motivator and alssso a defencsse. The people will sssoon learn that to raissse a hand to Maelgrum’sss ssservants isss to raise a hand to Maelgrum himssself. They will not enjoy the dissspleasure that sssuch an unwissse choice would invoke.”
“Thank you , Your Eminence,” the man gasped still motionless until Rondol announced.
“You may rise.”
The new made freeholder of Proginnot thrust himself damply upright and followed the crone Marwella into a side chamber.
“Approach the throne of Maelgrum, Antiquary Haselrig and Udecht,” the sorcerer commanded.
Haselrig needed no encouragement, he hurried forward, throwing himself flat in the still warm puddle left by the previous petitioner and dragging Udecht down beside him.
“We came at your command, Your E minence,” he told the stone floor loudly. “We exist to serve.” A quick sharp elbow stifled whatever additional comment Udecht might have been intending to make.
“Ssstand,” Maelgrum commanded. “And tell me how goesss the resssearch into thisss trifling toy of Eadran’sss?”
“It is yet to unlock its secrets, Master, though we have made much progress,” Haselrig lied.
“It is for you, Hassselrig to unlock the sssecretsss . You have the asssissstance of the Bissshop. Are your skillsss unequal to thisss tasssk?”
“Udecht has been less co-operative than he should,” Haselrig hastily flung blame about him. “I have had to have him punished.”
“Sssoo I ssseee. If you continue thusss, Hassselrig you may have the Bishop praying he could be his brother’sss prisssoner again. The unlamented Xander had a talent for cruelty which you ssseeem like to rival.”
“I am not Xander, your eminence,” Haselrig stammered. “I have not betrayed or disobeyed you. I would never do that.”
“But you have ssso far failed me. At thisss rate of progresss you will be a blackened s sskeleton long before ssso much asss a rune of Eadran’sss spell casssting isss revealed to you.”
“I will try harder, your eminence. We will both try harder.”
Maelgrum nodded slowly, his lipless mouth parting in a toothy rictus. “And I have sssome advice to sssteer your resssearch into more productive pathsss.”
“Yours is always the gr eater intellect, your eminence. We bow in gratitude for the fragments of your genius that you choose to share.” Haselrig bent low in a bow, pulling Udecht down with him.
“Think back Hassselrig, to when the wearer of the Helm confronted and asssailed our perssson.”
Haselrig’s thoughts floundered. The short battle in the citadel plaza had been the closest thing to Maelgrum’s humiliation that the antiquary had seen in seventeen years. To revisit the occasion was to risk triggering an explosi on of wizardly fury. An ill judged comment could easily trespass on Maelgrum’s monumental ego. The antiquary chose his words with extreme care. “The wizard challenged your eminence, but his powers were unequal to yours.”
“By what name did he announce him ssself?”
“Name?” Haselrig scavenged his memory. There had been the moment of panic when the Helm wearer had turned his aim upon them, then Maelgrum’s arrival had drawn all the wizard’s attention in a display of earth shattering pyrotechnics. “I don’t remember, your eminence.”
“Chirard,” Udecht murmured. “He called himself Chirard.”
“It ssseemsss that the bissshop may yet offer you sssome asssissstance,” Maelgrum joked. “Hisss memory is fassstter than yoursss.”
“Chirard? An unusual name.”
“There are three of that name have sssat on the betrayer’sss throne, but only one wasss a dabbler in the magic artsss.”
“Chirard the Third, the mad.”
“ Exsssactly. There isss some link between thisss long wizard and Eadran’sss pretty toy. If the Helm will not give up itsss sssecretsss, then perhapsss you ssshould look in the archivesss of Chirard.”
Haselrig frowned despite himself.
“Thank you , Your Eminence,” the man gasped still motionless until Rondol announced.
“You may rise.”
The new made freeholder of Proginnot thrust himself damply upright and followed the crone Marwella into a side chamber.
“Approach the throne of Maelgrum, Antiquary Haselrig and Udecht,” the sorcerer commanded.
Haselrig needed no encouragement, he hurried forward, throwing himself flat in the still warm puddle left by the previous petitioner and dragging Udecht down beside him.
“We came at your command, Your E minence,” he told the stone floor loudly. “We exist to serve.” A quick sharp elbow stifled whatever additional comment Udecht might have been intending to make.
“Ssstand,” Maelgrum commanded. “And tell me how goesss the resssearch into thisss trifling toy of Eadran’sss?”
“It is yet to unlock its secrets, Master, though we have made much progress,” Haselrig lied.
“It is for you, Hassselrig to unlock the sssecretsss . You have the asssissstance of the Bissshop. Are your skillsss unequal to thisss tasssk?”
“Udecht has been less co-operative than he should,” Haselrig hastily flung blame about him. “I have had to have him punished.”
“Sssoo I ssseee. If you continue thusss, Hassselrig you may have the Bishop praying he could be his brother’sss prisssoner again. The unlamented Xander had a talent for cruelty which you ssseeem like to rival.”
“I am not Xander, your eminence,” Haselrig stammered. “I have not betrayed or disobeyed you. I would never do that.”
“But you have ssso far failed me. At thisss rate of progresss you will be a blackened s sskeleton long before ssso much asss a rune of Eadran’sss spell casssting isss revealed to you.”
“I will try harder, your eminence. We will both try harder.”
Maelgrum nodded slowly, his lipless mouth parting in a toothy rictus. “And I have sssome advice to sssteer your resssearch into more productive pathsss.”
“Yours is always the gr eater intellect, your eminence. We bow in gratitude for the fragments of your genius that you choose to share.” Haselrig bent low in a bow, pulling Udecht down with him.
“Think back Hassselrig, to when the wearer of the Helm confronted and asssailed our perssson.”
Haselrig’s thoughts floundered. The short battle in the citadel plaza had been the closest thing to Maelgrum’s humiliation that the antiquary had seen in seventeen years. To revisit the occasion was to risk triggering an explosi on of wizardly fury. An ill judged comment could easily trespass on Maelgrum’s monumental ego. The antiquary chose his words with extreme care. “The wizard challenged your eminence, but his powers were unequal to yours.”
“By what name did he announce him ssself?”
“Name?” Haselrig scavenged his memory. There had been the moment of panic when the Helm wearer had turned his aim upon them, then Maelgrum’s arrival had drawn all the wizard’s attention in a display of earth shattering pyrotechnics. “I don’t remember, your eminence.”
“Chirard,” Udecht murmured. “He called himself Chirard.”
“It ssseemsss that the bissshop may yet offer you sssome asssissstance,” Maelgrum joked. “Hisss memory is fassstter than yoursss.”
“Chirard? An unusual name.”
“There are three of that name have sssat on the betrayer’sss throne, but only one wasss a dabbler in the magic artsss.”
“Chirard the Third, the mad.”
“ Exsssactly. There isss some link between thisss long wizard and Eadran’sss pretty toy. If the Helm will not give up itsss sssecretsss, then perhapsss you ssshould look in the archivesss of Chirard.”
Haselrig frowned despite himself.
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