David Farland - Lords of the Seventh Swarm

Now Lord Felph frowned at Zeus. “You want to stay here and play instead of escorting us to the tangle? Fine. Gallen was to have been your instructor. You stay here, and ponder your future. If you ever want to be reborn, you will earn that privilege. We’re going to our ship.” With that, Lord Felph stalked off, his brown robes billowing out behind him.

Young Athena looked up nervously to the Al, then scurried behind Felph, heading for the ship.

Gallen took one last look at the white corpses twitching on the floor, pools of dark blood spreading beneath them. Then he and Maggie followed Felph, along with Orick and Tallea, while the rest of Felph’s children-Zeus, Hera, Arachne, and Herm-all stood motionless, apparently too frightened to move.

Once Lord Felph left the room, Zeus went to the revivification table at the room’s center, leaned his palms against it, and stood for a moment, legs shaking so badly he could hardly stand. He exhaled a ragged breath, then glanced back at the others.

None of them took it so hard, mortality. Perhaps it was bred into him, but Zeus craved more. When he could stop trembling enough to stand under his own power, he ambled to his clones, piled in a bloody heap.

He squatted and held the chin of the young man he’d once been.

Vengeance for you , Zeus spoke without words. I shall have vengeance . He bent, kissed the clone’s lips, tasted its foul breath.

“Well, what a misfortune,” Herm said to Zeus. “Now it looks as if you will have to try to win all three points with Maggie, take her voluntarily. I can’t imagine you raping her now.”

The Great and Dreadful Game. Zeus hadn’t thought of the repercussions the death of his clones would have on the Game.

As Zeus’s eyes grew wide, Hera began laughing, a high sweet sound, full of joy. Zeus turned and gazed up at his wife, astonished by that tone.

“Five points I’ve won in the Great and Dreadful Game today,” she said, “for killing Zeus’s clones.”

Zeus gasped, looked up at Hera in astonishment. She’d seldom been a player of the Game. And of course, Zeus hadn’t been warned of her plan to get his clones murdered. That was part of the game: only the bettors and the scorekeeper were ever notified of the bets in place. It kept life interesting, wondering what those around you might be scheming.

“Points won,” Arachne said. Arachne was the official scorekeeper. She never played herself, but it amused her to know the ins and outs of everyone else’s schemes.

“You arranged for the murder of my clones?” Zeus shouted at his wife. “You! Hera? How did you do it?”

“I didn’t do anything. You did. I knew you wouldn’t want to go on the expedition, so you would have to do something to annoy Father. I just made certain I happened to be near him when you did, then I suggested that he needed to find a way to rein you in.”

He did not ask Hera why she’d killed his clones. He suspected he knew. Maggie. Perhaps she had heard about his bet concerning Maggie. Hera knew she could stop Zeus from raping Maggie, at least, by providing such a horrendous penalty that he wouldn’t dare take Maggie quickly.

But then another thought occurred to Zeus. Hera could not have known about his bet with Herm unless Herm had told her. Yet Herm had not left Zeus’s sight all morning.

So it may have been that Hera had asked Herm to tempt Zeus into this bet.

Zeus had thought it exceedingly generous of Herm to offer so many points for a simple seduction. Now he saw why. Hera had bet against him. She would interfere.

Hera smiled, a mischievous grin. “Three points if you bed Maggie,” she said. “Three for me if you don’t. That was my bet with Herm.”

This astonished Zeus-the depth of his wife’s jealousy, the scope of her cunning. She could make a formidable opponent in the Great and Dreadful Game. Surely Zeus would have been more circumspect in betting this morning if he’d suspected how jealous Hera was.

She’d taken him off his guard last night with her talk of truces and feigned interest in Gallen.

It annoyed Zeus to be so easily handled; and it humbled him. He went to his dear wife, found himself aroused. He kissed her full lips, pressed himself against her. “You haven’t stopped me,” he teased. “I will have my pleasure with Maggie, though she could never give me as much pleasure as do you.”

“Three points if you get her.” Hera laughed sweetly; she sauntered from the room.

The ruthless woman , Zeus considered. How could Hera so casually have maneuvered Felph into killing their clones? She’d lost as much as he in this debacle. Now all Felph’s children lay under the threat of extinction. It only showed Zeus how serious an opponent Hera would be in the Game. Still, he admired her.

Arachne was watching them both with an uncustomary frown. Zeus wondered what she knew that he didn’t. “Why the furrowed brow, dear sister?”

The witch seldom gave him a straight answer; he expected none now. Still he could hope. She had, after all, been created to be his counselor. For heaven’s sake, he needed the counsel now.

“I think,” Arachne said, “that your game goes too far. We would all be better off, if no one played such games anymore.”

“Goes too far? In what way?”

Arachne’s dark eyes flashed. “You hurt others merely to gain status, without concern for those who’ve done us only good.”

“So you would have me walk away from this?” Zeus asked. “Simply lose three points?”

“If you were half as noble as you were crafty, you would run from this game,” Arachne said.

“Hah! Hera told you to say this, didn’t she?”

“I mean it, “ Arachne said. “You’re a fool. Gallen O’Day is a dangerous man. You know almost nothing about him. He will protect what is his!”

“Indeed!” Zeus laughed. “I shall have my points whether you or Hera like it or not.” He gave a hearty roar for no reason he could understand. It was a laugh of pain, as much as of pleasure.

When Orick reached the Nightswift in its docking bay, Felph had dozens of droids ready with clothing, weapons, temporary shelters. Gallen and Felph stood considering which items to take on the expedition, which to leave. As the men spoke, Tallea went to Maggie, licked her hand.

“Are you certain you’ll be all right, here?” Tallea asked. “I’m worried.”

Maggie knelt, hugged Tallea. “I’ll be fine. The droids will be here to care for me, new people to meet.”

“I wish I could take care of you,” Tallea said. “But I keep finding I’m not of much use without hands and thumbs.”

“I’ll feel better if you keep Gallen and Orick safe,” Maggie answered. She was being generous of course. Tallea had been a fine swordswoman in her time, but as a bear she was clumsy and small. In a fight, Orick would have to care for her. Orick suspected Tallea knew that, and it rankled her.

Orick knew how miserable Tallea was. He felt guilty. She loved him, had given up everything to be at his side, and he’d decided to give his life into the service of God.

After his dream last night, he felt more decided than ever. Orick had always believed that he would be the monastic sort, living in some forest hideaway, devoting his life to study and good works.

But now he knew he couldn’t spend his days cloistered in a monastery leading an easy life of study. Last night he’d had a vision, a wondrous vision, in which God had called him to service. Missionary to the Cosmos.

Orick felt afire with the urge to go out and convert. He remembered the prophecies of John the Revelator, who saw all manner of beasts worshipping and crying praises to God.

I am among those in John’s vision, Orick realized. Who better than me, a Iowly bear, to carry God’s message to the rest of his creatures?