The Orb And The Spectre (Book 2)

by Martin Ash

  The words slammed into Leth like a battering-ram. For a moment he felt himself pushed back in his chair as if by a mighty, unseen hand. His lungs had constricted, he clenched his fists upon the arms of his chair. An unspeakable rage surged within him, but at the same time it was checked by a raw, gut-churning fear. No words came for some moments. His blood pounded in his skull and he saw nothing but Fectur standing below him, bland, complacent and utterly sure of himself.

  I know what this is, Fectur! Curse you, you will not succeed!

  He could scarcely believe they had gone so far.

  "There is nothing wrong with the state of my mind!" he finally stammered, and was aware of how inadequate those words were.

  Fectur clasped his hands before him and pushed forward his chin. "How I hope that may be so, Sire. But your conduct of late. . . well, you are under immense pressure. We all accept that. You require rest. Your own physician, Doctor Melropius, has expressed as much to me. He tells me, however, that you have ignored his advice and refused medication."

  Leth switched his glance to Melropius, who sat hunched in embarrassment, one hand to his brow. Leth imagined the scene: Fectur approaching Melropius, brim full with solicitude for the King. And Melropius, innocent that he was, expressing his concern, never for a moment suspecting that his words would require him to stand witness against Leth.

  "Is that not so, Doctor?" Fectur enquired.

  Melropius flushed deeply and could not raise his eyes. "Th- that was my-- that is, I said as much to you, my lord. But I was not-"

  "Thank you, Doctor." Fectur grasped the lapels of his gown and placed his feet well-apart. "King Leth, I speak as the voice of all assembled. You have been found to be in dereliction of your duties. The unanimous decision of this Assembly is to declare you unfit to rule. I hereby list all faults, defaults and omissions of which you stand accused, and to which you will be required to answer. One: that you have--"

  Leth exploded, thrusting himself to his feet. "This is outrageous! Fectur, I have warned you already, you have overstepped yourself! Desist immediately, or you will pay dearly. I will have you flayed alive! All of you-- you are committing an act of treason!"

  "You are wrong, Sire," said Fectur smoothly. "Under the powers invested in me as Lord High Invigilate, Master of Security for the Realm, Deputy to the Crown and Protector of the Crown and the People, I have every right. My primary duty is twofold: to ensure that the stability of the nation is not threatened by any means, and to attend myself by all means at my disposal to the safety and welfare of the incumbent monarch and his or her immediate heirs. As we stand at this moment, I see the nation threatened on many fronts. I see also that your health is a cause of no little concern, that your judgement shows all indications of being severely impaired, that in short you are yourself a threat to our beloved nation and to yourself. Sire, I have taken counsel and received support. I am temporarily relieving you of your right to rule and installing myself as Regent in your stead until such time as you are adjudged fit once more."

  Leth's jaw fell wide. He stared dumbly at Fectur, shocked beyond expression. Fectur blandly returned his stare. Leth's legs had turned warm and watery; he knew only that all was lost and that his hatred for Fectur radiated from the innermost core of every fibre of his being.

  "You have the right to reply, Sire. I will, if you will permit me this time, define the charges which have brought us to this lamentable decision."

  Fectur waited. Leth cast his eyes across the assembly. A variety of expressions met him: cold, wolfish, hostile, just a few showing sympathy and/or disquiet. He noted again the fact that the guards in the hall were all Fectur's men, and realized that he was trapped. With cunning and deceit Fectur had led him here, had in fact let him pave the way to his own downfall. Leth could see now how he had engineered it. From the viewpoint of Leth's enemies and detractors he had allowed himself to occupy an indefensible position, a position they could, with full support, take advantage of. Fectur would have kept the heads of the factions informed of all Leth's major decisions; whispered in influential ears, encouraging misgivings, expertly sowing the seeds of doubt even in the minds of Leth's closest advisors. He had waited, secretly manipulating, secretly hoping, until the time came when he might make a decisive move. Leth fulminated silently and emptily to himself. Could he survive this? It would take quick and agile thinking, absolute command, and more. Much more.

  "Sire, will you permit me to continue?" asked Fectur, his voice a purr.

  Leth slowly, shakily, seated himself. "Proceed."

  "The charges are as follows. One: that you have weakened the position of the Crown and contributed to the instability of the Realm through your blind adherence to the Deist Edict. Two: that you have repeatedly failed to heed the advice and appeals of the members of your Council and Advisory Committee, and have furthermore acted against their recommendations, bringing danger and instability to the realm. Three: that you have demonstrated weakness and indecision in dealing with the encroachments of our common enemy, the Karai, and have permitted them to enter the realm unopposed--."

  "Fectur, this is madness!" stormed Leth, unable to contain himself.

  "It is not I who am mad, my lord," replied Fectur smoothly. His eyes met Leth's with calm challenge. Complacent, he continued, "Four: that you have secretly consorted with a known criminal and terrorist, a man who but recently attempted to murder you, and who has sworn vengeance against both yourself and the State for the lawful executions of his sons; further that you have wilfully held secret all details of your dealings with this man. Five: that in instituting, against the will of the government, a Declaration of Emergency, you have effectively silenced all voices but your own, and therein held menace against democratic opinion."

  "You know my reasons for declaring Emergency. And under that very ruling you are, at this moment, placing yourself at gravest risk. All of you! This assembly is unlawful. It is a flagrant attack upon the Monarchy."

  Astress of the Far Flame spoke up. "On the contrary, Sire, it is a lawful attempt to save the Monarchy, and the Realm. And indeed, yourself."

  "Under Emergency any defiance of the Sovereign carries the most severe penalties. I had hoped never to have to invoke such a ruling, but you are leaving me with no choice."

  "Sire, the ruling carries no weight at this time. While we acknowledge without question your status as sovereign, we no longer support your actions or your position as ruler."

  Leth looked at their faces. They knew they had him.

  "As your Protector, Sire, I have, in consultation with all relevant persons, come to the conclusion that it is you who are acting unlawfully, or at very least irresponsibly," said Fectur. "Which brings me to the two final charges. They are, Six: that you have declared yourself to be in possession of extraordinary knowledge concerning the gods of Enchantment, knowledge which you have declined to place at the disposal of others. And seven: that you have acted irrationally and extremely, abusing your position as Sovereign - albeit without true malice, while the balance of your mind is disturbed - and that your actions constitute a very real threat to the Realm. We acknowledge extenuating circumstances. You face extreme pressures, possibly more than any man should have to bear, and we are sympathetic. Nevertheless, we adjudge you unfit for rule, and relieve you, temporarily, of that office."

  "You cannot do this!"

  "It has already been done, Sire. I am - for the next few days at least - Regent and Plenipotentiary Absolute. During that time you may rest and recuperate, freed of the ropes that bind you and the stones that bear you down. We hope that your recovery will be swift, and that you can perceive that this action is not taken lightly, but in a spirit of right and proper concern for yourself and our cherished Kingdom. We assume you will wish to take time to consider the charges and present your defence. To that end I present my scrip, with signatures. All details are listed. For now, Sire, I have provided an escort to see you to your apartments. I will join you there presently."

&n
bsp; Four knights of the Security Cadre stepped towards the dais. Leth felt his spirit leave him. The soldiers in the room showed implacable faces. All Fectur's men! Hand-picked, obviously. He had the authority to order them to defy Fectur, but he knew they would ignore him and thus his utter hopelessness, the final humiliation, would be exposed for all to witness. The eyes of the faction heads shone, gluttonous at his humiliation. Only Melropius and the few knights of the King's Army remained on his side, but their hands were plainly tied. Again Leth berated himself for his blindness.

  Yes, he thought, this was the only way. You could never have got so many behind you had you simply tried to overthrow me. Nor would they have sanctioned violence. But to declare me insane, and to have the evidence here to point to! Ah Fectur, how I despise you even as I admire you. Yours is a rare and devious intellect. What tragedy that you must target your brilliance against me. Were you of a different cast we could work so well together.

  He rose, his legs hardly supporting him, and stepped from the dais. Fectur's knights closed around him. As he passed the Lord High Invigilate he paused and inclined his head towards him. "There will be a reckoning for this, Fectur. Make no mistake."

  SEVEN

  I

  Issul rose with the first light of day. With her three remaining companions, Shenwolf, Kol and Phisusandra, she had passed the night at the Green Ram in the township of Crosswood, the same inn in which she had stayed on her way to Lastmeadow. It seemed a lifetime ago.

  Crosswood was busy. Many folk were on the move, heading north for the security - so they hoped - of Enchantment's Reach, driven from their homes by fear of the encroaching Karai. Issul had questioned some and learned of the fall of Wizened Lea. There were rumours that the Karai army was now assaulting Giswel Holt. Crosswood itself had suffered a slooth attack. Everybody was afraid.

  It was a chill, grey morning. The four took breakfast together, then Kol made off to fetch their horses from the stable at the rear of the inn, while Phisusandra settled their account with a nervy, bleary-eyed landlord. Issul and Shenwolf sat together at a table in the common-room.

  "We’ve been a good company," observed Issul. "I’ll be sad if I must part with these two when we reach Enchantment's Reach."

  Shenwolf nodded. "I don’t think either has definite plans in regard to their future. Certainly, neither Kol nor Phis claim to have close families awaiting them. Kol's only relatives were murdered by the Karai when they attacked his home; Phis seems to be a wanderer. Perhaps they’ll stay. Their surprise will be great when you reveal your identity, but I’ve no doubt that they’ve come to love and respect you first as a loyal friend and brave companion. That’s worth much, I think."

  "It is, and I thank you for your words. But if they stay, they will inevitably be drawn into war. They may prefer another course."

  "They have already been drawn into war. I think they know that there’s now no other way."

  "And you, Shenwolf? What will you do?"

  "You know my plans. I am a soldier in the King's Cavalry. I will serve my King and his young Queen to the best of my ability. If I can I will help rid our land of its invaders."

  "I’ve never asked you about yourself before. Where are you from?"

  The young soldier gave a quick, almost diffident smile. "A long way from here. My home is beyond the forest. It is a quiet place, generally peaceful."

  "And what brings you here?"

  His brow clouded momentarily. "Simply that word arrived of King Leth's summons to arms. We are remote, but we are your subjects even so. And I’d always dreamed of coming to the capital."

  "But your skills - you didn’t gain those living such a quiet life?"

  "Well, perhaps not so quiet. It’s paceful in the main, yet there are bandits to deal with, sometimes ogres, vhazz, occasional mercenary bands who consider our location ideal for their own purposes and seek to take it from us without asking. My father taught me martial skills from birth, both armed and unarmed. He taught me to hunt and to track, and how to survive in the wild pursuing brigands who have attacked a nearby village or stolen our cattle."

  "So you’ve left your family to come here. And what of a sweetheart? Is there not a comely maiden back there pining for her lost love?"

  Shenwolf lowered his eyes. "Ah no. Not now. There’s no one."

  Issul studied his face. Youthful, not quite handsome, but engaging and open. She sensed a slight evasiveness in his manner, and thought she had seen, just fleetingly, a look of sorrow cloud his eyes. She wondered if perhaps her questions were intrusive, and decided to enquire no further for now, yet she was intrigued to know more. Shenwolf glanced up and met her eye, smiled quickly and looked away.

  Phisusandra appeared. "The bill’s paid and Kol waits outside with the horses."

  As they rode slowly out of the town Issul felt a poignant excitement grip her innards. In just a few short hours she would come in sight of the towers and spires of her beloved Enchantment's Reach, high atop the soaring scarp. By nightfall she would be within its walls, safe within Orbia with her loved ones again. The thought warmed her. Leth would be waiting. Jace, Galry. How would they respond when they saw her? How had Leth explained her absence to the children? She had so much to tell them. Now, all that had passed over the previous days seemed almost a dream.

  She felt a slight heaviness descend. No matter what she had been through, no matter her joyful return, the crisis that faced Enchantment's Reach was far from past, had in fact hardly even begun. She glanced around her at the forest, fearful just for a moment that unseen foes lurked in ambush among the dark and mist-swathed trees, determined to thwart her homecoming.

  Yesterday she and her companions had passed the spot where the Karai had attacked and kidnapped her. No traces of the skirmish remained; she had only been able to guess the precise location. But she had thought back then, as she did now, to that day, and had wondered about the child, Moscul, her unnatural nephew. He had escaped her. Where was he now? She shivered, recalling the terrible moments of his birth, the knowing look in his eye when she had spoken to him outside Ohirbe's home. What was he? What was he doing?

  Her fury rose as she thought of Lord Fectur, the way his men had interrogated Ohirbe's family without her permission and made off with the mysterious ivory piece that had been given to Moscul by the stranger in the woods. She bristled at the recollection. How dare he! She intended to confront Fectur as a priority upon her return. Fectur, prepare yourself well. There will be a reckoning. She promised herself that.

  The day wore on, still grey, a little blustery, but no longer as chill. Phisusandra, Kol and Shenwolf sang for much of the time as they rode. Sometimes Issul joined in, enjoying the easy company of these men, her friends, and for just a few moments actually forgetting that she was Queen. There were many people upon the road, some on horseback or with pack animals or carts, most on foot, often bearing their entire belongings on their backs. There seemed no end to them, and their numbers impeded progress. Issul wondered at the crowds that must already have thronged to Enchantment's Reach.

  The four stopped briefly at midday to eat and rest their horses in a clearing beside the way. A group of travellers were there before them, congregating about a fire. Issul listened for a while to their chat, but learned nothing new about the Karai. She gazed towards the trees and the unseen mountains of Enchantment far beyond.

  I have entered Enchantment!

  It was like a dream. The mysterious bright oval of the Farplace Opening, her sudden transition from the Karai camp to the tower chamber, the blazing mountains outside, the swirling coloured air, the three strange children who were Triune, and their bizarre, extraordinary conversation.. . . .

  I have entered Enchantment!

  And she knew, much as she feared the thought, much as she tried to reject the idea, she knew that a little piece of Enchantment now resided within her. Was that what Triune had given her? Whatever it was, she felt she could never rest now. Not with that memory, the knowledge of hav
ing been within the unknown land. The Karai camp lay razed in the wilderness, the Farplace Opening entombed beneath it, and it was a mystery she might never leave alone. Much as she yearned to return to her home there was within her, contrastingly, a tug in the opposite direction, back the way she had come, to the Farplace Opening, the way to Enchantment. She knew that she had to return there.

  As she dwelt upon this Issul grew aware of the tone of the conversation around her. There was tension among the people with whom she sat. Their words had become sullen and resentful. Criticisms were being levelled against King Leth and the manner in which he was said to be handling the crisis. Issul bit her lip and held silence rather than draw attention to herself. But the criticisms became jibes and poisonous denunciations, and when an elderly man declared Leth a base coward she could hold back no longer.

  "The King is no coward!" she declared angrily. "He is doing everything he can to save our country. Only a fool would march out now to meet the Karai."

  "Oh, is that so?" The man looked at her with cynical surprise. "And who might you be, missie, to know so much?"

  "Someone who takes no pleasure in finding herself among ingrates who readily take refuge behind the King's shield yet can do nothing but insult and deride him."

  A dark-haired woman spoke up. "Easy for you to say. Obviously you have not lost your home to the Karai, nor seen your friends and neighbours murdered. Where was the King's shield then, when it was most needed? There was not a soldier in sight.”

  There was a low chorus of agreement at this.

  "You are from Wizened Lea?" enquired Issul in a softer tone.

  The woman nodded, her mouth twitching, too emotional to speak further.

  "I know you must have suffered greatly. But I’ve also experienced much at the hands of the Karai. We are together in this, all of us. It helps no one to blame King Leth."