Martin Scott - Thraxas and the Ice Dragon

«I fought one in the arena when I was fifteen,» replies Makri, and no one scoffs at her reply. Even Elupus looks thoughtful.

With Lisutaris now regaining control of the situation, I take the opportunity to study our visitors. Most of them are still occupied by the sight of Makri and the dragon, but Baron Girimos is looking round him with the attitude of a hungry man. I wouldn't mind talking to Girimos. According to Merlione, he owned the carriage that killed Alceten. I sidle up to him and lower my voice.

«You'll have to excuse Arichdamis for his lack of preparation. He's too eccentric to provide proper refreshments for his guests.»

«It's really most unsatisfactory,» says the Baron, with feeling.

I nod sympathetically. «Don't worry, his servants keep the cellars and pantries well-stocked. Come with me and I'll put matters in hand.»

Baron Girimos follows me eagerly back into the house. Behind us Makri is answering questions from the General about her days as a gladiator, while Chief Steward Daringos is reminding everyone that they still have a meeting to get through. Downstairs in the food cellars, I find the Baron quite a genial companion. Eschewing ceremony, he takes a whole smoked ham from a hook, drags out a crate to use as a chair, and gets to work. I take another whole ham for myself, fetch two bottles of wine and a small barrel of Elath Mountain Beer from the room next door, and join him on the next crate. We eat and drink heartily, and swap a few war stories. Like me, the Baron has fought against the Orcs. Along with his hearty appetite, it's another point in his favour.

«Of course, I was in better shape back then,» says the Baron, patting his considerable belly. «Could you hand me down that duck from the shelf?»

While sharing the cooked duck, I manoeuvre the conversation round to the present, and manage to gain quite a lot of background information about affairs among the Barons. On the topic of Demelzos and Mabados's marriage, and the upcoming wedding of their son, he's quite informative.

«Mabados got lucky,» he tells me, while starting on a second bottle of fine red Elvish wine. «Married the richest girl in the country. Commoner, of course, which raised a few eyebrows. Not as many as you'd think, mind you, when word got round about how much money she had. Her father found more queenstone than anyone had ever seen. And Mabados's family was broke. Everyone knew that, though they tried to hide it.» Baron Girimos laughs. «He'd still be broke if it wasn't for her income.»

«But he controls Elath. Isn't that lucrative, with the baths, and the tournament?»

«Should be, if he wasn't such a fool with money. Terrible gambler, you know. And he made some bad investments in shipping that all went down the drain. The yield from his farms hasn't been that great recently, either. Doesn't matter too much though, while they've got the Queenstone mines.»

All of Demelzos's property will, of course, have been transferred to the Baron on their marriage, enabling him to waste money as he chooses. I ask Girimos about the upcoming wedding.

«I'll be a fancy affair. Mabados's son and Baron Vosanos's eldest daughter. Vosanos is one of the wealthiest men in the country. Shouldn't be surprised if they bring in some top foreign chefs for the catering.» Baron Girimos obviously relishes the idea of a banquet prepared by top foreign chefs. It's not hard to see why he's a man of such impressive girth. I'm liking him more and more. By this time the Baron is so genial it's not difficult to raise the subject of the runaway carriage that killed Alceten.

«Sad affair,» says the Baron. «Still no idea who took the carriage.»

«It was stolen?»

«Yes. It disappeared from my stables the night before the accident. Thieves up to no good, no doubt. Elath's like that, when the tournament's on. A lot of rascals arrive in town.»

When we emerge from the cellars, the meeting is well under way. Given the unpromising start, it goes quite well. Lisutaris talks with authority about her plans for rallying Sorcerers, troops, and governments. Lasat and his detestable minion Charius attempt to undermine her, but I wouldn't say they have the best of it. Lisutaris is still labouring under the disadvantage of having allowed Turai to fall, but she's been in battle on many occasions, and her reputation as a war-time Sorcerer remains high. Several of Samsarina's leading military men have seen her in action, back in the Orc wars when they were junior officers and she was a promising young Sorcerer. The meeting adjourns, and arrangements are made to talk with the King in two days time, along with several more foreign ambassadors who should have arrived in Elath by then.

«I'd say you're still in a strong position,» I tell Lisutaris, after the Barons have departed. «Particularly as the Elves will still support you.»

Lisutaris is not convinced. «Did you see the way Lasat objected to everything I said? The man hates me.» The Sorceress frowns. «Why did you tell everyone I was protecting Arichdamis's new weapon like it was the most important thing in the world?»

«I had to come up with something to cover for you.»

«I suppose so. But I'm going to look silly if this weapon doesn't work. Where is Arichdamis, anyway?»

«Examining the ruin of his cellars. Baron Girimos has a very hearty appetite. I tried to restrain him but it was practically impossible. Who was that General who seemed so interested in Makri?»

«General Hemistos. He's in charge of the infantry phalanxes.»

«Hemistos? The young centurion who led the expedition over Gazgar Bridge?» I remember him now. He was decorated for his bravery, eighteen or so years ago. I didn't know he'd become a General. «Just goes to show, some countries reward their war heroes properly. If Turai was like that, I'd be a General too.»

«Undoubtedly,» says Lisutaris, and brushes her long brown hair back from her forehead. She stares at her silver and queenstone bracelet. A present from Kublinos, I believe.

«I apologise for my mistake with the thazis. I won't allow it to happen again.»

Makri has finally got rid of the dragon, shooing it back to its nest in the trees. «General Hemistos wants to watch me fighting at the tournament,» she says. «Was he really the most decorated centurion in the last war?»

«Maybe,» I reply. «But you know these Samsarinans. They give out medals for anything.»

«Where are the plans?» says Lisutaris, suddenly.

«What plans?»

«The plans for the crossbow and sighting device. You know, the important military secret I'm meant to be protecting.»

«They're on the table.»

«No they're not.»

We all stare at the table. The plans are gone. I yell for Arichdamis. He pokes his head out of the window. He doesn't have them. The four of us engage on a frantic search of the vicinity. The blueprints are nowhere to be found. Arichdamis moans, and sits down heavily.

«How can they just disappear?» demands Makri.

I ask Lisutaris if she can perform some sort of quick searching spell. Unfortunately Lisutaris is no longer listening. Her bag of thazis is open on her lap. She swiftly rolls a huge stick, snaps her fingers to ignite it, then inhales deeply. I sit down next to her.

«Give me some of that,» I say.

«Me too,» says Makri. «We're really in trouble now.»

Gloom descends over Arichdamis's house. It's hard to believe that someone stole the plans from right under our noses. Arichdamis is frantic, believing that enemy spies have made off with them. He's already imagining himself being executed for treason. Neither Lisutaris, Makri nor I believe that an enemy spy took the plans. It's far more likely that Lasat Axe of Gold was behind it.