said, ‘about your quest.’
‘I seek,’ Sir Drake said, ‘nothing more than Truth.’
‘Truth is a valuable thing,’ Mistress Sinlao said.
Sir Drake nodded, and took another sip from his drink. It went down rather smoothly, he thought. He told Mistress Sinlao of his quest: how his father, who was a noble of Kir-Bell, had been treacherously slain in ambush as he was returning one day from the Draeken vats. How the assailants were never caught, though suspicion had been pointed at Sir Drake’s uncle, his father’s brother, who shortly afterwards married Sir Drake’s mother and assumed control of their estate.
‘I determined then to go on this quest,’ Sir Drake said modestly, emptying his glass, ‘to discover the truth of my father’s murder. Only with proof could I go back and challenge my uncle. It is the code of the knights of Kir-Bell that the innocents must not suffer unduly, and the benefit of the doubt must be extended to all, divorced from emotion. It is a most difficult situation –’
‘Indeed it is,’ Mistress Sinlao said. ‘You have my sympathies –’
‘And I thank you for it,’ Sir Drake said. ‘And so, here I am. I have come to your beautiful city of Falang-Et for I have heard told that here lay a rare magical object that can tell all manner of truths, and it is known as the Mirror of Falang-Et.’
Mistress Sinlao was silent then, and he had the sense that she was examining him closely. ‘And where have you heard such a story?’ she asked at last. Sir Drake shrugged and said, ‘A dying sorcerer told me so, on the sands of Meskatel.’
Mistress Sinlao’s eyes expanded, and she said, ‘You have travelled far, sir knight.’
‘And I would travel further, if need be,’ Sir Drake said. ‘For I cannot rest until my quest is complete, and my errand successful.’
‘Yes,’ Mistress Sinlao murmured. ‘Yes, I see. Yes, indeed.’
‘Yes,’ Sir Drake said. There was a silence. Finally he said, ‘Do you know of such an object?’
Mistress Sinlao nodded, but she seemed preoccupied. ‘I have heard stories,’ she said. ‘Just as you have.’
‘I see. If I may put it bluntly, you do not know the whereabouts of this mirror?’
Mistress Sinlao raised her head. She smiled. She looked like a woman who had made a decision. ‘I did not say that.’ She made a gesture; the servant girl reappeared and refilled their drinks. She looked sideways at Sir Drake, nervously. He smiled at her. She ran off. ‘No, I did not say that. Tell me, Sir Drake.’
‘My lady?’
She moved her chair closer to him, and put her arm in his. Her heavy head rested on his shoulder. Her breath was on his neck, her lips close to his ear. ‘You are a knight, is it not?’
‘Most assuredly,’ he said.
‘A man of honour.’
‘Of course.’
‘Perhaps I can help you,’ she said, and her fingers were on the back of his neck, massaging him. Her perfume was overpowering.
‘Indeed? That would be a kindness of a –’
‘Not a kindness,’ she said. ‘Oh, no, not a kindness. But I can tell you where it is, oh yes, I can. Deep in the temple it lies, the Mirror of Falang-Et. In the most sacred and holy of shrines, in the falang god’s own private domain.’
‘His private domain?’ Sir Drake said. Mistress Sinlao’s other hand was patting his thigh and moving rather uncomfortably up.
‘His garden,’ the husky voice whispered in his ear. ‘In the heart of Wat Falang, beyond the outer and the inner walls, beyond the outer and inner sanctums, in the sanctum sanctorum. But it is guarded, Sir Drake. Guarded fiercely.’
‘Perhaps I could petition the god or his priests –?’ Sir Drake suggested. He felt rather than saw Mistress Sinlao shaking her head. It made the hairs on his arm stand on end. ‘No one is allowed into the sanctorum.’
‘But –?’ Sir Drake said. He could sense the ¬but just hovering there, waiting to be said. Mistress Sinlao giggled against his neck. She stuck her tongue
‘I seek,’ Sir Drake said, ‘nothing more than Truth.’
‘Truth is a valuable thing,’ Mistress Sinlao said.
Sir Drake nodded, and took another sip from his drink. It went down rather smoothly, he thought. He told Mistress Sinlao of his quest: how his father, who was a noble of Kir-Bell, had been treacherously slain in ambush as he was returning one day from the Draeken vats. How the assailants were never caught, though suspicion had been pointed at Sir Drake’s uncle, his father’s brother, who shortly afterwards married Sir Drake’s mother and assumed control of their estate.
‘I determined then to go on this quest,’ Sir Drake said modestly, emptying his glass, ‘to discover the truth of my father’s murder. Only with proof could I go back and challenge my uncle. It is the code of the knights of Kir-Bell that the innocents must not suffer unduly, and the benefit of the doubt must be extended to all, divorced from emotion. It is a most difficult situation –’
‘Indeed it is,’ Mistress Sinlao said. ‘You have my sympathies –’
‘And I thank you for it,’ Sir Drake said. ‘And so, here I am. I have come to your beautiful city of Falang-Et for I have heard told that here lay a rare magical object that can tell all manner of truths, and it is known as the Mirror of Falang-Et.’
Mistress Sinlao was silent then, and he had the sense that she was examining him closely. ‘And where have you heard such a story?’ she asked at last. Sir Drake shrugged and said, ‘A dying sorcerer told me so, on the sands of Meskatel.’
Mistress Sinlao’s eyes expanded, and she said, ‘You have travelled far, sir knight.’
‘And I would travel further, if need be,’ Sir Drake said. ‘For I cannot rest until my quest is complete, and my errand successful.’
‘Yes,’ Mistress Sinlao murmured. ‘Yes, I see. Yes, indeed.’
‘Yes,’ Sir Drake said. There was a silence. Finally he said, ‘Do you know of such an object?’
Mistress Sinlao nodded, but she seemed preoccupied. ‘I have heard stories,’ she said. ‘Just as you have.’
‘I see. If I may put it bluntly, you do not know the whereabouts of this mirror?’
Mistress Sinlao raised her head. She smiled. She looked like a woman who had made a decision. ‘I did not say that.’ She made a gesture; the servant girl reappeared and refilled their drinks. She looked sideways at Sir Drake, nervously. He smiled at her. She ran off. ‘No, I did not say that. Tell me, Sir Drake.’
‘My lady?’
She moved her chair closer to him, and put her arm in his. Her heavy head rested on his shoulder. Her breath was on his neck, her lips close to his ear. ‘You are a knight, is it not?’
‘Most assuredly,’ he said.
‘A man of honour.’
‘Of course.’
‘Perhaps I can help you,’ she said, and her fingers were on the back of his neck, massaging him. Her perfume was overpowering.
‘Indeed? That would be a kindness of a –’
‘Not a kindness,’ she said. ‘Oh, no, not a kindness. But I can tell you where it is, oh yes, I can. Deep in the temple it lies, the Mirror of Falang-Et. In the most sacred and holy of shrines, in the falang god’s own private domain.’
‘His private domain?’ Sir Drake said. Mistress Sinlao’s other hand was patting his thigh and moving rather uncomfortably up.
‘His garden,’ the husky voice whispered in his ear. ‘In the heart of Wat Falang, beyond the outer and the inner walls, beyond the outer and inner sanctums, in the sanctum sanctorum. But it is guarded, Sir Drake. Guarded fiercely.’
‘Perhaps I could petition the god or his priests –?’ Sir Drake suggested. He felt rather than saw Mistress Sinlao shaking her head. It made the hairs on his arm stand on end. ‘No one is allowed into the sanctorum.’
‘But –?’ Sir Drake said. He could sense the ¬but just hovering there, waiting to be said. Mistress Sinlao giggled against his neck. She stuck her tongue
Similar Books
