The Dragon's Doom - Ed Greenwood [160]
Embra used the Dwaer to twist the unfinished spells into traps of minor nastiness for Ingryl-or anyone else-who might come poking around the lair, and then called on it to whisk the Four back to Flowfoam.
A few breaths after their departure some of the ashes boiled up into the shape of a dark and ghostly figure-out of which stepped a slender, dark-gowned girl with a long fall of hair and a skull for a face. Gadaster grinned around at the cavern for a few moments, paused to be amused by the puling traps, and then made Maelra's body weave a soundless spell, and-vanish.
The ashes swirled, and then seemed almost relieved to settle down again.
21
Arrivals and Departures in Violence
The old lady sighed. "I can see why it is that Aglirta is truly the Kingless Land."
Flaeros cast a quick glance at the closest guard, one of an impassive pair by the doors, and hissed, "Lady, this may not be our King, but he is still a King! Insult him not so!"
Lady Natha Orele sighed again, and turned to face the other young man sitting before her-the one who was wearing a crown. "I do not insult Your Majesty," she said firmly, "I do Your Majesty the courtesy of speaking truth-something your courtiers seem to have in very short supply, I might add."
" 'Tis a disease at court, Lady," King Castlecloaks replied gravely. "Yet tell me: Why think you Aglirta is truly kingless?"
"With Snowsar and with you, 'tis always rush to fight this and strain to withstand that-and never to snatch time enough to make the little decisions that shape life in the realm, assuming you do win your ways and there is still an Aglirta on the morrow. In short, you play warcaptain, and have time for little else… and so do not rule, and so enjoy not the trust and loyalty of your people. Without that, you are nothing, no matter how many crowns, coins, and lances you command. Of course the task before you is-as it has been too often these past few seasons-to rid Aglirta of the Serpents. But have you given any thought to after that?"
"Why, uh"-the king coughed-"no."
"Ah. Thank you. Some truth handed back to me. Very good," the aged Lady of Chambers said briskly. "Now I'll pass from truth to my opinion.
Hear it, think on it, but follow it not if you think I'm wrong-and believe me, I can be very wrong. If I were King…"
"Yes?" Raulin reached up as if to take the crown from his head and hand it to her.
"Don't," she said sharply. "I would do a poor job, and Aglirtans would never accept me-some old, wrinkled, outlander woman? Really! But hearken, King Castlecloaks: Were I you, I'd do away with all barons. Keep the rank of tersept, and yourself move often and-this is crucial-unpredictably from castle to castle, up and down the Vale. Meet your subjects directly, see to their needs, and work with the clergy of the Three to keep worship of the Serpent outlawed henceforth. Make sure each and every person sees some reward, and complaints are answered, and so on. The people will see that you serve them, and you reward them-rather than regarding you as some distant, decadent figure who ignores them while their local baron struts and exploits and oppresses and occasionally rewards. In short, they'll see you as needful, and as theirs."
Raulin Castlecloaks regarded her with shining eyes. "Before the Three, I swear to do so! As soon as the realm is rid of the plague and the Serpents!"
"Mind you do," the old woman told him sharply. "Darsar is full of rulers who will do great things and keep high promises as soon as some-thing else is taken care of. But they do lots of taking care, and yet there's always a something else in their laps preventing them from rising to seize those great things they promise."
Raulin sighed, and nodded. "I can see how easy 'twould be to fall into such ways. Flaeros,