Amulpha allowed herself an audible and derisory puff

130 of breath. "If you were going to do that, Majesty, you would have done it right away. It is too late now. Be- sides"-the smile was genuinely amused this time-"you made the mistake of receiving me in state, I am sure that the word has already gone out."

Varodias tipped back his head and appeared to study the ceiling. "You have been grossly deficient in your judgment, both in your actions and in your opinion of us." The voice floated out. People who did not know him, and almost no one did, would have a.s.sumed that the Emperor was in an amiable mood. The neatly ta- pered beard descended slowly until he was looking di- rectly at the Mother Supreme. His hands were still.

"While it is true that the Crown and the Church are supposedly inseparable, the same is not true of Emper- ors and individual Mothers Supreme." He smiled, but there was nothing amiable about it. "My condemnation would be of the misguided priestess, not of the organi- zation, and it is by no means too late for that."

"Is Your Imperial Majesty trying to threaten me?"

Amulpha asked, striving to match his lightness-

Varodias' smile returned. "My Wisewoman tells me that obesity can put too great a strain upon the vital organs. Then again, a glutton may choke on a sweet- meat."

The laugh started low in the Mother Supreme and rose until she threw back her head and gave it free rein.

It was a totally spontaneous release of tension and it disconcerted the Emperor. She wheezed; she wiped her eyes. The intrigues of men were so crude when com- pared to the machinations of women, she thought, and she had ruled more than two thousand women for lon- ger than she cared to admit.

"Nicely done. Majesty," she said, controlling her- self, "but I am not so easily replaced. The hierarchy is loyal to me and to my way of thinking. No compla- 131.

cent vessel of your choosing would be elected and the next Mother Supreme might well be even less to your liking."

She paused and looked at him levelly and, despite the disparity in the height of the chairs, it was an ex- change between equals. It was Varodias who looked away first.

"What do you suggest?" he asked,

"Oooh"-it was a drawn out and soothing sound- "an alliance of necessity at the very least. There are forces abroad that need to be dealt with."

"Agreed, but how?" He stopped himself and held up a hand to stave off a reply. He tucked his lower lip between his teeth and bit down gently.

The gesture heartened the Mother Supreme. She had taken an enormous risk and the rapid beating of her pulse told her so. That the Emperor was showing signs of indecision was a relief. The worst was behind her, though she would have to play him carefully from here on in,

"There are a number of factors that would have to be brought to bear," she said cautiously, "most of them political."

Varodias nodded, reviewing the possibilities in his mind. He was aware of the general unrest in the realm, but none of his spies had reported a concentrated effort to get him off the throne. The Mother's argument did make some sense, however, and it was always best to antic.i.p.ate trouble and strike first. His eyes darted to- ward her. He did not like this woman. She showed too little respect, for one thing, but she was intelligent and as much of a survivor as he was. He knew that, behind his back, people said that he ruled by personal whim.

The fools did not realize that behind each seeming whim there was a calculated vigilance. When it came down to it, his fortunes and those of the Church were linked.

132 "We do not think," he said graciously, "that the Em- peror and the Holy Church should be quarreling.

Rather, we should be searching our minds and our hearts for the solution to the present dissatisfaction among the people, who are your congregants and our subjects." The head inclined slightly and then rose im- mediately.

The Mother Supreme exhaled gently and inclined her head in turn. It would not do to let him see how close to rattling her he had come. "I do agree. Your Imperial Majesty," she said. "There is, of course, one obvious way to distract the public mind, to deflect the energy into a more profitable channel, and that is to open the Outland." She gave a little shrug that stayed at the level of the shoulders. "As I said, a political decision."

"Would that it were that simple," Varodias replied, sadness in the cadence. "We have been trying to do that for years, but we have been thwarted by the Magical Kingdoms and by Isphardel. We promised our valiant soldiers at the close of the dreadful war that their loyal service would be rewarded by a grant of land in the captured territories"-his fingers began drumming on the arms of the chair-"and we have been prevented from keeping our sacred word."

Mostly because the land wasn't fit for settlement be- fore now, Amulpha thought, but she kept it to herself.

"Infidels will never do anything to help us," she said.

"They lack the moral framework from which the knowledge of right and wrong flows." She smiled and her hands made motions that suggested hesitation.

"There are a couple of things that Your Imperial Maj- esty might, consider...."

Varodias' hands were calm again. "Would you care to elaborate?" he said smoothly.

"An ordinance against retainers, perhaps? If coupled 133.

with an oner of land beyond the Causeways, it might make Electoral service less inviting. After all, if the Crown allotted tracts in the area directly fronting our current northern border, who could gainsay it? In your wisdom, you have waited this long to ensure that the perils of mutation are past. That is to be commended.

The Church would, naturally, encourage settlement from the pulpit."

She paused and, hearing no denial, gathered herself to propound the plan she had long nurtured.

"The Church would, of course," she said as if it were a foregone conclusion, "expect to have a presence in the new territory. The people would need something to anchor them to the old life, some sense of belonging to the Empire even though they were forging new bound- aries; a sense of kinship and continuity." She smiled openly at him. "It goes without saying that Imperial grants in perpetuity would preempt a broad range of problems."

Varodias laughed. It was an unnerving sound. "You are apiece of work," he said, not without appreciation, the gloved hands fountaining upward. "You wilt preach and we shall donate land to you." His head wagged from side to side. "Most droll; highly amusing."

The affectation of mirth died as quickly as it had been kindled. The eyes became slitted,

"No more independent defense force," he said.

"From hence forth Imperial forces will be deployed to protect centers of worship," The professional smile ap- peared again. "You will of course implore us to do so.

You will instruct your priestesses to preach the virtues of stability and to impress upon their congregations the evils of internal dissension. Emphasize the advantages of a strong, united state. Tell the people that our pros- perity is being threatened by foreigners- The Isphardis bleed us, the Magical Kingdoms thwart us by holding

134 up the division of the Outland." He was kindled anew and his dark eyes shone.

"To a.s.sert our own just sovereignty and prosperity, we must be united, regional differences must be sub- sumed. The Imperium is all. The nation will succeed.

The Empire will triumph!" He stopped, mouth open as if surprised at what had come out of it.

The man's mad, Arnulpha thought, but Imperial pro- tection is a sight cheaper than hiring men-at-arms and the rest of his ideas can fit nicely with what I want for the Church. Gently, now, gently.

"I am sure that the Church can play a vital role in Your Imperial Majesty's plans," she said placidly, "plans with which I entirely concur. I shall issue a plea for Imperial protection against the barbarians who threaten us before I leave the capital, and I can a.s.sure you that you will not be disappointed at the voices that will issue from our pulpits. We shall stress the need to spread the Imperium to the Outlands and, of course, the necessity of the the presence of the Great Mother on this new Imperial frontier."

She gripped the arms of her chair and heaved trerself to her feet.

"And now, with Your Imperial Majesty's permission, I beg leave to retire. Your Majesty has given me much to think on."

Varodias rose easily from his seat. "When you have finished thinking, make sure that we are of a mind, madam," he said, returning to his cool and menacing mode. He made a small inclination of the head in her direction.

"I shall mention Your Imperial Majesty in my pray- ers," the Mother Supreme said enigmatically. She gath- ered up the front of her robe and swept to the doors.

Her grand exit was hampered somewhat by the neces- sity of opening them for herself.

135.

Varodias watched the departing expanse of gold with mixed emotions. The woman hadn't reacted at all in the way that he had expected. She did not appear in the least to have been intimidated. He thought, however, that he had got what he wanted out of her, but he wasn't certain and that irritated him. The woman was a trial, but, for the moment, he needed her. He looked forward to the time when he would not-

chaipten 14

ie Outpost was still sweltering as Jarrod prepared for a meeting of the reconvened Commission for the Outland. The breezes that the Weatherwards had pro- vided afforded very little relief, a mere pa.s.sing of warm air over hot ground. A day like this, he thought, might cause Olivderval to reconsider her offer. Still, despite the heat, it was good to be home again after so many sennights away. Except for the dreams. Since his return he had dreamed of the castle in the mountains almost every night. He had never been able to reach it, but the building itself was clearly visible and, while unreach- able, at least stayed put. Something in him itched to make the dream real. He had, he realized, been working toward that end. Nastrus had been directed to send the stones from the Giants' Causeway to the foot of the mountains. The ostensible reason had been to get them out of the way of potential settlers, but, in retrospect, it was obvious to Jarrod that there had been another agenda behind that. In all truth, the would-be settlers could have done with some building materials on a woodless plain. Somehow, and he couldn't explain why, this seemed more important.

On a happier note, he had to admit that the demon- stration had been a roaring success. The Queen, the Prince Consort and the Court had been seated on the Upper Causeway. A number of Arabella's major va.s.sals had returned to Court from their estates, and they had 137.

brought their families. Ragnor had made a notable en- trance, resplendent in omate robe and biretta of office, carried up in a gilded sedan chair. There had been a festive, almost jubilant, air about the occasion. It was as if this were a return to the distant days of high pur- pose and great deeds.

Greylock, in the full regalia of the Mage of Paladine, diamond tiara blazing in the sun, stood on a special platform by the parapet. Nastrus, groomed to within an inch of his life, stood behind him. The unicorn's mane and tail gleamed with threads of gold, and his silver hooves shone. The mother-of-pearl spiral of his horn seemed to genrate a glow of its own, holding the sun- light at bay. The Mage had explained to the gathering what was going to occur and then turned slowly to face the Alien Plain. A silence descended, broken only by the wailing of a small child. Greylock raised his arms and began to intone a levitation spell.

As if summoned by his words, four cloudsteeds rose above the Causeway with a net dangling below them.

Jarrod, standing inconspicuously to the side, began to provide power to match the chant. He was careful;