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The Wizardwar :: Каннингем Элейн
Страница: 114 из 208The little wizard took up a place behind the girl, patting her shoulder soothingly as she spoke in quick, broken phrases.
At last she fell silent. Dhamari met Procopio's eye. "Have you heard quite enough?"
The lord mayor nodded. Dhamari drew a knife and thrust it deep between Thalia's shoulder blades. He gave it a vicious twist, then shoved the dying girl to the floor.
"Bravely done," Procopio said coldly.
Dhamari shrugged. "She was a trained warrior, I am not I have learned to work within my limitations. But let no doubt remain. Test me and see."
The wizard settled down in the chair Death had vacated and submitted to Procopio's divination spells. Several moments passed as Procopio cast one spell after another, not readily convinced even by his own puissant magic. Finally he could not deny the little wizard's claims.
"You did it," the diviner marveled. "But how?"
"I purchased a spell already created. All that was needed was a simple trigger word." Dhamari examined his fingernails, elaborately casual. "Did you know that Kiva first learned magic from Akhlaur, the greatest necromancer of his time?"
The implication struck Procopio like a thrown dagger. "Kiva gave you this spell? She still lives?"
The wizard chuckled. "I seem to be somewhat better informed than the diviner who alone foresaw the Mulhorandi invasion. In fact, one might say that I am very, very well informed."
He handed Procopio a copy of the magic missive Kiva had sent him, a damning document that gave details of Procopio's recent collusion with the treacherous elf.
Procopio skimmed the parchment and threw it down. "What do you want?"
"An exchange, nothing more," Dhamari protested. "I admire your cunning and have no intention of hindering your quest for power with this unfortunate information. Indeed, I have information of my own to give you."
"At what price?"
"One you will not mind paying,'' he said slyly. "You want Zalathorm deposed. So does Kiva. So do I."
"Do you? What is this priceless information?"
"The king's queen, Beatrix, is something rather more than a mad wizard and a traitor to Halruaa, though one would think that would be sufficient. She is an accused murderess, an adulteress whose dalliances produced a wizard's bastard, and, last and perhaps least in any eyes but mine, my former wife."
Procopio rose so abruptly that his chair upended. "Beatrix and Keturah are one?"
"Yes, and it is likely the king knowingly took a fugitive criminal as his wife.
At last she fell silent. Dhamari met Procopio's eye. "Have you heard quite enough?"
The lord mayor nodded. Dhamari drew a knife and thrust it deep between Thalia's shoulder blades. He gave it a vicious twist, then shoved the dying girl to the floor.
"Bravely done," Procopio said coldly.
Dhamari shrugged. "She was a trained warrior, I am not I have learned to work within my limitations. But let no doubt remain. Test me and see."
The wizard settled down in the chair Death had vacated and submitted to Procopio's divination spells. Several moments passed as Procopio cast one spell after another, not readily convinced even by his own puissant magic. Finally he could not deny the little wizard's claims.
"You did it," the diviner marveled. "But how?"
"I purchased a spell already created. All that was needed was a simple trigger word." Dhamari examined his fingernails, elaborately casual. "Did you know that Kiva first learned magic from Akhlaur, the greatest necromancer of his time?"
The implication struck Procopio like a thrown dagger. "Kiva gave you this spell? She still lives?"
The wizard chuckled. "I seem to be somewhat better informed than the diviner who alone foresaw the Mulhorandi invasion. In fact, one might say that I am very, very well informed."
He handed Procopio a copy of the magic missive Kiva had sent him, a damning document that gave details of Procopio's recent collusion with the treacherous elf.
Procopio skimmed the parchment and threw it down. "What do you want?"
"An exchange, nothing more," Dhamari protested. "I admire your cunning and have no intention of hindering your quest for power with this unfortunate information. Indeed, I have information of my own to give you."
"At what price?"
"One you will not mind paying,'' he said slyly. "You want Zalathorm deposed. So does Kiva. So do I."
"Do you? What is this priceless information?"
"The king's queen, Beatrix, is something rather more than a mad wizard and a traitor to Halruaa, though one would think that would be sufficient. She is an accused murderess, an adulteress whose dalliances produced a wizard's bastard, and, last and perhaps least in any eyes but mine, my former wife."
Procopio rose so abruptly that his chair upended. "Beatrix and Keturah are one?"
"Yes, and it is likely the king knowingly took a fugitive criminal as his wife.