Duke Luhalcx slowly came forward, eyes glowing. "You cannot do such a deed to a noble Ska lady, and then dismiss it so casually in front of her very father!"

"It is no hardship whatever," said Aillas. "You have never strained at the deed. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and suddenly you find the idea incredible. Do you not sense a taint of unreality?"

Duke Luhalcx showed a wolfish grin and put his hand to his sword. "I will kill you dead; then the unreality, and reality itself, will disappear."

"Father!" cried Tatzel. "Do not fight him! He is a very demon with the sword! He cut Torqual to pieces!"

"In any event, I will not fight you," said Aillas. "I am in this palace under the protection of King Gax. His soldiers will come to my call and put you in a dungeon."

Duke Luhalcx looked uncertainly from Aillas to a pair of armed pikemen who stood immobile nearby, watching the encounter with the cool gaze of lizards.

Rohan the chamberlain came into the hall, and approached Aillas. "His Highness will see you now."

"He must see me as well," declared Duke Luhalcx with sudden vehemence. "This is an intolerable case, which he must adjudicate!"

Rohan tried to argue that turmoil might excite King Gax, but his protests went unheeded. However, at the door to the bedchamber, he excluded all but Aillas, Tatzel and the Duke Luhalcx, who strode forward and addressed King Gax from close by his bed.

"Your Highness, I bring my complaint to your attention. When I walked along your gallery I discovered this fellow and with him my daughter, whom he holds by force and claims as his slave! I bade him to relinquish her to me; as a Ska noblewoman she cannot be subjected to such indignities!"

King Gax asked huskily: "Did the enslavement occur here at Jehaundel, while she was under the protection of my roof?"

"No; the deed was done elsewhere."

King Gax looked at Aillas. "Sir, what have you to say?"

"Your Highness, I plead natural law. Duke Luhalcx has enslaved many free folk both of South and North Ulfland, including, so it happens, myself. He does not remember me, but for a goodly period of my life he forced me to serve him as his servant at Castle Sank, where I became acquainted with Tatzel. I escaped from Sank; I became a free man, and then, when opportunity offered, I captured Tatzel and made her my slave."

King Gax looked at Duke Luhalcx. "Do you have Ulfish slaves in your custody?"

"I do." Luhalcx spoke with lame dignity, for already he saw how his case was going.

"Then how, in logic, can you protest this instance? Even though it must cause you pain."

Duke Luhalcx bowed his head. "Your adjudication is fair and just; I stand reprimanded for my protests." He turned to Aillas. "How much in gold will you take, that I may recover my daughter?"

Aillas said slowly: "I know of no gauge which measures the value of a human life. Luhalcx, take your daughter; she is useless to me. Tatzel, I give you into the care of your father. Now, if you please, you may depart, and allow me to consult with good King Gax."

Duke Luhalcx gave a short nod. He took Tatzel's hand and the two departed the chamber. Remaining were Rohan and the two guards by the door.

Aillas turned to King Gax. "Sire, our business must be transacted in total secrecy."

Gax croaked: "Rohan, leave us together. Guards, stand outside the door."

With poor grace Rohan departed the chamber, and the guards moved into the hall. Aillas turned back to King Gax. "Sire, my name is Aillas."

Half an hour later Rohan became uneasy and looked through the doorway. "Sir, are you well?"

"Quite well, Rohan. I need nothing; you may go."

Rohan departed. Aillas asked: "Do you trust Rohan?"

King Gax uttered a wry chuckle. "It is generally felt that Kreim is to be the next king; profit and place go with him, and I am deemed, accurately enough, as good as dead."

"Not quite," said Aillas.

"Rohan devotes himself to my welfare by night and by day. I count him among my few true friends."

"In that case, let us include him in our discussions."

"As you wish. Rohan!"

Rohan appeared with a promptitude which suggested an ear to the door. "Sir?"

"We wish you to contribute your wisdom to our discussions."

"Very well, sir."

Aillas said: "The ceremony of coronation will take place three days from now. Apparently your best hope is to surrender the city to the Ska along with the crown. Therefore Sir Kreim must act either tonight or tomorrow night, or his dreams will be forever shattered."

Gax stared forlornly into the fire. "Were he king, could he not hold Xounges as I have done?"

"Perhaps, had he the will to do so. Still, Xounges is not so impregnable as you may think. Do sentries patrol the cliffs by night?"

"For what reason? What could they see but foam and black water?"

"If I were attacking Xounges, I would choose a dark calm night. A rope ladder would be lowered from somewhere along the cliffs, and warriors waiting below in small boats would climb this ladder, then lower more ladders and more warriors would climb the cliffs. In short order hundreds of men would have arrived to enter your city."

King Gax nodded weakly. "No doubt you are right."

"As another case, how is your harbour guarded?"

"At sunset two heavy chains close off the entrance; no ship, large or small, can enter. Then the portcullis is lowered."

"Chains will not hold back swimmers. On a dark night a thousand men could ease into the harbour, towing their weapons on floats, then hide aboard ships already at the docks until morning. As soon as the portcullis was raised, a pair of posts could be positioned to make any attempt to lower it impossible. Leaving the ships immediately and charging into the city, the army would have control of Xounges within the hour."

King Gax gave a dismal groan. "The years have made me heavy. Needless to say, changes will be made."

"A good idea," said Aillas. "But for now, more urgent affairs press on us, and we must plan for all contingencies. By that I mean Sir Kreim."

The afternoon passed. At sunset King Gax took his evening meal of gruel with a few morsels of mince-meat, chopped apple and a goblet of white wine. An hour later the guards at the door were changed, and new guards came on duty. Rohan indignantly reported that the two new guards were cousins to Sir Krelm's spouse, of rank far too high to be standing guard duty by night. Bribes had clearly been paid and influence exerted: so declared Rohan, furious, if for no other reason than the contravention to his personal authority.

Darkness came to Xounges. King Gax composed himself for sleep and Rohan retired to his own chambers.

Jehaundel became quiet. In Gax's bedchamber the fire burned low on the hearth. A pair of wall-sconces on the back wall cast soft yellow light, leaving the high groined ceiling in shadow.

A faint thud of footsteps sounded from the hall. The door eased open with a quavering creak. A heavy shape stood silhouetted against the light of torches in the hall.

The figure came quietly into the room. From his bed Gax croaked: "Who is there? Ho, guards! Rohan!"

The dark shape spoke softly. "Gax, good King Gax, you have lived long enough and now your time has come."

Gax called out huskily: "Rohan! Where are you? Bring the guards!"

Rohan appeared from his chamber. "Sir Kreim, what does this mean? You are disturbing King Gax!"

"Rohan, if you wish to serve me both here and later in Dahaut, hold your peace. Gax has outlived his time and now must die. He will smother under a pillow and it will be as if he died in his sleep. Interfere at your peril!"

Sir Kreim went to the bed and picked up a pillow.

"Hold!" said a voice. Sir Kreim looked up to discover a man watching him from across the room with sword drawn. "Sir Kreim, it is you who are about to die."