«Aye-and even if we beat the natural craft, » the messenger said, hysterically, «we could not beat born the ships of Chaos and the stuff of Chaos which boils around them and did to me what you observe! It boils, it warps, it changes constantly. That is all I know, save that Jagreen Lern and unhuman allies are unharmed by it as I was harmed. When his change began to take place in my body, I fled to the Dragon Up of Melnibone, which seems to have withstood the process and is the only safe land in all the waters of the world. My body-healed-swiftly, and I chanced another sailing to bring me here.»
«You were courageous, » Elric said hollowly. «You will be well rewarded, I promise.»
«I want only one reward, my lord.»
«What is that?»
«Death. I can no longer live with the horror of my body burrowing the horror in my brains! »
«I will see to it, » Elric promised. He remained brooding for a few seconds before nodding farewell to the spy and leaving the room.
Moonglum met him outside.
«It looks blade for us, Elric.» he said softly.
Elric sighed. «Aye-perhaps I should have gone to seek the Chaos Shield first.»
«What's that?»
Elric explained all Sepiriz had told him.
«We could do with such a defence, » Moonglum agreed. «But there it is - the priority is tomorrow's sailing. Your captains await you in the conference chamber.»
«I will see them in a short while, » Elric promised. «First I wish to go to my own room to collect my thoughts. Tell them I’ll join them when that's done.»
When he reached his room, Elric locked the door behind him, still thinking of the spy's information. He knew that without supernatural aid no ordinary fleet, no matter bow large or how courageously manned, could possibly withstand Jagreen Lern. And the fact was that he had only a comparatively small Beet, no supernatural entities for allies, no means of combatting the disrupting chaotic forces. If only he had the Chaos Shield beside him now... But it was useless to regret a decision of the kind he'd made. If he sought the shield now, he couldn't fight the battle in any case.
For weeks he had consulted the grimoires that, in the form of scrolls, tablets, books and sheets of precious metals engraved with ancient symbols, littered his room. The Elementals had helped him in the past, but, so disrupted were they by Chaos, that they were weak for the most part.
He unstrapped his hell-sword and filing it on the bed of tumbled silks and furs. Wryly he thought back to earlier times when he had given in to despair and how those incidents which had engendered the mood seemed merely gay escapades in comparison to the task which now weighed on his mind. Though weary, he chose not to draw Stormbringer's stolen energy into himself, for the feeling that was so dose to ecstasy was leavened by the guilt-the guilt which had possessed him since a child when he had first realised that the expression on his remote father's face had not been one of love, but of disappointment that he should have spawned a deficient weakling-a pale albino, good for nothing, without the aid of drugs or sorcery.
Elric sighed and went to the window to stare oat over the low hills and beyond them to the sea. He spoke aloud, perhaps subconsciously, hoping that the release of the words would relieve some of the tension within him.
«I do not care for this responsibility, » he said. «When I fought the Dead God he spoke of both gods and men as shadow-things, playing puppet-parts before the true history of Earth began and men found their fate in their own hands. Then Sepiriz tells me I must turn against Chaos and help destroy the whole nature of the world I know or history might never begin again, and Fate's great purpose would be thwarted. Therefore I am the one who must be split and tempered to fulfill my destiny-I must know no peace of mind, must fight men and gods and the stuff of Chaos without surcease, must bring about the death of this age so that, in some far dawn-age, men who know little of sorcery or the Lords of the Higher Worlds, may move about a world where the major forces of Chaos can no longer enter, where justice may actually exist as a reality, and not as a mere concept in the minds of philosophers.»
He rubbed his red eyes with his fingers.
«So fate makes Elric a martyr that Law might rule the world. It gives him a sword of ugly evil that destroys friends and enemies alike and sucks their soul-stuff out to feed him the strength he needs. It binds me to evil and to Chaos, in order that I may destroy evil and Chaos-but it does not make me some senseless dolt easily convinced and a willing sacrifice. No, it makes me Elric of Melnibone and floods me with a mighty misery...»
«My lord speaks aloud to himself-and his thoughts are gloomy. Speak them to me, instead, so that I might help you bear them, Elric.»
Recognising the soft voice, but astonished nonetheless. Ellie turned quickly towards the source and saw his wife, Zarozinia standing there, her arms outstretched and a look of deep sympathy upon her young face.
He took a step towards her before stopping and saying angrily: «When did you come here? Why? I told you to remain in your father's palace at Karlaak until this business is done, if ever.»
«If ever...» She repeated, dropping her arms to her sides with a little shrug. Though scarcely more than a girl, with her full red lips and long black hair, she bore herself as it princess must and seemed more than her age.
«Ask not that question, » he said cynically. «It is not one we ask ourselves here. But answer mine: How did you come here and why?» He knew what her reply would be, but he spoke only to emphasise his anger which in turn was a result of his horror that she should have come so dose to danger, danger which he had already rescued her from once.
«I came with my cousin Opluk’s two thousand, » she said, fitting her head defiantly, «when he joined the defenders of Uhaio. I came to be near my husband at a time when he may need my comforting. The gods know I've had little opportunity to discover if he does! »
Elric paced the room in agitation. «As I love you, Zarozinia, believe that I would be in Karlaak now with you had I any excuse at all. But I have not-you know my role, my destiny, my doom. You bring sorrow with your presence, not help. If this business has a satisfactory end, then we’ll meet again, in joy-not in misery as we now must! » He crossed to her and took her in his arms. «Oh, Zarozinia, we should never have met, never have married. We can only hurt one another at this time. Our happiness was so brief...»
«If you would be hurt by me, then hurt you shall be, » she said softly, «but if you would be comforted, then I am hero to comfort my lord.»
He relented with a sigh. «These are loving words, my dear-but they are not spoken in loving times. I have put love aside for the nonce. Try to do likewise and thus well both dispense with added complication.»
Without anger, she drew slowly away from him and with a slight smile that had something of irony in it, pointed to the bed, where Stormbringer lay.
«I see your other mistress still shares your bed, » she said. «And now you need never try to dismiss her again, for that black Lord of Nihrain has given you an excuse to forever keep her by your side. Destiny-is that the word? Destiny! Ah, the deeds men have done in Destiny's name. And what is destiny, Brie, can you answer?»
He shook his bead. «Since you ask the question in malice, I’ll not make the attempt to answer it.»
She cried suddenly: «Oh, Elric! I - have travelled for many days to see you, thinking you would welcome me. And now we speak in anger! »
«Fear! » he said urgently. «It is fear, not anger. I fear for you as I fear for the fate of the world! See me to my ship in the morning and then make speed back to Karlaak. I beg you»
«If you wish it.»
She walked back into the small chamber which joined the main one.