"I wouldn't be at all surprised, Your Majesty," Lenda agreed. "He left Lycheas in charge. I have a number of people in the palace who work for me, and one of them managed to hear Annias giving Lycheas his final instructions.

He ordered Lycheas to withhold the Elenian army from the campaign in Rendor. As soon as Cluvonus dies, the army - and the Church soldiers in Cimmura - are supposed to march on Chyrellos. Annias wants to flood the holy city with his own men to help intimidate the uncommitted members of the Hierocracy."

"The Elenian army's mobilized then?"

"Fully, Your Majesty. They have an encampment about ten leagues south of Cimmura."

"We'll probably have to fight them, Your Majesty," Kalten said. "Annias dismissed most of the old generals and replaced them with men loyal to him."

Wargun started to swear.

"It may not be quite as serious as it sounds, Your Majesty," the Earl of Lenda said. "I've made an extended study of the law. In times of religious crisis, the militant orders are empowered to take command of all forces in Western Eosia. Wouldn't you say that an invasion by the Eshandist Heresy qualifies as a religious crisis?"

"By G.o.d, you're right, Lenda. Is that Elenian law?"

"No, Your Majesty. Church law."

Wargun suddenly howled with laughter. "Oh, that's too rare!" he roared, pounding on the arm of his chair with one beefy fist. "Annias is trying to become the head of the church, and we use church law to spike his wheel.

Lenda, you're a genius."

"I have my moments, Your Majesty," Lenda replied modestly. "I'd imagine that Preceptor Vanion here can persuade the General Staff to join your forces - particularly in view of the fact that Church law empowers him to resort to extreme measures should any officer refuse to accept his authority in such situations."

"I'd imagine that a few beheadings might prove instructional to the General Staff," Ulath said. "If we shorten four or five generals, the rest will probably fall in line."

"Quickly," Tynian added with a grin.

"Keep your axe good and sharp then, Ulath," Wargun said.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"About the only problem remaining is what we're going to do about Lycheas," the Earl of Lenda said.

"I've already decided that, Wargun said. "As soon as we get to Cimmura, I'm going to hang him."

"Splendid notion," Lenda said smoothly, "but I think we might want to consider that just a bit. You do know that Annias is the Prince Regent's father, don't you?"

"So Sparhawk tells me, but I don't really care who his father is, I'm going to hang him anyway."

"I'm not really sure just how fond Annias is of his son but he did go to some fairly extreme measures to put him on the Elenian throne. It might just be that the militant orders can use him to some advantage when they get to Chyrellos. An offer to put him to the torture might just persuade Annias to move his troops out of Chyrellos so that the election can proceed without their interference."

"You're taking all the fun out of this, Lenda," Wargun complained. He scowled. "You're probably right, though. All right, when we get to Cimmura, we'll throw him in the dungeon - along with all his toadies. Are you up to taking charge at the Palace?"

"If Your Majesty wishes," Lenda sighed, "but wouldn't Sparhawk or Vanion be a better choice?"

"Maybe, but I'm going to need them when I get to Arcium. What do you think, Obler?"

"I have absolute confidence in the Earl of Lenda," King Obler replied. "I'll do my best, Your Majesties," Lenda said, "but keep in mind the fact that I'm getting very old."

"You're not as old as I am, my friend," King Obler reminded him, "and n.o.body's offered to let me evade my responsibilities."

"All right, that's settled then," Wargun said. "Now, let's get down to cases. We'll march south to Cimmura, imprison Lycheas and bully the Elenian General Staff into joining with us with their army. We may as well pick up the Church soldiers as well. Then we join Soros and Bergsten on the Arcian border. We march south to Larium, encircle the Rendors and exterminate the lot of them."

"Isn't that a bit extreme, Your Majesty?" Lenda objected. "No, as a matter of fact, it's not. I want it to be at least ten generations before the Eshandist Heresy raises its head again." He grinned crookedly at Sparhawk. "If you serve well and faithfully, my friend, I'll even let you kill Martel."

"I'd appreciate that, Your Majesty," Sparhawk replied politely.

"Oh, dear," Sephrenia sighed.

"It needs to be done, little lady," Wargun told her.

"Obler, is your army ready to move?"

"They're only awaiting orders, Wargun."

"Good. If you don't have anything else planned, why don't we start for Elenia tomorrow?"

"We might as well." Old King Obler shrugged.

Wargun stood up and stretched, yawning broadly.

"Let's all get some sleep then," he said. "We'll be starting early tomorrow."

Later, Sparhawk and his friends gathered in Vanion's room to tell the Preceptor in much greater detail what had happened in Lamorkand and Pelosia.

When they had finished, he looked curiously at Flute.

"just exactly what's your part in all this?" he asked her.

"I was sent to help," she replied with a shrug.

"By Styric.u.m?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"And what was this task you have to perform here in Acie?"

"I've already done it, Vanion. Sephrenia and I had to talk with a certain Styric here. We saw him in the street on our way to the palace and took care of it."

"What did you have to say to him that was more important than getting the Bh.e.l.liom?"

"We had to prepare Styric.u.m for what is about to happen."

"The invasion by the Rendors, you mean?"

"Oh, that's nothing, Vanion. This is much, much more serious."

Vanion looked at Sparhawk. "You're going to Thalesia then?"

Sparhawk nodded. "Even if I have to walk on water to get there."

"All right, I'll do what I can to help you get out of the city. There's one thing that concerns me, though. If you all leave, Wargun's going to notice that you're gone.

Sparhawk and one or two others might be able to get away without alerting Wargun, but that's about all."

Flute stepped into the middle of the room and looked them over. "Sparhawk," she said, pointing, "and Kurik, Sephrenia and me - and Talen."

"That's absurd," Bevier exploded. "Sparhawk's going to need knights with him if he's going to come up against Ghwerig."

"Sparhawk and Kurik can take care of it," she said complacently.

"Isn't it dangerous to take Flute along?" Vanion asked Sparhawk.

"Maybe so, but she's the only one who knows the way to Ghwerig's cave."

"Why Talen?" Kurik said to Flute.

"There's something he has to do in Emsat," she replied.

"I'm sorry, my friends," Sparhawk told the other knights, but we're more or less committed to doing things her way."

"Are you going to leave now?" Vanion said.

"No, we have to wait for Talen."

"Good. Sephrenia, go and get Olven's sword.

"But - "

"Just do it, Sephrenia. Please don't argue with me."

"Yes, dear one," she sighed.

After she had delivered Olven's sword to him, Vanion was so weak he could barely stand.

"You're going to kill yourself doing this, you know."

"Everybody dies from something. Now then, gentlemen," he said to the knights, "I have a troop of Pandions with me. Those of you who are staying behind should mingle yourselves in among them when we ride out. Lenda and Obler are both quite old. I'll suggest to Wargun that we put them in a carriage and that he ride along with them. That should keep him from being able to count noses. I'll try to keep him occupied." He looked at Sparhawk. "A day or two is probably all I'll be able to manage for you," he apologized.

"That should be enough," Sparhawk said. "Wargun's likely to think that I'm going back to Lake Venne. He'll send any pursuit in that direction."

"The only problem now is getting you out of the palace," Vanion said.

"I'll take care of that," Flute told him.

"How?"

"Maa-gic," she said, comically drawing the word out and wiggling her fingers at him.

He laughed. "How did we ever get along without you?"

"Badly, I'd imagine." She sniffed.

It was about an hour later when Talen slipped into the room.

"Any problems?" Kurik asked him.

"No," Talen shrugged. "I made a few contacts and found us a place to hide."

"Contacts?" Vanion asked him. "With whom?"

"A few thieves, some beggars and a couple of murderers. They sent me to the man who controls the underside of Acie. He owes Platime a few favours, so when I mentioned Platime's name, he became very helpful."

"You live in a strange world, Talen," Vanion said.

"No stranger than the one you live in, My Lord," Talen said with an extravagant bow.

"That may be entirely true, Sparhawk," Vanion said.

"We may all be thieves and brigands when you get right down to it. All right," he said to Talen, "where is this hiding-place?"

"I'd rather not say," Talen replied evasively. "You're sort of an official person, and I gave my word."

"There's honour in your profession?"

"Oh yes, My Lord. It's not based on any knightly code, though. It's based on not getting your throat cut."

"You have a very wise son, Kurik," Kalten said.

"You had to go ahead and say it, didn't you, Kalten?" Kurik asked acidly.

"Are you ashamed of me, father?" Talen asked in a small voice, his face downcast.

Kurik looked at him. "No, Talen," he said, "actually I'm not." He put his burly arm about the boys shoulders.

"This is my son, Talen," he said defiantly, "and if anybody wants to make an issue of it, I'll be more than happy to give him satisfaction, and we can throw out the nonsense about the n.o.bility and the commons not being allowed to fight each other."

"Don't be absurd, Kurik," Tynian said with a broad grin. "Congratulations to you both."

The other knights gathered about the husky squire and his larcenous son, clapping them on the shoulders and adding their congratulations to Tynian's.

Talen looked around at them, his eyes suddenly very wide and filled with tears at his sudden acknowledgement.

Then he fled to Sephrenia, fell to his knees, buried his face in her lap and wept.

Flute smiled.