Unicorn Saga - The Unicorn Peace Part 24

124 Would he? Well, the whole thing was rather intrigu- ing, and though her beauty was different than it had been at twenty, she was a very desirable woman. "Com- pliments first," he teased.

"Oh, all right," she said. "I just hope Joscelyn hasn't inherited your vanity. Yes, I'd still like you to be the father. As I said, I like my son."

"If we had a daughter, it would be a shame if she took after me." He chuckled.

"So you are thinking about it."

"It has a certain perverse appeal," Jarrod said, still not willing to be entirely serious.

"In that case," Marianna said, raising to her feet in a single, fluid motion, "I think we should adjourn to the bedchamber and discuss it." She smiled at him wickedly. "I'm supposed to be leaving in three days."

She held out her hand. Jarrod put down his gla.s.s and got to his feet with considerably less grace. He took her hand.

They started gently, tentatively, exploring one anoth- er's bodies. They became more sure and more sponta- neous and, to Jarrod, it began to feel like the most natural thing in the world. He had wanted to make love to her for a very long time. Pa.s.sion mounted as they joined and, when it was over, they lay together, breath- ing and pulse returning slowly to normal. He bent his head and kissed her hair.

"Three days, did you say? I think it would be best to make absolutely sure, don't you?"

She turned and punched him lightly on the arm- "An- imal," she said. "You men are all the same." She gig- gled softly. "Under the circ.u.mstances, that's more true than ever."

"Absolutely the same?" he asked, knowing that she would understand what he meant.

125.

"Uhm." She seemed to be considering the matter.

"There are only two significant differences,"

"Really?"

She tipped her head back and looked up at him, eyes bright with mischief. She waited. Then, "The other Jar- rod doesn't have scars on his back, and . .."

"And," he prompted.

"He was a virgin and you most certainly are not."

He gave her a little shake and she chuckled softly.

"Contrary to popular opinion," she said drowsily, "it has been a long time since there was a man in my bed."

She yawned and then there was silence.

ChAptCR 13

W,.

hile Celador was preparing for a Magical dis- play, Angom, capital of the Umbrian Empire, was also caught up in excitement. First there had been the trial of Simian the Hermit, then the rumor of a ma.s.sacre in Baldania and now an official visit by the Mother Su- preme. The Holy Church of the Mother was the official religion of the State and the head of the Church was, technically, the Emperor's equal. Amulpha, the Mother Supreme, came as visiting royalty, but the truth was that she had been summoned by Varodias. The formalities were maintained, by the fact was otherwise.

The two met in the Private Stateroom. They sat op- posite one another in ornate bezelwood chairs and pre- sented a study in contrasts. The Emperor was thin, the face made longer by a receding hairline and a sharply pointed beard. He was elegantly but soberly dressed.

The Mother Supreme was tall, stout and florid, her face made rounder by her wimple. She was dressed volumi- nously in gold. Tradition, hallowed by five hundred years of practice, decreed that, in the presence of the Mother Supreme, the Emperor should come down from the throne. This Emperor preferred to avoid that; hence the choice of the Private Stateroom. Though the two chairs appeared to be identical, detailmongers would have found significance in the fact that the legs of Var- odias' chair were six inches taller than those of the chair to which the Mother Supreme had been a.s.signed,

THE UNICORN PEACE t 127

"We bid you welcome," Varodias said when the small flock of courtiers and attendants had been dismissed.

The Emperor, as was his habit, used the Formal Mode even though they were aione-

"I am most pleased to visit the Chief Upholder of the Great Mother," she replied with equal ceremony, and accompanied the words with a totally artificial smile that had no echo in the small, grey eyes.

Varodias' lips arranged themselves into a profes- sional curve. "Let us dispense with the pleasantries," he said, the high voice chilly but flexible. "You are here to discuss the disgraceful outcome at the cathedral. Two hundred and forty people killed and twice that number wounded. The news is spreading to every corner of the Empire and talk of revolution follows it. How could you have been so stupid?" The white-gloved hand that had been ill.u.s.trating his words formed into a fist and pounded down onto the armrest.

"If Your Imperial Majesty will permit," Arnulpha said imperturbably. She adjusted the cloth-of-gold robe to emphasize the belly.

I remember when she needed padding to suggest pregnancy, Varodias thought. Too many years of good living. He tried to estimate the Mother's age. She had been elected thirty years ago so she must be at least sixty, but it was difficult to tell. The hair was covered as was the throat and the lines in her face had been erased by her gain in weight.

"The figures you quoted are exaggerated. A hundred and thirty-two people died and about a hundred had their wounds tended by the Sisters. That is still regret- table, but a mob was prepared to commit sacrilege against one of our holy places and that I could not allow."

"It was, of course, the merest accident that you had

128 four hundred armed retainers on call," Varodias said, the sarcasm evident.

Amulpha Hashed her non-smile again. "I am sure that my intelligence is no match for that of Your Imperial Majesty, but I did get sufficient warning."

"And you chose to hire mercenaries rather than ap- peal to us for a.s.sistance."

The Mother Supreme drew back her head and c.o.c.ked it slightly to the left. The eyes, unwavering, weighed the Emperor. The lips moved slightly, suggesting that she had made up her mind about something. She leaned forward.

"We could, of course, have come to you, but I doubt that you would have reacted fast enough. Besides, there is a considerable body of opinion within the Church that blames you for the whole thing."

Varodias pushed himself back in his chair as if to gain height and distance. "Have a care, madam," he said.

"Well," she said, unabashed, "if you had condemned that infernal Simian instead of letting him go, people would not have taken it into their heads that Church property can be attacked with impunity. At least now they will think twice before they try it again. Besides,"

she added in a more moderate tone, "it would have been very poor politics."

"Pray tell us more," The words were s.p.a.ced, the high voice skeptical.

Amuipha shrugged, and the quivers seemed to course down her body, "The Church and the Emperor are al- lied in the minds of the people. How would it have seemed if Imperial troops had dispersed the rabble and caused the casualties? You should be grateful that you can disown the action."

"Oh, sweet, very sweet," Varodias said, hands hov- ering at midchest. "All done for our good." The tone 129.

was almost caressing. He sat straight and the right fore- finger jabbed out. "You did not ask us for our a.s.sis- tance because you wished to establish an independence of us. That is the truth. Well, know this, woman, de- spite the fact that the Church and the Crown are inter- twined in the popular mind, we do not countenance the slaughter of our subjects." The finger was jabbing again.

The Mother Supreme drew in her breath. "Your Im- perial Majesty is in a great deal more trouble than the Church," she said evenly. "The mob, apprentices and journeymen for the most part, were inspired by the Her- mit, but they were not really interested in the Church;

the Church was simply thought to be an easy target.

You are the one this Simian is aiming at. He is a fanatic and, like most fanatics, he believes what he preaches.

He would not be as effective as he is if he did not.

"It is true that, in the beginning, he took on the Holy Mother Church, but he no longer inveighs against us.

He has money behind him now, and where do you sup- pose that money comes from? My opponents?" Her hands splayed out and her eyebrows rose. "Scarcely.

The majority of the population is devoted to the Great Mother. That is not a tenet of belief. That is a fact. No, my friend. Simian is a stalking horse for those who would supplant you. They begin by making it seem as if you cannot govern the Empire." She sat back slightly, weighing the effect of her speech. Varodias was a vol- atile and dangerous man who did not take kindly to criticism. Her aggressive performance was a deliberate gamble, and she was not at all sure that she was win- ning.

"It would be simple enough," the Emperor said lightly, "for us publicly to condemn the Church for the ma.s.sacre and thus allow the people's anger to focus on you."