It was the sitting down that broke the spell. An angry clamour rose among them. These were, after all, rulers of nations.
‘Costos is dead,’ I said and the Hundred fell silent to hear me. ‘His vote passes to his advisors. His advisors are dead. His bannermen also.’
‘Murderer!’ Czar Moljon, still clutching his broken finger.
‘Many times over,’ I agreed. ‘But the events in the Roman room are a mystery that none of you observed, that passed unseen by the guard. There will of course be an inquiry, I may be charged, an imperial court may be convened. These however are matters for another day. This is Congression, gentlemen, and we have matters of state to decide.’
‘How dare you sit in Adam’s chair?’ A white-haired king from the east.
‘No law denies me,’ I said. ‘And I was tired. In any event it was Honorous’s chair last and if any wish to dispute my occupancy they may approach to discuss the matter.’ I set one hand upon the iron-wood rod. ‘Seating arrangements do not make emperors, gentlemen. That’s what we’re here to vote upon.’
I beckoned Taproot to me and leaned back in the throne, as uncomfortable a chair as I’d ever sat upon. Taproot climbed the steps quick enough, coming from the shadows into the light. I motioned him closer still.
‘You’ve found out who my friends are and who my enemies are?’ I asked.
‘Jorg! You’ve given me no time. I’ve hardly started to mingle. I—’ The silk of his doublet flapped around him.
‘But you have, haven’t you? You knew already.’
‘I know some of them, watch me!’ He nodded, a sharp grin, quick then gone. No one is immune to flattery.
‘Then get out there and have Makin, Marten, Kent, and Rike stand close to four of them who wish me ill. Gorgoth too, if he will. Tell him everyone is going to die if I don’t get to be emperor. Those words.’
‘Everyone? The whole of Congression? Jorg! Excess is no—’
‘Everyone everywhere,’ I said. ‘Just tell him.’
‘Everywhere?’ His hands fell still for a moment.
‘The lights will go off in a short while. Tell my brothers to be ready. When the light returns those men need to be dead. Have another set of names ready and then another. If I have to I will vote myself emperor.’
And Taproot left the dais faster than he came.
‘You’re listening to me aren’t you, Fexler?’
No reply.
‘The Dead King is coming.’ I didn’t know how I knew, but I knew. ‘And he’ll bring the world to ruin. Starting here.’ I turned the rod over in my hands. Over and over. ‘And to stop him – that would take such a force, such an act of magic, of will, that it would spin that wheel of yours and set the world cracking apart … and if that happens … Michael gets his way and you machines burn us all.’
A faint pulse in the light.
‘I would be right to guess that somewhere beneath me is an enormous bomb, would I?’
Again, the quiver in the light.
I leaned back into my uncomfortable throne and twirled the iron-wood like a baton. Likely I would be the shortest-reigning emperor in history. Out amongst the Hundred, Miana watched me. The man beside her, portly with grey sideburns and my son in his arms, was my father-in-law, Lord of Wennith. He didn’t seem to be the man he was six years ago, but then who among us is?
A lord of middling years in brown suede and gold chains had been trying to catch my eye at the foot of the dais, and now moved on through coughing to raising his hand.
‘Yes, Lord … ?’
‘Antas of Andaluth.’ His realm bordered Orlanth to the south. ‘I have matters to discuss, King Jorg. The rights to the River Parl …’
‘Would that secure your support, Lord Antas?’
‘Well, I hesitate to put it so bluntly …’
‘The rights to the Cathun River purchased absolution for the death of my mother, and of my brother William. Did you know that, Lord Antas?’
‘Why, no …’
‘Do you not think some things are beyond purchase, Antas? Vote for me if you believe the empire needs me on the throne. The fate of a hundred nations shouldn’t tip on river rights, horse trading, and back scratching.’
He frowned at that. Red Kent stood behind him and just a little to the left. I guessed that Antas’s support had never been going to be mine however many rivers we agreed over.
‘Lights out,’ I said, and the throne room plunged into darkness.
I made a slow count to ten beneath the uproar. ‘Lights on!’
Antas sprawled at the base of the dais, neck broken. Kent had already moved on.
I stood up from the throne and the lights shone more brightly so I felt their heat upon me. It had to be now.
‘Men of empire!’ I raised my voice to reach the edges of the great hall, so even the Silent Sister, the Queen of the Red and Katherine could hear beyond the Gilden Gate.
All of them stopped to watch me, even with the murdered lying at their feet.
‘Men of empire. A better man than I would have won your support with the goodness of his deeds, the clarity of his vision, the truth of his words. But that better man is not here. That better man would fail before the dark tide that rushes toward us. Orrin of Arrow was the better man and yet he didn’t survive even to ask your support.
‘Dark times call for dark choices. Choose me.’
I walked the perimeter of the dais in measured steps, staring out across the shadowed heads of state. ‘There is an enemy at our gates. Even now. As we spend our words here, the Lord Commander spends the blood of better men to hold his city. This holy city at the heart of our broken empire. This holy city is the heart of our empire. And if you men, you servants of that empire, do
