"Then isn"t it logical, and hardly seditious, to wonder if perhaps their rule might be more efficient if, instead of ten, it were perhaps five?"
"But that is the way it has always been!"
Now there was a bit of laughter here and there in the crowded auditorium as the audience saw how Tenedos was leading the man.
"Now we go back to my earlier point.Why does it always, always, always have to be that way? Why is it treason to conceive of a Rule of Five? Of course, it isn"t-there"ve been times when disease reduced their ranks and until new men were selected, the Rule performed its duties and the world did not come to an end.
"Consider further. Be bold, sir. What about a Rule of Four? Or even... Three?"
"Or even One, sir?"the man bristled.
"You offered the thought, my friend." Tenedos smiled benevolently. "So let"s take a look at one."
"Who are you recommending," another voice asked. "Bar-thou? Scopas? Mahal?" There was more laughter at this last.
"I am no politician, Lady," Tenedos answered. "I"m a sorcerer who wishes to become a philosopher.
So let us consider something else, since we"re talking about a single ruler.
"Let us considernone of the men who currently serve. Let us imagine new, stronger blood.
"Let us talk about a man who comes from outside, a man who hopefully has traveled all of Numantia, from the jungles of Cimabue to the forests and farmlands of Kallio, not someone who"s spent his entire life in Dara or, worse, in Nicias.
"Let us consider a man who might consider himself a Numantian, not merely a Nician or Daran or Kallian. Let us consider a man who wishes to offer that vision to all the people of Numantia, who wants them to look beyond their narrow horizons, and see the greatness that is before them.
"I tell you, men and women, Numantiais great. We have our problems now, problems most severe. But this is a pa.s.sing thing, something that could be, to history, no more than an unfortunate note.
"If Numantia can be given a direction, its natural energy driven, this nation could truly be the greatest of them all, and shine proud in the heavens."
"We sure as h.e.l.ls ain"t gonna get it from the Rule of Ten,"
someone shouted.
"Now, sir, be careful of your words. I respect your righteous anger at today"s situation. But there is nothing to say it cannot change. Perhaps the Rule of Ten may wake on the morrow and take a firm hold of the reins."
There was a buzz of scorn.
"That is your opinion," Tenedos went on carefully. "Let us return to this mythical Rule of One. Imagine such a man who is not afraid to make the hard decisions, who has a vision of theiuiure, wuu tou inu uvui **.. ^v,-,________the rear. Imagine the battle standard of Numantia going forward ... and all of us going forward, into the future, under it!"
I looked at Maran. Her eyes were shining, her lips slightly parted, all her attention fixed on the man on the stage. Tene-dos"s words were ringing true to her, going straight into her heart such as all the preachings in her salons had obviously not accomplished.
I myself had heard most of what Tenedos was saying before, and agreed with a great deal of it, although I certainly wasn"t convinced that a Rule of One, a king, although he"d never use that word unless he wished the Rule of Ten"s wardens to arrest him for sedition, was the only solution. I marveled at how carefully he was able to skirt the very edge of treasonous speech without ever crossing over.
*I wondered if he"d cast a Spell of Persuasion on the room, but felt no unnatural working of my emotions, so eloquence rather than magic was holding the crowd.
"Umar created, then withdrew," Tenedos said. "Then it was Irisu"s turn. But perhaps his rule is growing old, perhaps he is growing tired. Aren"t even G.o.ds permitted to rest?"
"Then the future will be Saionji"s," someone said, and I heard fear in the tone.
"Change is not always bad, my friend," Tenedos said gently. "And to create it is sometimes necessary to do some destruction. Perhaps you are right and it is to be the time of Saionji.
"Think of it," and his voice rose. "If the G.o.ddess smiles on Numantia, sees our lands as the hope of man, and chooses us for her spearhead, what golden times would we li ve in after (he change?
"I am a seer, and I can tell you, when the G.o.ds and demons let me peep toward tomorrow, I see two visions. One is dark, a once-great kingdom lying in ruins and ruled by the harsh hand of outsiders. The other... the other is the dream I have held close, the dream I have shared with you this evening.
"Thank you." He bowed and stepped away from the podium. The crowd cheered, and boiled around Tenedos. Maran sat as if she"d been hypnotized.
"Well?" I said.
She shook herself out of her daze.
"Thank you, Damastes. Oh, thank you for bringing me here."
"Come on," I said, a little uncomfortably. "Til introduce you to the oracle."
I took her elbow and led her around the throng to one side, waiting until the congratulators and fawners grew fewer. Tenedos waved me to him.
Standing beside him was a very beautiful woman, about his age. She had brown hair, cut close, wore a green gown with a matching head scarf. Her lips were full, lush, as was her body. She seemed to see no one but Tenedos.
"Baroness Rasenna," Maran greeted, her tone formal.
The woman noticed Maran, and looked surprised.
"Countess Agramonte and Lavedan. I never imagined I"d find you listening to the seer."
"Why not?" Maran said. "I listen to many. And the seer"s words make perfect sense to me."
"Yes," Rasenna said, almost in a sigh. "Perfect sense indeed."
Tenedos looked at her, and now it was my turn for astonishment. His gaze was tender, loving. I wondered who this woman was who had evidently, if only for a moment, managed to calm the tiger of many bedrooms. Then he turned his attention to me.
"Captain a" Cimabue," he said formally. "Thank you for bringing the Countess Agramonte and Lavedan." He bowed low over Marfn"s hand. "I am delighted to meet you. You must forgive me for missing your a.s.sembly."
"Only if you promise not to miss the next one." "You have my vow. May I bring Rasenna?" "Of course," Maran said, but I sensed her response was only out of politeness. "She"s been too long a stranger at our house."
Tenedos turned to me.
"Damastes, there is someone you must meet." He indicated a small man just behind him. "This is Kutulu. He is a warden who came to see what perfidy I was preaching, and I"m afraid I"ve corrupted him."
I would never have picked Kutulu for a man of the law. In fact, from the gleam in his eye, I might have thought him to be one of the crazed anarchists the wardens were always chasing after. He was small, already balding. He wore dark clothing and would be completely unnoticeable in a crowd. His eyes ran me up, then down, and I felt as if I"d been reduced to a single card and that card filed with others, never to be forgotten and easily retrievable.
"Captain Damastes a Cimabue," he said, in a voice surprisingly melodious. "I have wanted to meet you for some time now. We shall serve together well."
*I blinked. Tenedos moved his head slightly-this was not the time to question.
"I must return to my duties," Kutulu said. "Thank you, Seer. I shall see you in the morning."
He might have been a magician himself for the ease with which he vanished. Tenedos saw my puzzlement and pulled me aside.
"Kutulu came to spy, as I said, and listened to my words. Now he is one of us."
Us? I started to say something, then stopped. Was I one of Tenedos"s men? At that moment, I realized I was, although I"d sworn no oath.
"Kutulu is interesting," Tenedos said. "He always wanted to be a warden, but the G.o.ds did not give him a bruiser"s body. He chose to use his mind, but as yet the wardens of Nicias little respect intelligence."
Tenedos added, softly, "That is another matter that shall change. He shall be most useful in the future. It is good to have a man who can... keep track of things."
As we rode back to my barracks, Maran told me who the baroness was. At one time she had a fairly lurid reputation for taking and discarding lovers, but her wealth had kept her from being blacklisted, although the best families were reluctant to invite her to their doings. Then she"d married, and her ways had changed. She"d been, as far as anyone knew, completely loyal to her husband. He"d died in a boating accident about eight months earlier, and everyone in Nicias"s high social circles had begun watching Rasenna to see if she"d return to her old ways.
"But from the way she was talking," Maran said, "it appears she"s completely taken with the seer."
"Good," I said. "He could use someone beside him. I just hope she realizes what he is. He"ll never be a conventional person like I am."
"Are you, Damastes?" Maran murmured. "I think you might be selling yourself most short."
The coach pulled to a halt, and I pulled the window"s drawn shade aside. We were in front of the regimental area.
"Thank you for the evening, Maran," I said, and reached across her to open the door.
Her perfume swept out like that fog in faraway Sayana, and took me. Our faces were about a foot apart.
Again I swam in the pool of her eyes, then they slowly closed and her lips parted.
I kissed her softly, just brushing her mouth, then my arm went around her shoulders and she came to me, our lips crushed together, her tongue moving deep in my mouth.
I don"t remember the embrace ending, or stepping out of the coach or walking back to my quarters.
SEVENTEEN.
Chardin SherNow I wanted my life to be calm, while I tried to work out this new and most vexing development. I had no idea what to do about Marfn. I didn"t know if I was falling in love, still not sure what that feeling might be, but I knew I cared more for her than any woman I could remember.
I knew I should never see her again. I had bedded married women before, certainly, but it had been for a single night, a momentary fling, and somehow I realized this was not in either of our hearts. Was I prepared to a.s.sume the responsibilities of an affair? I knew my father would growl and remind me of our motto, and that its corollary was that we must also respect the vows of others. I was a Cimabuan, not a Nician, who have the reputation of always carrying their c.o.c.ks low and ready, like a water witch"s wand, ready to stick them into anything that doesn"t move fast enough.
Practically, seeing Maran again was also absurd. If we did have an affair, and word reached her husband, he could ruin me with a single word or a note to one of his friends in the government I needed time to think. But Saionji, who I was starting to believewas intervening in Numantia"s affairs, did not grant my wish.
The day after Laish Tenedos"s speech, Domina Lehar told us the Great Conference on the Border States would be held in Nicias within two weeks. In fact, Chardin Sher, prime minister of Kallio, had already crossed the border into Dara with his retinue, and other state heads would be arriving shortly.
But their importance was secondary, not only because they represented smaller states-Dara and Kallio were the two largest in Numantia-but because Kallio had always been Dara"s rival for the real power in the kingdom. This was especially true now, since Chardin Sher had taken the post of prime minister five years ago and had shown himself an independent-minded ruler of great strength, who only paid heed to the Rule of Ten when it suited him.
The Golden Helms were ordered to full readiness for the conference, to provide security and glitter.
Two of the city"s other parade units, the Nineteenth Foot and the Second Heavy Cavalry, also had leaves canceled and all men ordered to stand by.
We would be spread most thinly, even so. The people of Nicias pride themselves on never being surprised by anything. But this appearance of Chardin Sher, the first time he had deigned to visit the capital, set the populace atremble. His route from the docks to the palace he"d been a.s.signed by the Rule of Ten was laid out in the broadsides, and every window along the procession sold for a good price in silver. The streets would be jammed on that day with spectators. Nicias planned to give itself a holiday when the Kallian arrived.
"Is it not interesting," Tenedos observed, "how the ma.s.ses will flock around a man they know to be strong, even though he could well be their enemy in a month or a year." He then added that he himself hoped to meet Chardin Sher. When I asked him if this didn"t mean he was no different from the rest of us, he looked angry for a moment, then chuckled. "That is why I like you, Damastes. You serve to remind me I"m just as p.r.o.ne to the pa.s.sions and angers of the moment as anyone."
Now I was very busy, and Maran almost, but not quite, was put to the back of my mind. I had B Troop out half a dozen times riding the back streets that paralleled Chardin Sher"s*route-we were to be the reaction element if there were any problems. Fortunately, none were antic.i.p.ated, except what could happen if the crowd pressed too hard in its enthusiasm. We received no word from the wardens of plots or anyone intending harm to the Kallian. But to make sure of his safety we would have the Nineteenth Foot along the parade route, and the cavalry units standing by.
During the conference we would also be called to add glamour to the various social events planned for Chardin Sher and the others in every capacity from door openers to escorts. I felt less soldier than body servant, and was reminded just how different the Helms were from the Lancers by the fact my fellow officers and soldiers were delighted by what was going on.
The two biggest events were a great masked ball, to be held shortly after his arrival, and a banquet the night the conference was scheduled to end.
The day before Chardin Sher"s arrival, while I was busy grooming that misbegotten vile-tempered black my duties insisted I ride, while Lucan whickered jealously in the background, a uniformed equerry delivered a sealed note.
To My Friend Damastes My husband and I have been invited to the Masked Ball at the Water Palace four nights hence. Of course, we accepted the invitation to meet Chardin Sher. Unfortunately, Hernad was called away this morning to deal with problems with our factor in Cicognara, and will not return for at least a week.
Could I impose, and request you do me the honor of accompanying me to the event, if that would not be too onerous a task?
With fondest thoughts Maran, Countess Agramdnte and LavedanI should have told the messenger to wait for a moment while I jotted a quick note of regret This was not only the path of common sense, but what duty required.
Instead, I told the man I"d reply within the day, and, before the noon meal, asked the adjutant, Captain of the Upper Half Lardier, if there was a possibility I could be excused on the night in question.
He glowered at me. "Captain, if you were a fresh legate I might expect such a question. But from a troop commander? I hardly think-"
Before he could continue, I handed him the invitation.
Instantly his manner changed.
"Ah. Forgive me. I see why you consulted me on the matter. Certainly the Agramonte and Lavedans are important families, and the last thing we would wish to do is give the slightest cause for offense. But I must consult the domina."
He disappeared toward Domina Lehar"s office, and was back before we"d been called to the table.
"The domina quite understands the matter, and gives his full approval. He would only ask you present his compliments to the Count Lavedan when next you see him."
I blandly a.s.sured Captain Lardier I would do just that the next time the count and I were socializing. I felt guilty, but only for about three seconds.
That night, in the mess, though, a complication arose. Captain Lardier, as I"d already learned, was a gossip of the first water, and so the fact that I had an exalted friend was known to my fellow officers.
I"d gotten myself my usual before-dinner drink, a gla.s.s of iced lime juice with a sprinkling of sugar, and was about to join Legate Petre where he sat reading, when I heard a burst of laughter and my name mentioned. I looked across the room, where stood Legate Nexo with a group of his friends, all equally sn.o.bbish in their att.i.tudes.
"Captain a Cimabue," he said, noting he"d drawn my attention and smiling nastily, "I understand you"ve been most fortunate in being favored by a certain countess. Might I ask what... hidden talents you have, since none of us have even been granted a smile from the beautiful one."