Maker of Fire

Emily, the Palace in Is'syal

(Continued from part 39)

General Lynhaydras, a silverhair in her 50s, walked up and saluted the King, "Mighty One, the water in the lower city will return as soon as the floodwaters recede, which will probably be tomorrow, yes?"

"Watermaster?" the King asked.

"Yes, General, I anticipate it will be tomorrow," the watermaster said, "assuming the water line from the reservoir starts working. Once the waters recede, we can flush the lines and restore service."

"You want permission to requisition wagons from teamsters and barrels from brewers and vintners to cart water from the north parade ground pool to the lower city while the water is off," the King said, giving the general of the Citadel a long-suffering look.

"Exactly," she smiled. "I'm glad that it's not going to be a long-term problem. I didn't understand half of what they were saying at the table, but you know mekaners. They speak a different language from the rest of us."

The King guffawed, "yes, definitely." He then looked up at the Queen, "are you available to poke holes in water pipes today, Aylem?"

"Something can be arranged. Are you up for a griffin ride, watermaster?" she asked. "You know where the line is buried. I certainly don't."

"Should little Emily come with us?" he asked. "I think you should see what the line looks like," he said to me.

"But first," Lisaykos walked up carrying my boots, "you need something on your feet." As soon as I pulled my boots on, Lisaykos handed me a sausage roll, "eat."

I picked up a tablet and wrote: "Later. Not hungry."

"Emily, the arrangement was that you would have seconds around the third bell. It's now around the third bell. Tuck it in, girl." Lisaykos was going full-authority on me but I wasn't the least bit hungry. If anything, my stomach was feeling a little touchy, given the crowd of big Cosm all around me who I didn't know and was trying to ignore. The citadel commander and General Bobbo were herding the ward leaders and craft master with barrels and wagons to spare into a corner to talk about coordinating resources. Everyone else was milling around chatting or leaving now that it looked like a disaster with the aqueduct was no longer a concern. I could hear people talking about me in hushed tones and felt too many eyes on me now that the watermaster and I had dissected the water problem. I wanted out of this place to get away from all the people looking at me.

I slid off the table, did a backroll to get under the table, got to my feet, and ran for a side door which I had noticed exited into a hallway. The tables were just taller than I was so I could sprint full speed just by ducking my head and keeping my knees bent. The far side of the table was mostly clear of big Cosm-sized legs and I had just left my keepers behind me. I cleared the table and ratcheted up the speed, aiming for the door which was in front of me. At the speed I was now going, I knew I'd be able to make a running leap for the latch.

Just as I sprang for the latch something grabbed me around the waist and spun me around to a stop in midair. The room went dead quiet. The black-gloved hands that had caught me walked over to a chair and set me down, then spun me around. An inescapable grip clamped my shoulder, such that if I tried to get away, I knew it would hurt without causing harm. There was a fingertip poised right on top of a nerve bundle that sits where the shoulder meets the neck. I looked up into the amused eyes of a man wearing an Usruldes suit.

He motioned someone behind me and then caught a sausage roll thrown across the table. He suddenly crouched down and I found myself clamped between his side and his arm, holding me in place and carrying me sideways. I attempted to wiggle free but it was in vain. I could hear polite laughter behind me as he walked behind the dais and through a door into a waiting room for court officials,.

He set me down on my feet and then sat down on a chair. "You looked like you needed out of there. I'm guessing the audience for that arranged stage show with you and the watermaster was beginning to bother you."

I nodded and took a running jump at a chair, making it up on the first try. Just as I got comfortable, he handed me the sausage roll, now wrapped in a black cloth. "How does your stomach feel? From the look on your face out there, it doesn't feel great right now. Am I right?"

I nodded.

"So tuck it into your tunic and eat it when you feel better. Now, I predict that within 20 breaths, my mother will come in through that door. Want to count?" I could tell from the crow's feet crinkling next to his eyes that he had one of those big mischievous smiles on his face. I held up my hand and started counting my breaths on my fingers. He started counting with me out loud.

"One...two...three...four...five...six...seven...eight...nine...ten...eleven...twelve..."

The door opened and Lisaykos stepped in, followed by the King who had held the door for her. The King was smiling, which sure beat his gloomy looks earlier. Imstay paused, dug into his belt pouch, pulled out a gold piece, and gave it to Usruldes.

"You had a bet going, you two?" Lisaykos gave them both a judgemental eyebrow raise.

"He bet me that he could make me laugh before the fourth bell today," Imstay admitted. Then he started chuckling. "The look on your face, Holy One, when Emily made a run for it under the tables---oh, that was rich! Then, when you popped out of nowhere, Usruldes, and caught this little fiend in midair---the whole room stopped. I think the last time you showed yourself in public was seven years ago. And to waste a charm of circular light on something as droll as the wayward Blessed Emily trying to escape the stern and forbidding High Priestess Lisaykos..."

"Hey!" Lisaykos interjected a protest.

"...that was great timing. And then there was the sausage roll, the root cause behind the attempted flight, flying through the air between you two. Oh, I think I needed that laugh." He sat down, reached over, and ruffled my hair. "You looked like you needed your hair mussed up," Imstay's grin was so big that he looked ten years younger.

"You need to ask me first before you muss up my little Emily's hair," Usruldes told the King.

"Your Emily? Your Emily? She's her own Emily, you know. Masterless Coyn, no less. Since when do I need to ask you? You don't own her!" the King told his spy.

"Gentlemen!" Lisaykos stopped them before they got started. "Emily, the Queen has gone to change into flying clothes. She has asked you to meet her and the watermaster at the House of Mounts. Do you know where that is?"

I shook my head no.

"I will take you there," she pronounced.

"Holy One," Usruldes lightly touched her sleeve, "I removed Emily because I could see her fear building when she realized everyone in the room was watching her. She needed out of there. Just my opinion, mind you."

Lisaykos started to say something and then stopped and thought for a moment, "you are correct. Emily, my apologies. I wasn't thinking." I shrugged at her. I didn't see the need for any apologizing. Sometimes I think Lisaykos is too hard on herself.

"I heard an interesting thing working at the shrine yesterday evening," Lisaykos said to her son. "Someone on an eagle, a young silverhair, and his toddler daughter, in sheepskin flying capes, were seen flying over the floodwaters, picking up people and taking them to the chapel shrine in the village of Decorat. They were even seen after dark until about half before the quarter night bell, with the silverhair lighting up the surface of the floodwaters after the sun went down, looking and finding even more living victims. The number that was reported to Kamagishi of Galt in my hearing was that 24 Cosm, 29 Coyn, and one adolescent griffin. The rescuers never stopped to give anyone their names but the village head of Decorat would like to find them to thank them."

I kept my face carefully neutral. Usruldes, also known as Hessakos, had the advantage of wearing his face mask. I could see the crows' feet next to his eyes, the big faker. He was enjoying this.

"Yes, it reminded me of a boy I used to be acquainted with." Lisaykos continued, "who used to ride the fence lines looking for every lost lamb and every lost calf until he found them and returned them to their mothers, even if it took until the half-night bell."

"Hmmm," Usruldes said.

"Hmm," the King said, giving his spy a speculative look. He and Lisaykos looked at each other for a long moment, and then the King looked at me. He made a motion with his head toward the door and got up. So that was what this was about.

I hopped off the chair, careful to stash the wrapped up sausage roll down the front of my overtunic, and ran out the door the King was politely holding for me. He surprised me by scooping me up in his arms and then depositing me on the Queen's throne. He turned the two thrones so they were facing each other and plopped down on his throne.

"Well, tiny little Emily, I'm Imstay. They let me work around the palace to keep me from making trouble on the streets." He laughed humorlessly, "I don't know why I'm making jokes. It's been rough being King lately."

I made the writing on a tablet motion and he passed me a tablet from out of his tunic pocket.

I wrote, "Heard you had to put down relatives. Not my idea of a fun job. Sounds like you really loved them a lot. Don't forget to find time to grieve in private since it looks like you can't in public."

"Huh," he looked at me as if he was weighing me on a scale. "I have a guy who works for me that told me the same thing."

I wrote: "Bobbo or Usruldes or someone I haven't met yet?"

"General Bobbo. He's a pretty sharp customer. What do you think of him?"

I wrote: "Smart. Really smart. Need to hire a law master before negotiating with him, he's that smart."

The King read it and started guffawing. He shook his head, smiling at me. "You are something else." He studied me for a moment. "Be nice to your host at the shrine, the high priestess. She's probably having a hard time in there. Usruldes has been working hard to avoid being alone with her but all it takes is a second look at her to know she has something to say to him, and I hope it isn't something that will make it worse between the two of them. I found him and his eagle 17 years ago, or maybe I should correct myself, and say they found me and saved my life 17 years ago.

"I knew who he was when he and Cadrees rescued me. I had seen him many times before at court events. He's like a little brother to me. I hid him and I trained him and I gave him money and his freedom, but he came back to serve me because, for him, I'm like his big brother. I care about what happens with him. I was his sponsor at his wedding, which smoothed over the bumps with Oyyuth's stickler of a father. So I hope this works out in there for him and his stone-spined mother.

"It was the biggest scandal two decades ago when he ran away. Lisaykos put a lid on it tight because it was a huge embarrassment. No one found out until a year later when Lord Tridhoytos haup Gunndit died and she moved into the shrine so his sister could become Lord Gunndit. He's famous for that, except right now, no one knows he's right here under their noses, and of course, only you and Lisaykos and the Queen know he's Usruldes besides me. I'd like to keep it that way. I'm not saying I think you might uncover him. He trusts you and he doesn't trust anyone, so that tells me you won't betray him. He doesn't make mistakes in judgment about people.

"I do want to thank you for saving his life," he put his hands together in front of his forehead and bowed to me on his throne. "He is the brother of my heart and I am indebted to you for keeping him from drowning."

I was embarrassed to have a king bowing to me like that. Seriously, pulling someone unconscious out of a river is something that everyone would do. Right?

He looked up at me from his bow, "you know," he said with a lopsided grin, "you're blushing." He sat up and leaned back. "I do want to know how to make instant fire twigs. I'm not giving up on that and I know you will not be an easy person to negotiate with." He grinned, "that's why I'll be sending Bobbo."

"Pffft."

"Ha! Made you laugh!" He pointed an accusing finger at me. Then he sighed. "Did my wife tell you that my girl wants to meet you?"

I shook my head.

"Well, when you have a moment, have me or my wife introduce you to the girl who started all your troubles last cold season. She wants to thank you for helping her and Heldfirk in the forest. Heldfirk talks about you all the time but he got to meet you. Opa was unconscious so she never got to even lay eyes on you."

"I can do that, if I don't get chained to my bed in the Queen's apartments for having snuck out of the palace with Usruldes," I wrote. He laughed when he read it.

"If you don't go home today, you could spend another night with that family on Brewers' Row," he suggested. "Wow, mention mushrooms and up they pop." He looked behind me.

"I won't stop her if she wants to stay another night," Usruldes said. "I see you have found a new Queen," he winked at me.

"Very little maintenance and a bonus for not needing much food," Imstay didn't miss a beat.

"Holy One," Usruldes made a bowing obeisance, "you are also welcome and there's a delightful daughter in the house who wants to be a healer and would love to talk with you."

"That is a tempting offer," Lisaykos nodded. "I might do that." Then she turned to me. "Ready, Emily? The Queen is probably already waiting."

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