The Walls of Air Page 0,11

his elbow.

Alwir spoke as cuttingly as a flaying whip. 'And is that something else that you, as a wizard, speak of with sole authority? As the only wizard in the Keep, do you feel justified in every crackpot scheme you care to pursue?'

Ingold raised heavy-lidded blue eyes to meet Alwir's. 'Not the only wizard,' he replied softly. 'Ask your court mage Bektis.'

Alwir swung around. 'Bektis!'

The word was snapped in the way a dog-handler might crack a whip on his boot to bring his dog belly-down to heel. The court mage disengaged himself with great dignity from the crowd that had formed itself before the western doors and came forward, the jumping torchlight salting fire over the bullion embroidery of his velvet sleeves.

'Whether the gates would have broken or not,' he said, stroking his waist-length silvery beard with delicate fingers, 'it would have been perhaps better, had you consulted with others before any course was decided upon.' He looked haughtily down his nose at Ingold. Rudy could see his high, domed forehead all pearled with sweat.

'Indeed it would have,' another voice purred suddenly, low and dry and as thin as wind through bone, 'had you been here.'

Bektis turned as if bitten. Govannin Narmenlion, Bishop of Gae, moved up the steps toward them at the head of a small company of the Red Monks, the bald-shaved warriors of the Church. Above the gory crimson of the episcopal robes, the Bishop's face was thin and bone-hard, a skeleton with living coals burning in the dark eye sockets. Only the fullness of her lips betrayed her sex. Her harsh voice rode easily over the court mage's indignant reply. 'I commend your courage, Ingold Inglorion. But it is said that the Devil guards his own.'

Ihgold bowed to her. 'As does the Straight God, my lady,' he replied. 'You know better than I in whose hands rest the people of the Keep.' He looked ready to pass out on his feet, but he met the chill, fanatic eyes levelly, and it was Govannin who turned away.

'And he was not the only one conspicuous by his absence, my lady Bishop,' Alwir added with sweet malice.

'Indeed,' the Bishop replied calmly. 'Many were absent from their appointed posts. Others remained - to guard their stores of food, lest those be looted while they were gone.'

The Chancellor's brows shot up, then plunged, hooding eyes that were the same morning-glory blue as his sister Minalde's, but hard as the sapphires he wore around his neck. 'Looted?'

'Or inventoried,' the Bishop went on softly, 'to be marked for future -' Alwir's

mouth hardened dangerously. '- reference.'

He lashed out, 'And you think that in the midst of an attack by the Dark Ones -'

'The Faith must protect itself as it can,' she shot back at him. 'To preserve our independence, we must be beholden to no secular power for bread.'

'As Lord of the Keep, I have the right to control -

'Lord of the Keep!' Govannin spat scornfully. 'The brother of the Regent for the true King, my lord, and that only. A man who consorts with wizards, who seeks to bring the Archmage, the very left hand of Satan, here among us. If you expect the blessings of the Straight God upon your endeavours...'

'The Straight God works in many ways,' Alwir grated. 'If our strike against the Dark in their Nests is to succeed, we shall need both the troops of the Empire of Alketch in the south and the wizards of the west.'

Like flint, his words struck fire from those steely eyes. The Straight God has no truck with the tools of Satan,' she snapped, 'nor with those who foul their hands with such tools.'

'We are beyond the time when a ruler can pick and choose his tools.'

'There is never a time when siding with the Crooked One is excusable.'

Quietly, Gil took Ingold's arm, and they descended the steps to the main body of the shadowed Aisle. The old man moved slowly, stiffly, leaning on his staff. Those who had crowded around to see the confrontation between wizard and Chancellor fell back from him, murmuring and making the sign against evil. Rudy fell quietly into step with them. He nodded back to where the Chancellor and the Bishop were still squabbling and shook his head. 'I don't believe this.'

'Oh, come, Rudy,' Ingold said mildly. They haven't any proof that I did more than endanger the whole Keep by opening the inner gates.' He glanced sideways, sunken eyes amused.

'But I saw the motherloving runes!' Rudy