‘He’s stalling,’ Sparhawk said, frowning, ‘but he doesn’t have any reason to stall.’

‘What’s Annias up to?’ Tynian asked, glaring across the audience chamber at the Primate of Cimmura, who sat smiling smugly.

‘He’s waiting for something to happen,’ Sparhawk replied.

‘What?’

‘I don’t have any idea, but Makova’s going to keep talking until it does.’

Then Berit slipped into the audience chamber, his face pale and his eyes wild. He half-stumbled up the stairs and pushed his way along the bench to where Sparhawk sat. ‘Sir Sparhawk!’ he burst out.

‘Keep your voice down, Berit!’ Sparhawk hissed. ‘Sit down and pull yourself together!’

Berit sat and drew in a deep breath.

‘All right,’ Sparhawk said. ‘Speak quietly and tell us what’s happening.’

‘There are two armies approaching Chyrellos, My Lord,’ the novice said tersely.

‘Two?’ Ulath said in some surprise. Then he spread his hands. ‘Maybe Wargun split his forces for some reason.’

‘It’s not King Wargun’s army, Sir Ulath,’ Berit said. ‘As soon as we saw them coming, some Church Knights rode out to find out just who was approaching the city. The ones coming down from the north seem to be Lamorks.’

‘Lamorks?’ Tynian asked, puzzled. ‘What are they doing here? They should be on the border facing Otha.’

‘I don’t think these particular Lamorks are interested in Otha, My Lord,’ Berit told him. ‘Some of the knights who rode out were Pandions, and they identified the leaders of the Lamork army as Adus and Krager.’

‘What?’ Kalten exclaimed.

‘Keep it quiet, Kalten!’ Sparhawk grated. ‘And the other army, Berit?’ he asked, although he already knew the answer.

‘Mostly Rendors, My Lord, but there are a fair number of Cammorians as well.’

‘And their leader?’

‘Martel, My Lord.’

PART TWO
The Archprelate

Chapter 10

Patriarch Makova’s voice droned on and on as morning sunlight streamed into the audience chamber through the foot-thick, triangular panes of leaded crystal in a large round window high up in the wall behind the shrouded throne of the Archprelate. Dust motes hovered golden in those morning streams of light, tracing the elongated outline of each perfect triangle in the still, unmoving air. Makova spoke at great length about the horrors of the Zemoch war some five centuries ago and then went into a detailed analysis of the failures of Church policy during that period of turmoil.

Sparhawk scribbled a brief note to Dolmant, Emban and the Preceptors to advise them of the armies approaching the Holy City.

‘Will the church soldiers defend Chyrellos?’ Bevier whispered.

‘I think the best we can hope for is some token resistance,’ Sparhawk replied.

‘What’s keeping Wargun?’ Kalten demanded of Ulath.

‘I can’t even begin to guess.’

‘Might this not be a good time to make our apologies and leave quietly?’ Tynian suggested. ‘Makova’s not really telling us anything we don’t already know.’