Gary Gygax - Dangerous Journeys 1 - Anubis Murders (26 page)

"You entered the Duat?!"

"Don't be shocked. It isn't so dangerous a thing as most would have you believe," Inhetep said with evident pride in his power in that regard. "What mattered wasn't the going but the reception which awaited me."

"Don't tell me that the terrible ass-headed one confronted you there!"

"I shall not, for quite the contrary occurred. The deities of the shadowy realms were incommunicado, as it were. Only wolf-headed Apuat was there to greet me and speak of what was occurring. In truth, even that one was of little assistance, though he would have had it otherwise. The lords of the Duat were constrained. Set could not accomplish such a feat, so some other involvement had to be considered. It was then clear that there was a vast and powerful organization of men, heka-binders, those in positions of rulership, and all manner of others involved in a fantastic and complex plot to disrupt the whole of Europa."

Rachelle was now fascinated, for this was something she hadn't known about at all, something very evil and world-shaking in all probability. "Prince Llewyn was behind all that?"

Inhetep shook his bald head vigorously. "No. In fact, his inability to mastermind even the lesser web which was shown in the extortions and killings threw me off the scent for some days. No great entities were involved, for the lords who govern Avillonia, for instance, have no power to muzzle our own deities. Over and above the network of men—even powerful practitioners such as Behon Myffed and the druid, Tallesian, princes and kings—was some figure of supernatural power and force, one able to constrain gods."

"Who is so mighty as that?"

"None, at least in ability to force the matter. Yet there is one who with threat, trickery, and a certain reliance on the laws of Yarth could machinate things so as to arrive at the situation we faced. Wait! Don't ask about that one now, please." The wizard-priest had anticipated Rachelle's demand, and he wanted to complete the whole matter from start to finish and give the warrior girl a complete picture. "By thinking thus, I found that the skill of the bard was greater than others of his ilk because Aldriss had

woven another form of musical dweomercraefting into the bardic art.

"It became apparent that with that power, the man was able to serve as the instrument of combining magicks into a single casting form. Between the magus, the high druid Tallesian, and the spellsinging of Aldriss, there was more than sufficient power to bring about the strange and unreadable magicks which struck down any who dared to defy the demands of the so-called Master of Jackals. Yet the three hadn't been in Ys at the time the cold-hearted master demonurge was destroyed, let alone in all of those other, more distant places. Those facts merely confirmed my suspicion that someone of far greater ability was serving to channel the power of those three to work the mischief that one desired. The three were dupes. Prince Llewyn was a puppet as well, and so too the Albish king. The Master Jackal is a long way from here and by no means unmasked—save for me and you."

"But, Setne, I don't—"

Inhetep shushed her. "Have patience. In just a bit, you'll be informed. You would have me tell this whole thing in a jumble!"

Rachelle smiled wistfully. "Forgive me, my lord ur-kheri-heb-tepi. I am but a simple girl unused to the intellectual exercise, just as you seem quite unable to manage many of the pursuits I follow in the course of making sure I am able to save your worthless, copper-hued hide from—"

"I stand corrected, Rachelle," Inhetep interjected hastily as she warmed to her task. "The jumble comes from me, for I have so many facets to reveal, so many facts to set out for your examination." She snorted a little but allowed the Egyptian to continue. "Let's see, where was I? Ah, I recall. Knowing that there was a puppet master, I sought for the strings of the puppets. The demon's words in Ys pointed the way. Then I reasoned that money was used to buy many, but the coin came from the extortions. The Master of Jackals had no interest at all in the wealth gained by threat and murder, save to buy servants, to suborn and subvert. A thistlecrown from Caledonia in the coffers of the false cult's temple in Camelough led me to investigate all of the nations of Avillonia. The coins were moved from one kingdom to another so as to avoid suspicions—or throw them on another of the realms. I was received well in Cymru, Hybernia, and Caledonia. The plotters there were of high station and much power, but not so great as Crown Prince Llewyn in Lyonnesse or the king of Albion. I already knew of that one's involvement when I was nearly taken there. Had they found me, they'd have killed me for sure!

"But why involve me, us, in the first place? Some deity other than Set might have been used as a god of straw, so to speak. It was evident that there was never any intent that the foolish cult do anything more than draw attention and bring down blame and wrath upon the rabble serving it when the true crimes were committed. This affair became like an onion. Each time I pulled, a layer came off, but another lay beneath. Magickal 'fumes' aplenty poured forth to dim my eyesight, to carry the analogy a step further."

Inhetep fell silent, thought a moment, then drew out several items of his magickal materia. "We must now work with amulets, castings, and hekau to make sure that we have no unwanted eavesdroppers. Please assist me, Rachelle." The girl was knowledgeable enough in the work, and she complied quickly with the wizard-priest's instructions.

"You have set a triple circle, Setne. You are very serious about this matter, aren't you?"

"Most definitely, my dear child. The odious heart of this whole vile plot is one who is so wicked and powerful as to pose dire threat to us even at a great distance."

"Will you tell me?!"

"Louhi, the Crone of Pohjola, is the so-called Master of Jackals! Leave it to that evil Mistress of Witchcraefters to use such a
pun,
for indeed that is what it was. In her contempt for those she used, she regarded them as slinking jackals— and she the master of the whole pack she enlisted. Louhi thus chose the appellation and devised the ploy of Set, a deity she has no little admiration for, and Anubis, whom Louhi despises. It was thus gratifying to her to besmirch the jackal-headed one's name and repute in many ways. It was then no accident that the three noble lords of Lyonnesse sought me out. The crone had commanded it. I found that from my probing of Tallesian."

Rachelle came up on the sofa to sit beside him, for the girl was much concerned by what Inhetep had just revealed to her. "Why would the

monstrous witch of the North want to harm

„ >
>

you?

"Harm? Eliminate in most foul fashion is more apt, Rachelle. I was to serve as the butt of all hatred, vengeance, and die horribly as the 'Master of Jackals' after all had occurred as the plotters wished. They would gain power, a throne in Llewyn's case, and subject kingdoms. Louhi would wrest the great objects of power from the five kingdoms of Avillonia, thus becoming even more formidable in her evil strength. But as to why I was singled out, I must say now, my dear, that I can only hazard a guess. I think that somehow I have interfered with the crone's schemes in the past. In addition, it just might be that I am becoming too strong an agent for right and justice to suit the vile witch. In any case, Louhi devised not a little of her whole scheme so as to bring me down and send me to the underworld."

"And by foiling her you have increased her enmity!"

"Most assuredly, Rachelle, most assuredly. Yet I would have it no other way."

Rachelle now had the whole of the picture, and she felt both happy and fearful. "You got onto the right track also because of the secrecy of the ones involved, I know. I was suspicious about the prince and his henchmen keeping facts from the king. That didn't ring true at all. When they let it slip out that no other monarch save King Dennis of Albion was aware of the matter of the demands of the Jackalmaster, I was confused, however, for that made me suspect that he was the one masterminding the whole business."

"Astute, amazon, very astute. The demands for the objects of power made it unlikely that one of the rulers of the Five Crowns would be found at the center of things, for such a one would never get the willing cooperation of the other sovereigns—or would-be monarchs. No, the relics would have to be passing beyond the grasp of each kingdom for such mutual skullduggery to occur.'

"I see. One small thing still troubles me, Setne. What about Aldriss? Why did the Behon so readily slay his fellow conspirator?"

Inhetep shrugged. "Only to save his own skin and that of Prince Llewyn. It was a snap decision, but a correct one. I was about to lay the bard by the heels, as it is said. Aldriss knew too much, and there would have been no stopping me from prying it from his mind. Myffed wasn't powerful enough to slay me, certainly not with you there to assist in defense and attack. He had only one choice, and that was to blast the bard using the force granted to him by the crone. It then became a patchwork which the conspirators thought would cover their nakedness. To fob off Aldriss as the sole mastermind of the matter was sheer lunacy. That had a certain appeal. To use that to lure me into their toils, to have both you and I, Rachelle, at their disposal, would serve perfectly. After all, I was to be sacrificed eventually, and with Aldriss' name to toss into the pot, the stew might be more appetizing when I was cooked in the mess."

"What do you suppose they intended for me?"

Setne shook his head slowly. "We'll have to find that out, won't we, before the criminals are brought to final justice."

That brought Rachelle's thoughts round to the prince. "And Llewyn—was he planning all along to have the Behon use a magickal guise to make him appear as you and slay his father, King Glydel, with his own hand?"

"He
is
a foul villain, isn't he!" There was no question in Inhetep's words. "Yes, the deranged mind of the crown prince thought that fitting— a form of retributive justice. Llewyn was weak, selfish, and lusted for power. Somehow he blamed his sire for that, thought that he would wipe the stains of his own character away when he took

Glydel's life with his own hand. Perhaps the king failed to love his son as he might have, I don't know. Could you feel affection and heartfelt love for one such as Llewyn?

"He certainly had no love for anyone save himself in his heart. In truth, I think he hated himself more than those he used, even his father. By assassination and treachery he thought to rule Lyonnesse, conquer the other realms of Avillon, and perhaps even envisioned himself as master of all Eropa one day. Thankfully, he never got to his first objective."

"We speak as if the crown prince were already dead," Rachelle reminded the Egyptian.

Setne shrugged again. "It is but a matter of a little time now.'

"I suppose you are right again, all-wise and hairless sage," she intoned solemnly. Then Rachelle laughed. Their mood was growing dark and heavy again, and Rachelle would have none of it. She and Setne should be rejoicing in their success. "Now how about you serving me for a change? I have an empty wine goblet and am quite famished. Bring me gallons to drink and mounds of viands, slave!"

"Famished as always, you mean, and I am not your slave—you are officially mine!"

"Only because I have never filed those papers," she responded. "Bring me my desired refreshments, please, or else I shan't speak another word to you today."

"Most unlikely," Inhetep muttered, but he arose and began pouring wine and selecting various morsels from the platters on the buffet. "Here, eat and drink until you burst. When you're finished, if ever, you may accompany me to the dungeons."

Rachelle had to wait a moment to clear her mouth of food before inquiring, "Such a lovely place you will show me. Why do we go to the dungeons?"

"Because we must find out what they planned to do with you.
That's
what has been bothering me since the prince was taken and this whole matter seemingly put to rest. In all of it, they seemed to have no use for you, so why not have you with me to be conveniently killed as a coas-sassin? To keep you sequestered in some cell would be to invite embarrassing inquiries. Never is Inhetep seen without his amazon guard and associate, Rachelle."

"Oh . . . you do make sense there, Setne. Do the men of Lyonnesse keep harems?"

"Don't be silly," he snapped. Then the wizard-priest saw her face and realized he was being goaded. He grumbled, then washed away those sounds with a big swallow of the wine. "Most amusing, I'm sure. No noble of this realm sought to prison you in his seraglio, but someone, somewhere, certainly had some purpose for you, Rachelle. Laugh at my concerns if you will, but it is a matter of some moment to me."

"Oh, Setne, I wasn't really laughing
at
you, how could I laugh at the man I—"

The rest of her words were interrupted by a rapping at the door. It was a messenger from King Glydel. Their presences were requested immediately.

—— 18

THE CASE IS CLOSED

"You may feel some comfort, Royal Majesty, in the fact that the ancient crone who rules the northernmost realm was the instigator of it all," Magister Setne Inhetep concluded. King Glydel had asked both Rachelle and the Egyptian magister for all they knew regarding the matter of the Master of Jackals. First the girl, and then the priest and wizard, found themselves doing exactly what they had done but a brief time before, discussing each detail of the case. Inhetep added those last words in closing as an offering to the monarch's peace of mind. No man, commoner or king, could pass off lightly a son's treachery, hatred, and will to murder.