The Wizardwar Read Online Free PDF Page B

spoke calmly, his voice reached the outskirts of the crowd. Some of the morning revelers slipped away, others reclaimed their places in line with subdued faces.
    Matteo returned to Zalathorm’s side, cradling the elbow of his injured arm in his left hand. “Fine speech,” he murmured. “Many are the tasks before us-and what better way to illustrate this than for the king and his counselor to tend the well-being of a pack animal?”
    The king sent him a sharp glance. “If pain prompts you to sarcasm, by all means let us repair your shoulder immediately.”
    Matteo managed a small bow. “My apologies, sire. Though I thank you for you kind thought, healing spells and clerical prayers have about as much effect upon a jordain-“
    “As flattery has upon a mule,” Zalathorm broke in. “An analogy, mind you, that I find surprisingly apt.”
    He took hold of Matteo’s arm and gave it a sharp twist and a sudden, precise shove. Pain exploded in Matteo’s shoulder and skittered along his limbs and spine. As suddenly as it came, it was gone but for a deep, dull ache.
    Matteo rolled his shoulder experimentally. “Amazing. I doubt a jordaini battlemaster could have done better.”
    For some reason, Zalathorm found that amusing. “High praise indeed!”
    He strode toward the palace wall and the stairs, which had suddenly reappeared in a new location. Matteo followed.
    “If I may ask, what did you say to the elephant drover?”
    “Jaharid? I told him I calmed the elephant by speaking with it mind to mind. I reminded him the elephant is an intelligent, perhaps even sentient beast, and suggested that since he could bear witness to many of Jaharid’s less-than-legal activities, it behooved him to treat the animal with courtesy and respect.”
    Matteo took this in. “The elephant told you these things?”
    The king sent a quick, amused look over his shoulder. “Our large, gray friend did not offer an opinion concerning Jaharid’s business practices. Few elephants are well versed in Halruaan law.”
    “I see. You know this Jaharid, then.”
    “Never set eyes upon the man. A simple divination spell yielded his name, along with an interesting image: Jaharid bartering with a Mulhorand pirate for a baby elephant. If you’d had dealings with the Mulhorandi, would you want them brought to light? Mark me, Jaharid will treat the animal well and give it no cause for complaint.”
    Matteo considered this. “According to what I know of the Art of divination, this seems an unusual insight. Divination is the study of the future.”
    The king lifted one shoulder dismissively. “The seasons pass and return. The future can often be read in the patterns of the past.”
    Though the words were prosaic, they sent an image jolting into Matteo’s mind: Tzigone, deep in trance as she sought her own earliest memories, accidentally moving past her own experiences to witness events occurring long before her birth. Zalathorm, it seemed, had unconventional talents of his own.
    “You are more than a diviner,” Matteo observed.
    Zalathorm stopped and turned. “I am king,” he said simply. His lips twisted in a wry smile, and he added, “At least for the moment.”
    He waved away Matteo’s attempted protests. “No wizard has stepped forward with a challenge, but it is only a matter of time. We both know this. Your former patron, Procopio Septus, stands tall amongst the waiting throng.”
    Matteo secretly agreed. Still, “Sire, you know I am sworn not to reveal one patron’s secrets to another.”
    Zalathorm sent him an inquiring look. “Did I ask you to? Procopio is ambitious. I need no jordain to tell me what my own eyes perceive.”
    “Of course not, my lord.” Matteo hesitated, then asked the question that had been harrying him since his appointment. “Forgive me, but why exactly do you need me? I have lived twenty-one summers, hardly enough time to gain the wisdom a king’s counselor requires.”
    The king smiled faintly. “Surely