Cormyr_ a novel - Ed Greenwood [35]
Laspeera spread her hands in mute demonstration of her ignorance. Emthrara followed suit, but added, "There are devices in the South that use a victim's life-force for power. These sometimes require a victim of particular ability or appearance to make them function. In such cases, the life-force is sucked from the body as a great green flame. This may or may not be related."
The Royal Magician sighed and turned back to the door. "Answers, as usual, are all too few and speculations all too many. Nonetheless, both of you have done well. My thanks." He laid a hand on the door, then turned once more and asked, "So who, in your opinion, might be able to direct such a thing against Cormyr?"
Laspeera spread her hands again, but the Harper dancer smiled thinly and said, "Ah, now, lord wizard, you ask us to venture forth upon the seas of pure speculation."
Vangerdahast gestured for her to do so.
She shrugged. "Leaving aside the always present but slim possibility that arcane magic has been sent to beset us by liches, lone mad mages, or cabals of ambitious powers from the world below who want our land as their surface playground-illithids, the Phaerimm, and others we know too little of to even list-leaving all these aside, we can easily name the Zhentarim, the Red Wizards of Thay, perhaps even the Arcane Brotherhood of Luskan, or individual archwizards of Calimshan or Halruaa. Such folk have the necessary mastery of the arcane. As to why, we must open a far greater sphere of speculation. The folk who might hire such fell magic could be descendants of the Tuigan Khahan seeking revenge, elements of Sembia, the Zhentarim, or even Archendale seeking to weaken the realm-or even a rival noble house here at home, desiring to exterminate the Obarskyr line."
The Royal Magician lifted an eyebrow, but the Harper added softly, "That is where I would look first, lord. Outlanders rarely manage to strike with swords or beasts at a specific person, in the heart of the realm, without knowing the ground… and their target… fairly well."
Vangerdahast nodded slowly. "I have had similar thoughts. If this crisis passes, we must talk again, Lady Emthrara."
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I am no lady."
"Then you'll not find a flagon of fine wine too much of an effrontery," the wizard returned, "will you?"
She laughed. "Later, then-and be sure that it's good wine."
"The best," Vangerdahast promised.
Laspeera rolled her eyes as the Lord High Wizard opened the door, then asked Emthrara loudly, "Do you know how many times he promises that?"
The Royal Magician of the Realm, Court Wizard of Cormyr, Chairman Emeritus of the College of War Wizards, Lord High Wizard of Suzail, Scepter of the Stonelands, and Master of the Council of Mages paused at the doorway and turned, his eyebrows arched in mock surprise. Both ladies laughed merrily and waved farewell.
Vangerdahast pointed at the abraxus on the table and growled, "Leave that not unguarded!" as the door swung closed. Turning from it, he found himself grinning and shook his head. He must be overtired.
"So tell me," Emthrara said calmly as the door closed on the mage, "now that the free entertainment is gone, just how does one guard such a thing?"
Laspeera winked at her. "First, be aware that he loves to listen at doors. Our Royal Magician is seldom truly gone when you're in the palace. Secondly, I don't know. I'm going to raise a shell of antimagic around it, and then surround that with several spherical force barriers of various sorts."
The Harper eyed her steadily. "And will all that work?"
Laspeera spread her hands. "With magic-as always-who knows?"
* * * * *
Vangerdahast managed six steps along the quiet hall toward the back stair that led down to, among other things, the kitchens, where there might be some still-warm sage-and-pheasant soup in a pot somewhere, before a breathless palace page whirled around a corner and gasped, "Lord wizard! Lord wizard! The Sage Lord Alaphondar sends me to tell you that the priests have done their work-and adequate work,