"02 - The Wizard in Waiting" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hughes Robert Don)

events or telling it meaningless human jokes, only Nobalog ever took the time to understand. More than that, of all ihe powershapers who had walked its corridors, only Nobalog had been sensitive to the damaging effects of magic upon the House. Nobalog had been a friend.

But Nobalog was long dead. That was the problem with humans. Eventually, they all died. Nobalog had been gone a thousand years by the time the dragon came, and put the castle to sleep.

The House listened again with some attention to the words of Queen Ligne, for her sharp voice had jogged its memory. It had heard her before!

ЧThere have been dreams, the House said quietly, dreams that were not dreams at all, but rather stages of awakening. This is why some things are known.

Seeking to learn more, the House followed the woman's march down the hallway and onto the grand spiral. This was a gigantic curving staircase that formed the hub of all castle activities. Had she passed down the spiral, it would have taken her onto the dais of the vast great hall, where all of those within the walls took their meals. The House noted with some concern that the upper end of the spiral now opened onto the lowest garden terrace. Though beautiful, this new area was outside the castle's range of hearing. Ligne did not climb that high, however, turning off instead to stamp toward the royal apartments. She was bellowing orders even before she reached her attiring room, so that, by the time she slung open the door, a dozen attendants were already waiting to change her.

The House watched attentively as the army of maids stripped the queen bare. The castle's standards of beauty had all been drawn from the comments of men, and it was fully aware that many within the walls would have longed to watch this operation. To the House, however, the woman's shapely form was no more nor less entrancing than any of the other objects of art that lined its corridors or stood in its courtyards. While her imperious manner indicated that she truly believed herself the owner of this palace, the House knew better. Long after she passed from the scene, the House would continue to stand. Rather, the castle believed that it owned her, and was mildly pleased that the present regent was so comely in appearance.

The Wizard in Waiting 1

And yet . . . was there not some question regarding her sovereignty?

The castle sweated to remember . . . There was a scene, perhaps months before, recorded in its semiconscious state . . .

*'I look a mess!" Ligne muttered, but the vision in the mirror belied her words.

"You look positively regal, my Lady," Kherda gushed. The old feelings welled up in his heart again, those adolescent palpitations that had caused him to betray Talith, his rightful King, and lay the plot to elevate this woman to the throne. "It's little wonder King Talith chose you for his paramour!"

"Don't talk about Talith," Ligne mumbled. "I just ate dinner."

"But it's true, my Lady! Your beauty so ensnared himЧ*'

Turn it off, Kherda." The Queen scooped up her velvet skirts and paced toward the doorway. "You're sure Joss is coming?"

"It has all been arranged, my Queen," Kherda reassured her. "General Joss has accepted the terms of the agreement, and has promised to appear today, bringing the girl with him. Ah, there is one detail that I mustЧ"

"But what guarantees do I have? The man has hated me from the first moment."

"He doesn't hate youЧ"

Ligne arched an eyebrow and shot Kherda a poisonous look.

"I mean, it may have looked as if he hated you," Kherda hurriedly clarified, "but you have to understand Joss. He's consumed with loyalty to the throne of Chaomonous, and he somehow sensed that you were a threat to his King. You must admit, he had cause to be suspiciousЧ"

"So now he's going to turn his back on those old loyalties and surrender Talith's rightful heir to me?" Ligne accentuated her sarcasm by propping a hand on her jutting hip.

Kherda controlled his impatience, andЧthough he had explained this all a dozen times beforeЧeven managed a smile as he explained it once again: "Talith is dead, my Lady. There's nothing left for Joss to be loyal to. Why should he continue to support the House of Talith when the

6 The Wizard in "Waiting

King played such a critical role in his own downfall? After all, the King relieved Joss of his command the day before the battleЧrather shabby treatment, in view of the General's loyalty. And you've certainly done nothing to injure Joss, apart from sentding a couple of raiding parties after himЧ"

"Which he destroyed," Ligne muttered.

"He is a shrewd tactician, to be sure." Kherda nodded. "There's little love between us, as you well know, and I judge it no blessing to have the man within the walls again. On the other hand, it's far better to have the General's talents with us than against us, and his great loyalty to the nation and the throne has convinced him that there would be no profit in a protracted civil warЧ"