faintly visible even in the midday sun, yet he felt no anger nor bloodlust building up. The thing was being subtle, he was sure, planning something, waiting for something, or perhaps affecting him in some new way he hadn't yet detected.
As he stared at the red gem, he heard the rattle of armor and looked up. It came from somewhere behind him, to his right; he turned and saw three overmen approaching, with two men trailing along behind them. One of the overmen was riding a good-sized warbeast.
Garth recognized the humans and the two overmen on foot, but he could not place the mounted figure for a long moment.
As the party drew up near him, he finally realized who it was: Selk, one of the City Council's messengers. He had not been among the sixty volunteers.
This, then, he knew, must be the response to Kyrith's mission to acquaint the Council with the situation.
'Where is the master trader Galt?' the messenger demanded.
'He's in the King's Inn,' Garth replied politely, ignoring the other's imperious tone.
'You, fetch him,' Selk ordered one of the two overmen who had accompanied him. Garth realized that they and the humans must be those who had been posted to guard the North Gate.
The warrior hurried to obey, taking the direct route through the pit; earthen ramps had been built on both sides to aid in removing the stones.
'Have you come alone?' Garth inquired
'You're Garth, Prince of Ordunin?'
'You know who I am.'
'I wish to be sure.'
'Yes, I am Garth, and you are Selk, son of Zhenk and Valik. Did you come alone?'
'I am here alone.'
'Kyrith did not come with you?'
'I have said I am alone.'
Garth was dismayed by the messenger's surliness; it did not bode well for the message the overman carried. He rose to get a better look at Selk's face. The warbeast growled.
Surprised, Garth looked at it, rather than at its rider.
Like almost every warbeast, it was black; its eyes were green, and its belly-fur white. Its fangs were gleaming white, a sign that it was young and healthy, since the teeth tended to yellow with age. Perhaps, he thought, it still had some of the excitability of cubhood.
Its tail was lashing, and Garth realized that it was looking, not at him, but at the hilt of the sword that protruded up above his left shoulder.
This was something new; none of the warbeasts remaining in Skelleth had reacted to the sword before. He wondered if this beast might have some special sensitivity to magic, or if maybe the sword was doing something new that was perceptible to a warbeast but not to an overman.
Selk also looked at the sword, startled, and said, 'It really does glow!'
It was the first thing he had said that had not been spoken as harshly as possible, Garth hoped that it was a sign that Selk was relaxing somewhat.
'Yes, it glows,' he replied. 'It also burns and does other unpleasant things. Did Kyrith tell you about it?'
'Kyrith said nothing-I mean, she wrote nothing of it in her statement. The others with her, however, did mention it.'
'Did you doubt them?'
Selk did not answer immediately; when he did reply, it was only indirectly. 'I have never encountered magic before.'
'You have now. Be glad that you have not seen much, though; in my experience, most magic is very unpleasant.'
Selk made no reply.
Before Garth had decided on his next remark, Galt and his escort arrived. In addition to the warrior sent after him, he was accompanied by three. humans, including Frima, and another overman, a young fellow named Palkh. Garth had seen both the male humans before, but did not know their names.
'Greetings, Selk!' Galt called as he climbed up the ramp from the cellars.
Selk did not reply. Garth thought he glimpsed a trace of worry in Galt's expression at that. For his own part, Garth now suspected that either Selk's news was very bad indeed, or that the fellow was simply rude by nature.
When Galt had reached the top of the slope, Selk suddenly spoke, declaiming in a loud voice while he held up a golden rod that represented his authority to speak for the Council.
'Know all present that this is the decision of the City Council of Ordunin! I have been sent here to present this decision, and bear no responsibility for its content. I bear no malice toward any present, nor do I favor them. I speak as I have been commanded.'
Several women and children who were gathered in the marketplace, trading salvaged household goods among themselves, stopped and turned to listen.
'Whereas it has come to the attention of the Council that the party of overmen of Ordunin under the joint command of the master trader Galt, son of Kant and Filit, and Kyrith, daughter of Dynth and Dharith, and commissioned to negotiate trade agreements with Doran, Baron of Skelleth, has exceeded its authority and committed acts of war against the Barony of Skelleth; and whereas these acts were committed under the direction of the aforementioned Galt and also Garth, Prince of Ordunin, son of Karth and Tarith, and a Lord of the Overmen of the Northern Waste, and resulted in unnecessary bloodshed and destruction; therefore, the City Council of Ordunin hereby disavows all responsibility for these actions.'
Selk paused to catch his breath, and Galt started to protest. Garth silenced him with a gesture.
'Furthermore, inasmuch as the members of the party in question may have been unaware of the limits of the authority granted to their commanders, no blame shall be assigned to any person other than the aforementioned Galt, Kyrith, and Garth, if those other persons immediately remove themselves from the area of Skelleth and return to the Northern Waste. No charges shall be drawn up against these persons.
'Furthermore, the aforementioned Kyrith, by virtue of her avowed reluctance to participate in acts of war, and by virtue of her presence before the Council and arguments presented, is hereby pardoned, conditional upon her continued presence in Ordunin.'
'Finally, the Council disavows all claim to any portion of the Kingdom of Eramma, or to any profits that may accrue from acts of war committed against the Kingdom of Eramma, and declares the aforementioned Galt and Garth to be outlaws, this information to be delivered to them as soon as circumstances shall allow.'
Selk stopped speaking, returned the rod to its place beneath his tunic, and sat astride his warbeast, looking down at Galt and Garth. There was a moment of silence.
'They can't do that,' Galt said at last.
Garth was unsure what to say. Palkh said, 'It appears that they have done it, though.'
The women who had heard the announcement suddenly began talking among themselves, discussing this unexpected news.
Garth felt anger growing somewhere within him; he did not bother to look at the red jewel. Whether this anger was wholly his own or not did not seem important.
'Selk,' he said, 'is that your entire message?'
'Yes, that's it, at least so far as you are concerned.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'I am to carry the same message to the High King at Kholis, together with a formal apology.'
Garth had reached the conclusion three days earlier that, through some great good fortune, the High King and the other lords of Eramma were as yet unaware of the sacking of Skelleth. Had they known about it, there would surely have been some sort of reaction by now, such as a formal demand for surrender.
This ignorance was very useful. It gave them time. The King would have to learn eventually, but Garth hoped that the news would be delivered at the right time and under the right circumstances for the maximum
