“But of course, this all assumes we get back to Ethshar,” Vond said.
“I think we will,” Hanner said. “Once the sun is above the city walls.” He glanced up. “The real sun.”
“If Ithinia hasn’t laid a dozen traps for us,” Vond said. “Or smashed the attic, so there’s nothing to match the image.”
“If that, yes,” Hanner agreed. “But you’re assuming she knows where we are.”
“She’s a wizard,” Vond said. “You have to assume she knows everything she might want to.”
“There is that,” Hanner acknowledged. He looked around at the swordsmen and the remaining refugees. “It must still be hours until dawn. Maybe we should all get some sleep.”
“Maybe,” Vond agreed. He looked at Tesra and the woman who had been testing the tapestry. “I want at least two men awake and watching the tapestry at all times – Gerath, you work out the roster, and whoever isn’t doing that should get some rest.” He smiled a very unpleasant smile. “If our friend Hanner is correct, the tapestry may start working again at dawn – or it may not, in which case we will have to wait until his family arranges to rescue us. Either way, we may find some excitement waiting for us, if and when we get back to Ethshar.”
Gerath nodded, and began giving orders.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ithinia knelt before the low table where she was making preliminary preparations for Varrin’s Greater Propulsion. She could not complete the spell for another four days – well, three and a fraction – but the early steps could be done at any time, and she wanted them out of the way. She kept her hands moving in the necessary gestures, her eyes focused on the elements of her spell, as she said, “How long has it been?”
“Two or three hours, Guildmaster,” Rothiel replied, standing well back from the table.
They were in a guard-room to one side of the overlord’s grand audience chamber; it was not as centrally located as Ithinia might have hoped, but it did have several large casements that gave a good view and would aid in navigating the palace when the spell was complete.
Right now, the view from those windows showed her the night-lanterns of Crooked Pier and the lights of the Newmarket waterfront. She had thought the spell would be needed to keep the palace from falling when Vond eventually let it go, but it was no longer airborne; instead it stood on a sandbar a hundred yards out from the beach. The spell would still be necessary to set the palace back in its proper place, of course, and at any rate, once she had begun it was not safe to stop until she reached one of the spell’s natural breaks.
“Do we know what happened?” she asked.
“That’s why I’m here, Guildmaster. We have received reliable reports that Vond did indeed follow Hanner and the rest through the tapestry Arvagan made.”
Ithinia considered that silently for a moment, swaying back and forth gently as her hands circled over the seven stones.
“Hanner had that tapestry made as a refuge from the Calling, I believe?” she said at last. She was not really asking Rothiel as much as reminding herself what Arvagan had told her.
“That is my understanding, Guildmaster.”
“But when he tested it, he was Called immediately.”
“So I was told, yes.”
“Warlockry should not reach through a Transporting Tapestry.” She frowned. “But I don’t think Vond would want to give up his magic even for a moment, and Hanner’s refuge apparently did not protect him seventeen years ago. Perhaps there is yet another source of magic on the other side, one that increased Hanner’s susceptibility to the Call.”
“We have no way of knowing, Guildmaster.”
“Don’t be an idiot, Rothiel. Dozens of Called warlocks went through that tapestry, and were then chased back to Ethshar by Vond’s hirelings – they would know whether there is a third source on the other side. We can ask them.”
“Oh,” Rothiel said. “Of course.” Ithinia glanced up from her work long enough to see that the man was actually blushing.
“Everyone misses the obvious on occasion,” she said. “Now that your oversight has been pointed out, perhaps you will make up for it by talking to some of these refugees and learning as much as you can about Hanner’s other world. What does Vond want there? Why hasn’t he returned yet? When will he return?” She paused. “You might want to talk to Arvagan about what return mechanism he provided when Hanner first purchased the tapestry. Talk to the refugees first, though. I’m sure you can think of the questions we want to ask.”
“Yes, Guildmaster.”
“Was there anything else I needed to know before you attend to interviewing the refugees?”
“Not about the general situation, but Lady Alris wishes to speak to you.”
“Then by all means, send her in.”
Rothiel bowed, then turned and left the room.
A moment later Lady Alris entered.
Ithinia did not know the Lady of the Household well; Alris’ duties generally kept her in the palace, while Ithinia had preferred to stay out of the seat of government. Still, they had met before, in passing.
“You will forgive me, my lady, if I do not bow,” Ithinia said. “As you can see, I am in the midst of a spell I hope will restore the palace to its proper place.”
Alris nodded. “Of course, Ithinia.”
For a moment neither woman spoke; then Ithinia asked, “Are you here on behalf of Lord Azrad?”
“I am here as his representative, yes,” Alris replied, “but I am also here on my own behalf.”
“Are you?” Ithinia’s tone was polite, but uninterested.
“Yes. But first, the overlord wishes to know what he might expect from you and this demented warlock.”
Ithinia nodded. “Please extend to Lord Azrad my apologies for allowing this situation to arise. I regret to say I am not entirely sure what he should expect. Emperor Vond has disappeared. He may return at any time, and when he does I expect he will lift the palace off this sandbar and once again suspend it over the city.”
“Lord Azrad has been given to understand that the emperor has done this because you attempted to deceive him in some fashion.”
Ithinia sighed. “Yes, we did. We had hoped to discourage him from using his magic recklessly.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
“Myself and certain other magicians, most particularly a witch named Kirris of Slave Street. I very much regret to say that Kirris is dead now; Vond killed her.” Ithinia allowed herself a sigh. “We meant no harm.”
“Yet here we are, in a palace that has been yanked out of the ground like a weed, dangled over the city for hours, and then flung aside.”
“I am aware -” Ithinia began.
“Lord Azrad is not interested in what you may be aware of,” Alris interrupted. “He has sent me here to express his very great displeasure at being caught in the middle of a feud between two magicians.”
Ithinia was startled; she was not accustomed to being interrupted. She said, “I -”
“Furthermore,” Alris continued, cutting her off, “he wishes me to convey to you his intense annoyance at the apparent hypocrisy involved. We all know your Guild forbids the overlord to interfere with magical business, yet you and the warlock seem to have had no compunction about interfering with the overlord.”
“On the contrary, I am appalled that Vond -”
“Heretofore,” Alris went on relentlessly, “Lord Azrad and his predecessors have allowed wizards a great deal of leeway, as have the other overlords. He would remind you that it was you and your fellow wizards who convinced his father to allow warlocks to live in this city in the first place. He would also remind you that while he knows wizards and warlocks are very powerful, there are other powerful magicians who would be happy to see your position in Ethshar reduced.”
“Yes,” Ithinia said. “I know.”