The Worlds of the Sheaf

Essca - Part 8

     The King was still awake, but being prepared for bed by his servants and wasn't pleased at being interrupted by the two Gem Lords. He waved his servants away, though, and indicated for them to follow him into an inner chamber.

     "This had better be important," he grumbled. "If you just want to go over some detail of the deal again..."

     "We beg your forgiveness, your Majesty," said Barl, who'd made it clear to Tak that he was to do all the talking. "It concerns the Sholl spy you just had arrested. We've just discovered that she is a person of some importance to our city. The exact details don't matter, but we'd be extremely grateful if you could turn her over to us. Immediately."

     The King stared as if either he or they had gone mad and he was trying to decide which. He laughed, thinking it must be some kind of joke, then sobered when he saw that it wasn't. "You're serious?" he demanded.

     "Deadly serious," agreed Barl. "It is of the utmost importance that no harm comes to her and that we take her into our custody straight away."

     Tak squirmed impatiently, hating the delay. Nightmare images filled his head of hot irons touching her pale, soft flesh. Her screams echoing around the smoke filled dungeon. "Right now!" he stated firmly, earning him a warning glance from the other wizard. Shut up, you fool! that glance said. I'll handle this.

     "She is a spy and will be put to death the moment we have the names of her collaborators," stated the King firmly. "If she is important to you I'm sorry, but there can be no exceptions. There can be only one penalty for spying."

     "You're the King," pointed out Barl. "You can make an exception, and the agreement between us that we've spent much of the night working on will go much more smoothly if you grant us this favour."

     The King's eyes widened with anger, recognising the threat beneath the diplomatic words. They dared threaten him here! In his own castle! "Enough!" he roared. "You are dismissed from my presence. Remove yourselves at once."

     Barl moved to comply, but Tak stood his ground. "I am not a diplomat," he said, "so allow me to speak plainly. We want Essca. Alive and unharmed. If you don't turn her over to us we will take her anyway and return to our own city, where we will wash our hands of you for good. You will remain a pawn of the Yinnfarsians for the rest of your life. We are your only hope for a return to freedom and dignity, and all we ask in return is the girl."

     He spread his hands wide, ignoring Barl's horrified, disbelieving stare. "Come now, it's not such a great thing we're asking, is it? One young woman, in return for all we have to offer you?"

     He was trying to be polite and diplomatic, but he was feeling a steely determination that was quite alien to him. He would get what he wanted, and woe betide anyone who got in his way. It must have showed on his face, because the King was staring at him, and suddenly it wasn't anger that Tak saw in his eyes. It could almost have been fear. Fear of a powerful wizard who was standing in his private chambers, mere feet away from him, making threats.

     The King's glanced at the door, beyond which a couple of guards were standing. For a moment it looked as though he might summon them, but he must have known how little chance they'd have had against the two Gem Lords because he gave a sigh of resignation instead.

     "You leave me no choice," he said. "You may have your woman. I said to you yesterday that she made a fine catch, but I can see now that I had it backwards. It's she who's caught you, isn't it? I know for a fact that she doesn't work for your city, that you and she had never met before today, so don't try to pretend that it's anything other than blind lust between you. You are a fool, Gem Lord. You can have any woman you want, and you choose a spy who is devoted solely to her own city, who will betray you the moment her masters tell her to. Still, that is not my concern. You have delivered your ultimatum and I have no choice but to comply."