The Diamond Throne

replied meekly, ‘and this is my sister, her daughter, and my servant. May I ask why we have been detained?’
    Ulesim’s eyes narrowed. ‘There are those who refuse to accept holy Arasham’s authority,’ he declared. ‘I, Ulesim, his most favoured disciple, have taken it upon myself to root out these false prophets and send them to the stake. Holy Arasham relies upon me completely.’
    ‘Is that still going on?’ Sparhawk asked in mild surprise. ‘I thought that all opposition to Arasham had been stamped out decades ago.’
    ‘Not so! Not so!’ Ulesim half-shrieked. ‘There are still plotters and conspirators hiding in the desert and lurking in the cities. I will not rest until I have unearthed every one of these criminals and consigned them to the flames.’
    ‘You have nothing to fear from me or my band, Lord Ulesim,’ Sparhawk assured him. ‘We revere the holy prophet of God and pay him homage in our prayers.’
    ‘So you say, Mahkra, but can you prove your identity and satisfy me that you have legitimate business in the holy city?’ The fanatic smirked at his two cohorts as if he had just scored a tremendous point.
    ‘Why yes, Lord Ulesim,’ Sparhawk replied calmly, ‘I believe I can. We are here to speak with a cattle buyer named Mirrelek. Do you perhaps know him?’
    Ulesim puffed himself up. ‘What would I, the favoured disciple of holy Arasham, have to do with some common cattle buyer?’
    One of the disciple’s toadies leaned forward and whispered at some length in Ulesim’s ear. The disciple’s expression grew less and less certain and finally even a bit frightened. ‘I will send for this cattle buyer you mentioned,’ he declared grudgingly ‘If he confirms your story, well and good; but if not, I will take you to holy Arasham himself for judgement.’
    ‘As the Lord Ulesim wishes,’ Sparhawk bowed. ‘If you would have your messenger tell Mirrelek that Mahkra is here with greetings from his little mother, I’m sure he’ll come here immediately and clear up this whole matter.’
    ‘You’d better hope so, Mahkra,’ the bearded disciple said threateningly. He turned to the toady who had whispered in his ear, ‘Go and fetch this Mirrelek. Repeat the message of this cowherd to him and tell him that I, Ulesim, favoured disciple of holy Arasham, command his presence immediately.’
    ‘At once, favoured one,’ the fellow replied andscurried from the tent. Ulesim glowered at Sparhawk for a moment, then he and his other sycophant left the tent.
    ‘You’ve still got your sword, Sparhawk,’ Kurik said. ‘Why didn’t you just let the air out of that windbag? I could have dealt with the other two.’
    ‘It wasn’t necessary’ Sparhawk shrugged. ‘I know Perraine well enough to know that by now he’s managed to make himself indispensable to Arasham. He’ll be here shortly and put Ulesim-favoured-disciple-of-holy-Arasham in his place.’
    ‘Aren’t you gambling, Sparhawk?’ Sephrenia asked. ‘What if Perraine doesn’t recognize the name Mahkra? As I recall, you were in Jiroch, and he’s been here in Dabour for years.’
    ‘He may not recognize the name I go by here in Rendor,’ Sparhawk replied, ‘but he can’t fail to recognize yours, little mother. It’s a very old password. The Pandions have been using it for years.’
    She blinked. ‘I’m very flattered,’ she said, ‘but why didn’t someone tell me?’
    Sparhawk turned to her in some surprise. ‘We all thought you knew.’
    It was perhaps a quarter of an hour later when Ulesim escorted a lean, saturnine man in a striped robe into the tent. Ulesim’s manner was obsequious and his expression worried. This is the fellow I was telling you about, honoured Mirrelek,’ he fawned.
    ‘Ah, Mahkra,’ the lean man said, coming forward to take Sparhawk’s hand warmly in his own. ‘So good to see you again. What seems to be the trouble here?’
    ‘A slight misunderstanding is all, Mirrelek,’ Sparhawk replied, bowing slightly to his fellow Pandion.
    ‘Well, that’s all straightened out now’ Sir Perraine turned to the favoured disciple ‘Isn’t it, Ulesim?’
    ‘O-of course, honoured Mirrelek,’ Ulesim faltered, his face visibly pale now.
    ‘Whatever possessed you to detain my friends?’ Perraine’s tone was mild, but there was a slight edge to it.
    ‘I-I’m only trying to protect holy Arasham.’
    ‘Oh? And did he ask for your protection?’
    ‘Well – not in so many words.’
    ‘I see. That