"Of course I'll find him. Surely Cordia is not so big that I can't find someone."
Now Sa'Ari began to look worried. "Cordia's pretty big," she said.
"I will find your Da," said Ja'Nil firmly. It was true that she had never been to a city, but after all, how much bigger than a Fisherfolk village or Redbird Keep could a city be?
"Remember," said Sa'Ari, "he goes to the White Trytore tavern on Wolfbane Street or maybe you'll find him at the Mummer's Hall in Hangman's Bindle alley."
"I won't forget," Ja'Nil assured her.
"It's okay if ya tell him that -"
"We love him," shouted Jari.
"Yeah, we do," said Sa'Ari.
"I'll tell him," promised Ja'Nil.
They all heard the sounds of the soldiers opening the heavy gates. The Lady had been standing to one side, listening to Ja'Nil and the children. Now she said, "Time to go." Ja'Nil, nodded, gave Little Piet one last hug, picked up her pack and started for the gate. The Lady walked beside her.
"By the by," she said. "If you run into a man called Lord Raptor, avoid him if you can. A nasty sort, but not, I think, the ultimate evil."
Not the ultimate evil?
CHAPTER 18
Lord Raptor would have been insulted. Not that he thought of himself as evil, of course, just immensely capable and underappreciated. Was he not the head of Clan Raptor, Lord of Raptor Keep and the most important and influential of the Queen's ministers? Of course he was. Then why did the damned Queen oppose him at every turn?
At the very moment Ja'Nil was passing through the gates of Redbird Keep, he was in conference with Ten'Aj, Queen of all Cancordia. Not only in conference, but if she only realized it, he was fighting to save her silly life. All she had to do was follow his carefully worded suggestions.
The Queen, a Cloud Person, was an almost perfect example of her race: her skin a very pale, creamy green; eyebrows a slightly darker green; her hair was pure white, thick and straight. Today she wore it in a no-nonsense style, pulled back from her thin face and fastened neatly with a green coral clasp. As was usual with the Cloud People, her neck was long and graceful. Her large dark eyes looked out at the world with intelligence and, considering the people who usually surrounded her, a surprising amount of empathy. Today, as she listened to Lord Raptor, that empathy was being tested to its limits.
Queen Ten'Aj had been ruler of Cancordia, Empress of All the Midlands and titular head of the Cloud People (which included Lord Raptor) for more than half of her thirty-six years. But with all that power and experience behind her, could she make Lord Raptor go away and stop nagging her? No. She was too polite and… sigh… too savvy a politician to tell him to just please shut up!
He's like a terrier with a rat, she thought. He just would not let go. On top of all his other sins, he was boring. He kept repeating himself over and over.
A Cloud Person, like the Queen, Lord Raptor was short and stocky. He wore his white hair in a single thick line from the front of his head back down to his shoulders, where it was cut off abruptly. On either side of the hair his head was shaved.
Ten'Aj thought it made him look like a startled woodpecker, but he was very vain about it and lately several of the courtiers had begun to follow this fashion. His complexion was a darker green than the Queen's, and slightly pockmarked, but for all that, he was a good-looking man. Like all greens, as the Cloud People were sometimes called, he had a longish neck. Something of a dandy, he wore red and gold beads intertwined into the front of his hair and dangling over his forehead. The beads were woven into his family's crest. Again, some of the court people had started copying this style.
Queen Ten'Aj sat watching Lord Raptor pace around and around. The man was making her dizzy. And he talked and talked and talked. Finally, good manners be damned, she had had enough.
"Lord Raptor," she said. "Your views are well known to me. You are repeating yourself." Then she added under her breath, "Ad nauseam."
There was nothing wrong with Lord Raptor's hearing. He turned razor-quick to glare at her. But the Queen was watching a servant, new to her, carefully laying out a bottle of wine, and a plate of dainties. New servants did not usually serve the Queen. Lord Raptor frowned and coughed to regain her attention. As she turned, his frown vanished to be replaced by a benign, avuncular expression.
"I assure you, no slight on Your Majesty's abilities was intended," he said smoothly.
"The home guard moved out this morning," she reminded him. "They carry food and means to purify water for drinking. They will repair the dikes and levees. It's a flood, not an invasion. What else would you have us do?"
Raptor had been waiting for just that question. "More troops," he said. His sharp nose almost quivered with eagerness, the pale green of his skin darkened to the color of his eyebrow, giving his face a naked and very hungry look.
"Why?"
"Do not discount the possibility of civil unrest," he warned. "I would offer my personal guards, but of course only the Crown's own soldiers have the authority."
"You would have me empty Cordia's garrison?"
"My personal troops stand ready to protect Cordia and Your Majesty's person."
"You do seem to travel with an impressive number of troops," she said thoughtfully.
Lord Raptor couldn't help himself; he swelled with self-importance. "My position requires a show of power. After all, I am a Queen's minister."
With fury, he saw the Queen's lips twitch with amusement. The bitch was laughing at him.
"At any rate," she said. "Before more troops are sent, intelligence must be updated. I have dispatched several observers."
He stiffened. "You don't trust me?"
The Queen mentally rolled her eyes. The egos she had to contend with. "There are sure to be new developments. Your report is several days old," she said. "I prefer not to rely on only one source, even a trustworthy one," she added diplomatically.
He looked at the Queen coldly. "We should have responded immediately."
"Well 'we' didn't," drawled a young woman's voice from the doorway.
Lord Raptor turned and bowed to the teenage girl who had entered. "Princess Lil'Li, I didn't realize you took an interest in state affairs. Charming."
The Princess did make a charming picture. Tall and slender, her hair, with still a tinge of childish green, was mostly white and very shiny. She wore it long and straight down her back except for two thin braids on either side of her face. Her chin was pointed and her forehead wide. Her complexion so soft and creamy green that all declared it her best feature. All in all, a pretty girl but not a beauty.
"But obviously," continued Lord Raptor, "your mind is maturing along with your physical person." His eyes did a quick inventory of her physical person and he smiled at her. "You are becoming a beautiful woman, Princess. No doubt all the young gallants are buzzing around you. Is there anyone in particular that has caught your eye?"
Princess Lil'Li rolled her eyes.
"Did you want something, Lil'Li?" asked the Queen.
"I'm riding First Attack on the Queen's Team this afternoon. You said you'd be there. After all, it is your team. How long are you going to be discussing this so-called flood?"
"So-called flood!" snapped Lord Raptor. "There's nothing 'so called' about it. A tsunami has crashed into the Eastern coast, devastating the area. People are dying. Crops and herds are decimated."
Princess Lil'Li yawned.
"That will do, Lil'Li." The Queen's tone was sharp with irritation. She studied her daughter through narrowed eyes. Lord Raptor was correct; Lil'Li was growing up.
I've been neglecting her, she thought guiltily. She's too arrogant, too self-centered. Cancordia cannot have a spoiled brat sitting on the throne.
"The game may start without my presence, Lil'Li. You are excused," the Queen's tone was cold and disapproving.
Truthfully she would have much preferred watching the game than being walled up here with Lord Raptor.
With a down-tur
ned, sullen mouth, Princess Lil'Li curtsied with perfect correctness, ignored Lord Raptor completely, and sailed out of the room, leaving the door open.
The Queen sighed. Damn, now she was going to have to be even more attentive to Lord Raptor to make up for her daughter's rudeness.
After closing the door Princess Lil'Li had left open, Lord Raptor turned back to the Queen. "My nephew admires her," he said.
"If so, he's the only one," said the not-so-fond mother.
"It's true he is not royal, but his noble rank is one of the highest in Cancordia," said Lord Raptor. "It would be a good match."
Match? That was all she needed: Lord Raptor as a member of her family.
"Cancordia cannot afford to have its Princess marry a fellow countryman," said the Queen dismissively.
Lord Raptor nodded as if in reluctant agreement. He crossed to the table where the servant stood poised to pour the wine. Their eyes met. Lord Raptor gestured for him to leave. The man's eyes widened in surprise but he said nothing, merely bowed and let himself out of the room. Queen. Ten'Aj's eyes followed him idly. Just before he closed the doors, she glimpsed her usual contingent of guards standing at attention in the hallway.
"At any rate," continued the Queen, barely noticing the servant's departure, "Lil'Li is too young to think of marriage. It will be years yet. When she does marry it will be an affair of state, to fortify an alliance, as mine was."
"I believe you and your late consort had a very amiable marriage," he said as he handed a nearly full goblet to her. "Careful, I fear it is filled too high."
The Queen, who did not really want the wine, took a quick sip to avoid having it spill onto her tunic.
"Our marriage was a good one. I hope the same for Lil'Li." Her eyes took on a dreamy look. "I still miss him. Lib'Ty was shrewd and intelligent. He had a wide grasp of the problems of Cancordia, but most of all he was very supportive."
"Supportive?"
"Of me." She took another sip of wine.
"Ah, yes. Naturally a woman looks to her husband for support and comfort."
The Queen took another sip. "As I'm sure Lady Raptor does with you," she said politely.
Lord Raptor smiled. "My Lady wife," he said proudly, "would do anything for me."
"And of course she is also your comfort and support."
To the Queen's amusement, Lord Raptor looked almost insulted.
"Is there any other business you wish to bring to my attention?" she asked.
Instead of answering, he asked a question of his own. "Do you like the wine? It comes from my far western vineyard. There is a new wine master."
Obligingly. she took another sip. It was nothing special. "Unfortunately I am not a wine aficionado," she said. "I prefer zeen."
He gave her a friendly smile. "Well here is something I know you like." He moved back to the table and picked up a small brightly colored box. "Do you remember the Cadaos my lady wife served you last year?"
"I do. They were delicious." The Queen smiled her first genuine smile since her meeting with Lord Raptor started. "I'm afraid I acted the glutton."
"Not at all. Lady Raptor was delighted to have pleased you." He carried to small box to the Queen.
When she got a good look at the box she laughed. "How clever of your wife. A puzzle box."
"One that's easily solved, Your Majesty. Once closed, as it is now, one's hand may enter and retrieve the treasure but only one at a time." He grinned at her in a friendly way.
Smiling back at him, Queen Ten'Aj reached out one slim hand and pushed into the top of the box, past the pleated shapes that guarded the treats.
Her face turned pale as she tried to jerk her hand back but the puzzle box was so constructed that to remove her hand it had to be relaxed and move slowly. Something she was unable to do as she jerked frantically trying to escape.
"Something's biting me!"
"Only an Mitter Blue Asp, Your Majesty," said Lord Raptor, holding on to the box as she jerked frantically trying to get away.
She looked up at him in horror. "What? What are you doing?"
He smiled as he continued to hold on to the box that still held her trapped hand.
"Help," she said, but softly because the poison was already in her blood stream, already attacking her nerves and muscles, her heart and brain.
"I do believe you are dying, Your Majesty," he said as he watched the Queen's eyes roll back in her head.
After a moment he checked for a pulse, and then carefully removed her limp hand from its prison. Ignoring the dead Queen, Lord Raptor placed the box in the empty fireplace, poured wine from both their glasses onto it and set it alight. He stood watching with a heavy poker in his hand, in case the asp tried to escape. But, like the Queen, the serpent hadn't a chance.
Afterwards, Lord Raptor carefully adjusted the skirt of the Queen's dress. It had ridden up her thighs in her struggle. Proper attire was so important to the impression a corpse made. An odd giggle escaped him.
"Guards!" he bellowed. No response. Where the hell were the lazy bastards? Never a guard around when you needed one. He strolled to the door and threw it open. Across the hall stood two well-armed sentries. Lot of good they were doing on the other side of the door. Queen Ten'Aj had been a trusting soul.
"Someone has tried to kill the Queen. Arrest any suspicious person you see," he ordered.
They stood there, open-mouthed.
"Kill the Queen?" said one and pushed past Lord Raptor to see for himself.
Lord Raptor addressed the other guard. "Arrest any suspicious person you see," he repeated.
"Suspicious?" stammered the guard.
"Go!" roared Lord Raptor.
"Yes, my Lord," said the guard, and started to rush away, then stopped and came back. "Should I call for a Healer?" he asked.
"By all means," replied Lord Raptor. "Call the Healers. And the priests," he added.
CHAPTER 19
Ja'Nil's journey to Cordia started off slowly. She clutched the map Lady Fayre had drawn for her and at first consulted it every few minutes. But gradually the beauty of her surroundings seduced her. The air, wine sweet, blew softly against her anxious brow. The path meandered through a forest of such colorful trees that Ja'Nil felt she was walking through an arboreal jewel box. She was used to trees with pink and white striped leaves, but here there were also trees with varied hues of blue, everything from soft sky blue to dark mysterious midnight blue and, most amazing of all, actual green trees! They were tall with dark brown trunks sprouting spiky green leaves that gave off the most lovely scent; spicy and flowery at the same time. Magical.
The wide trail was well defined, easy to follow. Up small hills and down shallow dales she went, stopping every once in a while to sniff the wonderful forest odors. A swift-moving stream of clear water appeared, disappeared, and appeared again as the trail twisted and turned. Birds sang in the trees. There were even butterflies: large ones, small ones, orange and yellow ones. A small orange one with pretty pink stripes hovered around her face. Ja'Nil stood quietly, not wanting to frighten it away. Only after it had fully examined her and decided she was not a flower did it flutter its wings and drift away. Ja'Nil felt blessed.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?" said a voice behind her.
She jumped. She not only jumped, she also whirled. She came down facing the owner of the voice. She landed in a crouch, ready to fight or flee. If given a vote, fleeing would win, until she saw who was speaking.
A golden young man. His skin tone was warm with traces of the sun. His hair, thick and dark blond with lighter, sun bleached streaks throughout. Even his eyes seemed to shine like dark gold. He wore his hair in two thick braids with colored beads woven into them; they came down to just below his shoulders. His eyebrows, two straight lines above those fascinating eyes, were slightly darker than his hair. He had high cheekbones, a blade thin nose, and a strong jaw. His ears were pointed like hers, but his were much higher up on the side of his head so that the tips were act
ually above his head. A smooth coat of soft looking fur covered the outside of his ears. Ja'Nil wanted to stroke them. He wore buckskin leggings trimmed along the side with blue-green gems interspersed with small bits of gold. A sheaved knife hung from his belt. His feet were encased in low moccasins, and his chest was completely bare. He was the most beautiful male creature Ja'Nil had ever seen.
"Uh," she said.
He smiled at her! Oh Lord of the Circle, he even had dimples. And his mouth was so… Ja'Nil couldn't think of the words.
"Don't you think so?" he said.
"Ahh." Her mind as well as her tongue seemed frozen.
"The butterflies," he reminded her, gesturing with a long-fingered hand at the swirling mass of color that had so enraptured her before he appeared.
She nodded dumbly. Say something, she silently ordered herself.
"I've never seen so many different colored ones," he said. "Have you?"
"Nnnn," she croaked. "Ah, that is, no."
"I startled you," he apologized.
"I thought I was alone," she muttered. Congratulations, she told herself. You managed to speak a whole sentence.
"My name's Ee'Rick," he said. "What's yours?"
"Ja'Nil."
"Ja'Nil." He seemed to savor her name, almost as if he was tasting it.
For her part, Ja'Nil continued to stare at him. What a strange-looking person. He fit no category Ja'Nil had ever heard of; he was neither an Earth person like herself, nor a Cloud person like Lady Fayre, nor a Sky person like O'Keeven and the children. He seemed a whole new race.
"What are you?" she blurted, and then felt the heat rush to her face. How could she have been so rude?
But Ee'Rick didn't seem to mind. "Never met a Clansman of the Golden Wolf before?" he asked.
"That was rude of me," Ja'Nil rushed to apologize. "I'm not usually so, so… "
"Usually a model of correctness, huh?"
Ja'Nil had to grin. "No," she admitted, "but still, it was rude of me. I apologize."
"Not a problem," Ee'Rick assured her. As he leaned down to pick up his backpack, Ja'Nil saw, aside from the gems and gold woven in his hair, he wore a gold colored ring on the middle finger of his right hand. "Where are you heading?" he asked, as he adjusted the straps.
"Cordia," she answered.
"So am I."
"Really?"