Cormyr_ a novel - Ed Greenwood [102]
"I'd not want to be a mage that tried any such thing," Ithkur Onszibar said dryly, "in a world that holds the Red Wizards of Thay, the Zhentarim, and the mage kings of Halruaa. Once the mage realm is built, what's to stop anyone with greater spells from taking it over from within?"
Turlstars waved a dismissive hand. "All this is hard-flying fancy, people. All we know is that Duke Bhereu has died, the king and Baron Thomdor linger near death despite wagonloads of priests and winged carpetfuls of war wizards laboring night and day, and our Royal Magician is trotting around meeting privately with various nobles, while all the younger sons of those same noble families, and all their elders who like to play at politics, converge on Suzail as if free dukedoms are being handed out at street corners."
"As indeed they soon may be," Athalon Darvae murmured.
Turlstars ignored the comment and continued. "Some folk think the wizard is just binding loyalties to the crown with threats and promises and making all the up-noses feel personally important. Others think he's adding heads to his own little organization."
"Or handing out orders to a cabal that's long since established, and using the other little talks to hide that, or even to lay little tracing or thought-probing spells on the nobles who aren't in his camp," Tessara put in, with a meaningful nod of her head in Dauneth's direction.
"But why all of this?" Rhauligan protested, waving his hands. One of them held a tankard, but as far as Dauneth could tell, the merchant had emptied it already. "We've all heard about the suit of armor that can heal and purify the man who sleeps in it and the spells that can grow new kings from a few pieces of the flesh of old ones."
"New kings for old!" Tessara called softly, grinning. "New kings for old!"
"Stow it," Rhauligan told her, not unkindly, and continued. "There are said to be thick-piled webs of safeguard spells on all senior Obarskyrs and heirs, as well as on the palace and the court and the royal hunting lodges and houses… and outback privies, for all I know! Have they all failed at once?"
"If a traitor among the wizards worked carefully to avoid detection," Tessara said gently, "I'd be surprised if magic that is done could not also be undone." Turlstars nodded grimly.
"I've heard," put in Darvae, "that Lady Laspeera and some of the other war wizards started searching the vaults under the palace for a cure, but Princess Tanalasta had them turned out and ordered the under-cellars sealed."
"Seems as though she wants dear daddy to die," Tessara muttered.
Darvae spread his hands in a what-do-I-know gesture. "She said what struck down the king may have come from there, and it was best that such perils stay shut away until 'the realm is out of danger.' She must know what the vaults hold better than any of us."
"The Doom of the Obarskyrs," the caravan master intoned somberly. "The armories of the war wizards, full of stolen spells and locked lich tomes and strange things that flash and whir about but haven't yet been probed for their secrets. Iron statues that walk. The Cursed Crowns. The meeting room of the Sword Heralds. The-"
"Lost Wyvern of Menacha. Yes, yes, and the stuffed remains of the Obarskyrs' adversaries," Turlstars said dismissively. "We've all heard the legends, and they're just more flying fancy. I suspect that a lot of the talk I'm hearing around Suzail is the stuff of dreams, too… but we may as well wade through it…"
"Especially as some of it is really rich," Darvae agreed with a grin. "Would you believe that Gondegal the Lost King has been seen in Marsember?"
"High Horn, I heard," Tessara said quickly. "And he's behind all this!"
"He and a hitherto unknown descendant of evil Prince Regent Salember!" Onszibar put in.
"What?" Turlstars asked sarcastically. "Not Salember