Obsidian Ridge - Jess Lebow [86]
How could they not see it? How could they not understand her taking advantage of this situation? The underworld had his daughter. The kingdom was under the threat of the Obsidian Ridge. The king needed them. They held all the cards, yet these fools wanted to quit the game. They wanted to turn over the princess and be done with it.
How could they call themselves criminals when they had no nerve?
"Matron," said the woman in the spider-silk dress, "the reason we have called this meeting-"
"I know what it is you want," she spat. "What I don't know is how all of you can be so foolish."
"It is you who is foolish!" shouted Kleegor from his chair halfway down the middle of the table. The half-ore snorted as he spoke. "You are putting our businesses in danger and risking everything we have built. It is within your power to fix this situation, but you refuse."
"Yes, I do refuse," said the Matron. "This situation, as you call it, has given us the opportunity to solidify our power in this kingdom for the foreseeable future. Yet you would rather suffer the indignation of being bound by King Korox's unjust laws, milking out what little you can until it becomes too difficult for you to continue."
She looked around. "What is it you plan to do when all of this is gone? What is it you will do when the Magistrates and the Claw have torn down the docks and made it impossible for any of us to do business?"
"That will never happen," said the spider woman.
"Yes, it will," replied the Matron. "And it will happen sooner than you think. That is why we must stay the course. We must use the arrival of the Obsidian Ridge to our advantage. We can form an alliance with the king, put him in our pocket, make him a partner to our crimes."
She smiled. "Then for as long as he lives, we will have free reign of Erlkazar. We will control the laws and the tariffs and the distribution of wealth. We will have everything we have ever wanted."
The Matron leaned on the table, her voice growing serious. "We can give the king everything he wants, and he is willing to give that to us as well. But not if we turn his daughter over. Not if we do not ally with him and bring our mages to his convocation. If we give up now, if we simply turn the princess over to this Xeries, then we have gained nothing."
The heavy steel doors complained as they opened.
The Matron was already in a foul mood, and this unexpected interruption was not helping.
Into the chamber came one of Jallal Tasca's guards, escorted by four of the Matron's own armed soldiers. The woman looked as if she'd just been dragged through a bonfire. Dozens of tiny burn marks covered her clothing, and ash and blood smeared her face.
She bowed as she entered, staying on the top step.
"Matron, please forgive the intrusion, but I have grave news."
"You may speak."
"It's the Claw, Matron. He's killed the Tascas and liberated Princess Mariko from the Cellar." „
The room exploded in hushed mutterings and angry accusations.
"You see!" shouted Kleegor. "You were playing with fire, and now we are all going to burn."
"Choose carefully your words here, Kleegor," warned the Matron.
The half-ore stood to address the room. "We do not have the princess. The decision to turn her over is no longer in our hands." He turned to the Matron. "You want to rule Erlkazar? You had your chance to save the kingdom. You had the chance to make the choice. The king was powerless. But now you have wasted the opportunity trying to turn it into more than it was. The king will never turn over his daughter. He knows we have the power to help him stop Xeries, and he'll assume that we'll use it to help ourselves. We no longer have a choice."
"What do you propose we do?" asked the spider woman.
"There is only one clear path," said Kleegor. "We must kill the king and force the palace to turn over the princess."
"Idiot," the Matron fumed underneath her veil. "If and when we kill the king, it