the main reason he'd introduced the witch to Protarus. He was much more interested in knowing his king's most secret thoughts than he was in finding Safar Timura.
The witch, however, had proven to be cannier than he'd thought and now he was losing control. Old Sheesan's reports had become perfunctory, vague and of little value. She hadn't started outright lying to him yet- other than lies of omission-but he suspected she'd begin soon enough. And then he'd have to go to a great deal of bother and no little danger in getting rid of her.
The forest's edge reared up with no warning and Kalasariz nearly gave himself away as he stepped out onto open ground into the light of the Demon Moon. Hastily, he pulled back and found cover. He stayed quite still for a moment until he was sure no one had noticed him. Then he gently parted some branches and peered out.
Old Sheesan and the king were walking along a narrow strip of barren ground that seemed to be edged by a cliff. The forest was silent so the spymaster could hear the swishing of the witch's robes as she moved and the creak of Protarus' battle harness. They paused at the edge of the cliff. The witch gestured at a point on the ground.
'More magic there,' Kalasariz heard her say. 'A woman, methinks.'
'A witch?' Protarus asked.
'No, she weren't no witch. Somethin' else, for certain. I can't quite put me finger on it.'
She turned and pointed back at the forest where Kalasariz was hiding. He was so alarmed he nearly fled.
But then she said, 'Both of 'em come through there. Lord Timura was on that horse that's been givin' yer Majesty fits of envy. The woman was on a mare-and that was somethin' special too. Animal magic all over the place.'
'Yes, yes,' Protarus said, sniffing eagerly at the air. 'I can smell it myself!'
The witch chortled. 'Soon yer won't need the likes of Old Sheesan to ferret out mischief,' she said. 'And then where will this poor old granny be?'
'She won't be poor at any rate,' Protarus said. 'Not after all the gold I've been dumping in her lap.'
'Gold's not ever'thin', Majesty,' the witch said. 'Least that's what they say. Although they leave out the part about exactly what's missin' that gold won't cure.'
Kalasariz made a mental note to find out where the witch had hidden all this gold she was talking about.
If he removed her little treasure cache she'd be more dependent on him.
'Anyways,' the witch went on, 'they came out there and rode up to the cliff where they stopped to palaver awhile. Then Lord Timura went off that way.' The witch pointed to the most distant edge of the forest.
'What about the woman?' Protarus asked.
'I don't know,' the witch said. 'There's no sign of her after that. It's like she rode her mare off the cliff, or somethin'. Whatever she did, she didn't go with Lord Timura.'
'Is that all?' Protarus asked, impatient. 'When you urged me to go with you tonight you said you'd made a great discovery. Where is it? I see Safar's trail, which we've been following all along, so that's certainly no 'great discovery.' He met a woman! So what? A romantic interlude, I suspect. He's probably tired of Leiria by now and wanted something different. Again, so what? As for the woman's disappearance, if I don't care about the woman, then what do I care what happened to her?'
'Yer got it exactly, Majesty,' the witch replied. 'A romantic inter-lude! Yes, indeed, that's what Lord Timura was up to.' She gave a nasty giggle. 'In more ways th'n one, yer old granny suspects.'
She gestured wide. 'There's lust in the air, that's for certain,' she said. 'A prancin' stallion and a willin'
mare. A lusty young man and a hot-blooded maid. What could be more natural, like? Then add magic: the man's a wizard, the maid's maybe a witch. Stir the pot well, mixin' in the horse and the mare, both magic too, and we gets us a delicious broth, yer Majesty.
'We're gettin' close to Lord Timura, Majesty. Catch up to him within a week, is Old Sheesan's guess.
And yer needs to be prepared when that time comes, if yer don't mind me sayin'.'
'What's to prepare for?' Protarus asked, curt. 'I have an army. He only has a few hundred peasants.'
'But he's slipped yer grasp afore, Majesty,' the witch said. 'So he might do it again. More important-how's he gonner fight back? Ferget his soldiers, good or bad. Don't matter. Neither does yer army. We're talkin' about a wizard, here. Most powerful wizard in all Esmir, some say, demons included.
'Why, it's said it was Timura The Wizard that brought down Zanzair, Majesty. And yer had a bigger, meaner army then. And yer weren't a shape-changer, neither, was yer, Majesty? That's how bad he hurt yer, ain't it? Hurt yer real bad he did, this Timura the Wizard and if yer ain't careful, he'll get yer again!'
'And you have a solution, I take it.' Protarus said.
'Indeed I do, yer Majesty,' she said, lifting up her blind face to him. 'I can give yer power over him when yer meets. We can make a spell here and now that'll do it.'
'Then cast the spell, woman,' Protarus demanded. 'Get on with it!'
'That's all I needed to hear, Majesty,' the witch cackled. 'Yer had to order it, first!'
With that she raised her hands and began to twirl. Around and around, like a slow moving top. In his hiding place, Kalasariz snorted in disgust when he saw her raggedy robes rise up and show her bony knees. Then she went faster, turning still faster, and both Kalasariz and Protarus gaped as she became a blur. The blur began to glow, radiant sparks flying off into the night. Then the witch slowed and the blur took form.
Kalasariz gasped. For instead of an ugly witch there was a wondrous woman standing before Protarus.
She was pleasing of form and face, with long golden hair and a gossamer gown of black that displayed all of her beauty.
The spymaster heard a growl of lust, thought it was his own being voiced, then realized it was Protarus.
The witch laughed, but instead of a harsh cackle it sounded like tinkling bells. 'Come to me my sweet,'
she said, voice silky and smooth. 'And we shall make such a spell!'
She opened her arms and Protarus gave a great howl and bounded forward to take her.
Kalasariz crept away. Before he'd been angry and worried. Now he was merely frightened. He had to come up with something quickly, before the witch had complete control over the king. What really frightened him was that it might already be too late.
If the spymaster had tarried he would have seen greater reason to fear the witch.
After she had drained Iraj of all his strength, she made herself more beautiful still, curling up to him, whispering poisoned words into his ear.
'You are a mystery to me,' she said. 'You are so strong, so wise, and yet you allow yourself to be guided by fools.'
Iraj stirred. 'If you mean my spell brothers,' he said, 'I don't have any choice.'
The witch cuddled closer, pressing her luscious form against Iraj. 'Is that what they told you?' she asked.
'That once the Spell of Four was cast, you were locked to them forever?'
Iraj sighed. 'Yes,' he said. 'Forever.'
'I can show you how to be free of them,' she said. 'I can teach you how to break the chains.'
Even in lust, Iraj's suspicions were aroused. 'Why would you do this?' he asked. 'What is it that you expect in return?'
'Only to be your queen, Iraj Protarus,' the witch answered. 'I have waited a lifetime for one such as you.
I have powers-more power than any witch in all of Esmir. But I want more. You understand what I mean by that, don't you? To want
'Yes,' Iraj whispered. 'Yes!'
'Together,' she said, 'we can have it all! Together we will at last be satisfied. But first … we must set you free from the Spell of Four.'
Iraj turned to her, eyes bright with hope. 'How?' he asked. 'Show me!'
'First we have to catch Safar Timura,' the witch said. 'It would help to have the child, but it isn't absolutely necessary.'
'Teach me now!' Iraj demanded. 'I don't want to wait!'
The witch giggled. 'So impatient!' she said. 'Just like that stallion after the mare!'
He tried to take her again, but she avoided his embrace, saying, 'First swear to me that you'll make me your
