Garander stood silently listening to this, at first in disbelief, and then in anger. No wonder the baron had not wanted to deliver his ultimatum in person! Tesk might have killed him on the spot. In fact, in Tesk’s position Garander thought he might go ahead and kill Lord Dakkar anyway, even if it meant fighting his way through a few guards, in hopes his successor would be more reasonable.
“Not a very generous offer,” Lady Shasha said quietly.
“It is not an offer at all,” Tesk said. “It is a threat. But I do not know whether he can carry out his threat.”
“Maybe you can accept both offers,” Garander suggested.
Both women started to speak at once; then they stopped, looking at one another. Lady Shasha made a gesture indicating Velnira should go ahead.
“Lord Dakkar won’t allow that,” the chamberlain said.
“Regrettably, neither will Lord Edaran,” Lady Shasha said. “His agreement with you must be exclusive.”
“I see,” Tesk said. He thought for a moment, then said, “Perhaps you will each ask your master to reconsider. If I could accept both offers it might make this easier.” He looked up at the darkening sky. “I will think about this. You will know my decision in the morning.”
Lady Shasha curtsied again, but Velnira demanded, “What is there to decide?”
Tesk looked at her and said, “Whether I live or die.” He turned away. “Garander, walk with me. I wish to say goodbye to your family.”
“Of course,” Garander said. The shatra had not waited for his answer, but was already walking swiftly toward the house; Garander hurried to catch up.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You have a plan,” Tesk said as they walked. “What is it?”
“I was originally going to say we wanted both sides to think you were dead,” Garander replied, “but now I wonder whether you should maybe accept Lord Edaran’s offer, and we would only need to convince Lord Dakkar you’re dead.”
Tesk shook his head. “Lord Dakkar would find out. Lord Edaran’s people could not keep their visits to me secret.”
“Probably not,” Garander admitted. “All right, both sides. Separately, so they won’t fight over the body. I’ll go to each of them and say I found you dead in the woods. I’ll tell the baron’s people that you killed yourself rather than give in to his threats, and I’ll tell the Ethsharites that the baron decided not to wait and went ahead and killed you. Then I’ll bring them into the forest and show them your body-there’s a magic spell called the Sanguinary Deception that will make it look like you’re very definitely dead, so obviously dead that they won’t bother to make sure. And with each of them, you’ll have a bunch of weapons and talismans and equipment that they can steal to study, so they won’t think they’re leaving anything for the other side.”
“Hm,” Tesk said. “Blaming my death on the baron may not be clever.”
“Maybe not,” Garander admitted. “So suicide there, too, then.”
“Or perhaps you could blame my demon half,” Tesk suggested. “Say that it killed me rather than allow me to surrender. Which it might in fact do.”
“Oh!” Garander said. “Of course.”
“This spell-how does it make me look so obviously dead that they will not cut my head off to be sure?”
“I don’t know,” Garander admitted. “But if they try, you’re fast enough to dodge, aren’t you?”
“That would ruin the deception.”
“I know. Then we’d have to try something else.”
“I see. Do you have another plan to try, if that happens?”
“Not yet.”
“I see.” Tesk considered that for a moment, then asked, “Will you be casting the spell?”
“No, one of the wizards agreed to do it.”
“Then this wizard will know I am still alive.”
“Yes,” Garander admitted. “I couldn’t see any way to avoid that. And it’s actually two wizards-the first one I asked didn’t know the spell we need.”
“Can we trust these wizards to remain silent?”
“I think so,” Garander said. “They don’t want a war. And I’ve always heard that wizards are good at keeping secrets-they keep the workings of their spells secret, after all.”
Tesk nodded.
“Then you’ll do it?”
“I have no better plan. I will try it.”
“I’ll bring the wizard to the woods once it’s full dark.”
“I will meet you.”
“Once the spell is cast, you’ll need to get those tools and talismans-enough so that each side will think they have all of them.”
Tesk asked, “Will this deception spell interfere with bringing the supplies?”
“I don’t think so. But we’ll ask the wizard. If he isn’t sure, maybe we can wait and cast the spell in the morning.”
Tesk nodded again. “Bring the wizard,” he said. He added, “Do not follow me,” and then sped up, changing direction and heading toward the forest to the northwest.
Garander could not have followed at such a pace in any case; he stopped, and saw that he had walked past his own front door without realizing it while they spoke. Tesk had said he wanted to say goodbye to the family, but apparently he had changed his mind, or been so distracted by the discussion of Garander’s plan that he forgot.
Garander turned back and headed inside. He found his family waiting for him. “What’s happening?” Ishta demanded, before anyone else could say a word.
“The Ethsharites made an offer,” Garander said. “A good one-they said they would send visitors, teachers and students, to keep him company, and teach him about Ethshar, and learn about his magic and the Northern Empire.”
“And the baron?” his father asked.
“He made a threat. He said he would have Tesk killed if he didn’t cooperate, or if he agreed to work for the Ethsharites.”
“Won’t the Ethsharites protect him?” Shella the Younger asked.
“I’m sure they’ll try,” Garander said. “If he agrees to their terms, anyway.”
“Why wouldn’t he?” Ishta asked.
“He doesn’t trust them,” Garander said. “And he doesn’t really want anyone learning about his magic.”
“Then what’s he going to do?”
Garander hesitated. He did not want to lie to his family, but he did not trust Ishta to keep a secret, not even when it might save Tesk’s life.
But on the other hand, she had managed to keep quiet about Tesk’s very existence for months.
Their father had not, though. Garander threw a quick glance at Grondar, then turned back to Ishta. “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think he’s decided yet.”
Grondar gave him a look Garander could not interpret, then called, “Shouldn’t you be getting our supper, Shella?”
Garander’s mother started. “Oh, yes!” she said. She grabbed her elder daughter’s arm and hustled toward the kitchen.
“Ishta, help your mother,” Grondar ordered.
“But I…”
“Go! It will keep you busy and take your mind off your shatra friend.”
Reluctantly, Ishta obeyed.
“Garander and I will get on with the chores,” Grondar called after the women. “Just because we have wizards and aristocrats all over the place doesn’t mean the pigs will feed themselves.”
Garander was in no mood to tend to the livestock, but he knew his father had a point. He walked back out the door he had just entered, and started toward the barn.
His father caught his arm. “You have an idea of some sort, don’t you?” Grondar asked. “I saw you slip away earlier.”
“I…” Garander hesitated.
Grondar held up a hand. “Don’t tell me. I can’t give away secrets I don’t know. You can tell me all about it later, when it’s all over.”
“Thank you, Father,” Garander said.
“Is there anything else you need to do?”
Garander glanced in the direction of the flying carpet. “Actually…”