The Ruby Knight

and his eyes widened. He bowed again, and she gave him an impish little smile.
    ‘Aged one,’ Sephrenia said to him, ‘do you perchance speak the language of the Elenes?’
    ‘I have a passing familiarity with it, my sister,’ he replied.
    ‘Good. These knights have a few questions, and then we’ll leave your village and trouble you no more.’
    ‘I will answer as best I can.’
    ‘Some time back,’ Sparhawk began, ‘we chanced upon a tinker who told us something a bit disquieting. He said that Styrics have been digging in the battlefield at Lake Randera for centuries, searching for a treasure. That doesn’t seem like the sort of thing Styrics would do.’
    ‘It is not, My Lord,’ the old man said flatly. ‘We have no need of treasure, and we would most certainly not violate the graves of those who sleep there.’
    ‘I thought that might be the case. Have you any idea of who those Styrics might be?’
    ‘They are not of our kindred, Sir Knight, and they serve a God whom we despise.’
    ‘Azash?’ Sparhawk guessed.
    The old man blanched slightly. ‘I will not speak His name aloud, Sir Knight, but you have hit upon my meaning.’
    ‘Then the men digging at the lake are Zemochs?’
    The old man nodded. ‘We have known of their presence there for centuries. We do not go near them, for they are unclean.’
    ‘I think we’d all agree to that,’ Tynian said. ‘Have you got any idea of what they’re looking for?’
    ‘Some ancient talisman that Otha craves for his God.’
    ‘The tinker we spoke with said that most people around here believe there’s a vast treasure there somewhere.’
    The old man smiled. ‘Elenes tend to exaggerate things,’ he said. ‘They cannot believe that the Zemochs would devote so much effort to the finding of one single thing – although the thing they seek is of greater worth than all the treasure in the world.’
    ‘That answers that question, doesn’t it?’ Kalten noted.
    ‘Elenes have an indiscriminate lust for gold and precious gems,’ the old Styric went on, ‘and so it’s entirely possible that they don’t even know what they’re looking for. They expect huge chests of treasure, but there are no such chests to be found on that field. It’s not impossible that some one of them might already have found the object and cast it aside, not knowing its worth.’
    ‘No, aged master,’ Sephrenia disagreed. ‘The talisman of which you speak has not yet been found. Its uncovering would ring like a giant bell through all the world.’
    ‘It may be as you say, my sister. Do you and your companions also journey to the lake in search of the talisman?’
    ‘Such is our intent,’ she replied, ‘and our quest is of some urgency. If nothing else, we must deny possession of the talisman to Otha’s God.’
    ‘I shall pray to my God for your success then.’ The old Styric looked back at Sparhawk. ‘How fares it with the head of the Elene Church?’ he asked carefully.
    ‘The Archprelate is very old,’ Sparhawk told him truthfully, ‘and his health is failing.’
    The old man sighed. ‘It is as I feared,’ he said. ‘Although I am sure he would not accept the good wishes of a Styric, I nonetheless also pray to my God that he will live for many more years.’
    ‘Amen to that,’ Ulath said.
    The white-bearded Styric hesitated. ‘Rumour states that the Primate of a place called Cimmura is most likely to become the head of your Church,’ he said cautiously.
    ‘That could be a bit exaggerated,’ Sparhawk told him. ‘There are many in the Church who oppose the ambitions of Primate Annias. A part of our own purpose is to thwart him as well.’
    ‘Then I shall pray for you doubly, Sir Knight. Should Annias reach the throne in Chyrellos, it will be a disaster for Styricum.’
    ‘And for just about everybody else as well,’ Ulath grunted.
    ‘It will be far more deadly for Styrics, Sir Knight. The feelings of Annias of Cimmura about our race are widely known. The authority of the Elene Church has kept the hatred of the Elene commons in check, but should Annias succeed, he will probably remove that restraint, and I fear Styricum will be doomed.’
    ‘We will do all we can to prevent his reaching the throne,’ Sparhawk promised.
    The old Styric bowed. ‘May the hands of the Younger Gods of Styricum protect you, my friends.’ He bowed again to Sephrenia and then to Flute.
    ‘Let’s move on,’ Sephrenia said. ‘We’re keeping the other villagers away