Gary Gygax - Dangerous Journeys 1 - Anubis Murders (21 page)

"Treachery is most often apparent and predictable," the ur-kheri-heb announced to the room, giving especial attention to the Kellts. "Treason even more so, it would appear," he added. Then looking only at the prince, Setne asked, "And you, Crown Prince, I think you have anticipated something of this nature too, haven't you? Lord Tallesian, your trusted cleric, has a force of agents now ready to hunt down these offenders, right?"

"Exactly, sagacious priest and magus. It seems you anticipate all I do here. Your Pharaoh is not well-served by your wanderings, Magister. You should be in your native Egypt to assist and counsel your king!"

Inhetep smiled. "Thank you, but I wouldn't miss this sort of adventure for the vice-royalty of all imperial lands ever ruled by a Pharaoh," he responded. "So you have the whole affair wrapped up in a neat and tidy package after all. The dead Gwyddorr, Aldriss, was none other than the Master of Jackals, all of his minions are safely shut fast in dungeon cells, the treasonous nobles will be brought to justice—and the extortion money?"

"Unrecovered save for a drib and drab, but a cheap enough price, all in all," the royal prince commented.

"That's so, for those who are found guilty forfeit all—" Tallesian started to say, biting off his words when Prince Llewyn gave him a withering look of reprimand.

"Nothing left to do, then, but report the whole nasty affair to His Majesty, King Glydel," Setne said with finality.

"What? What did you say?!" The royal prince of Lyonnesse, first son of the king, was near purple with anger. "If you so much as breathe a word of any of this I'll have your
headl"

"I see," Inhetep responded calmly, laying his hand on Rachelle's, for the girl was about to draw a weapon from her garments. No one could safely threaten Inhetep's life in her presence.

"My Royal Prince simply means that this sort of thing must be kept from our monarch. The king is no longer young, and Prince Llewyn fears for his health. If he found out this dark treachery, why it would break the good king's heart." The Behon was conciliatory.

"The Crown Prince will see to the scourging of the traitors," Tallesian added stoutly. "I am his instrument in that regard."

"You and the Behon there, and Prince Llewyn are instruments of perdition," Magister Setne Inhetep said harshly. "The king must be told, for his heir and trusted advisors are the ones who plot treason and murder—have committed those crimes, too. I am here to tell you that I know the whole truth, my lords, and to tell you that you will be brought to justice!"

"I had planned for this contingency, too," Llewyn snarled. Inhetep's chair suddenly dropped through the floor. Rachelle's fell with it. "You, Egyptian dog, will now serve to be the greatest of the offenders, the Master of Jackals himself. Too bad that neither the magick of the Behon or prayers of our Archdruid will ever be able to discover your true motives." The two men laughed as their prince closed the yawning trapdoors. They had assisted in the preparations, so both knew neither magick nor physical prowess would enable the two victims to escape the certain death awaiting them below.

—— 14 —

THE JACKAL'S PACK

"So much, Myffed, for the dupe you planned for."

The Behon bowed at his prince's scornful words. "Even the greatest magicks can not always accurately predict human irrationalities, my Royal Lord," he said humbly. "Yet now we have what we desired anyway."

Crown Prince Llewyn sneered at the gray-locked ovate. "Only because I had the foresight to prepare for this contingency, Behon. Let us hope for the sake of my coming rule, and your continued position, that your judgments will be better in the future."

The chief cleric of Lyonnesse was uneasy at the exchange, especially since he had supported and assisted in the development of Behon Myffed's plan to use the now-dead Egyptian as their tool in the affair. "Wise Prince," he said in his most unctuous tone, "I congratulate you, as does the Behon, in having determined beforehand the likely reactions of Magister Inhetep. I know I speak for Lord Myffed, as well as myself, when I state that is the reason why the two of us are your willing and obedient vassals. Under your guidance, Lyonnesse will assume her rightful place in Avillonia's affairs and all of Eropa's, too."

"Don't flatter me," Prince Llewyn said, but there was no force in the command, and he smiled. Flattery or not, he thought to himself, what the druid said was no more than truth. Did that then obviate the intent and change the matter? He decided to forget about it as quite unimportant. "What about your men, Tallesian. Is all in readiness?"

"All of the nobles you would strike down, Royal Highness, are enprise," the druid assured him. "Forged documents and false evidence have been planted so as to be discovered when the time comes, and the agents who are there to make the 'discoveries' are fools who are totally unaware of what has been so carefully staged."

Llewyn stared a long moment, looking at Lord Tallesian as if he were a strange insect under glass. "Good," he finally said, but his tone was such that the two men who served the heir to the kingdom knew that any mistake would be unforgiven and fatal. "And you, Behon?"

"The roundup of the leaders of the cult of Set and all the faithful we could lay our hands on is complete, my Lord Prince," the sage related with assurance. "In this regard, the interference of the meddling Egyptian served us well. Agents are now abroad with rumors of what occurred in Glaistig Pool—how Lord Aldriss was slain by some foreigner, and that the bard was probably leagued with the fellow somehow. A case of thieves and traitorous ursurpers falling out. . . ."

"Go on," the royal heir to the throne said irritably.

"At the moment you command it, Your
Majesty,
there will be a new tale for all to hear. The murderous priest and wizard, the shave-pate foreigner and none other, has struck again. Not satisfied with slaying the Gwyddorr of Lyonnesse, the filthy Egyptian jackal has assassinated Good King Glydel!"

A broad smile lit the fair face of the prince, causing its ruddy patches to glow apple-red with pleasure. "Fortunately, the Crown Prince was on hand to lay low the vile regicide," he said with conviction. "The killer and his whore died as swiftly as his valiant father did under their murderous hands!"

"A murderous plot unveiled for all the kingdom to see, Highness—Majesty!" Tallesian corrected hastily. "The foreign killer could never have managed his heinous crime save for the aid of the vilest of traitors among the nobles of the kingdom itself! They too will be brought to swift justice—before they can utter a word in public."

"Then those who would suspect this matter, who have the means to find the truth of it, will be dead," Prince Llewyn said, "and all of their lands and wealth will become property of the Crown."

The Behon nodded and put on his most solemn and judicious face. "It is my ruling that all titles, properties, and possessions of these villainous rebels now and forever be forfeit to the Crown," he intoned. "The commoners will hear only vague rumors of the affair, just sufficient to prime them for what is to come. The gentry and nobility will be furnished with ample proof of the perfidity of the executed and those outside our realm."

"I will assuredly retain all of the estates as royal demesnes," he told the two men, "but when I rule as emperor, you will have whole counties to call your own!"

"Serving you is ample reward," the Behon said with a certain haste, as he looked at Lord Tallesian with a warning message carried in his glance. The prince had last told them that the lands and titles of the two thegns singled out for death—the two great nobles most loyal to King Glydel, of course, his closest friends and wisest advisors—would be granted to them, with Aldriss gaining the properties and wealth of a great baron and another lesser peer. Last promised, that is, until this moment. Trust not princes, Myffed thought. Yet he had no other course now. He would have to be most cautious in handling it, but the druid would possibly serve as a useful henchman should the time ever come to . . . change one royal dynasty of Lyonnesse for another, one sprung from the power of heka, assuredly. "Lord Tallesian and I will be content with whatever is granted by you, Sire."

"Absolutely, absolutely!" The archdruid had caught the drift of things. "I am your man, Great Lord. To see you ruling this land is what my heart longs for."

"Well, we had better get on with things then," the prince said with firmness. "Are you two certain that all is in motion?"

"All know that it was your men who began the arrests of the offending cultists, my prince," the Behon responded. "Agitators now circulate among the lower class in all districts of the city to whip the folk into a frenzy against all concerned with the foreign gods. The lowest will be ready to tear them to shreds when they get word of the death of their king at the hands of the leader of the false cult."

"The rest is also as you command," Tallesian responded in turn. "Gentry and nobles alike will turn to you as savior of the realm, Majesty."

Llewyn preened under the title but admonished, "Be not so free with that title—yet! Soon enough I will bear it rightfully, but until the time comes, none must hear you speak to me thus, priest. You remember that as well, justiciar," he added, turning to the Behon. "Now go and fetch Sir Murdough, for he is captain of the guard this day, and he needs to be alerted."

The Ovate went off as if he were a page. In truth, Myffed trusted none other than himself in the matter. The knight was not far distant in the citadel, and the Behon soon located him sitting at ease in the office reserved for the commander of the King's Guards. Sir Murdough jumped to attention as soon as the justiciar entered the room. "Is it ... ?" The Behon nodded. "Have your lieutenant assume command now, and come with me." The knight went to a side door and opened it. He spoke a few words with the soldier who was in the room there, then closed the door and bowed stiffly to the high justice of Lyonnesse. "Lieutenant Kerrier will be ready when it is time, lord. He will see that all unreliable men are out of the way, one way or another, so that only the loyal will be on duty."

"How long before he's done that?"

"I helped him with the plan, Lord Behon. At worst it will take but half an hour, at best no more than one-quarter of that time by the clock."

"Come on, then, Sir Murdough. His Royal Highness will have a few words with you personally."

"You are not aware of what is going to occur," the prince said flatly to the guardsman when Sir Murdough stood rigidly before him.

"No, Your Royal Highness. I know only that you will soon be king."

"That is because my father is unfit to rule,"

Llewyn said with a snarl. "He treats our neighbors as if they were equals, demands no concessions or tribute, and has made the great kingdom of Lyonnesse but a mewling kitten instead of the roaring master of the Five Crowns. Know you which is the eldest and greatest of the five kingdoms of Avillonia?"

"None but Lyonnesse, Royal Prince," the captain responded. "That is not but truth."

"You are correct, and when I wear the crown, the other four kinglets will bow to us once again. My doddering sire takes council with fools, but one of those men, the Egyptian called Magister Setne Inhetep, will soon turn on King Glydel and strike him down. When that occurs, you will be there—understood?"

"Yes, Royal Highness."

"Godsdamn you, man, if you fail in any of this! Listen carefully. The Egyptian will flee the council chamber, escape unscathed, but he will take a wrong turn in his flight." Prince Llewyn paused and looked at the knight.

"I will be in hot pursuit with a half-dozen of my best men, Crown Prince," he said.

The heir to the throne smiled thinly. "That is correct. The foreign assassin will find himself trapped in a cul-de-sac, the Royal Library—you know the chamber?"

"Well enough, although I am not given to book-ishness, my Lord Prince."

"Never mind, fellow," Lord Tallesian told the knight. "You must answer with a simple yes or no only, else we'll be at this all day!"

"Keep your own speeches brief, druid," the Behon said, for he had seen the expression on Prince Llewyn's face as Tallesian spoke.

"Enough! I am speaking," Llewyn snapped. "Sir Murdough, when you and your men enter the library of the king, you will find the bald-headed killer standing confused and uncertain. You will take that opportunity to cut him down, and you and your men will hack him to pieces! Is that clear?"

"Yes, Royal Highness."

"Not one or two thrusts, but pieces!' The guard officer nodded, not daring to speak to the prince, who was bright red with inner fury. Llewyn took a deep, gasping breath, calmed himself, and went on. "Then you will rush back to the chamber where the king lies dead. You will shout that the murderer has been found and executed. While our Archdruid, Lord Tallesian, attends to the corpse of the slain king, doing his best to restore the poor monarch to vitality, Lord Myffed will accompany you back to where the body of the Egyptian dog who assassinated my father lies in pieces. I too will be with you on that return. We will bring the head of the offender back with us, and that will be the end of the matter."

Sir Murdough nodded again. "The king . . . ?"

"Beyond any help, even the best of my mag-ickal restoratives, of course," the chief cleric supplied. "But with the Behon's assistance, we will discover the reason for the slaying of King Glydel. You see, Inhetep was actually the Master of Jackals, and when the king accused him of that, the Egyptian coward panicked and struck him down. By that act he hoped to escape justice, but thanks to you,
Marshal
Murdough, that part of his vile plan failed."