The Ruby Knight

intensely white robe. Some sort of ritual ceremony seemed to take place between the three of them, but Sparhawk could not quite make out the details. Sephrenia and Flute spoke earnestly to the old man at some length, and then he bowed in acknowledgement and went back on up the alley.
    ‘What was that all about?’ Wargun asked suspiciously when Sephrenia and the little girl rejoined them.
    ‘He’s an old friend, Your Majesty,’ Sephrenia replied, ‘and the most revered and wise man in all of western Styricum.’
    ‘A king, you mean?’
    ‘That’s a word that has no meaning in Styricum, Your Majesty,’ she told him.
    ‘How can you have a government if you don’t have a king?’
    ‘There are other ways, Your Majesty, and besides, Styrics have outgrown the need for government.’
    ‘That’s absurd.’
    ‘Many things seem that way – at first. It may come to you Elenes in time.’
    ‘That’s a very infuriating woman sometimes, Sparhawk,’ Wargun growled, pushing his horse back to the front of the column.
    ‘Sparhawk,’ Flute said very lightly.
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘The task here in Acie is complete. We can leave for Thalesia at any time now.’
    ‘How do you propose to manage that?’
    ‘I’ll tell you later. Go and keep Wargun company. He gets lonely without you.’
    The palace was not a particularly imposing building. It looked to be more like a complex of administrative offices than something built for ostentation and display. ‘I don’t know how Obler can live in this hovel,’ Wargun said disdainfully, swaying in his saddle. ‘You there,’ he bellowed at one of the guards posted at the main door, ‘go and tell Obler that Wargun of Thalesia has arrived. We need to confer about a few things.’
    ‘At once, Your Majesty.’ The guard saluted and went inside.
    Wargun dismounted and unhooked the wineskin from the skirt of his saddle. He uncorked it and took a long drink. ‘I hope Obler’s got some chilled ale,’ he said. ‘This wine’s beginning to sour my stomach.’
    The guard returned. ‘King Obler will receive you, Your Majesty,’ he said ‘Please follow me.’
    ‘I know the way,’ Wargun replied. ‘I’ve been here before. Have somebody see to our horses.’ He blinked his bloodshot eyes at Sparhawk. ‘Come along then,’ he commanded. He did not appear to have missed Talen.
    They trooped through the unadorned hallways of King Obler’s palace and found the aged king of Deira sitting behind a large table littered with maps and papers.
    ‘Sorry to be so late, Obler,’ Wargun said, untying his purple cloak and dropping it on the floor. ‘I made a swing through Pelosia to pick up Soros and an army of sorts.’ He sprawled out in a chair. ‘I’m afraid I’m rather out of touch. What’s been going on?’
    ‘The Rendors have laid siege to Larium,’ the white-haired king of Deira replied. ‘The Alciones, Genidians and Cyrinics are holding the city, and the Pandions are out in the countryside dealing with Rendorish raiding parties.’
    ‘That’s more or less what I’d expected,’ Wargun grunted. ‘Can you send for some ale, Obler? My stomach’s been bothering me for the past few days. You remember Sparhawk, don’t you?’
    ‘Of course. He’s the man who saved Count Radun down in Arcium.’
    ‘And this one is Kalten. The big one there is Ulath. The one with the dark skin is Bevier, and I’m sure you know Tynian. The Styric woman is called Sephrenia – I’m not really sure about her real name. I’m sure neither one of us could even pronounce it. She teaches the Pandions magic, and that adorable child there is her little girl. The other two work for Sparhawk. I wouldn’t aggravate either one of them.’ He looked around, his eyes bleary. ‘What happened to that boy you had with you?’ he asked Sparhawk.
    ‘Probably exploring,’ Sparhawk replied blandly. ‘Political discussions bore him.’
    ‘Sometimes they bore me as well,’ Wargun said. He looked back at King Obler. ‘Have the Elenes mobilized yet?’
    ‘My agents have found no evidence of it.’
    Wargun started to swear. ‘I think I’ll stop in Cimmura on my way south and hang that young bastard Lycheas.’
    ‘I’ll lend you a rope, Your Majesty,’ Kalten offered.
    Wargun laughed. ‘What’s happening in Chyrellos, Obler?’
    ‘Cluvonus is in delirium,’ Obler replied. ‘He can’t last much longer, I’m afraid. Most of the major churchmen are already there preparing for the election of his