'Take a look at that.' Tom pointed towards a row of gigantic catapults. 'There you see some of the finest artillery pieces the Empire can produce. Those magnificent machines no sooner arrived from the south than these fine lads took them into their protection and brought them over to our side.'
Thunder cast his eyes over the stony-faced men. They didn't look like mutineers, intent on trading loyalty for firewater. They had the appearance of an elite force of highly motivated troops. He placed his hand on his sword and began a slow tour of inspection, walking from one unit to the next, checking the machines, examining the insignia on the soldiers' uniforms and listening to their accents as they shouted names and rank.
Reaching the end of the line, he turned to Tom and spoke loudly enough for all to hear. 'Her Majesty will be pleased when she hears of this, Sky Warrior.'
'I deeply regret that the noble lady is indisposed and unable to express her appreciation to our friends from Ibero,' Tom shouted back.
At a signal from one of their officers, the soldiers chanted a hymn of praise to the queen. Thunder wasn't impressed. He walked out of earshot and turned to Tom.
'How do you know they won't turn their guns on us?'
'My fellows outnumber them.'
'You mean the Gorms?' Thunder nodded towards the clubmen. 'You're saying you've brought in the Empire's best troops, armed with their most deadly weapons, and you've picked a pack of drunken Gorms to guard them?'
'There's no need to worry about the loyalty of my men.'
'The Gorms will be replaced by the royal guard,' Thunder barked.
'I'm not having those girls here,' Tom protested.
'The guard take their orders from me.' Thunder produced the royal badge of command. 'Until the delicate problem of the succession is resolved I continue to exercise viceregal authority as I have always done. That was Her Majesty's last wish and it was made in the presence of her clan chieftains.'
The announcement came as a shock. Not because Thunder was now in charge. Tom had long suspected that the little man was more than a humble servant to the queen. What horrified him was that he had been excluded from the old woman's last hours. The queen had died and the clan chieftains were ignoring him.
***
The royal apartments at Dunavon were above the Water Gate and could be entered on both the landward and seaward sides. Thunder passed through the gate in a small boat rowed by a member of the royal guard. He hurried up the stairs to the War Chamber and was admitted to the presence of Adrina and two men. One was dressed in the flowing robes of a rich southern merchant. The other wore the sealskins of a common boatman. They rose when he entered.