按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃And my soldiers will want it。〃
〃You don't want to go south。〃 It was not a question。
There was a discreet knock。 The king spoke and Gonzalez de Rada entered。 He was very pale； his expression somber。 Ramiro went back to the table and poured another glass for himself。 This one he watered。 It was not a time for indulgence。
〃Do I want to wage a holy war in Al…Rassan？〃 He framed Ines's question again for the constable。 〃Truthful answer？〃 He shook his head。 〃I do not。 I want to go south on my own terms in my own time。 I want to take Ruenda from my feckless brother； Jalona from Uncle Bermudo…may his fingers and toes rot…take Fezana from those butchering Cartadans； and then look further afield； or let my sons look further afield when I am dead and troubling you no longer。〃 He smiled briefly at Ines。 She did not smile back。
〃If an army of kings is sailing to Ammuz and Soriyya；〃 Gonzalez said； 〃it will be hard for us not to go south in the spring。 Every cleric in the three kingdoms of Esperana will be threatening from his chapel that we endanger our souls if we do not。〃
〃I know that；〃 Ramiro murmured。 〃Pour yourself some wine。 It will ease your endangered soul。〃
〃This is my fault；〃 said Ines。 〃I brought him here。〃
The king put down his wine。 He went to her and claimed her glass and set it down。 He took her hands。 She did not pull away。 All of this was very new。
〃He would have e； my dear。 He and others。 If all the lords east of the mountains are dancing for them now； why should we be allowed to live free of the yoke？ You may be sure there are men like this one in Jalona already； and on the way to Ruenda if not there by now。 They will demand a winter meeting between the three of us。 Wait for it。 They will order us to meet； on pain of banning in the chapels； of losing our immortal places in the god's light。 And we will have to listen to them。 We will meet； Uncle Bermudo and brother Sanchez and I will sit together； and hunt。 They will watch every move I make； and I will do the same with them。 We will swear a holy truce amongst ourselves。 The clerics will sing our praises in rapture。 And we will almost certainly be riding to war in Al…Rassan by spring。〃
〃And？〃
She was direct； his queen。 Clever and surprising and direct。
Ramiro shrugged。 〃No sober man ever speaks with certainty about war。 Especially not this kind of war； with three armies that hate each other on one side； and twenty that fear each other opposing them。〃
〃And the Muwardis across the straits；〃 said Count Gonzalez softly。 〃Do not forget them。〃
Ramiro closed his eyes。 He could still hear the rain。 Ferrieres； Waleska； Karch； the cities of Batiara 。。。 all gathered together in holy war。 Despite himself； despite all his sober instincts； there was something undeniably stirring in the image。 He could almost see the assembled banners； all those mighty lords of war brought together。 How could any man of spirit not want to be there； not want to share in such an enterprise？
〃The world is a different place than it was this morning；〃 Ramiro of Valledo said gravely。 He became aware that he was still holding his wife's hands； that she was allowing him to do so。 〃Do you know what I would like to do？〃 he added suddenly； surprising himself。
She looked up at him； waiting。 He knew what she was thinking。 He always wanted the same thing when he spoke to her like that。 Well； she wasn't the only person here who could offer the unexpected。 And this new feeling was strong。
〃I would like to pray；〃 said the king of Valledo。 〃After what we have just learned； I think I would like to pray。 Will you both e with me？〃
They went to the royal chapel together； the king and his queen and their constable。 The palace cleric was there； having just arrived from the audience chamber in great dismay。 He was as astonished as might have been expected at the sight of the king； which was extremely so。 He took his place hastily at the altar before the disk。
Each of them signified the symbol of the god's sun with their right hand over their heart and then sank down upon their knees on the stone of the floor。 The light in the royal chapel was muted。 There were windows but they were old； and smaller； and rain was falling upon them。
They prayed in that simple； unadorned space to the one god and the life…giving light of his sun； their faces turned to where an emblem of that sun was set upon the wall behind the altar stone。 They prayed for strength and mercy； for purity of heart and mortal body； for the fulfillment of Jad's bright visions； and for access； at the end of their own days among the fields of earth； to Paradise。
Part IV
Ten
Nino di Carrera； young； handsome and adept； the most favored courtier of King Bermudo of Jalona and concurrently the latest of the furtive lovers of Bermudo's demanding queen； Fruela； was in a condition of anxious perplexity。
In fact； he hadn't the least idea what to do。
Confusion made him angry。 Anger was pounded by the increasing embarrassment of what was presently taking place。 Nino swept off his iron helmet and shook out his yellow mane of hair； the envy and desire of most of the women at Bermudo's court in Eschalou。 His breath and that of the two scouts and all of their horses made white puffs in the frigid early…morning air。
Behind him his pany had e to a halt in this high valley ringed with hills。 They were well trained； his own men。 The horses had been turned outward and the mules with their chests of gold from Fibaz were in the center of the formation。 Six chests。 A year's parias from an infidel city in Al…Rassan。 The first…ever such tribute payment to Jalona。 A promise of wealth； of power； and of much more to e。 The horse thieves of Valledo were not the only ones who could whip Asharites to heel like the mongrels they were。 And he； Nino di Carrera； had been entrusted with claiming this first treasure and bringing it back to Eschalou before the winter snows。 The king had promised him much upon his return； the queen 。。。 the queen had already given him a reward； the night before he left。
My golden one； she'd called him； lying in her bed after their frenzy。 A phrase more apt than ever now。 He was bringing back gold； six chests of it； to the greater glory of Jad and Jalofta…and of Count Nino di Carrera； who was soaring like a golden falcon now。 And who knew how high that might be before all was done and spoken before the god？
But all that…that shining； lofty future…was dependent on whether he could get these six chests safely home and； more to the immediate point； whether he could silence the woman's voice that kept echoing down upon them in this supernaturally resonant highland valley he wished they had never entered。
〃Nino； Nino； Nino！ Oh； my darling！ It is I； Fruela； your queen！ e to me； my love！〃
The plangent summons； high and clear； rang like a bell； filling the valley with sound over and over again。 Nino di Carrera was； among other things； aware that his color had risen： a lifelong affliction that came with fair skin。 It wasn't…of course it wasn't！…Queen Fruela's voice they were hearing； but it was a woman； fluent in Esperanan； and her tone was urgent with desire。
〃e； Nino！ Take me。 Take me here on the hills！ Make me yours！〃
It was not； in any conceivable way； useful for a rising figure at King Bermudo's court to have this sort of request publicly uttered。 By anyone。 Anywhere。 And the words were very public here。 They were soaring all about them； echoing endlessly。 Someone was amusing themselves at Nino di Carrera's expense。 Someone was going to pay for that。
He was careful not to glance back at his pany； but as the woman's voice； ripe with longing； continued to offer explicit variations on the same theme； Nino heard…unmistakably…ripples of suppressed laughter behind him。
〃Oh； my rampant stallion； I must have you！ Make me yield to your mastery； my love！〃
Sound carried absurdly well in this place。 It was unnatural； that was what it was！ And not only did the words carry； they echoed； so that each yearning proclamation of his name； each vividly proposed activity； resonated as if sung by a choir in chapel。
The two outriders were ashen…faced； refusing to meet his eyes。 No trace of amusement there。 They wouldn't have dared； in any event； but the tidings they had brought precluded levity。 The woman wailing with desire was an offense； even a mortal one； armed men waiting in ambush ahead were something else。
Reckless as his appearance and youth might suggest him to be； Nino di Carrera was a careful mander of a good pany； and his outriders； in particular； were excellent。 The odds were； in fact； that few panies would have received this advance warning。 Most leaders would have felt blithely secure in the presence of almost a hundred mounted men。 Nino had been too conscious of how important this parias mission was； however： to Jalona； to himself。 He'd had outriders ahead and behind； and on both flanks until the hills forced those men back in。 The pair up front had spotted the carefully laid ambush at the northern exit from this valley。
〃Nino！ I burn for you！ Oh； my love； I am a woman before I am a queen！〃
It was almost impossibl