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； would have to be something planned as carefully and coldly as an army's march。
There had been； naturally enough； other lovers； from that day almost twenty years ago till this。 Amintor was； she supposed； the most durable of the bunch。 Lovers was not really the right word for them though； useful bodies； sometimes entertaining or even useful minds。
But the Emperor； yes； he had been her lover。 That fact in some ways seemed to loom larger as it became more distant down the lengthening avenue of years。
But； she thought now （as she usually did when the thought…cycle had reached this point）； how could any woman； let alone a Queen； have been expected to live with； to seriously plan a life and a career； with a man like that。。？
The Silver Queen's thoughts and feelings； as usual； became jumbled at this point。 It was all done with now。 It had all been over and done with； a long time ago。 The Emperor might have made her immortal； or at least virtually ageless； like himself。 Well； as a strong Queen she could hire or persuade other powerful magicians to do the same for her； as they did for themselves； when it began to seem important。
Only after she had refused the Emperor's offer of marriage； and after she had banned that impossible pretender； that joker and seducer； from her thoughts （the banning had been quite successful for a time） … it was only then； of course； that she had realized that she was pregnant。
Her first thought had been to rid herself of the child before it was born。 But her second thought … already she was beginning to pick up more hints of the Emperor's latent power … was that the child might possibly represent an asset later。 As usual in her new life as Queen； far…sighted caution had prevailed。 She had endured the pregnancy and birth。
There was no doubt of who the father was； despite the baby's fair skin and reddish hair； unlike those of either parent。 The Emperor had been her only lover at the time。 Besides； the Queen could find redheads recorded on both sides of her own ancestry。 As for the Emperor's family。。。 who knew？ Not any of the wizards she had been able to consult。
One thing certain about him； he had been； still was； a consummate magician。 The Silver Queen appreciated that more fully now。 At the time； as a girl； she had only begun to recognize the fact。
And even now … actually more often now than in those early years of her reign … the idea kept ing tantalizingly back： what if she actually had married him？
That would have been impossible； of course。 Quite socially； politically impossible for a Queen to marry one that the world knew as a demented clown。 No matter that the wise and well…educated at least suspected there was more to the Emperor than that。 But what if she had done it； used her new royal power to make it work？ There would of course have had to have been a strong concurrent effort to revive her husband's title in its ancient sense； one of well…nigh supreme power； of puissance beyond that of mere Kings and Queens。
Would she have been acclaimed as a genius of statecraft for marrying him and trying to do that？ Only； of course； if it had worked。 More likely she would have bee a laughingstock。
In any case it was nonsense to think about it now。 She had been only a girl then； unwise in the ways of ruling； and how could she ever have made such an attempt succeed？
But he might have been able to make it work。 What if she had let him rule beside her； had let him try。。。
Maybe； she thought； it was the memory of the Emperor's fierce masculinity that was really bothering her tonight。 On top of everything else。 There had been something stronger about him in that way than any other man she had ever invited to her cot； though physically he was not particularly big。
Enough。 There in the dark privacy of her tent； not giving herself time to think about it； she clasped her right hand firmly on Soulcutter's hilt and drew it halfway from its sheath。 Still there was no glow； and still no power flowed from it。 Rather the reverse。 It was as she had feared and expected it would be； but worse； worse than she had thought or feared。 Still she could bear it if she must。
Queen Yambu slammed this most terrible of all Swords back into its sheath； and sighed with relief as the midnight around her appeared to brighten instantly。 Then she closed the ornate case around Soulcutter； and got up and went to the tent door to cry orders to break camp and march。
Chapter 12
Of course the Dark King knew better； when he stopped to think about it。 But through the visualization provided him by the demon he had been able to see Shieldbreaker in Sir Andrew's distant hands only as a kind of war…hammer rather than a Sword； a picture matching the sound that reached Vilkata's ears from that distant bat。 Soulcutter Vilkata had not yet seen at all； but he knew that it was there now； somewhere behind him； in the hands of the Silver Queen。 He knew it by his magically assisted perception of an emptiness； a presence there to which he was truly blind。 Any Sword that he did not own could frighten him； and he owned only one out of the Twelve。 And now he found himself between two enemies armed with two Swords that seemed to him particularly powerful。
Between the Mindsword in the Dark King's hands behind them and the Dark King's cavalry in front of them； Sir Andrew's little army had certainly been destroyed。 That much had been acplished。 Under ordinary conditions a victory of such magnitude would have been enough to make the King feel truly optimistic。 But conditions were not ordinary； if they ever were。 There were the two Swords Shieldbreaker and Soulcutter； and himself between them。
When the report came in that the Silver Queen was advancing on his rear； Vilkata sent a flying messenger to recall most of his advanced cavalry； and set about turning his entire army to confront her。 It was a decision made with some reluctance； because he longed to go instead to search personally on the battlefield for Shieldbreaker。 A flying scout had reported seeing from a distance that Sir Andrew hurled the Sword away from him； when the fight at last was over。 And what subordinate did the Dark King dare to trust with succeeding in that search？ … but at the same time he dared not fail to meet the Silver Queen's advance with the Mindsword in his own hands。 He could not be in two places at once。
Anyway Vilkata did not really believe the report about Sir Andrew throwing Shieldbreaker away。 Whether the Sword of Force would be dropped and abandoned by any living person on any battlefield was； in his mind； very doubtful to say the least。 In the end he ordered certain patrols to the place where Sir Andrew was last seen； to search for the Sword； or to make what other valuable discoveries they could； while he himself turned back to meet the advancing columns of Yambu。
As it turned out； Yambu's main army was not nearly as close as had been reported。 The flying； half…intelligent scouts often had trouble estimating horizontal distances； but the King could not take chances。 He had not much more than got his army into motion in that direction； when additional disquieting reports came in。 These told of gods and goddesses seen in the vicinity of Tashigang； doing extravagant things in the Dark King's name； and proclaiming him their lord and master； the new ruler of the world。 That in itself would have been well enough； but the reports also told of the deities offering him human sacrifice； and holocausts of grain and cattle。 Besides the waste of valuable resources； it made Vilkata uneasy to realize that the divinities who had pledged loyalty to him were not really under his control。 Should he send word to them of his displeasure？ But he did not even know where they were right now。 Or where they were going to be next； or what they might be intending to do。
The trouble is； he thought； they worship me but I am not a god。 Having arrived at that thought he felt as if he had made some great； vaguely alarming discovery。
Mark and his escort had not been many days out from Tasavalta when they were forced into a skirmish with a strong patrol of the Dark King's troops。 This fight had cost them some casualties。 But Coinspinner in Mark's hands； altering the odds of chance in his favor at every turn； saw him and most of his small force through the fighting safely。 He had experienced the workings of the Sword of Chance before； and he trusted it … to a degree； it was really the least trustworthy of the Twelve … and felt almost familiar with it。 The soldiers of his escort had done neither until now。
When the skirmish was over； the enemy survivors driven into flight； Mark and his troops rested briefly and moved on。 He was confident； and the soldiers； who earlier had only grimly obeyed orders； now picked up that attitude from him。 Since what he truly wanted now was to locate the Emperor； then to the Emperor Coinspinner's luck would lead him； in one way or another。
As they rode Mark paused periodically to sweep the horizon with the naked tip of the Sword of Chance。 When he aimed it in a certain direction； and in that direction only； a quivering seized the blade； and Mark could feel a faint surge of power pass into his hand through the hilt。 In that direction