‘We can get into that later,’ father smoothly glossed over the fact that in Mimbrate eyes my primary concerns should have been gossip, hairstyles and hosiery.
Corrolin read the imperial message, and his eyes widened a bit. ‘Have I perchance misunderstood the import of this document?’ he asked. ‘Should I have misread it, prithee correct me, but it doth seem that I have been invited to meet His Imperial Majesty.’
‘It’d better say that, your Grace,’ father grunted, ‘because that’s the way I dictated it. The meeting is to take place in Tol Vordue in about three days, and the emperor asked me to impress upon you the vital necessity for absolute secrecy in this matter. There are unfriendly eyes – and ears as well – knocking about both here in Mimbre and down there in Tolnedra as well. I think we’ll all want to keep this entire affair tightly under wraps.’
‘A wise precaution, Ancient One,’ Corrolin agreed, ‘but how am I to explain this sudden journey into Tolnedra?’
‘I’ve taken the liberty of making some arrangements, your Grace,’ father told him, reaching over to pick up the monk’s robe. ‘I’ll wear this and act sort of holy. You’re right on the verge of embarking on a war. Now, war’s a serious business, and no truly devout man undertakes one without a bit of divine guidance. That’s why you sent for me, wasn’t it?’
Corrolin blinked. ‘Forgive me, Holy One, but I have no recollection of summoning thee.’
‘It must have slipped your mind. Anyway, I’m to escort you down-river to that monastery on the coast so that you can consult with the abbot there. That sort of smells religious, wouldn’t you say? On the way, we’ll take a little side trip to Tol Vordue so that you can meet with Ran Vordue. Then we’ll go on to the monastery. You can have your spiritual consultation with the abbot, and then we’ll come home.’ He squinted at the elaborately-garbed duke. ‘Put on something suitably devout, my Lord. When we go back into the throne-room, pray a lot and let me do most of the talking. I’ll make a big issue of the fact that any kind of escort would be an act of impiety and that Chaldan might be offended.’
‘I had not heard of such restrictions,’ Corrolin confessed.
‘I’d be surprised if you had, your Grace, since I made them up just now. Baron Mandorin and his niece will go on ahead of us, you and I will lèave Vo Mimbre alone, and we’ll all join up again some miles on down the road. Mandorin and Polina have some information that might help you and Ran Vordue in your deliberations at Tol Vordue.’
Since all Arends just adore intrigue, Corrolin fell in with our scheme immediately, and just as immediately developed that furtive, conspiratorial air that half the population of Arendia habitually wears. Mandorin and I left the pair of them polishing the edges of their scheme and went back to the stables for our horses.
Our two pilgrims, actually singing hymns as they rode along, joined us about five miles out from Vo Mimbre, and we all rode on down the river road toward the coast.
We were followed, of course, but that was to be expected. Father took care of it, though, so it didn’t give us any serious problems.
We camped out that night, and rode on through the next day and well into the evening. My father’s not one to leave things to chance, so he’d hidden a boat in the bushes about a mile upriver from the monastery. We picketed our horses and pushed our boat out into the stream.
We reached the far shore about midnight and walked on along the dark, deserted road toward the city of Tol Vordue rising behind the impressive east gate. We were met there by a platoon of legionnaires and immediately escorted through the deserted streets to the ancestral house of the Vordue family. The emperor was waiting for us in the courtyard. He was of middle years and tall for a Tolnedran. He also, I noted, had a distinctly military bearing. ‘All went well, I gather?’ he asked my father.
Father shrugged. ‘No problems,’ he said.
‘Good. I’ve had a place for our meeting prepared. I can guarantee that nobody’s going to get close enough to that room to hear our discussions.’ He looked at Corrolin and Mandorin. ‘Which of these gentlemen is Duke Corrolin?’ he asked.
Father introduced our two Mimbrates, but deliberately glossed over my presence. Then we all trooped inside and climbed an interminable flight of marble stairs to a room at the very top of a tower. It was a stark, businesslike sort of room with a conference table in the center and maps littering its walls.
‘I’ll be brief, your Grace,’ the emperor said to Corrolin after we’d seated ourselves at the table. ‘I’m a plain man with no great skill at diplomatic language. Ancient Belgarath here advises me that you’ve been approached by a man going by the name Kador who’s told you that he speaks for me. He’s lying to you. I’ve never even heard of the man, and it’s entirely possible that he’s not even Tolnedran.’
Corrolin gaped at him in stunned surprise. ‘But there are legions encamped almost within view of Vo Mimbre!’ he protested.
‘You’d better tell him, Pol,’ father suggested.
‘Forgive me, Ancient One,’ Corrolin floundered, ‘but how would Lady Polina have information concerning Tolnedran legions?’
‘Is there any need to keep playing this game, Pol?’ father asked me.
‘No,’ I replied, ‘I suppose not.’
‘Good. Let’s clear the air, then. Duke Corrolin, I have the honor to present my daughter Polgara.’
Corrolin’s quick glance at Mandorin was slightly accusatory.
‘Baron Mandorin did not lie to you, your Grace,’ I jumped to my friend’s defense. ‘By church law, he is, in fact, my uncle. He adopted me in front of a priest of Chaldan before we came to Vo Mimbre. I needed a disguise, so I forced him to do it. It was necessary, so let’s not make an issue of it.’ Then I paused. ‘I’ll put this in very blunt terms, your Grace. There are not, in fact, any legions stationed across the river from Vo Mimbre. I went down there and had a look for myself. Count Oldon, who appears to be in Kador’s pocket, has decked out some of his workmen in legion uniforms just for show.’
‘She’s telling you the truth, your Grace,’ Ran Vordue assured him. ‘I have not offered an alliance with any faction in Arendia, and I most definitely haven’t stationed any of my legions on your southern frontier. This Kador has duped you.’ Then the emperor looked at me appraisingly. ‘Ancient Belgarath strongly hinted that his daughter here has been running around Arendia putting out fires for the past several weeks now. Maybe we can prevail upon her to give us some details.’