Elric in the Dream Realms - Michael Moorcock [25]
“I shall also be frank,” said Manag Iss, his voice cool. “I am commissioned and bound both by my blood oath, my sect contract and my honour as a member of our holy guild. That commission is to convince you, by any means, either to relinquish your quest or to sell the Pearl. If you will not relinquish the quest, then I will agree to purchase the Pearl from you at any price save, of course, a position on our Council. Therefore I will match Lord Gho’s offer and add to it anything else you desire.”
Elric spoke with some regret. “You cannot match his offer, Manag Iss. There is the matter of the boy whom he will kill.”
“The boy is of little importance, surely.”
“Little, doubtless, in the great scheme of things as they are played out in Quarzhasaat.” Elric grew weary.
Realizing he had made a tactical mistake, Manag Iss said hastily: “We’ll rescue the boy. Tell us how to find him.”
“I think I’ll keep to my original bargain,” said Elric. “There seems little to choose between the offers.”
“What if Lord Gho were assassinated?”
Elric shrugged and made to remount. “I’m grateful for your intervention, Manag Iss. I’ll consider your offer as I ride. You’ll appreciate I have little time to find the Fortress of the Pearl.”
“Master Thief, I would warn you—” At this Manag Iss broke off. He looked behind him, along the Red Road. There was a faint cloud of dust to be seen. Out of it emerged dim shapes, their robes pale green and flowing behind them as they rode. Manag Iss cursed. But he was smiling his peculiar smile as the leaders galloped up.
It was clear to Elric, from their garb, that these men were also members of the Sorcerer Adventurers. They, too, had tattoos, but upon the eyelids and the wrists, and their billowing surcoats, which reached to their ankles, bore an embroidered flower upon them while the trimming of sleeves had the same design in miniature. The leader of these newcomers jumped from his horse and approached Manag Iss. He was a short man, handsome and clean-shaven save for a tiny goatee which was oiled in the fashion of Quarzhasaat and drawn to an exaggerated point. Unlike the Yellow Sect members, he carried a sword, unscab-barded in a simple leather harness. He made a sign which Manag Iss imitated.
“Greetings, Oled Alesham and peace upon you. The Yellow Sect wishes great successes to the Foxglove Sect and is curious as to why you travel so far along the Red Road.” All this was spoken rapidly, a formality. Manag Iss doubtless was as aware as Elric why Oled Alesham and his men followed.
“We ride to give protection to this thief,” said the leader of the Foxglove Sect with a nod of acknowledgment to Elric. “He is a stranger to our land and we would offer him help, as is our ancient custom.”
Elric himself smiled openly at this. “And are you, Master Oled Alesham, related, by any chance, to some member of the Six and One Other?”
Oled Alesham’s sense of humour was better developed than that of Manag Iss. “Oh, we are all related to everyone in Quarzhasaat, Sir Thief. We are on our way to the Silver Flower Oasis and thought you might require assistance with your quest.”
“He has no quest,” said Manag Iss, then instantly regretted the stupidity of the lie. “No quest, that is, save the one he shares with his friends of the Yellow Sect.”
“Since we are bound by our guild loyalties not to fight, we are not, I hope, going to quarrel over who is to escort our guest to the Silver Flower Oasis,” said Oled Alesham with a chuckle. He was greatly amused by the situation. “Are we all to journey together, perhaps? And each receive a little piece of the Pearl?”
“There is no Pearl,” said Elric, “and shall not be if I am further hindered in my journey. I thank you, gentlemen, for your concern, and I bid you all good afternoon.”
This caused some consternation amongst the two rival sects and they were attempting to decide what to do when over the rubble created by the firebeetles there rode about half-a-dozen black-clad, heavily veiled and cowled warriors,