Alan Burt Akers
The Tides of Kregen
Chapter One
When two wizards begin quarreling it is time for sensible men to take cover.
'You young fambly, Khe-Hi!' Evold Scavander spluttered and fumed, his bewhiskered peppery features fairly glowing with baffled fury. 'You lord of mumbo jumbo!' I fancied he would explode at any moment. He sneezed, powerfully, and Khe-Hi-Bjanching took a smart step backward, waving a hand before his young and handsome face.
'Now, old man, admit you have no powers to penetrate-'
'Powers! Powers! I’ve had more powers than you’ve had loloo’s eggs for breakfast!' Evold swiped away at his face with a huge square of silk, all bright orange and red and brown. 'I tell you, you arrogant puffed-up wizard of Loh, I put no store by this tomfoolery of appearances-'
'I saw, Evold, you ninny! I
'You saw the remains of last night’s dopa, you young whippersnapper.' He sneezed again, a veritable gusher of effort. The handkerchief swiped fretfully. 'I’m the wizard to the Prince and don’t you forget it!'
'To the Prince you may be anything, old man, I do not doubt. But a wizard!' Here Khe-Hi-Bjanching, that young and superior Wizard of Loh, laughed most sardonically, cutting old San Evold to the quick. 'I grant you do have a power, aye, a mighty fine power of drowning a man in your sneezes! But as a wizard you would do well sweeping out the zorcadrome.'
'I’ll — I’ll-'
'What? Cast a spell and turn me into a toad? Well, go on. Try.'
'That mumbo jumbo is for you young fools. I know what I know.' They were really going at each other now, there on the terrace of my high fortress of Esser Rarioch in Valkanium. Only by chance had I come on them, being troubled in mind and going to find old Evold Scavander. When two wizards quarrel it behooves a mere man to be circumspect about taking himself off, but I stood for a short space in the shadow of a pillar watching them, the pressure on my spirits a little relieved by their antics.
Khe-Hi-Bjanching waxed more vociferous, his white gown with the crimson rope around his waist a blaze of radiance in the streaming light of the suns. 'And I know we have had a visitation. If you do not instantly let me pass to report to the Prince he’ll have your head off and have you hanging by the heels from the highest battlements of Esser Rarioch.'
'The Prince would not condone such barbarities. He’d as lief trim your height by a head.' They went on like fighting cocks. With shrill squeals my younger twins, Segnik and Velia, scampered around the corner. They could run well now and were involved in some activity that made them oblivious to the quarrel. By the time they realized what was going on, a realization matched to their understanding of funny old San Evold and clever San Khe-Hi, Turko the Shield appeared, his face grim, to seize them up with two muscular heaves, one under each arm. He did not see me and he carried the twins off with a gentle concern that pleased me, despite all their squawking for Unca Turko to let them watch the fight. Turko the Shield, a mighty Khamorro whose superb body and muscles could break men and destroy armed and armored foemen, felt that altogether sensible desire to place as much distance as he could between himself and a couple of wizards about to do each other mischief. This quarrel appeared to me to be the outcome of the perfectly natural friction to be expected. Evold, who was the wisest of the wise men of my island Stromnate of Valka, shared the fears of the old when confronted by the eager zest of the young. But Evold had served me well and he ought to know he would never be cast off. Khe-Hi-Bjanching had yet to prove himself.
Turko’s rumble, carrying off the younger twins, faded, and I smiled. Oh, yes here in my wonderful island of Valka in my high fortress of Esser Rarioch I could smile because I was with my Delia and my children; I could smile even though I knew with a pang of misgiving just what the Wizard of Loh meant when he talked of an apparition, of an appearance. This, then, explained the trouble that lay on my spirit. Although I had not seen the apparition this time, I had felt it and its evil power, malefic and altogether horrible in that high palace of light and laughter.
The twin Suns of Scorpio flooded their jade and ruby lights onto the high terrace; the bees buzzed in the flowers; the whole scene in that clear limpid air was one to dizzy the senses with beauty. Young Yallan halted at the end of the terrace, the hefty jar of water on his shoulder shaking and slopping as he hesitated to dare to pass. Yallan worked in the kitchens — he was not a slave, for neither Delia nor I will allow slaves in our lands — and he was paid well. He was a man, an apim, for we did not consider the carrying of heavy jars of water up the flights of steps a girl’s work. He saw me and he slopped more water. The time for fun had gone.
'Sans, Sans,' I said, stepping forward. I used a gentle voice, but they both switched around smartly, knowing just who it was who spoke to them, and instantly started in hurling their sides of the argument at me. I held up a hand. They fell at once to silence.
'For the sake of Sweet Merrilissa, let young Yallan past. He spills the water, and it is a heavy task to carry it up.'
'Yes, my Prince,' they said, together, looking at Yallan as though he had sprouted horns. Yallan swallowed, walked past and turned and said, 'My thanks, my Prince. Shall I call the palace guard?
When two wizards. .' He looked troubled.
'They merely riddle a puzzle, good Yallan. I thank you for your thought.'
'Well, my Prince,' he said, looking doubtfully at the two wizards, still standing on tiptoe and glowering at each other.
San Khe-Hi half turned his head, stared at Yallan and said with very much of a snake’s hiss in his voice:
'Be off, or I shall turn you into one of the little insects that crawl upon the floor!' Yallan let out a screech and fled. He spilled drops of water as he went, but he did not drop the jar. I said, 'That was unkind, San. Unkind even if funny.'
'There are important affairs of state, my Prince, that you must know-' San Evold choked and sneezed. 'Important! He wakes with a sore head from dopa and sees visions!'
'Not so, Evold. I know whereof Khe-Hi speaks. I have had visitations before, apparitions.' The Wizard of Loh nodded his head, the suns-light catching that blazing red hair and sheening brilliantly.
'I told you so, you old dodderer! Go back to your chemicals and your cayferm and your silver boxes!' But San Evold Scavander was not the wisest wise man in all Valka, just to be foisted off by a youngster, even if that young man was one of the famed and feared Wizards of Loh. He looked at me closely and he no longer sneezed.
'You speak sooth, my Prince. I know that. Then I would like to know more — all there is to tell. For there must be danger here.' Then, unable to resist a last dig at Bjanching, he added: 'For if danger threatens in Valka, I would not like to repose much confidence in this young fambly, for all he claims to be a Wizard of Loh.'
'I’ll show you!' began Bjanching.
I silenced them.
'Tell me what you have seen, San. All of it. And quickly.' He knew that tone of voice. As you know I had picked up this Wizard of Loh in the island of Ogra-gemush, when Delia and Merle and Bjanching and I had been put to the test of the two doors by that unhappy King Wazur of Ogra-gemush. He had heard me and he had seen me in very different circumstances from these wonderful surroundings of Esser Rarioch, so he answered up quickly and succinctly.
'I awoke with the sure knowledge that a Wizard of Loh in lupu had appeared here. I could sense the locus. I saw him, not a strong manifestation; but I know he was evil.'
'Aye,' I said. 'Aye. Unless I am mistaken that is the manifestation of the Wizard of Loh called Phu-si- Yantong.'
Bjanching drew in his breath with a hiss. I had spoken to him of Yantong, enough to acquaint him with that devil’s evil intentions toward not only me and my family here in Valka, but also of his insane ambition to rule the
