rode resolutely eastward.
‘It’s a good day to be on the road,’ Vanion said, looking around at the sun-drenched fields. ‘I just wish – Oh, well.’
‘How are you feeling now, Vanion?’ Sparhawk asked his old friend.
‘Much better,’ the Preceptor replied. ‘I’ll be honest with you, Sparhawk. Those swords were very, very heavy. They gave me some fairly strong hints of what it’s going to be like to grow old.’
‘You’ll live forever, my friend,’ Sparhawk smiled.
‘I certainly hope not, not if it means feeling the way I felt when I was carrying those swords.’
They rode on in silence for a while.
‘This is a long chance, Vanion,’ Sparhawk said sombrely. ‘We’re going to be badly outnumbered in Chyrellos, and if Otha starts across Lamorkand, it’s going to be a close race between him and Wargun. Whichever one gets to Chyrellos first will win.’
‘I think we’re getting very close to one of those articles of the faith, Sparhawk. We’re going to have to trust God in this. I’m sure He doesn’t want Annias to be Archprelate, and I’m very sure he doesn’t want Otha in the streets of Chyrellos.’
‘Let’s hope not.’
Talen and Berit were riding not far behind. Over the months, a certain friendship had grown up between the novice and the young thief, a friendship based in part upon the fact that they were both a bit uncomfortable in the presence of their elders.
‘Exactly what’s this election business all about, Berit?’ Talen asked. ‘What I’m getting at is how does it work exactly? I’m a little shaky on that sort of thing.’
Berit straightened in his saddle. ‘All right, Talen,’ he said, ‘when the old Archprelate dies, the Patriarchs of the Hierocracy gather in the Basilica. Most of the other high Churchmen are there as well, and the kings of Eosia are usually also present. Each of the kings makes a short speech at the beginning, but no one else is permitted to speak during the Hierocracy’s deliberations – only the Patriarchs, and they’re the only ones who have votes.’
‘You mean that the Preceptors can’t even vote?’
‘The Preceptors are Patriarchs, young man,’ Perraine said from just behind them.
‘I didn’t know that. I wondered why everybody sort of stepped aside for the Church Knights. How is it that Annias is running the Church in Cimmura then? Where’s the Patriarch?’
‘Patriarch Udale is ninety-three years old, Talen,’ Berit explained. ‘He’s still alive, but we’re not sure he even knows his own name. He’s being cared for in the Pandion Mother-house at Demos.’
‘That makes it difficult for Annias, doesn’t it? As a Primate, he can’t talk – or vote, and there’s no way he can poison this Udale if he’s in the Mother-house.’
‘That’s why he needs money. He has to buy people to do his talking – and his voting – for him.’
‘Wait a minute. Annias is only a Primate, isn’t he?’
‘That’s right.’
Talen frowned. ‘If he’s only a Primate and the others are Patriarchs, how does he think he stands a chance at election?’
‘A Churchman doesn’t have to be a Patriarch to ascend the throne of the Church. On several occasions, some simple village priest has become the Archprelate.’
‘It’s all very complicated, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it just be simpler for us to move in with the army and put the man we want on the throne?’
‘That’s been tried in the past. It never really worked out. I don’t think God approves.’
‘He’ll approve a lot less if Annias wins, won’t He?’
‘There could be something to what you say, Talen.’
Tynian rode forward, and there was a grin on his broad face. ‘Kalten and Ulath are amusing themselves by terrorizing Lycheas,’ he said. ‘Ulath’s been lopping off saplings with his axe, and Kalten’s coiled a noose. He’s been pointing out overhanging tree-limbs to Lycheas. Lycheas keeps fainting. We had to chain his hands to his saddle-bow to keep him from falling out of his saddle.’
‘Kalten and Ulath are simple fellows,’ Sparhawk observed. ‘It doesn’t take much to keep them amused. Lycheas will have a great deal to tell his mother when we get to Demos.’
About midday, they turned southeast to ride across country. The weather held fair. They made good time and reached Demos late the following day. Just before the column swung south towards the encampment of the knights of the other three orders, Sparhawk, Kalten and Ulath took Lycheas around the northern edge of town to the cloister in which Princess Arissa was confined. The cloister had yellow sandstone walls, and it stood in a wooded glen where birds sang from the limbs in the late afternoon sunshine.
Sparhawk and his friends dismounted at the gate and rather roughly jerked the chained Lycheas from his saddle.
‘We’ll need to speak with your Mother Superior,’ Sparhawk told the gentle little nun who opened the gate for them. ‘Is Princess Arissa still spending most of her time in that garden near the south wall?’
‘Yes, My Lord.’
‘Please ask the Mother Superior to join us there. We’re delivering Arissa’s son to her.’ He took Lycheas by the scruff of the neck and dragged him across the courtyard towards the walled garden where Arissa spent her long hours of confinement. Sparhawk was coldly angry for a number of reasons.
‘Mother!’ Lycheas cried when he saw her. He broke free from Sparhawk and stumbled towards her, his imploring hands hampered by his chains.
Princess Arissa came to her feet, her face outraged. The circles under her eyes had lessened, and her look of sullen discontent had faded to be replaced by one of smug anticipation. ‘What’s the meaning of this?’ she demanded, embracing her cowering son.
‘They threw me in the dungeon, mother,’ Lycheas blubbered, ‘and they’ve been threatening me.’
‘How dare you treat the Prince Regent so, Sparhawk?’ she burst out.
‘The situation has greatly changed, Princess,’ Sparhawk informed her coolly. ‘Your son isn’t Prince Regent any more.’
‘No one has the authority to depose him. You’ll pay for this with your life, Sparhawk.’
‘I sort of doubt that, Arissa,’ Kalten disagreed with a broad grin. ‘I’m sure you’ll be delighted to hear that your niece has recovered from her illness.’
‘Ehlana? That’s impossible!’
‘As a matter of fact, it isn’t. I know that as a true daughter of the Church, you’ll join with us all in praising God for his miraculous intervention. The royal council almost swooned with delight. The Baron Harparin was so pleased that he completely lost his head.’
‘But no one ever recovers from –’ she bit her lip.
‘From the effects of darestim?’ Sparhawk completed her sentence for her.
‘How did you –?’
‘It wasn’t really all that hard, Arissa. It’s all falling apart on you, Princess. The queen was most displeased with you and your son – and the Primate Annias as well, of course. She’s commanded us to take the three of you into custody. You can consider yourself under arrest at this point.’
‘On what charge?’ she exclaimed.
‘High treason, wasn’t it, Kalten?’
‘I think those were the words the queen used, yes. I’m sure it’s all a misunderstanding, Your Highness,’ the blond