The Vondish Ambassador

Chapter Twenty-Six

Emmis blinked. Judgment?

The people on the balcony seemed equally confused. "Who are you?" one of them shouted back. Another appeared to be translating for a third.

The Guildmaster lowered her arms. "I am Ithinia of the Isle, and I speak for the Wizards' Guild – let my companions attest to my authority!"

The other three wizards stepped toward her, facing the balcony. The oldest-looking of them a

The youngest in appearance – though it occurred to Emmis that appearances could be very deceptive in the case of wizards – then called, "I am Kaligir of the New Quarter in Ethshar of the Rocks, and Ithinia speaks for me and the wizards of my city, as well."

The third said, "I'm Zikel Thurin's son of Sardiron of the Waters. Listen to her."

"Shei Lumethis!" someone shouted; Emmis assumed it meant "Speak Lumethan!" The wizards ignored it.

"Satisfied?" Ithinia called.

"Couldn't you speak Lumethan?" another voice from the crowd asked, speaking Ethsharitic with a thick accent. "Not everyone speaks Ethsharitic!"

Ithinia kept her attention on the balcony.

"We will hear you," one of the others on the balcony called back. "Shall we retire to the audience chamber?"

"No. We will speak here and now, before all these people," Ithinia replied.

The men on the balcony stirred uneasily at that, but did not argue. "What is this judgment, then?" one of them asked.

"You have abused our gifts," Ithinia said. "You have used magic we entrusted to you, magic intended for the Guild's purposes, to send spies to Ethshar." She gestured toward the three bound Lumethans. "Your representatives have hired assassins, such as this one." She pointed to Tithi. "You have antagonized the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars – this man accompanies me as spokesman for his nephew Azrad VII, Overlord of Ethshar of the Spices, Triumvir of the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars, Commander of the Holy Navies and Defender of the Gods." She turned her hand toward Lord Ildirin.

"What does the Guild care about Ethshar?" demanded the man who had first asked her who she was.

Ithinia glared at him. "I'm not done," she said. She gestured toward Lar. "And this man is Lar Samber's son, ambassador plenipotentiary from the Empire of Vond to the court of Azrad VII, and the reason you have done all this. He speaks for Lord Sterren, Regent of the Empire."

Lar bowed.

"And the rest of them?" the man on the balcony asked. "Who are these soldiers?"

"These are the men of Ethshar's city guard, brought to ensure that our prisoners remain prisoners, and that no assassin troubles any of my party. The gargoyles are my personal attendants. That young man is Emmis of Shiphaven, Lar's aide. Bragen the Black, our demonologist, and Radler the Divine, our theurgist, are here to show that the Guild does not stand alone among magicians in this; and A

"You seem to have been thorough," one of the lords replied.

Ithinia nodded an acknowledgment.

"And what are you all here for?" another lord asked.

"To keep you all from doing something monumentally stupid," Ithinia replied. "You are concerned that the Empire of Vond intends to continue its expansion, and that your lands would be a natural target for such an expansion, and you have committed crimes in order to prevent that. I am here to inform you that there will be no such expansion. The Wizards' Guild will destroy the Empire entirely should any Vondish soldier set foot across Lumeth's border with hostile intent."

That sent a stir through the crowd. Emmis glanced at Lar, and saw that he did not look dismayed in the least by this threat; instead he looked relieved.

"You should have known that we have interests in your kingdom that mean we would not allow you to be overrun," Ithinia continued. "We did not teach Morkai of Crooked Hill how to use Hallin's Transporting Fissure out of sheer generosity, or to aid you in sending out spies. But you are also concerned that another mighty warlock like the Great Vond might arise in the Empire, and that we would not interfere with other schools of magic. I hereby inform you that the Wizards' Guild will require the Empire to forbid entry to any and all warlocks, and will do everything it can to prevent any warlocks from taking any Vondish person as an apprentice. Furthermore, I have brought Bragen and Radler to assure you that the Guild will not act alone in this – we will see to it that demonologists and theurgists will aid in enforcing this decree. And Lord Ildirin can attest that the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars will join in, and will not allow warlocks to take ship for any port in the Small Kingdoms south of Londa. The Council of Warlocks has agreed to this, as well."

Lar was not merely relieved now, but smiling.

"It would seem this dreadful 'judgment' of yours is entirely in our favor," one of the Lumethan nobles called back, as one of the others hastily translated Ithinia's words into Lumethan for the two who appeared to know no Ethsharitic.

"Oh, no," Ithinia said. "It is not. Because all these demands will apply to Lumeth of the Towers, just as they will to the Empire. Any Lumethan agent who sets foot in the Empire unasked does so on penalty of death; if a single Lumethan soldier crosses the border without imperial consent, this city, and everyone in it, will be slaughtered – men, women, and children. No spies, no assassins, no saboteurs shall be sent, or all your lives are forfeit. Nor shall you knowingly aid any other kingdom that attempts to subvert or attack the Empire."

The men on the balcony did not reply to that; after a moment's silence Ithinia continued. "Likewise, we did not bring a representative of the Council of Warlocks with us because the practice of warlockry is hereby forbidden in Lumeth of the Towers. The crime of warlockry shall be punishable by immediate execution. If there are any warlocks within your borders they have three days to leave, and they are to go as far and as fast as possible – we will not allow them to take refuge in Shassala, Gajamor, Calimor, Eknissamor, Yaroia, Zenda, or Kalithon."

Emmis was not sure just where those places were, but he glanced at Lar again, and discovered that the Vondish ambassador was gri

"If you're worried that the Empire is pla

The party on the balcony exchanged looks, but except for the ru

"I said, is that understood?" she shouted.

"Yes!" one of the men called back, as two of the others used hands and sleeves to smother the burning beard.

Then Ithinia turned and beckoned to the guards holding the Lumethan prisoners. She grabbed the first by the back of the neck and forced him to his knees on the pavement in front of her.

"I return to you Hagai of Lumeth, who is guilty of espionage and conspiracy to commit murder in Ethshar of the Spices. Because he was acting in your service the Hegemony of the Three Ethshars and the Wizards' Guild will allow him to live, but he is never again to set foot outside Lumeth's borders." She flung the bound theurgist down onto the stones of the plaza and left him lying there as she moved on to the next.

"And this is Neyam the Witch, who was sent to hire thugs in the Hundred-Foot Field. One of his minions has already been hanged, and the overlord's magistrates had him flogged yesterday, but he was permitted to heal himself, and he, too, we will allow to live, so long as he remains within your borders."