Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams Read Online Free PDF Page B

the show.”
    “I accept, sire.”
    Following Pagaose, everyone from the amphitheater formed a procession to the throne room. The trip took only ten bits for the emperor, but it took another ten before they could fit everyone in. There were even people camped on the roof, looking in through the skylights.
    When Anna returned with some supplies and everyone hushed, Pagaose asked Lord Pangborn, “One last time: If I prove to everyone here that his eyes are truly blue, you will accept him as an Imperial and me as your Emperor.”
    “For as long as they stay blue,” the aristocrat joked.
    To the young man kneeling before him, Pagaose whispered, “There will be an instant of pain and increased sensitivity to light, but the disadvantages will be temporary.”
    Kestrel held out his arms and said, “Even if it should kill me, sire.”
    Pagaose laid his hand over the man’s face, closed his eyes, and tapped the gate energies flooding in from above his throne. He reached deep within himself to remember the twisting that he felt two Door journeys ago. Then, he translated the boy into the image he held in his mind.
    Kestrel gasped in sharp pain and pulled back, blinking. “Water, I need water! It burns.”
    Anna handed him a jug, and the man rinsed his face. When he finished, he opened the eye for all to see. With the exception of a little red from irritation, both eyes matched—a perfect, pale blue.
    This distracted attention from Pagaose, who had to collapse on his throne from the use of so much magical energy—mana. A sharp pain stabbed in his right eye and he felt dizzy from effort. Still, he wore a confident smile for his audience.
    “Happy birthday, Kestrel,” Anna said, loaning the young man a hand mirror.
    “Thank you!” he shouted, looking at the miracle for himself. Tears streaming from his new eyes, he bowed at Pagaose’s feet. The crowd went wild.
    Lord Pangborn grabbed the young man’s arm and examined him from every angle. When he could deny it no longer, he knelt before the miracle worker. “My emperor.”
    Pagaose didn’t believe his conversion but accepted the vote.
    ****
    The emperor was too drained that night to visit with the multitudes who wanted to curry his favor. The weekend turned out to be a blessing in disguise, giving him an opportunity to recover. Anna shooed people away while he napped. At sundown, Pagaose met in his parlor with the sage. “Any last words, Small Voice?”
    The old man sipped his tea and chuckled. “I offer you my personal assistant—we call him Scribbles. He wrote down every word you said today and quite adores you. He believes that enlightenment comes from ordering chaos.”
    The emperor laughed. “We’ll endeavor to disabuse him of that notion. There is always more chaos, much of it generated by the aristocracy.”
    “If you don’t drive him mad, you might enlighten him,” offered the sage.
    “How can I thank you?”
    “Take care of my old friend Frond.”
    “Where can I find him?”
    “He owns most of the Scar,” noted Niftkin. “Richest man on the island and bat-shit crazy—”
    Anna covered a smile.
    “ Eccentric ,” the sage corrected. “He doesn’t get close to many people because they all want something from him. Once he gives you his support, though, he’ll stick with you through anything.”
    The guard kept silent, but his eyes opened wide at the prospect.
    Pagaose nodded. “For your sake, I would befriend a wild goat. Send your scribe by tomorrow morning for breakfast.”
    The sage reached out and clasped the emperor’s hand. Pagaose could sense arthritis, personal pain, and years of struggle for the church. The old man said, “Save my people.”

Chapter 5 – Unscheduled Testing
     
    When Pagaose rose before dawn to do his morning exercise in the garden, he found four unfamiliar guards waiting for him. Niftkin introduced them. “I told the men you’re a Master of the Way of Water, and they wanted to work out with you.”
    The emperor