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this come true shall personally take upon himself the command of these, our newly to be
formed, troops. In light of this, I put forward the motion that we revive the ancient title by
which the commanders in chief of Amiratha used to be known.
He turned to Anaxantis.
Your highness, permit me to be the first to address you, in name of this Council, by that
title.
He raised his right arm and made a fist.
Hail to the warlord, he cried.
Carefully chosen friends of Fraleck who he had judiciously distributed among the repres-
entatives, took over the cry.
Hail to the warlord, sounded out of a dozen mouths and soon ever more and more rep-
resentatives added their voices to the jubilant chorus. At first only a few of the nobles joined
in, but nobody dared risk being the last to remain silent, for fear of being noticed by Tomar,
who was studying both sides of the aisle and whose underlings were writing diligently, the
Gods may know what.
Anaxantis stood up once again and let the ever more enthusiastic cries undulate over him
with a contented smile. The noise was deafening.
Hail to the warlord, hail to the warlord, hail to the warlord.
From the back of the room Hemarchidas looked upon the scene.
He's happy, thank the Gods, he's happy. Good for you, my friend. Look at the aplomb
with which he accepts their adulation. As if it were nothing more than his rightful due. Another
day, another title. And this one isn't even remotely ceremonial. This one carries with it the
might and main of seven thousand swords. Yes, indeed. Hail to the warlord.
Anaxantis and his train left the hall first. Once in the side chamber of the entrance hall, he
turned around, unclasped his mantle and gave it to one of his guards for safekeeping. Then
he turned to the pages.
OK, guys, he said, you can all go and spend some time with your fathers. Report back
at your lodging by this evening.
The boys forgot all ceremony and decorum instantly and scooted away, looking for their
sires. Except Arranulf, who stood hesitatingly, not knowing what to do or how to carry himself.
His lower lip quivered slightly. When, through the door, he saw Obyann almost disappear in
sir Eckfred's bear hug, his eyes became moist.
Oh, Arranulf, Anaxantis, who had seen his distress, said, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking.
I'm so, so sorry. And after I used you to intimidate the nobles, too.
He took the boy in his arms.
It's nothing, my lord, Arranulf said, I understand. You had to. I know that. I just wished...
Should you do this? It seems... it seems not fitting for a warlord.
Anaxantis looked at him and laughed.
I don't give a damn. Come, you'll stay with me this afternoon. You'll sit beside me at the
banquet the lord mayor is giving.
He looked in the entrance hall until he saw Tomar and motioned him to come.
Don't fear, warlord, Tomar said smilingly, the records will show that you were chosen
unanimously, by acclamation.
Never mind that, Anaxantis said. I want you to prepare an order to the effect that the
duchess Athildis and sir Threnn are given leave to write to and receive letters from his grace,
the duke. See to it that your scribes have it ready for me to sign and put my seal upon by the
end of the banquet. I want it dispatched by special courier, together with the first letter of his
grace, as soon as he has written it.
He turned to Arranulf.
I know it's not the same, but it's the best I can do.
It's plenty, my lord, and more than I dared hope for. You're very magnanimous and I
thank you, Arranulf whispered.
Well then, give us a smile and let's go see what the good citizens of Dermolhea are
serving us. I for one could eat a horse. Shall we, your grace?
Arranulf looked at him through still slightly teary eyes.
Didn't you say that pages weren't addressed by their titles?
Ah, yes, but this afternoon your grace is my guest.
In that case, why certainly, your highness, by all means, let's go see what they have pre-
pared for us, Arranulf smiled.
See, that's better. Oh yes, since you're sitting next to me, that means Hemarchidas will
have to move over and you will be between us. I hope that will suit you?
That will suit me fine.
And I wouldn't take it amiss if you preferred his conversation to mine.
Yes, thank you... hey, what does your highness mean by that?
I may be many things, your grace, but being blind is not one of them, Anaxantis said with
a barely suppressed grin. Come, I'll race you to the banquet hall, he said, laughing, and dar-
ted away to the broad marble stairs.
Not fair, Arranulf shouted, running after him.
Not a few of the representatives and nobles reacted testily when they were jostled by two
laughing boys running up the stairs. When some of them saw that one of the rascals bore an
uncanny resemblance to the warlord, they shook their head in wonder.
Should I intervene now or give him some more rope to hang himself with? the high king
pondered.
He squinted his eyes, cursing them for getting weaker, and read the two small pieces of
parchment again.
Poor Dem, he was left to rot in Lorseth while my youngest ignored him completely and
went to mold the whole of Amiratha to his hand. All he can report is hearsay. Now, the other
one has a lot more interesting facts to report. So, he threatened to call the nobility under
arms, unless they voted him his money. That was dangerous, my son. Your grandfather and I
have done everything possible to dismantle the military might and traditions of the old nobility,
and you almost reinstated them. Our policies seem to have worked though, as they appar-
ently preferred to fork over the money instead of taking the field. Still... it was a dangerous
gamble. I wonder if you knew all this and whether it was part of your calculations. Equally sur-
prising is that you seem to have made a covenant with the commoners, or at least with some
of them, and used them against the nobility. Now that is a clever ploy, though a complex bal-
ancing exercise. And again, only a few people knew what you were planning beforehand, and
I doubt you told even them everything. More likely you told each of them just enough to ex- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
this come true shall personally take upon himself the command of these, our newly to be
formed, troops. In light of this, I put forward the motion that we revive the ancient title by
which the commanders in chief of Amiratha used to be known.
He turned to Anaxantis.
Your highness, permit me to be the first to address you, in name of this Council, by that
title.
He raised his right arm and made a fist.
Hail to the warlord, he cried.
Carefully chosen friends of Fraleck who he had judiciously distributed among the repres-
entatives, took over the cry.
Hail to the warlord, sounded out of a dozen mouths and soon ever more and more rep-
resentatives added their voices to the jubilant chorus. At first only a few of the nobles joined
in, but nobody dared risk being the last to remain silent, for fear of being noticed by Tomar,
who was studying both sides of the aisle and whose underlings were writing diligently, the
Gods may know what.
Anaxantis stood up once again and let the ever more enthusiastic cries undulate over him
with a contented smile. The noise was deafening.
Hail to the warlord, hail to the warlord, hail to the warlord.
From the back of the room Hemarchidas looked upon the scene.
He's happy, thank the Gods, he's happy. Good for you, my friend. Look at the aplomb
with which he accepts their adulation. As if it were nothing more than his rightful due. Another
day, another title. And this one isn't even remotely ceremonial. This one carries with it the
might and main of seven thousand swords. Yes, indeed. Hail to the warlord.
Anaxantis and his train left the hall first. Once in the side chamber of the entrance hall, he
turned around, unclasped his mantle and gave it to one of his guards for safekeeping. Then
he turned to the pages.
OK, guys, he said, you can all go and spend some time with your fathers. Report back
at your lodging by this evening.
The boys forgot all ceremony and decorum instantly and scooted away, looking for their
sires. Except Arranulf, who stood hesitatingly, not knowing what to do or how to carry himself.
His lower lip quivered slightly. When, through the door, he saw Obyann almost disappear in
sir Eckfred's bear hug, his eyes became moist.
Oh, Arranulf, Anaxantis, who had seen his distress, said, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking.
I'm so, so sorry. And after I used you to intimidate the nobles, too.
He took the boy in his arms.
It's nothing, my lord, Arranulf said, I understand. You had to. I know that. I just wished...
Should you do this? It seems... it seems not fitting for a warlord.
Anaxantis looked at him and laughed.
I don't give a damn. Come, you'll stay with me this afternoon. You'll sit beside me at the
banquet the lord mayor is giving.
He looked in the entrance hall until he saw Tomar and motioned him to come.
Don't fear, warlord, Tomar said smilingly, the records will show that you were chosen
unanimously, by acclamation.
Never mind that, Anaxantis said. I want you to prepare an order to the effect that the
duchess Athildis and sir Threnn are given leave to write to and receive letters from his grace,
the duke. See to it that your scribes have it ready for me to sign and put my seal upon by the
end of the banquet. I want it dispatched by special courier, together with the first letter of his
grace, as soon as he has written it.
He turned to Arranulf.
I know it's not the same, but it's the best I can do.
It's plenty, my lord, and more than I dared hope for. You're very magnanimous and I
thank you, Arranulf whispered.
Well then, give us a smile and let's go see what the good citizens of Dermolhea are
serving us. I for one could eat a horse. Shall we, your grace?
Arranulf looked at him through still slightly teary eyes.
Didn't you say that pages weren't addressed by their titles?
Ah, yes, but this afternoon your grace is my guest.
In that case, why certainly, your highness, by all means, let's go see what they have pre-
pared for us, Arranulf smiled.
See, that's better. Oh yes, since you're sitting next to me, that means Hemarchidas will
have to move over and you will be between us. I hope that will suit you?
That will suit me fine.
And I wouldn't take it amiss if you preferred his conversation to mine.
Yes, thank you... hey, what does your highness mean by that?
I may be many things, your grace, but being blind is not one of them, Anaxantis said with
a barely suppressed grin. Come, I'll race you to the banquet hall, he said, laughing, and dar-
ted away to the broad marble stairs.
Not fair, Arranulf shouted, running after him.
Not a few of the representatives and nobles reacted testily when they were jostled by two
laughing boys running up the stairs. When some of them saw that one of the rascals bore an
uncanny resemblance to the warlord, they shook their head in wonder.
Should I intervene now or give him some more rope to hang himself with? the high king
pondered.
He squinted his eyes, cursing them for getting weaker, and read the two small pieces of
parchment again.
Poor Dem, he was left to rot in Lorseth while my youngest ignored him completely and
went to mold the whole of Amiratha to his hand. All he can report is hearsay. Now, the other
one has a lot more interesting facts to report. So, he threatened to call the nobility under
arms, unless they voted him his money. That was dangerous, my son. Your grandfather and I
have done everything possible to dismantle the military might and traditions of the old nobility,
and you almost reinstated them. Our policies seem to have worked though, as they appar-
ently preferred to fork over the money instead of taking the field. Still... it was a dangerous
gamble. I wonder if you knew all this and whether it was part of your calculations. Equally sur-
prising is that you seem to have made a covenant with the commoners, or at least with some
of them, and used them against the nobility. Now that is a clever ploy, though a complex bal-
ancing exercise. And again, only a few people knew what you were planning beforehand, and
I doubt you told even them everything. More likely you told each of them just enough to ex- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]