At the Gates of Darkness Part 7

Not wishing to argue any more, Laromendis put his head on his arm. It wasn't the first time he had been forced to sleep on the ground, and he welcomed the hard soil beneath him as if it were as soft as a feather mattress.

Despite his claims to the contrary, Gulamendis was as fatigued as his brother, but was determined to stay alert. His awareness of the demons made it far easier, and while he knew he flirted with exhaustion, he managed to fight it and stay awake.

The hours dragged by and the Demon Master shivered while his body heat slowly dried his clothing. He wondered how his brother had managed to fall so quickly into a slumber, then laughed silently at the question; had he the opportunity, he would also have been fast asleep on the ground in an instant.

He studied the night sky. He knew little about the skies of any world, it wasn't an area of interest, so the idea that he might recognize a constellation or any other astral sign and be able to discern their location from it was no more than an idle thought.

Moving and humming absently, to keep awake while his brother slept, he wondered at the strange course of events that had brought him here, and how they had in some strange way, brought him closer to Laromendis than they had ever been.

As children they had shared an interest in all things magical, and as initiates into the Circle of Light, they had shared their early training; but when the Regent's Meet had disbanded the Circle and, according to rumours, conspired to murder some of their more powerful members, the brothers had been separated for years.

They had later discovered that their paths might have crossed on several occasions during that time. They had even lived on opposite sides of the same island for the better part of a year without realizing, although-as his brother had wryly pointed out-Gulamendis had stayed in a cave high in the hills, while Laromendis had resided in the island's sole town, working as a labourer while the purging of the Circle had continued.

Only the Demon Legion's onslaught had staved off further persecution of the remaining members of the Circle. Gulamendis was certain that others still hid, but most had answered the call of their people, and had been welcomed back to Andcardia when the Regent's Meet granted them amnesty.

Amnesty for all but the Demon Masters. Fate had spared Gulamendis, for only days before he arrived at the Regent's court his brother had 'volunteered' for the mission to seek out a refuge for the taredhel should the demons overrun their capital. Because of Laromendis, Gulamendis had been kept in a cage but had been allowed to live; most of the Demon Masters hadn't been so fortunate.

The sky lightened and the black shapes resolved into greys and lighter greys. The Demon Master waited until he could see trees above them clearly enough to chance moving through them, and then he shook his brother awake.

Laromendis came around instantly, but it was clear he was still exhausted. He glanced about them and nodded. Without further communication the two elves moved into the woods.

The trees were scrawny and parched, and the brothers knew that finding fresh water might be a problem. The brush was dry and cracked when they stepped on it, so both moved slowly and with great care.

Finally they reached a small clearing where an extrusion of stone formed a ridge. They peered over the edge and Gulamendis whispered, 'Merciful ancestors!'

As far as the eye could see fires ranged, organized so that strict lines of flame defined areas of the camp. Many figures rested around the blazes and the Demon Master tugged at his brother's sleeve.

They moved back, away from the edge into the relative shelter of the trees. It had been these fires illuminating the sky the night before, the light had not come from one small fire nearby, the gloom had been pierced by hundreds of distant fires.

'It's the Legion,' whispered Gulamendis.

Laromendis said, 'Where are we?' As soon as he asked, he knew it was a stupid question, for his brother had no more knowledge of their whereabouts than he did.

They exchanged silent looks holding the same understanding: they were on the world being used by the Demon Legion as a staging ground. The demons below them were unlike any they had seen or fought before: armed, organized and resting before the invasion. About them lay a calm entirely unnatural for demons, it was frightening; and from their organization, the Legion would be moving soon.

Finally Gulamendis said, 'There is one good thing about this.'

'Really?' asked his brother, his eyes widening.

'If they're here, and if they plan to invade Home, it means they have a way to get there.'

'A Demon gate?'

'They must,' said the Demon Master. 'We just need to find it and get through it before they do.'

His brother shook his head. Words failed him.

CHAPTER SEVEN - Queg.

TRUMPETS SOUNDED.

James Dasher Jamison, Baron of the Prince's Court, Envoy Extraordinary of the Kingdom of the Isles, occasional diplomat and full time spy turned to his companions; Pug, Magnus, and Amirantha were dressed as scholars, wearing light tan robes and sandals.

'One more time,' he said.

Pug smiled, but Magnus and Amirantha looked annoyed.

'One more time,' he repeated. 'These stories must be the first thing you think of should you be faced with unexpected questions.

Pug looked at his son and the Warlock, and said, 'I am Richard, a historian from the Royal Court of Rillanon. I have lived there for years.' Pug had spent enough time in the capital city over the last hundred years to easily describe most of the famous aspects of the 'Jewelled City,' and its recent politics had occupied all discussion between the four of them as they sailed from Krondor to Queg.

'I am his first student, Martin,' said Magnus. 'I have recently come to the capital and am still finding my way around.' Unlike his father, Magnus had spent relatively little time in Rillanon, so the ident.i.ty chosen for him would serve that fact. 'I originally came from Yabon.' He knew that area very well.

Both father and son looked at Amirantha who said, 'I am Amirantha, a scholar from the distant city of Maharta. I have a royal patent from the Maharaja of Muboya, courtesy of General Kaspar, First Minister to the Maharaja, commissioning me to learn all I can about the nations of Triagia, and I am collecting histories toward that end.'

'Try to look a little more enthusiastic about it,' said Jim.

'Shouldn't we get up on deck?' asked Magnus.

Jim smiled. 'Quegan protocol dictates we keep them waiting for at least another five minutes, ten would be better. Quegans are an odd people: they favour self-aggrandizement, to the point that they consider even the Imperial Keshian Court "degenerate," and see themselves as the true inheritors of all things magnificent and imperial. They would seem silly if it wasn't for that irritatingly large navy they insist on sailing all over the Bitter Sea. That earns them a great deal of respect they otherwise wouldn't enjoy. Their position as something of a balance-shifter here in the west keeps them more or less at peace with their neighbours, but should the cause arise that unites the Free Cities, Kesh, and the Kingdom, we'd happily obliterate this island.' He said the last with a cheerful expression.

'But then you'd have another war over who got to keep the island,' said Amirantha with a wry expression.

'Oh, I'd be happy to let Pug and some of his compatriots just sink it.' He looked at the magician. 'You could manage that, couldn't you?'

Pug shook his head and deemed not to answer.

'What we have now is very little time. The Imperial Archivist is at our disposal, but for only three days. You must discover what we need to know in two, because if I am to break in and steal something, I need to plan how to do it the day before we leave.' He sighed. 'While I have little problem with robbing the Quegans, I do have a problem with needlessly starting a war, especially when soon we may need to fight a far more dire one. The Quegans are suspicious by nature, and you will be watched, so always remember there are eyes watching you and ears nearby, even if it doesn't seem that way. Once we leave this cabin, we will be living our roles as n.o.ble and scholars. If you have any questions, now is the time.'

No one did; they had rehea.r.s.ed their various roles for the full seven days of sailing time from Krondor to Queg. The necessity of arriving publicly by ship had given them a great deal of time to perfect and review their plan.

'Well,' said Jim, standing, 'I think we've kept the Quegan n.o.bles standing in the hot sun long enough. Let us go and be diplomatic.'

Pug and his two companions followed Jim up to the deck and found the sailors of the Kingdom ShipRoyal Dolphin securing their vessel. A long gangway had been run out to the dock below and Jim paused dramatically at the top of it before starting his descent. Pug had not visited Queg in more than a century and his first sight brought amazement at how little had changed. securing their vessel. A long gangway had been run out to the dock below and Jim paused dramatically at the top of it before starting his descent. Pug had not visited Queg in more than a century and his first sight brought amazement at how little had changed.

The City of Queg, capital of the island nation of the same name, was really made up of two cities. Below them lay the docks, the poor quarter, and every manner of industry given to dirt, blood, and filth: the tanners, dyers, slaughterhouses, fish markets and forges. The air hung heavy with smoke and soot, odours that a.s.saulted the senses and noise to deafen.

The streets thronged with workers, traders and fishmongers. Few travellers came and went; Queg was not considered a hospitable nation.

The upper city rose upon the hills behind the harbour, and was dominated by the Emperor's palace. It shone brightly in the sun, for its walls had been faced with white marble over the years, and on clear days, this gleaming jewel of a building could be seen for miles out at sea. It was also, Pug thought, one of the finest examples of excesses and bad taste that could be found on Midkemia.

A delegation of Quegan officials waited for them on the dock, none of whom looked especially pleased at the duty before them, but all effecting broad smiles; their forced air of welcome that was less than persuasive. They wore the traditional white togas of office, each lined with a single band of colour that ran over the shoulder and along the hem. Those trimmed in red were city officials, while those in gold represented the Emperor. As only one person wore gold trim, Jim presented himself to him. 'I am Baron James, of the King's Court in Rillanon, and these are my companions.'

The official said, 'I am Lord Meridious, Chancellor of the Imperial Archives; I have been given the honour of hosting your visit.' He was a round-faced man, but broad of shoulder, heavy muscle was evident under his fat.

Jim shook the man's outstretched hand and said, 'I thank His Imperial Majesty for his courtesy and willingness to allow our scholars access to your archives. Especially in light of the abrupt delivery of the request.'

'It was rather odd,' agreed the Chancellor, 'but his Imperial Majesty is always anxious to keep harmonious relations with our neighbours and it seemed a small favour to ask.'

Jim turned and motioned to his three companions. He introduced Pug, Magnus and Amirantha. Seemingly overawed by the presence of the official's own majesty, all three magicians managed a fair imitation of a self-conscious bow.

'We have litters ready to bear you to the palace,' said the Chancellor.

Jim nodded and with a tilt of his head indicated that the others should follow. They walked along the docks between two lines of Quegan soldiers, four with herald horns which had been sounded when the ship had arrived. Now they stood motionless in the hot sun awaiting the order to return to barracks.

Reaching the quay, they found four litters waiting for them. The various city officials, who had not uttered a word, retired to their various offices and the Chancellor invited Jim to enter a litter. Pug shared another with Amirantha, and Magnus took the third.

The litter bearers were uniformly muscular young men, wearing only the heavy linen skirt of their trade, and heavy-soled cross gartered sandals. Their bodies gleamed with flower scented oils so their perspiration would not annoy their pa.s.sengers. They picked up the litters and started off at a quick pace, while two soldiers marched ahead of them, clearing the citizens of Queg from their path.

Amirantha kept his voice low, and in neutral tones said, 'So, this is Queg?'

Pug smiled and nodded. He knew, as did Amirantha, that it was likely one or more of the bearers were listening, and they would almost certainly be a Quegan agent. 'Yes,' said Pug. 'Does your master know much of this place?'

'A little,' said Amirantha, going along with the pretence he represented the Maharaja of Muboya. 'One of my tasks was to learn as much about the Kingdom's neighbours as I could, as well as being tasked to study your nation. Queg was once part of Great Kesh, true?'

'Yes,' said Pug, a.s.suming the Quegan agent listening would not pay close attention to a history lesson he knew as well as Pug did. 'A great revolt among the client states known as the Keshian Confederacy in the south of the Empire of Great Kesh, caused her to recall her legions from the north. They abandoned all of the lands to the west and south of Yabon. The Kingdom then pushed forward, out of Yabon into what is now the Far Coast, but the former Keshian cities on the sh.o.r.e of the Bitter Sea repulsed the Kingdom's invasion and formed the Free Cities.

'Queg was in a unique position; it had housed a garrison and the naval yards, but while the legions left, the navy refused to depart, as their families and lives where here. Kesh was kept busy fighting in the south, and by the time they had crushed the Confederacy rebellion, Queg had achieved independence and controlled the Bitter Sea.' He paused as if thinking. 'The people who lived here came from a relatively small province of the Empire, I believe it was called Itiac.' He knew better than that; they had in truth come from a province called Itaniac, but Pug wanted whoever listened in to believe he was no expert on the history of the island nation. 'I want to study some doc.u.ments from that era and earlier, if possible, as our Kingdom history is full of holes and many misunderstandings.

'Our relationship with Queg has not always been as good as it should be, and as a result many erroneous notions about its history and people circulate widely in the Kingdom of the Isles. I will take pride in correcting those misunderstandings.'

'Well, it's all new to me,' said Amirantha, playing along. 'Whatever I learn will be useful for my reports. Perhaps my master will wish to send a trade delegation here; you say the Quegans build good ships?'

'Among the best,' said Pug, knowing that was a shade of the truth. The Quegans built fearsome war galleys, but they were coastal-clinging vessels not meant to be sailed further than a day or two off sh.o.r.e. They possessed nothing that could cross as vast an expanse as the Endless Sea, to the west of the Straits of Darkness and reach Novindus. Still, flattery always appealed to those who wanted to believe it sincere.

Amirantha and Pug chatted about nothing particularly significant as they observed the city through which they pa.s.sed. The docks, disreputable inns and ign.o.ble businesses gave way to a series of broad streets that housed more prosperous industries; many buildings stood several stories tall, their proprietor's families occupying the top floors. Beyond them stretched a green belt of parkland which marked the boundary between the lower and upper cities. On the rising hillside large homes with sprawling gardens and fountains gave way to even larger estates surrounded by high walls and st.u.r.dy gates. Most were guarded by soldiers wearing private livery, their uniforms competing with their neighbours in terms of ostentation. In contrast to the Imperial soldiers dispatched to meet them at the docks, some of the domestic guardsmen wore highly polished chest guards and helms of steel, painted in bright colours, while others went further, employing gold trim or ridiculous plumes of feathers or died horsehair. The guards looked stout enough to keep vagabonds and rabble from disturbing their masters, but one glance from Amirantha revealed what the Warlock truly thought of these fighting men.

Upward they travelled, until they reached the Imperial district: the buildings surrounding the Emperor's palace and offices. These apartments and villas were set aside for the functionaries and officers of the court, and all had been faced with white marble. 'Centuries ago, this part of the city was like the rest of it, made only of stone and wood, but years ago, an emperor-his name is lost to me now-attempted to restyle it to be the most beautiful city in the world. He started to bring in this white stone from a ma.s.sive quarry in the south. Over the years the entire Imperial district has been finished to match.' He looked at Amirantha with an expression which made it clear that what he had to say next was for the benefit of their eavesdropper. 'It is said that Rodric the Fourth, known as the Mad King, was so envious of its beauty that he commanded Rillanon be likewise finished in white stone, but because he could find no fine white marble, he was forced to settle for an inferior riot of colours.' The truth, as Pug well knew, was exactly the opposite. The Imperial palace of Queg had always been encased in white marble, but it was only after Rodric of the Kingdom had begun the beautification of Rillanon-a task completed by his successor, King Lyam-that the Emperor Jumillis of Queg, had initiated his frenzied beautification of all of the Imperial district. The only reason he had stopped there was because the quarry had almost been exhausted; the remaining marble had been stored for repair, in case of weather and other damage.

Pug sat back silently for a moment remembering King Rodric whom he had met on his first visit to Rillanon; his contemplation brought on a dark and reflective mood upon him, a feeling he had managed to avoid since being sought out by Jim and Amirantha. Rodric had been a sorely troubled, but basically good man, driven mad by an illness no one could cure, and only lucid at the end of his life, when he had named his cousin Lyam his heir and saved the nation from a b.l.o.o.d.y civil war on the heels of twelve years of fighting with the Tsurani.

Such reminiscing made him think of everyone he had lost over the years: his old teacher, Kulgan, and Meecham, Kulgan's companion, Father Tully one of his first and wisest teachers. Princess Carline, whom he once thought he loved, and Laurie one of his closest friends, who had wed the Princess. Laurie had died too young and left Carline a widow for far too long. Lord Borric...He sighed and Amirantha looked at him with a questioning expression. Pug held up his hand to indicate it was of no importance, but the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach remained. He had lost Katala, his first love, his first wife, to a wasting sickness no magic or art could cure. His first two children, William and Gamina, died the end of the war with the Emerald Queen's army. And now Miranda and his youngest child, Caleb, were gone too.

Pug pushed aside the feelings and chided himself for not conquering his black moods. He had known from the day he had made his bargain with the G.o.ds that this would be his fate, yet he still resented it.

The litters finally arrived at the entrance to the palace, saving Pug from more unhappy reflection. He glanced over and saw Amirantha studying him.

The three 'scholars' climbed out of the two litters and were immediately shown to their quarters, while Jim was escorted to a reception in the Emperor's Court. As part of his official retinue, they could have accompanied Jim had he insisted, but Pug had already decided there was work they could do, even from their closely guarded quarters.

Once they were alone, he nodded once to Magnus, who then sat on a chair in the corner of the room. Pug spoke to Amirantha and said, 'These Quegans seem like hospitable enough folks.'

Amirantha looked around the room, a large ante-chamber designed for entertaining and holding casual conversation; there were two doors in the walls to the right and left of the chamber's main entrance, and a large vaulted window opposite them. Amirantha said, 'Lovely view,' and Pug joined him.

'Yes,' said the magician as they looked down on one of the palace's many gardens. This one was dominated by a large pool in which several people were swimming or lounging.

Amirantha's eyebrows rose slightly when he realized the bathers were all nude, and he said, 'Ah, is that the custom here?'

Pug said, 'The Quegans are Keshian by ancestry. The Imperial Court of Great Kesh has a very hot climate, placed upon tablelands overlooking the Overn Deep in the heart of the empire. Their att.i.tude towards dress is very different to those held by the Kingdom. We are a cold weather people most of the time and so dress accordingly.'

'I see,' said Amirantha. 'I pa.s.s no judgment. I just find it...interesting.'

'Ah,' said Pug with a smile. 'Don't let it become a distraction.'

'Unless the librarians are pretty young women wearing no clothing, Richard,' he said, using Pug's false name, 'I think I shall be fine.'

Pug laughed, but his eyes searched every inch of the room. They had a.s.sumed they'd be spied upon, but didn't know to what extent they would be monitored. It could be as simple as a listening post in a nearby-room, eavesdropping through a simple sound chamber, or through a tiny tube of metal hidden behind a tapestry or decorative plant, or they could well be employing a complex scrying spell, a possibility that Magnus now attempted to determine.

Pug looked at his son, who opened his eyes and shook his head once: they could detect no magic at play. 'I think I'll lay down for a while,' said Magnus as he stood up and moved to one of the nearby doors.

Pug nodded agreement and went to another. Opening the door, he found a small but well-appointed room containing a simple free standing closet, a clean bed under a window that looked down on a tiny flowerbed and across to another window, which was possibly an additional guest apartment from what Pug could tell. He saw no movement through the window and a.s.sumed that apartment was empty.

Pug closed the door and lay down, gathering his thoughts.

Since Miranda and Caleb's death, any amount of reflection plunged him into morbid introspection. He had fought many battles in his life; losing Nakor had begun the struggle, but the death of his wife and son had defeated him.

Still, there was more work to do and he had to pull himself out of a deep cauldron of self-pity and rage towards the G.o.ds that shackled him; he had made the bargain, he reminded himself again; he could have left this life after battling Jakan, the demon disguised as the Emerald Queen, but had elected to return and continue the struggle. The price he paid was to watch everyone he loved die.

He sat up. Something tickled the edge of his mind.

Standing, he hurried to the door leading into Amirantha's bedroom and quietly knocked. When the Warlock answered, Pug held up a warning finger before his lips, then motioned him to follow to Magnus's door. He knocked lightly again, and when his son appeared made a circling motion with his hand. Magnus nodded and motioned for them to enter.

Once in the room, Magnus positioned the two other magic users to stand close to him. He closed his eyes for a moment then said, 'We are shrouded. It is only a weak enchantment, more strength might alert anyone watching us.'

'We're being spied upon by magic, as well?' asked Amirantha.

Pug said, 'My son has skills even beyond mine. As you can sense demons he can sense the practice of magic, even to the point of understanding the spells and being able to counter them.' He looked at his son with pride in his eyes. 'It's a rare gift.'

'They are only using a poor scrying spell, easily defeated. But the longer I maintain the illusion that we're talking about which books to examine tomorrow, the more likely it is someone may discover my counter-spell. So, what is it?'

Pug said, 'Amirantha. I need to ask you something. We have spoken so much about what we know of demons and what we don't know, that occasionally a question gets set aside and we forget to revisit it.

'We have speculated much on what happened to Maarg on Shila, but we never returned to something you wished to discuss,' he said quickly to Amirantha. 'You were surprised at the demon captain Jakan seizing the Emerald Queen's body?'

'Demonic possession is very rare,' said Amirantha, speaking softly and quickly. 'And such cases have always been limited to a particular sort of creature. I think of them as spirits or ghosts as much as the demons we face. The idea of a powerful demon lord, one of the great captains, or one of equal strength possessing such an ability...' Amirantha shrugged. 'I really don't remember what I wanted to ask at the time. I am simply confused by it.'

'Why?' asked Magnus.

'It's not typical demon behaviour. Piecing together what you've told me, and what I learned from Gulamendis, I'm beginning to get a rough idea of demonic society, if it can be called that. Or rather, how things are done in the demon realm. It's chaotic by our standards, yet it has rules and boundaries. This demon possession by a powerful, magic-using demon just doesn't fit in with them.'

He looked around, frustrated, 'This really isn't a subject we can discuss in short, but it's good that you brought it up. If we don't find this tome we need, be alert for any other references to demon encounters or lore. It might provide us with additional insights.'

Pug nodded, 'We'll talk more when it's safe to do so.'