Triumph of the Darksword - Margaret Weis [62]
“Ice?” Garald stared at him incredulously “I’ve seen those creatures shatter rock with their light beams! Ice—”
“Do as I say!” the man commanded, his fist clenched, the imperious, arrogant voice ringing like a hammer blow through the chaos around him. Then, suddenly, the stern face relaxed. “Do as I say, Your Grace,” he amended, a dark half-smile twisting his lips.
A vision came to Garald, a vision from long ago, himself and an arrogant, hot-tempered youth.
“Fine words!” Joram retorted. “But you’re quick enough to lap up ‘Your Grace’ and ‘Your Highness!’ I don’t see you dressed in the coarse robes of the Field Magi. I don’t see you rising at dawn and spending your days grubbing in the fields until your very soul starts to shrivel like the weeds you touch!” He pointed at the Prince. “You’re a wonderful talker! You and your fancy clothes and bright swords, silk tents and bodyguards! I—” Choking on his anger, Joram turned and began to walk away.
Garald caught hold of him by the shoulder, spinning him around with his strong hand. Joram shook free, his face distorted by rage, and struck back, swinging his fist wildly. The Prince countered the blow with ease, catching it on his forearm and, with practiced skill, forced the young man to his knees on the ground. Joram struggled to rise.
“I can keep you here with a spoken word of magic!” Garald hissed, his arms holding the young man in a strong grip.
“Damn you, you—!” Joram swore, spitting filth. “You and your magic! If I had my sword, I’d—” He looked around for it, feverishly.
“I’ll give you your sword,” the Prince said grimly. “Then you can do what you will. But first, you will listen to me. More important, you will listen to the voice of your own soul! It is true that in order to do my work in this life, I must dress and act in a manner befitting my station. Yes, I wear fancy clothes and bathe and comb my hair, and I’m going to see to it that you do these things, too, before you go to Merilon. Otherwise you will be laughed out of the city. Why? Because, unfortunately, people judge by appearance. As for my title, people call me ‘milord’ and ‘Your Grace’ as a mark of respect for my station. But I hope it is a remark of respect for me as a person as well. Why do you think I don’t force you to do it? Because it is empty for you. You don’t respect anybody Joram. You don’t care for anybody. Least of all yourself! …”
“My god!” Garald whispered. “It can’t be! It can’t….”
“You are Joram!” Mosiah shoved his way through the crowd, staring at the white-robed figure with wide eyes, “For once, Simkin was telling the truth! It must be the end of the world,” he muttered.
“Trust me, Your Grace. Give the order!” the man urged.
Garald tried to study the man’s face, but he found it too painful and unnerving to look at for long. Averting his gaze, he glanced at the pale and shaken Mosiah, then silently interrogated the Cardinal, who could only shrug and raise his eyes heavenward.
Faith in the Almin? Well and good, but what he needed was faith in himself, in his instincts.
“Very well,” Garald said suddenly, with a sigh. “Mosiah, spread the word. We are going to encompass this fortress in a wall of ice.”
Mosiah hesitated one last moment to look at the man—who was regarding him with an expression of sadness and regret—then he dazedly stumbled off to carry out his orders.
But it seemed it might be too late. The magi—even the well-disciplined members of the Duuk-tsarith and The DKarn-Duuk—appeared too disorganized to come together. Those who had not succumbed to panic were acting on their own, fighting as they’d been taught to fight. Floating above the wall, they were casting balls of flame at the creatures. The fire had no effect on the iron scales of the monsters. It did nothing except call attention to the warlocks themselves. The blind eyes turned in their direction, the beams flared, and the magi fluttered to the ground like dead leaves.
Others were working frantically, trying to repair the breach in the stone wall. Summoning the rock up from the earth,