Well pleased, Malum returned to the palace and or- dered a tray of marchpane from the kitchens. The

264 Mother Supreme was known to have a sweet tooth and the strong almond scent would disguise the odor of the mushroom juice. He set the marchpane to soak and then went out again to purchase a wooden box inlaid with nacre. That done, he cut the sweetmeat into squares and a.s.sembled them into a suitable-looking offering. Then he dispatched a page to ask for an audience with Ar- nulpha.

The Mother Supreme sat in a wide, padded chair.

Behind her sat three lesser priestesses quietly doing em- broidery. She was not wearing the cloth-of-gold gown that he a.s.sociated with her, but rather a voluminous robe of dark blue silk with darker patches beneath the armholes. Matching slippers peeped out beneath the hem. She had, Malum noted, surprisingly small feet for a woman of her size.

He advanced across the room, the box clamped firmly against his side, and made his court bow.

"Be welcome, my lord. We are pleased to see you."

The formal mode rolled out in a low, pleasant voice.

She smiled up at him and the small eyes well nigh dis- appeared.

Malum masked the distaste of the congenitally thin for the overweight. "I am grateful that Your Serenity consented to see me," he replied.

Arnulpha watched the dark little man with an interest tinged with wariness. He was somewhat of a mystery at Court. He seldom appeared at Imperial functions, but he was said to have the Emperor's ear.

"Had you not requested an audience, my Lord of Quern, we should have sought you out."

Mahim's look of surprise was only partly feigned.

"Oh come, sirrah," Arnulpha's said, warm amuse- ment surfacing, "you have established yourself in our Emperor's confidence in a remarkably short time. That makes you a man of importance. We are not in Angom 265.

that often. Surely you would expect that we would wish to take advantage of the opportunity to make your ac- quaintance?"

She arrogates the use of the royal we to herself, Malum thought. I wonder if she dares do it in front of Varodias.

Was there also a touch of the flattened vowels of the south in her speech? She cozens, he thought. She is mid- Umbrian born and a daughter of the n.o.bility. She plays with me. And the Emperor was right; she was d.a.m.nably well informed. He produced a self-deprecating smile.

"You do me too much honor, madam. Any influence that I have is owed not to my talents, but to the good offices of my former master, the Elector of Estragoth. I think that His Imperial Majesty talks to me on occasion because I remind him of his old friend. I fear that he does not listen to me," he said with apparent frankness, "on those rare occasions when he asks me for an opin- ion. In truth it seems to me that His Imperial Majesty has been ill advised of late, though not by me, in his dealings with the Mother Church."

"Say you so?" The Mother Supreme's eyebrows were raised. Whatever it was that she had been expecting from him, that was not it. "Mayhap we should make ourselves more comfortable." She gestured toward the hearth, where a low table and three chairs were set. She heaved her bulk up, waved a dismissal of the three priestesses and led the way.

Malum heard the breathlessness that the effort caused and smiled inwardly. If all went well, he would not have this chance again. He should get what information he could before offering his gift.

"I have always considered," he said as he waited for the Mother Supreme to lower herself into a chair, "that the Church is one of the binding forces that unites the Empire. Tradition, of course, is the other great mortar

266 t JOHN LEE

in the structure-village tradition, hereditary lords bound by liege oaths-but tradition is more easily sun- dered than the people's belief in the Great Mother."

He placed the box on the floor beside his chair as he sat and saw Amulpha's eyes flicker over it. "It seems to me," he continued, "and I would ask that this does not leave this chamber . . ." He paused until she nodded her head. "That His Imperial Majesty embarks upon a course of folly when he opposes the Church." He sat back and looked at her anxiously.

She leaned forward and rang a small china bell. "We cannot say that we disagree with you, my lord,'" she said. "Indeed, we could wish that your counsel had more weight with the Emperor." She glanced sideways at him and smiled briefly. "Have no fear," she added, "we know Varodias pa.s.sing well. He is not a man sub- ject to overt pressure. Subtlety and persistence are needed." She broke off as a novice entered and then ordered chai and honey cakes without consulting Malum. She waited until the girl had withdrawn.

"You are an ambitious man, my lord, and nothing comes for nothing. What is that you would want from us?"

"From Your Serenity, nothing," Malum replied smoothly. "My former master's great influence with the Emperor was founded in his love of the Empire. He sought her good, not his own gain. I would follow in his footsteps. As I told you, ma'am, I am convinced that harmony between Church and Emperor is essential for the health of the Empire."

The Mother Supreme was about to reply when the novice returned with a tray. She arranged the crockery and the cakes and then poured the chai. When she had withdrawn once more, Arnutpha said, "We have warned His Imperial Majesty that the Church cannot tolerate *further attacks on her people and her property. If there 267.

is anything that you can do to see that the Imperial Guards act upon the a.s.surances given us, you would be doing the Emperor a service and you would not find us ungrateful."

Malum nodded and reached down for the box. He stood and held it out. "A small token. Serenity. I thought that honey and almonds bound together formed a symbol of what I hope can be the relationship be- tween yourself and His Imperial Majesty."

"Prettily put," Amulpha said, opening the box. Her face lit up. "Marchpane," she exclaimed. "A favorite of ours." She reached into the box and then stopped.

"Will you join us, my lord?" she asked.

Malum had prepared for this eventuality. The two rows closest to the side with the clasp were untainted.

He produced hi& smile. "Willingly." He leaned forward and took one, biting into it without hesitation. The Mother Supreme sipped her chai and watched him swal- low. Then she helped herself-

Malum drank some chai and then helped himself to one of the honey cakes. He watched the Mother Su- preme out of the comer of his eye,

"Good," she said. "The almond taste is a little strong, but not unpleasant. We thank you." She took another.

"I am glad they meet with your approval," he said politely.

The Mother Supreme licked her fingers and drank some more other chai. "If the Emperor will agree," she began, and then stopped suddenly. Her eyes widened and she clutched her belly. Her mouth opened and a choking sound emerged.

"Is something the matter. Serenity?" Malum asked disingenuously.

Amulpha's hand groped out, reaching for the bell.

Malum rose swiftly and moved it out of the way. Re- alization dawned in the Mother Supreme's eyes, but was

268 quickly extinguished by a spasm of pain. Her heavy body twisted in the chair and her mouth tried to form words. Her hands grasped the arms of the chair as she tried to stand, but a convulsion threw her back. The mouth began to work again, then the body arched, belly thrusting upward, and collapsed. Her heels drummed briefly on the floor and then the head lolled forward, spreading out her chins.

Malum looked down at her for a beat and then pressed his fingers into the flesh of her wrist, searching for a pulse. There was none. He unb.u.t.toned the top of his doublet, scooped up the remaining pieces of poi- soned marchpane and dropped them down it. He did the b.u.t.tons up again and patted himself lightly to make sure the pieces didn't show. He rearranged the rest of the marchpane so that it looked as if a lot had been eaten. As a final touch he broke off a piece of one of the cakes, opened the Mother Supreme's mouth and stuffed it inside. He dropped the other piece on the floor as if it had fallen from her hand. He stepped back and surveyed his handiwork before ringing the little bell vi- olently. He shouted for help.

When the Mother Supreme's attendants came rushing in, they found Lord Malum of Quern pounding their mistress on the back.

"Water, get water!" he shouted at the fl.u.s.tered priestesses. "She's choking." He found that he was enjoying himself. He would not say a word about this to the Emperor, he decided. Not unless he asks di- rectly, he amended. Word of the Mother Supreme's death would get out almost immediately. If he made no demands, the Emperor would be certain of his loy- alty. Let others have the t.i.tles; he would control the policy.

He abandoned his efforts and set the Mother Su- preme upright. He propped her body against the chair 269.

back. The jaw hung slackly. He looked at the two women, who were hovering futilely.

"I think one of you should get the Emperor's Wise- woman, unless Her Serenity travels with one of her own,'' he said.

Gwyndryth was basking in sunlight when Jarrod and Nastrus came out of Interim- The meadow that the uni- corn used as a reference point had been brought under cultivation and they emerged while women were glean- ing the stubble, causing consternation. By the time that Jarrod had recovered from the effects of the trip, the women were cl.u.s.tered around the unicorn, rubbing its coat for luck. When they had first come to Gwyndryth, Jarrod reflected, they had had to sneak the unicorns in by the back postern and hide them in the cellars. Now Nastrus was a symbol of good fortune. Since no one was paying the slightest attention to him, Jarrod took the opportunity to remove the extra clothing he had donned for protection against the cold of Interim. No sooner done than he was recognized.

'Tt's the new lord," one of the women cried, point- ing. The others fell back and ducked their heads in ac- knowledgment.

'There's a fine thing,' Nastrus grumbled. 'You're ihe one commanding respect and all you did was rut with Marianna.'

Jarrod ignored him. "Give you goodday, ladies," he said. "I have come for the birthing. Is the Lady Mar- ianna delivered yet?"

"Not yet. Lord," the observant one said with the thick burr that characterized the speech of the region, "leastwise the bell 'asn't rang and they allus ring the bell for a birthing."

"I'd be best on my way then," he said, and they moved farther back to give him room.

270 t JOHN LEE