Eighth Circle

Crispin woke with a jolt. Peter was shaking him into life. He had fallen asleep in his chair and it was not yet light. He stared, bleary eyed, at the console screen, wondering if something had come up. It hadn't. The screen was blank.

'The professor is here.'

'Who?'

'The professor ... he's come to help with the next phase.'

Crispin saw Tom. He was red-faced and covered in snow.

'Phew!' Tom blew on his fingers. 'Those iron railings are cold.'

'You could have taken the lift,' Crispin said.

'No. That's under surveillance.'

'Where have you been?'

'Back into the palace. I needed to find out what's going on.'

'You mean why it took us so long to reach pink alert?'

'That and other things.'

'What did you discover?'

'An unusual level of activity for the middle of the night.'

'The guardians don't sleep like normal people, Professor.'

'I'm not referring to the guardians. I'm talking about Balduur, King of Kings ... your mother's recently espoused.'

'What about him?'

'He's got the palace trolls to work in the royal apartments. They are bringing in a whole lot of military equipment ... rays guns, ballokas, swords, axes, spears ...'

'Axes and spears?'

'It's a strange mixture of high-tech weaponry and gladiatorial stuff. He told me he's getting ready to invade the Seventh Realm.'

'Do you believe him'

'No. That little man tells the truth where he needs to.'

'But you don't necessarily think he's lying?'

'Crispin.' Tom pulled a face. 'Balduur isn't planning to go anywhere. He likes it here. Those swords and things are cover for the high-tech stuff ... he's planning a palace coup.'

'A what?'

'He intends to seize power.'

'He told you that?'

'Of course not. He's as wily a parish ape. Balduur doesn't give anything away unless he has to ... and then he expects something in return.'

'I thought you said he comes from a primitive society in which the most advanced weapon is a chariot with blades attached to its wheels.'

'It might seem primitive by some standards, Crispin. But it's not primitive when it comes to politics. I've been to the Seventh Realm and I know what it's like. There are people there who could run circles around the chancellor and his likes.'

'Run circles? Is that another military term, Professor?'

'Yes, Crispin, and it's time for us to think in military terms. Plaid Koerno is about to launch a diversionary assault against the chemical factory. The next phase is the attack on the prison camp. They will need every ounce of support we can provide.'