Cormyr_ a novel - Ed Greenwood [168]
Rhodes Marliir stared at the wizard, realizing the man was truly sad at the thought of Marsember's fate.
He felt tears rising in his throat, and at the same time a curious thankfulness. He'd never stood thinking beyond his own pride before-thinking down the generations and ages, of the fates of realms and cities and peoples. No wonder folk thought wizards strange.
Rhodes thought of the many islands of the city that was his home, the rat warrens of twisted streets and ancient, decaying buildings. The sagging wharves and inns and taverns and festhalls. All gone in a passion as hot and burning as his own hatred of the king. Marsember, swept away…
"What if he did not die here?" Marliir asked suddenly. "What if you teleported him back by magic, to lie beside the queen, and men thought they died together in their sleep?"
The Royal Magician shook his head. 'They would still both have died in Marsember, and enough people heard Queen Jhalass complain of the food that the assumption would be that they were poisoned by rebel Marsembians. The fire and rampage would follow, inescapably."
Rhodes sighed in sudden despair. "Then my city is doomed. I wish I'd slain him myself! Then I'd be the only one held responsible, and not all the people of Marsember."
"A noble thought. Yet dark times will come indeed," said the mage, "unless…"
"Unless?" echoed Rhodes.
The Royal Magician of Cormyr drew himself up and asked formally, "Rhodes Marliir, will you pledge your loyalty to the crown of Cormyr, which will now pass to Palaghard, son of Dhalmass?"
The young noble looked at the mage, dumbfounded. Had the man not heard him confess his desire to kill the king?
"Knowing," the wizard continued, "that in doing so, you'd save Marsember from much rioting and ruin and gain a full noble title and rewards for you and your surviving house?"
"I suppose…" Rhodes shrugged, and then their eyes met. He sighed again, drew himself up, and picked up Jorunhast's book from the cold forehead of the corpse.
The wizard made a sudden movement and then froze. The Marsemban nobleman handed him his book, looked into the eyes of the mage, and said firmly, "To save Marsember from seven companies of drunken, enraged Purple Dragons, I will so swear. I do so swear-if you will protect this city."
Jorunhast nodded. "Done… I hope."
Rhodes raised an eyebrow, and the wizard started to pace the room. "Dhalmass was a great war leader, but only a fair-to-middling ruler. He was too much the slave to a lust for battle, as well as for… other, more earthy lusts. By rights, he should have died in battle. We can ensure that if you're willing to assist me."
"Willing in what way?" Rhodes asked, eyes narrowing. "His Majesty must be seen leaving this place and returning to his quarters, where be will sleep undisturbed through the night," said the wizard. "I will teleport back to Marliir House with the body and store it, say within the royal carriage that brought the queen here. We load Queen Jhalass similarly. In the morning, the king will be called back to Suzail. He will go by carriage to be with his queen, and will not take escorts on this safe trip through known country. Regrettably they are ambushed on the coast trail by known rogues and brigands. How do you feel about the Fire Knives?"
"Marsember has no love of the Fire Knives thieves' guild," Rhodes replied stiffly.
"Then the Fire Knives it is," the wizard said with a grim smile. "The king dies protecting his queen and passes into history as warrior king rather than libertine. And it all happens far from the walls of Marsember, which allows this fair city to drift easily into the arms of Cormyr without further bloodshed."
Rhodes was silent in response. The plan had