`You hop up on your throne,' Halt told him. 'I'm sure you'll enjoy that.' He glanced at Sean. 'I don't suppose there's any chance we could get some coffee sent in, is there?' he asked.

Sean looked doubtful. 'We don't drink coffee here. The King -' he corrected himself '- Uncle Ferris doesn't like it.'

`Might have known,' Halt said, scowling. He looked at Horace and curled his lip in distaste. Horace couldn't help grinning. Halt seemed more antagonised by the fact that his brother didn't like coffee than by the fact that he had stolen the throne from him. Typical, the young warrior thought.

`Well, never mind,' Halt continued. 'We'll just get this over as quickly as we can. Now, Ferris, you've heard of a group called the Outsiders, I take it?'

`Yes…' Ferris was taken aback. He hadn't expected this turn in the conversation. 'They're some kind of religion. Harmless, I would have said.'

`Harmless my eye. They're a cult, not a religion. And you're going to have to take a stand against them. They're on their way here and they plan to seize power in Clonmel.'

`Seize power? That's ridiculous! What makes you say that?' Ferris was openly sceptical of the idea. Halt gazed steadily at him. Sean noted that the King averted his eyes after a few seconds, as ever.

`I've heard their leader speak. And I've heard him whipping people up – inciting them to rebellion.'

`Nonsense!' Ferris seemed sure of himself now, back on secure ground. 'Tennyson is a simple preacher, that's all. He wishes me no harm.'

`Tennyson?' Halt said, seizing on the name, and the familiarity in Ferris's voice when he mentioned it. 'You know him?' A light of understanding dawned in his eyes. `You've been in contact with him, haven't you?'

Ferris was about to answer, then hesitated. Halt pressed him further.

`Haven't you?'

`We have… communicated. He sent a delegate to see me, to reassure me.'

`When?' The question burst from Sean's lips before he could stop it. As the King's steward, he was aware of any and all delegations who came to see Ferris. This was the first time he had heard of any approach from this Tennyson. Ferris looked at him, trying to retain his dignity and authority.

`It didn't concern you, Sean. It was a confidential visit.'He realised how flimsy the excuse sounded as it hung in the air of the throne room. A long and ugly silence stretched out.

`Have you come to some arrangement with him?' Halt asked. But Ferris didn't answer the question directly.

`Halt, the man has done wonders. There have been outlaws and brigands terrorising the countryside and I've been powerless to stop them.'

`You tend to be powerless when you refuse to do anything,' Halt said contemptuously. 'The truth is, you've sat here and twiddled your thumbs while outlaws have been killing and robbing your people, haven't you?' He didn't wait for an answer but turned quickly to Sean. 'Has he done anything? Sent troops out to hunt these outlaws down? Garrisoned any of the larger towns and villages? Has he even made a statement promising to act and denouncing the outlaws' actions?'

Sean looked at the King, then back at Halt.

`No,' he said. 'I offered to take a patrol out and…'He stopped, feeling awkward. Somehow it seemed disloyal to say that he had wanted to do something but the King had refused his request. But the truth was that the King had done nothing, tried nothing. Slowly, Sean shook his head. Halt sighed and his shoulders slumped. He looked at Ferris with contempt. The King tried to explain himself.

`Don't you see? That's why I agreed to see Tennyson's messenger. He can stop the outlaws. He can bring an end to the lawlessness!'

`Because he controls themP Halt came to his feet so violently that the bench he was seated on crashed over behind him. 'Surely you can grasp that, you almighty fool?'

`He… controls them?' Ferris's face creased in a puzzled frown.

`Of course! They do his bidding. Then he pretends to chase them off and claims to be the only person in the country with the power to do so. I've heard him preaching sedition against you, Ferris! "Can the King protect you?" he asks. And the answer is a resounding "No!" from those he speaks to. "Can anyone protect you?" he asks, and they fall over themselves to tell him that he is their only hope. Not you. Not the rule of law in this country. Him! Ferris, he is planning to seize power in Clonmel. Just as he has done in the other five kingdoms.'

`No! He said I'd be safe. I'd remain as King! He said…' Ferris stopped, realising he'd said too much. He was used to the contempt in Halt's eyes. Now he saw it in the eyes of the two younger men as well.

`You'd remain as King,' Horace said. 'You'd be his puppet on the throne. And all the while, he'd bleed your people dry.'

`They're not his people,' Halt corrected him. 'He doesn't deserve them. And they certainly don't deserve him. Get up, Ferris. Get up and face me.'

Reluctantly, the King stood so that he was facing his brother.

`There's one way to stop Tennyson and put an end to his depraved cult. A figure of authority has to stand up against him and denounce him. He's successful because nobody is ever willing to act or speak against him. Or if they do, they're quickly removed and murdered. But he couldn't do that to you.'

`Me?' Ferris was horrified at the concept. 'What do you expect me to do?'

`Speak out! Take control of your Kingdom and offer the people an alternative to this charlatan! Break this cult of his. Roll it back and destroy his power! It's built on an illusion anyway. Offer them another illusion.'

`What?' Ferris asked. 'What illusion do I have?'

`The illusion of your own authority,' Halt said sarcastically. 'That won't go far. But fortunately for you, we've provided an additional one.' He pointed to Horace. 'The Sunrise Warrior.'

`But that's a myth!' Ferris cried and Halt laughed bitterly.

`Of course it is! Just as Alseiass, the all-loving Golden God of the Outsiders, is a myth. Make the Sunrise Warrior your counter-myth. Make him your champion, summoned by you to bring the rule of law back to Clonmel.

`We've already prepared the ground for you. The warrior was seen at a village called Craikennis just a few days ago. He wiped out a band of three hundred outlaws.'

`Three hundred?' Horace, said, surprised. 'You're coming it a bit strong, aren't you, Halt?'

The Ranger shrugged. 'The bigger the rumour, the easier it is to make people believe,' he said. But Sean had reacted instantly to the mention of Craikennis.

`It's true, your majesty. I heard rumours of the Warrior in the marketplace yesterday. And I heard mention of a battle at Craikennis as well.'

Ferris looked from one to the other. He made an ineffectual, undecided gesture, one hand flapping in the air. `I don't know. I… I just don't know.'

Halt stepped close to him so that their faces were only centimetres apart.

`Do this, brother. Speak out and denounce Tennyson and his cult. Offer the people the protection of the Sunrise Warrior at the head of your soldiers and I promise we'll give you every support.'

He saw that Ferris was wavering and added his final inducement.

`Do it and I swear I will make no claim against you for the throne. I'll return to Araluen as soon as we've destroyed the Outsiders, and Tennyson with them.'

That struck home, he saw. For a second or two, Ferris was on the brink of agreeing. But decisiveness had never been his long suit and still he vacillated.

`I need time to think about this. I need a few days. You can't just walk in here and expect me to…' He hesitated and Halt finished the sentence for him.

`Make a decision? No, I suppose that's a pretty foreign idea for you. All right. We'll give you a day.'

`Two days,' Ferris replied instantly. Then, in a pleading tone, 'Please, Halt, there's a lot for me to take in here.'