John Wright - Orphans of Chaos

Mavors said, “If the Unseen One will publicly repudiate the claim of his wife, the Maiden, to the throne of Heaven, I’d agree. I trust him. I don’t necessarily trust her.”

Lady Cyprian said, “I’ll consult with my husband. But I am sure Mulciber will agree. He and Hades have always been on the best of terms. Sort of an underground, live in a land of fire and lava kind of thing. Get the best-looking wives. You know. Like a club.”

“Well, look at that,” said Mavors, hoisting his shield to his shoulder. “We settled something after all.”

The Lady Cyprian half-rose from her seat. “Ares! You’re not leaving yet, are you? You must stay for the dance!”

“I’d love to, ma’am, but I cannot. The Titans are stirring in the Pontic Sea, and their brothers are swimming in the magma below the Earth’s crust. Other Titans have been seen in the spheres above the Moon, like bats as large as caravels; or lying on the sands of Libya by night, like mountains.

“They seem to be gathering. Deimos thinks they are all heading toward the Citadel of Dreams in Cimmeria. Without the lightning bolt, we will have no way to drive them back, if they come out of the Sunless Land again, and storm Olympus. That’s why I could not spare any of my people for this little gathering, here. Fairest of goddesses, adieu. You ladies can dance. The men have work to do.”

Mavors tucked his finger under his coif, and pulled it over his crew cut.

“Just a moment, my Lord!” said a new voice. This was the dark-haired man with gills, the one who wore a jacket of blue, green, and white scales.

Boggin said, “What is it, Governor Mestor?”

“Before my Lord departs, there is another point the princes of Atlantis would like to bring up.”

Mavors said, “Spit it out.”

“Lord, we are not certain the growth and maturity of the four Uranians is a natural effect, as has been previously assumed. Four boundaries to four versions of Chaos border the estate. Our own access from our worlds is through the Sending Vessel. Correct? So why are the laws of nature of the human world working here?”

Headmaster Boggin said, “What are you implying?”

“In your report to the Board of last year, you explained that more of the influence of Chaos is coming through here. Strange events had occurred. Young Master Triumph was seen levitating a fork. Claw prints on the ceiling above the bed of young Master Nemo. Hollywood starlets answering love letters written by Master mac FirBolg. And it was clear that their people in the Abyss were trying to send dreams and reminders.”

Mavors said, “Make it snappy. I have other fires to put out.”

“Dread Lord of Battle, the princes of Atlantis are convinced that the boundaries around this estate are being pried open. These children are not growing old because of the operation of any law of nature. What does the concept of a law of nature have any meaning when dealing with a chaoticist? We suspect deliberate stratagem. Slow, yes, but deliberate. The Prince of the Night may be sending his influences in. He is shape-changing them by his magic to make them into adult Uranians.”

“So? What’s to be done?”

“There is only one child among the five who has the power to open boundaries, or to find the secret paths that run to other worlds. She will not perish when she is taken from a place next to the boundaries, because she is not a chaoticist. Nausicaa, the daughter of Alcinuous, who in this place goes by the ridiculous name of Vanity Fair, must be taken to Atlantis and put into the custody of the loyal sons of Neptune. Four Uranians might well alter the balance of power between the various factions contending for the throne. One Phaeacian girl will not. Once she is gone, the boundaries will resume their old strength, and the influences from Chaos here will diminish. Then there will be no need to move any of the other children anywhere.”

Mavors looked at Lady Cyprian. “Wouldn’t make much difference to me.”

Lady Cyprian blinked her enormous brown eyes. “I’ll see what my husband has to say about it. He may not like the idea of putting the daughter of the King of Phaeacia into the hands of Pelagaeus’ faction. Why have the Atlantians and Phaeacians on the same side?”

Mavors snorted. “Arete runs Phaeacia, not Alcinuous. She knows what side of the bread her butter is on, daughter or no daughter. There will be Phaeacian sea captains, pirates, and smugglers volunteering to serve any faction that is winning, no matter which side Alcinuous himself is on. And we all know he really, actually, backs Anacreon the Vine-God no matter what he says. That’s why Dad took his daughter in the first place.”

Mr. Sprat leaned in and said to Boggin, “If Miss Fair were out of sight and out of mind, sir, we might not have trouble with Grendel. We have heard that Grendel’s mother has already bought a wedding dress and fashioned a coffin for the girl.”

Mavors looked over. “Who is Grendel?”

Lady Cyprian laughed. “Oh, my dearest, you really should have your spies talk to my spies! Grendel is the groundskeeper here. He goes by the name of Glum. He’s one of Pelagaeus’ people.”

“Hmm.” Mavors turned to Boggin. “Tell your groundskeeper that whoever kills any of the children here, dies. No argument, no excuses, no phone calls from the Governor, no time to pray, just a pilum up their fundament. Got it?”

To Lady Cyprian, he said, “Ask your husband two things. First, is it acceptable to him to move the hostages to the Asphodel Fields? Second, is it acceptable to remove Nausicaa to Atlantis for safe-keeping, if it turns out that she is the one making the boundaries weak?”

“I’ll tell him if you kiss me. Otherwise, I’ll tell him you kissed me, and called him a crippled unmanly coward.”

“Well. Some people don’t think much of a man who lets himself get cuckolded and doesn’t stand up straight and do something about it. Of course, it’s not his fault he can’t stand up straight. But I never called him a coward. Maybe Brontes here will tell him the message, if you don’t.”

“So you’re not going to kiss me? I think about your kisses every night, when I am alone in bed…”

Mavors took a few brusque steps about the table toward her, but then, when he was about where the headless man was sitting, he slowed, and leaned on his javelin, and regained his composure. “Ah, no ma’am. I don’t think it would be seemly, considering. But you can tell your husband three things from me.

“One. There is not going to be a war unless he starts it.

“Two. If he moves troops or taloi in the vicinity of Mount Olympus, dons purple, dons a coronet, or attempts to wield the lightning, or claims the throne in any other way, that will start the war.

“Three. He will lose any war he fights with me. Do you understand the message?”

Her voice was demure. “Yes, my Lord, I understand.” I moved my head so I could see her again. She had lowered her eyelashes, and turned her head to one side, so that she looked dream-caught, breathtakingly lovely. There was a blush rising in her cheeks.

I knew what she was thinking, which I don’t think any guy, listening to her, would have known: she liked having Mavors give her orders.

Mavors was staring at her profile, trying to keep his face a mask. But I could see, even from here, the wonder in his eyes. He was dumbstruck at her beauty.

He squinted, and spoke again. “You can tell him one other thing. The Uranians are not going to wait forever. I am not going to wait forever. All he has to do is foreswear his claim to the throne, and vow fealty to me. I get the world; he gets you. I think it’s an even trade. You tell him that.”

He turned and, with a swirl and flap of his long coat, strode from the room.