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Now, if he could only rest, close his eyes for a few moments, he would be able to push on again.
* * *
Vilkata, tightening his grip on the palace in the last hour before dawn, had secreted himself in
one of the upper chambers, from which he kept issuing a stream of orders to demons and converts,
patiently establishing his new base of operations in rooms which only hours ago had belonged to
his great enemy.
Meanwhile the Dark King was steadily recalculating, reconsidering his situation. Like other people
on both sides of the conflict, dwellers within the city as well as outside its walls, he was
profoundly interested in what interference, if any, could be expected from the Swords still
remaining in the world, or what advantage gained from them.
He assumed that Shieldbreaker and Sightblinder were still in the hands of his lone enemy of the
recent confrontation. The locations of Soulcutter, Farslayer, and Coinspinner remained unknown as
far as the Dark King was concerned; and each of these weapons in its own way was capable of
completely turning the balance of the great game.
Grimly, Vilkata had determined that the loss of the Mind-sword was not going to plunge him into a
panic. His enemies were reeling too, and badly hurt; he had struck a hard blow at their leadership
by converting Karel and others, he had slaughtered a number of their proud and stiff-necked
populace, and occupied their capital.
Mark, he supposed, and the surviving Tasavaltan military, would need a day or two at least to make
preparation for some attempt at striking back. In about that time, also, the converts' zeal would
be starting to turn to ashes. So it was plain to the Dark King that in one or two days he might
well have to retreat-unless in the meantime he somehow managed to acquire substantial human help,
of some kind not dependent upon the Mindsword.
He considered the option of retreating now. He could summon his loyal demons, declare that he had
intended nothing more than a raid on Sarykam, and withdraw from the city, perhaps to the seacoast
caves where he had secreted the Old World spacecraft. But the idea of retreating at the first
setback, sharp though it had been, rankled; and the Dark King quickly decided that to withdraw,
now, at least, would be premature.
Also Vilkata tried to formulate some way to pursue or entrap Mark, who, on leaving the city a few
days ago, had evidently taken with him from his special armory no other weapon besides the Sword
of Healing. Karel and other converts had amply confirmed that fact.
The idea of a massive hostage-taking was beginning to grow in Vilkata's thoughts. Whatever
problems might be about to confront him, having a few thousand hostages on hand would be a good
idea.
He snapped out decisive orders to get the process started. Let a thousand or more of the city's
people, without any particular selection, be rounded up, disarmed, and herded into the palace
complex. Converts good for nothing else would do perfectly well as hostages, and would be as
fanatically eager to assume that role as any other.
The elder magician Karel, with all a convert's eagerness to be of help, had volunteered to be
Vilkata's counselor, and appeared with an offer to send a treacherous message to Prince Mark.
Vilkata, raising an eyebrow in approval, listened judiciously.
Kristin's uncle was eager to do all he could for his new lord. "The best tactic, Master, might be
to persuade the Prince that I, Karel, have not been converted after all."
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"You think you could convince him?"
"I think the tactic worth considering. If we can thus get Mark, and my dear niece-ultimately for
their own good, of course-"
"Of course."
"To give up this foolish and unequal struggle." Vilkata had grave doubts that any such plan to
work. But he asked the old wizard to work out the details.
When informed of the plan to take hostages, Karel was not so enthusiastic. But, in his converted
opinion, if people refused to see the light, they really deserved no better than a miserable
death. Of course it was too bad about the children; but their fate could hardly be blamed upon the
glorious Dark King, who never did anything wrong.
The Dark King, having now ordered repeated searches of the palace and its grounds, believed that
his recent opponent in the armory had been no one but the young Princeling, Stephen. That puppy
had gotten away with two of the most dangerous Swords.
Karel offered firm assurances that the stripling would never be able to carry such a double burden
of magic very far.
Then, quite unexpectedly, the wizards' conversation was interrupted. One of the Dark King's new
human slaves, still strongly under the Mindsword's lingering influence, came running in with word
that Arridu was clamoring to be admitted to Vilkata's presence. The great demon was announcing his
intention to give the Dark King a great gift.
Vilkata, having had no report from the monster demon for several hours, had begun to fear that
Arridu had gone the way of Akbar, had become a victim of Shieldbreaker in the Tasavaltan
Princeling's hands.
In a moment the gigantic fiend, in the guise of a black-clad warrior, was entering his Master's [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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