Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams (21 page)

“Thank you, sire.”

“How have you fared with your new magic skills?”

Pinetto described his plans to start a wizard school using the
Book of Dawn
as instructional material. He related his various successes and difficulties through the first two courses.

Tashi arrived during the third course and said, “Not more math. Talk about something interesting, like the Battle of the Falls. Then everybody can listen.”

The young wizard raised his voice to recount their victory in the battle and retreat from the horrible demon. He also described how the kingdom of Kiateros was recovering from its captivity. He summed up with, “The Pretender’s rule is crumbling. His attack on Center is one of desperation.”

The emperor nodded. By now plates were being cleared for the dessert course. “The key to breaking his power will be the dragon.”

“You know about Serog and her attacks on shipping?” asked Pinetto.

“I’ve spoken with her on numerous occasions. She’s tenderhearted and lonely.”

“What?” asked Karl, incredulous.

Niftkin glared the man into silence. Only Sarajah nodded.

“She’s the only one of our enemies with whom I’ve been able to bargain,” asserted the emperor. “Using this, I intend to track her to her lair.” He placed the Eog carving on the table. It was shot through with threads of yellow, scarlet, and purple.

“I’ve seen this before,” said the seeress. “It’s one of her few treasures.”

“It’s supposed to be pure white,” he admitted. His excess anger had tinged it red, embarrassing him slightly. He turned the figurine, admiring the sparkling veins of color, like in an opal. The lady’s anxiety had contributed the brilliant yellows.

“Pure Eog is clear, sire. ’Twas her loneliness that turned it white,” she explained.

Is the dragon’s loneliness leaking into me as my colors replace them?

“How does this pinpoint her lair?” asked Pinetto.

“She came from one of the Inner Islands, at most half an hour’s flight from here.”

“Five hours’ sail,” Pinetto said, converting in his head.

“How do you know that?” asked the emperor.

Pinetto drew on his red, linen napkin with chalk, describing the radius of the dragon’s nightly search, and worked the equation to show she had to fly about ten times faster than the ship could sail.

The emperor nodded. “She let slip that she lives on an island with a crack in reality known as a seam, there will probably be lava or steam rising from the water in this area. Smell the carving. Note the eucalyptus, the type that grows on burned wood. The rare blood oranges tell us there are established orange groves, planted by humans.”

“And the bat guano indicates a cave,” added Pinetto. “You’re a genius, sire. I’m sure we can track her with this in the archives and the charts. Just out of curiosity, why would her treasure smell like trees?”

Sarajah answered, “The smell transfers from her body. When she gets an itch, she rubs her back scales against whatever’s handy. I used to take care of that for her.” The feast crowd buzzed at this information. When she could be heard again, she asked, “What do you plan on doing to the dragon when you find her?”

“Create a distraction,” whispered the emperor. “When we need to sneak a ship in or out of the Inner Islands, I plan to have a long talk with her. I want to bring in at least one major food shipment from Mandibos the moment we locate her.”

“Promise me you won’t harm her.”

“If she attacks . . .”

“Promise!”

Pinetto waved his hands. “He’s the
emperor
. You can’t just order him around.”

Tashi found his soup and cornbread fascinating and neglected to take sides.

She leaned over to glare at the wizard. “You’re my prophet. Be quiet. I’m the queen of a sovereign nation which, last time I checked, was not part of his empire.”

“What nation might that be?” asked the emperor.

“Archanos.”

“Ah. Let us begin by acknowledging each other in those roles.”

“Fine.”

“Your mother has reserved the right to slay me at any time. Would you allow your hands to be tied in this way?”

“No.”

“I hold your mother in the highest regard and won’t seek to harm her.” Pagaose meant this sincerely but had to include a safety clause. “However, I may be forced to defend myself. If this happens, I promise to take such measures that will only destroy her temporary body and not inflict the true-death. I will also make it as quick and painless as possible.”

“You won’t attack first?”

“I swear.”

She sighed. “That will have to do.”

“Further, the islanders kill Imperials on sight,” said the emperor. “My people have a law allowing for the termination of green-eyed half-breeds. Let us make a treaty to end both practices.”

“Admirable. However, the world is full of Imperials and very few with pale-green eyes.”

Pagaose smiled. “I have one in my dungeon for violating the plague-lands, and one in my orphanage. I will turn them over to you at your request.”

“That’s generous. Why?”

“When two heads of state meet, they agree on terms. For example, I understand from Pinetto that you’ve written precepts for a new religion.”

“Yes. The first principle is that everyone gets a second chance.”

“Fascinating. I’d like to read the entire text. If there’s nothing counter to Imperial law, I’ll make copies and set aside land for a church; although, that building may double as an embassy. In turn, you allow other religions to practice without interference in your lands.”

“That’s actually one of my tenets. What’s behind all this?”

“I’m leading to a situation in which our respective states declare each other to be allies.”

“We can work the details out later,” said the seeress. “I agree in principle.”

“The next rational step is the treaty of mutual defense,” Pagaose said smoothly.

“And?”

“You could send your navy to aid us against the Pretender.”

“Theoretically possible, but why would you need me? He’s only sending five warships. You can blow those ships out of the water more easily than Pinetto can.”

Again, the crowd murmured at the information revealed.

“I only want to eliminate the rebellious people on those ships. I need the ships themselves to rebuild my own navy. I’ll hold the Pretender until you return.”

“That’s what we’re bargaining for,” the seeress said, taking a sip of the finest wine the emperor had to offer. “I’d need to be outfitted with an expedition fit to travel through the war zone.”

“Of course. My gamekeeper is a world-class tracker and can accompany you. I’ll allow volunteers and open my prisons for you to take anyone you wish.”

“Prisons?”

“I currently control the courts but not the military. It is a dangerous mission, and your first precept is that everyone gets a second chance.”

She sneered and, in an obscure, southern dialect, muttered, “Smart-ass.”

“You disagree?” he asked pleasantly.

“No,” she said. “But each member of the party gets his own reward. First, I want my tuning fork back now that you’re done with it.”

The emperor turned pale, but remembered his bargain with the dragon. “My herald wears it. I’ll bring it to you this night.”

“And for rescuing Center, I want you to incorporate some of my teachings into your regime: no torture, the opportunity for voicing public dissent without retribution, and a few others.”

He smiled. “I agree in principle, and we’ll hammer out the details over the next few days while we form the expedition. My resources are at your disposal. I am told that your country is the land of alchemists. Perhaps some of my able wizard advisors can describe what you will encounter.”

One after another, the wizards in the room stammered first-year, textbook answers. Finally, Lord Vapordoom ended the embarrassment with the proclamation, “There’s a whole storage level dedicated to it at the Royal Museum on Shade Side. I’m sure they can find anything they need there.”

The emperor raised his glass. “To Archanos and its many wonderful treasures—long may we enjoy our mutually beneficial alliance.”

While everyone took a drink of wine to celebrate, Pagaose walked up behind the chair where his friend was still eating. “Meanwhile, I can name Tashi my chief warlord and grant him a title.”

“No. You’ve outgrown any need for my protection, friend. And I . . . have found a new person to stand beside. I may not know who I was, but I know who I’m meant to be,” Tashi said, gazing at the green-eyed woman.

The emperor sighed, clapping him on his solid back. “I won’t force you; rather, I wish you every happiness. You and Pinetto must visit with the generals and share your observations on the Brotherhood of Executioners’ and Pretender’s tactics in battle. Meanwhile, as a visiting head of state, any time you visit me, I grant you and the lovely Sarajah the unparalleled honor of using my Pleasure Dome. No other man alive has seen the inside.”

“Done,” said Tashi.

“No!” yelled the seeress. “You’re letting him off too easy. Negotiate.”

“I want a sword,” he added.

The emperor waved magnanimously. “In exchange for all your past services, I confer knighthood, any armor you wish on this island, and bestow the Defender of the Realm to your keeping.”

“Accepted.”

Sarajah was curling her hands into fists, holding back curses.

“For this quest, I name Lord Pinetto the dean of the new royal College of the Magic Arts of Power Mechanics. I have some land lying around that should go with the title.”

“Yes. Score!” shouted the wizard.

“Wait!” said the seeress. “Don’t you see what he’s doing?”

“Giving us everything we’ve ever wanted,” said Pinetto. “And for past services, can I get a marriage permit for myself and Ambassador Sajika?”

“The Babliosian?”

The aristocrats present stared.

“Yes.”

“No matter. I’ll pass a decree enabling you to keep your title even though you’ve married a non-Imperial. You’re sure she’s consented?”

“She’s pregnant with a boy, wears his ring, and
finally
calls him husband,” said Tashi. “King Legato has already approved.”

“Then, as head of the Church of Osos, I declare you husband and wife.”

“Yes!” Pinetto shouted as flames erupted from his smoking hands to catch the tablecloth on fire. From long practice, Tashi doused the flames with his water.

“Decorum, please, Lord Pinetto,” whispered the emperor. “If you wish, you can write your bride on my stationery. My scribe is at your disposal. Know that if you decide one day for your child to become full Imperial, I will transform him after he completes seven years of civil service.”

“I can’t serve for him?”

Pagaose shook his head. “The rules we’ve established are quite clear. He must prove himself an Imperial. No one can do it for him.”

Tashi frowned. “About that . . . I have a small problem I need your help with. We need to use your Door to change me back into human form.”

Lord Ashford, angry at so many concessions, said, “The price for transformations is set at seven years’ Imperial service—no exceptions.”

“What?” Tashi blurted in surprise.

Pagaose winced. “I do wish you’d asked that in private.”

“You’re not going to change him back anyway?” asked Sarajah.

“As a politician, I am bound by my word. However, I could tell you, a witch, how you could change him back. If . . . Lord Ashford agrees to a trade. What, sir, offended you the most tonight?”

“Us being bound to unspecified tenets,” said the military man.

“I can show you how to change him back in exchange for the College of Wizards having veto rights for three tenets,” suggested Pagaose.

“One,” countered Sarajah.

“Two it is,” said Pagaose, shaking hands on the deal.

“Wait,” said Lord Pangborn. “You don’t have the authority to make treaties with foreign dignitaries yet.”

“I beg to differ,” said Pagaose. “Lord Pinetto, do I have your vote for emperor?”

“Yes, sire.”

“As he is the ninth council member and my fifth vote, I am now legally emperor. We have a coronation to plan.”

“You bought his vote!”

“We’ve established that, sir. It’s accepted practice.”

“You’ll be hearing from our lawyers!” the lord said, storming out of the dining hall.

Pagaose scooped up the bird statue from the table. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me, I have a debt to settle. Follow me, Queen Sarajah.”

He led her down the hall to Anna’s room, indicated the sleeping woman, and said, “It would be unseemly for me to touch it in its current abode. If you will be so kind as to remove the artifact yourself?”

Sarajah slid the tuning fork lanyard off Anna’s neck and onto her own. “You could’ve eliminated Serog before now on your own.”

“Yes. However, that would spook the Pretender. I need him to commit, to reveal his true intentions. I need him to bring me his ships.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

Pagaose said, “Go, you have what you came for. You’ll find that other thing in my throne room. Tell Niftkin I gave you permission. He can also escort you to the Pleasure Dome. It has the most comfortable bed in the palace.”

“You sound upset,” said the seeress.

“I honor my deals. Good evening, miss.”

Sarajah said, “Meow,” and departed.

Pagaose noticed that Lady Evershade still lurked in the shadows. He told her, “I can have guards escort you home to bed.”

“I would rather bed here . . .,” she said, sending shivers down his back, “with my patient.”

He resumed breathing. “Let me get you a robe from the closet, so you’ll be more comfortable.”

As he handed a spare set of robes to her, their fingertips touched. He felt several competing longings: to build up her family, to hide her flaws from him, and to be desired as a woman. She said, “Now that we’re alone, is there anything else I can do to serve his highness tonight?”

They maintained that fingertip contact for seven heartbeats. Eventually, he found his voice. “Yes. Madam, I need your help desperately.” He swallowed. “To plan my coronation. You are the most capable woman of rank I know. I would appreciate your assistance in making this a memorable event.”