He turned to see the emperor beaming at him, his blue eyes wide, pupils enormous. Another glance down into the room and Reiter realized why the women seemed familiar. The last time he’d seen them, they’d been kneeling on the Trouge Road. These were the five mages he’d left with Lieutenant Geurin while he’d chased down the sixth. The blonde had been the woman who spoke Imperial fluently, spoke to him as though she weren’t kneeling in the dirt, captured by the enemy. The tall, very young woman with the light brown hair had been sick and the gorgeous redhead was the Healer-mage who’d gone to her. He had no specific memory of the other two.
A soft clank, metal against metal, pulled his attention back to the emperor in time to see one of the panels of fabric fall back into place. Reiter heard a woman’s voice ask a question—obvious from tone even without understanding the content—and another voice answer.
“Do you speak Aydori, Captain?”
“No, Majesty.” At least half of these women spoke Imperial, but surely the emperor didn’t need Reiter to tell him that.
“Pity. I have transcribers and translators working on everything they say, but it’s mostly been fairly innocuous. They complain, particularly the small, dark-haired one, then the blonde, who is clearly their leader, calms them down. She reminds them of how much worse it could be…”
How much worse had it been? Reiter wondered.
“…and she reminds them that they have more than only themselves to think of. She’s much more intelligent than I anticipated, and I’m certain it’s been due to her influence that they’ve settled into captivity so easily. Although, it is also an understanding of how to use their own biological imperatives against them. The abominations rule by strength of tooth and claw, and I’ve proven to them that my strength is much greater than anything they’ve left behind.”
“But they’re not…”
“Abominations?” The emperor smiled as though Reiter had said something particularly clever. “You haven’t the background to understand their physiognomy, not yet, but you must admit that the abominations define the socialization these women come from. And they carry abominations in their bodies. Well, some of them carry abominations. Some may carry mages.” He frowned thoughtfully. “It’s a pity they don’t whelp litters actually, although, if it were possible, that would certainly change the interpretation of the prophecy. Mages are dying off in the empire, Captain, although not in Aydori. Fascinating place, Aydori: outwardly civilized, inwardly bestial and clearly unable to stand against science and technology. I know what you’re thinking,” he added, his smile broadening. “You’re a military man and you’re thinking science, technology, and several thousand highly trained soldiers armed with silver shot. You’re right, of course. All the science and technology in the world is useless without strong hearts to wield it. The guards in there are part of my personal security force and have been trained for my specific needs. I’m very cognizant about bringing this threat…” He waved toward the spyhole. “…into the heart of the empire. I’ve read the old texts and…You can read, Captain? My apologies, of course you can,” he answered his own question. “Or you’d never have been promoted out of the ranks. Well, as you can read, I’d appreciate it if you could familiarize yourself with some of the mage histories. Another set of eyes, particularly eyes that have faced mages in the field, could be useful. And speaking of eyes, take another look at my mages and tell me if you see any weakening of the artifacts. I’d rather not have a repeat of what happened with your sixth mage happen here. I have every faith that we could contain it, but best to not have it occur at all.”
Reiter saw women eating, smiling, looking sad. He saw Mirian’s pale gray eyes and hoped the Soothsayers were wrong. Or that their babbling had been interpreted incorrectly. Why would she come here when he’d freed her?
Why had she gone to Abyek after she’d escaped? He should have asked.
“This is their first meal of the day,” the emperor continued. “They haven’t seen the outside world since they arrived and I’m experimenting with their sense of day and night to keep them off balance. Not excessively, of course, given their conditions. Still, the midwife attending them assures me that the lower orders are remarkably persistent when it comes to reproduction.”
Remarkably persistent?
“So, Captain Reiter, do you see any evidence they’re able to use mage-craft?”
“No, Majesty.” As he spoke, he saw the blonde woman, the leader, look up, almost directly at him. He stepped back, nearly tripped on the rug, and had to catch himself on the arm of the chair, suddenly wanting to speak with her alone.
The emperor laughed. “Oh, they know this observation booth is up here, but they can’t see the lens and don’t know when it’s occupied. Also, just in case, I’ve acquired protection charms from the Archive for the four represented crafts. All tested, of course.” He reached back behind the fabric and the sound of voices from below stopped. “I was looking forward to sharing my research with Major Halyss—he was the only person at court interested in mages—but never imagine I’m not pleased to have you here in his stead.”
It seemed to Reiter that the emperor would be happy with any pair of ears—Halyss’ interest in mages or his own experience was incidental to the emperor loving the sound of his own voice. And he could only hope none of that showed on his face. “Thank you, Majesty.”
“Fascinating, aren’t they? I can’t spend as much time observing them as I’d like, but I try to be here for meals. Unfortunately, other duties call.” His sigh held equal parts regret and acknowledgment of the inevitable. “As they do now.”
Following the emperor out of the room, Reiter tripped again on the rug. In his own defense, parts of it had buckled up, too large for the space. He glanced down and heard Major Halyss say, “He’s been collecting them for a while now. He could be studying the enemy. He could be having rugs made.”
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Out past the hanging fabric, two steps down the stairs, the emperor turned and looked proudly at the pelt. “They’re larger than actual wolves, you know, so even trimmed up, they cover a more useful area. You attempted to bring me an abomination as well as the mage, didn’t you, Captain Reiter? How did you find him to be?”
“He was mostly unconscious, Majesty…”
The emperor laughed. “Safest way to keep them.”
“…but he seemed to be…a person.”
“It’s a fascinating camouflage, isn’t it? Spend a little more time with them and you’ll see that slough off fairly quickly. Their response to stimulus is distinctly bestial.”
To Reiter’s surprise, the emperor remembered to tell Tavert he was to be given access to the Archive. He’d begun to suspect that words poured out of His Imperial Majesty’s mouth without His Imperial Majesty being aware of them, but it seemed he actually paid attention to what he said. Reiter watched a little more closely as the emperor interacted with the people around him—a smile here, a touch there, the right word said at the right moment. He made people want to please him. Walking through workshops clustered against the south side of the palace, he spoke to men who wore heavy leather gloves and goggles, the dusters over their clothing speckled with small burns. He didn’t seem to mind shouting over the noise of welding and pistons and any number of small roaring machines Reiter couldn’t identify, and those men—and women, Reiter amended, although the protective clothing made it hard to tell—spoke back, not to their emperor but to someone who understood what they were saying.
He was smart.
And so excited about the possibilities technology offered, it was almost impossible not to share that excitement.