‘You’re a coward.’
‘And you’re – whatever it is that you are. Let me see that note.’
Sparhawk heard paper rustling. ‘All right,’ Krager’s mush-sounding voice said. ‘This is the primate’s seal, I’ll agree.’
‘Have you been drinking?’
‘Naturally. What else is there to do in Cimmura? Unless you have other entertainments – like some I could name.’
‘I don’t like you very much, Krager.’
‘I’m not fond of you either, Harparin, but we can both live with that, can’t we? Just give me the message and go away. That perfume you’re wearing is beginning to turn my stomach.’
There was a stiff silence, and then the Baron spoke very precisely, as if to a child or a simpleton. ‘This is what the Primate Annias wants you to say to Martel: Tell him to gather up as many men as he’ll need and to dress them all in black armour. They are to carry the banners of the Pandion Knights – any seamstress can counterfeit them for you, and Martel knows what they look like. They are then to ride with great show to the castle of Count Radun, uncle of King Dregos of Arcium. Do you know the place?’
‘It’s on the road between Darra and Sarrinium, isn’t it?’
‘Precisely. Count Radun is a pious man and he’ll admit the Church Knights without question. Once Martel is inside the walls, his men are to kill the inhabitants. There shouldn’t be much resistance, because Radun doesn’t maintain a large garrison. He has a wife and a number of unmarried daughters. Annias wants them all repeatedly raped.’
Krager laughed. ‘Adus would do that anyway.’
‘Good, but tell him not to be self-conscious about it. Radun has several churchmen in his castle. We want them to witness it all. After Adus and the others finish with the women, cut their throats. Radun is to be tortured and then beheaded. Take his head with you when you leave, but leave enough personal jewellery and clothing on the body so that it can be identified. Butcher everybody else in the castle, except for the churchmen. After they’ve witnessed everything, let them go.’
‘Why?’
‘To report the outrage to King Dregos at Larium.’
‘The idea then is that Dregos will declare war on the Pandions?’
‘Not quite, no – although that’s possible, too. As soon as the business is finished, dispatch a man on a fast horse to me here in Cimmura to tell me that it’s been done.’
Krager laughed again. ‘Only an idiot would carry that kind of message. He’d have a dozen knives in him as soon as he finished talking.’
‘You are suspicious, aren’t you, Krager?’
‘Better suspicious than dead, and the people Martel will hire are likely all to feel pretty much the same way. You’d better tell me a little more about this scheme, Harparin.’
‘You don’t need to know any more.’
‘Martel will. He won’t be a cat’s-paw for anybody.’
Harparin muttered an oath. ‘All right then. The Pandions have been interfering with the primate’s activities. This atrocity will give him an excuse to confine them in their motherhouse at Demos again. Then he will personally carry a report of the affair to Chyrellos to lay before the Church Hierocracy and the Archprelate himself. They will have no choice but to disband the Pandion Order. The leaders – Vanion, Sparhawk, and the others – will be imprisoned in the dungeons beneath the Basilica of Chyrellos. No man has ever come out of those dungeons alive.’
‘Martel will like that idea.’
‘Annias thought that he might. The Styric woman, Sephrenia, will be burned as a witch, of course.’
‘We’ll be well rid of her.’ There was another pause. ‘There’s more, isn’t there?’ Krager added.
Harparin did not answer.
‘Don’t be coy, Harparin,’ Krager told him. ‘If I can see through all this, you can be sure that Martel will, too. Let’s have the rest of it.’
‘All right.’ Harparin’s voice was sullen. ‘The Pandions are likely to resist confinement and they’ll certainly try to protect their leaders. At that point, the army will move against them. That will give Annias and the Royal Council an excuse to declare a state of emergency and to suspend certain laws.’
‘Which laws are those?’
‘The ones having to do with the succession to the throne. Elenia will technically be in a state of war, and Ehlana is obviously in no condition to deal with that. She’ll abdicate in favour of her cousin, the Prince Regent Lycheas.’
‘Arissa’s bastard – the sniveller?’
‘Legitimacy can be bestowed by a decree of the council, and I’d really watch what I say about Lycheas, Krager. Disrespect for the King is high treason, and it can be made retroactive, you know.’
There was an apprehensive silence. ‘Wait a minute,’ Krager said then. ‘I’ve heard that Ehlana’s unconscious – and sealed in some kind of crystal.’
‘That’s no particular problem.’
‘How can she sign the instrument of abdication?’
Harparin laughed. ‘There’s a monk at the monastery near Lenda. He’s been practising the Queen’s signature for a month now. He’s very good.’
‘Clever. What happens to her after she abdicates?’
‘As soon as Lycheas is crowned King, we’ll give her a splendid funeral.’
‘But she’s still alive, isn’t she?’
‘So? If need be, we’ll entomb her throne and all.’
‘There’s only one problem then, isn’t there?’
‘I don’t see any problem.’
‘That’s because you’re not looking, Harparin. The primate is going to have to move very fast. If the Pandions find out about this before he can get to the Hierocracy in Chyrellos, they’ll take steps to counter his accusations.’
‘We’re aware of that. That’s why you have to send the message to me as soon as the count and his people are dead.’
‘The message would never reach you. Any man we send will realize that he’ll be killed as soon as he delivers it and he’ll find an excuse to go to Lamorkand or Pelosia instead.’ Krager paused. ‘Let me see that ring of yours,’ he said.
‘My ring? Why?’
‘It’s a signet, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, with the coat of arms of my family.’
‘All noblemen have rings like that, don’t they?’
‘Of course.’
