Savage Empire

The old man nodded. "You see no dissent in my lands, and my daughter will rule after me in the same fashion. Power can be for good or evil, Master Lenardo-and while one ca

"Then what are you advising me to do, Lord Nerius? Go back and try to take over the Aventine government- become emperor?"

Nerius laughed. "The people of Aventine would be better off if you did. And if you set your mind to it, you would have a better chance of becoming emperor than of persuading the senate to treat with me and my allies. But I don't think you have any desire to foment civil war."

"Nor to be emperor," Lenardo agreed.

"Then let me tell you how to get the Aventine senate to listen to you."

"I am a Master Reader-"

"All the more reason for them to fear you and therefore suppress you. You ca

"What would you have me do? Threaten the senate? Suggest that the Readers could make public all their secret actions?" Leuardo said distastefully.

"I see you are well aware of your power," said Nerius, "even though you do not exercise it. No-I know as well as you that you ca

"Then what is your advice, Lord Nerius?" "Do not return to the empire as a Reader, an Aventine citizen petitioning the senate's favor to grant a hearing. Stay here. Become my sworn man. Then approach the Aventine senate from a position of strength, demanding a hearing for the representative of a Lord Adept. Enter the empire surrounded by my guards, with an Adept or two. Demonstrate what a Reader and an Adept can do together… and offer peace." "Change my loyalty?"

"You are an exile. The empire has disowned you. Consider my proposal. I am not asking that you swear loyalty to me today-you ca

"Nor do you know me," added Lenardo. "I know that I owe you my life. I also know that you could make a formidable enemy-and I would rather have you as a friend. Go now, and consider it. I must rest Oh-one thing more: ask Wulfston how he came to be my apprentice. Learn something of the way the people of the empire react toward someone with power they have not themselves."

Lenardo was grateful to be back in his own room, to come and go at will-and especially to bathe and put on fresh clothes. Then he took a walk in the sunshine and fresh air. There were even more troops camped on the slope beneath Aradia's castle-were the Adepts responsible for keeping the weather so pleasant? Wagonloads of food were arriving from far-flung areas of Aradia's-no, Nerius' -lands, some escorted by men in Lilith's blue livery.

Feeling a need to take his mind off Nerius' proposal, Lenardo joined a group of swordsmen doing practice exercises. As he had lost his own sword, he wanted practice with the heavier type the savages used. Working himself breathless felt good, but after a rest they broke up into pairs to practice fighting. Lenardo defeated two opponents, then bowed out lest his apparent skill give away his Reading ability.

There were spectators, but Lenardo paid them little heed. until he put his sword back in the rack and turned to find Helmuth approaching. "I see you are indeed an experienced soldier," the old man said. "Has the Lady Aradia assigned you a place in her army?" "Not yet," he replied.

"I've got mostly raw lads from the village here, who've. never seen a real battle. I could use your skill, if Lady Aradia is willing."

"I would be honored to fight at your side, Helmuth," Lenardo replied, "but I think the Lady Aradia has other plans for me."

Helmuth glanced around and drew close to Lenardo, speaking in a low voice. "Is it true, then, that you're an Adept, exiled from the empire when they discovered your powers? Everyone is saying that's why my lady and Lord Wulfston spend so much time with you." "Is that what you think, Helmuth?" "I have my own suspicions," the old man said, "and if I'm right, you know what they are."

Indeed, Helmuth did suspect Lenardo was a Reader. "There are… things I ca

"Very well," said Helmuth. "I trust her, as does everyone here. But anyone who betrays her trust…"

"I have no intention of doing so," said Lenardo, wondering if anyone else had the same suspicion. The rumor that he was an Adept he encountered everywhere; the rumor that he was a Reader might-start a panic. But he Read that Helmuth had shared his suspicions with no one, and would not.

"Just take care, lad," said Helmuth, "that your actions live up to your intentions."

As Lenardo's intentions were to aid Aradia in the coming struggle against Drakonius, he went back to his room and Read the enemy stronghold again. Frustratingly, he came in on the very end of a meeting between Drakonius and Galen.

"You prove yourself to me this time," the Adept was saying as he got up to leave Galen's room, "and you'll have your freedom. Betray me again, and this time I'll kill you… and not pleasantly."

Galen was shielded against anyone Reading his thoughts, but Lenardo clearly Read the pain that suddenly lanced through the boy's right hand. Muscles convulsed, tendons and ligaments drawing Galen's fingers back grotesquely, while he screamed in agony. There was a snap, and then another, as bones broke-and then the hand went lump.

Galen fell to his knees, sobbing as he held his injured hand against his chest. Drakonius put a hand under his chin and raised his face up to look into his eyes. "You remember this lesson," he said. "If you betray me again, I won't do that to just one hand. I'll da it to your whole body, break every bone, and then I'll throw you into the forum in Zendi to die, where everyone can see what happens to the enemies of Drakonius."

"I did not betray you, my lord," Galen gasped through his tears. "I shall never betray you. You are my liege lord."

"As long as you remember that… Here." He took Galen's hand, and Lenardo felt the familiar healing heat flow through it as the bones began to knit. The pain disappeared. "Go to sleep now, boy-we'll have need of your skills soon enough."

For what? Lenardo longed^ to know, but he dared not try to contact Galen at that moment. So he followed Drakonius, who went down to the river's edge, walked out onto one of the fortifications, took hook and line from his pocket, captured a passing dragonfly, and proceeded to go fishing!

This was a general preparing for battle? It made no sense-at all, as Lenardo told Wulfston when the two men, unable, to converse in the hubbub of the great hall, took their evening meal up to Wulfston's room, where they could talk while they ate.

"He's waiting for something," said Wulfston, "or someone. Our watchers report Hron's movements, and Yolo's, but not Trang's. On the other hand, Drakonius is far from stupid. If his Reader has told him that you Read his stronghold once, he's expecting you to do it again. Perhaps he wants you to find him fishing."

"I don't think he would have wanted me to find him torturing Galen," said Lenardo, and he told Wulfston of the scene.

"That is typical of Drakonius," said Wulfston. "We've told you he rules by fear. When he takes a new territory, he'll publicly torture a few influential people, then heal them and keep their loyalty through threats of further pain."

Lenardo's appetite had disappeared. Wulfston noticed his reaction and said, "No one here-not Nerius, not Aradia, not I-would harm somebody simply as an example."