I was aware, as you must be, that for you to meet him in public would provoke scandal. I had decided to pay that price, in the belief that the gossip would be harmless and would eventually die. Now I have learned that I was wrong--not only has it already stirred dangerous thoughts in certain quarters, but I see that it could lead to the uncovering of other matters which must remain hidden. You will know to what I refer. Therefore, the isolation of your house from mine must be continued.
Doubtless he has already met persons on the Rand who know you, but the court is where the danger lies, and so long as none of his companions see the two of you together, the harm will be small.
Yet you should meet him. I have told him that a man named Ovla will seek him out in Gorr. Be careful that you are unobserved. Only Prince Shadow will be present. Inquire into his background--it is relevant.
Shadow looked up in astonishment. "What has my background got to do with all this?"
Ukarres shrugged. "If I knew, I would probably lie about it."
He did know--Shadow was certain. Angrily he returned to the royal letter.
It is a sadness when the scion of an ancient family lacks a son. I propose to give you one of mine. As soon as Vindax returns, I shall send Jarkadon to you. I hope that you will consider favorably a marriage between him and your daughter, that he may ultimately succeed you as keeper of the Rand. In return I shall issue patents that your titles may descend through the female line.
He has merit, yet is scathed by the temptations of court life. I believe my older son does credit to my rearing. Perhaps you, in your more wholesome lands, can improve on the younger.
I think you owe me this.
Written in our own hand, this 9234th day of our reign in our capital of Ramo.
Aurolron R.
"Great fires of the Ark!" Shadow exclaimed, and read it all again. Then he stared at Ukarres. "He as much as admits that the duke is the prince's father!"
"He does not!" the seneschal snapped. "But then, the duke would know that better than the king, would he not?"
"Is he? Was there opportunity?"
Again Ukarres knew, but the wily old man was not going to say. "I told you it was a strange missive. The comments on Prince Jarkadon? Even the royal admission of error! Yes, we had better both keep quiet about this, my lad."
Banish Jarkadon? They would have to tie that young man on a bird's back before they would get him to the Rand.
And if Vindax were truly the duke's son, then the king's letter was utterly incredible. No wonder the writing was shaky--it must have been written under great stress.
"But the message to the prince?" Shadow demanded.
Ukarres shook his head. "The duke erred. He said, 'Well, he wants a hunt, so I shall give him this afterward. The damage is done now.'"
Of course! Shadow moaned aloud. The damage was done because he had juggled the royal itinerary in the name of security. That was what Ukarres had meant when he said it was his fault. He had innocently thwarted the king's plan.
For a few moments his mind seemed to dance all over the Rand like a batted bird. The he remembered something else.
"You said you also bore blame?"
Ukarres nodded sadly. "The duke departed at last, and he left that terrible document in my charge, for I am archivist, among many other things. I should have taken it at once to the castle vaults. But I am old, Shadow, and a cripple, and it was only a couple of hours until three bells. I thought a short delay..."
"Who else saw it?"
A curious reluctance came over Ukarres. "We are all downside up here just now, with so many guests. But while I slept, the person in the next room must have passed through mine. I am certain that the letter had been moved...it was on the chair by my bed..."
Then Shadow knew and was horrified. "But why?" he said. "To protect her father against a charge of treason?"
Ukarres rolled his single eye. "It would not occur to her."
"Why, then?" Shadow persisted, even more appalled. "Why would she do such a thing?"
"Motives make poor bandages, as they say," the old man muttered sadly. "She would not be the first to seek a throne through violence, would she? No..." He fell silent for a moment, as though he had not previously thought about motive. "She has five brothers that she knows of," he said at last, "in the town and castle--all illegitimate. She cannot inherit the title, nor most of the lands, for she is a woman. How does she feel about bastards, do you suppose? Contempt? Fear? How would she feel about one becoming king?"
"And her destiny is to be queen?" Shadow groaned again. "It must have been done just as the blinkers were opened. I thought at first he was trying to return to the aerie. He must have heard or seen, too late. But if he is alive, then he knows who did it."
The old man squirmed to relieve his back, or perhaps just his feelings. His dry whisper became even quieter. "That is why Vak and I are suddenly allies. We are loyal to our duke, but even great men have weaknesses. He has fathered seven bastards that I know of, all sons. From wedlock he obtained a single daughter. He must know she did it. But he will protect her. He has never denied her anything."
Breakfast was forgotten. Shadow stood up. "I must join the search and warn the others at the next break. If the duke finds the prince first..."
Ukarres shook his head angrily and thumped his cane on the rug. "Never! The prince was his guest! He would not stoop to that, and none of his men would support him in so dastardly a crime. Elosa is being watched--I know that. I meant only that he will not bring her to justice if the prince has died. And, strangely, I find that my lifelong loyalty has choked at last. Sit down! There is more."
There could not possibly be more. Shadow sat down.
"Now," the old man wheezed. "We all know that the chances are very, very slim. Perhaps one man in twenty survives a batted bird. But the bird usually does, right? If the rider tied his reins. They do not often fly into a hill, for there is just too much sky. So where did she go, afterward?"
Gods! For a moment Shadow had a foul vision of WindStriker arriving back at the palace with the lifeless, rotting body of the Prince...but no, she was a widow. He had inquired carefully. A bird removed from its mate for long became fractious, which was why he had brought only pairs and widows, with very few singles. So she had no mate to go back to.
"I expect she is wandering the hills."
"Who chose her?"
Shadow shrugged. "The prince. I suggested a mature female. She came from the family private collection. She is the queen's official mount, although the queen has not flown in kilodays."
Ukarres nodded. "I remember her, and Vonimor knew her the instant she arrived. We were on the Allaban expedition, both of us, and Princess Mayala flew on WindStriker. She has been here before."
The story was quite plausible. She might have belonged to the queen's grandmother also. "She had a mate back in Allaban?"
"We're not sure, but Vak thinks she might have done." He smiled ruefully. "Our departure was hardly orderly, you know. It was almost every man for himself. But I think that if the prince lives, then he lives now in Allaban."
"She would have flown into certain death on Eagle Dome."
The seneschal shook his head gently. "Not necessarily. There is another way to Allaban. A more direct way."
Shadow smelled treachery. "How?"
"It is known as Dead Man's Pass. Quite simply, you fly around the back of Eagle Dome. It is very high. The wilds can use it, of course, but they do not live there, in the dark. It is not guarded, as the sun side is. It is extremely dangerous for men, but a few have made it throughout history, for one reason or another. More have failed. It takes an exceptional mount and an exceptional skyman, but it can be done."