The Hope of Vitality, page 34
The monk smiled wearily and moved away.
As time passed, Thomas gradually became more aware of his surroundings. The ship lay crippled in the water, but much of it was still visible. Other survivors clung to floating objects of their own.
Not far away Thomas spotted Kahrlin kneeling atop a substantial piece of the hull. Reaching down, the agent dragged a dripping Grand Vizier from the water. Rheibas appeared to be bleeding freely from a gash on his leg, but he was alive. His wound was staining the water red, and Kahrlin knelt beside his master, apparently trying to staunch the flow of blood.
Thomas shook his head in bemusement. How was it possible that the person responsible for all the trauma, all the grief, had managed to survive?
Twisting the clasp of the stone, he peered at Rheibas once more. No distractions blocked his explorations this time; such tactics were beyond the chief minister in his current state. Hidden ambitions welled up at last—a mental image of Rheibas sitting in state upon an imposing throne in the heart of what Thomas didn’t doubt was Kat Ahket. Whatever his eventual plans for Rogand, it seemed that after acquiring the stones Rheibas intended to begin with the Empire of Ahr. In light of this information, his plan to dispose of Princess Neira took on a new significance.
Returning the stone to its usual position, Thomas reached over and nudged Will, pointing out Rheibas and his lackey.
He soon discovered that other eyes were on the two Ahrans. A voice nearby rang out in a language Thomas didn’t understand. Twisting around to identify the speaker, he saw it was the Varasan agent. From the tone of her voice, she had been taunting the two men.
Kahrlin was staring back at her in shock. Unconcealed hatred showed on Rheibas’s face.
A fin appeared in the water near the beleaguered men, drawing their attention away. The Ahrans watched wide-eyed as it circled their tiny wooden island ominously. Then the island rocked violently, pitching both men into the water.
A head emerged, jaws yawning wide to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. Snatching Rheibas, it sank out of sight. Kahrlin’s cry of dismay was cut short as he too disappeared, carried off by a second predator.
Thomas stared aghast at the empty platform, now rocking gently in the swell.
He faced Will. “Was that you?” he whispered.
Haunted eyes stared back at him. “I had nothing to do with it.” Will’s brows drew together. “Somehow, though…” he began.
“It seems fitting,” Thomas finished for him.
The Varasan agent had witnessed the demise of the Grand Vizier with evident satisfaction.
“What did you say to Rheibas earlier, when you were calling out?” Will asked her.
“I told him he’d promoted the wrong bootlicker. I said that Bolnyk abducted two royals, and Kahrlin didn’t even manage one. I was speaking in Ahran, which would have made it clear I wasn’t Queen Essanda.”
Will grunted in approval. “They weren’t as clever as they thought, and it’s satisfying to know they discovered the truth before the end.”
The agent stared into the water where Rheibas had disappeared. “It wouldn’t shock me if that shark gets indigestion,” she growled. Seeing Thomas looking at her quizzically, she told him, “I’ve dreamed of bringing the Grand Vizier down since I was a child. Now he’s gone, and not by my hand. The shark cheated me, although I suppose I should be grateful.”
“Why did you want to bring him down?” asked Thomas.
She briefly described Rheibas’s role in the unjust execution of her parents. “Suddenly my parents were gone,” she added bitterly. “There was no dignity in their deaths. They’d been sentenced for sedition, so their bodies were thrown into a mass grave. There was no ceremony to remember them, and no opportunity for a confused and horrified child to grieve their loss.”
Thomas stared at her, appalled.
“I found myself an orphan, left to fend for myself on the streets. Fortunately a widow found me and took me in. She was a good woman who set about raising me and loving me. She told me the day would come when I needed to forget him and focus my energies elsewhere.”
The Varasan smiled wryly. “It seems she was right. About needing to focus elsewhere, at least. Whatever the future might bring, the time has finally come for me to find a new expression for my energy.”
Brother Ander had been listening. “Invest your energy in pursuits that bring life and hope,” he said with a weary smile. “Make sure your legacy counts for something when your time comes.”
“I will ponder your words,” she promised.
As they fell silent, Thomas peered numbly around him, weighed down and overwhelmed by what he had heard and witnessed.
The Grand Vizier had inflicted damage exceeding anything Thomas could comprehend. Countless lives had been destroyed at his whim. And once he learned of the stones, entire kingdoms had been thrown into turmoil. All to satisfy his rapacious appetite for power.
Now he was gone, snatched away in a moment. After having such a significant role in the affairs of the world, his departure from it had been undignified and without ceremony. Very few would miss him.
So much upheaval. So much destruction. And what had been the point of it all?
Everything went quiet, apart from the slap-slap of the water on the floating debris. Clinging stubbornly to his makeshift raft, Thomas continued to drift. Other predators were undoubtedly prowling below, but the knowledge didn’t move him. He had stared death in the face and survived. For that moment at least, he remained undaunted.
As they continued to float, something nudged him from below, reawakening his alarm. Then a gray body surfaced beside him, and the unforgettable smile of a dolphin greeted his startled gaze. The creature chittered once, then submerged its head again.
It took another gentle nudge before he finally grasped what was required of him. Remaining perched on his little raft, he grabbed hold of the dorsal fin and allowed the dolphin to propel him through the water. Glancing back a couple of minutes later he saw his companions strung out behind him, similarly conveyed. A large pod of the creatures surrounded the little group, sporting about them before leaping joyfully above the waves. Their exuberance washed over him, buoying up his spirits and chasing away his memories of the darkness.
After a few moments his mount disappeared and another took its place. When he glanced behind once more, he saw that the remains of the ship were already far away.
A profound sense of serenity began to settle over him. Having refused to yield to the paralyzing embrace of fear, he had set foot on a path that promised only a terrible death. By a miracle he had avoided the looming disaster, only to be snatched away to an abrupt ending he never anticipated.
Having passed through the gates of death, he had been restored, beyond expectation and beyond hope. And now, in the most improbable of conclusions, he was returning home, borne along joyfully by the sublimest of earth’s creatures.
In later years he remembered this journey as one of the purest joys of his entire life.
Leaning sideways to lay his head on the body of the dolphin, he allowed the last of the tension to drain from his body.
He was at peace.
38
Spotting the castaways, a fishing boat diverted from its course to pick them up. As the boat approached, their dolphin escorts glided silently away and headed out to sea, presumably in search of fish.
Will climbed aboard with the others, warmly expressing his appreciation to the fisherman and his son for rescuing them. The fisherman was well aware of the presence of the Rogandan and Ahran fleets, and confirmed that they were still in the area. He readily agreed to take them all to King Krasmir.
Will positioned himself in the bow, away from the others.
Thomas soon joined him there. “Thank you,” he said quietly.
“For what?” asked Will.
“For that magnificent experience!” Thomas replied.
Will responded with a wink.
The others were distracted, none of them able to stop talking about the dolphins. Will understood perfectly. After the horrors they had endured, the timely arrival of the gentle creatures had done more to lift their spirits than he could have believed possible.
“I was astonished at how effectively you enlisted the aid of the dolphins,” Thomas told him.
“They are intelligent creatures,” Will replied. “It was much easier than I expected to convey what I needed them to do.”
“You seemed to have a connection with them when we first sailed to Rog,” Thomas observed.
“Yes. I needed to work on it though. If I seemed distracted when we sailed back from Rog, it was because I was concentrating on strengthening my links with sea creatures, particularly larger ones. I had no clear idea what I might do with those links, but couldn’t see any other way to make use of the Stone of Authority.”
“The opportunity arose, and you made good use of it.”
Will nodded. “When the Grand Vizier had us at his mercy, I summoned the largest creatures of the deep available. I was as surprised as anyone by the giant squid—I believe they are rarely seen in shallow waters. All I intended was to create a distraction, but it quickly spiraled out of control. I could easily have been responsible for our deaths!”
“You have no reason to reproach yourself. We survived.”
“That had a lot to do with you and Brother Ander,” Will told him. “You used the Stone of Knowing to good effect when you warned the interpreter, and Brother Ander once more achieved the impossible with the help of the Stone of Vitality.”
A wry smile came to Thomas’s face. “It’s ironic that the stones played such a big part in the Grand Vizier’s downfall. He got to see them at work first hand, but he’ll never get his hands on them. The shark made certain of that.”
“Yes, the shark did us a favor. It arrived without encouragement from me, as you already know. I could summon a shark, but I’m not sure I have the mastery to direct it to do exactly what it did. I’m sure the Stone of Authority would be capable of it in the hands of the right person. But in the end the Grand Vizier was brought down without our involvement, and I’m perfectly content with that.”
Will wondered if Thomas had discovered anything new about Rheibas’s intentions. “Did you learn anything more about what he was hoping to achieve if he managed to get his hands on the stones?”
Thomas nodded. “He had an unguarded moment just before the shark took him. He had his sights set on the emperor’s crown. The stones would have helped deliver it. Eventually he would have needed to dispose of the princess anyway, and he saw a way to use her to create a crisis that might bring the stones into the open. We’re fortunate indeed that he didn’t succeed.”
Their conversation was cut short when the Varasan ship used for the conference came into view. Before long they had pulled alongside. Will was the last out of the fishing boat, and he didn’t leave before sincerely thanking the fishermen once again.
They found King Krasmir still aboard. The king was stunned speechless when they appeared one after another over the rail. When he caught sight of his daughter, though, his joy could not be contained. No one witnessing their reunion could have remained unmoved by it. For Will it was especially poignant, knowing better than anyone what the king must be experiencing.
As soon as King Krasmir was able to detach himself, he sent a message to the emperor, inviting him to join them for a full debriefing. While they were waiting, he went to each of the other new arrivals, welcoming them and congratulating them on their safe return. Not surprisingly, he remained longest with King Rupert, but no one was neglected. He greeted the High Priest with appropriate deference, and earnestly expressed his gratification at his rescue.
When he came to Will, he did not hide his relief at his safe return. “Allowing you to leave this morning was beyond uncomfortable, and I’m immensely relieved to welcome you back! I can’t begin to imagine what I would have told your king.”
“Your daughter’s life was at stake, Your Majesty, and there seemed at least a faint chance I could do something to secure her release. After what I went through with my son, I could never have lived with myself if I didn’t try.”
“I am forever in your debt, Lord Torbury.” He dipped his head in salute. Then he glanced at Will’s clothing, still wet from the time he spent in the water. “How did all of you manage to escape his clutches?”
“That is a surprising story, Your Majesty.”
Before he could relate it, the arrival of the emperor was announced.
After welcoming his honored guest, King Krasmir introduced the released hostages.
“Your Imperial Majesty, it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to King Rupert of Castel. And this is my daughter, Princess Teylee, to whom he is betrothed. Their companion in captivity was not Queen Essanda of Arvenon as her captors believed. This woman impersonated the queen in order to protect her. As a result, she endured on the queen’s behalf a brutal abduction at the hands of Kahrlin, the Grand Vizier’s senior agent. I have not introduced her by name out of respect for her request that her anonymity be preserved.”
The emperor’s demeanor showed how he felt about his most senior official having placed him in such a position. “I can see at a glance that none of you have been well treated,” he acknowledged. “I can only apologize most sincerely for what you have endured at the hands of my chief minister. He denied any involvement, suggesting the betrothed couple had eloped, then absconded. He claimed the queen later visited her brother of her own accord. In view of his abhorrent behavior and his deception, it need hardly be said that Rheibas is no longer my chief minister.”
He addressed the princess. “I profoundly regret the ordeal you have suffered.”
Princess Teylee bowed. “Thank you, Your Majesty. All of us understand that the Grand Vizier was acting only on his own behalf.” She looked at her father. “Knowing that he invented a report about us eloping might help explain why the guards tried to force us together. At first they gave each of us a hut, but later they demolished one of them. When the weather was bad enough, we were forced to shelter together.”
King Krasmir didn’t speak, but his face had gone dark with anger.
King Rupert faced Krasmir calmly. “You can rest assured that the Grand Vizier’s efforts were in vain, Your Majesty.” He grinned at the princess. “That isn’t because our ordeal did anything to diminish my affection for your daughter.”
She returned a grin of her own.
“Perhaps the Grand Vizier was hoping to reinforce his version of the truth,” suggested Lady Tulinay with a frown.
“More likely he was looking for ways to further increase his leverage,” scowled Krasmir.
King Rupert nodded. “That occurred to us as well. Any child we produced would be heir to the Castelan throne, as well as being Your Majesty’s grandchild.”
The emperor appeared more uncomfortable than ever. “Where is Rheibas now?” he asked.
“He is dead, Your Majesty,” Will replied bluntly.
Both the emperor and King Krasmir regarded him in astonishment.
“How did that happen?” asked the king.
“As you told us, Your Majesty, the Grand Vizier sent Kahrlin to say that the hostages would only be released if the Arvenians visited him on his ship for what he called ‘negotiations.’ He was referring to Brother Ander, Thomas Stablehand, and me. We agreed to go in the hope that he would honor his promise and release them. When we arrived he claimed we had something he wanted. He didn’t say what it was. He said unless we gave it to him, he would kill the hostages immediately.”
Lady Tulinay was shaking her head. “It sounds like he was making a demand none of you could satisfy, thereby giving himself an excuse to kill the hostages.”
“No doubt he intended to kill you as well,” added King Krasmir. “Not least because the three of you witnessed Bolnyk’s murder of Lord Torbury’s son.”
“It quickly became obvious to us that he intended to kill us all,” agreed Will.
“How did you escape?” asked the king.
“Before he said anything to us, Rheibas sent Kahrlin and most of his men below deck, leaving behind an interpreter and a few armed men. He clearly didn’t want witnesses. After killing us, he was going to have the interpreter and the others killed as well. Thomas announced that to the interpreter, who then told everyone else. Rheibas immediately had the interpreter killed and recalled Kahrlin and the others. When they arrived, he told them to kill the men on deck. A battle broke out. It didn’t last long, but it bought us some time.”
The emperor was clearly appalled. “How was Rheibas killed?”
“At this point nature intervened in a remarkable way,” Will continued. “Incredible as it sounds, the ship was attacked by a giant squid. The squid in turn was attacked by a huge whale, but not before it had damaged the ship so badly it sank. While we were in the water, we saw a shark take Rheibas. Another shark took Kahrlin almost immediately. We stayed together and were eventually picked up by a fishing boat.”
Will made no mention of the dolphins. The story was incredible enough already.
He turned to the emperor. “We don’t know what became of the other survivors, but I’m sure that most of them are still in the area. It isn’t far away. They will confirm my account.”
The emperor immediately spoke to one of his aides. The man left the ship at once. After excusing himself, the emperor then spent a considerable time consulting quietly with other aides. He continued until a boat pulled alongside the ship and the missing aide returned. After a whispered conversation, the emperor once more addressed his hosts.
“The survivors are being rescued,” the emperor explained. “An investigation is underway into their behavior. While they have not conducted themselves in a manner worthy of their emperor, I recognize they were following orders. They will be given a proper opportunity to explain themselves before I decide their fate.”
