The shout was followed by a sudden blast of wind blowing from nowhere. It was so strong that it knocked Tabusir to his knees.
But his heart was full of glee as he looked up and saw the airship spinning out of control. Then it steadied and began a hasty descent to the ground.
The air became still and the silence was as thick as the gathering clouds. Then a whole dragon's nest of lightning snaked from sky to ground in a series of
Another long silence set in, only to be broken by Rhodesa€™ roared orders as he drove his men forward. He was so busy that Tabusir had to wait a full hour before he could approach with the news that they'd been discovered.
By then all the men and siege engines were in place and Rhodes only shrugged after he'd heard Tabusir out.
'It doesn't matter now,' he said. 'All we have to do is wait out my mother's storm, then attack.'
And with those words a heavy rain began to fall. Then a steady, driving wind whipped into the valley and Rhodes and his soldiers huddled on the ground, drawing oil-skins over their heads.
Tabusir crouched beside the king, the wind-driven rain hammering against his waterproof hood.
The mud and the storm should have made him miserable. Instead, his excitement grew hour by hour, as he eagerly awaited Clayre's promise of a peaceful dawn.
Safar and Iraj were also not that surprised when Biner stomped in out of the storm with his news.
'Arlain spotted a column of troops comina€™ over the rise, lad,' Biner said. 'She thinks it's that devil King Rhodes. But I don't know. Seems unlikely to me, since we haven't heard one peep out of him for weeks.'
Then he stomped his boots and shook himself like a great shaggy dog, spattering water all over the castle's royal chamber.
Iraj started to take offense at his behavior, but Safar hissed a warning that this was a friend of his and Iraj quickly turned an imperious frown of disapproval into a warm smile.
With Safar coaching him, Iraj replied, 'We've never doubted Arlain's eyes before, Biner. We'd be fools to start now.'
Biner nodded. 'Aye, you're right about that, lad,' he said. 'Nothing we can do to about it now, though.
The storm's so fierce not even a giant could stand upright under those winds. We covered the airship as best as we could and we'll just have to hope that the wind lets up enough for us to get outside and keep the fires goina €™ in the engines.'
Iraj poured a goblet of brandy for the ringmaster, saying, 'This storm isn't natural, my friend. There's enough magic stink in it to rival a Walarian offal ditch. I think the tempest is the work of Queen Clayre.
That's why it's so powerful. And when morning comes we'll find ourselves surrounded by Rhodesa€™
entire army.'
Biner snorted angrily. 'What's wrong with that rube?' he growled. 'He's got more flea-bitten ideas than a circus geek! Why can't he be satisfied with his own kingdom and leave us alone? Why did he have to follow the likes of us to the end of the freakina€™ world?'
Safar mental-whispered advice to Iraj, who replied, 'Maybe we'd better send for the others, so I can explain what we're up against to everyone at the same time.'
Biner grunted agreement and went to the door where Renor was standing guard to tell him to pass the word that everyone was wanted in Safar's chambers.
Soon they were all gathered before Safar, the wind whistling wildly outside and the rain hammering a heavy drumbeat on the castle's thick walls. All the shutters had been barred against the fierce tropical storm, making the room uncomfortably warm.
Iraj/Safar gave each guest a warm welcome. There was Queen Yorlain, seated upon a small ornate throne fetched in by her slaves. Also Coralean, immense beside the tiny Eeda. Leiria entered, looking drawn and troubled as if she'd had difficulty sleeping. Jooli was at her side, full of concern for her friend and casting odd looks at Safar, then at Leiria and back again.
Sergeant Hamyr, along with Renor and Sinch, attended as representatives of the Kyranian soldiers. Then there were Biner and Arlain, who came to speak for the circus folk.
Finally there was Palimak, who was pale from worry. The closeness of the atmosphere made the young man feel as if everything might not be quite real-like a dream threatening to spill over into actual life. As he watched his father greet each person, he burned with the desire to shout out his great secret:
In reality it was Iraj Protarus in Safar's body and he was falsely commanding their respect and rapt attention. But this wasn't totally true and besides, Palimak had promised himself that he wouldn't interfere unless it became absolutely necessary.
With much difficulty, he choked back the words that crowded into his thoughts demanding to be spoken.
Safar, speaking through Iraj, quickly summed up what Arlain and Biner had discovered. Then he said,
'It's my strong guess that the storm will end at dawn. And Rhodes will immediately throw everything he has against us.'
Queen Yorlain sat bolt upright in her throne. 'What a fool this king is!' she said. 'Doesn't he know the Castle of the Two Kings is impregnable? We can withstand months, nay, even years of any siege he can mount!'
'It's not quite that simple, Your Highness,' Iraj/Safar replied. 'To begin with, I doubt you've stocked the castle with all the weapons and supplies necessary to withstand even a short siege.'
Yorlain started to protest, then hesitated. Finally, she said, 'Unfortunately, your words have struck to the heart of our dilemma, my king. We barely had time to prepare for your coming, much less gird ourselves for war.'
Biner thumped his chair arm with a mighty fist. 'Never fear, me lad,' he said. 'We'll get the airship up at the crack of dawn and bombard Rhodesa€™ filthy hide to the hells!'
'As always, your instincts are right on target, my good and trusted friend,' Iraj/Safar said. 'However, I suspect Rhodes has something planned for the airship. That's what this storm is probably all about.
Clayre most likely created it to ground the airship. And it would be most unwise for us to underestimate our enemy and to doubt that he has a follow-up plan to deal with the airship when the storm passes.'
'I see what you mean, lad,' Biner said. 'But I still think we ought to get into the sky as quickly as we can.'
'It'th the only plathe the airthip ith thafe, Thafar,' Arlain pointed out. 'On the ground we're helpleth.'
'Then we should take that into consideration in our plans,' Iraj/Safar said.
Leiria broke in, saying, 'The moment the storm lifts-never mind if it's dawn by then-we ought to hit Rhodes and hit him hard. Nothing big. Just a nasty little in-and-out surprise attack that lets him know we have teeth.'
'Wonderful!' Jooli exclaimed. 'My father's a good soldier-an excellent general and planner. He also depends heavily on surprise. On the other hand, he's terrible at anticipating his enemy's response. That's his greatest weakness. And if his enemy has some kind of quick reply ready, it rattles him something fierce.'
Coralean laid a hand of sincerity across his broad chest. 'As all know, I am a great believer in the art of negotiation,' the caravan master said in his booming voice. 'The weapons of war are most necessary in this sad world the gods have cast us into. However, talk has won more battles than any war. And at the very least, talk has allowed defenses to be strengthened whilst the enemy perused a seemingly weighty bargaining proposal.'
'In other words, we strike first as Leiria suggested,' Iraj/Safar said. 'Followed by a flag of truce to discuss the situation to death while we build up our defenses. Is that what you're thinking?'
Coralean started to answer in the affirmative, but Eeda tugged his sleeve, winning his silence. He smiled fondly at her as she spoke.
'If my lord husband permits,' she said, 'I can accompany him and cast some small-and quite subtle-spells of confusion to help draw the negotiations out.' She patted her rounded belly. 'Even that great bitch Clayre won't suspect me because I'm obviously weak from being with child.'
Then, realizing the insult, Eeda blushed deeply and turned to Jooli. 'I'm sorry,' she said. 'That was an unforgivable thing to say about your grandmother.'
Jooli laughed, waving away the apology. 'I've called her worse,' she said. 'Besides, it's true. She is a bitch of
