Emperor and Clown by Dave Duncan Page B

man
wrestling with great problems. “When I was only an adept I could feel the
ripples. Lith’rian didn’t like that(“
    “Ripples?”
Kadolan said, confused. Did he mean Warlock Lith’rian?
    “It’s
like a vibration. The world shimmers. I thought I was going to shake my own
teeth out making that ladder. I expect I’ll develop a gentler touch, when I’ve
had some practice. Hope sot I can’t tell within the palace, but I think I could
sense sorcery a great way off now.”
    “Sheik
Elkarath is a mage, and he said he couldn’t. Not at all, he said.”
    Rap
nodded, then slumped back in his chair, breathing hard. “Then I’m better than
him. It may be our words, but more likely, it’s this third thingus, ourselves.
I’m just more ... responsive. That’s the way I see it.”
    Some
people had innate musical ability and could learn to sing, or play any
instrument they chose. Others, like Kadolan herself, had a stone ear for music.
So this nondescript stableboy had another sort of inborn ability, a gift for
magic, something she did not. She felt mildly resentful about that. It
explained Inos, though. Perhaps Inos had no gift at all, or very little, so her
word of power was of no use to her. That seemed most unfair! And there were the
tales of the legendary great warlocks of the past, the Thraine-who had left no
notable successor, so far as she could recall.
    She
wondered why the servants were not coming to clear the table, and realized that
the faun might be keeping them away.
    Then
he roused himself and glanced inquiringly at the imp, as if ready to leave.
    “What
about Inos?” Kadolan said quickly.
    Rap
leaned back and studied her unwinkingly. “What about her?”
    “Her
accident. The burns?”
    He
nodded glumly. “I was responsible for that, I suppose, in that I killed the
sorceress. If I can find Inos, I shall try to repair the damage. The curse on
the sultan must be a sorcery, though, and I can’t do anything about that.”
    “And
her marriage?”
    “What
about her marriage?” the faun asked coldly. Suddenly concerned, Kadolan said, “It
was all a terrible mistake!”
    His
face was so infuriatingly wooden!
    Rap
said, “I asked her if she had married of her own free will. She said she had.
She was not lying, ma’am! I can detect lies; I could even then. It was her
choice.”
    “But
... But ... But she thought you were dead! She had seen your ghost, she
thought!”
    He
shivered, very slightly. “And I saw her ... But she knew I was alive when I
asked the question.” A trace of pain showed, and vanished again. “Has Inos ever
said she loved me?”
    Probably
her face was telling him no before she could open her mouth. “Well, she spoke
often of your childhood. She was very upset by your death.”
    “And
she was very angry at me for interrupting her wedding.”
    This
was awful! “Of course Inos was upset! It was a disaster! She had not had time
to think, to remember the God’s words, to work out the implications.”
    He
did not comment, just looked at her.
    “Free
will is a nebulous term, Master Rap! Under the circumstances, she had no real
choice but to marry the sultan. It is often easier to lie to oneself than to
admit unpleasant truths.”
    “She
did not he to me, ma’am. I am certain of that.” Horrors! This was not at all
what Kadolan had expected!
    “And
she stayed silent when the sultan ordered me thrown in jail.”
    “That
was for your good!” Thinal guffawed.
    “I
mean,” Kadolan said stiffly, “he is insanely jealous! Anything she said would
have only made him angrier.”
    Rap
shrugged, slightly.
    God
of Love!
    “And
you? How do you feel about her?”
    “With
respect, your Highness, that is not relevant.” Kade wrung her hands, searching
for an argument, an excuse, an explanation.
    “I
beg you,. Master Rap! I beg you to rescue my niece from an inappropriate and
unwanted marriage!”
    “She
is a married woman!” Rap exclaimed, shocked. “Your Highness, you cannot