CHAPTER 44
Butu wished he could see Jani’s face. He grinned slightly at the mouth-open astonishment on Lujo’s.
Jani’s voice was steady. “You’re saying Philquek is right. Pisor’s legendary powers are a myth. If the Sword of Kings doesn’t grant the king incredible magic, it probably also doesn’t give the kingmaker the power to unmake him.”
“No,” Lujo said, shaking his head. “We saw what happened to Urgaruna. The legends must be true.”
The silence stretched.
“The legends are true, but Amber is not the kingmaker,” Butu said.
Lujo spoke first, this time. “How is that possible? We all saw her take Pisor from that diamond and give it to Philquek. He accepted it, so he’s king, and she’s kingmaker.”
Jani spoke from near Lujo, causing him to jump slightly. “I’ve read about it. Anyone young enough to use magic can make a king by giving Pisor to someone who isn’t. There’s no ceremony. You can be tricked into it, for that matter. One story told of a kingmaker who tried to hide Pisor, and some farmer adult found it and became king.”
“Kerik pi’Zhekara,” Lujo whispered. “He rode into Memok driving a wagon, to sell pots his sons had made.” He shook his head in bewilderment.
“You know the name?” Jani was incredulous. “No, wait, no, don’t tell me. Butu, Amber’s the right age. Turu as much as a month past their mirjuvas have made kings. I see no reason at all why she wouldn’t be the kingmaker.”
“Amber isn’t the kingmaker because the sword isn’t Pisor,” Lujo murmured. He sounded amused.
Butu’s smile broadened, his certainty growing. “Mnemon wanted to put an end to kings forever. He risked his life to cross the shanjin, seeking Urgaruna. He hoped the curse that made the rock so difficult to find would hide the sword. If anyone did find it, they’d have no water to get home with.”
Lujo nodded. “To find the city, it would take an army making an organized search or a lone explorer making a hundred trips, but the curse prevented more than one person at a time from finding Urgaruna as surely as it stopped anyone from finding it more than once.”
“Exactly,” Butu said. “But it wasn’t enough for Mnemon. He knew someday the curse might fade.”
“He must have found his way in the same way we did,” Lujo said, getting excited. “He could have used that same talent to put a sword in a block of Turun diamond.”
“Yes!” Butu tried to keep his excited voice low. He and Lujo exchanged grins. “That would preserve any sword for as long as needed, but Pisor wouldn’t need it!”
“So, you think the sword Philquek has isn’t Pisor, but you think it’s still somewhere inside the city of Urgaruna,” Jani said, sounding more like she believed him.
“Yes,” Butu said. “And I need you to tell Blay and the others what we’ve seen. That way we’re completing the mission and not deserting. We can’t sneak out of the Akdren camp, but you can.”
“And you mean for us to stay here and enjoy the treatment afforded honored captives, right?” Lujo asked, but he didn’t sound like he believed it.
Butu shook his head. “We can’t. If Philquek doesn’t come to the same conclusion we did, some other Akdren will. We need to find Pisor before they do.” He didn’t say, I’m certain we’re not as honored as we were told we were, either.
“You just said we can’t sneak out of the Akdren camp,” Lujo objected.
“No, but maybe we can sneak deeper into it. They think they have Pisor, remember?” Butu hoped he sounded more confident than he did. “Besides, all we have to do is get to the rock, and you can do the rest.” He grinned. “We’ll go back in the way we did the first time.”
Lujo moaned a little.
He’s worried his magic will fail, Butu thought. I don’t blame him.
Lujo yawned and shook his hand, irritated at being tired. “Can’t Jani just sneak inside, take the sword and take it to the Ahjea? Why do we have to be involved at all?”
“I can’t do it alone,” Jani said before Butu could respond. “I doubt Mnemon would have left it out in the open, and I can’t tunnel through rock like you can.”
Lujo looked crestfallen. “I’m worried about my magic,” he muttered.
“We’ll get past that,” Butu said firmly, trying to believe it himself.
Jani took a deep breath and released it. “I’ll let Blay and the others know. Be careful though. Our mission is to keep any of the clans from getting Pisor, and that fails if you lead Philquek right to it.”
“Of course,” Butu said, and Lujo agreed tiredly. He felt Akdren coming toward the tent. “You’d better be going, now. They’re bringing us some food.”
“See you soon,” Jani whispered, and then she was either gone or pretending to be.
Eight sordenu to bring food for two guests? Butu wondered, frowning as the soldiers paraded into the tent with bowls in their hands. Empty, he noted, and leapt to his feet a second before they drew their weapons. He suppressed a cry of fear.
“Don’t make any sudden moves,” a sordenu suggested in a husky voice. Butu recognized him as one of those who had been with Philquek in the crystal palace of Urgaruna.
Six had swords out, but the other two held slings at the ready. If he ran, they would kill him.
Unless my magic protects me. His doubts mirrored Lujo’s, though, and he didn’t trust that it would.
The sordenu stripped them of the rest of their weapons and armor, leaving them standing in their coarse and sweat-soaked uniforms. They searched the pockets of the clothes, and hooted when they found Butu’s small pouch that held some of his coins and the marble Amber had given him. Taking the coins, they tossed the pouch back at him, muttering something about kids playing at soldiers.
“What is the meaning of this?” Lujo demanded. “Philquek al’Akdren himself commanded we be treated as honored guests.”
“There’s been a change of plans,” the familiar sordenu said. “You’re both spies and treaty-breakers, and you will be punished accordingly.”
Butu thought of the speckled snake and briefly tasted of bile. He forced himself to calm down. Lujo can dig us out easily, and we can slip out when no one is watching. This actually makes our mission easier.
Lujo seemed to suddenly shrink, but it took Butu a fraction of a second to realize he was sinking into the ground. Too slowly, though. One of the sordenu grabbed Lujo by the front of his uniform and lifted him out of the sand.
“It looks like we’ll have to kill this one the other way,” another said with a laugh.
A shrill whistle rang in Butu’s ear — two long notes. He wasn’t sure what was the source of the sound, but because he could sense no movement, he guessed it was a whistle made with tongue and teeth.
Another squad of sordenu came to the tent, swords drawn and ready. Lujo tried to kick free, but they quickly dragged him outside.
“Lujo!” Butu lifted his arm heedlessly and knocked the swords away from his throat, surging forward. Someone shoved him from the side, and he sprawled to the ground. Three sword points were leveled at him, and the captain’s eyes were tiny white specks above him. His arm stung, but the cuts were shallow.
All the sordenu were larger and stronger than he was. In moments, they were carrying him squirming on their shoulders like the hero of the day. Some of them had shovels. Not many sordenu were awake at this hour, but enough were to make nasty comments at Butu as they marched him past.
Lujo’s cries moved farther and farther away and then vanished in the general midnight camp noises. Not long after that, Butu lost track of Lujo’s location.
Maybe they took him inside Urgaruna or behind a dune where I can’t sense him, Butu thought, clinging to hope. If they’re not going to give me a simple death, they won’t to him, either.