around me and an iron grip holding me and hot tears on my neck.
"Father," I whispered.
"Lanik, my son, my son," he said, and I wasn't afraid anymore.
"You believe me."
"You're my single hope." Always the old bastard regarded me as his hope, as if he had first claim on my loyalty before even myself. Well, he did.
"Four much smaller hopes tomorrow," answered.
He only held me tighter. "There are times when an honest ruler has to abdicate, and this is that time. They won't cut you up. I knew you'd never betray me, not permanently, anyway."
"Not even temporarily," I said. "But now let's get moving before somebody notices that you're holding court down here."
"We can't go yet," Father said. "We have to wait.
"Why?"
"Changing of the guard at dawn," he said. "We hope they'll be distracted."
"The guard? You're afraid of the guard? Can't you just hide me and command them to let you through?"
Saranna answered. "It's not that simple. Your father doesn't command the guard."
"Well, who the hell does?" I whispered.
"Ruva," said Father.
I raised my voice. "The Turd rules in your palace!"
"Quiet. Yes, she does, she and Dinte. They were plotting it before you left the palace, and once you were gone they made their move. I could have blocked them, I suppose, but I couldn't afford to kill my only heir, as I thought, and so I went along, pretending I didn't notice how my prerogatives were usurped, how my friends' offices became sinecures and the real power seemed to gather in much younger hands."
"My mother tried to warn the court," Saranna said.
"I had to sign her death warrant."
"Why did you sign it?" I asked.
"For the reason I signed yours," said my father. "She escaped and is living in exile in the north. In Brian, I believe. Her agents smuggled out half the fortune. It stopped when Ruva found the leak."
"I see," I said.
"When we heard you were commanding the Nkumai invaders, I was overjoyed. I used my influence, such as I have, to put our stupidest commanders, including Dinte, in the key positions. I opened the doors to the enemy. Thinking, of course, that you were coming to liberate me and the people from that ass I had the misfortune to many and that child your mother claimed was also mine."
"It wasn't me."
"I knew it couldn't be you when we heard how the armies were destroying everything. You're too wise for that. I knew it was a fraud. But then there were so many witnesses." He sighed. "I betrayed my own Family, thinking I was opening the door for my son to save me from my wife and our monstrous little whelp Dinte. Now the enemy ravages from Schmidt to Jones and it's only a matter of time before they cross the river and take this city. They'll surely do it soon. The rains will make the river impassable in a few more weeks." Suddenly he wept again. "I dreamed of your homecoming, Lanik. Dreamed that you'd come in triumph and lead these people into battle. You could have led my army to defeat the Nkumai. They must have known it. That's why they destroyed the people's love for you. Now we can only run."
"Good enough," I said. "Let's start running."
"The changing of the guard," Saranna whispered.
"No," I said. "Dinte and Ruva are surely watching you. They probably left me unguarded just so you'd try this and get yourselves killed. You'd better go back upstairs, both of you, and pretend you had nothing to do with this."
"Not this time," Saranna said.
"We have to leave with you," Father said. "Things are intolerable here. We have a few hundred loyal men that I've already assigned to duty in the north. They're expecting us. They'll rally to us."
"To you, you mean. Not a soul alive would rally to me. But we're not going to wait for the changing of the guard."
"Then we'll be caught. Every gate is watched closely."
I could see the flicker of Saranna's torch now. My vision was returning. "I'll create a diversion. The postern gate."
"It's heavily guarded."
"I know. Take me near there, but keep me out of sight. I can see faintly, and I should have full vision soon, but in the meantune I couldn't defend myself against a gnat. Once I'm there, you two be ready to spring for the water gate. I'll join you there."
"'Blind?"
"I know the way blindfolded. And by then no one will be looking for me.',
"What kind of diversion can you creater, Father asked doubtfully.
In answer