The Apogian War

Chapter 75

come as his guest; somehow it made me uneary that he did not. Danilo made the cristofore sign over the old man's brow, as Mariori had done, whispering, I suppose, one of their prayers, then made a formal bow to Beltran. I followed them outside. Regis looked as if he'd had the same night mareridden sleep I had, and he was fully barriered against me-s new thing, and a disquieting one. He said, "He was your kinsman, Lew. I'm sorry for your grief. And I know my grandfather respected him. It's fitting there should be someone here from the Hasturs, to extend our condolences. Things will be different, now, in the mountains. I had been thinking that myself. The sight of Regis almost automat ically taking his place as the formal representative of Comyn was dis quieting. I knew his grandfather would approve, but I was surprised. "He told me, Regis, shortly before his death, that he hoped for a day when you and Beltran could sit down together and plan a better future for our world." Regis smiled bleakly. "That will be for Prince Derik. The Hasturs are not kings now." I gave him a skeptical smile. "Yet they stand nearest the throne. I have no doubt Derik will choose you for his nearest counselor, as his kinsmen chose your grandsire." "If you love me, Lew, don't wish a crown on me," Regis said with a shudder of revulsion. "But enough of politics for now. I will remain for the funeral, of course; I owe Beltran no courtesies, but I'll not insult his father's death bed, either." If Kermisc's untimely death had delayed Regis' immediate departure, it must also, in all decency, delay my ultimatum to Beltran. I antici pated less trouble now that he had had a bitter taste of the dangers in herent in Sharra. Kadarin might be less tractable. Yet I had faith in his good sense and his affection for all of us. And so, all those days of mourning for the old lord of Aldaran, none of us spoke of Sharra or Beltran's plans. During the days I could guard myself against the memory and the fear; only in terrifying dreams did it return, claw at me with talons of torment.... The funeral services were over; the mountain lords who had come to pay their respects to the dead, and to give allegiance to Beltran, de parted one by one. Beltran made an appearance of grave dignity, sol emnly accepting their pledges of amity and support, yet I sensed in all his father's accomplishments and accepting their bemagn hecase of their goodwill to Kemis-but to carve his own place. We were so much alike, he and I, I have known twins les alike. And yet we were so different. I had not known he was personally ambitions, too. I had lost the last traces of personal anibition at Arilinn, had ented Father's attempts to mose it in me, in the Guards. Now I was deeply disturbed. Would his plans slip through his finger with out protest? It would take all my pension, all my fact, to convince him to a coure less dangerous for all our world. Somehow I must make it clear to him that I still shared his dreams, that I would work for his aims and help him to the utmost, even though I had inevocably to nounced the means he and Kadarin had chosen. When the mountain lords had departed, Beltran courteously asked Regis and Danilo to remain for a few more days. I had not expected of ther of them to agree and was ready to try to persuade them, but to say surprise, Regis had accepted t the invitation. Maybe it was not so surpris ing He looked dreadfully ill. I should have talked to him, tried to find tuming out what ailed him. Yet whenever I tried to speak to him alone he rebuffed me, always the conversation to indifferent things. I wondered why. As a child he had loved me; did he think me a traitor, or was it something more personal? Such was my state when we gathered that moming in the small fire side hall where we had met and worked together so often. Beltran bore the marks of stress and grief and he looked older, too, sobered by the new weight of responsibility. Thyra was pale and composed, but I knew how hard-won that composure had been. Kadarin, too, was haggard, grieved. Rafe, though subdued, had suffered the least, his grief was only that of a child who had lost a kindly guardian. He was too young to see the deeper implications of this. Marjorie had that heartbreaking remoteness I had begun to see in her lately, the isolation of every Keeper. Through it I sensed a deeper disquiet. Beltran was her guardian now. If he and I were to quarrel, the future for us was not bright. These were my kinsmen. Together we had built a beautiful dream. My heart ached that I must be the one to shatter it. But when Danilo and Regis were ceremoniously escorted in, I felt again a glimmer of hope. Perhaps, perhaps, if I could persuade them to help us, there was still a way to salvage that dream! Beltran began with the utmost courtesy, making formal apologies to Danilo for the way his men had exceeded their orders. If the words had more of diplomacy than real regret, I supposed only the strongest of telah d feel the He ended by saying the the end I amving footweigh personal traderations day is ming for word wod fo Remade formal bre | rrootating apin. For your sake, Lend Beltran, I wish I were mon selled in the an ok only for voteinal. re Se long peace betwem Comys and Adaran may ende for our life had thatt may s*x bea pace nder the fame of the Teras," Kadiatis Lond Raife off Cosaut in Batas Segs to online, spin, he plans to make Defensa fift fe e ess ow wlo ilne fuc ye frost lirng See poular on yor sp Tranilok y, and is one s*x, on das w minst fie inating mile with sige fs of