The Diamond Throne (The Elenium 1)

‘That could have been a mistake,’ Komier grunted. ‘I’d have had him killed. Did he raise that thing again?’

Vanion nodded. ‘Yes, but Sephrenia appealed to the Younger Gods of Styricum and they exorcized it. Then they stripped Martel of the most significant of his powers. He went away weeping and swearing revenge upon us all. He’s still dangerous, but at least he can’t summon up horrors any more. He left Elenia and he’s been hiring his sword out to the highest bidder in other parts of the world for the past ten or twelve years.’

‘He’s just a common mercenary then?’ Darellon asked. The slender Alcione Preceptor had an intent look on his narrow face.

‘Not quite common, my Lord,’ Sparhawk disagreed. ‘He’s had Pandion training. He could have been the very best of us, and he’s very clever. He has wide contacts with mercenaries all over Eosia. He can raise an army at a moment’s notice and he’s totally ruthless. I don’t believe that Martel believes in anything any more.’

‘What does he look like?’ Darellon asked.

‘A little bigger than medium size,’ Kalten replied. ‘He’s about the same age as Sparhawk and me, but he’s got white hair – he has had since he was in his twenties.’

‘I think we might all want to keep an eye out for him,’ Abriel suggested. ‘Who’s the other one – Adus?’

‘Adus is an animal,’ Kalten told him. ‘After Martel was expelled from the Pandions, he recruited Adus and a man named Krager to help him in his activities. Adus is a Pelosian, I think or maybe a Lamork. He can barely talk, so his accent is a little hard to identify. He’s a total savage, devoid of human feelings. He enjoys killing people – slowly – and he’s very good at it.’

‘And the other one?’ Komier asked. ‘Krager?’

‘Krager’s fairly intelligent,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘Basically, he’s a criminal – false coins, extortion, fraud, that sort of thing – but he’s weak. Martel trusts him to perform tasks that Adus wouldn’t be able to understand.’

‘What’s the link between Annias and Martel?’ Count Radun asked.

‘Probably nothing more than money, my Lord.’ Sparhawk shrugged. ‘Martel is for hire and he has no strong convictions about anything. There are rumours that he has about a half-ton of gold hidden somewhere.’

‘I was right,’ Komier said bluntly ‘You should have killed him, Vanion.’

‘I made the offer,’ Sparhawk said, ‘but Vanion said no.’

‘I had reasons,’ Vanion said.

‘Was there anything significant about the fact that there were Rendors in the party that attacked Count Radun’s house?’ Abriel asked then.

‘Probably not,’ Sparhawk replied. ‘I’ve just come back from Rendor. There’s a pool of mercenaries there in the same way that there is in Pelosia, Lamorkand, and Cammoria. Martel draws on those people whenever he needs men. Rendorish mercenaries have no particular religious convictions, Eshandist or otherwise.’

‘Do we have enough evidence against Annias to take before the Hierocracy in Chyrellos?’ Darellon asked.

‘I don’t think so,’ Patriarch Dolmant said. ‘Annias has bought many voices in the higher councils of the Church. Any charges we might bring against him would have to be supported by overwhelming proof. All we have now is an overheard conversation between Krager and Baron Harparin. Annias could wriggle out of that rather easily – or simply buy his way out of it.’

Komier leaned back in his chair, tapping at his chin with one finger. ‘I think the Patriarch has just put his finger on the key to the whole affair. As long as Annias has his hands on the Elenian treasury, he can finance these schemes of his and continue to buy support in the Hierocracy. If we aren’t careful, he’ll bribe his way to the Archprelacy. We’ve all stood in his path from time to time, and I’d guess that his first act as Archprelate would be to disband all four militant orders. Is there any way we can cut off his access to those funds?’

Vanion shook his head. ‘He controls the Royal Council – except for the Earl of Lenda. They vote him all the money he needs.’

‘What about your Queen?’ Darellon asked. ‘Did he control her too – before she fell ill, I mean?’

‘Not even a little,’ Vanion replied. ‘Aldreas was a weak king who did anything Annias told him to do. Ehlana’s an altogether different matter, and she despises Annias.’ He shrugged. ‘But she’s ill, and Annias will have a free hand until she recovers.’

Abriel began to pace up and down, his lined face deep in thought. ‘That would seem to be our logical course then, gentlemen. We must bend all of our efforts to finding a cure for Queen Ehlana’s illness.’

Darellon leaned back, his fingers tapping on the polished table. ‘Annias is very cunning,’ he observed. ‘He will easily guess what our course is likely to be and he’s certain to try to block us. Even if we succeed in finding a cure, won’t that immediately put the Queen’s life in danger?’

‘Sparhawk is her Champion, my Lord,’ Kalten told him. ‘He can cope – particularly if I’m there to back him up.’

‘Are you making any progress on a cure, Vanion?’ Komier asked.

‘The local physicians are all baffled,’ Vanion replied. ‘I’ve sent out requests for others, though, but most of them haven’t arrived as yet.’

‘Physicians don’t always respond to requests,’ Abriel noted. ‘This might be particularly true in a situation where the head of the Royal Council has a certain interest in not seeing the Queen recover.’ He considered the problem. ‘The Cyrinics have many contacts in Cammoria,’ he said. ‘Have you considered taking your Queen to the medical faculty at the University of Borrata in that kingdom? They’re reputed to be experts in obscure ailments.’

‘I don’t think we dare dissolve the encasement that surrounds her,’ Sephrenia said. ‘At the moment it’s all that sustains her life She could not survive a trip to Borrata.’

The Preceptor of the Cyrinic Knights nodded thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps you’re right, madame,’ he said.

‘Not only that,’ Vanion added. ‘Annias would never let us take her out of the palace.’

Abriel nodded bleakly He considered it for a moment. ‘There’s an alternative It’s not as good as having the physician actually look at the patient, but sometimes it works – or so I’ve been told. A skilled physician can learn a great deal from a detailed description of symptoms. That would be my suggestion, Vanion. Write down everything you know about Queen Ehlana’s illness and send someone to Borrata with the documents.’