"Mercy! n.o.body cares Kirsh openly kept a mistress and you expect me to be grateful that all he wants to do is banish me and take my kingdom?"

"That will be quite enough, Alenor," Antonov ordered. "At least have the sense to accept your fate with a modic.u.m of decorum."

Alenor turned on Antonov furiously. "You've seen all the decorum out of me you're ever likely to see, Antonov Latanya. I hate you! I have always hated you. I despised every moment I was forced to spend in your company, every minute I lived under your roof. I hate your G.o.ddess, I hate your sick religion and I hate that little s.l.u.t you call a High Priestess. I hate all of you and I wish I was going to die because I'd rather be burned alive than spend another minute breathing the same air as you."

Without waiting for anybody to respond, Alenor fled the room and ran out through the foyer to the main door and out into the rain.

She stopped on the top step and looked about, realizing she had nowhere she could go. So she stood there, sobbing with despair and drenched to the skin, unable to distinguish her tears from theraindrops.

A short time later the guards arrived and she was escorted politely but firmly back into the palace.

Chapter 59.

The ninth day of Ezenor in the year 10,241 dawned bright in a cloudless sky, the previous days of overcast and rain a distant memory. From the top step of the Bollow temple Dirk watched the second sun rising with an odd feeling of displacement. The world was just coming awake, the red fading from the sky, yet somehow, he had no part in it. He felt as if he was standing slightly out of kilter with reality, as if the rest of the world was something to observe, not something he was actively a part of.

Shaking off the strange feeling, he turned at the sound of footsteps behind him. Claudio Varell and a dozen other Sundancers had gathered behind him waiting for their instructions. Dirk glanced over the men and women with a frown. He could feel their resentment emanating from them like heat from a campfire.

"I need to tell you what's going to happen at the ceremony," he announced. His voice was calm and steady. That surprised him. The enormity of what he was about to set in motion should have left him a jibbering wreck.

"We know what's going to happen, my lord," one of the Sundancers said. She looked to be in her fifties, a tall, stern-looking woman who wore the yellow robes Dirk so despised with pride and dignity.

"The Sundancers will be destroyed."

"You should have more faith in the G.o.ddess, my lady. She won't turn her back on you." Before the woman could argue with him about it, he turned to Claudio. "Do you trust these people?"

"Implicitly," Claudio said. The old man was filled with barely contained excitement. His eyes were glittering. He was more animated than Dirk had ever seen him. Claudio been like that ever since the early hours of the morning when Dirk had roused the old man from his bed and told him what would happen today. He'd debated telling Claudio sooner, but looking at him now, with his sprightly step and his excited eyes, Dirk knew he'd been right to keep him in the dark until the last minute.

Dirk turned at the sound of horses behind him. A large contingent of Senetian foot soldiers were heading across the plaza toward the temple, led by two mounted captains.

"I'll meet you all in the anteroom in about ten minutes," he told the Sundancers. Then he turned and walked down a few steps and waited for the soldiers.

The troop halted a little back from the temple steps as the captains rode up to meet Dirk. He didn't know the man in charge of the troop, but the other captain who rode with him was Kirsh's old friend Sergey.

"My lord," the captain said, with a smart salute.

"Are your men armed, Captain?"

"Of course."

"Then disarm them."

"My lord, you can't expect the men to be able to control the crowd-" Sergey began, but Dirk cut him off.

"That's exactly what I expect, Sergey. We are here to witness the glory of the G.o.ddess. I will notallow you to spill innocent blood on a day like this."

"Then how do you expect us to keep control, my lord?"

"By using a little bit of tact and courtesy, Captain. This is a day of celebration. Cutting down women and children with swords tends to put a damper on things, don't you think?"

"But, my lord-"

"You have your orders, Captain. Prince Antonov placed you and your men under the command of the Church today. You will do as I demand, or I will have you arrested as a heretic."

The captain saluted reluctantly and turned his horse around. He trotted back to the troop and began to order them to shed their weapons.

"That was a foolish order, my lord," Sergey suggested once the other captain was out of earshot.

"I don't remember asking your opinion on the matter, Sergey. Where are the prisoners?"

"Still at the garrison."

"Bring them here now. Before the crowd starts to get too unwieldy."

Sergey nodded, but made no attempt to leave.

"Was there something else?"

"Are you going to disarm the Dhevynian Guardsmen as well?"

"No, Captain," Dirk replied. "I thought I'd leave them armed so that when we burn one of their captains alive, they can cut him free and then carve their way through stands filled with every n.o.bleman of note in the whole d.a.m.ned world and a few thousand unarmed innocent Senetian civilians, without anybody getting in their way."

"I'm sorry, my lord, I didn't mean to question your orders."

"If you don't mean to question my orders, then I suggest you stop doing it."

"Yes, my lord," the Senetian said, gathering up his reins.

"And Sergey..."

"Yes, my lord."

"I don't want them drugged."

"Sire?"

"I don't want either Tia Veran or Alexin Seranov given any poppy-dust before they're burned. I want them to know what's going on."

A slow, cruel smile spread over Sergey's face. "Of course, my lord."

The Senetian saluted and cantered his horse back across the plaza. s.a.d.i.s.tic b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Dirk thought, as he watched him leave. He took the remaining steps down to the plaza two at a time. The stands built to accommodate the important guests smelled of freshly sawn timber, which reminded Dirk of something else. He beckoned the other captain forward.

"Have your weapons stored in the temple for now," he ordered. "You can collect them after the ceremony."

"Yes, my lord."

"And there are some urns just inside the temple. I want you to soak the wood with the oil inside them. Those pyres have been rained on for days. The wood is damp. They'll never burn without help.""I'll see to it, my lord."

Dirk glanced around the plaza and nodded with satisfaction. Already people were starting to arrive, although it was several hours until the eclipse. Most of the n.o.bility would probably not arrive for some time yet. He glanced up at the sky, as if expecting to see it darken, but the second sun was fully risen now. There was no hint in that flawless blue that anything important would happen soon.

More horses arrived and Dirk looked across the plaza with a feeling of intense relief as he realized Jacinta had arrived early as he asked, with Tael Gordonov and two other Guardsmen as her escort.

They rode toward him, Jacinta sitting her mount like a woman born to the saddle. He stepped forward to greet them, almost wilting under the hatred in the Dhevynian captain's glare.

Tael dismounted and then turned to help Jacinta out of her saddle.

"Good morning, my lord."

"Lady Jacinta."

"It's a beautiful day. The G.o.ddess truly does smile on you."

"It will get better yet," he promised. "Could I have a word with your captain, my lady?"

Tael stared at him with open hostility. "You might have the Senetian troops under your command, Lord Provin, but the Queen's Guard are not subject to your orders."

"I wasn't planning to give you any orders, Captain. I merely want a private word with you."

"Go on, Tael," Jacinta said.

With some reluctance Tael accompanied Dirk a little way from the Senetians and Jacinta. He watched the soldiers shedding their arms and piling them on the ground, while another two men carried the weapons into the temple.

"You've disarmed the Senetians?" Tael asked in surprise.

"I don't want your men visibly armed today, either."

Tael looked at him suspiciously. "Not visibly armed? Are you expecting trouble, my lord?"

"Let's just say that when the G.o.ddess reveals her will today, I want to know if I can count on you to protect your queen."

"It's an insult you even ask such a thing."

"Perhaps. Will you do what's required of you?"

Tael was furious Dirk dared question his loyalty. "Every man I have with me would die to protect the queen."

"I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that, Captain."

"Then why ask it of me?"

"Because at some point today, you're going to have to make a decision, and you'll only have a split second to decide whose orders to follow. I just want you to remember you are here to protect Alenor, not Alexin, nor anybody else in the world. Just your queen."

Obviously unsettled by Dirk's words, Tael stood a little straighter and glared at him. "You need have no fear of that, my lord. If it came to it, I'd kill you in order to protect my queen."

Dirk smiled. "I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that, either."

"My lord!"

He turned to see who had hailed him. Another carriage had arrived in the plaza while he was talkingto Tael. Marqel was here-late, of course-but he had no more time to explain things.

"Good luck, Captain," he said, and then he left him standing mere with a puzzled and rather unhappy expression on his face.

Dirk could feel Tael's eyes on his back as he walked away. He'd done what he could to warn the Queen's Guard. Done what he could to help Alenor and Alexin. Done what he could for Tia, although he doubted she would appreciate the gesture when they tied her to the stake. Poor Tia. It seemed every time their paths crossed, he did something even worse to her. But today would see an end to it.

After this, she would no longer be in a position to condemn him. Whether or not she would live long enough to forgive him was a question he couldn't answer.

He climbed the steps to the temple slowly, wondering if he should have tried to explain what he was doing to Tia to Alenor. They all believed he had turned on them now. Dirk glanced up at the sky again.

It would be over soon. The only thing left to do now was speak to the Sundancers Claudio had so carefully chosen and then watch Marqel conduct the ceremony.

After that, all their fates were in the hands of the G.o.ddess.

Chapter 60.

Tia learned she was to be sacrificed at the eclipse ceremony from one of the guards when he delivered her meal. The news shocked her. She was certain Dirk intended to hand her over to the Lion of Senet so Barin Welacin would have his chance at her. She'd been preparing herself mentally to face whatever torment he had in mind. But to learn in pa.s.sing she was to die in a few hours, burned alive with half the world watching, felt like a physical blow. Tia wasn't ready to die. She had far too much to live for. She cried when she heard the news, but they were tears of anger, not grief.

They came for the prisoners just after second sunrise. She was escorted out into the hall and received another shock. The man who was to burn alongside her was Alexin Seranov. Surrounded by guards, he stood outside a cell farther up the hall, his expression haunted. They were not permitted to speak to each other as they were escorted through to the main reception hall of the cell block. Another guard was waiting for them there, holding two cups, into which had been poured a carefully measured dose of poppy-dust. Tia almost sagged with relief when she saw it. The sound of Morna Provin's screams still tormented her at times. She was sure she didn't have the strength to bear her execution stoically. But they were to be given some respite, probably because of the number of important people who'd come to watch. It wouldn't do to upset all those well-bred ladies with the sound of agonized screams as the sacrifices crisped and blackened before them. This was supposed to be entertaining.

The guard offered the cups to the prisoners. Neither of them was stupid enough to refuse. It was awkward, trying to raise the cup to her mouth with her hands chained. The poppy-dust was only a few inches from her lips when another officer entered the room.

"No!" he ordered. "They're not to be drugged!"

The cup was s.n.a.t.c.hed from her hand before she could swallow it. Alexin's was taken from him just as quickly.

The Dhevynian captain glared at the newcomer. "You always did like to watch people suffer, didn't you, Sergey?"

The Senetian shrugged. "These are not my orders, Alexin. They come from the Lord of the Suns.""Dirk ordered it?" Tia gasped. How much does he hate us? Is he so far gone he not only wants to kill us, but wants to watch us suffer as well?

"He was quite specific," Sergey confirmed. "Said he wanted you both to know what was going on."

Then the captain smiled. "You both thought him a friend once, didn't you? I'll bet you're regretting that now."

"You seem to be enjoying it, though," Alexin remarked.

"What can I say, Alexin? I love my work." He turned to the guards who were holding them. "Take them to the temple. Lord Provin will tell you what he wants done with them once you get there."

They were jostled out of the cells and into a closed and barred wagon. As soon as the door slammed shut, the wagon jolted forward. Alexin caught Tia awkwardly as she fell forward and helped her unsteadily to her feet.