Prince Vorn laid a hand on the young soldier’s mailed shoulder. “Be at ease, son. When last did you see an enemy soldier?”
The subaltern cleared his throat, then said, “Almost a day ago, sire.”
Vorn nodded and turned to look at Lord Althair.
Althair shrugged. “I submit to you that we have triumphed.”
Vorn scowled. “Or do we walk triumphantly into Incarnadine’s trap?”
Althair looked about the high-ceiling hall in which they stood. It was being used as a staging area. Heaps of supplies lay about. Men of the quartermaster’s corps were carrying more in. “I see no trap, Your Royal Highness. In fact, I see nothing but the same rancid field rations and mildewed blankets that have held this army together for more than a year.” Beside him Lord Dax snickered.
Vorn grunted. He turned again to the subaltern.
“I am told you fought bravely, and well.”
The subaltern’s chest expanded slightly. “It was my privilege. Your Royal Highness.”
“Your unit overran more than a few enemy barricades. You led the charges yourself. True?”
“Sire, I cannot gainsay it.”
“Tell me this. How far into the keep has your phalanx penetrated? I realize distance here is difficult to judge.”
“I truly do not know, sire. We walked for hours, then tried to find our way back. We nearly lost ourselves for good and all.”
“And you were never challenged?”
“Never, sire.”
“And you’ve seen no castle guards since yesterday?”
“None, sire.” The subaltern’s gaze darted around the immense chamber. “Sire, this castle is truly enchanted! We —”
“Yes, we know. You and your men are relieved until further notice. Eat, drink, and disport yourselves. Dismissed.”
“Yes, sire!” The subaltern saluted and left.
Vorn’s face was troubled. Arms akimbo, he began to pace. “Too easy,” he murmured. “Too, too easy.”
“Put your suspicions to rest, Highness,” Dax said. “We have won the day. If Incarnadine’s sorcery could prevail, it would have done so long before this.”
Vorn stopped and nodded. “Aye, one would think so.”
“He sprang his traps at every turn,” Althair said. “We always managed to fight our way out.”
Vorn snorted. “We? You mean my soldiers did. At the cost of rivers of their blood.”
Althair looked pained. “Yes. The battle in the mines …” He turned up his nose. “Ghastly business.” He dismissed the unpleasantness with a disdainful motion of the hand.
Vorn viewed him coldly. “I am sorry your sensibilities were offended.”
Althair stiffened. “I only state facts.”
“Again, you would do well not to waste time arguing a case for the sky’s being up, or for shit’s being brown.”
“May I remind His Royal Highness that I was against the lactic of undermining from the very first? If you had heeded my suggestions —”
“I have had my ears stuffed full of your endless carping and quibbling for nigh a year.”
Althair drew his narrow shoulders up. “His Royal Highness chooses convenient time to pick a fight, when the battle’s won and spoils are at hand to be divided.”
Vorn whirled, eyes searching the room. “Spoils? Where? Like you, I see nothing but rat-gnawed blankets and barrels of moldy hardtack.”
Lord Dax began, “The treasure room —”
“And where is it?”
“We must search for it.”
“We’ll be centuries finding it.”
A woman’s voice said, “With respect, I beg to differ with His Royal Highness.”
The three men turned toward the arched doorway. Lady Melydia stood within it, flanked by two armed escorts. Carrying a satchel and a wooden case, Osmirik looked over her shoulder. Behind him other servants waited.
Vorn smiled. “My lady.”
She told the guards to wait outside, then entered, her blue-dyed long gown rustling as she moved. Osmirik followed her. As she drew near, she shivered and gathered her red shawl about her shoulders. “This frightful place is always so cold.”
Vorn undid his cape and draped it around her.
“You are too kind, sire,” she said with a smile.
Althair looked at Dax and rolled his eyes.
Vorn returned her smile. “How do you beg to differ, my lady?”
“In this wise, Highness. Finding the treasure room will be a small matter, once the Spell Stone is located.”
“This is good news. How came you by it?”
“Recently I have cast knowledge-gathering spells which have probed more deeply into the exact nature of the castle’s magic. Although I have had opportunity to do this in times past, I lacked the means. Getting the means took much scholarship over the past few months, much poring over ancient books.”
Osmirik cast his eyes to the ceiling and cleared his throat.
Melydia went on: “When the Spell Stone’s spell is abrogated, the castle will cease to exist. That much I knew. But I was unsure about the fate of everyone and everything in the castle. Now I know much more, although my knowledge is far from complete. According to my best calculations, this is what will happen with respect to physical objects inside the castle: any and all artifacts which exist in and of themselves — that is, which are not also magical constructs — will remain. Chairs and tables and spoons and knives, all inanimate objects, perforce including what valuables as may exist. With the castle gone, their location will of course be revealed.”
Vorn’s grin was broad. “Excellent! And what of people?”
Melydia took a breath. “Unfortunately, I cannot be so specific with regard to the beings, human and otherwise, who reside here. I think most of the latter will be swept away, banished to those regions of Hell that spawned them. As to the humans — guards, servants, and citizenry — if any of them are still in the castle when it goes, I know not what will be their fate. Some or all of them may in truth be demons. I have always harbored suspicions concerning their origin.”
“What of Incarnadine himself?”
Melydia frowned. “I do not know. He likely has already hied himself through one of the castle’s many portals, thereby eluding me … us.”
Dax asked, “What of the curious lot who parade about the place in strange garb, doing even stranger things?”
“You mean the so-called Guests?”
“Yes. Well, the ones who appear human, at least.”
“I suspect they, too, will be swept away. They appear human, but they also may be of infernal origin. At any rate, I think it safe to say that anything that entered Castle Perilous by magical means will vanish with it.”
“Does this include us?” Althair asked.
Melydia answered, “Hardly. We will not vanish. However, I am not sure exactly what will happen. There could be danger.”
“What do you propose we do?” Vorn asked.
“Continue mopping up — at least go through the motions, though no enemy be in sight. I will locate the Spell Stone.”
“How will you do it?” Vorn asked.
“By magical means, of course. I have it all planned. When I am ready to undertake the undoing of the spell, you and your men must leave the castle — get as far away as possible.”
