Mynx's expression revealed what she thought of fools who followed any gods at all. "You know much of Heder-ick," she said. "Tell me about him."
"Why?"
"I want to know everything I can about the High Theo-crat."
"Again, why?"
"It may help me kill him."
Tarscenian ventured a guess. "Because of your friend?"
"He was only a kender, I know, but honor is honor."
Interesting to hear a thief talk about honor, Tarscenian thought as he watched her, but he held his tongue. He had promised Ancilla not to slay Hederick himself, but he'd never pledged to stop anyone else from doing so. Still…
"We have at least an hour," Mynx said, urging him to tell her more.
"Not now," he said. "I prefer to rest while we wait for this Gaveley." He drained the rest of his wine, leaned against the back of the settee, and pretended to close his eyes. He watched Mynx through slitted lids.
Mynx frowned, but made no further effort to coerce him. She ranged around the room for a while, sipping her wine and studying Gaveley's collections of statues, jewels, and tapestries. Then she sank onto a stool, drained her goblet, and leaned over a table. Her chin on her hands, she stared into one of the rubies in the pink quartz lamp screen.
Tarscenian closed his eyes. He could tell her plenty about Hederick, but not right away. No point giving any shy;thing away to a thief for free.
Chapter 13
Several leagues away, hederick was having trouble falling asleep. Dahos had reported Tarscenian's escape to the High Theo-crat immediately, of course, and the thought that the for shy;mer Seeker priest was out there in the darkness, no doubt laughing at him, kept Hederick wide awake.
He shoved himself upright in his silk-sheeted bed and made his way to the window, where he opened the shut shy;ters and lit a candle. Holding the light in the window, he described a circle, and then another, and finally a third. Then he waited.
A stench from outdoors sent his stomach heaving, and he battled back the nausea. Hederick's nose always told him of the goblins' approach before his eyes could con shy;firm it. A combination of rotten eggs and stale fish, the odor was enough to turn the strongest stomach. The creatures were too stupid even to know they stank.
Still, they served a purpose now. Goblins operated mostly at night, obeyed orders without question, loved to kill, weren't bright enough to be any threat to Hederick, and worked cheaply. Hederick had imported a half-dozen of the beasts shortly after he'd first occupied Erolydon, and lately had added a few dozen more. Already the troop of spies and bloodletters had more than paid for their keep. He had been adding some hob shy;goblins to his guard force as well, but these were more difficult to control.
The goblins all boasted broad noses, small fangs, pointed ears, sloping foreheads, dull eyes, and short stature. Although goblins came in a variety of colors- generally shades of yellow and orange and red-most of the beasts that lived in a knoll just north of Erolydon were all dirty orange, indicating they hailed from the same tribe.
Hederick could tell the beasts apart solely by their eyes. Yellow Eyes had eyes that were lemon-colored. He was one of the more intelligent goblins-which wasn't saying much.
"You want I?" Gradually the beasts had learned that this new employer comprehended them only when they spoke slowly and plainly, which was how most of them spoke anyway.
Hederick took a step back from the creature's rancid breath. "I have a task for you," he whispered, trying not to breathe.
"Extra meat? Yes?" The beast's lemony eyes gleamed brighter. Were these stupid creatures always hungry?
Hederick fought the urge to barter. After all, the goblins earned little enough as it was. "Yes, extra meat." He was growing faint, affected by the goblin's odor in the oppres shy;sive heat.
"Kill 'em someone?" The wide-eyed goblin asked.
Hederick nodded again. "Tarscenian, the tall man in the courtyard yesterday. Remember?"
"Tall man? Beard with cloak? Mage lady next to? Him that run-run out door when boom take ladymage?" Hederick grimaced. "Yes."
"Not kill 'em, no. Just capture. Bring 'em back temple. Not kill 'em, never, no, never. Not!"
"That's what Dahos told you, I know," Hederick said. "I'm changing his order."
The yellow eyes narrowed. "Change 'em orders?"
"Kill him," Hederick repeated.
"Kill 'em?"
"Yes, kill Tarscenian, the tall man in the cloak."
"No!" Yellow Eyes chanted again. "Not kill 'em, no. Just capture. Bring 'em back temple. Not kill 'em, never, no, never. Not!"
Hederick heaved a sigh. He should have imported hobgoblins first. Certainly they were more vicious and harder to manage, but at least they had brains larger than pebbles. Some even spoke passable Abanasinian. "'By the sword of Sauvay! You idiot, listen. Kill Tarscenian. Yes, kill. Kill him"
After repeating the new instructions five times, Yellow Eyes seemed to catch their drift. "Kill him dead?"
Hederick nodded.
"Eat'em, yes?"
Suddenly Hederick was sweating a river. Nausea thick shy;ened his throat again; his hands shook. But he struggled to maintain control and nodded. "Yes, eat him … No, wait!"
Yellow Eyes looked even more confused. Hederick took a deep breath. "Kill Tarscenian, yes. Do whatever you want with the body. But…"
"But?"
"But bring me the head." Hederick would not trust the goblins to have followed his orders until he had some proof of Tarscenian's death.
He made Yellow Eyes repeat the orders several more times, then he dismissed the goblin. The High Theocrat made his way back to his bed and stretched out. The steamy predawn heralded another sultry day in Solace.
Hederick felt like vomiting.
Discipline, he told himself. Breathe slowly. Loosen your fists. Steady yourself, you fool! "Order is the greatest good," he whispered to steel himself. "The Seekers will rule the world." The thought of all those waiting, needy souls braced Hederick, as it always did. "I will lead them all," he murmured.
Solace had had a modest Seeker church in the center of the city long before Hederick had arrived. When Solace had chosen to join Gateway and Haven in the Seeker theocracy, and the Council of Highseekers had gone on to appoint Hederick as High Theocrat, he had persuaded the high council that a trading center of Solace's stature needed a marvelous monument to the Seeker gods.
"Let us fulfill the prophecies of the Praxis and show the world the glory and strength of Omalthea and the pan shy;theons!" he had argued. One by one, the Highseekers had come around. Only that perpetual troublemaker, young Elistan, had seemed unconvinced. But even Elistan had ultimately gone along with Hederick's plans for Eroly-don.
Hederick forced himself to focus his thoughts. The trouble with Tarscenian was all but solved, and it was entirely possible that for the first time in decades, Heder shy;ick might be free of his sister.
The High Theocrat forced his thoughts through the duties of the coming day. He would join Dahos in the dawn devotions. There were many Seeker rites of devo shy;tion; each god and goddess in the two pantheons de shy;manded a separate rite of adoration. But there were also novitiates to instruct, priests to meet with, and workers to be supervised as they put the finishing touches on Eroly-don. Hederick also planned to step up his inquisitions, and later, during the evening revelations, he would again welcome converts to the cause.
The silk oversheet clung damply to Hederick's skin, and he wadded it up and tossed it in a corner. Later in the day, a pair of Seeker novitiates would spend hours in the airless laundry room beneath the women's quarters. Glorying in the heat and discomfort, they would reverently steam out each crease in the precious fabrics that enhanced the private quarters of the new High Theocrat.