent Tower as well. Was it destroyed by sorcery?”

“Ilmarec destroyed it. He intended to use the Serpent Men’s ancient weapons against us. It was a plan that backfired to our advantage.”

“You’ve left quite a trail of devastation behind you this past year, Milady.”

“I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Or the right place at the right time. One thing about this unfortunate train of events works in your favour. All of them have been to the advantage of Talorea. Ilmarec opposed our intervention here in Kharadrea. Uran Ultar’s followers could have tied down our army on the border. I understand there was some business with animated corpses in Halim’s main graveyard.”

Asea nodded. “There’s plenty of work for an Inquisitor here.”

“A dirty business that- done by Jaderac. Another Sardean.”

“Yes. Another Sardean.”

“That place seems infested with dark magicians,” Again there was that slight mocking note in his voice. “If you wanted to make a case for the invasion that would play well with the Temple, you could not have done better.”

“Surely you are not implying that I have fabricated all this?”

“No, dear lady, I am not, but you must understand this- we are both a long way from the Amber city, and many strange theories get thrown about there, by people who have not been on the spot, who would like to believe that you have some ulterior motive, who suspect you perhaps of being as political as themselves.”

“You are not like that, of course.”

“I am a simple servant of the Temple. I seek only to establish the truth of what is going on here.”

Asea laughed outright. “The function of the Inquisition has changed over the past few years.”

Joran joined in her mirth. “No. That is not the case. You know as well as I that the Inquisition has many levels and many functions. Some Inquisitors seek out heretics. Some correct the errors of our human subjects. Some, like myself, are concerned with the realities of politics and seeing that the Temple navigates those tricky shoals without foundering.”

“I have heard that you bear the gift of the cleansing flame.”

“That is another of my functions. In this life we are all called on to play many roles.”

“You have seen how it is here. The dead do not rest, and those that are not burned rise again.”

“You have some theory about why this is happening now?”

“Jaderac performed a dreadful ritual and unleashed strange powers. I think someone else has assayed that ritual on a far larger scale.”

“I have heard reports that the dead walk throughout Kharadrea. Surely no spell can be that powerful, not on this world at least.”

“Who can tell? All winter winds of corruption carried this plague from the East and those who die of it rise again to threaten us. I think someone there has mastered ancient necromancy. I think they are using such sorcery as the Princes of Shadow used.”

“Such magic is impossible.”

“Events have proved that to be untrue. If someone has opened a Gate there are ways of bleeding power from it. With such power, one could perform so powerful a spell.”

“That is not the only thing you could do. If you could open a Gate, you could bring the Princes of Shadow and their armies to our world.”

“I see you grasp the danger of our situation and why I am concerned and think the Queen should be too.”

“You suspect that the Sardeans may be behind this.”

There was an urgency in Joran’s voice now that was obvious even to Rik. For all his earlier questioning they seemed to have come to the point in the interview that held most interest for him. Rik shook his head. Perhaps the Inquisitor merely wanted Asea to think that, perhaps it was a feint designed to hide his true interests and intentions.

“Yes,” said Asea.

“Why do you think that?”

“Malkior was very powerful there, a former Chancellor. He was in a position to encourage the rot.”

“It always comes back to him with you, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps because that is the way of things.”

“His death begs other questions.”

“I know. Who were his followers? Who will replace him as their leader? How great was his influence?”

“How high does the corruption go? He was the Empress Arachne’s lover.”

“I know that too.”

Rik thought he saw where this was going. If the Taloreans successfully invaded Sardea, there would be purges of all the people under discussion. This was a weapon that could be used to discredit the Queen Empress and all of Malkior’s party and be used to replace them. Tamara would not do well if the Taloreans won.

In many ways it did not really matter whether Malkior was a Shadowblood or not. He could see that it would suit the powers that be in Talorea to believe that he was. The truth was merely incidental to that. Perhaps Joran might prove a useful ally to Asea’s cause. He appeared to be all in favour of the invasion.

Unless, of course, all this talk was merely a method of making him look that way while he went about other business.

“And there’s one more thing about the undead plague,” Asea said. There was something in her tone that made Rik’s hackles rise.

“What’s that, Milady?” Joran asked.

“We must ask ourselves why someone is raising so many of the dead.”

“To tie down our forces, to demoralise us, to weaken our will.”

“I fear all of that and more.”

“More?”

“There are spells to control the risen dead as well as animate them. Imagine what would happen if we find ourselves fighting against armies of the dead.”

“That is a chilling thought,” the Inquisitor said.

Rik had to agree.