Lord of Lies

was when we passed into Vishal, ruled by Baron Yashur, and in

Onkar whose lord was Count Atanu. If either of these great nobles had been tempted by Morjin's million- weight of gold, they did not betray themselves — or me. Perhaps they simply did not have time to summon a force great enough to wrest the Lightstone from my knights. In any case, we came to the juncture of the Nar Road and the North Road without incident. There we turned toward King Danashu's domain of Jathay. It took us two and a half days to put the rest of Anjo behind us. Late in the morning of the 16th of Soal, we crossed the Aru-Adar bridge into Ishka.

Ninety miles as the raven flies it was across this beautiful land to the border of Mesh — and more for us because the road bent far to the east toward Loviisa. After passing through a hilly country between Lake Osh and a spur of mountains to our left, and then through some rich farmland glowing green in the strong Soal sun, we came to Ishka's greatest city two days later. Sar Jarlath galloped ahead of us to ask for supplies and tell of our need for haste. Prince Issur, whom King Hadaru had appointed as regent, rode out with Lord Mestivan and ten knights to meet us. We held quick counsel on horseback by a clear stream running down to the Tushur River. We told Prince Issur that Morjin and his army were likely marching upon Mesh even as we spoke. This was news to him. As he told us, none of the sentries who kept watch over the Wendrush had sighted any armies, be they Sami or of Sakai.

'If you're right about the Red Dragon,' Prince Issur said to me, 'then please excuse my abruptness, but there's much to be done Messengers need to be sent to the fortresses, and our battle lords must be alerted and knights called up. Morjin might just as easily be marching on Ishka.'

'That is unlikely,' I said. 'His quarrel, for the present is with Mesh.'

'Yes, but what if Mesh is defeated?' he said. He rubbed between his large nose and his eyes, which were as black as coal.

'Mesh would be less likely to be defeated,' I told him, 'if you have battalions to spare reinforcing us. Do you?'

The suggestion that Ishka might ride to Mesh's aid seemed to astonish Prince Issur. His eyes widened, and he looked at me as if to make sure that my adventures in strange lands hadn't whittled away my good sense. Then he told me, 'Even if we did have such forces, it is not upon me to commit them. My father, you say, still remains in Tria?'

'He was there when we departed,' I said.'It may be that he is returning home.'

I began to tell him of the conclave's evil happenings, but it seemed that Sar Jarlath already had. Prince Issur cast me a cold, penetrating look as if he had never really believed that I could be the Maitreya. 'It is upon me to prepare Ishka for the worst. That cannot include weakening our forces. My father, I believe, would want things so.'

'Your father,' Lord Mestivan said to him, 'would want the Lightstone to remain here, where it would be safe.'

Then Lord Mestivan turned to stare at me. His hand, I saw, hovered almost casually near the hilt of his sword. So did Sar Jarlath's hand and Sar Ianashu's and those of the other Ishkans who had taken vows as Guardians. But it was toward Lord Mestivan and the ten knights with him that they directed their ire. It brought tears to my eyes to think that they might be willing to fight their own countrymen in the Lightstone's defense — and in mine.

'Sometimes it's hard to know my father's wishes,' Prince Issur said to Lord Mestivan. 'Certainly if the Lightstone remained here, it might tempt the Red Dragon to turn north. Therefore let Lord Valashu take it to the Elahad castle as quickly as he can.'

Prince Issur and many of the Ishkans, I thought, would not be sorry to see Mesh humbled or even beaten in battle. And as for me, they seemed secretly glad that the disaster in Tria had brought me down from the heavenly heights into the realm where mere mortals were forced to live.

We hurried on our way then. From Loviisa, the road wound west through some more farmland and then turned south toward the mountains separating Ishka and Mesh. We pressed our horses all the harder now, for I felt time pressing at me like a great, lead weight. I led my friends and the Guardians, in their three sparkling columns, pounding down the road. On the 20th of Soal we began the steep climb up toward the pass between Raaskel and Korukel. The forest about us gradually changed from oak and elm to towering spruce trees pointed I like great, green spears up toward the sky. When I saw that we could not make it through the pais by dusk, I called for a halt. We made camp just below treeline between two rocky ridges. There a swift, clear stream ran over rounded stones. As my men set to pitching the tents and making the fortifications, I took a few moments to sit alone beside the stream. I stared up through the trees at the pass: a great cleft rut through solid rock. It was thus that Kane found me, with mv sword drawn and pointing toward it.

May I join you?' he said as he sat on a large boulder across from me. He followed my gaze, and said, — You're wondering what you'll find on the other side, eh?'

I nodded my head as my sword flared brighter.

'So, you'll find what you'll find; he said to me. 'And then you'll do what you must do.'

'Yes, but what is that? As you said, I've been so wrong, I don't ever want to be wrong again.'

'Then guard the Lightstone for the Maitreya. That will be enough.' All right, but who is he, then? How will we ever find him?'

'By three things,' he told me, 'the Maitreya is known: steady abidance in the One; looking upon all with an equal eye. And unshakable courage at all times.'

I smiled sadly and shook my head as I murmured, 'Courage.'

He reached out to grasp my shoulder. 'Don't let yours fail you now'

I smiled again as I tapped my sword's hilt against my chest and said, 'I'm afraid it already has. Something flutters inside here now, and it's not an eagle.'

'Be strong,' he told me as he looked at me.

'Be strong,' I repeated, 'and protect the weak — you should have seen Sajagax's face the first time he heard the whole of the Law,'

'That is not the whole of it,' he said. Although it was falling dark, his eyes began to brighten. 'Be strong and protect the weak — and help them to become strong.'

Even as he said this, his hand grew tighter around my shoulder

'Strength, yes,' I said, shaking off his hand. I picked up a pebble and cast it against a nearby tree. It hit the rough bark with a little 'tonic' then bounced off it and plopped into the stream. 'But even the strongest tree will fail to fire.'

Kane's eyes grew hot and pained as he watched me, waiting for me to say more.

'It's my fate,' I finally told him.

'What is your fate?'

'That's just it — I don't know,' I gazed at my sword's silustria, gleaming in the day's last light. 'Alkaladur is named the Sword of Fate The Sword of Sight. That is the power of the silver gelstei yes? Not to enable one to descry events as a scryer does, but to see if one's life is in accord with a higher will,'

'Ananke, this is called,' Kane told me. 'The universal fate to which all must submit — even the Galadin and the Ieldra. Perhaps even the One.'

'Yes,' I said, 'but I looked away from it. This was my will. When I found the Lightstone, I saw my fate, so bright — like the sun rising to touch all the world. Then everyone started calling me the Maitreya, and I believed this. I wanted to believe. But now. .'

'Go on,' he told me.

'Now I feel my fate as fire. Do you remember the story of the robe of fire?'

He slowly nodded his head as he stared at me. It was said that once a time, in the Lost Ages, a great hero named Arshan had slain a dragon who terrorized the land, rending and destroying in the service of Angra Mainyu. And Angra Mainyu, from far away on Damoom, had caused one of his priests in secret to dip a robe of white lamb's wool into the dragon's blood. The priest then presented the red robe to Arshan to wear as a sign of his great deed. But the moment that Arshan donned this bright garment, it burst into flame. It welded to his skin and burnt down to his bones, driving him mad before he killed himself in agony.

'It's that way for me now,' I said to Kane. 'Everything burns. It's as if I've fashioned my own robe of fire, with the blood of Baltasar, Ravik Kirriland — even Morjin.'