The Third Kingdom

CHAPTER 71

The glowing spirit of the dead Emperor Sulachan looked thoughtfully out over the landscape they were passing through. “As long as we are on the subject of rule, do you know, Lord Arc, that I commanded great respect and utter loyalty? That I was never challenged from within?”

“Challenged from within?” Hannis Arc was beginning to see that Sulachan had come back into the world of life with a lot on his mind. “What are you getting at.”

“I mean, no one within my inner circle of command—generals, commanders, advisors—ever rose up to challenge me, ever plotted to take my place.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I eliminated all of those who lusted to take my place, those who thought themselves more clever than I. Sometimes, I eliminated them because I knew they were going to have such thoughts even before they themselves knew they would eventually have such thoughts.”

With a thumb, Hannis Arc rubbed a tattooed symbol laid out along the side of his first finger. It was a symbol warning of hidden threats.

“If I might add something…?” the spirit said, glancing over at Hannis Arc in his silent contemplation.

“Please, state your mind.” Hannis Arc gestured between himself and Sulachan. “We are of one purpose in this, after all. We both work toward the same ends. As you have said, you acquired a lot of experience when you ruled such a vast empire. If you have something useful to say, then I would know it.”

The spirit looked pleased. “You have one who serves you with prophecy.”

Hannis Arc considered for a moment. A number of people served him with prophecy. He finally frowned.

“Do you mean Ludwig Dreier? My abbot?”

The spirit glanced back at the vast force of devoted Shun-tuk blanketing the rugged landscape as they followed behind, flooding around the rugged spires. “That is the one. Have you considered what trouble he might be?”

“Trouble?” Hannis Arc flicked a hand dismissively. “Ludwig Dreier is a petty abbot. A nobody. He doesn’t even work at the citadel, with me. He runs a dusty old abbey off in the mountains. He performs a variety of services for me.”

“In what variety of ways does this petty man serve you?”

“Well, I sometimes send him in my place on matters of state. I recently sent him to bring word to the leaders of other lands in the D’Haran Empire of the value of prophecy. As it happened, Lord Rahl had invited all the rulers of all the lands to the People’s Palace, for a wedding. I had business with a Hedge Maid”—he glanced over at Sulachan—“and with you, of course.

“So I sent Ludwig Dreier to the People’s Palace in my place. He was to make overtures to other lands on the value of prophecy and begin the process of winning the loyalty of leaders to our cause, rather than the D’Haran Empire.

“But his main work is to bring me prophecy. That is his job, the work of the abbey he runs.”

Hannis Arc watched the king of the dead walk in silence for a moment. He finally spoke what was on his mind.

“And has he ever told you how he collects that prophecy for you?”

Hannis Arc cast about in his memory, trying to think if Dreier had ever told him anything specific.

“It’s all pretty routine work. He deals with country people, the cunning folk out in the less-populated areas of Fajin Province and the Dark Lands, looking for anyone with any modicum of talent at foretelling from whom he might be able to coax prophecy. Some such people are born with minor ability to see into prophetic visions. Ludwig Dreier tests these people for what prophecy they might be capable of giving. If there is such prophecy among the country folk and he discovers it, then it should properly come to me.

“Lord Rahl has always been secretive about prophecy, and will not share what he knows of it. People have a right to prophecy. Prophecy is not the property of the few. It belongs to all of us.

“Unlike Lord Rahl, I understand and use prophecy.” He gestured at the corpse walking beside him. “After all, that is part of how you are able to be here in this world again. Had it not been for prophecy I might not have unlocked the paths necessary to bring you back from the underworld.

“Sometimes those simple country people require an incentive to get them to concentrate their minds to such a complex task as giving forth prophecy. He pressures them in various ways to focus their thoughts on what we seek so that they will be able to give prophecy, if they in fact are truly gifted in the art.”

“So he tortures them to get them to focus.”

Hannis Arc shrugged. “Well, yes, on occasion, when necessary, I suppose. I leave it to him to decide what is necessary. I don’t need to waste my time with such petty matters. I leave it to him.

“He is very effective at his work. He has brought me some remarkable prophecy. Not the prophecy I found myself, from my own more in-depth studies that I used for all this”—he swept a hand back toward the Shun-tuk behind them—“for understanding how this fits into everything, and for calling you back. But he has proven useful over the years with prophecy that has turned out to be not only true, but quite timely and useful.

“I have books in which we record the prophecy he collects. He sends it on to the citadel, I look it all over, and then we record it.”

The spirit king gazed up at a wisp of gray overcast trailing down. “Do you know that he tampers with the world of the dead in order to obtain that prophecy?”

Hannis Arc missed a step. “No.… In what way? And how do you know?”

“Well, since I exist in that underworld, I know what happens there. You would have been unaware of such things taking place, of course, but part of my value in this alliance is to know of events in that world. You have seen things of importance here—evidence and indications—while I have seen such things of importance there, in that world.”

“Yes, that has proven to be mutually beneficial, and it will be even more so in the future. But what of Ludwig Dreier? What news could you have from the underworld about him?”

“He meddles in things you don’t know about. He meddles in prophecy in ways that you don’t know about or suspect. I know this because he uses his talents to send tentacles in my world to draw out that prophecy.”

Hannis Arc’s anger rose in a hot fury. “For what purpose?”

The spirit king glanced over out of the corner of a transparent, glowing eye. “What purpose indeed? What purpose would a man have not to tell his master what he was doing, and how he was doing it … unless he has designs on one day taking rule for himself.”

Hannis Arc felt his seething anger boil to the surface.

The glowing spirit leaned toward him. “Now that I am risen from the dead, and my spirit has joined us here, is there really any purpose for an abbot who schemes behind your back with occult conjuring of his own? For an abbot who has designs on your rule?

“What possible service could he provide you that would be worth the risk?” He gestured behind. “You have all you need to carry out any order. These half people and all the dead you can use are yours to command. You will have the world kneeling at your feet, begging to do your bidding. Why tolerate a potential threat from within?” He smiled again. “Why worry about a knife in your back?”

“Why indeed,” Hannis Arc said through gritted teeth.

He had always thought of Ludwig Dreier as a loyal subject with no interest other than to assist his master. He had thought him a man without any personal designs on ruling anything more than his abbey.

Hannis Arc was furious to learn that after giving Ludwig Dreier his position and trusting him with responsibilities such as going to the People’s Palace in his place and with speaking to leaders of other lands, the man would scheme to usurp rule. Hannis Arc wondered just how much his abbot had already done to undermine him.

Dark thoughts of what he wanted to do to Ludwig Dreier drifted through his mind. He reminded himself that it was still possible that it wasn’t true. Sulachan could be wrong.

But what difference did it make? Ludwig Dreier wasn’t needed any longer, and Sulachan was right that it made sense to eliminate the threat, or the potential for it to become one.

The spirit king gestured back to the legions of half people blanketing the landscape, moving like a silent shadow on their march.

“For your purpose, you don’t need all of these here with us. Having most of them with us is more than enough. Once we get to where we’re going, we will raise all the dead we need from the catacombs, the crypts, tombs, and graves. We will have all the dead we could ever need to accomplish what you wish to accomplish. It is impossible for such a force to be disloyal. You shall have a virtually endless army that will follow your commands without question or delay. You will rule without opposition.”

Hannis Arc glanced back at the half people amassed behind.

“Besides sending some behind to feast on the captives, we should send others to the abbey.”

The spirit king nodded. “So be it.” He turned a little and lifted a hand, using two fingers to summon a contingent of the half people to receive their orders.

Hannis Arc knew from experience that they would be only too eager to be let off their leash to hunt the abbey, as well as feed on the captives down in the caves.

The risen spirit king was proving to be useful beyond Hannis Arc’s wildest imagination. He had never before had the companionship of such an equal in determination, purpose, and ruthlessness.

Soon, they would shape the world to their will.