Cormyr_ a novel - Ed Greenwood [169]
He asked, "You want me to impersonate the king? Aren't there laws against such a thing?"
"If caught," the wizard said with a shrug. "And, Rhodes Marliir, I pledge to you my aid in getting you out if you are. Unless someone has the unusual presence of mind to check once and again to see that their drunken monarch truly is their drunken monarch, no one will know. Indeed, if there is any doubt, they'll likely summon me to determine your identity."
Rhodes smiled grimly. "And in return I get my noble house in Marsember?"
"You get your noble rank," said Jorunhast, "but too many questions will be asked if it is in Marsember."
"I don't want to be a petty lord of some sheep path," Rhodes said grimly, folding his arms.
"What about Arabel, then?" suggested the wizard. "A large city with a number of local nobility, far from the easy reach of the throne."
"Arabel would be suitable," agreed Rhodes.
"And it revolts against the crown every hundred years or so. You'll fit right in." The wizard smiled again. "Moreover, I can see my way clear to losing enough gold from the royal treasury that-when you're as old and as fat as I and have sons of your own, mind-you can buy any islands you want in Marsember again. But you must give me your most solemn oath that you'll never speak of this to anyone. Not a wife, not an heir, not a crony!"
Rhodes Marliir nodded. "I so swear on my noble name and my loyalty to House Obarskyr and Cormyr. And so let me hear you swear that you will protect Marsember."
"More than that," the wizard replied. "Dhalmass would have looked upon Marsember as an irritant removed, but in the end no more than another trinket of conquest, to be forgotten after it is acquired. Palaghard, or rather King Palaghard the Second, is a more thoughtful man. I think it will be easy to convince him to improve upon his late father's acquisition, to bring in stone and new construction. I swear I will move him in that direction. Agreed?"
"Royal Magician," Rhodes said softly, "you have yourself a deal. I will be true to this, before all the gods you care to summon."
Jorunhast clucked disapprovingly. "God summonings? I leave that sort of truly dangerous nonsense to young nobles. Folk think them strange, you know."
Rhodes chuckled helplessly.
Jorunhast scowled at him. "Stand still," he said, "or I'll have to shock you senseless and put you in bed with Dhalmass, there, to try to get you into his likeness!"
The young noble stood very still. The wizard peered at him and set to work, slowly cloaking Marliir with the seeming of the king. When the last spell was done, Rhodes examined himself in a cracked mirror and then looked down at what lay on the bed. The match was perfect, rendered by an expert who'd known the original subject from birth.
"Don't talk while you're on the road, for that I cannot fix now," said the Royal Magician. "Limit it to grunts. That was about the level of the king's speech when he was drunk, in any event."
"One last thing," said the "king" with Marliir's voice. "Are you going to do this same magic for the queen?"
Jorunhast paused. "I suppose so. I'll recruit some serving girl for the impersonation. Someone of strong will, like yourself. Many of the court know of the queen's illness, but almost none of her death."
"One of the queen's servants would be missed," said Rhodes.
"You have a suggestion?" asked the wizard.
Rhodes looked out the door. Following his gaze, Jorunhast saw the dusky-skinned woman. She was still sitting there, eyes and ears open, and had been watching them, not daring to make any sound by moving. Her eyes were very large and dark.
"Lass," Jorunhast said, "know that I am the Royal Magician of Cormyr, and hold the power in my hands to cook dragons to ashes." He raised one of his hands meaningfully and added with a smile, "On the other hand, I also have the power to transform young wenches into queens…"
It took only a little coaxing to convince the young woman to throw