by Gary Gygax
—— 17 ——
I REASONED THUS
The council room was now deserted save for Inhetep and the young subaltern of guards. The Egyptian was seated in a chair, staring sightlessly into space. Anyone who knew Magister Inhetep would have realized he was both reviewing in his mind what had occurred and at the same time feeling discontent. For almost half an hour he sat thus, and the young guardsman remained quiet, waiting. Inhetep seemed unaware that the officer was there, despite the fact that he began to shift from foot to foot restlessly, then actually paced here and there. Finally, the guardsman came near to the wizard-priest where he sat and cogitated.
"Setne?" the officer said with surprising familiarity.
Inhetep started, glanced at the subaltern, then shook himself, rising. "Ah, yes. Sorry to be so dilatory, my dear. I had forgotten . . ."
"That's all right, Setne, I understand," the guardsman said, laying his hand on the tall
Egyptian's arm in a caressing gesture. "You have been through much these past weeks—but then, so have I," he added with a vigorous tone. "Can you manage to direct your attention to me
now?
"Your wish is my command," the man said, and without further discussion, Inhetep placed both of his long-fingered hands on the subaltern's shoulders and spoke four words. Rachelle's form replaced that of the guardsman. "Is that what you desired?"
"No," the amazon said with mock disappointment. "I had hoped you'd place a charm on the subaltern's person so that I'd be irresistible to the ladies-in-waiting here," she told Inhetep with a serious face. The wizard-priest seemed to be unaffected by her words, and Rachelle's expression changed from one of playfulness to concern. "Aren't you feeling well?"
"I'm in exceptionally fine health, and my body functions properly," he replied.
"No, silly old shave-pate. I mean, is your heart heavy? Your mind troubled?"
The green eyes turned to look into the almost black ones of his friend and confidante. Inhetep realized then, more than ever before, how much he truly cared about Rachelle, and she for him. Perhaps that was why he felt for her as he did. "I am troubled, dear little protectress, even though there is little or no cause for feeling thus. Something remains which is not right. There is a cloud of a malign sort which still prevails here in Camelough, perhaps pervading all Lyonnesse. I just don't know."
"Come along," Rachelle ordered, taking the tall Egyptian by the arm and leading him from the chamber. "You need something to eat and drink, a rest—my care, too. In a bit you'll be feeling splendid elation. After all, you have done a magnificent job here!"
He pondered the case as they traveled the brief distance to their quarters. He had broken open the whole treasonous plot, and the worms involved had shriveled away in the bright light of discovery. Not only was this kingdom and its monarch saved, but three others, states and sovereigns alike, as well. The ruler of Albion was implicated. He would be dethroned soon, of course. His cousin, Richard, would in short order rule the kingdom of Albion, the fourth monarch of that name to wear its crown. Furthermore, his efforts had both allowed the Five Crowns of Avillon to retain their objects of power and prevented the most evil enemy on Yarth from gaining these artifacts. That was certainly worthwhile. But the Egyptian still felt depressed, even after recounting all that in his mind.
After having herbal tea, biscuits, then some wine and fruit, Rachelle saw that Setne was still quite glum, so she resolved to brighten his spirits in a way no man could resist, let alone the cere-
bral wizard-priest. He was stretched out, half-reclining, on one of the several couches in the sitting room which divided their separate bedchambers. Without being asked, Rachelle brought a little tray of additional refreshments and placed it near the Egyptian, then tossed a cushion on the floor beside his divan and sat down with crossed legs. "Setne, dear, can you please explain a few things about the Master of Jackals affair to me?"
"Explain? I'm quite uncertain what needs explanation," he responded slowly and without real interest.
"Oh, you know! I'm just not very good at solving problems—not like you are, anyway. I don't understand how you knew all you knew. Tell me how you caught on to Aldriss so quickly."
Although he strongly suspected she was manipulating him, Inhetep had to cease his brooding and give the warrior girl the information for which she asked. Pride of accomplishment and a desire to instruct his protegee demanded it. "More by chance than any inkling of the truth," he told her almost ruefully. "You know I have a penchant for learning new things—"
"More an unquenchable thirst after knowledge, you rogue." She smiled up at Setne. "You display an insatiable appetite for all things pertaining to heka, dweomers, and the arcane."
"Be that as it may—and I'll neither affirm that assessment, girl, nor deny it—it was due to my curiosity that I caught on to the bard."
Rachelle knew he needed just a little more priming. "That's fine for you to say, and I know how your mind goes from one little curious bit to whole new realms of information, but I still don't know what you did, or what Aldriss did to reveal his duplicity to you."
Inhetep settled back in the soft cushion of the couch, fingers toying idly with the rim of the wine glass beside him. "You'll recall, dear Rachelle, that while you were busily accepting the compliments and unseemly attentions of the bard, I was attending to the magicks he employed."
"I recall your making notes and observing most closely," she agreed. Rachelle thought Setne's assessment of her reception of the bard's harmless flirting grossly overstated, but she was wise enough to allow that matter to pass.
"Exactly. That is what put me onto the right path, but later. Who could have guessed that three men traveling hundreds of miles to request my assistance in a matter of life and death could be the actual villains?"
"Never I," Rachelle said earnestly. "But you did—sooner than I, for you cautioned me about Aldriss in your note."
"The one you missed reading aright—but no matter. Outstanding was the initial choice of victims."
"How so? Svergie was the state, as I recall,"
Rachelle added as she puzzled over the matter. "It is a kingdom with sufficient wealth, rather cold and isolated, but . .
"But nothing! It is home to the Eldest Spae-wife, the chief Wisewoman, and that is key."
"How so?"
"They are a counter to witchcraeft, of course. Then the description of what had occurred in other places, Ys particularly, the inability to determine what sort of casting was employed to slay, the irretrievability of the victims, gave me concern. The first cause for that is evident."
She tugged at his sleeve. "No, it isn't."
He looked down at her dark ringlets, seeing that she was attentive and truly puzzled. "Yes, you do know, only you aren't thinking hard enough," Setne admonished. "Such circumstances point toward the involvement of great practitioners—ones at least more than human. In this case the blame was directed at Set, of course, and collaterally at Anubis. That was the first and grossest error in judgment the plotters showed. Had they determined to use someone else as their dupe, one not steeped in the pantheology of Egypt, then the inclusion of Anubis would not have rung so false a note. After all, his association with death and the Duat tend to mislead the uninformed." Inhetep was warming to this recounting now, and he paused a moment to sip some of the light red wine and nibble a grape or two. "The second possibility with respect to the clueless murders lay in some unknown form of magick and a whole organization of criminals determined to use their abilities to evil ends. So, because a good detective never discounts the possibility of anyone with motive and opportunity being guilty, no matter where suspicion points, and regardless of seeming irrationalities, I kept the three Kellts as suspects in the back of my mind."
"It did seem a little odd that they knew where we were and came all that distance to find you," Rachelle noted.
"Hmmm, yes," Inhetep responded. He hadn't actually reasoned that way, because it was, to him, not all that s
trange that one of his talent would be sought out thus. There was a lesson in that, and the wizard-priest made a mental note not to be so smug in the future. "Anyway, my sharp-witted amazon, it began to come together after Crown Prince Llewyn displayed the statuette and told us all of the facts—what he desired us to believe as the whole truth, I should say. I had opportunity to study the dweomers used in the enspelling of the figurine, and I found strange similarities between them and the magick used by Aldriss when he hastened our voyage. Then I thought to compare what I knew about bardic powers with the practice of troubadours, skalds, and the rhyme-singers of Kalevala. There was the strand to follow! Still, it was a
mere thread, so when I left you that warning it was vague."
Rachelle got up and brought the flagon to where they sat. "More wine, Setne?"
"Perhaps a few drops more, if you please," he replied without actually paying attention. "You see, the possibility of Set's involvement still remained. He too is 'of the North,' of course. When you were kidnapped, I took time to search out information in the underworld."
"You entered the Duat?!"
"Don't be shocked. It isn't so dangerous a thing as most would have you believe," Inhetep said with evident pride in his power in that regard. "What mattered wasn't the going but the reception which awaited me."
"Don't tell me that the terrible ass-headed one confronted you there!"
"I shall not, for quite the contrary occurred. The deities of the shadowy realms were incommunicado, as it were. Only wolf-headed Apuat was there to greet me and speak of what was occurring. In truth, even that one was of little assistance, though he would have had it otherwise. The lords of the Duat were constrained. Set could not accomplish such a feat, so some other involvement had to be considered. It was then clear that there was a vast and powerful organization of men, heka-binders, those in positions of rulership, and all manner of others involved in a fantastic and complex plot to disrupt the whole of Europa."
Rachelle was now fascinated, for this was something she hadn't known about at all, something very evil and world-shaking in all probability. "Prince Llewyn was behind all that?"
Inhetep shook his bald head vigorously. "No. In fact, his inability to mastermind even the lesser web which was shown in the extortions and killings threw me off the scent for some days. No great entities were involved, for the lords who govern Avillonia, for instance, have no power to muzzle our own deities. Over and above the network of men—even powerful practitioners such as Behon Myffed and the druid, Tallesian, princes and kings—was some figure of supernatural power and force, one able to constrain gods."
"Who is so mighty as that?"
"None, at least in ability to force the matter. Yet there is one who with threat, trickery, and a certain reliance on the laws of Yarth could machinate things so as to arrive at the situation we faced. Wait! Don't ask about that one now, please." The wizard-priest had anticipated Rachelle's demand, and he wanted to complete the whole matter from start to finish and give the warrior girl a complete picture. "By thinking thus, I found that the skill of the bard was greater than others of his ilk because Aldriss had
woven another form of musical dweomercraefting into the bardic art.
"It became apparent that with that power, the man was able to serve as the instrument of combining magicks into a single casting form. Between the magus, the high druid Tallesian, and the spellsinging of Aldriss, there was more than sufficient power to bring about the strange and unreadable magicks which struck down any who dared to defy the demands of the so-called Master of Jackals. Yet the three hadn't been in Ys at the time the cold-hearted master demonurge was destroyed, let alone in all of those other, more distant places. Those facts merely confirmed my suspicion that someone of far greater ability was serving to channel the power of those three to work the mischief that one desired. The three were dupes. Prince Llewyn was a puppet as well, and so too the Albish king. The Master Jackal is a long way from here and by no means unmasked—save for me and you."
"But, Setne, I don't—"
Inhetep shushed her. "Have patience. In just a bit, you'll be informed. You would have me tell this whole thing in a jumble!"
Rachelle smiled wistfully. "Forgive me, my lord ur-kheri-heb-tepi. I am but a simple girl unused to the intellectual exercise, just as you seem quite unable to manage many of the pursuits I follow in the course of making sure I am able to save your worthless, copper-hued hide from—"
"I stand corrected, Rachelle," Inhetep interjected hastily as she warmed to her task. "The jumble comes from me, for I have so many facets to reveal, so many facts to set out for your examination." She snorted a little but allowed the Egyptian to continue. "Let's see, where was I? Ah, I recall. Knowing that there was a puppet master, I sought for the strings of the puppets. The demon's words in Ys pointed the way. Then I reasoned that money was used to buy many, but the coin came from the extortions. The Master of Jackals had no interest at all in the wealth gained by threat and murder, save to buy servants, to suborn and subvert. A thistlecrown from Caledonia in the coffers of the false cult's temple in Camelough led me to investigate all of the nations of Avillonia. The coins were moved from one kingdom to another so as to avoid suspicions—or throw them on another of the realms. I was received well in Cymru, Hybernia, and Caledonia. The plotters there were of high station and much power, but not so great as Crown Prince Llewyn in Lyonnesse or the king of Albion. I already knew of that one's involvement when I was nearly taken there. Had they found me, they'd have killed me for sure!
"But why involve me, us, in the first place? Some deity other than Set might have been used as a god of straw, so to speak. It was evident that there was never any intent that the foolish cult do anything more than draw attention and bring down blame and wrath upon the rabble serving it when the true crimes were committed. This affair became like an onion. Each time I pulled, a layer came off, but another lay beneath. Magickal 'fumes' aplenty poured forth to dim my eyesight, to carry the analogy a step further."
Inhetep fell silent, thought a moment, then drew out several items of his magickal materia. "We must now work with amulets, castings, and hekau to make sure that we have no unwanted eavesdroppers. Please assist me, Rachelle." The girl was knowledgeable enough in the work, and she complied quickly with the wizard-priest's instructions.
"You have set a triple circle, Setne. You are very serious about this matter, aren't you?"
"Most definitely, my dear child. The odious heart of this whole vile plot is one who is so wicked and powerful as to pose dire threat to us even at a great distance."
"Will you tell me?!"
"Louhi, the Crone of Pohjola, is the so-called Master of Jackals! Leave it to that evil Mistress of Witchcraefters to use such a pun, for indeed that is what it was. In her contempt for those she used, she regarded them as slinking jackals— and she the master of the whole pack she enlisted. Louhi thus chose the appellation and devised the ploy of Set, a deity she has no little admiration for, and Anubis, whom Louhi despises. It was thus gratifying to her to besmirch the jackal-headed one's name and repute in many ways. It was then no accident that the three noble lords of Lyonnesse sought me out. The crone had commanded it. I found that from my probing of Tallesian."
Rachelle came up on the sofa to sit beside him, for the girl was much concerned by what Inhetep had just revealed to her. "Why would the
monstrous witch of the North want to harm
„ > >
you?
"Harm? Eliminate in most foul fashion is more apt, Rachelle. I was to serve as the butt of all hatred, vengeance, and die horribly as the 'Master of Jackals' after all had occurred as the plotters wished. They would gain power, a throne in Llewyn's case, and subject kingdoms. Louhi would wrest the great objects of power from the five kingdoms of Avillonia, thus becoming even more formidable in her evil strength. But as to why I was singled out, I must say now, my dear, that I can only hazard a guess. I think that somehow I have interfered with the cr
one's schemes in the past. In addition, it just might be that I am becoming too strong an agent for right and justice to suit the vile witch. In any case, Louhi devised not a little of her whole scheme so as to bring me down and send me to the underworld."
"And by foiling her you have increased her enmity!"
"Most assuredly, Rachelle, most assuredly. Yet I would have it no other way."
Rachelle now had the whole of the picture, and she felt both happy and fearful. "You got onto the right track also because of the secrecy of the ones involved, I know. I was suspicious about the prince and his henchmen keeping facts from the king. That didn't ring true at all. When they let it slip out that no other monarch save King Dennis of Albion was aware of the matter of the demands of the Jackalmaster, I was confused, however, for that made me suspect that he was the one masterminding the whole business."
"Astute, amazon, very astute. The demands for the objects of power made it unlikely that one of the rulers of the Five Crowns would be found at the center of things, for such a one would never get the willing cooperation of the other sovereigns—or would-be monarchs. No, the relics would have to be passing beyond the grasp of each kingdom for such mutual skullduggery to occur.'
"I see. One small thing still troubles me, Setne. What about Aldriss? Why did the Behon so readily slay his fellow conspirator?"
Inhetep shrugged. "Only to save his own skin and that of Prince Llewyn. It was a snap decision, but a correct one. I was about to lay the bard by the heels, as it is said. Aldriss knew too much, and there would have been no stopping me from prying it from his mind. Myffed wasn't powerful enough to slay me, certainly not with you there to assist in defense and attack. He had only one choice, and that was to blast the bard using the force granted to him by the crone. It then became a patchwork which the conspirators thought would cover their nakedness. To fob off Aldriss as the sole mastermind of the matter was sheer lunacy. That had a certain appeal. To use that to lure me into their toils, to have both you and I, Rachelle, at their disposal, would serve perfectly. After all, I was to be sacrificed eventually, and with Aldriss' name to toss into the pot, the stew might be more appetizing when I was cooked in the mess."
