The Wizards' War

by Angela Holder

  He’d made those estimates, too, and pondered long and hard whether more weapons would increase Tevenar’s security or put it more at risk. “I can see advantages to a trade in weapons and the means to make them. Although if these negotiations continue the way I hope, the need should be greatly diminished.”

  Verinna gave him a condescending smile. “Weapons are always in demand, no matter how peaceful the times.”

  The Autarch inclined his head. “I’ve found the same.”

  Elkan took a deep breath. “Then Tevenar would also be interested in purchasing the formula for the clinging fire, along with details about any other inventions of that sort. I know there are substantial deposits of pitch to the south. It sounds similar to this ground-oil you describe.”

  “They’re often found together.” Tane waved dismissively. “But come. All this is trivial beside the real question. Tevenar’s greatest wealth is its wizards. How much will you ask for their services?”

  Elkan flipped to a new page. “The Mother’s Law forbids us from charging directly for her power. But we can establish communal funds to support wizards and their families. We need food, clothing, and shelter like anyone else, and wizardry is a full-time occupation. In Tevenar this is accomplished by payments from the various Guilds, determined by the size of their memberships and the amount of dues they collect. In Ramunna, Verinna and I worked out an agreement for her to fund our operations from the taxes she levies, although it was only in effect briefly. I’d be willing to enter into a similar arrangement again, and with you also, Tane.”

  He passed them each a sheet of paper. “These are estimates of how many master and journeyman wizards I could send to the major cities in Ramunna and Marvanna. I’m envisioning two- or three-year tours of duty, although a few may wish to emigrate permanently. The journeymen can do the bulk of the work, while the masters devote their time to training the Ravanethan wizards the Mother chooses. I think self-sustaining populations of native wizards can be in place in both Ramunna and Marvanna within approximately twenty years, thirty at most. Giroda as well, if they’re willing to establish a comparable support structure.”

  Tane studied his document intently for a long time. Verinna glanced at hers briefly, then waited until Tane looked up before she spoke. “Everything you’ve proposed today assumes that I will control Ramunna and be able to make agreements on its behalf. But so far I’ve heard nothing which leads me to believe the Autarch is willing to return what he’s stolen. Which makes all this discussion utterly pointless. You should be spending your time making your new wife happy, not wasting it here.”

  Tane tapped his fingers on the cushion beside him. “I am not entirely opposed to a solution which includes you resuming leadership of Ramunna. Provided I am sufficiently compensated. And provided you’re willing to set aside your craving to see Marvanna in general and me in particular suffer in retribution for our perfectly legitimate military victory.”

  She narrowed her eyes and studied him. “In that case, I am not entirely opposed to a solution which involves Marvanna escaping the humiliating defeat I am perfectly capable of delivering. Provided I am sufficiently compensated.”

  Elkan chose his words with extreme care. This was the moment he’d worked so hard to bring about. If he handled it correctly, everything that followed would be easy. If he didn’t, Ramunna and Marvanna would fight out their differences and wizards would be confined to Tevenar for years to come. “Tevenar has a strong interest in peace between Ramunna and Marvanna. In order to facilitate it, I’m willing to compensate each of you for your losses. The form that takes can be negotiated. I’ll discuss direct payments in coin or goods, favorable trade agreements, promises of future considerations, or anything else you propose. It can be different for each of you. All I ask in return is a signed peace treaty effective for no less than fifty years, including guarantees that neither of you will seek to conquer Tevenar and that both of you will open your countries to the Wizards’ Guild as outlined in the proposals I gave you.”

  Tane and Verinna looked at each other. After a moment they both turned to study Elkan. He looked steadily at each of them in turn, forcing his breath to remain slow and even despite his racing heart. Will they take it?

  Tobi yawned. Who knows? They’d be fools not to, but maybe they’re fools. Maybe they like to fight because it’s exciting. Maybe they’re too stubborn to give in even when it’s smart. Maybe they’re too proud to take someone else’s suggestion.

  The Mother knows there are wizards who meet all those descriptions. And she chooses us because we’re the best she can find, the most willing to humble ourselves. What hope is there when we’re dealing with people who’ve never humbled themselves in their lives?

  Before Tobi could reply, Tane spoke. “That’s a very interesting proposal. I’m going to need time to consider it. Why don’t we call a halt for the day, and resume these talks tomorrow. Midmorning, like yesterday?”

  Verinna nodded sharply. “I agree. Midmorning.”

  Elkan let his breath out slowly. Their response was the best he could have hoped for. If they’d agreed immediately, he would have feared they intended to betray him. If they’d turned his proposal down, he’d have been forced to start over from the beginning, with little hope of success. This way, there was a real chance they would seriously consider what he offered. “Excellent. I’ll see both of you back here then.”

  Tane winked at him. “I believe you’re in a hurry to get home. Why might that be?”

  Verinna gave him an arch smile. “He wants to get a good night’s sleep, so he’ll be sharp enough to match wits with us again tomorrow.”

  Elkan laughed and spread his hands. “You’ve found me out.”

  Verinna turned to take Adrenna, who was beginning to stir, from Tenorran. “If you don’t mind, I’ll sit here for a while and nurse her before I go. Give Master Meira my congratulations.”

  “I will. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like.” Elkan rose and waited while Tane organized his guards. He held the door open until they were all out and Tobi had bounded through, then shut it behind him. There was nothing in his office it would do Verinna any good to snoop through. He’d brought his notes with him, and he’d already told her everything they contained.

  Tane walked across the Hall with him, but paused before they reached the door. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to stop by your water room before I leave. The facilities are far superior to those available aboard my ship. They rival those of ancient Marvane, which regrettably lie in ruins.”

  “I understand it was designed by Gurion Thricebound to mimic the ones he left behind in Miarban. Make yourself at home. You’re welcome to bathe there, or at the public baths, which are also modeled on ancient Marvannan architecture.”

  “I might do that. Thank you for your hospitality.” He turned and headed toward the stair that led to the bath.

  Elkan stopped to speak to the wizard at the reception desk. “I’m headed home. Both the Matriarch and the Autarch have my permission to stay in the Hall. Send a messenger if either of them stir up any trouble. I don’t think they’ll quarrel, but I want to know if they do.”

  He nodded. “Yes, Guildmaster. Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Elkan headed out the door and cut diagonally across the plaza, heart full of hope, strides long and eager as he hurried home to his wife and child.

  * * *

  The door of the office opened. Tenorran jumped, startled out of his bored reverie. His mother looked up from Adrenna and smiled. “I hoped you would come.”

  Tane Voreen stepped through the door, followed by his guards. He shut it quietly. “I think you and I have things to say to each other that the wizard should not hear.”

  “Indeed.” She unlatched Adrenna and passed her to Tenorran. He automatically shifted her to his shoulder to burp, watching as the Autarch settled back into the place he’d occupied earlier.

  Tane waited until Verinna finished adjusting her clothing. “Ma
ster Elkan isn’t entirely wrong. Both of us could benefit from a settlement that precludes further warfare.”

  “I can see the truth of that. But I take it you find fault with his proposal?”

  Tane set a piece of paper on the table between them. Tenorran saw it was the list of Marvannan cities Elkan had given him, with the numbers of wizards that would be sent to each. “You’ve observed these wizards more than I have. They’ve visited your country. Tell me what you think will happen if they come to Ravanetha in strength, as this plan describes.”

  His mother drew out her own document and studied it, although Tenorran was sure she had already absorbed everything it said. Finally she looked up at the Autarch, her gaze calculating. “Honestly? It would be a disaster.”

  He exhaled, nodding slowly. “That is my opinion also. Their power is not amenable to the sort of control we require.”

  She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “You should have seen how my people reacted to them. As if every beggar were the most important person in all Ramunna. As if the lowest of them deserved the wizards’ attention and the Mother’s healing as much as I did. And the wizards gave it to them! Elkan was furious when I suggested he do otherwise. After only a fortnight of the wizards’ pampering, there was unrest in the city for weeks. Workers rebelling against their foremen, riots over the price of goods, even whispers of plots to overthrow me. Think of what would happen if they were free to spread their poison for months or years.”

  The Autarch smiled tightly. “My thoughts exactly. And look at the unrest in their own ranks. The most powerful of them was overset by a vote of his inferiors. Their whole government is run that way, by lesser men presuming to exert authority over greater. I do not know if the wizards’ animals are truly demons, as my Keepers tell me, but their influence is surely demonic.”

  Verinna set her sheet of paper on the table with a decisive movement. “If we allow them in, neither your rule nor mine will survive another generation.” She gestured to Adrenna. “I owe it to my daughter to preserve her heritage strong and whole, not undermined by their corrupting doctrines.”

  “I owe my son and grandson the same.” Tane picked up both sheets of paper, squared them neatly together, and tore them in half, then quarters, then eighths. “The wizards must not be allowed to come to Ravanetha.”

  “How do you propose to stop them?” Verinna eyed him warily. “For a while I thought Master Elkan had decided to return to their former policy of confining wizards within the borders of Tevenar, but he’s obviously gone back to his original expansionist intentions. Even if we refuse his treaty now, sooner or later he’s going send wizards across the ocean.”

  “Which is why we must not simply contain them, but destroy them.”

  Tenorran caught his breath. Verinna looked at Tane sharply. “Oh? How, exactly? I thought my Armada would find it easy, but I was wrong.”

  He leaned forward. “Let us reach our own settlement. I will return Ramunna to you. In exchange, you will devote the full strength of your Armada to an attack on Tevenar. I will join you with the might of my whole fleet. Together we will wipe out the Tevenaran threat. Afterward we can divide this rich and fertile continent between us. Both our countries will prosper in much the way Master Elkan has so earnestly attempted to persuade us they will, without the wizards sapping the foundations of our power.”

  Verinna leaned back, spreading her arms over the back of the couch. “Your proposal pleases me very much. But let me amend it. Thanks to my son, a much simpler and quicker way of destroying the Wizards’ Guild is available to us.” She patted Tenorran’s shoulder. “Tell him.”

  Tenorran’s stomach felt like an empty hole. His head swam. They were going to destroy this amazing place, where for the first time in his life he’d felt welcomed and accepted. They were going to kill the people that made that acceptance possible, and remake Tevenar in the image of Ramunna and Marvanna. Never again would he and others like him have a safe refuge in a hostile world.

  But they were right. That much was obvious. Absolute power couldn’t continue to exist in a world where the Mother poured her power on everyone, regardless of their station. His arms tightened around Adrenna. Did he want the people to rise up and overthrow his mother or sister? To wreak the sort of bloody chaotic havoc that had endured for a century after the Great Unchosen Revolt, until strong rulers again took power and imposed order?

  Not that it mattered what he wanted. His mother knew everything about the trap he and Benarre had constructed. If he didn’t describe it to the Autarch, she would, and the flaw in his loyalty would be revealed.

  He took a deep breath. “While the Armada controlled Elathir, I suggested a stratagem to Commander Benarre, which he adopted. We laid a trap for the wizards, so that if when they attacked they were able to gain the upper hand, we could feign a retreat and later destroy them. We were about to deploy it when my mother arrived and stopped us. But it remains in place, ready to be used whenever she gives the command.” He swallowed, then went on to describe exactly what they’d done.

  A slow, cruel smile spread over Tane’s face as Tenorran spoke. When he finished, he nodded. “A clever plan. It will serve our purpose admirably.”

  Verinna looked deeply satisfied, but she raised a hand. “I would prefer not to set it off myself. The wizards gained sufficient popularity while in Ramunna that there will be an uproar if it becomes known I had a hand in their demise. I think your clinging fire will trigger the trap as effectively as my Secret.”

  Tane spread his hands. “My people will be delighted to learn I wiped out the demons and their slaves. I’ll be happy to take both credit and blame.” He rose. “Tonight?”

  Verinna rose also, gesturing for Tenorran to join her. “I need time to clear the site and get my people aboard my ships. Wait until deep in the darkest hour, when the wizards are asleep. They might be able to block it if enough of them get to their beasts in time. It has to be a surprise, leaving them no time to react.”

  “They’ll be dead before they know we have any intention of killing them.” The Autarch extended his hand over the table. The Matriarch clasped it.

  Above them, the hanging sculpture twisted and spun.

  Fifty-Nine

  She was Faithful. That’s what it came down to, in the end.

  Nirel hadn’t chosen to violate the Ordinance that forbade her to be touched by the Lady’s power. It had been done to her without her consent.

  But if she slept with Josiah, that would be her choice. Her guilt for what the two of them had done so far could be expiated by sufficient penance. But an unmarried woman could be expelled from the Faith for allowing a man to take what belonged to her future husband alone. The Ordinance which forbade it ranked among the highest. The blame would be hers and no one else’s. She would deserve what Elder Davon had done.

  Right now she could still hope that someday, when she stood before the Lord of Justice, he would see the truth of her heart and know that she’d always remained loyal to him. If she did what her body ached to do with Josiah, that hope would be forever lost.

  After the choice was made, bleak peace settled over her heart. She rolled onto her side and pulled the covers over her head. She should stay here, in the guest room on the second floor of the wizard’s Hall, and not risk tempting herself beyond her ability to bear. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to remember all the very good reasons for her decision in Josiah’s presence.

  She tried to sleep. Tomorrow she’d leave the wizards’ hall, where she never should have stayed after the insulin was finished. She would take the road to Korisan and beyond, to Tathorlith and the mountains where she’d grown up. The Farmers’ Guild had turned over her family’s farm to someone else, so she couldn’t return there, but she knew how to live off the land. She’d buy a bow, or steal one if she had to. She belonged neither among the Faithful nor the Lady’s people, so she’d live apart from them all, the way Ozor had.

  Maybe she’d gather a band of followers, as h
e’d done, and teach them about the Lord of Justice. Hadn’t her father said there were other people in the mountains with Faithful heritage, who’d drifted away over the years? She’d find them and found a new community of Faithful. She could serve as their Elder. Her interpretation of the Ordinances would allow for cleansing from the stain of the Lady’s power, if it was imposed unwillingly or accepted unknowingly. Maybe even if it was sought as the only remedy for great pain or the only alternative to death.

  The plans teeming in her mind excited Nirel so much she slid out of bed and slipped her clothes back on. She wanted to tell someone. Besides, she owed Josiah an explanation and an apology. She’d treated him horribly the night before. She’d used him to feed her own desires. She’d tried to blackmail him into giving her what she’d thought she wanted. And when his concern for her had won out over his lust, she’d returned his kindness with cruelty. He didn’t deserve to be abandoned without knowing why she’d chosen as she did.

  And he needed to know she’d continue to keep his secret, even if it did mean leaving the people of Tevenar blind to the Lady’s duplicity. He was right. No one would listen to her without proof, and she wasn’t going to force Sar to break their bond. Josiah loved the Lady of Mercy the way she loved the Lord of Justice. She knew too well how much it hurt to have that taken away.

  She crept through dark, silent halls to the garden-like room she’d stumbled upon the night before. Josiah knelt in a shaft of moonlight as he had then, with Sar at his side. He didn’t turn when she slipped in and eased the door shut, or when she walked up behind him. She stood in the darkness for a while, watching him, feeling foolish, but it seemed as wrong to disturb him as it would have to interrupt someone praying in a shrine. Finally she sank to her knees beside him, closed her eyes, and disciplined her mind to recite the prayer of repentance.