At the Gates of Darkness by Raymond E. Feist Read Free Book Online Page B

less than warm welcome. “What brings you here?”
    “I need to speak with High Priest Marluke,” said Pug. “The matter is most urgent.”
    “It always is, isn’t it?” said the priest dryly. “Yet I amcertain the Holy Father will consider it urgent, as well. Please, follow me.”
    He led them past the statue, to a small door between the base of the edifice and the first row of burning candles and opened it. He motioned for them to go through, then followed, closing the door behind.
    Down a long hall he led them, into a large room without decoration. The only items in the room were four chairs and a simple wooden table. “I’ll inform the High Priest you are here,” he said.
    At that moment, a door opposite the one through which they entered opened, and an elderly man in a simple black robe, different only from Pug’s in that it had a cowl thrown back, entered the room. “He already knows,” he said. “You may leave us,” he instructed the priest. He was tall, though starting to stoop a little with age, slender to the point of gauntness, and his hair was light grey bordering on white. But his dark eyes were alert and keen and his smile engaging.
    As the younger man departed, the old prelate held out his hand to Pug and they shook. “As if you could pop into my temple without me knowing it,” he said dryly. Then he said, “Ah, Jim Dasher, or is it Baron James Dasher Jamison today?”
    Jim shook his hand as well and said, “Today it’s Jim.”
    “And who is this?” asked the old man, waving the three of them to sit.
    “Amirantha, Warlock of the Satumbria,” said Pug.
    The High Priest’s eyebrows rose. “A Warlock!” He sat as soon as the others had taken seats. “I’ve sent for wine and food, if you’re hungry.”
    Jim nodded approval.
    Looking at Amirantha, the High Priest said, “Leave off the serious discussion until my servant has come and left. Until then…I thought the Satumbria obliterated.”
    “All but me,” said Amirantha without emotion. “We were always a small nation—just a loose confederation of villages, really, scattered around the northern grasslands of Novindus. The Emerald Queen’s army ended our existence.”
    “Ah,” said the High Priest as his servant entered. All four men remained silent as food and wine were served, then the servant withdrew.
    The High Priest looked at Pug and said, “No matter how many years pass, you look no different.” He turned to Amirantha and said, “When I first met our friend here, I was a young priest, just ordained, working in the temple at Krondor. This fellow had several encounters with the High Priestess serving there.” He looked regretful. “A wonderful woman, really, if you got to know her. She was my mentor and it’s because of her I now hold this impossible office that was thrust upon me.”
    He looked again at Amirantha. “I suspect years after I’ve gone to meet Our Lady, he will still look as he does.”
    Amirantha only nodded politely.
    Then the old man’s manner changed. “Now, enough of reminiscence. What brings you here at this late hour?”
    Pug said, “I am not sure, myself. Amirantha, Jim?”
    The Warlock said to Jim, “You begin.”
    Jim had just bitten off a large hunk of bread and cheese, and was forced to wash it down with red wine, and after almost choking a bit he said, “Very well.” He related his entire experience out in the Jal-Pur desert, describing the scene of slaughter and self-sacrifice as best he could. Given his years of training in observing detail, the narrative lasted almost a half hour.
    None of the others spoke until he was finished. Pug said, “That is horrible, indeed.” He looked at Amirantha and said, “You demanded we have an expert in death. Here he sits. Now, what in all this troubles you, that we are not seeing?”
    Amirantha had been preparing for this question since he had first heard Jim’s account. “Nothing that Jim observed makes sense. I will explain, but first