Read Online Castle Spellbound by John Dechancie - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: John Dechancie
Ads: Link
Telamon approached.
“Majesty, may I present Trent, brother of Inkarnases."
Trent stepped forward and bowed deeply.
The gray-bearded one—presumably Anthaemion, King of Mykos—frowned. “Trent,” he said as he picked his teeth with a fingernail. “Trent. Odd name."
“May it please His Majesty."
“It pleases me not that your brother has chosen to absent himself from my court during this crisis."
Uh-oh, Trent thought. Had Inky underestimated or dissembled?
“Uh, pressing business, Your Majesty. He said—"
“I know what he said. He is a most persuasive man. He said you would be the better military adviser. Is he right?"
“I will serve His Majesty to the utmost limit of my talents."
“If you're half as clever as your brother, you'll do fine. You've been informed of the details of our situation?"
“Yes, sire."
“Forces available, enemy tactics, that sort of thing?"
“As much as Inkarnases knows, I know."
“What he knows is considerable,” the king said. “How he knows so much is a mystery to me, but I don't presume to understand the ways of sorcerers. We did not even possess an accurate map of the Dardanian coast until he divined one. I presume you are a magician also?"
“I am, sire."
“How good a one? Can you win this war for me by simply casting a spell?"
“That would be a difficult way of going about it, sire. No one enchantment could take into account all the myriad contingencies."
“That's what your brother said. I believe him. But you can cast spells to provide favorable conditions, facilitate the happy unfolding of events, forfend hexes and other dangers—all that?"
“All that can be done, sire."
The king nodded. “Good. We'll need every supernatural advantage. In addition to the favor of the gods."
The king's brother spoke: “Surely the gods favor those who are wronged, as I have been."
“No doubt,” the king told him.
The smell of herbs and spices came to Trent's nostrils: fennel, coriander, and others he couldn't identify. He hoped the food here wasn't too spicy. The stuff looked good, anyway. Both men continued eating as they talked.
The king went on. “But it's not that simple, I'm afraid. There are gods, and there are gods. They divide and take opposite sides. Some no doubt favor our enemy. I myself have had disturbing dreams of late."
Menoetius raised his eyebrows. “Oh? What dreams are these?"
Anthaemion shook his head. “I cannot recount them clearly enough to make sense. I half-remember them. Perhaps, as time goes on, their import will be made clearer. But they are disturbing nonetheless."
“This does not bode well."
Anthaemion's brow lowered. “No. Some days I sit and brood, and it occurs to me that what we aim to do will not go well, that no good can come of it."
“But our honor must be restored."
The king half-smiled. “Our honor, brother?"
“Pelion's outrage was an affront to all Arkadians!"
Anthaemion popped a honeyed fig into his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed before answering. “Of course, my brother. Of course. But there are other reasons why we must deal with the Dardanians. The price of grain rises every year, and we must import more every year. We need new fields to till, and there are none to have in this barren wilderness. The Dardanian coast has vast fertile plains lying fallow, waiting for the bite of the plow, but the Dardanians burn our colonies and kill our colonists, or take them prisoner. Niggardly of them, is it not? No, favorite brother, there are other good reasons for our attempting to rescue Alena from the clutches of the rapist Pelion."
“Foul rapist and pirate. Whom I will first castrate, then rip his belly open for dogs to devour the guts, while I watch and enjoy. That is but a taste of what I will do to Pelion when I take Troas."
The king chuckled. “You will reduce Troas alone, then?"
Menoetius looked into his gold wine cup. “Not alone, no. But I will challenge Pelion to come out and face me.
“Majesty, may I present Trent, brother of Inkarnases."
Trent stepped forward and bowed deeply.
The gray-bearded one—presumably Anthaemion, King of Mykos—frowned. “Trent,” he said as he picked his teeth with a fingernail. “Trent. Odd name."
“May it please His Majesty."
“It pleases me not that your brother has chosen to absent himself from my court during this crisis."
Uh-oh, Trent thought. Had Inky underestimated or dissembled?
“Uh, pressing business, Your Majesty. He said—"
“I know what he said. He is a most persuasive man. He said you would be the better military adviser. Is he right?"
“I will serve His Majesty to the utmost limit of my talents."
“If you're half as clever as your brother, you'll do fine. You've been informed of the details of our situation?"
“Yes, sire."
“Forces available, enemy tactics, that sort of thing?"
“As much as Inkarnases knows, I know."
“What he knows is considerable,” the king said. “How he knows so much is a mystery to me, but I don't presume to understand the ways of sorcerers. We did not even possess an accurate map of the Dardanian coast until he divined one. I presume you are a magician also?"
“I am, sire."
“How good a one? Can you win this war for me by simply casting a spell?"
“That would be a difficult way of going about it, sire. No one enchantment could take into account all the myriad contingencies."
“That's what your brother said. I believe him. But you can cast spells to provide favorable conditions, facilitate the happy unfolding of events, forfend hexes and other dangers—all that?"
“All that can be done, sire."
The king nodded. “Good. We'll need every supernatural advantage. In addition to the favor of the gods."
The king's brother spoke: “Surely the gods favor those who are wronged, as I have been."
“No doubt,” the king told him.
The smell of herbs and spices came to Trent's nostrils: fennel, coriander, and others he couldn't identify. He hoped the food here wasn't too spicy. The stuff looked good, anyway. Both men continued eating as they talked.
The king went on. “But it's not that simple, I'm afraid. There are gods, and there are gods. They divide and take opposite sides. Some no doubt favor our enemy. I myself have had disturbing dreams of late."
Menoetius raised his eyebrows. “Oh? What dreams are these?"
Anthaemion shook his head. “I cannot recount them clearly enough to make sense. I half-remember them. Perhaps, as time goes on, their import will be made clearer. But they are disturbing nonetheless."
“This does not bode well."
Anthaemion's brow lowered. “No. Some days I sit and brood, and it occurs to me that what we aim to do will not go well, that no good can come of it."
“But our honor must be restored."
The king half-smiled. “Our honor, brother?"
“Pelion's outrage was an affront to all Arkadians!"
Anthaemion popped a honeyed fig into his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then swallowed before answering. “Of course, my brother. Of course. But there are other reasons why we must deal with the Dardanians. The price of grain rises every year, and we must import more every year. We need new fields to till, and there are none to have in this barren wilderness. The Dardanian coast has vast fertile plains lying fallow, waiting for the bite of the plow, but the Dardanians burn our colonies and kill our colonists, or take them prisoner. Niggardly of them, is it not? No, favorite brother, there are other good reasons for our attempting to rescue Alena from the clutches of the rapist Pelion."
“Foul rapist and pirate. Whom I will first castrate, then rip his belly open for dogs to devour the guts, while I watch and enjoy. That is but a taste of what I will do to Pelion when I take Troas."
The king chuckled. “You will reduce Troas alone, then?"
Menoetius looked into his gold wine cup. “Not alone, no. But I will challenge Pelion to come out and face me.
Similar Books
