They were all there: the Prince, the prior, Nedland, Marjan and Jochen Gottlieb, Heike, Psody, Kristofferson, Bianka, Gabriel and Isolde. Only Sigmund, still on the way back home, was missing. The eldest daughter of the Skaven, still weakened by illness, was in the Prince's chair, under a blanket. The White Skaven felt the earnest glances of his children. The younger ones were relieved and happy, but Bianka kept a bitter expression. As for Kristofferson, his features were hardened with anger.
- I suspected we had been twisted around someone's little finger for the beginning, but I didn't realize to what extent. Even less who was this someone!
The Prince raised his finger.
- Kristofferson, please, before judging or saying anything, listen to what your father and the prior have to explain to you, will you? Sit down.
The brown Skaven grumbled, but settled down on one of the couches.
- Right. I think the time for explanations has come-arrived. Romulus?
- Yes, my friend. Children, I shall tell you a story that may not please you. A story about banditry, murder, betrayal and vengeance. And I'm pretty sure you'll never see me the same way ever when I'm done telling it. Anyway, you have the right to know the truth, after what happened. Ludwig has already given you some information, but I want to tell you the whole story.
- Shouldn't we wait for Sigmund? Kristofferson asked.
- No, because time is running out. Vereinbarung is threatened by a plot that is still in progress. We must tell you everything so that you can understand and play the role that awaits you now. We'll repeat all this to Sigmund when he gets home.
The prior cleared his throat, took a breath, and everyone fell silent.
"It all started about twenty years ago. At that time, I was young, but I already had a very heavy past. My name was Dieter Meyerhold then, and I was part of a band of bandits settled between Reikland and Bretonnia. We used to attack rich people first, a bit like Bertrand the Brigand, who stole money from the rich to distribute it to the poor. But unlike the latter, we kept the money for ourselves, and we showed no mercy."
"At first, I enjoyed the highwayman lifestyle. My own family life had been less than enchanting. I was the son of a trader. My father, a regular collaborator of Ludwig Steiner, was successful in business, but he didn't pay the slightest attention to his wife, let alone his children. I was simply destined to take up the torch when I came of age, which didn't enchant me. I needed action, and to follow an ideal. The Eagles Assembly – such was the name of the gang I joined at the age of twelve – was made up of real tough guys, who didn't let themselves be suffocated by feelings. We only went after those who deserved it, but we didn't do things by halves. I have personally made half a dozen widows."
"Over time, I began to doubt. Our leader, Aldo de Verezzo, was not the kind of man to let us think, much less to allow us to abandon the Eagles Assembly. He recommended we lock our hearts before executing a target. I tried, but the lock wasn't strong enough. As time passed, I saw the true nature of the Eagles. Well, I don't know exactly if it was changing before my eyes, or if my point of view was changing. Whatever it was, it wasn't like the first few days. The heroism we demonstrated gradually gave way to gratuitous violence, and the victims of our thefts suffered more and more."
"Came the day when a young lord's son, barely older than me, decided to call on our services. We were not only rich robbers, we sometimes fulfilled contracts, in return for money. This young man wanted to buy us rare plants intended to allow the mind to lighten to the point of swooning. His name was Ignace de Vaucanson, and his father, Horace de Vaucanson, was at the head of a province located in Montfort, Bretonnia."
The prior paused to allow everyone to make the connection with the events of the last few days.
"Ignace de Vaucanson benefited from drugs, but he refused to pay his dues, claiming that he was not satisfied. Aldo de Verezzo wanted to give an exemplary lesson. As he had detected some doubts in my behaviour in the previous weeks, he took the opportunity to test my loyalty: He ordered me to kidnap Ignace de Vaucanson, what I did. Then it was up to me to torture him to death before returning the body to his father. Knowing he was a pretentious person who happily mistreated the peasants of his fief for simple sadistic pleasure allowed me to go to the end, to my great regret."
"I presented myself masked to Horace de Vaucanson with Ignace's corpse in a chest, but he managed to tear off my mask, and therefore to see my face. This face he devoted the next twenty years to hating and chasing. As for me, I fled without further ado."
"I was guilty for lack of prudence. The Imperial Guard caught me at the Wissenland border. A kid alone on the road can be suspicious, especially at this time: Countess Emmanuelle had been the victim of an attempted murder, and the guards were particularly suspicious. They easily understood I was a bandit, but fortunately for me, they didn't know the details of my "exploits". I then took the initiative to make them an offer: my freedom in exchange for the location of the Eagles' hideout. Yes, I sold my fortune comrades. Captain Schrecks, my main interlocutor, agreed to sign an official document to this effect. Of course, I doubted he would keep his promises, but it bought me time. I returned to our Reikland lair as if nothing had happened. I invented a story of complications and a detour through Middenland. Aldo believed my story. The very evening of my return, Schrecks launched the attack. I managed to fake my death by detonating the powder supply and leaving the body of one of my former comrades wearing my jewellery and my coat – his face had been reduced to pulp by the rubble."
"Dieter Meyerhold officially died that night. Aldo was captured, tried, and hanged a week later, along with all the Eagles who had survived. As for me, I wasn't having a great time. In order to realize the consequences of my actions, I attended the hanging in secret. This spectacle has finished ravaging what remained of my sanity; I had become a murderer, a traitor and a coward, ready to sell my comrades as soon as trouble arrived to save my skin. Weeks passed, then months, and life became more and more unbearable for me."
"I first thought about handing myself over to Schrecks so that he would send me to join the Eagles in the cellars of Ranald, or to end my life by myself. Morr would have refused me entry to his Gardens, without a doubt, for I had definitely left a dark stain on the canvas of the world my blood wouldn't have been enough to wash away. However, this didn't suit me. At first, I was afraid of the eternal damnation of my soul, I confess. Besides, dying would have been another escape; I couldn't just disappear, I had to repair at least twice as much as I had done wrong."
"It was then I had a revelation: to dedicate my life to helping people who needed it most. And what better way to do this than the sacred nature of the mission of the men and women who follow the Path of the Goddess of Compassion? I took refuge in the depths of Hochland, in a temple in Shallya, where I became a seminarian. A few years later, I took the sacred vows which made me Prior Romulus. I was then transferred to Talabecland."
Here, the Prince spoke:
- It was during this period I found Markus Meyerhold's son. Dieter had become prior in my hometown, Talabheim, where I then managed my business. It was a coincidence, he didn't know I had an office in Talabecland. It didn't take long for me to guess the truth when I saw him wearing the white robe. Torn between the love I had retained for him and the horror of his past crimes, I hesitated to warn the guard, but hearing the testimonies praising the merits of this young, particularly devoted to Shallya prior, I understood he had made amends. Well, I should say, "Romulus" had definitely replaced Dieter. I therefore refrained from denouncing him to the authorities, preferring to leave the Gods alone as judges of his past actions. I then contacted him again, and we agreed to keep it a secret. It was at this time I began my studies on the Skaven race, to alleviate the grief resulting from the loss of my family. I believe that this tragic event played a role, too; I no longer had a wife or children, I wouldn't cause the end of a young man whom I considered as my substitute nephew. I introduced him to the Order of the Lorekeepers, to which he swore loyalty.
There was a short silence, which Kristofferson broke:
- Well, now we know the past. And I suppose that Lord Horace de Vaucanson recognized you and gave chase?
- Take it easy, big guy, you're skipping ahead! Psody replied. The problem wasn't Lord Vaucanson. Another protagonist-character then entered the scene: Yavandir Palebough.
Ludwig Steiner in turn launched himself into a long explanation:
"A few years after our reunion, I moved to settle down again in Altdorf – my job as a merchant required me to travel regularly from one provincial capital to another. I regularly hired mercenaries to capture Feral Skaven for me, so that I could better study them in captivity. An eccentric and dangerous hobby, but very educational. As you know, it is thanks to this eccentricity you're all here today, but let's not anticipate too much."
"One of these groups of mercenaries did not return, and gave no news. I then sent a second group to find out what had happened. There was in particular Brisingr Steadyhand, who was already an apprentice mage, and Yavandir Palebough. They investigated, and quickly understood the whole story: the first team had indeed captured a Feral Skaven, but a band of Orcs had massacred all of its members, and kept the unfortunate creature as war prize. This Feral Skaven was the one who would become my daughter. These two Elves brought Heike back to me that day. This is how they became my most trusted collaborators. Brisingr helped me protect my adopted daughter, and Yavandir never missed an opportunity to make her laugh, to make her dream, thanks to the theatre. Both of them had gained my trust. They too were put in contact with the Order of the Lorekeepers by me."
"Time passed, and unfortunately, Yavandir Palebough began to pursue other, much less honourable projects. After a mission on my behalf on the Black Continent where I had bought a small trading post, he decided to change scenery. He travelled throughout the Old World, earning his living as a professional mountebank. He no longer gave any sign of life to the Lorekeepers. Finally, he went to Bretonnia. My friend?"
Romulus resumed the story, while the Prince poured himself a glass of wine.
"Now, I shall explain to you what probably happened. I can't say anything with certainty, but if I recapitulate what I learned at Henri de Beyle's place, I think I can roughly reconstruct the course of events over the last few months."
"As your grandfather told you, Yavandir Palebough passed through Bretonnia. One day, he took part in a festival in the land of Montfort, at the home of Lord Horace de Vaucanson. Alas, I hadn't thought about it, but Vaucanson had rightly suspected that my "death" during the night of the end of Eagles was a trick, because the body couldn't be identified with certainty. The lord had kept a portrait of Dieter Meyerhold, so as never to forget the face of the man who had destroyed his life by ending that of his only child. He had done it himself, thanks to his drawing skills. He used to display this portrait whenever he was in contact with other lords, to encourage them to continue searching for me, in exchange for a substantial reward. When he showed this drawing during this festival, Palebough, who already knew me, recognized me immediately. He then proposed to the lord to bring back his son's murderer. But our juggler friend took the vice even further by suggesting to Vaucanson to bring about the fall of the Rat Kingdom so that he could take it over."
"Vaucanson, as resentful as possible, listened to the Elf's plan and approved it. After all these years, he finally had a way to satisfy his appetite for revenge and strengthen his power. He hadn't been completely obsessed with my capture, and had been thinking about the future; what would he do with his life once mine stopped? Yavandir brought him an answer on a platter: to become a much more powerful lord thanks to a colony founded in the Renegade Crowns."
"The plan was to create a wave of suspicion in Vereinbarung in order to divide us, and be able to overthrow us all. Vaucanson's orders were to assassinate Psody and leave false evidence so that I would be accused of the murder, and that Brisingr Steadyhand would be condemned as a heretical accomplice. Palebough would therefore get rid of two of the pillars of the government of the Rat Kingdom, and eliminate a nuisance who could have recognized and unmasked him."
"You remember, Yavandir Palebough had already made a first visit to our Kingdom during the celebration given after the last Harvest. At the time, we had no idea what he had really come to do. Under the guise of a theatre company, he came to scout. I suppose it was on this occasion he met Henri de Beyle. He managed to convince this Bretonnian installed near the border to house Vaucanson and his troops. Over the past few months, he has smuggled in several Tzeentch cultists; this operation was not very difficult, Vereinbarung still welcomes people who come to try their luck. He gave instructions and reported on the progress of his project to Vaucanson through Herbert Lorne, the owner of the Proud Sigmarite inn."
"Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for us, he was the victim of a twist of fate: a few weeks ago, the courier carrying the messages fell from his horse. The one who took care of his fracture was me. I proposed him finish his tour myself. It was there I saw, among the missives, a sealed envelope with a seal bearing the image of a horse. It was a symbol I recognized immediately, from a past that had become distant, but still burning: the coat of arms of Lord Horace de Vaucanson."
"As soon as I had the occasion, I went to find your grandfather. He knew my story well, and immediately understood Lord Vaucanson was plotting something against me, and probably all of us by extension. We then took your parents into the confidence, and I told them the whole Ignace affair. They took it relatively well, and I thank them again. And so, together we opened the envelope, which was addressed to "Mister Olafsson", who received his mail at the Proud Sigmarite inn. This letter was written by a certain "Mr Vay", for me it was rather obvious, "V" for "Vaucanson". Vay asked Olafsson to "speed things up", without further details. It was not much, but it was enough to understand a danger was threatening the Rat Kingdom."
"The unfortunate thing was we were already coming up with our own plan to deal with Karhi. Nedland, under the guise of diplomatic missions, was combing the Rat Kingdom. We were all convinced the White Skaven who had attacked us in Oropesa would return, and our Halfling friend had already spotted some warning signs of the presence of new Feral Skaven. We were already planning to send the Twins solve this problem."
"To avoid an unpleasant surprise, we decided to put our oar in these correspondences. At first we thought we would simply follow the messages to get back to Mr Vay, but that still seemed too risky. No, it was better to act more intelligently. Children, you must know I have learned many tricks like Nedland. I know how to open a letter without damaging its seal, and I can also imitate someone's handwriting, not as precisely as our Treasurer, but I manage. In any case, under the name of Mr Vay, I asked Mr Olafsson make his report, and summarize the steps to come. Then Brisingr Steadyhand discreetly bribed the head of the Messengers' Guild office: each time a letter was addressed to Mr Vay, he had to notify Brisingr on the one hand, and not forward it until the next morning on the other hand. Thus, we could intercept it, learn about it, and act accordingly."
"The answer to Mr Vay came very quickly: the plan was to start a civil war. The first step was to kill the Master Mage. The second was to place the responsibility for this murder on me. The third was to have Brisingr Steadyhand to be arrested for heresy. Then, there would have been slanderous rumours spread everywhere to increase tensions and provoke conflicts between Humans and Skaven. Logic: the first Skaven of the Kingdom assassinated by a Human corrupted by an Elf, this is a very explosive combination, the Skaven people would probably have risen against the Humans. Furthermore, it was explicitly reminded that under no circumstances should I die. I had to end up in prison, but I had to be evacuated before my trial and my probable death sentence, and brought back to the "arranged place". Nothing, however, to allow us to clearly identify Mr Olafsson, we had to continue playing the game."
"We got the message across to Mr Vay the way the real Mr Olafsson used to. But without Nedland, who is a streetwise expert, finding Mr Olafsson and his accomplices seemed much more complicated to us. We searched discreetly, but without success. And meanwhile, the Feral Skaven of Karhi took action, and little by little Skaven children began to disappear. And then, the day came when Mr Vay ordered Mr Olafsson to take the first step to put his whole plan into motion."
The children exchanged anguished glances and focused on their father. The Prince took advantage of the prior's pause to continue the explanations.
- We spent a whole night thinking about what we should do. We considered every possibility we could. In the end, we chose this one: making "Mr Olafsson" and "Mr Vay" believe the plan was going as planned. So Psody had to die. He took the opportunity to insert himself into the Twins' infiltration action. Nedland had just informed us he had found Karhi's Feral Skaven hideout. We thought this could increase the chances of success of this plan. Psody was best able to fight against this Grey Seer.
- I disguised myself as a Feral Skaven. I dyed my hair, cut my horns, and wore a metal mask. This plan worked, my children: Fershitt Melted Mouth was an acceptable-valid "gift", Karhi accepted us without complaint, he didn't have the slightest suspicion. No Feral Skaven saw-understood I was a White Skaven. Even Gabriel didn't recognize me!
The Prince lit his pipe and spoke again.
"I prefer not to imagine what you felt living like them, among them, my little Psody. But it was necessary. I'll take back the explanation."
"Marjan and Jochen then officially left on a diplomatic mission to Cathay. In reality, they were heading towards the place Nedland had told us, the White Wolf Forest. They stopped on the way to wait for your father. We sent Mr Olafsson a fake message from Mr Vay which said the plan had changed slightly: according to these new instructions, another assassin with a secret identity would poison the Master Mage in the following days, and therefore, we had to let false evidence against Romulus. We asked Mr Olafsson to provide us with a vial of Jabberwocky blood, then drop it off at an agreed location where another Bretonnian agent would pick it up and use it on Psody before dropping it among my belongings."
"Brisingr received Jabberwocky blood, and we organized the "murder" of your father. I admit, that was the hardest part. Not only because we had to put on an act, but above all because we had to let you believe these terrible events without being able to ensure you of the contrary. Above all, and this is where we owe you an apology, this false death plunged you into this story in spite of yourself. Psody?"
The White Skaven stood up, looked at his four children one after the other, then after a long hesitation, managed to speak.
"I don't know how to tell-explain this… We were in a crisis situation. We had to act quickly. Your mother, your grandfather and I thought you were old and mature enough to help us. Indeed, we couldn't take you completely into our confidence. We couldn't take the risk of seeing you become Mr Olafsson's priority prey – well, now we know-know this faceless foe was indeed Yavandir Palebough, the showman."
"We counted on your tenacity to confound the Purple Hand. We knew you wouldn't sit idly by and wait. So, we played Palebough's game. He had to believe his plot had worked. First, we "ordered" Mr Olafsson to leave a first lead which would allow you to go back to Brisingr Steadyhand. It had to be a sufficiently credible and discreet lead so that the official investigation would not seem too easy. This is where we made you take risks."
The Master Mage fell silent, closed his eyes, and had to think for a few moments to find the right words.
- I... I have no other way to say it: we took advantage of your skills to push Mr Olafsson and his accomplices into error. By carrying out our orders, they believed they were advancing Mr Vay's plan. My assassination was faked, but your investigation was very real-concrete. They thought they were leading you astray and directing you towards Brisingr and Romulus, and in doing so they were less cautious.
- All this was aimed at finding Yavandir Palebough and making Vaucanson believe that their plan had worked, the Prince clarified.
Kristofferson hissed in anger:
- This is where all the trouble in the Mousetrap ensued…
- At the Proud Sigmarite inn, you found an item that could take you back to the attic where Yavandir Palebough was hiding.
- At the same time, the innkeeper and a poor local resident were slaughtered! the brown Skaven yelped. Two deaths for nothing!
- That's it, Kit! his father retorted. We encouraged Palebough to leave clues to compromise Brisingr, but we never-never asked him to eliminate anyone! And before you ask: the order to send a Demon on your sister wasn't from us, either!
- Unfortunately, that's what we call "collateral damage", Kit, Steiner added. Herbert Lorne was a bandit who chose his work partners badly, as Initiate Kramer did. This Other Strygos poor fellow was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And for the little Demon... I admit I made a mistake. I should have seen it coming.
- If only that had been the unique issue! cried the brown Skaven. With all your shenanigans, we almost got killed, several times!
- The thugs who attacked me in the Mousetrap, and the Demon sent by Yavandir, and the battle against Vaucanson's forces, and against Karhi's Skaven! Bianka angrily summarized. We too could have been the "collateral damage" of your plot game!
- Please don't mix everything up, my darling, the Prince then intervened. Vaucanson had declared war on us, and we had no other choice compared to Karhi's troops.
- Father, we must still recognize they are right, Heike declared with conviction. Besides… there was no better solution.
She looked at her two eldest children.
- If war comes, all inhabitants of the Rat Kingdom old enough to take up arms have a duty to fight to defend it, and you're not exceptions. Of course, you risked your life, and I hope you will believe me when I tell you it anguished me to death. But if you had known everything, you would not have been in any less danger. I even think it would have been worse, your judgment could have been impaired. As for me, all I could do was keep the flame alive in you. I would have loved to do more.
- Our judgment has however been greatly impaired, Bianka muttered bitterly. Sigmund has never been so shaken by emotions! And I'm not talking about Gabriel!
The little light grey Skaven jumped, afraid at the idea of being drawn into an argument that was getting dangerously close to an argument. He then wanted to direct the conversation in another direction.
- Why all these manoeuvres to find Karhi? Father, couldn't you spot him with your powers, like Iapoch?
- No, because he was more careful. He didn't try to scare me, and the winds of magic were too tumultuous to search properly, because of the influence of the Purple Hand. They still are, moreover, and more and more so.
- And why all this freak show with Lennart Fireblood?
- The answer is obvious, Gab, Jochen replied with a smile. It was a great way to get into Karhi's burrow without him being suspicious! Here too, we had prepared the ground well.
Kristofferson snapped his fingers.
- Yes, I remember! Sister Judy received letters saying that villages had received threats from Lennart Fireblood... Jochen, you didn't deliberately terrorize or brutalize innocent villagers, did you?
- Of course I didn't! I played this role after we left, but we didn't hurt anyone!
- They were fake letters written by me, explained Nedland. When the temple of Shallya in Steinerburg asked for news in return, it was through our friend the Prior who sent them back to me, I was the intermediary between Steinerburg and the small villages. Of course, when Romulus was handed over to the Bretonnians, we could no longer keep on this way. But hey, as the Master Mage had just "died" and child kidnappings were becoming more numerous, this question of mail quickly ended up being forgotten. That's when I came back to Steinerburg, remember. We were able to "officialise" the presence of Lennart as well as the location of Karhi's hideout, and therefore, kill two birds with one stone.
The little light grey ratboy asked:
- Where did you find all these disguises?
- Old weapons and armours recovered from the battlefields, which have been repainted. We bought them from a blacksmith who hoped to get some materials from them.
- And your armour, Master Jochen? The red knight armour? It was really scary!
- Our father's ceremonial armour, which our mother collected when we left Gottliebschloss ten years ago. All we had to do was paint it red and add a few charms on it. It had been useful at least once before I abandon it.
- Oh... You left your father's armour there, it's a shame.
- No, son. I don't regret it, no good memories were linked to this armour. I will have mine crafted, which will be more in harmony with the identity of the Rat Kingdom, and which I will pass on to my future descendants.
The Prince then addresses the Twins.
- Jochen, Marjan, you know your new instructions. You will join us at the agreed time, at the report.
- At your orders, your Majesty, replied the two Humans in chorus, bowing.
They left the room together. Gabriel had taken advantage of this short break to think about another question that was bothering his mind.
- And… how did you make the Mask of Cuelepok?
- Oh, that... Well, Yavandir knew about this artefact, Nedland replied. He wanted to give it to Karhi as a token of trust. Thus, I suspect he already knew the effect such an item would have on that Grey Seer's ugly head – it was for him a good opportunity to create a mess in the Under-Empire, as a matter of fact. He stole it the night your father was "murdered", he took advantage of the confusion to enter the mansion, enter the private chapel, steal the mask, and flee with it.
- But how did he find this place? Isolde questioned. It's a Steiner family secret!
- Of course, little mouse, but… basically, Yavandir has a magician friend, who showed him the hiding place of the mask thanks to her powers. As this mask is magical, she could feel it. And so, Yavandir stole it, then he waited a few days, the mask in his hiding place, and he was ordered to bring Romulus back to Pourseille. And this time, it was indeed a real instruction sent by the real Horace de Vaucanson. Neither had the impression of being taken for a ride when Yavandir arrived in Pourseille with the prior in his baggage.
- Were you around all this time? Bianka asked.
- I was, and my contacts kept me regularly informed of everything. However, I couldn't afford to ask too much of them, Yavandir would have ended up feeling watched. But hey, in the end, he obeyed Vaucanson and left Steinerburg with Romulus. I discreetly followed him. Before coming to claim his money from the Bretonnian, Yavandir made a short stop along the way. He found two Feral Skaven sent by Karhi. He gave them the mask in exchange for a pouch full of warpstone nuggets. I shall add an important clarification: he was accompanied by a strange little woman who seemed to be leading the negotiations. Most likely the little magician who revealed to him the hiding place of Cuelepok's mask. Then he went to Vaucanson's, handed Romulus over to him, and finally returned to Steinerburg to continue his own plan.
- When Nedland told us about this meeting, it was there we understood that Yavandir Palebough was not only an agent working for Horace de Vaucanson, but that he himself had much darker objectives in mind, explained Heike.
- With no less dark accomplices, notably this magician, continued Nedland. When Yavandir left for Pourseille, the magician disappeared in the same way she presented herself, like a sleight of hand. As I couldn't follow her, I followed the two Feral Skaven. I knew Romulus was going to be sent to Pourseille, while these two would probably help me find their base. They walked quickly, but when day dawned, they wanted to take a break. I immediately put one down, and made the other talk before slitting his throat.
No one reacted to these words, even Isolde, who nevertheless felt a little icy tip unpleasantly tickle her little heart.
- Thanks to this spontaneous collaboration, I could quickly determine the exact location of their hideout, in Karak Helliglys. I recovered the Mask of Cuelepok, then I found the Twins and your father. I told them where to find Karhi, and they were able to go there pretending to be a band of Chaos Warriors led by Lennart Fireblood. As for me, I rushed to Steinerburg, where I found Kristofferson. You know the rest.
- All this was a dangerous-unhealthy game, and we had to put you in this balance despite everything. But you were all perfect, all the way. Finally, we caught Yavandir Palebough in his own trap: by pretending to be dead, I led his accomplices into action. He didn't act alone, and it shall be soon possible to get our hands on the others.
The two youngest children were completely overwhelmed by the explanations. Kristofferson was getting angrier and angrier. Bianka was even more upset when she remembered the risks taken by her twin.
- If Sigmund had failed, how would Romulus have been recovered?
- In the event Sigmund had survived, I would have negotiated the release of Romulus, as well as that of your brother if necessary, the Prince explained. If Sigmund had lost his life, I would have sent the entire army to destroy Pourseille, hoping to still be able to recover Romulus. But I knew your brother wouldn't fail, and luckily for everyone, I wasn't wrong.
- That's true, but in the meantime, Vaucanson could have make you suffer the worst tortures before executing you, Prior.
- I was ready to take the risk, Bianka. It would only have been fair in the end. In my life as a bandit, I did so much harm to Vaucanson he would have had the right to do with me what he wanted.
- So why not give yourself over directly to him? Kristofferson asked coldly. Sigmund wouldn't have risked his life, and we wouldn't have had this war, nor all these deaths!
- Kristofferson! Psody exclaimed. You're talking to your father-grandfather's best friend!
- Forget it, your son has the right to be angry, just as he has the right to ask me this question to which I shall answer.
The Human faced the brown Skaven and developed his explanation.
- Time has passed, I no longer feel guilty in relation to my former highwayman comrades, but there remained one last stain on my soul, in relation to Horace de Vaucanson. When I recognized his seal among the letters, I understood it was a message from the Gods: I had to stop fleeing my past. I immediately thought of going to Vaucanson, that would undoubtedly have avoided a lot of problems, as you said.
- If he didn't do it, it's because I dissuaded him, replied the Prince. It had been so difficult. Maybe I should have let it happen, but Shallya's Temple would have lost its best element. And it is not said Vaucanson would have given up his attempt at conquest. I even think that Yavandir Palebough pushed him further. He wasn't going to stop there, anyway. The Purple Hand infiltrated the Rat Kingdom because of him.
The wheat-coloured coat ratgirl felt her muzzle pinch in disgust.
- I think back about Brisingr Steadyhand; he is our ally in this matter, then?
- He is, Bianka. By making him appear as a traitor, we deceived Palebough.
- If he's innocent, why did he escape?
- To make the Purple Hand believe his escape will destabilize us more, Psody replied. Besides, he risked becoming embarrassing for the Purple Hand; an assassin could very well kill him and silence him, like Kramer.
- It was I who discreetly brought him out, with the help of Nedland and Mistress Pulcheria Brukenthal, the Prince explained. Her magic allowed us to put the puppet in place of our Elf friend right under noses of the guards.
- I thought the cell was lined with protective parchments?
- The cell was. Not the corridor, nor the guards on duty in it. It was easy for Mistress Brukenthal to bewitch them for a few minutes. They had no memory of our visit.
- It makes sense. And now, where is Steadyhand?
- I don't know, Kit. All I know is that he's watching the members of the Purple Hand. You'd think he kept Nedland up to date with the latest information.
- Your Highness, I can even tell you now he knows exactly what they're planning, and where.
Bianka didn't want to believe in the innocence of the Bright Mage.
- But… What about the Codex Manu Fatali?
- It was Yavandir Palebough who hid it in Steadyhand's room, according to the instructions of "Mr Vay", which were in fact ours.
- Right, but that didn't stop this fire mage from consulting it, and making annotations on it! Why not give it directly to High Priestess Desdemona Rebmann instead of scribbling it?
- Because he didn't have the chance, Steiner replied. In fact, the annotations are not his own, it was Yavandir who made them, imitating his handwriting. I decided to set our trap for "Mr Olafsson" when Gabriel told me you had discovered the Purple Hand was behind all this. Until then, we had just contained his actions and lied to Vaucanson to remain credible. It was time to act. So, we ordered Yavandir to place a particularly compromising document in Steadyhand's chambers. He probably already had this copy of the Codex Manu Fatali with him. He added the annotations to it, and put it in the room of the establishment where Brisingr was staying. Once Yavandir confirmed he had followed these instructions, I went to Bianka, and came up with a plan with her, a plan that would allow us to "unmask the traitor". Brisingr didn't put up the slightest resistance, because he knew he would not stay in prison for long. The last thing was send Romulus to Vaucanson, so that Yavandir and his accomplices would be convinced of having succeeded in their own plot from start to finish. All we had to do was order Mister Olafsson to use the vial of Jabberwocky blood against Romulus, leaving it in his room, then send an anonymous tip to Sergeant Weller, who didn't think much of it. questions. Weller searched Shallya's temple, found the Jabberwocky blood, and rushed to put Romulus in a cell. That same evening, with his accomplices, Yavandir Palebough snatched him from us. And, in his pride, he showed his face. Well, so to speak, he has not lost the habit of wearing masks.
- Why did Yavandir do all that? Gabriel stammered. Why did you want to cause your downfall, Opa Ludwig?
- The Chaos Gods have a habit of seducing their servants, must they have promised him riches, power, or whatever? We're going to have to catch him before he slips through our fingers. Now that your father is among us again, as well as the Twins and Romulus, Yavandir's spies must have warned him, he will undoubtedly want to speed things up. We now know that they are almost ready to move on to the final step.
- And… what is this final step, Opa?
Steiner turned to his daughter.
- My darling, I think we need to keep young ears away from what comes next.
- Yes, Father. Isolde, Gab, come with me.
The little light grey Skaven immediately understood that the following revelations were undoubtedly going to be terrifying. Also, he didn't regret not being able to hear the answer to his question. Once the children left, Kristofferson repeated his brother's question.
- So, what do you think they are going to do?
- What fanatics of their kind always do when they want to strike a big blow: summon a Demon.
- Oh… Let it come, we will cut it into small pieces.
- We're not talking about a lesser Demon like the one which attacked your sister, Kit. When I was Fershitt Melted Mouth, I discreetly looked at Karhi's accounts. All Grey Seers must watch-count the warpstone in their burrow, it is part of their responsibilities. As soon as he received the mask, he sent Yavandir a huge quantity of warpstone! The equivalent of several large bags of coal, the dosage needed to call-summon an Archdemon! Such a creature would wreak havoc on the entire city before we manage to send it back where it came from, if we can!
- Kramer spoke of the "Call to the New World"… reminded Bianka. So that's it! An Archdemon of Tzeentch could cause a Warp magic storm, and turn the entire city into a unlikely mutations and desolation slaughterhouse, like Praag!
- You are right, my darling, but…
Steiner turned towards the eldest Steiner child.
- However, there still remains one last chance to avoid this. And for that, we shall need your participation, Kristofferson.