Emperor and Clown by Dave Duncan Read Free Book Online Page B

that Inosolan make amends for her failure to trust in love.”
    That
startled her. “Inos? A single word from her to the sultan would-”
    “No!”
Sagorn said sharply. “A word to me.”
    “Oh!”
Now Kadolan saw, and her distrust swelled up like a summer thunderhead. Dawn
was coming. The sage’s face was a little less of a vague paleness. She could
see his eyes now. “Her word of power, you mean, Doctor?”
    “Exactly.
The sultan took precautions against an adept escaping. He ordered that the
prisoner must not be allowed to speak, and must be watched at all times, and so
on. He did not consider the possibility of another adept attempting a rescue,
and I am confident that an extrication could be effected by an adept. We-my
associates and myself, that is-know at present only a single word, and we
reduced our power when we shared it with Master Rap ... not that we grudge the
sacrifice, of course. No regrets! To be truthful, the loss was not as severe as
I would have expected. Perhaps our word is known by many people, so sharing it
with one more made little difference. But a second word is certainly requisite
for the venture I have proposed.”
    Kadolan
sat and thought for a while, hoping to hear some more before she explained the
problem.
    “And
if he dies in jail,” Sagorn said, his voice a little harder, “then what we gave
away will be returned to us.”
    “So
you hope to go to Inos-”
    “I
think Jalon may be the answer here, ma’am. He is a skilled mimic, of course,
and quite expert at female impersonation. Zarkian costume could hardly be more
suited to the purpose. If you were, to invite your niece to your quarters to
hear a remarkable female singer, then I doubt that the sultan would object.” He
waited for reaction, then added testily, “And after that, you will have to
arrange a private interview, of course. That should be possible, I think.”
    Kadolan
took a deep breath. “Sharing the words is always risky, is it not? You yourself
explained that to us. Of course your own integrity is beyond question, Doctor,
but if Inosolan shares her word with you, then can you guarantee your
associates’ good behavior afterward? Or would she fare like the woman in ...
Fal Dornin, I think it was?”
    He
sighed. “She is well guarded here, ma’am.” That was not much of an answer.
    “It
is the only possible solution!” he insisted.
    The
first breath of morning twitched the drapes with a hint of impatience. Time was
slipping away. She cut the knot. “It is impossible. The sultan and sultana are
not in residence.”
    Sagorn
released a long hiss of breath. “When do you anticipate their return?”
    “At
least two weeks,” she said cautiously. That was true.
    Silence.
She saw him rub his cheek. The sky was growing brighter beyond the arched
windows. Dawn came swiftly here.
    “Too
late, Doctor?”
    “Yes.”
There was a note of defeat in that voice, and Kadolan did not like the
implications.
    “Have
you any word of Master Rap’s condition?” she asked.
    The
lanky form seemed to sink deeper into the chair. “Not good, ma’am. Not good at
all.”
    Hmm!
He had not mentioned that sooner, and she wondered why. It would have added
urgency to the request.
    Give
him a word of power, indeed!
    “In
any case, would it not have been better strategy for Inos to have passed her
word directly to Master Rap? A mage could not be held captive; even Prince Kar
said so. And more in keeping with the tenor of the God’s command, too?”
    Sagorn
uttered a sort of hollow chuckle. “The point _would seem to be moot. And just
how could the sultana have ever visited that dungeon without the sultan finding
out and stopping her?”
    There
was another answer, though. Kadolan’s prayers had been heard.
    “Could
you visit that cell, Doctor?”
    “Me,
ma’am?”
    “You
and your . . . invisible companions.”
    His
pale eyes glittered in the feeble wisps of dawn light. “Why do you ask?”
    Aware
that she was fencing with a