Tamora Pierce - Immortals 3 - Emperor Mage

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CHAPTER ONE

GUESTS IN CARTHAK

His Royal Highness Kaddar, prince of Siraj, duke of Yamut, count

of Amar, first lord of the Imperium, heir apparent to His Most

Serene Majesty Emperor Ozorne of Carthak, fanned himself and

wished die TortaUans would dock. He had been waiting aboard the

imperial galley since noon, wearing the panoply of his office as

the day, hot for autumn, grew hotter. He shot a glare at the

nobles and academics on hand to welcome the visitors: they could

relax under the awnings. Imperial dignity kept him in this

unshaded chair, where a gold surface collected the sun to throw it

back into his eyes.

Looking about, the prince saw the captain, leaning on the rail,

scowl and make the Sign against evil on his chest, A stinging fly

chose that moment to land on Kaddar's arm. He yelped, swatted the

fly, got to his feet, and removed the crown. "Enough of this.

Bring me something to drink," he ordered the slaves, "Something

coW

He went to the captain, trying not to wince as

too-long-inactive legs tingled. "What on earth are you staring

at?"

"Tired of broiling, Your Highness?" The man spoke without looking

away from the commercial harbor outside the breakwater enclosing

the imperial docks. He could speak to Kaddar with less formality

than most, since he had taught the prince all that young man knew

of boats and sailing.

"Very funny. What has you making the Sign?"

The captain handed the prince his spyg/ass. "See for yourself,

Highness."

Kaddar looked through the glass. All around the waterfront, birds

made use of every visible perch. On masts, ledges, gutters, and

ropes they sat, watching the harbor. He found pelicans, birds of

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CHAPTER ONE

prey—on the highest, loneliest perches—songbirds, the gray-and-

brown sparrows that lived in the city. Even ship rails sported a

variety of feathered creatures. Eerily, that vast collection was

silent. They stared at the harbor without uttering a sound.

"It ain't just birds, Prince," the captain remarked. "Lookit the

docks."

Kaddar spied dogs and cats, under apparent truce, on every inch of

space available. Not all were scruffy alley mongrels or mangy

harbor cats. He saw the flash of bright ribbons, even gold and gem-

encrusted collars. Cur or alley cat, noble pet or working rat

catcher, they sat without a sound, eyes on the harbor. Looking

down, Kaddar found something else: the pilings under the docks

swarmed with rats. Everywhere—warehouse, wharf, ship— human

movement had stopped. No one cared to disturb that silent,

attentive gathering of beasts. Hands shaking, the prince returned

the glass and made the Sign against evil on his own chest.

"You know what it is?" asked the captain,

"I've never seen—wait. Could it be—?" Kaddar frowned. "There's a

girl, coming with the Tbrtallans. It's said she has a magic bond

with animals, that she can even take on animal shape."

"That's nothin new," remarked the captain, "There's mages that do

it all the time,"

"Not like this one, apparently. And she heals animals. They heard

my uncle s birds are ill—"

"The worW knows them birds are ill," muttered the captain. "He can

lose a battalion of soldiers in the Yamani Isles and never twitch,

but the gods help us if one of his precious birds is off its

feed,"

Kaddar grimaced. "True. Anyway, as a goodwill gesture, King

Jonathan has sent this girl to heal Uncles birds, if she can. And

the university folk want to meet her dragon."

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CHAPTER ONE

"Dragon! How old is this lass anyway?"

"Fifteen. That's why I'm out here broiling, instead of my uncles

ministers. He wants me to squire her about when she isn't healing

birds or talking to scholars. She'll probably want to visit all

the tourist places and gawp at the sights. And Mithros only knows

what her table matters are like. She's some commoner from the far

north, it's said. I'll be lucky if she knows which fork to use."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," said the captain, straight-faced.

"I understand these northerners eat with their hands."

"So nice to have friends aboard" replied the prince tartly.

The captain surveyed the docks through his glass. "A power over

animals, and a dragon.. .If I was you, Highness, I'd dust off my

map of the tourist places and let her eat any way she wants."

At that moment the girl they discussed inched over as far on the

bunk as she could, to give the man beside her a bit more room. The

dragon in her lap squeaked in protest, but wound her small body

into a tighter ball.

The man they were making room for, the mage known as Numair

Salmalin, saw their efforts and smiled. "Thank you, Daine. And

you, Kitten."

"It's only for a bit," the girl, Daine, said encouragingly.

"If we don't wrap this up soon, I will be only a 'bit,'"

complained the redheaded woman on Numairs other side. Alanna the

Lioness, the King's Champion, was used to larger meeting places.

At last every member of the Tortallan delegation was crammed into

the small shipboard cabin. Magical fire, a sign of shields meant

to keep anything said in that room from being overheard, filled

the corners and framed the door and portholes.

"No one can listen to us, magically or physically?" asked Duke

Gareth of Naxen, head of the delegation. A tall, thin, older man,

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CHAPTER ONE

he sat on the room's only chair, hands crossed over his cane.

The mages there nodded. "It's as safe as our power can make it,

Your Grace," replied Numair,

Duke Gareth smiled. "Then we are safe indeed." Looking in turn at

everyone, from his son, Gareth the Younger, to Lord Martin of

Meron, and from Daine to the clerks, he said, "Let me remind aU of

you one last time: be very careful regarding your actions while we

are here. Do nothing to jeopardize our mission. The emperor is

willing to make peace, but that peace is in no manner secure. If

negotiations fall through due to an error on our parts, the other

Eastern Lands will not support us. We wiU be on our own, and

Carthak wiU be on us.

"We need this peace. We cannot match the imperial armies and navy,

any more than we can match imperial wealth. In a fight on

Tortallan soil, we might prevail, but war of any kind would be

long and costly, in terms of lives and in terms of our resources."

Alanna frowned. "Do we have to bow and scrape and tug our

forelocks then, sir? We don't want to seem weak to these

southerners, do we?"

The duke shook his head. "No, but neither should we take

risks—particularly not you."

The Champion, whose temper was famous, blushed crimson and held

her tongue.

To the others Duke Gareth said, "Go nowhere we are forbidden to

go. Do not speak of freedom to the slaves. However we may dislike

the practice, it would be unwise to show that dislike publicly.

Accept no gifts, boxes, or paper from anyone unless they come with

the knowledge of the emperor. Offer no gifts or pieces of paper to

anyone. I understand it is the custom of the palace mages to

scatter listening spells through the buildings and grounds. Watch

what you say. If a problem arises, let my son, or Lord Martin, or

Master Numair know at once,"

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CHAPTER ONE

"Kitten will be able to detect listening spells," remarked Numair.

"I'm not saying she can't be mag-icked, but most of the common

sorceries won't fool her."

Kitten straightened herself on Daine s lap and chirped. She always

knew what was being said around her. A slim creature, she was two

feet long from nose to hip, with a twelve-inch tail she used for

balance and as an extra limb. Her large eyes were amber, set in a

long and slender muzzle. Immature wings that would someday carry

her in flight lay flat on her back. Silver claws marked her as an

immortal, one of many creatures from the realms of the gods.

Looking at the dragon, the duke smiled. When his eyes moved on to

Daine, the smile was replaced with concern. "Daine, be careful.

You'll be on your own more than the rest of us, though its my hope

that if you can help his birds, the emperor will let you be. Those

birds are his only weakness, I think."

"You understand the rules?" That was Lord Martin. He leaned around

the duke to get a better look at Daine. "No childish pranks. Mind

your manners, and do as you're told."

Kitten squawked, blue-gold scales bristling at the mans tone,

"Daine understands these things quite well," Numair rested a

gentle hand on Kittens muzzle and slid his thumb under her chin,

so she was unable to voice whistles of outrage. "I trust her

judgment, and have done so on far more dangerous missions than

this."

"We would not have brought her if we believed otherwise," said

Duke Gareth. "Remember, Master Numair, you, too, must be careful.

The emperor was extraordinarily gracious to grant a pardon to you,

and to allow you to meet with scholars at the palace. Don't forget

the conditions of that pardon. If he catches you in wrongdoing, he

will be able to arrest, try, even execute you, and we will be

helpless to stop him."

Numair smiled crookedly, long lashes veiling his brown eyes.

"Believe me, Your Grace, I don't plan to give Ozorne any excuse to

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摘要：

CHAPTERONECHAPTERONEGUESTSINCARTHAKHisRoyalHighnessKaddar,princeofSiraj,dukeofYamut,countofAmar,firstlordoftheImperium,heirapparenttoHisMostSereneMajestyEmperorOzorneofCarthak,fannedhimselfandwisheddieTortaUanswoulddock.Hehadbeenwaitingaboardtheimperialgalleysincenoon,wearingthepanoplyofhisofficeast...

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Tamora Pierce - Immortals 3 - Emperor Mage

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