The Twilight herald

'Since you're calling the nobles to Tirah,' Lesarl said, standing close to the white-eye, as if to a long-time confidant, 'I've set the investiture ceremony for two months' time. It's a rare event, so we might as well make the most of it and have all the suzerains there. After getting the Synod's approval you have a number of other meetings.' Lesarl nodded towards Jachen. 'You might want to think about whether you take him in to all of them; you don't trust him as you do Carel.'

'It appears I'm the only person who didn't know he was a candidate for the position,' Lord Isak said pointedly. 'Perhaps I should be asking you whether 1 can trust him.'

'My Lord, of course Kerin asked my opinion, and I have no objec¬tion – if I had, the Swordmaster would not have put him in front of you. As it is, I always suspect folk who covet a position of influence. Far better to find an unknown man you consider useful.' He acknow¬ledged Jachen with a cold smile. 'Easier to kill this one too, if he's not up to the job.'

Isak snorted. 'Let's give him a week or two first. What about these other meetings?'

'Principal ministers, the City Council, the Honourable Association of Merchants, and then later tonight my coterie.'

'Coterie?' Isak asked.

Lesarl gave Jachen a warning look as he explained, 'My personal – let us call them advisors. They hold no actual position, and you will never see them at meetings, but they are integral to keeping the nation ru

Lord Isak waved a hand in dismissal. 'Fine, it'll probably be the only thing I properly remember. There are so many meetings, so much to

sign – it's all starting to blur. No wonder Lord Bahl left so much of this up to you!'

'My Lord, no one man can run a nation. It will take you time to absorb all the details – you were not trained from birth to do this, after all, but your aides were. After a few weeks the legal requirements will all be resolved and government will return to normal. Until then, trust me to ensure that everything is being attended to. Your priority is to establish yourself as Lord of the Farlan, a head of state the people can trust, one who will keep life going as usual. Your position as a warrior has, I think, been adequately affirmed. Now, just remember to conduct yourself in meetings as calmly as possible. We would prefer people forgot about stories of the battle of Chirr Plains and saw only the intelligent ruler they now have.'

'And begging the favour of the Synod is the first step in that?' Lord Isak sighed.

'The approval of the Synod is an ancient custom,' Lesarl said. 'It may be a formality now, but that was not always the case. It is a good reminder of how divided the tribe once was.'

'So there won't be any political bargaining going on?'

Lesarl's smile sparkled back to life, reminding Lord Isak of King Emin of Narkang. 'My Lord, that you could think such a thing of our holiest men…'

He sighed. His Chief Steward found his entertainment in the strangest of ways. 'Gods, it's going to be that bad? Tila said they'd at least conform to the ritual format.'

'I'm sure it will start that way,' Lesarl agreed, 'but I suspect the sitting cardinals will be keen to get to business soon enough. After all, you intend to execute Cardinal Certinse's sister and nephew. There is one final thing: your father. I don't know if you want to give him a position, or a manor, in Anvee, perh-'

'No. He won't accept anything from me.' He sighed. 'Just keep an eye On him, keep him out of trouble.'

'As you wish, my Lord,' Lesarl said with a.sniff. For a moment he looked as il he would speak further, then he bowed low and hacked

away.

'Isak, concentrate, Repeat it back to me.' Tila grabbed his deep crimson tunic and tugged it left and right, finally succeeding in straightening the rucked shirt underneath It that was ruining the line.

Isak snooed Tila's hands away, The sitting cardinals are named Certinse, Veck Honestly, what sort of a name is Vreck"

'Never mind that now,' Tila snapped. Her voice- sounded strangely loud in the bare antechamber. They were alone, aside from Jachen, who lingered uncomfortably by the door. Two of Isak's personal guards, clad in full armour, stood outside the room, warning everyone away. This was the administrative side of the palace, part of the main wing given over to governmental use. The high-ceilinged oval hall on the other side of the door was the Synod Chamber. It was intentionally set apart from the main wing. Isak hadn't asked why. No doubt there was symbolism involved, but he had quite enough to remember already.

'Yes, mistress,' Isak growled without a trace of contrition, and par¬roted back to her, 'Certinse, Veck and Echer are the sitting cardinals. Echer is High Cardinal, but he's very old now so he'll let the other two speak. The high priests always defer to the three most powerful of their number, and of those Jopel Bern, the High Priest of Death, will take the lead since Voss Aftal will not want to come into direct conflict with the head of his own cult. The only other high priest who might speak is from the Temple of Belara

'Good, and your two allies there?'

'The Corlyn, and High Chaplain Mochyd. Satisfied now? Tila, calm down; I remember everything you've told me. Now give me a moment to myself, will you?'

Tila hesitated, then curtsied in acknowledgement and stepped back. Isak stretched his back and shoulders. The suit of thick linen Tila had produced might be striking, but he felt constrained by it. She had a thing about putting him in scarlet and gold. He put his palm against the wall; it was cold, and for a moment he felt like it was drawing the very life out of him. When he withdrew his hand, he could feel the ghost of its touch still, a chill tingle ru

'Right,' he a

Jachen bobbed his head and stepped forward, slipping his sword from its scabbard and reversing it. He rapped three times on the brass

plate' screwed Into the heavy wooden door, sheathed his weapon, took a deep breath and placed a hand on each of the handles. He looked

at Isak, who nodded, flung open the doors and swept into the room, a

He stepped aside, and Isak walked past, looking at the collection of wizened laces peering up at him from a massive oval table. Jachen and Tila pulled the doors shut, then followed to take up their positions on either side of the Duke of Tirah.

'The Synod welcomes you, Lord Isak, Chosen of Nartis and Duke of Tirah.' Isak followed the cracked voice to its owner, High Cardinal Echer. The withered old man raised his arthritis-clawed hands, palms towards Isak, in formal greeting. 'May the hand of Nartis guide you.'

Isak returned the greeting and bowed low to the assembled men and women, sitting in this dim and dusty chamber, silently awaiting the future. Only two could be called young and relatively healthy: Cardinal Certinse, whose family co