The Crown Of Yensupov (Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Aleman.”
    “You want something to drink?” Aleman stood there half-awake in his nightshirt, scratching his head. “I was on my way to the kitchen and thought I heard you pacing. I’m not cooking no food at this hour, but I could fix you some tea.” He yawned again.
    “No, thank you. I was just thinking through something. You go on back to bed.”
    “Back to bed? I can’t sleep if you’re up traipsing around all night. You’re not turning to that black magic stuff, are you? I ain’t working here if you’re getting into that crap.” His sleepy eyes suddenly twinkled.
    “Now, Aleman, don’t get yourself in an uproar over nothing.”
    “Nothing! You call black magic nothing?” Aleman puffed up his defiant chest facing the sorcerer with his hands on his hips.
    Memlatec shook his head. “Now Aleman, don’t get all wound up standing there like some old bull about to scratch the ground, with head down, ready to charge.”
    “We just ain’t getting mixed up with the likes of that Miss Earwig. I’ll be packing my bags, if you mess in black magic.”
    Nothing to say then until the storm blows itself out, the wizard thought. “We fight against the dark forces here, don’t we, Aleman?”
    Aleman relaxed a bit, and let his arms drop to his side. “Indeed we does.” He cocked his head and leered at Memlatec. “You ain’t pulling something over on me, are you?”
    “I’ll take some tea if it’s not too much trouble.”
    “Thought you didn’t want nothing?”
    “Well, I do now. Come on, I’ll walk you to the kitchen so the trolls don’t get you.”
    Aleman did a double take at Memlatec, one eye leering, “Who told you where the kitchen was?”
    Memlatec laughed. “I followed you one dark night during a thunderstorm so you wouldn’t hear my footsteps.”
    Aleman’s mouth dropped open at first before he realized Memlatec was teasing. By then the wizard was at the door and the two of them headed off toward the kitchen.
    “Followed me in a storm indeed. I’ll fix you some tea, but now that you’ve shook me up, I’ll be needing something stronger to help me sleep.”
    Memlatec put his hand on Aleman’s shoulder. “You need something to settle your nerves, what with all the pacing going on around here.”
    “Yes, indeed.” Aleman’s head nodded. “What with all these orcs in the kingdom, it’s a wonder a body gets any sleep at all.”
    Memlatec stopped and turned Aleman to him in the hallway. “What do you mean all these orcs in the kingdom?”
    “They be everywhere, from what I hears.”
    “Well, don’t you repeat that to anyone. We don’t want panic over imaginary orcs.”
    “Who’s to tell? I seldom get out of this dust trap except to market, and no one comes to see me.”
    Memlatec smiled, and the two walked on to the kitchen, where Aleman fixed the wizard tea and himself a tankard of ale. While Aleman buzzed at the fireplace, Memlatec reflected back to his earlier thoughts.
    I wonder how far south the infiltrations reached. Has Dreaddrac compromised Sengenwha as well? I must request an audience with the queen tomorrow.
    *
    “Welcome to our noble wizard whose timely action saved our northern provinces of Talok and Lemnos,” Queen Eleatsubetsvyertsin said. Prince Consort Augusteros stood by the enthroned queen. The great throne room had emptied following the formal audience. Memlatec stepped forward and bowed.
    “Greetings and good health to your majesties,” the wizard said.
    I see no visible excitement or distress, she thought. “What did you wished to speak with us about, Memlatec?”
    “Your Majesty, I am deeply concerned about the northern defenses. If the Dark Lord has infiltrated both our northern strongholds, he has penetrated a lot further around the peninsula. We must learn the extent of his influence and warn the neighboring kingdoms to beware.”
    “Agreed.”
    “First, let me recommend you make no new appointments of anyone without a thorough investigation of their