Sethra Lavode (Viscount of Adrilankha) Read Online Free PDF

honor to point out to me is true. That is to say, the Empress has only a skeletal army, and few of the Houseshave as yet given her their declarations of loyalty, and she has not even a completed palace in which to live. Nevertheless—”
    “Well?” said the king. “Nevertheless?”
    “She has the Orb.”
    “Ah, yes. That is true. I do not question you on that.”
    “And we contend that, with the Orb, everything else must inevitably fall into place.”
    “Inevitably?”
    “That is our contention, yes.”
    “And yet, I will tell you in all honesty—for out of respect for the Orb, if for no other reason, I will be honest—it is better for us if there is no Empire. You perceive, you are large, and we are small, and the Empire has always been hungry for land. And so we are forced to maintain an army that numbers a terribly large proportion of our population, just to keep from being swallowed up. Without the Empire so hungrily looking at us from across the channel, why, I have been able to reduce the army, and we are able to go on with our peaceful lives. And by giving you recognition, it would seem to me that I am aiding in the restoration of the Empire. Do you understand my position, madam?”
    “Another might observe, Your Majesty, that your peaceful lives include raids upon our shores, but I say nothing like this, because I understand this happens against Your Majesty’s strict decrees.”
    The king bowed his head in acquiescence.
    “I understand Your Majesty’s position,” continued Gardimma. “However, permit me to observe that everything will be much more agreeable, after the Empire is fully restored, if Her Majesty feels that you aided her now. And we, all of us, desire nothing more than that relations between the two nations be agreeable; is that not so?”
    “Oh, of a certainty madam. You make a strong argument, and I promise you I will consider it carefully.”
    “And then?”
    “Very well. Give me thirty hours to consider all that you have said. Return to-morrow, and we will speak more.”
    Gardimma bowed low, and said, “I thank Your Majesty for taking the time to listen to me. Until to-morrow.”
    “Until to-morrow, Countess.”
    His Majesty pulled upon a rope, whereupon a guard came in to escort the Countess out of the room. The King remained there forsome few minutes, then, pulling the bell again, addressed the guard who entered with the words “If the Countess is out of the palace, bring in the next visitor.”
    The guard bowed and went off to do so, with the result that, a few minutes later, Lord Udaar was announced. This Dragonlord, whom we hope the reader remembers from his duty of escorting Illista to the mainland, bowed to the King and said, “I thank Your Majesty for being so good as to see me.”
    “My friend,” said Corthina, “for so I hope I may call you—”
    “Your Majesty does me too much honor.”
    “Not at all, not at all. My friend, the ambassador from Her Imperial Majesty, Zerika the Fourth, has just left.” The reader may observe here the art of negotiation, as Corthina, by using this title for Zerika, at once put the ambassador on the defensive, as it were.
    Udaar, for his part, ignored this thrust, recognizing it for the tool of negotiation that it was. He merely said, “Ah, has she?”
    Corthina nodded. “She wishes me to recognize Zerika as the Empress of Dragaera.”
    “Well, I am not startled by this.”
    “But, you perceive, that is much the same as your own request.”
    “Oh, Your Majesty. I wish a great deal more than that!”
    “Well, what do you wish? Come, let us see.”
    “I wish for troops to attack the mainland.”
    “Well, but you are aware that the army has been much reduced, and I am only now rebuilding it?”
    “There will be time.”
    “Oh, as for time, yes. But consider the risk I run.”
    “Your Majesty, consider what you have to gain.”
    “Let us see, then. What have I to gain?”
    “In the first place, there will be no danger of