beauty and an ideal northern outpost.’
‘It is all black ash and volcanoes,’ said the Empress Melkish. ‘Some might find it beautiful, but I cannot abide the starkness of it.’
‘An outpost?’ said Ashurek. ‘What for? There is nothing there.’
‘There is the ocean,’ Meshurek said cryptically.
‘What he means,’ said Orkesh, ‘is the ocean between Gorethria and Tearn. It is at its narrowest there.’
Ashurek heard his mother give a faint sigh as if anticipating a familiar argument. But the argument was new to him, and he listened, fascinated, as Meshurek said, ‘You look surprised, my brother. Father and I have had long discussions on what I believe to be Gorethria’s only future. We need to establish posts along our coasts with a view to the invasion of Tearn.’
‘Discussions!’ the Emperor Ordek snorted. ‘I have explained to Meshurek in exquisite detail why it is impossible to subjugate Tearn.’
‘Wait, father,’ Meshurek said politely. ‘Let us hear Ashurek’s opinion.’
‘Tearn is another continent, not just another country. The army is at full stretch keeping control of the Empire. The strength of arms we would need to consider taking even a small part of Tearn would leave the Empire weakened, maybe in chaos.’
‘Exactly,’ said Ordek. ‘I have shown Meshurek the logic of it, and he is unable to reply with an equally logical argument. Yet he will not let the matter drop.’
‘The Empire is stagnant,’ Meshurek went on, apparently unperturbed by his father’s adamance. ‘What is there left for us to do, but conquer the other half of the world?’
The last remark was typical of the arrogant, dry humour sometimes heard in the royal court, but no one smiled. Ashurek felt chilled by Meshurek’s words, for no reason he could pinpoint.
‘The Empire, my son, is stable,’ Ordek contradicted. ‘We have everything we have worked for. Tearn is no threat to us – so why risk all we have, for the sake of greed?’
‘Gorethria has always taken risks,’ Meshurek replied smoothly. ‘That is why we are great.’
Ashurek was beginning to believe Orkesh. His brother did seem different. They had always been respectful, even a little nervous, with their father before; but now he got the impression that Meshurek was teasing Ordek, tantalising him with what seemed a foolish argument, while underneath there was some great and terrible meaning that Ordek did not suspect.
‘If you think, as I do, that invading Tearn is impossible, why has the building of the castle gone ahead?’ Ashurek said, looking into his father’s hawk-keen eyes. But Ordek did not reply.
Meshurek said, ‘Oh, it is just mother indulging my whims. As I said, I like it there.’
‘It is an Emperor-to-be’s privilege to have a personal retreat,’ Melkish added.
‘I can go there to dream,’ Meshurek smiled, ‘of my brother sailing across the sea to even greater glory.’
Ashurek felt disturbed for the rest of the evening. Even the company of his mother and sister could do nothing to dispel his mood, and when he noticed that Meshurek, having grown increasingly restless, had left the banquet early, he decided to follow him. They would have a long talk which would finally solve the differences between them.
There were no footmen on duty in the darkened corridor leading to Meshurek’s suite of rooms, although Ashurek could hear him talking to someone. The ornate gold door to his bedchamber was ajar, so Ashurek looked into the room and called, ‘Meshurek.’
Darkness lay in the large room like a crouching wolf. He could just make out the figure of his brother, with his back to him, outlined by a faint incandescence that seemed to glow from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Meshurek appeared not to have heard him, and went on talking. Ashurek realised he was talking to himself, or uttering a chant; the words were running together in an inhuman drone.
As he listened, Ashurek began to feel cold and
‘It is all black ash and volcanoes,’ said the Empress Melkish. ‘Some might find it beautiful, but I cannot abide the starkness of it.’
‘An outpost?’ said Ashurek. ‘What for? There is nothing there.’
‘There is the ocean,’ Meshurek said cryptically.
‘What he means,’ said Orkesh, ‘is the ocean between Gorethria and Tearn. It is at its narrowest there.’
Ashurek heard his mother give a faint sigh as if anticipating a familiar argument. But the argument was new to him, and he listened, fascinated, as Meshurek said, ‘You look surprised, my brother. Father and I have had long discussions on what I believe to be Gorethria’s only future. We need to establish posts along our coasts with a view to the invasion of Tearn.’
‘Discussions!’ the Emperor Ordek snorted. ‘I have explained to Meshurek in exquisite detail why it is impossible to subjugate Tearn.’
‘Wait, father,’ Meshurek said politely. ‘Let us hear Ashurek’s opinion.’
‘Tearn is another continent, not just another country. The army is at full stretch keeping control of the Empire. The strength of arms we would need to consider taking even a small part of Tearn would leave the Empire weakened, maybe in chaos.’
‘Exactly,’ said Ordek. ‘I have shown Meshurek the logic of it, and he is unable to reply with an equally logical argument. Yet he will not let the matter drop.’
‘The Empire is stagnant,’ Meshurek went on, apparently unperturbed by his father’s adamance. ‘What is there left for us to do, but conquer the other half of the world?’
The last remark was typical of the arrogant, dry humour sometimes heard in the royal court, but no one smiled. Ashurek felt chilled by Meshurek’s words, for no reason he could pinpoint.
‘The Empire, my son, is stable,’ Ordek contradicted. ‘We have everything we have worked for. Tearn is no threat to us – so why risk all we have, for the sake of greed?’
‘Gorethria has always taken risks,’ Meshurek replied smoothly. ‘That is why we are great.’
Ashurek was beginning to believe Orkesh. His brother did seem different. They had always been respectful, even a little nervous, with their father before; but now he got the impression that Meshurek was teasing Ordek, tantalising him with what seemed a foolish argument, while underneath there was some great and terrible meaning that Ordek did not suspect.
‘If you think, as I do, that invading Tearn is impossible, why has the building of the castle gone ahead?’ Ashurek said, looking into his father’s hawk-keen eyes. But Ordek did not reply.
Meshurek said, ‘Oh, it is just mother indulging my whims. As I said, I like it there.’
‘It is an Emperor-to-be’s privilege to have a personal retreat,’ Melkish added.
‘I can go there to dream,’ Meshurek smiled, ‘of my brother sailing across the sea to even greater glory.’
Ashurek felt disturbed for the rest of the evening. Even the company of his mother and sister could do nothing to dispel his mood, and when he noticed that Meshurek, having grown increasingly restless, had left the banquet early, he decided to follow him. They would have a long talk which would finally solve the differences between them.
There were no footmen on duty in the darkened corridor leading to Meshurek’s suite of rooms, although Ashurek could hear him talking to someone. The ornate gold door to his bedchamber was ajar, so Ashurek looked into the room and called, ‘Meshurek.’
Darkness lay in the large room like a crouching wolf. He could just make out the figure of his brother, with his back to him, outlined by a faint incandescence that seemed to glow from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Meshurek appeared not to have heard him, and went on talking. Ashurek realised he was talking to himself, or uttering a chant; the words were running together in an inhuman drone.
As he listened, Ashurek began to feel cold and
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