The Gods Awaken

soon put him to the torture in an attempt to learn our plans.'

'Forgive me for suggesting any doubt of your words, My Lady Lottyr,' Clayre said, biting back bitter disappointment, 'but you said the news was neither fair nor foul. Yet the events you describe seem to have little good in them. Is there something this ignorant one is missing?'

Musical laughter issued from the six mouths of the goddess. Then Lottyr said, 'I cautioned you once before, sister, that our first attempt might not entirely succeed.'

It was all Clayre could do not to snap. She calmed herself. 'You said the Timuras escaped,' she said.

'Forgive me, but the only conclusion I can draw from that answer is that we had no success at all.'

'Oh, but we did, sister,' Lottyr said. 'As for their escape, you must share some of the blame. It was, after all, your granddaughter, Queen Jooli, who assisted them.'

Clayre gritted her teeth. Be damned to that girl! 'I'm sorry to hear that, goddess,' she said. 'And you were correct in saying I am at fault when it comes to Jooli. I should have killed that child long ago.'

More laughter from the goddess. 'Do not despair, sister,' Lottyr said. 'You'll have your chance to rectify that soon enough.'

She paused, graceful arms waving, then she said. 'Also, the man we used for the sacrifice wasn't satisfactory. He was too weak to bear the pain long enough.'

Again, Clayre was stricken with guilt. Something she was quite unaccustomed to. The sailor had been suffering from some illness and she'd used the excuse of treating him so there'd be no suspicions of her intent.

'Next time I'll make certain the victim is quite healthy, Lady,' Clayre vowed.

'Excellent,' the goddess said. 'Also try to find someone younger. Virility is the spice of life, you know.

And of death.'

'I'll do that as well, Lady,' Clayre promised with a smile. 'As a matter of fact, I've had my eye on some of the younger men in the crew for my own purposes.'

'Lovely,' the goddess said, giggling musically. 'Then we can share.'

'Pardon, Lady,' Clayre said, when the giggling subsided. 'But you said we did meet with some success in this encounter. What might that be?'

'The most important thing,' the goddess replied, 'is that I found the answers to several questions I believe you were thinking of asking me.'

Clayre's eyebrows rose. 'Yes?'

'To begin with,' said the goddess, 'I've learned the whereabouts of a certain king. His name is Iraj Protarus.'

Clayre clapped her hands in delight. 'That's wonderful news, my goddess,' she said. 'Wonderful news, indeed!'

An hour later, secure in her new-found knowledge, Queen Clayre sent for her son.

King Rhodes tromped into her cabin, full of protests and bluster. 'By the gods, mother,' he thundered,

'have you lost all your senses? You know damned well I'm getting ready for battle! And yet you insist on interrupting me.'

'Oh, the battle,' she said, suppressing a yawn. 'I'd forgotten about that.'

'How could you forget?' Rhodes fumed. 'This is the chance we've been waiting for ever since we left home!'

Clayre ignored his anger. She waved a hand airily. 'Have you managed to catch up to Safar Timura's ship yet?'

Rhodes thrust a thick finger at her port window. 'It's just over the horizon. We're going to heave to for the night, ready our defenses, then attack at dawn.'

'How clever of you, my son,' Clayre said. 'Or should I say, how clever of Kalasariz. You couldn't have done this on your own, the gods know.'

Rhodes, thanks to some mental prodding by Kalasariz, kept himself from exploding. He sighed heavily.

'What is it you want, mother?' he asked.

'Nothing much,' Clayre said. 'Just the loan of one of your younger sailors to help me with a little task here. A nice handsome lad would be best. Someone with a good, virile physique.'

Rhodes glared at his mother. 'Since when did you start thinking I was your whoremaster?' he demanded.

'Get your own bedmate and be damned!'

Clayre smiled, quite unmoved by his words. 'If you continue to insult me, son,' she said, 'I won't lift a finger to help you during the battle. Without my magic things might not go so well as you wish.'

Once again Kalasariz had to surge forth to keep Rhodes from losing his temper.

Finally, after an intense internal debate with the spymaster, the king said to Clayre, 'Very well, mother. I'll get you your lad. He'll be here within the hour.'

As he turned to go, Clayre said, 'Oh, by the by. I mentioned that I needed this boy on loan?'

'What of it?'

'I misspoke,' Clayre replied with a shrug. 'When I'm done with this fellow I fear they'll be nothing left to return.'

'Whatever you say, mother,' Rhodes growled.

As he exited, he made sure to slam the door.

'Such a temper,' Clayre said to herself. 'Just like his father.'

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

BATTLE FOR THE NEPENTHE

Queen Clayre should have had more faith in her son. Although he was no mighty wizard like Safar, he was a skilled general and a cunning adversary.

He hadn't wasted a moment of those many weeks at sea pursuing Safar and Palimak. His men were trained to the highest degree of readiness. And, after consulting with Kalasariz about Esmirian weapons and tactics, he'd come up with several tricks to stack the odds even more in his favor.

And so, as the pearly dawn crept up over the horizon, he approached his task eagerly and with supreme confidence. His first goal was to trap the Nepenthe against the coral reefs that lined the Aroborus shore.

With his ship, the Kray, in the center he spread his little fleet out windward of the Kyranian vessel to cut off any possibility of escape. Then, working in the half-light, he crammed every launch he possessed with soldiers.

Using muffled oars, the launches moved out ahead of Rhodesa€™ ships, trying to get within easy striking distance before they were discovered.

Although Rhodes wasn't too worried about that possibility. At Kalasariza€™ urging, he'd asked Clayre to cast a spell that would fuddle the Kyraniansa€™ minds until it was too late. From all appearances her spell seemed to be working, for as the longboats approached there wasn't the slightest sign of life aboard the Nepenthe.

To the king's immense delight, the Kyranian airship was nowhere in sight. Clayre had warned him that her spell could only creep along the water and blanket the Nepenthe and thus would have no effect at all on the sky warriors.

Although Rhodes was fairly certain the airship would show up once the battle commenced, his hope was that his main task would be completed before he had to engage the flying vessel. But even if this hope proved false he was well prepared for the airship's arrival.

Within the king, Kalasariz wallowed in the juices of Rhodesa€™ pleasure. In his mind's eye he saw Safar Timura led before him in chains. He imagined the elaborate torments he'd apply to Safar's body and soul.

Whips and racks and bone crackers for the flesh. The sight of Safar's loved ones-the bitch woman, Leiria; the