Mistress of mistresses

by E R Eddison

  He sent now, by chosen safe hands of men that rode with him from Zayana, to the princes in the north, Ercles and Aramond, requiring them of aid and upholding.

  Letters he likewise sent to Jeronimy and Befoald, in measured terms blaming them for friends unfast, and counselling them now repent and back him, rather than, for one high act by him upon bitter provocation done, forswear themselves and, to such scorned purpose, be tools for the Vicar.

  And now was he within a little, while he hoped to catch a gudgeon, to have drawn up a pike. For upon the twentieth of December, being but the second day after that thunder-bounce in Kutarmish, the Vicar himself chanced to come down thither with two companies of horse, having there his secret war-chest and much treasure and muniments both of weapons and horses and other things necessary for his design of Zayana; and was come well nigh within hail of the town, having, as was oft his manner because men should not have notice of his coming, fared across country to shun highways and haunts of men. But here, as the Gods would have it, was word brought him of rebellion afoot and Kutarmish lost, into which he had else entered all unknowing: wolf into trap. Nor was there given him bare five minutes law betwixt safety and undoing, for Barganax, understanding who was here, galloped out with a hundred horse to fetch him in and chased him twenty mile to the very gates of Argyanna where, in the nick of time, he went to earth, with his horses nigh foundered and himself nigh bursten with rage and furious riding. The next day, not willing, belike, to be closed within a fortress whereof, in the windings of his policy, he had lately appointed governor a creature of Beroald's, since now and amid these stounds himself and Beroald might begin, belike, to stand in very doubtful terms, he betook himself north again to Owldale. It began to be seen how, with this sudden attempt of war, the Duke was likely to make a shrewd adventure to have taken Outer Meszria from him and the March besides; for they of the Queen's upholding in the March of Ulba who had some months since begun to doubt the Vicar as the more dangerous usurper, began now openly to affect Barganax.

  In a week came Melates and Barrian through the Ruyar pass with near a thousand men, to join hand with the

  Duke. Neither from the Admiral nor from the Chancellor had the Duke any reply as yet. But a little past the turn of the year came tidings that the Chancellor was moved eastwards in strength and sat down in Argyanna; where, because the place is both impregnable and overhangs the road that leads north from Meszria, he like a waiting hawk might cower those partridges of the march-lands and quiet their flutterings, giving Barganax besides reason of prudence not lightly to advance far out of his bridgehead beyond Kutarmish. The Duke indeed stood shortly between this and a new danger, when the regent Jeronimy, marching with an army through the Meszrian borders from the west along the Zenner, seemed to offer him battle, or if not, to menace his communications southwards. But it was as if Jeronimy, with the plain choice at last before him, yea or nay, this coming day-dawn before Kutarmish, could not find it in his heart to draw sword against a prince of King Mezentius's blood. He sent in word to the Duke, and they made peace together.

  So, while the Vicar gathered force in Rerek, and while all Meszria (even such as Zapheles, who had in a discontent been used to lean towards the Vicar) rallied to Barganax as to their native lord, only Beroald waited inscrutable in Argyanna. Most men thought that he saw in this fresh war-rush of the tuke's the old danger come again that he had feared aforetime. They thought, too, that this, may be, held his hand: the opinion (that he had from the first inclined to) that in law the Vicar's claims were hardly to be assailed.

  xviii

  Rialmar in Starlight

  THE MANTICHORE GALLERY DESIGN AGAINST AKKAMA STIFF NEWS FROM REREK THAT 'MORE PRIVATER COUNCIL-CHAMBER' ANTIOPE: THE GODDESS STIRS TWO WAYS OF LOVE WASTDALE DISTILLED IN ZIMIAMVIA CHOOSING UNDER STARS TERROR ANTIQUUS PARTING AT MORNING.

  Queen Antiope decreed a high banquet in her royal palace of Teremne, upon the night of the equinox, for the turn of spring. In the Mantichore gallery was the banquet set: in the ancientest part of that- palace, built when the old kings first raised walls upon two-horned Rialmar to make it a nursery of their tyranny and a place of strength: hundreds of years gone, before ever they issued from their watered valleys betwixt twin desolations of desert southward and eagle-baffling frozen mountains on the north, or turned eyes towards the southlands of Rerek and Meszria. Lofty was that gallery, built all of a warm grey stone having a dusky sheen like marble and beset with black spots or strikes. The long tables and the chairs besides were of the like stone, with silken cushions, for feasters to sit and feast. Forty-and-four lamps wrought in silver and copper and orichalc, and hanging by chains from the vaulted roof, went in two rows endlong of that great gallery. Beneath, upon the tables, candles of green wax burned in candlesticks of gold, a candle to every feaster. To the careless eye, roof and wall alike seemed plain and without all ornament; but looked to near, they were seen to be drawn upon with narrow channelled lines as of burin or chisel. Employing which property of shining superficies and elusive graven outline, he that in former days made that gallery had by curious art brought it about so as whosoever should remain there awhile should, little by little with the altering aspects of those drawings upon the walls, seem to be ware of shadowy presences of the beast called mantichora: here a leonine paw or leonine shaggy mane, there a porcupine's quilly rump, a scorpion's tail, a manlike horrible face fanged and with goggling great eyes: and that is a kind of monstrous beast reputed anciently found in sandy places and gravelled in the borders of the Wold, next against the hills hitherward of Akkama.

  The Queen, in a dress netted and laced with gold upon a groundwork of silk, sombre orange-scarlet of bog-asphodel in seeding time, and in her hair a high comb of tortoise-shell edged with balls of yellow sapphire, and about her throat a delicate cream-white ruff with setting-sticks of silver, sat in the high-seat: Lessingham upon her right as representing the Lord Protector and upon her left the old knight marshal. Beyond Lessingham the Princess Zenianthe had place, and beyond Bodenay the Countess of Tasmar: these and a few more only in place of honour upon the cross-bench and the rest of the company at the long tables, facing inwards with their backs to the walls. All the space between tables was kept clear for service of the banquet.

  Two weeks' time or three, then, Captain-General,' said the Queen, 'and you mean to fare south?'

  'Two weeks come to-morrow, with your serene highness' leave,' answered Lessingham. 'My Lord Bodenay and I,' he said, leaning a little forward to include the knight marshal and speaking low, not to reach the general ear, 'have baked so well as we shall ask you, madam, summon a meeting to-morrow of your inner council upon the whole matter to condescend.'

  'And what within the pie, then, when we shall cut it?'

  'A journey for me south and then, say in a three months' time, north again, upon your highness's business.' He glanced carelessly about him to make sure of no eavesdropping. 'In a word, madam, we shall advise you that he whose insolencies you so wittily and wisely bore

  with last summer is rope-ripe: so—' ~~~

  'O if little cur-dogs must be whipped,' said the Queen, I whipped him last September.'

  Bodenay shook his head. 'Ah, madam, not the boy only, but that land and folk he standeth for. There is danger thence. And my Lord Lessingham will tell your serenity 'tis a maxim of great captains and men of charge: best defence is strike first.'

  'We will take your highness' pleasure to-morrow,' said Lessingham. ‘I hope you will let the thing go forward. A people that have so soon forgot their lesson, and of an old enmity towards us, kinged by a scorpion, unquiet as locusts: 'tis but plain prudence, outwar and subdue them this summer and lay them to your dominion. And my mission now to raise and bring you great armies from the south, and the Lord Protector's self (that were good if I can compass it) to command them.'

  "That giveth you your date, Myrilla,' said the Countess Heterasmene, holding out her fingers above a golden bowl for a waiting-man to pour over them wat
er of roses. 'If my Lord Lessingham will take his lieutenant into Rerek, you will have even just ten days to become weary of your new-wedded lord.'

  'Yes, and you see in this, madam,' said Amaury, 'how well the fates have devised for my good. For indeed I have kept me in with a lady ere this for a month may be; and, as modest as I am, I dare think I shall not be out with my Lady Myrilla within ten days, albeit a week longer might strain things.'

  'I'll stop your mouth: no, not as you'd have it, but thus,' said Myrilla, sitting next him, and made a dab at it with a piece of marchpane. They laughed, and Lessingham said apart to the Queen: 'Your highness was well advised to make this marriage up. The Admiral is a man of safe anchorage. Ties of affinity 'twixt him and Amaury will do much to settle friendships.'

  'Lieutenant,' said the Queen, 'we will set forward your wedding a day or two: see if two days more may do it.'.

  Amaury, a little outmatched and put to silence with so many eyes upon him, laughed as for courtesy sake, turned red, and stroked his mustachios. From this abashment he was delivered by a beck from Lessingham: stood up with a by-your-leave to his lady, and went to him. The Queen's sergeant of arms was behind Lessingham's chair: '—wMteth without, and craveth instant speech with your excellence to deliver it.' 'What's the fool's secret news?' said Lessingham: 'well, if it will not wait, go to him, Amaury. Be eye, ear, conscience, for me: bid him confide in you.'

  In a few minutes Amaury came back. 'My lord, the key fits not. Will say nought to me save that 'tis matter of fieriest urgency, and but for your particular ear. Hath letters too, as I suppose from the Vicar, but these too only to be given up into your very hand.'

  'From Laimak?' said the Queen. 'But shall we not make room for him?'

  'With respect no,' Lessingham said. 'I know the man: a domestic of my noble cousin's much used by him upon matters of weight and exact import: one Gabriel Flores. If it please your serenity he be given supper in the buttery, I'll despatch his business anon.'

  'See to it,' said she. And the banquet proceeded.

  When it was now mid-part done, and cups began to be borne round of Rian wine, and upon golden dishes macaroons, sallets of violet petals, and the conserve that is made of the flowers of marigolds confectioned with curious cookery, Lessingham upon leave given him by the Queen went from table and forth into a certain upper room, having sent word before to Gabriel to attend him there if he desired his conference. 'Marked you that strange trick of the lights, cousin?' said the Queen, 'how, as the Captain-General walked 'twixt table and wall, the things upon the wall seemed to wave their paws as he passed, and grin as they would have eat him?'

  'It is a trick of the lights,' answered that hamadryad Princess; 'and your highness has seen it before.'

  The Queen turned now, in merry talk as before, to the old knight marshal upon her left, and to Tyarchus and Heterasmene and old Madam Tasmar.

  'In what estate left you his highness?' said Lessingham, taking from Gabriel the despatch and sitting in a great oak chair with a lamp beside it while he undid the seal. Gabriel stood before him with an anxious pinched look upon his face. 'I pray you read first,' he said.

  Lessingham read it swiftly, then turned again to the beginning and read it again, slowly, as if to confer and weigh each word; then with a delicate deliberation folded it again: with a sudden movement tossed it to lie beside him on the table, and so sat motionless for a minute, leaning forward, right hand on hip, left elbow on knee, his finger-nails drumming a marching lilt on his front teeth. In the side-shining of the lamp across Lessingham's face Gabriel could see the eyes of him in that stillness: unrevealing eyes, as if the mind behind them had sounded deep to meditate with itself. Then suddenly in those speckled grey eyes of Lessingham there danced something as if in a round of dancing girls should be glittered -forth in advance some triumph.

  He sat up, erect. In all his presence there dwelt that sense of abidingness, which is in the steady glitter and conflict, shining still stones and shining ever-churning ever-fleeting waves and eddies, of some watersmeet where two rivers run between green shades of oak and ash and alder, and the banks of water-worn boulders and pebbly granite shingle lie white about that murmur under the power of the sun. 'Well, good pug,' said he, *you are acquainted with all this?'

  'It is took down from his highness' mouth, and in my own character which I think is known to your lordship.'

  'How comes it I am told nought of this before? Despatches two a month, good as clock-work, as if all's well, sailing fair with wind and tide: then sudden this turn: the whole boat upset; Meszria lost us and the March too: says great men hath late assembled from all the land over, offering 'pon some lying rumour of her highness' death (pray Gods forfend the omen!) the throne to her brother Barganax: Laimak close invested, and like to be smoked out of it as boys take a wasps' nest. Who heard the like? And screameth now for me to pick him out of this pot of treacle the Devil only and he know why a hath fallen in't. By my soul, I am well minded let him stay there.'

  "Tis his great pride, said Gabriel. 'Would not ask your help till need drove him to it. Fed you, it is true, with figments and fittons and leasings to keep you here in Fingiswold. You will belie your greatness if now in his sore need you will upon such pretexts refuse him.'

  'Flatter not yourself, and your master, to suppose,' said Lessingham, 'that I am a child, with no more means of intelligence but such advertisements as he shall think good to send me. It is true, my news is three weeks, or may be a month, behind yours: I much fear a messenger hath miscarried this last journey, fallen into Prince Ercles' claws, like enough, under Eldir. Howe'er it be, I am six weeks away, so tell me. And forget not this, my pug,' said he, as Gabriel cast a sheep's eye at him, 'if I shall take you lying to me or hiding aught, not you alone will smart for it.'

  'Well, this your excellence knows, as I judge,' said Gabriel: 'the bloody inrush into Kutarmish of the accursed bastard—'

  'When you speak to me of great men,' said Lessingham, 'speak with respect, be it friend or unfriend, and with just titles of honour. I'll have you flogged else.'

  'The bloody inrush of his grace of Zayana,' Gabriel said with a snarling look, the teeth gabbing out of his mouth. 'And sweet doings there. Lord Roder ta'en and strapped in a big chair, open in the market-place, and a lad with a sword ground to a good edge: swash and away, head him like a pig, and all the sight-gazers to see it; and justly rewarded so, or why did a not hold better watch on the gates and all the treasure and goods his highness lost there? and himself too might a miscarried, intending for Kutarmish,—'

  'Leave particularities. I know all this.'

  'And the Admiral gone over, heard you that? (mid January, that was), hand and glove to the Duke's allegiance?'

  'That I knew not till I read this letter,' said Lessingham. 'Nor, till then, of the Chancellor: last news was he yet wavered.'

  'Your lordship's intelligence was eight weeks stale 'pon the one, and three weeks 'pon t'other. As for my lord Chancellor, seemeth that when a had lodged himself safe in Argyanna, a sent for his learned books out of Zayana, whistled to him from all the three kingdoms a dozen doctorable men, legists, sophisters, whate'er to call 'em, and set 'em down to ferret him out colourable reasons for what, you may make no doubt, if you know a fox by's furred tail, a was all the time resolved to do. You may wager their reasons had taken water: rotten ere they might come to shore. Howso, found him the thing he asked for. Cometh out then, smooth-tongued as a dancing-madam, with item this, item that, as pretty as you could wish: conclusion, Barganax rightly called King as in male descent, and—to make all sure, if this false report of the Queen's decease, hatched up, as 'tis thought, by that Barganax'—('Have I not warned you?' said Lessingham) —'by that Duke, to give colour to his usurping: to make all sure, if this report be shown without contradiction false—some reputed law dug up out o' the dust-heaps of two centuries past to say females shall not hold kingdom in Fingiswold: thus even so securing him in's usurpation, and prefer his bastard blood bef
ore her birth noble.'

  Lessingham rose from his chair: took a turn or two about the room, stroking his beard. Gabriel with little swinish eyes watched him eagerly. ‘I was hard put to it to a come through to your excellence,' he said after a while: Vhat with their armies set down before Laimak, and then those princes in the north that this Duke feed-eth with his gold to countermand his highness' will and check his friends: do gather a power of men too.

  Arcastus durst not trust his nose outside Megra walls. I know not, my lord, if you have such force as that you can keep such curs in awe, to come through them?'

  Lessingham stopped by the table, took up the Vicar's letter, perused it again, laid it by, then stood looking down upon Gabriel with a disturbing smile. 'Your chickens, my little Gabriel, are not yet hatched. And for my intents in this pass your lord hath brought himself unto, you might more easily guess their drift if the ability were given you to look men in the eye.'

  'Nay,' said he looking and looking away: *your worship hath an eye to shine down basilisks. I can't abear it.'

  Lessingham laughed. It was as if from a waiting-place above the watersmeet a sea-eagle had stooped: feinted: resumed his waiting.

  Gabriel thrust out his chin and came a step nearer, looking down and tracing with one finger, while he spoke, rings and crosses on the corner of the table. ‘I would your noble excellence could a seen what I have seen,' he said: 'these six weeks. No more o' this lukewarmth then, I dare wager my head. Great men 'gainst great odds in my day have I seen, but never as this. The undutiful and traitorous affection borne against him by these lords, the more it drew men from him, made shrink his armies, disappoint his designs, the more would he give 'em still lill for loll. It is a world to see him. With but a thousand men, made a great stroke in the western Marches and then, when that Chancellor thought to a closed him in between Fiveways and the Zenner, marched sudden round his flank, then north-about by night, catched Melates 'pon a foray into Rerek, made him eat lamb-pie. And later, shut up in Laimak with the leavings of his army, and six times his numbers barking like midden tykes at's doors but e'en so durst not come at grips: scarce a day but out he cometh with a sally, ever himself i' the front to lead it: does 'em some hurt, fetch in provisions, slay some men, what not' He ceased, his finger still fiddling on the table's corner. Suddenly he looked up, met Lessingham's eye, avoided it: with a gowked movement grabbed at Lessingham's hand and kissed it. Lessingham, as if strangely touched and ill at ease with such a homage from such a suppliant, took away his hand. 'You shall have your answer to-morrow,' he said; and so dismissing him returned to the banquet-chamber.