"You are pledged to Eequor of Chaos," Rackhir observed, "and must aid her against us, is that not so?"
"Here," she smiled, "is a truce. I can only inform Chaos of what I learn of your plans and, if the Grey Lords aid you, must tell them how, if I can find out."
"You are frank, Sorana."
"Here there are subtler hypocrisies-and the subtlest lie of all is the full truth," she said, as they entered the area of tall tents and made their way towards a certain one.
In a different realm of the Earth, the huge horde careered across the grasslands of the North, screaming and singing behind the black-armoured horseman, their leader. Nearer and nearer they came to lonely Tanelorn, their motley weapons shining through the evening mists. Like a boiling tidal wave of insensate flesh, the mob drove on, hysterical with the hate for Tanelorn which Narjhan had placed in their thin hearts. Thieves, murderers, jackals, scavengers-a scrawny horde, but huge...
And in Tanelorn the warriors were grim-faced as their out-riders and scouts flowed into the city with messages and estimates of the beggar army's strength.
Brut, in the silver armour of his rank, knew that two full days had passed since Rackhir had left for the Sighing Desert Three more days and the city would be engulfed by Narjhan's mighty rabble-and they knew there was no chance of halting their advance. They might have left Tanelorn to its fate, but they would not. Even weak Uroch would not. For Tanelorn the Mysterious had given them all a secret power which each believed to be his only, a strength which filled them where before they had been hollow men. Selfishly, they stayed-for to leave Tanelorn to her fate would be to become hollow again, and that they all dreaded.
Brut was the leader and he prepared the defence of Tanelorn-a defence which might just have held against the beggar army-but not against it and Chaos. Brut shuddered when he thought that if Chaos had directed its full force against Tanelorn, they would be sobbing in Hell at that moment.
Dust rose high above Tanelorn, sent flying by the hooves of the scouts' and messengers' horses. One came through the gate as Brut watched. He pulled his mount to a stop before the nobleman. He was the messenger from Kaarlak, by the Weeping Waste, one of the nearest major cities to Tanelorn.
The messenger gasped: "I asked Kaarlak for aid but, as we supposed, they had never heard of Tanelorn and suspected that I was an emissary from the beggar army sent to lead their few forces into a trap. I pleaded with the Senators, but they would do nothing."
"Was not Elric there-he knows Tanelorn?"
"No, he was not there. There is a rumour which says that he himself fights Chaos now, for the minions of Chaos captured his wife Zarozinia and he rides in pursuit of them. Chaos, it seems, gains strength everywhere in our realm."
Brut was pale.
"What of Jadmar-will Jadmar send warriors?" The messenger spoke urgently, for many had been sent to the nearer cities to solicit aid.
"I do not know," replied Brut, "and it does not matter now-for the beggar army is not three days march from Tanelorn and it would take two weeks for a Jadmarian force to reach us."
"And Rackhir?"
"I have heard nothing and he has not returned. I have the feeling he will not return. Tanelorn is doomed."
Rackhir and Lamsar bowed before the three small men who sat in the tent, but one of them said impatiently: "Do not humble yourselves before us, friendswe who are humbler than any." So they straightened their backs and waited to be further addressed.
The Grey Lords assumed humility, but this, it seemed, was their greatest ostentation, for it was a pride that they had. Rackhir realised that he would need to use subtle flattery and was not sure that he could, for he was a warrior, not a courtier or a diplomat. Lamsar, too, realised the situation and he said:
"In our pride, Lords, we have come to learn the simpler truths which are only truths-the truths which you can teach us."
The speaker gave us a self-deprecating smile and replied: "Truth is not for us to define, guest, we can but offer our incomplete thoughts. They might interest you or help you to find your own truths."
"Indeed, that is so," Rackhir said, not wholly sure with what he was agreeing, but judging it best to agree. "And we wondered if you had any suggestions on a matter which concerns us-the protection of our Tanelorn."
"We would not be so prideful as to interfere our own comments. We are not mighty intellects," the speaker replied blandly, "and we have no confidence in our own decisions, for who knows that they may be wrong and based on wrongly assessed information?"
"Indeed," said Lamsar, judging that he must flatter them with their own assumed humility, and it is lucky for us, Lords, that we do not confuse pride with learn ing-for it is the quiet man who observes and says little who sees the most. Therefore, though we realise that you are not confident that your suggestions or help would be useful, none the less we, taking example from your own demeanour, humbly ask if you know of any way in which we might rescue Tanelorn?"
Rackhir had hardly been able to follow the complexities of Lamsar's seemingly unsophisticated argument, but he saw that the Grey Lords were pleased. Out of the corner of his eye he observed Sorana. She was smiling to herself and it seemed evident, by the characteristics of that smile, that they had behaved in the right way. Now Sorana was listening intently and Rackhir cursed to himself that the Lords of Chaos would know of everything and might, even if they did gain the Grey Lords' aid, still be able to anticipate and stop any action they took to save Tanelorn.
The speaker conferred in a liquid speech with his fellows and said finally: "Rarely do we have the privilege to entertain such brave and intelligent men. How may our insignificant minds be put to your advantage?"
Rackhir realised quite suddenly, and almost laughed, that the Grey Lords were not very clever after all. Their flattery had got them the help they required. He said:
"Narjhan of Chaos heads a huge army of human scum-a beggar army-and is sworn to tear down Tanelorn and kill her inhabitants. We need magical aid of some kind to combat one so powerful as Narjhan and defeat the beggars."
"But Tanelorn cannot be destroyed..." said a Grey Lord. "She is Eternal..." said another. "But this manifestation..." murmured the third. "Ah, yes..."
"There are beetles in Kaleef," said a Grey Lord who had not spoken before, "which emit a peculiar venom."
"Beetles, Lord?" said Rackhir.
"They are the size of mammoths," said the third Lord, "but can change their size-and change the size of their prey if it is too large for their gullets."
"As for that matter," the first speaker said, "there is a chimera which dwells in mountains South of here-it can change its shape and contains hate for Chaos since Chaos bred it and abandoned it with no real shape of its own."
"Then there are four brothers of Himerscahl who are endowed with sorcerous power," said the second Lord, but the first interrupted him:
"Their magic is no good outside our own dimension," he said. "I had thought, however, of reviving the Blue Wizard."
"Too dangerous and, anyway, beyond our powers," said his companion.
They continued to debate for a while, and Rackhir and Lamsar said nothing, but waited.
Eventually the first speaker said:
"The Boatmen of Xerlerenes, we have decided, will probably be best equipped to aid you in defence of Tanelorn. You must go to the mountains of Xerlerenes and find their lake."
"A lake," said Lamsar, "in a range of mountains, I see."
"No," the Lord said, "their lake lies above the mountains. We will find someone to take you there. Perhaps they will aid you."