Red Magic - Jean Rabe [22]
She thrust the painted nail of her left index finger into the cork, twisted once, and popped it open, discarding the remains on the floor for the slaves to clean up. The spirit naga poured one glass nearly full of the sweet-smelling, amber-colored liquid, but the second she filled only halfway. Asp knew the ritual. She took the glass with the lesser amount and raised it to her lips. Taking a full swallow, she nodded to Maligor and licked the sweet-tasting liqueur off her bottom lip with her thin tongue. Maligor, ever fearful of poisons or other contaminants, never drank first.
"For many long months, we've been adding to our army of gnolls and men-and taking other measures to boost the guard force." Maligor stated the obvious to Asp, who knew the strength of his forces better than the Red Wizard did. "We will march our army southeast of Eltabar where a certain young Red Wizard is just starting to rise in power. His manor is almost directly east of Amruthar."
"But that's days from here!" the spirit naga interjected, nearly spilling her drink. "Won't he and the other wizards become suspicious? An army of gnolls can hardly be ignored."
Maligor chuckled. "You do well in training the soldiers, sweet Asp. However, you lack my knowledge of military strategy."
The spirit naga hissed at the insult, but Maligor continued.
"We will first gather the army here, then march it south. This will cause all manner of speculation, as there are several likely targets south of Amruthar. Some may even think I want land directly to the south of this city to increase my local holdings. Others may think I'm after Amruthar itself." He smiled at his plan.
"While the suppositions are bandied about, the force will head east under the cover of darkness, then north to our target. If any Red Wizards in the south decide to meet my army, they will meet nothing, and the young Red Wizard southeast of Eltabar will be undone."
Asp thought a moment. The plan was too simple for her devious mind.
"But what if wizards join forces to attack the gnolls? They certainly have the power," she speculated. Asp prided herself on knowing the military strengths of most of the ranking Red Wizards in Thay and was certain that if three or more wizards joined forces, the gnolls and men wouldn't last long.
"You know that won't happen," Maligor countered. "Red Wizards are a suspicious lot and rarely act in concert. We forever scheme against each other. It seems to be in our makeup, dearest Asp, a prerequisite to becoming a zulkir or to achieving any significant power. No, I think the wizards to the south will worry over my army-some are probably worrying now. Doubtless one or two have been watching you through crystal balls while you drill the gnolls."
He took a large mouthful of the peach liqueur and tilted his head back to let it run slowly down his throat. Making a mental note to acquire several more cases of the vintage, he took another drink. Then he stood and glanced down at Asp through the glass. Tilting the crystal goblet between his palms and watching the liquid run around the sides gave her complexion an exotic look.
Asp drained the rest of her liqueur in one gulp, grimacing at its sweet taste and hoping Maligor would not think to pour her another. "The young wizard southeast of Eltabar-who is he? How good are his defenses?"
Maligor raised an eyebrow and lied once more. "His name is for another day-tomorrow perhaps, after I have cast a spell to prevent him from hearing his name uttered. As for his defenses, he is young. He has yet to establish an army of any consequence."
Asp smiled openly. "Then we are doing him a favor, my lord. If we do not attack him, another wizard will. Better for him to be defeated by you, who will be the most powerful Red Wizard in Thay."
Maligor enjoyed Asp's flattery, even though he knew it wasn't sincere. He wondered if she realized when