The Queen of Swords

The Queen of Swords by Michael Moorcock Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: The Queen of Swords by Michael Moorcock Read Free Book Online
Authors: Michael Moorcock
murmured Jhary. Then more loudly he called, “We mean you no harm, friend. We are passing this way on our journey to Llarak.”
    “To Llarak. So you are on the duke’s side! You will help bring disaster on us all!”
    “By what means?” Corum called.
    “By leaguing yourselves with the forces of weakness—with the soft, degenerate ones who speak of peace and who will bring terrible war to us.”
    “You are still not especially specific,” Jhary said. “Who are you, sir?”
    “I am Verenak and I am a priest of Urleh. Thus I serve this village and have its well-being at stake—not to say the well-being of our entire nation.”
    Corum whispered to Jhary: “Urleh is a local godling of these parts—a sort of vassal deity to Arioch. I should have thought that his power would have disappeared when Arioch was banished.”
    “Perhaps that is why this Verenak is so upset,” suggested Jhary with a wink.
    “Perhaps.”
    Verenak was now peering closely at Corum. “You are not human!”
    “I am mortal,” Corum told him equably, “but I am not of the Mabden race, it is true.”
    “You are Vadhagh!”
    “That I am. The last.”
    Verenak put a trembling hand to his face. He turned again to the villagers. “Drive these two out from here lest the Lords of Chaos take their vengeance upon us! Chaos will soon come and you must be loyal to Urleh if you would survive!”
    “Urleh no longer exists,” said Corum. “He is banished from our planes with his master Arioch.”
    “It is a lie!” screamed Verenak. “Urleh lives!”
    “It is not likely,” Jhary told him.
    Corum spoke to the villagers. “Lord Arkyn of Law rules the Five Planes now. He will bring peace to you and a greater security than you have ever previously known.”
    “Nonsense!” Verenak shouted. “Arkyn was defeated by Arioch ages since.”
    “And now Arioch is defeated,” Corum said. “We must defend this new peace we are offered. Chaos in all its power brings destruction and terror. Your land is threatened by invaders of your own race who serve Chaos and plan to slay you all!”
    “I say that you lie—you seek to turn us against the Great Lord Arioch and the Lord Urleh. We are loyal to Chaos!”
    The villagers did not seem to be as certain of that statement as Verenak.
    “Then you will bring only disaster to yourselves,” Corum insisted. “I know that Arioch is banished—I am the one who sent him into limbo. I destroyed his heart.”
    “Blasphemy!” shrieked Verenak. “Begone from here. I will not let you corrupt these innocent souls.”
    The villagers glanced suspiciously at Corum and then bestowed the same suspicious looks upon Verenak. One of them stepped forward. “We have no particular interest in either Law or Chaos,” he said. “We wish only to live our lives as we have always lived them. Until recently, Verenak, you did not interfere with us, save to offer us a little magical advice from time to time and receive payment in return. Now you speak of great causes and of struggles and terror. You say that we must arm ourselves and march against our liege the duke. Now this stranger, this Vadhagh, says we must ally ourselves with Law—also to save ourselves. And yet there is no threat that we can see. There have been no portents, Verenak…”
    Verenak raged. “There have been signs. They have come to me in dreams. We must become warriors on the side of Chaos, attack Llarak, show that we are loyal to Urleh!”
    Corum shrugged. “You must not side with Chaos,” he said. “If you would side with no-one, then Chaos will devour you, however. You call our little band an army—and that means you have no conception of what an army can be. Unless we prepare against your enemies your flowery hills will one day be black with riders who will trample you as easily as they trample the blossoms. I have suffered at their hands and I know that they torture and they rape before slaying. Nothing will be left of your village unless you come with

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