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"That is not your concern."
"Perhaps not; still, I would know what it is"
"That was no part of our agreement."
"True. But when we framed our bargain, I had no idea that I was being sent for so venomous a creature."
"Ah. How does that alter the agreement?"
"I want no part of unleashing so potent a force of death as the basilisk. I can see no use or need for such a creature unless you plan to use it as Shang did, to destroy large numbers of people."
"Nonetheless, I have a use for it, and you have agreed to bring it to me as the first part of our bargain.
"As I told you at our first meeting, I am weary of the omnipresence of death and decay. I do not wish to contribute to the spread of death."
The yellow-clad figure stirred slightly. "Garth, do you know what year this is?"
Garth was puzzled by the apparent change of subject. "It is the year three hundred and forty-four of Ordunin."
"Do you know no other reckoning?"
"The men of Lagur call it the Year of the Dolphin, I believe."
"This is the year two hundred and ninety-nine of the Thirteenth Age, the age in which the goddess P'hul is ascendant over all the world."
"I do not see the significance of this."
"P'hul is the goddess of decay, the handmaiden of death, one of the greatest of the Lords of Dыs."
"I still fail to see why this is of any concern to me."
"This is the Age of Decay, Garth. There is nothing you nor anyone can do to prevent the continuance of universal decline, so long as P'hul remains dominant."
"Such fatalism is irrelevant. I do not believe in your gods. And even if I ca
"Perhaps. Yet perhaps not. How many deaths have you caused already upon this errand?"
"A dozen men died that I might bring you the monster."
"One, undoubtedly, was Shang, the wizard responsible for the depopulation of Mormoreth. The rest, I take it, were bandits?"
"Yes."
"You mourn the loss of these twelve?"
"Any death is unfortunate."
"Yet you killed them."
"I acted in self-defense."
"Still, you killed them. Can you really avoid contributing to decay and death?"
Garth was silent for a moment, then answered, "I killed in self-defense. You are under no threat so dire that you need the basilisk to defend you."
"So you will not deliver it?"
"Not unless you first satisfy me that you will not use it to slaughter."
"But I can do that without revealing my purpose."
There was another moment of silence, or rather, a moment in which the only sound was the steady patter of rain at the window. The glow of the single candle flickered. Finally, Garth said, "How?"
"I swear, by my heart and all the gods, that I have no intention of using the basilisk's gaze or venom to slay others. That oath satisfied you once."
Garth said nothing, considering.
"If that is not sufficient, then I will swear further by the God Whose Name Is Not Spoken."
Garth hesitantly said, "I have been warned that you are an evil being."
"Ah. Shang thus warned you?"
"Yes."
"What is evil? Perhaps I merely opposed Shang, who destroyed an i
Garth made no answer. He felt slightly ashamed, though he was unsure why.
"Will you fetch now the basilisk?"
Garth cleared his throat. "Yes."
"Good. Deliver it to the stable here at the i
"There are still things I wish to know," Garth said hesitantly.
"Indeed?"
"I have heard that you have lived here for decades, yet no one knows your name."
"This is true."
"Why?"
"That is not your concern"
"Are you in truth evil, as Shang alleged?"
There was a pause before the old man replied, "I do not know what evil is."
"What is your name, that you have told no one?"
"I was once called Yhtill, a name which surely means nothing to you."
It was indeed meaningless to the overman.
"You have sworn not to misuse the basilisk." Garth was still confused, seeking further reassurance. The Forgotten King's answer was little comfort.
"I am certainly less likely to do harm with it than the Baron of Skelleth, to whom you gave it."
Garth started, wondering how he had known that, then told himself angrily that the old man had undoubtedly heard about the mysterious tent in the market-square and put three and three together when Garth said that the basilisk was in Skelleth. In any case, the remark was undoubtedly true. The overman rose awkwardly from the too-low chair, wrapping his wet, tattered gray cloak about him, and a
The old man said nothing, but merely rose, with an ease and silence surprising in one so aged.
Garth turned to go, then paused. It had occurred to him that there might be soldiers in the tavern, and he did not care to venture boldly past them. Also, he had been away from Koros longer than he had pla
He stood, feeling awkward, a few feet from the door.
"You hesitate," the Forgotten King said.
"Yes. I would know if there is a back way. I do not care to go through the tavern again. Your townspeople dislike me, and the guardsmen serve a Baron who has ba
"Ah."
"Also, I would attend to my warbeast before undertaking the recapture of the basilisk."
"As you wish. I have waited this long; such a delay can mean little. Unfortunately, there is no exit from this place save through the common room. Perhaps you would care to wait while I secure a goat to feed the beast and make sure your route is clear."
"I would be most grateful." Garth might have continued with a remark on how much he appreciated consideration from one he agreed to serve, but he no longer had an audience; the old man-whose unpronounceable name Garth could not bring himself to use-had already left. The overman called after him, hoping he would be heard only by the right ears, "Could you make it two goats?"
There was no answer; silence descended upon the dim room, save for the steady drumming of the rain.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Garth's wait was not long; perhaps fifteen minutes had elapsed when the Forgotten King appeared in the doorway, motioning for the overman to follow. He obeyed promptly, springing up from the chair he had waited in. In truth, he was glad to leave the room, which in its dusty dimness had an atmosphere that unsettled him. During his wait he had studied the furnishings more closely, and noticed that they were stranger than he had at first thought. Beneath a universal layer of dust, the woods and upholsteries could be seen and felt not to be any common substance that the overman was familiar with, but rather u
The Forgotten King led the way to the head of the stair, then turned and rasped, "The way is clear. The i
Garth nodded. "Thank you," he said, as he groped at his belt for his purse. "How much did the goats cost?"