The Chaos Balance by L. E. Modesitt Jr. Read Free Book Online Page A

Forest," Themphi explained.
    Lephi nodded. "You shall have such a token. May your piers bring all prosperity and good trade."
    "May the next petitioner approach," rumbled Duhru, "if he is without darkness and a follower of the way of whiteness."
    "Your Supreme Mightiness . . . the peasants in Geliendra have presented a petition, and the regional governor has endorsed it." The functionary in gold bowed twice. On the second bow, droplets of perspiration splattered on the polished white tiles of the floor.
    "Lick those up, Husenar. I don't like the floors soiled, especially when my administrators are acting for others."
    Husenar complied, then straightened, standing stiffly.
    "What about this petition? Why need it be brought to me? Why did they not present it themselves?"
    "The Accursed... Forest... rods and rods of the rice fields and the bean fields-those not already flooded-they are gone."
    "Gone?"
    "The forest has awakened-"
    "The Forest of the Nameless? Have the wards failed? The wards have never failed."
    Husenar bowed again. "The wards are no more, and the forest lives."
    "I have taken their petition under advisement, and I will act accordingly."
    After the petitioners and Duhru departed and the doors closed, Lephi turned to Themphi. "About that mess with the Eighth Mirror-"
    "They could not so dishonor a peasant."
    "Themphi . . . did you not hear what I said? When a man is so distraught he will die rather than accept two years' wages for a dowry, something is wrong. She is doubtless a spineless wench, but when peasants believe such girls are innocent they do not pay taxes, except under duress, and we do not need that now. I tell you again: you will find the guilty parties. If they are the officers, they can also choose duty to protect the people of Geliendra from the Accursed Forest-for the rest of their lives." Lephi smiled coldly. "I want every peasant to know that I heard and acted, and every officer to know that girls outside the households of officers or the pleasure class are to be left untouched. I do not care how many paid concubines they have, but they must be sure that the purchases of concubines are well witnessed. Well witnessed." He paused. "Of course, if it is the girl, and you had best be very sure, then she should be publicly violated by at least a company of Mirror armsmen. Whatever happens, I want both punishment choices made public, so that I receive no more petitions such as this."
    Themphi swallowed.
    "Send some of the engineers to check the forest, and the wards. How could they possibly have failed?"
    "I do not know." Themphi shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "The wards are very old, and the ancient accounts record that the forest was cunning and patient before it was restrained."
    "Then you will go and repair the damage, and restrain the forest once again. After you complete your work on this mess with the girl. Send no engineers from the Second. We need them to re-create the fireships, to reclaim the ocean from the eastern traders." Lephi stared at the wizard. "Had your predecessors not allowed the ancient fireships to deteriorate, we would have no such problems."
    "Sire, they had no choice."
    "There is always a choice."
    "Not where chaos is concerned." Themphi ignored the dampness on his forehead.
    "Do you question your Emperor, Themphi?"
    "Emperors have choices, Sire, except where order and chaos meet. The same is true of wizards. I cannot change what was and is, even at your command."
    "Bah . . . you sound just like Triendar. Do they cast spells over you when you are young so that you all sound alike?"
    "Chaos and order do not change because we exist, Sire." Themphi shifted his weight again.
    "Wizard, your powers must serve Cyad, not the other way around. See that they do, or your nephew's children or his children's children will bow under the yoke of the easterners. Lands either become more powerful or less powerful and then perish. I intend to make sure Cyador becomes more