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The fliers we saw did not drop firepots on us. Phu-si-Yantong did not wish to destroy the palace. He
coveted its priceless treasures. Of course, he could have razed the lot and built afresh and to a greater
scale of grandeur; but that would not have slaked the greed in the man, of that I felt sure.
Water? said the emperor. Is that all ?
Hush, father, said Delia, whereat I smiled alarmingly.
The withered brown lips were somehow coaxed into receiving some of the milky fluid from the Sacred
Pool of Baptism of the River Zelph in far Aphrasöe. Delia poured a golden cupful, and we helped Queen
Lush to lift herself, and Delia coaxed her gently. The crone moaned and slobbered and much of the
priceless fluid ran down that withered witch-like chin.
How much, my heart, do you think?
I do not know. But Yantong is a mighty powerful devil of a wizard. Give her plenty. Better more than
less.
You are right. Together we fed the magical fluid, sip by sip.
The emperor rocked back. He was shaking. His eyes opened wide. By the sweet sake of Opaz!
Yes, father, said Delia, impatiently, and don t jog the cup. You have wasted two mouthfuls.
For Queen Lushfymi changed. The lines and wrinkles sloughed away and her skin took on that smooth
peach bloom. Dark tint suffused the stringy white hair; slowly it resumed that lustrous darkness that shone
with blue-black light. Her body filled, her shrunken flesh restoring that voluptuous outline, the skeletal
claws firming to the shapely hands with which she gestured so gracefully. In not too long a time Queen
Lush glowed seductively before us, fully restored to beauty.
My love She turned those limpid violet eyes on the emperor. Delia blinked and smiled. How can I
thank you? You have made me made me myself again
It was not me, my queen. Rather, thank the wild leem Dray Prescot and my daughter Delia.
She took Delia s hand in hers. The reconciliation would have been most affecting; but the sound of
conflict and shouting and the screams of wounded and dying men burst savagely in. I stood up.
There is work to be done but, emperor, we re finished here. You must discharge the mercenaries in
honor and then we must leave.
There is no airboat
I shall arrange that.
He stood up and faced me. We stood looking at each other for a heartbeat. Kov Lykon and the Lord
Farris who was a kov, also burst in. The devils are through the Peral Gate! We must pull
back
I am coming, I said. We will hold them at the Wall of Larghos Risslaca. That was dangerously close
to the very heart of the palace.
Hold! The emperor spoke thunderously. He bore down on them all, imperious. I may die soon. I do
not know. But this I swear as my testament. Long have I held my son-in-law in contempt as a clansman
and, also, regarded highly his skill at arms, his boorishness which he calls integrity. He is a Hyr-Jikai
Get on with it, I said. I m going out there to bash
Wait! Should I die, then you, Dray Prescot, will be Emperor of Vallia. Witness this testament of my
will, all of you. This thing will be will be, by my decree.
You won t die yet, emperor, I said. And then, in the heat of the moment, burst out: Sink me! You ve
a thousand years of life yet. Now let us go and bash a few skulls.
Delia ran swiftly out with me and I turned on her and bellowed: I don t want you fighting on the walls!
Stay with your father and keep him company.
You told him. A thousand years of life he ll want to
Later, my heart
That little fight proved harder than those preceding as we held the Hamalese on the walls, pulling back to
the Wall of Larghos Risslaca and shooting down on the rasts as they raced with their scaling ladders. We
halted them. It was hard. But the next onslaught would be harder still to halt. I went back to see the
emperor. I found him gazing at Queen Lush as though dyspeptic and realized my ill humor was
affecting my judgment. I had to hold up. The emperor would live a thousand years, and with Queen Lush
at his side could be kept out of my hair. The future looked promising, if we could escape the here and
now.
Those cramphs of Hamal have fliers out there, I said without preamble. They build them well for
themselves. I ll fetch one. Meantime, arrange to discharge our paktuns and mercenaries. As for the
Crimson Bowmen, they are mercenaries, also, and should be discharged. Make the compact that we
must leave in safety, all we Vallians. Do this.
Queen Lush said: And me ?
You re a Vallian now, by intention of marriage. And we ll take Lome back for you. There is little time.
And, while I am gone, emperor stay out of trouble.
A thousand what did you mean?
Delia may explain, if she will. Just make sure you stay alive to enjoy it. With my blessings. I ran out.
Kissing Delia, I said as I let her go: Take care of yourself.
In a much lighter frame of mind I took myself off through secret tunnels I had used before. Vondium was
a buzzing hive of danger; but there at least I could strike out freely. I felt a keen pleasure that Delia s
father was proving himself more human day by day. He wouldn t change, of course, so much as actually
come to like me. But that didn t matter. What mattered was Vallia and the country was in a sorry,
blood-soaked state at the moment. Once Phu-si-Yantong got his hooks firmly wedged into the country
people would realize they had seen nothing yet.
Outside the palace I dodged like a grundal from bush to bush of some ornamental gardens, got across a
canal, insinuated myself past a group of wounded Hamalese and so, in the guise of an irregular mercenary
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