The Gods Awaken

The earthquake had done extensive damage and he'd spent half the previous day and the entire night, plus most of today, overseeing the clean-up and rescue work. Twenty-two dead. Fifty-three more buried in rubble and possibly dead. No matter that they were only slaves. They were valuable, dammit! Brawny workers and comely women all; plus half the women were pregnant, and therefore worth double.

Rhodes did not deem himself fortunate because there had been no deaths among the citizenry. They'd only suffered injuries-two hundred minor, forty-six, serious. Pity some of his courtiers hadn't been killed instead of the slaves. In his estimation they were all a needless drain on the kingdom's treasury.

He would tell his mother all this, then give her a good piece of his mind for interrupting his labors digging out the collapsed slave quarters.

But when he came to the closed door leading into his mother's rooms, the king paused, stricken first by doubt, then by weakening resolve. Feared by thousands-no, tens of thousands-Rhodes always found himself undergoing a transformation in Clayre's presence. He was a brave man. A king who always led his troops from the front even in the fiercest battle. But when his mother spoke his nerve fled like kitchen beetles when a torch was lit.

Adding tension to this particular visit was the knowledge that his mother had been working on the plan they both had agreed would turn the tables on Palimak Timura and the Kyranians. He thought it was a good plan. Fortuitous circumstances had delivered the means into their hands. Three powerful devils who had appeared the moment after Queen Charize was killed by Palimak. Devils they could enslave and use against the Kyranians.

Still, he had grave doubts about the part he was supposed to play. Then Rhodes thought, be damned to magic! Why can't we just do things the old, honest way? Such as slipping a spy into Palimak's quarters and slitting his throat?

His mother, sensing his presence, called out: 'Come in, my son. We're waiting for you.' Cursing under his breath, Rhodes entered.

Across the room-looking more beautiful than ever-his mother was regally ensconced in her wide-backed, pillowed throne. Standing in front of her was a tall man, who turned as Rhodes entered.

The man had features as pale as death and he was so thin that his long face looked like a skull. His eyes were flat black-giving away nothing. He smiled when he saw Rhodes and the king thought he'd never seen such a terrible smile. Thin lips made a long red gash in the pale face.

The man nodded his head in what could have been taken for a slight and oh, so imperious bow.

'Good afternoon, majesty,' the man said in deep tones. 'It's a great honor to finally meet you.' He held out his hand.

Rhodes was furious at this gesture. How dare this … this … common creature … offer such an intimate exchange as touching hands with the King of Hanadu!?

'Go ahead, son,' his mother said. 'Take his hand.'

Rhodes was not only going to refuse, but his hand instantly went to the hilt of his sword. By the gods he'd cut this swine's heart out and have it roasted for supper! But, strangely, his hand swept past the hilt, rising of its own accord to find the stranger's.

'My name is Kalasariz, majesty,' the spymaster said as their fingers touched. 'And I understand we're about to have a great deal in common.'

And then he laughed. Rhodes nearly balled up his fist to smash that laugh out of the man's head, when a shock ran up his fingers-lanced along his arm, then burst into his heart.

The king clutched his chest, but then the pain was gone. And he found himself staring into empty air.

Kalasariz had vanished!

The astonished king scanned the room. 'What in the hells!' he exclaimed. 'What happened to that son of a whoremaster?'

Clayre smiled gently. 'Don't you remember our plan, my son?' she asked. 'He's inside you now. A supremely powerful force at your instant command.'

Kalasariz stared out at the queen through Rhodesa€™ startled eyes. He could feel the king's throat constrict in fear. His heart trip hammering, his veins and nerves running with ice.

The spymaster experienced the king's shudder of agony. The licking of dry lips, then an embarrassing stutter, as Rhodes said, 'I … I … You didn't warn me, mother!'

'I thought it would be less of a shock, my dear,' Kalasariz heard Clayre reply through the king's ears.

This is a good body, the spymaster thought. And he quite liked the mind. Although it was filled with confusion now-shot with more fears than a brutally violated maiden. But he sensed the sharpness of the king's brain, and the cunning, oh, the cunning, it was like finding a honeycomb in a bitter wilderness. It wasn't so cunning as the thinking organ that Kalasariz had himself been blessed with. But it would do. It would do.

He whispered to Rhodes, Do not trouble yourself, majesty. I am a very discreet fellow. I will donothing to interfere with your natural functions. I'm only here to advise. And to add to youralready inestimable powers.

To his surprise, the heart he shared with Rhodes went from trip-hammer to hysterical pounding. The ice in the king's veins switched to shocking fire. And he realized that his 'voice' had unnerved Rhodes, coming from within as it did. Funny, came a thought as an aside. Funny, how Kalasariz had imagined his own lips moving, his vocal apparatus making words, but the entire process had been mental. Much faster than real speech.

So fast, in fact, that he could react and suggest new things with a speed that outpaced the sudden relaxed feeling growing in Rhodesa€™ bladder. There was no way Kalasariz would permit the shared embarrassment of Rhodes pissing their pants.

So he said, When the time comes, majesty, I'll help you kill your mother. Various of Rhodesa€™

organs became calmer. Kalasariz went on: She's been telling you what to do for far too long now.

Using her magic to keep you under her thumb. It's not fair, you know. A mother should allow herchild to be the man he truly is. I saw it right off. The instant I entered your body.

There was a tremble when he mentioned the part about body entering so Kalasariz hastened to add, Thisis a temporary solution for both our problems, majesty. Your mother forced me into this situation.

But rest assured, as soon as we accomplish our common goals, I have a plan to properly separateus into two delightful human beings again.

Unconsciously, Rhodes opened his mouth to reply. Kalasariz quickly jumped in. Say nothing to menow, he advised. Wait until we are in private and we can learn to communicate together withoutgiving our conversations away.

Rhodes nodded. He got the message. His heartbeat calmed and his breathing became more gentle.

Queen Clayre glared at Rhodes. 'Why are you nodding your head like a fool?' she demanded. 'Are you listening to me? Have you heard a word I've said?'

And to Kalasariza€™ immense satisfaction, Rhodes replied with the utmost calmness:

'Yes, mother. I hear.'

Then Kalasariz internal 'sight' was jarred as the king's eyes moved to the side and focused on a large mural. The spymaster saw an army marching out of a mountaintop castle. And at the head of that army was a mounted warrior armored like a king. On either side of him were women warriors-princess generals, Kalasariz guessed by the banners they flew. One of the princesses was dark-skinned and rode the most magnificent black mare Kalasariz had ever seen.

It's just a painting, he thought. Why is the king so interested? Is he a lover of fine art? Or horseflesh? Or both? He quickly became bored with Rhodesa€™ attention to the mural and attempted to turn his thoughts away to some proper planning. Maybe he'd snoop around this new body a bit to see just how well things worked. Maybe he'd talk the king into visiting his harem tonight. It had been a long time since Kalasariz had enjoyed the embrace of a woman.

But the king's fixation with the mural was so strong that Kalasariz couldn't tear his own mind away.

He felt Rhodesa€™ vocal chords open and once again experienced the rumble of the king's voice.

'What happened to the horse, mother?' Rhodes asked, finger lifting to point at the mural.

Queen Clayre turned her head to look. Nothing caught her attention, much less caused her any surprise.