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The Floodgate :: Каннингем Элейн
Страница: 138 из 212Matteo brushed past him and stormed into the king's council hall, shaking off the restraining hands of the heralds at the door. He strode directly to the throne and dropped to one knee before the king. He did not, however, lower his challenging and furious gaze.
Zalathorm raised a hand to warn off the guards, then directed a silent command at his seneschal. The man promptly began to herd courtiers from the room. The king and the counselor locked stares until the doors firmly shut behind the last man.
"Well?" Zalathorm inquired. The single word echoed ominously through the empty hall.
Matteo took a steadying breath. "Not long ago, you asked me if my ultimate loyalty is to Halruaa or to my patron. I had hoped that this dilemma would never arise. I deeply regret to inform you that one of Queen Beatrix's clockwork creatures has killed a craftswoman."
"That's impossible," the king said flatly.
"I was there. I saw it happen."
Zalathorm's hands gripped the arms of his throne until the knuckles turned white. "You would contradict your king?"
"My king was not there. I was."
The diviner nodded somberly. "Very well, jordain. Rise and tell me what you saw."
Matteo described the spiked warrior, and the other dangerous beasts that Beatrix had constructed. Zalathorm listened without comment until the jordain was finished. Abruptly he rose from his throne and strode toward the queen's palace.
They walked in silence down the long corridor that led to the queen's workshop. Matteo entered, and then stopped short.
The room was almost empty.
A few metal constructs remained, but only the more whimsical and least frightening creations. There was no sign of the spiked warrior or the enormous winged beast whose fall had crushed it. The dead woman and the wounded halfling were gone. A few artisans looked up from their tasks and dipped into surprised bows when they noted the king was among them, but Matteo did not recognize any of them.
"They were here," Matteo whispered. "I swear it, on my life and honor."
Zalathorm took his arm and led him from the room. "I do not doubt you," he said quietly, "but I wanted you to see with your own eyes that your most dire fears were ungrounded. What I am about to tell you must remain in strictest confidence."
Matteo nodded his assent.
"There is a protective shield around the heart of Halruaa. A very old, very powerful ward."
The jordain's brow furrowed. "A spell?"
"Not precisely," the king said carefully. "It is a powerful and mysterious force. I cannot explain it any better than that.
Zalathorm raised a hand to warn off the guards, then directed a silent command at his seneschal. The man promptly began to herd courtiers from the room. The king and the counselor locked stares until the doors firmly shut behind the last man.
"Well?" Zalathorm inquired. The single word echoed ominously through the empty hall.
Matteo took a steadying breath. "Not long ago, you asked me if my ultimate loyalty is to Halruaa or to my patron. I had hoped that this dilemma would never arise. I deeply regret to inform you that one of Queen Beatrix's clockwork creatures has killed a craftswoman."
"That's impossible," the king said flatly.
"I was there. I saw it happen."
Zalathorm's hands gripped the arms of his throne until the knuckles turned white. "You would contradict your king?"
"My king was not there. I was."
The diviner nodded somberly. "Very well, jordain. Rise and tell me what you saw."
Matteo described the spiked warrior, and the other dangerous beasts that Beatrix had constructed. Zalathorm listened without comment until the jordain was finished. Abruptly he rose from his throne and strode toward the queen's palace.
They walked in silence down the long corridor that led to the queen's workshop. Matteo entered, and then stopped short.
The room was almost empty.
A few metal constructs remained, but only the more whimsical and least frightening creations. There was no sign of the spiked warrior or the enormous winged beast whose fall had crushed it. The dead woman and the wounded halfling were gone. A few artisans looked up from their tasks and dipped into surprised bows when they noted the king was among them, but Matteo did not recognize any of them.
"They were here," Matteo whispered. "I swear it, on my life and honor."
Zalathorm took his arm and led him from the room. "I do not doubt you," he said quietly, "but I wanted you to see with your own eyes that your most dire fears were ungrounded. What I am about to tell you must remain in strictest confidence."
Matteo nodded his assent.
"There is a protective shield around the heart of Halruaa. A very old, very powerful ward."
The jordain's brow furrowed. "A spell?"
"Not precisely," the king said carefully. "It is a powerful and mysterious force. I cannot explain it any better than that.