A rather difficult chapter to write (I know, excuses excuses). It has taken a /long/ long time to write this. A million thank yous to all my reviewers - you know who you are! I apologise once again for taking so /bloody long/. I'll try better. RL interefered... I love you all, so please keep on reviewing help me make this better! Will put up a Cast of Characters (harder than I thought) once I've done it. This chapter is dedicated to Raal, who's been there since the beginning. :o) Onto the story!
"We're back!" Talen called into the now lit hallway. Sparhawk could see that they were bare, but maintained with paint.
A scuffle of chairs took place in the inner room, and Naween hurried out to meet them. She looked anxious, her normally calm face twisted.
"Sparhawk, Danae, Talen..." she gathered these three and hurried off into the distance, leaving Kalten standing on the threshold.
"Naween?" Talen was surprised, as was Sparhawk. "What's the matter?"
"I've told Bevier that I'm a lady's maid to Queen Ehlana, but I was left behind on her entourage. I know enough about the palace for it to be plausible," a smile played on her lips. "Don't tell him. I don't want him to know... what I really am."
"You'll have to tell him sometime," Sparhawk pointed out gently.
"Yes. But not now. You three must promise!"
"Alright. I'll tell Kalten," Talen volunteered and caught Kalten before he went in.
"Come in!" boomed the voice of Platime, head thief of Cimmura. "Why are you all standing out there?"
"A few feminine secrets," said Naween smoothly, joining the rest as they trooped in.
"Platime, I'm surprised that you're here," Sparhawk greeted the fat thief as they sat down around Bevier's well-scrubbed table. "What happened to Stragen?"
"He went back to Emsat to have a few words with Tel," grunted Platime. "We're saving the world again, I presume?" Seeing the grimness of Sparhawk's face, he groaned. "Why couldn't you have waited just another week?" he asked plaintively. "Then I would have retired and Stragen would have had to deal with it."
Danae patted the man's cheek. She'd already managed to end up on his lap. "We wouldn't want you to miss all the fun, would we?"
"Why me?" Platime asked them, and sighed.
"we may as well pretend that they're not here, huh?" Kalten gestured at the still-silent Bevier, with a fond smile on his face. "They remind me of Alean."
"Nice to know, but not necessary. We are here, Kalten," Naween pointed out, startling them all.
"Platime, what do you know about these false churchmen?" Bevier spoke up.
"Well," Platime frowned. "It all started with a lass appearing out of nowhere, claiming to be the... err... daughter. Of God." He watched Bevier carefully, aware of the man's religious fervour.
"It wasn't really out of nowhere," Talen added. "Lienze had been known for her otherworldly powers for a while."
"Are such powers not merely Styric magic?" Bevier asked, looking for a logical solution. "But it is truly serious heresy."
"Bevier," Sparhawk said gravely. "Nothing we do should shock you anymore."
A swift smile passed on the Cyrinic Knight's face. "No, indeed," he agreed. "But truly. What is she doing that is causing so much concern?"
"Printing pamphlets detailing the sins of the Church. And she's touring around the countryside, talking and rousing them to take up arms and to read God's word for themselves," Platime said, frowning. "Krager is financing most of these expeditions, but he hardly ever goes to them, and, however I try, I can't discover nor imagine any sort of connection between the two of them." Platime looked frustrated.
Kalten snorted. "Krager hates Ehlana and all that she stands for. If it will destroy that, he'll do all that he can. How much more of an explanation would you need?"
"Yes," Bevier agreed, but he looked a little doubtful. "But the Krager we know would never waste his efforts on a plan that wouldn't work."
Talen raised an eyebrow. "And the whole Cyrgai and Martel plans worked?"
"Alright, I'll concede that he's made a few bad choices," Bevier said with a grin. "But they did go well, and they were very, very close to working. Something must make him very confident in this Lienze."
Naween spoke up. "Are you sure that he's not just using her? She may very likely just be a puppet in his schemes." she seemed confident in her estimation of the situation.
Kalten groaned. "Just what we need. Something else to think about."
Danae furrowed her brow. "Naween knows something that she's not saying," she whispered to Sparhawk. "I know we're missing something."
Talen put up his hand, as though in a schoolroom. "This is all very touching, and painful, and all, but what has it to do with us? A couple of peasants reading pamphlets and things isn't going to do a lot. Why do I care?"
Naween stared at Talen, then turned to look at the grimfaced Platime. "You didn't tell him?" she accused, and saw Platime's shaking of his head. The whore sighed. "These people led by Lienze have managed to ambush and kill a very high-ranking churchman when travelling. The Archprelate is next, I fear."
Bevier was aghast. "How... who was it?"
"Patriarch Ortzel, wasn't it? They tried to get Bergsten as well, but you know how he is."
It's a very difficult chapter, I know. The next one will be better. Promise. I'll try to get chapter 5 done before the end of January. :) Please review and make me fulfil my promise. :D I'll be reachable via MSN (still_not_king@hotmail.com) and my email addy. Feel free to give me a shout.
