The Hidden City

orders.’
    ‘What’s that got to do with it?’
    ‘In his own mind is he more dead than alive,’ Xanetia reported later when they had gathered around one of the large fires the Atans had built to hold back the bitter chill. The Anarae’s face reflected the glow of the fire, as did her unbleached wool robe.
    ‘Were we right?’ Tynian asked her. ‘Is Cyrgon augmenting Djarian’s spells so that he can raise whole armies?’
    ‘He is,’ she replied.
    ‘Was that outburst against Zalasta genuine?’ Vanion asked her.
    ‘Indeed, my Lord. Djarian and his fellows are increasingly discontent with the leadership of Zalasta. They have all come to expect no true comradeship from their leader. There is no longer common cause among them, and each doth seek to wring best advantage to himself from their dubious alliance. Overlaying all is the secret desire of each to gain sole possession of Bhelliom.’
    ‘Dissension among your enemies is always good,’ Vanion noted, ‘but I don’t think we should discount the possibility that they’ll all fall in line again after what happened here today. Could you get anything specific about what they might try next, Anarae?’
    ‘Nay, Lord Vanion. They were in no wise prepared for what hath come to pass. One thing did stand out in the mind of this Djarian, however, and it doth perhaps pose some danger. The outcasts who surround Zalasta do all fear Cyzada of Esos, for he alone is versed in Zemoch magic, and he alone doth plunge his hand through that door to the nether world which Azash opened. Horrors beyond imagining lie within his reach. It is Djarian’s thought that since all their plans have thus far gone awry, Cyrgon in desperation might command Cyzada to use his unspeakable art to raise creatures of darkness to confront and confound us.’
    Vanion nodded gravely.
    ‘How did Stragen’s plan affect them?’ Talen asked curiously.
    ‘They are discomfited out of all measure,’ Xanetia replied. ‘They did rely heavily on those who now are dead.’
    ‘Stragen will be happy to hear that. What were they going to do with all those spies and informers?’
    ‘Since they had no force capable of facing the Atans, Zalasta and his cohorts thought to use the hidden employees of the Ministry of the Interior to assassinate diverse Tamul officials in the subject kingdoms of the empire, hoping thereby to disrupt the governments.’
    ‘You might want to make a note of that, Sparhawk,’ Kalten said.
    ‘Oh?’
    ‘Emperor Sarabian had some qualms when he approved Stragen’s plan. He’ll probably feel much better when he finds out that all Stragen really did was beat our enemies to the well. They’d have killed our people if Stragen hadn’t killed theirs first.’
    ‘That’s very shaky moral ground, Kalten,’ Bevier said disapprovingly.
    ‘I know,’ Kalten admitted. ‘That’s why you have to run across the top of it so fast.’
    The sky was cloudy the following morning, thick roiling cloud that streamed in from the west, all seethe and confusion.
    Because it was late autumn and they were far to the north, it seemed almost that the sun was rising in the south, turning the sky above Bhelliom’s escarpment a fiery orange and reaching feebly out with ruddy, low-lying light to paint the surging underbellies of the swift-scudding cloud with a brush of flame. The campfires seemed wan and weak and very tiny against the overpowering chill here on the roof of the world, and the knights and their friends all wore fur cloaks and huddled close to the fires. There were low rumbles off to the south, and flickers of pale, ghastly light.
    ‘Thunder?’ Kalten asked Ulath incredulously. ‘Isn’t it the wrong time of year for thunderstorms?’
    ‘It happens,’ Ulath shrugged. ‘I was in a thunderstorm north of Heid once that touched off a blizzard. That’s a very unusual sort of experience.’
    ‘Whose turn is it to do the cooking?’ Kalten asked him absently.
    ‘Yours,’ Ulath replied promptly.
    ‘You’re not paying attention, Kalten,’ Tynian laughed. ‘You know better than to ask that question.’
    Kalten grumbled and started to stir up the fire.
    ‘I think we’d better get back to the coast today, Sparhawk,’ Vanion said gravely. ‘The weather’s held off so far, but I don’t think we’ll be able to count on that much longer.’
    Sparhawk nodded.
    The thunder grew louder, and the fire-red clouds overhead blanched with shuddering flickers of lightning. Then there was