The Seeress of Kell

here."
    "Wait a minute, Khendon," Urgit objected. "You came here to Rak Urga with all sorts of glowing talk about alliances and commonality of interests, but now when it's time to put troops into the field, you back down. Why have you been wasting my time?"
    "The situation has changed since we began our negotiations, your Majesty," Javelin told him. "We did not anticipate a Mallorean withdrawal of such magnitude, and we certainly didn't expect instability in Tolnedra."
    "What am I going to get out of this then?''
    "What is Kal Zakath likely to do the minute he gets word that you're marching on his strongholds?"
    "He'll turn around and send his whole stinking army back to Cthol Murgos."
    "Through a Cherek fleet?" Javelin suggested. "He tried that after Thull Mardu, remember? King Anheg and his berserkers sank most of his ships and drowned his troops by the regiment.''
    "That's true, isn't it?" Urgit mused. "Do you think Anheg might be willing to blockade the east coast to keep Zakath's army from returning?"
    "I think he'd be delighted. Chereks take such childlike pleasure in sinking other people's boats."
    "He'd need charts in order to make his way around the southern tip of Cthol Murgos, though,'' Urgit said thoughtfully.
    Javelin coughed. "Ah—we already have those, your Majesty," he said deprecatingly.
    Urgit slammed his fist down on the arm of his throne. "Hang it all, Khendon! You're here as an ambassador, not as a spy."
    "Just keeping in practice, your Majesty," Javelin replied blandly. "Now," he went on, "in addition to a Cherek fleet in the Sea of the East, we're prepared to line the northern and western borders of Goska and the northwestern border of Araga with Algar cavalry and Drasnian pikemen. That would effectively cut off escape routes for the Malloreans trapped in Cthol Murgos, block Kal Zakath's favorite invasion route down through Mishrak ac Thull, and seal off the Tolnedran legions in the event of an accommodation between Tol Honeth and Mal Zeth. That way, everybody defends more or less his own territory, and the Chereks keep the Malloreans off the continent so that we can settle it all to our own satisfaction."
    "It also totally isolates Cthol Murgos." Urgit pointed out the one fact that Javelin had hoped to gloss over. "I exhaust my kingdom pulling your chestnuts out of the fire, and then the Alorns, Tolnedrans, Arends, and Sendars are free to march in and eliminate the Angarak presence on the western continent."
    "You have the Nadraks and Thulls as allies, your Majesty."
    "I'll trade you," Urgit said dryly. "Give me the Arends and the Rivans, and I'll gladly give you the Thulls and Nadraks."
    "I think it's time for me to contact my government on these matters, your Majesty. I've already overextended my authority. I'll need further instructions from Boktor."
    "Give Porenn my regards," Urgit said, "and tell her that I join with her in wishing a mutual relative well."
    Javelin felt a lot less sure of himself as he left.
    The Child of Dark had smashed all the mirrors in her quarters in the Grolim Temple at Balasa that morning. It had begun to touch her face now. Dimly she had seen the swirling lights beneath the skin of her cheeks and forehead and then had broken the mirror that had revealed the fact to her—and all the others, as well. When it was done, she stared in horror at the gash in the palm of her hand. The lights were even in her blood. Bitterly she recalled the wild joy that had filled her when she had first read the prophetic words:
    "Behold: the Child of Dark shall be exalted above all others and shall be glorified by the light of the stars.' But the light of the stars was no halo or glowing nimbus. The light was a creeping disease that encroached upon her inch by inch.
    It was not only the swirling lights, however, that had begun to consume her. Increasingly her thoughts, her memories, and even her dreams were not her own. Again and again she awoke screaming as the same dream came again and again. She seemed to hang bodiless and indifferent in some unimaginable void, watching all unconcerned as a giant star spun and wobbled on its course, swelling and growing redder as it shuddered toward inevitable extinction. The random wobble of the off-center star was of no real concern until it became more and more pronounced. Then the bodiless and sexless awareness drifting in the void felt a prickle of interest and then a growing alarm. This was wrong. This had not been intended. And then it