CHAPTER FOUR
King Rhodes hefted the sack of gold in his big fist. 'For another one of these,' he rumbled, 'you can be king of all Syrapis for all I care.'
His bearded jaw swung open like hairy gates to make a yellow, broken-toothed smile. ''King of kingsa€™ is a title I've been hearing bandied about lately. If that's what you want, I won't stand in your way.'
Rhodes was playing to his subjects, who laughed in appreciation at their king's jest, crowding closer to the platform so they could hear every word of the exchange.
Palimak snorted. 'They tried that in Esmir,' he said. 'Didn't work.'
There were angry mutters in the crowd. They didn't like Palimak's rude retort to their king.
Rhodes dug thick fingers into his beard to scratch at some irritation. 'Clever answer,' he said. He jerked a bejeweled thumb at a scrawny-looking nobleman at his side. 'Only the other day I was telling my minister-Muundy here-what a clever young prince you are. Setting a fine example for me and my brother kings to follow.'
Palimak couldn't help but notice the contrast between the rich stone set in the thumb-ring and the grime under the king's nails. He warned himself mentally to proceed with great care. It would not be wise to underestimate this man. Of all the kings of Syrapis, Rhodes was the biggest, the meanest, the most barbaric.
And yet he had more than mere cunning glinting behind those rheumy eyes. He was also obviously well- informed by his spies. His hinted knowledge of Palimak's past troubles with Iraj Protarus was firm evidence of that. One thing Palimak had learned, however, was that the only way to deal with Rhodes was from strength.
As Coralean-that canny old caravan master-liked to say, 'Rhodes is either at your feet or at your throat.'
'That's kind of you to say so, Majesty,' Palimak replied, not bothering to hide his sarcasm.
He turned to Leiria, who was standing easy by his side, thumbs hooked over her belt. 'When we get home,' he said, 'remind me to see about setting up a special school for the kings of Syrapis. We'll start with classes on regular bathing and grooming.'
Leiria made a thin smile. She was barely conscious of the exchange, eyes flickering here and there for signs of danger.
Outwardly, Rhodes didn't take offense at Palimak's abuse. He guffawed, slapping a meaty palm against a thigh as thick as a pillar.
'What's the matter with you Kyranians?' he said. 'Don't you like a good smell? A man's smell?' He frowned, pretending concern. 'I worry about you, young prince. You bathe more than is healthy for you.
Why, if you aren't careful, you'll catch a chill and die on us. What a pity it would be for you to let out the ghost so young. Just when we're getting to know and love you.'
Palimak grinned sarcastically. 'And my gold,' he said. 'You seem to love that as well.'
Rhodesa€™ heavy brows beetled into a frown. Another buzz of anger went through the crowd. Leiria shifted, deliberately letting her chain mail rattle in warning.
A stranger to King Rhodesa€™ court, Leiria reflected, would've thought Palimak's impertinence foolishness of the first order. After all, the two of them were the only Kyranians on the platform with the king. And that platform- the same one they'd seen from the air not long before-was surrounded by hundreds of the king's subjects, who filled the open courtyard from wall to wall.
It was certainly an intimidating mob. Like their king, they were filthy. Food stains spotted their garments, some of which were actually quite well-made beneath the dirt. They were a large people; even some of the women were nearly six feet tall. The men sported fierce tattoos on their faces and many of the women had sharp filed teeth. Leiria suppressed a shudder.
It was rumored that Rhodes and his subjects were cannibals, although there was no real evidence of this.
There was no doubt, however, that they collected the heads of their enemies. Many wore belts festooned with shrunken skulls, decorated with colorful ribbons worked into the hair.
At any other time this mob would have charged the platform and ripped Palimak and Leiria to shreds.
Leiria glanced upward. Circling overhead was the great airship. Bowmen lined the rails, arrows fixed and ready to fire. They were magical arrows, specially constructed by Palimak-with the help of Gundaree and Gundara- to strike and horribly burn any target they hit.
These, plus the other spell weapons Biner and the crew were armed with, were the only things that kept Leiria and Palimak safe. Rhodes knew from painful experience that any threatening move on his part would bring instant and massive retaliation from above.
Rhodes caught Leiria's glance and his eyes instinctively flickered upward, then back again. She noted a brief, uncontrollable twitch of fear.
Then the king recovered, placing a hairy paw of mock sincerity across his broad, mailed chest. 'Here is the truth, young prince,' he said to Palimak. 'Spoken straight from this old heart. Despite our … ahem …
difficulties in the past, I now find myself thinking of you as the son I never had.'
Leiria saw a dangerous glow in Palimak's eyes: she knew he was thinking of Safar and was offended by Rhodesa€™ remark. Sometimes she almost forgot how young Palimak really was. And with youth came a quick and deadly temper.
She broke in before things took a bad turn. 'Pardon, majesty,' she said to Rhodes, 'but there seems to be something missing here.' She looked pointedly around the platform. 'Such as the matter of the hostage we agreed upon.'
Rhodes turned surly. 'What has this world come to?' he grumbled. 'Not to trust the word of a Syrapian king! I see no reason for this hostage business. You have my personal pledge that this truce and all of its terms will stand.'
'And one of the key requirements of those terms,' Leiria said, 'was that you would provide us with a hostage.'
She turned to Palimak. 'Apparently, King Rhodes still doesn't think we're serious, my lord,' she said to him. 'It's my advice that we leave now and allow him more time to reflect.'
Palimak eyed the king. 'Is that what you want?' he asked. 'If you need more thinking time, I'm certainly ready to grant it. Meanwhile, the blockade will stand.'
The blockade he was referring to was one of the main things that had forced Rhodes to the bargaining table. Coralean was at this moment standing off Rhodesa€™ main port with a small but well-armed fleet of mercenary warships. Effectively bottling Rhodesa€™ ships up and cutting off all trade with the outside world.
Rhodes sighed heavily. 'Very well,' he said. 'If you insist.' He turned and rumbled orders to one of his aides.
A few moments later there was a loud yowl-like someone had just been foolish enough grab hold of a tiger's tail! This was followed by a firestorm of shrill curses and threats.
Palimak heard someone rail, 'Get your hands off me, you sons of flea-ridden curs! I'll claw your filthy eyes from your heads and your lying tongues from your mouths!'
Then he gaped as two red-faced soldiers stumbled onto the platform, dragging a biting, kicking, scratching bundle of fury between them. The men's faces and arms were dripping blood from wounds they'd already suffered in the struggle.
It took Palimak a full minute to realize that it was a woman, not a howling animal, that they were hauling before the king.
And what a woman she was! Easily as tall as Leiria, sinuously muscular like a great cat, tawny hair like a lion's and glittering diamond-hard eyes. She was half naked-someone had obviously tried to force her to dress and she wasn't having any of it.
The rich clothing, inlaid with gems and gold bead, had been ripped to shreds by her struggles, revealing an impressive expanse of shapely limbs. Only a narrow breast band and a scanty loin cloth guarded her modesty from full public view.
