Zimiamvia: A Trilogy

by E R Eddison

  When he spoke, it was to shift no clouds. "It is all misty stories and conjecture," he said to Supervius. "The one clear act was when she (as you told me at first) made to steal away the boy. But (no blame to her) that miscarried."

  Supervius said, "Question is, what to do? And that suddenly. Whether Aktor's hand was in it or not, I account him neither fool nor weakling. He is like to seize kingdom now if we give him time to settle in his seat."

  Marescia covertly gripped his hand: whispered, "Enough said. Better it come out of his mouth than ours: will love his own brat better than a stepchild."

  "One thing I see," said Emmius: "what's best not to do." His eye, cold and direct, moved from his brother to his brother's wife, and so back again. "Some would counsel you levy an army and ride north now, with me to back you: proclaim yourself lord Protector i' the young King's interest: or, proclaim your father-in-law, if he would undertake it. If the Queen send Aktor packing, we join force with her. If, econverse, she join with Aktor, you might look to all Fingiswold to rise and throw them out. In either event, you could hope to attain an estate and power such as you had scarce otherwise dreamed to climb up unto. For all that," he said, and Marescia's face fell, "I hold it were a great unwisdom in us to touch the matter."

  Supervius reddened to the ears. "Go," he said, "you might a listened to reason first, I'd think, ere condemn so good an enterprise."

  "Reason? Mine ears are yours, brother."

  "Why, 'tis a thing at the first face so wholly to be desired, it needs no more commendations than you yourself have e'en just now given it. What's against it, we are yet to learn."

  "First of all," said Emmius, "we know not whether Aktor bore part in this business or not; neither know we the terms he is upon with the Queen."

  Marescia let go a scoffing laugh. "As well pretend we know not upon what terms a drunken gallant consorteth with a stewed whore."

  "Well," said he, viewing her with an ironic crinkling of his under eyelids, as if she were lit by a new light. "You know your own kinsfolk better than can I, sweet Princess. But, be the case so, it but strengtheneth the possibility her highness may publicly wed with Aktor; and then what surance have you that the King's subjects will cleave to us and not to them?"

  "Good hope, at least," replied she, "that the better men will follow us. They will behold the Parry of Laimak, wed with a princess of the blood, upholding the King's right against his landless outlander hath beguiled a Queen, not of that blood at all, to's vile purposes; and herself suspect too, though I ne'er heard it voiced till you yourself informed me-"

  "Come," said Emmius, "you cannot argue it both ways."

  "We speak of how 'twill appear to others. For myself, I said I'd ne'er credit the Queen with such wickedness."

  "And as for Aktor's case by itself, nobody shared your ladyship's suspicions? Is't not so?"

  " 'Tis so, I admit," said Marescia and added, under her breath, a buggish word.

  "And the Prince is not ill looked on by the folk? There is, by your own account, sister-in-law, no evidence against him sufficient to hang a cat?"

  Marescia said, very angry, "O, some can pretend argument as ingenuously as scritch-owls. Thank Gods for a man who will act."

  Whereupon said Supervius, loosing rein on his tongue at last: "You are a skilful thrower down of other men's designs, brother: a fine miner. But you build nothing.

  This was my very project, that I came hither thinking to have your friendship in. And you, like some pettifogging lawyer, but cavil at it and pick faults. Truly was that said, that Bare is back without brother behind it."

  The Lady De'ianeira's night-curtained eyes rested on Emmius, a little uneasily. But no lineament of his cold inwardly-weighing countenance betrayed his mind, nor no alteration in the long slow rhythm of his walk. Presently he spoke: comfortable equable tones, without all tang of disputation or of sarcasm: rather as a man that would reason with himself. "States come on with slow advice, quick execution. You, brother, nobly and fortunately allied (and not without help from me there) by marriage with this illustrious lady, have your footing now as of right in the council-chambers of Rialmar. It were a rude folly to waste that vantage by menace of civil battle: foolisher still, because we can never be strong enough to win, much less keep, the victory against Fingiswold; and should besides need to purchase passageway for our army through country subject to Eldir, Kaima, and Bagort, and even so I'd never trust 'em not to break faith and upon us from behind. Our true, far, aim is clear: make friends with the lion-cub against the day he be grown a lion: I mean King Mezentius. And that must be through his mother" (here he looked at Marescia). "In the meanwhile, prepare quietly. Strengthen us at all points. Have patience, and see."

  The same day, before supper, the Lady Marescia sat in a window of Emmius's great library or study, writing a letter. Supervius, from a deep chair, watched her, stroking his flaming beard. Emmius, arms folded, stood in the window, now turning the leaves of his book, now, as in quiet thought, letting his gaze stray to far distances over the Lows and the wide woods of the Scrowmire, lit with the reddening evening-glow out of a cloudless sky. A serving-man lighted candles in branched candlesticks of mountain gold which stood on the writing-table, and so, upon a sign from Emmius, departed, leaving the rest of the room in dusky obscurity. The windows stood open, yet so calm was the evening that not a flame of the candles wavered.

  The Princess signed with a flourish, laid down her pen, and sat back. "Finished," she said, looking first to Emmius then to her husband. "Will it serve, think you?"

  Over her shoulders, Emmius upon the right, Supervius on the left, they read the letter. It was superscribed To the Queenes most Serene and Excellent Highnes of Fingiswold:

  Beloved Soverayne Lady and Queene and verie dere friend and cozen in lawe, my humble dewtie remembred etc. It is to be thocht my departure from yr. highnes Court was something sodene. I am verie certaine I am abused to yr. Highnes eare by fables and foolische lyes alledging my bad meaning toward yr. highness and to the yong King his person. I beseech you believe not the sdaunders of todes, frogges and other venemous Wormes which have but a single purpose to rayse dislyke and discorde betwixte us, but believe rather that my fault was done in no wicked practise but in the horrable great coil and affricht wee then all did stagger in, and with the pure single intente to do Yr. Serene Highnes a service. For my unseemelie presumptuous attempte in that respecte I am trewelie penitent, and sufficientlye punisht I hope with being clapt in goaie at commaunde of that lewde fellow Bodenaye, who I am sure dealt not as one of Your aucthorised people in using of mee thus dishonorable but by order of some of yr. secretories withoute your privetie, for which his behaviour hee deserved to have beene putt to death. I saye no more here but that I will learn wisdome of this folly. More att large of this when I shall have the felicitie to look upon yr. face and to kiss yr. hand. My humble suite is that Your Serene Highness, through the olde gracious bountifull affectioun wherewith you and Kinge Mardanus upon whom bee peace did ever honor mee, wilbe plesed to receyve mee againe and gentlie pardon my fault. Unto which ende it willbe verye good if of yr. specyall love and kyndnes you sende me lettres of Safe Conducte, because withoute such I do dread lest this Bodenay whom I know to be a villain or els some other of his kynde may out of lewdnesse and malice to meward finde a waye to do mee the lyke disgrace or a worse.

  May the Gods move Yr. Highnes hearrte to order thinges by such a corse as wil stande with yr. Highnes dignitey and the relief of me yr. highnes pore cozen and verye loving penitente Servaunte,

  MARESCIA

  "Will it serve?" she asked, leaning back to look up into the face first of one and then the other, when they had read it.

  "Most excellent well," said Supervius, and, bending her head yet farther back, kissed her fiercely in the throat: adding, as he turned away to the window, "-as the sheep-killing dog said when they showed him the noose."

  Emmius held out his hand. The lady laid in it her own right hand, soft, warm, d
azzling white, able. He raised it to his lips and kissed it. "You are a good fighter, dear Marescia. And a generous loser. Care not: you will not often lose."

  The Princess, blushing like an untutored maiden, gave him a smile: not lip-work only, but, rare in her, a smile of her eyes. "I can bow to reason when I am shown it, lord brother-in-law," said she, and tightened her grasp on the hand that held hers. "I bear no grudge. For I see I was wrong."

  Supervius, stiff-necked and haughty, but serene, came from the window. "Yes," he said, his gannet eyes staring in Emmius's face: then wrung him by both hands.

  Book II Uprising of King Mezentius

  7 - Zeus Terpsikeraunos

  STATEIRA HAD by then reigned a full month Queen Regent in Rialmar, wielding at once that dignity and the supreme power on behalf of her infant son, King Mezentius, that was not yet three years old. She was well loved of the folk throughout that country side, nor was any lord or man of mark in all Fingiswold found to speak against her, but every man of them made haste to Rialrnar to do her homage and promise her firm upholding and obedience. To all these, she made answer simply and with open countenance, as might a private lady have done to tried friends come to condole her sorrow and renew pledges of friendship; but queenly too, commanding each instantly raise forces and stand ready at time and place appointed. For she meant to let go every lesser business till she should hear reason from the King of Akkama and have of him atonement too, and sure warranty of good behaviour for the future, and punish with death every person who had took hand, were it as deviser or as executer, in this most devilish mischief, that had left her a widow in the high summer-season of her youth, and a great kingdom bereft of the strong hand that had ably ruled it: a child on the throne, and a woman to be over all, and to take order for all, and to answer for all.

  Men were the better inclined, in these dark and misty matters, to follow and obey her and have confidence in her judgement and resolution, because well they knew how King Mardanus had made her secretary of his inmost intents and policies, insomuch that no lord of council nor no great officer of state had knowledge of these things so profound as she had; and they thought reasonably that her, whom so deep a politic as the great King had instructed, used, and put his trust in, they might well put their trust in too. Her council she had set up immediately under new letters patents, passing by the names of two or three but keeping all who had shown proof of their powers and weight of authority as counsellors of King Mardanus and whom he had set most store by: in especially, Mendes, the Knight Marshal: Acarnus, High Chancellor of Fingiswold: the High Admiral Psammius: Myntor, Constable in Rialmar: Prince Garman the late King's uncle and father to Marescia, The Constable she had despatched, within a week after the King's murder, upon secret embassage to Akkama with remonstrances and demands aforesaid.

  Prince Aktor had throughout the whole time behaved himself with a fitness which many commended and to which none could take exceptions: bearing out a good face after the first dismay and confusion were over, and showing he had the eye of reason common with the best: never a putter forward of himself in counsel, yet, being consulted, not dasht out of countenance by any big looks: ever the first, if disagreements arose, to devise some means of concord: making himself strange always sooner than familiar with the Queen, towards whom he maintained, as well in private as under the general eye, a discreet respectuous reverence as never thinking upon other but to please her.

  True it is that in the first hours, when the town was in uproar, and lie and surmise flew thick and noisy as starlings in late autumn, some shouted 'twas Aktor had slain the King in hope to ingross the kingdom to himself. Two or three voices there were that vomited out words of villany even against Queen Stateira: rhymes of the adulterous Sargus (which is a sea-fish, Aktor having come first to Fingiswold by sea) courting the Shee-Coats on the grassie shore. But a proclamation by the Lord Mendes to "see these rumourers whipt" was so punctually put in execution by standers by, that the catchpolls running to do it found it done already; and the soundlier, as a labour of love. Since that, slanders miscoupling Aktor's name with the Queen's had no more been heard in Rialmar.

  Thus these businesses rested, while the fates of peace or war swung doubtful, waiting on Akkama. But as May now passed into June, perceptive eyes in the court that had delicate discriminative minds behind them began to note, as a gardener will the beginnings of violet-buds under their obscuring leaves, signs of kindness betwixt the Queen and Aktor. The soberer among these lookers began to think they saw, in her as in him, whenever chance or the pleasures of the court or affairs of the realm brought them together, a drawing of curtains: a strained diligence to conceal, and that no less jealously from each other than from the general, and more and more diligently as the weeks passed by, his, and her, secret mind. It was witness to the good opinion the Prince now stood in and to men's faith in the Queen's wise discretion and loyal and noble nature, that these things, as they grew to common notice, stirred up neither cavil nor envy, but were let alone as matter for her concern and nobody's else.

  Upon the fourth of June the Queen, as, since her assumption of the Regency, she was wont once in every week to do, came down from Teremne and so through the town and up to the temple of Zeus upon Mehisbon, in which were the royal tombs and, last of them, the tomb of King Mardanus. Without state she came, on foot, through the wide streets and through the press of the market-place, and thence by the triumphal way that ascends from the market-place in broad sweeping curves, now left now right to ease the slope, up the steep backbone of that, the north-western, horn of Rialmar. Pillars of rose-red marble line that way on either hand, with on every pillar a mighty cresset for lighting on nights of high festival when, viewed from the Teremnene palace or from the town in Mesokerasin, the road shows like the uncurling on the hill of some gigantic fire-drake's serpentine and sinuous body, fringed with lambent flame. It was mid-afternoon, sunny, but with a hot heaviness in the air, and on all sides an up-towering of great cloud-bastions that darkened the horizon southwards but were of a dazzling and foaming whiteness where they took the sun. Upon her left, the Queen led with a golden chain a black panther tamed to hand, his fur smooth and sleek as the gown she wore of black sendaline edged with gold lace, and upon her right a nurse wheeled the infant King in his childish hand-carriage of sandalwood inlaid with gold and silver. Save for an officer walking at a good distance behind with a half-dozen men of the bodyguard, and save for this nurse and child, she was alone and unguarded; maintaining in this the old custom of Kings of Fingiswold, to come and go their ways in Rialmar on their private occasions much like private folk and with scarce more ceremony: people but curtseying and capping to them as they passed. They of the royal seat-town liked well this custom, as proof ocular (had proof been needed) that the King thought his subjects at large the right guards of his person, and that his greatness was not a withered beauty that durst not be seen without ornaments of state, but rather a freshness and a youthful halesomeness that can strip all off if it please and be as beautiful, and majestical.

  The temple of Zeus Soter, high over all the lesser temples of Mehisbon, stands upon an outcrop of wild crag close under the peak. It is built all of jet-black marble with unpolished surfaces for the more darkness, and naked of ornament except for the carvings on the vast pediment and the sculptured frieze above the portico. Queen Stateira, when she was come to the foot of the threefold great flights of steps which, where the road ends, go up to that temple, took the child Mezentius by the hand and went on with him alone. Between the pillars of the entrance, so huge in girth that five men standing round the base of one of them might scarce touch hands, and well sixty-foot high from plinth to capital, she turned to look back across the saddle of Mesokerasin south-eastwards to the kingly palace of Teremne.

  That way thunder-storms were brewing. A murky darkness of vapours, thick, leaden-hued, and oily, swoll and shouldered and mounted and spread upward till that whole quarter of the sky, east and south-east up to the zenith, was
turned to the colour of black grapes. The King pulled his mother's hand and laughed, pointing to where against the black clouds the palace on that sudden appeared in an unearthly splendour, lighted by the sun which, through some window rent in the glowering and piling masses to the westward, yet shone.

  There was no wind now in the lower air, but a great heat and stillness: and, with the stillness, a silence. It was as though all sound had been emptied out till not even (as in ordinary silences) the unemptiable exiguous residue remained: fall of leaf, or, immeasurably far away, in immeasurably faint echo, the unsleeping welter and surge of the sea, or stir of the market-place below. Even such shadows of sound had drowsed away to nothingness. There was left but that simulacrum of audibility born of the pulsing of living blood in the hearkening ear as it strains to catch the extreme unvoiced voice of the silence.

  The Queen, still gazing on that which her son's dancing eyes still returned to, the louring gleam upon Teremne, drew him back a little under the shelter of the portico as the first thunder-drops plashed on the outer paving. Presently she began to say in herself:

  Queen of Heaven, Paphian Aphrodite,