surprising piece of information from the Great Lights,' Kalawnn said. 'I must leave you now and share this news with the other three Eminences. I command you to carry on cleaving the piece of raw moonstone. Bespeak me at once with the results of the operation.'
He slithered out of the workroom with surprising rapidity and made his way to the castle's Chamber of Audience -formerly the Conjure-Queen's throne room - where his colleagues were in conference. Almost all traces of human occupation had been eradicated from the Mossland fortress of Fenguard by its new inhabitants. The doors were now enlarged to allow ready access to huge bodies and the windows were smaller to conserve the delightful boggy ambiance favored by Salka sensibilities. A coating of black mold softened the harsh stonework of the stairways and passages; rusting iron wall-sconces that once supportedtorches or oil lamps now held amber globes full of luminous marine organisms; the floors of the public areas were carpeted with decaying reeds and sedges from the fens, while the private rooms and the Chamber of Audience had more desirable floor coverings of fragrant kelp and other algae.
The erstwhile royal dais, lit by pendant bowls of glowworms, had been enlarged to contain the seaweed-heaped golden couches of the Eminent Ones. These were pushed to the very edge of the platform so that the reclining Salka leaders could study a large map laid out on a low table crafted of whalebone. The map, a three-dimensional work of art depicting High Blenholme Island in relief, was an ingenious mosaic of sea-unicorn ivory, pearl-shell, and many-colored amber. Its rivers and bodies of water were indicated by shining bits of turquoise or lapis, and the salient features were labeled with small gold plaques. Golden figurines of miniature warriors - some Salka, some human, and some mysteriously shaped - were scattered about the map surface. Model ships, as intricate as fine jewelry, clustered in separate flotillas on the lapis sea.
As Kalawnn entered, the four persons bent over the map lifted their great heads. The aged Conservator of Wisdom looked vaguely startled, the First Judge bestowed an ironic smile of greeting, and the Supreme Warrior, mighty Ugusawnn, seemed even more truculent and grouchy than usual. The fourth Salka, a sage of middle rank who had been pushing the tiny figures about the map with a golden pointer and lecturing the Eminences, bowed his head to Kalawnn and stood in a respectful pose. The Master Shaman recognized him as Peladawnn, a military strategist.
'You may leave us,' the shaman commanded. Peladawnn nodded and wriggled off.
'Well, colleague,' the Supreme Warrior rumbled, 'it's high time you condescended to join our little planning session. Iwas just about to explain my new idea for breaking the impasse at Beacon Lake.'
Ugusawnn had returned from the encampment a tennight earlier when it became evident that the army's advance was hopelessly stalled, leaving his subordinate generals to manage the tedious holding action.
'I'd be most eager to hear your plan,' the Master Shaman said. 'But first, I must give you tidings of the utmost importance. The Great Lights have bespoken me a message.'
'Ahroo!' cried the other Eminences. Such a direct communication was virtually unheard of.
The rotund First Judge took a hasty gulp from a golden chalice. 'What did they say?'
Before answering, The Master Shaman inserted one tentacle into his gaping mouth and pulled the Known Potency from his craw. He lifted it high and it glistened with his own body fluids, a small moonstone carving of a ribbon twisted strangely into a figure-eight that had only a single side and a single edge. Kalawnn held it delicately between four clawed tentacle digits. Its soft glow pulsated slowly.
'The Potency reacted in a strange manner to the message. Therefore, I will temporarily remove it from my person.'
The Conservator and the Judge murmured apprehensively. The Supreme Warrior said,
He slithered out of the workroom with surprising rapidity and made his way to the castle's Chamber of Audience -formerly the Conjure-Queen's throne room - where his colleagues were in conference. Almost all traces of human occupation had been eradicated from the Mossland fortress of Fenguard by its new inhabitants. The doors were now enlarged to allow ready access to huge bodies and the windows were smaller to conserve the delightful boggy ambiance favored by Salka sensibilities. A coating of black mold softened the harsh stonework of the stairways and passages; rusting iron wall-sconces that once supportedtorches or oil lamps now held amber globes full of luminous marine organisms; the floors of the public areas were carpeted with decaying reeds and sedges from the fens, while the private rooms and the Chamber of Audience had more desirable floor coverings of fragrant kelp and other algae.
The erstwhile royal dais, lit by pendant bowls of glowworms, had been enlarged to contain the seaweed-heaped golden couches of the Eminent Ones. These were pushed to the very edge of the platform so that the reclining Salka leaders could study a large map laid out on a low table crafted of whalebone. The map, a three-dimensional work of art depicting High Blenholme Island in relief, was an ingenious mosaic of sea-unicorn ivory, pearl-shell, and many-colored amber. Its rivers and bodies of water were indicated by shining bits of turquoise or lapis, and the salient features were labeled with small gold plaques. Golden figurines of miniature warriors - some Salka, some human, and some mysteriously shaped - were scattered about the map surface. Model ships, as intricate as fine jewelry, clustered in separate flotillas on the lapis sea.
As Kalawnn entered, the four persons bent over the map lifted their great heads. The aged Conservator of Wisdom looked vaguely startled, the First Judge bestowed an ironic smile of greeting, and the Supreme Warrior, mighty Ugusawnn, seemed even more truculent and grouchy than usual. The fourth Salka, a sage of middle rank who had been pushing the tiny figures about the map with a golden pointer and lecturing the Eminences, bowed his head to Kalawnn and stood in a respectful pose. The Master Shaman recognized him as Peladawnn, a military strategist.
'You may leave us,' the shaman commanded. Peladawnn nodded and wriggled off.
'Well, colleague,' the Supreme Warrior rumbled, 'it's high time you condescended to join our little planning session. Iwas just about to explain my new idea for breaking the impasse at Beacon Lake.'
Ugusawnn had returned from the encampment a tennight earlier when it became evident that the army's advance was hopelessly stalled, leaving his subordinate generals to manage the tedious holding action.
'I'd be most eager to hear your plan,' the Master Shaman said. 'But first, I must give you tidings of the utmost importance. The Great Lights have bespoken me a message.'
'Ahroo!' cried the other Eminences. Such a direct communication was virtually unheard of.
The rotund First Judge took a hasty gulp from a golden chalice. 'What did they say?'
Before answering, The Master Shaman inserted one tentacle into his gaping mouth and pulled the Known Potency from his craw. He lifted it high and it glistened with his own body fluids, a small moonstone carving of a ribbon twisted strangely into a figure-eight that had only a single side and a single edge. Kalawnn held it delicately between four clawed tentacle digits. Its soft glow pulsated slowly.
'The Potency reacted in a strange manner to the message. Therefore, I will temporarily remove it from my person.'
The Conservator and the Judge murmured apprehensively. The Supreme Warrior said,
Similar Books
