Peoples’ Palace, one roof though it may be, is a city. Thousands live here. Merchants and supplies, trains of wagons to lone peddlers, come and go in an endless stream in all directions except to the east, across the Azrith Plains. The roads in are the arteries that feed the heart of D’Hara—the People’s Palace.
“The inside of the plateau is chambered with twice the number of rooms of the Palace above ground. As with any city of this size, the motives of the multitudes coming here are beyond our ability to judge with absolute confidence and certainty.
“I will have the great inner doors closed and seal off the Palace above ground. It is something that has not been done in a few hundred years, and it will cause worry among the people of D’Hara, but I would risk the worried talk. The only way to the Palace proper, if not through the inside entrances, is up the cliff road on the east side. I will keep the bridge up.
“That still leaves us with thousands in the Palace proper. Any of them could have designs not to our liking. Worse, there are thousands of battle-tested soldiers in the belly of the Palace, many led by men I would not want getting a glance at Lord Rahl. I have a feeling the new Lord Rahl is not the kind of Rahl they are used to dealing with, and they are not going to like the change.
“D’Hara is a vast empire, the supply routes long. Perhaps it is time some of these divisions were sent out to see to the safety of these routes, especially the ones to the far south, near the wilds, where I have heard rumor there is unrest and trouble. And perhaps from the ranks of the ones I trust, the size of the First File could be increased three fold.”
Zedd studied Trimack’s face as the man continued to scan the hall. “I am no soldier, but your ideas make sense. The Palace must be made as secure as possible. How you do it is up to you.”
“I will give you a list then, in the morning, of the generals to be trusted and those to worry about.”
“Why would I need such a list?”
Trimack’s eyes came to the wizard. “Because orders such as these must come from one with the gift.”
Zedd shook his head, muttering. “Wizards should not be ruling people. It’s not right.”
“It is the way in D’Hara. Magic and steel. I want to protect Lord Rahl. This is what I think needs to be done.”
Zedd stared off into the distance, feeling the ache of exhaustion in his bones. “Do you know, Trimack, that I have fought and killed wizards who wanted to take it upon themselves to rule?”
When an answer didn’t come, Zedd turned back to the officer. Trimack was studying him. “Given the choice, Wizard Zorander, I would choose to serve one who bears command as a burden, to one who wears the mantle as a right.”
Zedd sighed and gave a nod. “In the morning then. There is one other matter, the most important of all: I want the Garden of Life guarded. That is where the screeling first attacked. I don’t know if there will be more. There is a door up there that will have to be fixed. Put a ring of steel around the Garden. Enough men that they have room only to swing an axe. No one, no one at all, is to be allowed to go in except myself or Richard, or by our order.
“Anyone attempting to go into that room is to be viewed as harm trying to get a look at Lord Rahl. Even one who tells you he is there only there to pull weeds. No one. And you can bet your mother’s honor that anything trying to get out is harm trying to have more than a look.”
Trimack clapped his fist to his armored chest. “To the last man, Wizard Zorander.”
“Good. Lord Rahl may need what is in that room. I don’t dare to move those things for the time being. They are extremely dangerous. Take very seriously the guarding of that room, Commander. More screelings could come. Or worse.”
“How soon?”
“I would not have thought we would have seen the first for a year or more. At least months. That the Keeper could have loosed
“The inside of the plateau is chambered with twice the number of rooms of the Palace above ground. As with any city of this size, the motives of the multitudes coming here are beyond our ability to judge with absolute confidence and certainty.
“I will have the great inner doors closed and seal off the Palace above ground. It is something that has not been done in a few hundred years, and it will cause worry among the people of D’Hara, but I would risk the worried talk. The only way to the Palace proper, if not through the inside entrances, is up the cliff road on the east side. I will keep the bridge up.
“That still leaves us with thousands in the Palace proper. Any of them could have designs not to our liking. Worse, there are thousands of battle-tested soldiers in the belly of the Palace, many led by men I would not want getting a glance at Lord Rahl. I have a feeling the new Lord Rahl is not the kind of Rahl they are used to dealing with, and they are not going to like the change.
“D’Hara is a vast empire, the supply routes long. Perhaps it is time some of these divisions were sent out to see to the safety of these routes, especially the ones to the far south, near the wilds, where I have heard rumor there is unrest and trouble. And perhaps from the ranks of the ones I trust, the size of the First File could be increased three fold.”
Zedd studied Trimack’s face as the man continued to scan the hall. “I am no soldier, but your ideas make sense. The Palace must be made as secure as possible. How you do it is up to you.”
“I will give you a list then, in the morning, of the generals to be trusted and those to worry about.”
“Why would I need such a list?”
Trimack’s eyes came to the wizard. “Because orders such as these must come from one with the gift.”
Zedd shook his head, muttering. “Wizards should not be ruling people. It’s not right.”
“It is the way in D’Hara. Magic and steel. I want to protect Lord Rahl. This is what I think needs to be done.”
Zedd stared off into the distance, feeling the ache of exhaustion in his bones. “Do you know, Trimack, that I have fought and killed wizards who wanted to take it upon themselves to rule?”
When an answer didn’t come, Zedd turned back to the officer. Trimack was studying him. “Given the choice, Wizard Zorander, I would choose to serve one who bears command as a burden, to one who wears the mantle as a right.”
Zedd sighed and gave a nod. “In the morning then. There is one other matter, the most important of all: I want the Garden of Life guarded. That is where the screeling first attacked. I don’t know if there will be more. There is a door up there that will have to be fixed. Put a ring of steel around the Garden. Enough men that they have room only to swing an axe. No one, no one at all, is to be allowed to go in except myself or Richard, or by our order.
“Anyone attempting to go into that room is to be viewed as harm trying to get a look at Lord Rahl. Even one who tells you he is there only there to pull weeds. No one. And you can bet your mother’s honor that anything trying to get out is harm trying to have more than a look.”
Trimack clapped his fist to his armored chest. “To the last man, Wizard Zorander.”
“Good. Lord Rahl may need what is in that room. I don’t dare to move those things for the time being. They are extremely dangerous. Take very seriously the guarding of that room, Commander. More screelings could come. Or worse.”
“How soon?”
“I would not have thought we would have seen the first for a year or more. At least months. That the Keeper could have loosed
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