Grand Master Soton, disguised under a green cloak and wearing his special elevated boots, entered the King's Head Tavern. Despite its proximity to Old Balph it struck Soton as an odd name for a tavern in the Holy City. Inside the tavern was filled with mercenaries and Temple soldiers. He was instantly aware of two tables full of Styphon's Temple Guard, decked out like popinjays in their bright red cloaks and silver-plated armor. Soton wondered if they bothered to take their iron breeches off, even when they took one of the wenches to an upstairs room.
Soton had never been fond of elite units, even the Order's Holy Lancers; it struck him they were usually more worried about dirtying their fancy armor with blood and gore than they were about getting the job done. But, after the Battle of Phyrax, when several Temple Bands died to the last man, he would admit that Styphon's Own Guard took a lot of killing on the battlefield.
Archpriest Prysos arrived moments later. Soton had identified him as a man in a brown cloak leaning against a livery stable on the opposite side of the cobble stone street.
He walked passed Soton, saying, "Follow me."
Soton followed Prysos into the back of the tavern, up a flight of rickety stairs. The Archpriest's subterfuge passed muster, because no one bothered to give them a second look. Soton suspect it was not unusual to see guests arriving and going upstairs for assignations. In the new Balph, inquisitiveness was not rewarded for the lower classes. Soton's throat tightened at the heady odor of ripe beer and ale that followed them to the top of the stairs. There he followed the Archpriest into a darkened hallway, where Prysos made three rapid knocks on the second door to the left. Soton had his hideaway pistol half drawn.
The door opened quickly to reveal Archpriest Anaxthenes, wearing a floor-length traveler's cloak like Soton's. The Archpriest's clean-shaven face was pale and there were droplets of perspiration covering his forehead. "Come in, come in. Prysos, good work. I will meet with you back at my private chambers."
There were two rickety chairs and a lumpy straw covered pallet in the corner. Soton picked up one of the chairs and set it next to a small hearth and started warming his hands. Anaxthenes appeared not to notice and was pacing back and forth in the small cell-like room.
When it appeared that Anaxthenes was not going to start the conversation, Soton began to speak. "What is so important you called me to Balph, away from killing barbarians in the south, First Speaker?"
Anaxthenes looked at Soton as if he'd just popped out of the woodwork. "I'm sorry, Grand Master. My mind is a tangle."
If the Archpriest called Styphon's Mouth-so cleverly did he manipulate Styphon's Voice, Supreme Priest Sesklos many strings-was this distraught, clearly Kalvan and his army was marching on the Holy City of Balph with all his troops, and those of the Great Kingdom's of Hos-Harphax and Hos-Agrys besides.
"Have you seen the bands of priests in white-robes, emblazoned with Styphon's device, crowding the streets?"
"Yes. I was wondering if it was some special festival for all the village and under priests." Truth was Soton had never seen more than a few white-robed priests in Balph, and only then as lackeys for some out-of-town Temple highpriest. The underpriests, novitiates, village priests, and temple-farm priests, had never been very welcome in Balph; it was as if they were an affront to the upper priesthood.
"No festival. And these are no ordinary temple farm underpriests, raking cow dung for saltpeter. They are Archpriests Roxthar's-the new Holy Investigator's-special Investigators. Blast his slippery hide! They are here to rake the temple priests in Balph for blasphemers and non-believers."
"Investigators? I've never heard of such priests."
"You will now."
"Please explain this puzzle, Anaxthenes? I have been gone from Balph little over two moons and mood of the entire city has changed."
"It's that fiend, Roxthar. I had heard word, from Sesklos, of his plans for an Investigation of Styphon's priesthood to root out the unbelievers, but I understood that he would not make his move until the Council had met at Ktemnos City."
Soton had little sympathy for Anaxthenes; yet, for all of his treacherous ways, Styphon's House had prospered under his and Sesklos' hands. And to be so quickly undone by a man unknown outside the Inner Circle until Kalvan's mysterious arrival. Oh, how it must gall.
Yet, look how successfully the two unlikely musicians were now beginning to play-Kalvan and Roxthar-polar opposites, yet both catalysts for great change. It appeared they were both playing the same melody-the corruption of Styphon's upperpriests-but on different lutes. The rot had been there all along but no one had really noticed until Kalvan and then Roxthar began to harp on it.
"How could this thing happen?" Soton asked.
"Archpriest Dracar! That sniveling swine of a man. When Sesklos didn't immediately shout to the rooftops of Balph that Dracar was to be his successor, he saw treachery. If he had but come to me, I would have told him the truth. Instead, he called Roxthar to his private chamber, I'm told, and there sold his birthright. The fool. Now that Roxthar's set his fangs, they will never be withdrawn. May Styphon curse the lot of them!"
Ahhh. Everything became clear. Anaxthenes had sold his right to be Styphon's Voice to Dracar in exchange for Dracar's support at the Seventh Great Council and had then expected to pull Dracar's strings as he'd pulled Sesklos, when the time came for Dracar to become Supreme Priest. Dracar was at heart, a timid man, who'd only risen so high in the Inner Circle because his fear gave him purpose and that certain ruthlessness that was necessary to ascend to such heights in Styphon's Priesthood.
But Roxthar had cut Anaxthenes's strings and put his own on Dracar. Yes, Dracar would well fear Roxthar-and for good reason-as the Investigator's fanaticism burned like a house fire. Now that Archpriest Roxthar had new powers as Holy Investigator, Dracar would have even more reason to fear him. There was nothing about these new developments the First Speaker could do, except bide his time-but the art of patience appeared to be no longer one of Anaxthenes's virtues.
"What about the Inner Circle? Dracar's wits must truly be addled if he let Roxthar Investigate those who wear the yellow robe."
"No, he's not completely undone. According to the writ the two of them had the idiot Sesklos sign, the Inner Circle-being the highest manifestation of Styphon's Will Upon Earth-is exempt from any Investigation. Praise Styphon! But who knows what evil designs lurk within the dark cavities of Roxthar's skull."
"I am thankful that you saw it necessary to inform me of these developments, but why was it necessary to call me to Balph, when a special envoy, like Prysos, would have done just as well?" Yes, what new scheme was cooking in the First Speaker's mind? And Anaxthenes was talking so rashly; one would hardly recognize that he had been raised on Sesklos' knee. Soton had never forgotten the old peasant proverb, 'In Balph, even the planks have ears.'
Anaxthenes, for the first time, lowered his voice to a whisper. "I need your help, Styphon's House needs your help. You are the only man who can stop Roxthar before it's too late."
"Me? How?"
"Mobilize the Knights. Tarr-Ardros is not far from here and a full Wedge is based there. Bring them into Balph and arrest Roxthar and the Investigators. My supporters will help you find them all. We will deal with them after you've put them into our care. Any blood will be upon our hands."
Soton could hardly believe his own ears. Was Anaxthenes asking him to bring in Knights to arrest Styphon's own priests? Madness, surely. Could he even command the Knights to do such a thing. Well, yes he could, but the repercussions… And what would Styphon's Own Guard have to say?
"Once the boil is lanced, only Styphon knows how much blood will spill."
"Leave the thinking to me," Anaxthenes replied. "Sesklos will do whatever I tell him, now. And I've got him beyond Roxthar or Dracar's reach. All you have to do is bring in the Knights."
"Perhaps this Investigation is not such an ill thing. Styphon's House needs purpose and unity if it is to defeat the Usurper Kalvan."
"Grand Master, had you been in Balph these last two moons, you would not think this way. You are the pillar of Styphon's House on Earth. You are the only one who can deliver us from this scourge. I plead with you to heed my words. Before it is too late!
"Now I must depart before someone notices my absence. We have only days to decide. I'll leave you alone with your thoughts. Prysos will join you soon and take you to a safe house where you can stay until you have digested my plans."
"Anaxthenes, I cannot support this plot. Such a split in the Temple would weaken the fight against the Usurper and he surely would use it against us. We must not let our enemies know our weaknesses-"
The First Speaker slipped out the door before Soton could finish, leaving him with a splitting headache and too many questions he could not and did not want to think about.