A HUNCH

No one ever wanted to awaken a king in the middle of the night, but to Karigan’s relief, it appeared he’d never gone to bed. He stood alone over his map table, sleeves rolled up. A pair of moths batted against the glass chimney of a single lit lamp, their shadows a dance against the canvas wall of the tent.

“Riders?” he said after the Weapons let her and Tegan enter. Karigan had brought Tegan along for the moral support, and because now that she was Chief Rider, she possessed the authority Karigan no longer held.

They bowed, and Tegan said, “Rider G’ladheon wishes to share something we thought you should hear.”

He looked from Tegan to Karigan, and Karigan thought he could not help but notice the gold feather shining on Tegan’s shortcoat, and its absence on her own. He had given it to her, she was certain, as a personal gift as much as the conferring of insignia.

“Captain Connly was by earlier,” he said, “to inform me Rider G’ladheon is no longer Chief Rider.”

Karigan cleared her throat. “It is so, sire.”

“Is that what you wish to see me about? If so, it is a rather late hour for it.”

“No, sire,” she replied. “This is about a different, more important matter. I have received, so to speak, a message from Beryl Spencer.”

“Beryl Spencer?” he asked in surprise. The single lamp made the shadows bolder, deeper. They sculpted hollows beneath his cheekbones. “Where is she? How did she get a message to you?”

Karigan exchanged a glance with Tegan. “I believe she is dead. She came to me as an apparition.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Tell me.”

Karigan told him how Beryl appeared to her twice, and of her message.

“That is all she told you?” he asked. There was no question or incredulity that she’d received a message from a ghost. By now it was well known to him that she interacted with spirits of the dead. Not just that, but that she was the avatar of Westrion, god of death, and she could command the dead. Zachary had seen her in that guise.

“Yes, sire.”

“That is most regrettable. I highly valued her talent and courage. I had sent her to find my cousin, Lord Amberhill, in an effort to forestall the future you experienced, Karigan. I had hoped to prevent its possibility of ever happening. She was either to bring him back to me, or if that were not possible, to assassinate him. The last we knew, she had tracked him to an archipelago in the Eastern Sea off Bairdly. Clearly her mission failed, but whether at the hands of my cousin or by some other means, we’ll probably never know. I am sorry, Riders, for the loss of your comrade. It is certainly a great loss to the realm.”

Most of the Riders, at least the newer ones, would not have met Beryl, but all would nevertheless feel the loss of one of their own with great sorrow.

“Sire,” Karigan said, “the second part of the message, about the flying dragon shield, Tegan and I discussed it and we think she is referring to what we’ve been calling the ‘dragonfly device.’ ” It was a hint she’d brought back from the future time. Much of what she had experienced there was forgotten or sketchy, but at first, when she had returned to the present, she was able to remember more. She had written down what she could, and then Captain Mapstone had taken notes when she told all she remembered to the captain and Zachary.

One of the items she had recalled was the dragonfly device. A man she called “the professor” had taken her in when she arrived in the future, and had known much of the past’s “true history.” He told her of an artifact that supposedly defeated the great weapon that would be employed by the king’s cousin to conquer Sacoridia and the other free lands. He’d shown her a drawing copied from a pictograph chipped into a boulder in ancient times along the shore of Coutre. It depicted the figure of a warrior who held a shield and wielded an oblong object like a sword or spear. There was the legend of Anschilde, the professor had told her, a warrior chieftain and progenitor of Clan Sealender, who had used the “dragonfly device” to defeat the sea kings. It was believed the device was located in the royal tombs, and the caretakers had been searching for it ever since her return from the future time.

“You mean,” Zachary said, “we’ve been looking for a weapon, a device of some kind, with a dragonfly on it, when actually we should have been looking for a shield with the device of a flying dragon on it?”

“It’s a hunch, sire.”

“It sounds a good one,” he replied. “I suppose with all the destruction you observed in the future, and the campaign by the regime to rewrite history, it is not surprising the meaning of ancient words would become so misconstrued. It is certainly worth investigating, and if true, it would narrow down the search. Word needs to get to Agemon in the tombs. Beryl Spencer may have, in her own words, failed, but if this hunch of yours is correct, she may have, in fact, saved us.”

“Yes, sire.”

“Is that all for this evening?”

“Actually,” Karigan said, “there is one more matter I’d like to bring up.” Tegan looked at her, startled.

“What about?” Zachary asked.

“Lala.”

“Yes?”

“She is dangerous.”

“Yes, she is. Believe me, I know.”

Karigan chose her words carefully. “I was concerned when I saw her earlier moving freely about our camp.”

“I appreciate your concern,” he replied, “but it was the best solution for dealing with a child. If we’d a prison to lock her in, she could very likely use her power to escape it. She is watched day and night, not just by ordinary guards, but by Weapons, as well.”

Karigan hadn’t seen them watching, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t been there. Weapons were very good at fading into the background when they wished.

“Thank you,” she replied. “I am reassured.” She wasn’t entirely comfortable with the situation, but his words helped. “Perhaps we should send for Lady Fiori so she can attempt to get her voice back from Lala?”

“I will find out from your captain if we can spare anyone to do so.” He shifted, shadows half-concealing his eyes. One of the moths, Karigan noticed, lay on the table atop a map, its wings barely beating. “Perhaps Lala will, with kind treatment, be willing to return Lady Fiori’s voice, and perhaps prove useful in other ways.”

In other ways sent a sense of foreboding tingling through Karigan’s body. He was going to try to use Lala as Birch had? She hoped he did not place much trust in her.

“I apologize for the late intrusion,” she said.

“Thank you for bringing me the sad news about Beryl Spencer,” he replied, “and the hope of her second message. Goodnight, Riders.”

They bowed and stepped outside.

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep after all that,” Tegan said.

As long as the ghosts stayed away, Karigan thought she—

Connly strode out of the dark toward them. He looked disheveled, as if he’d just rolled out of bed.

“Captain?” Tegan said. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Visiting the latrines. I heard your voices on my way back. Why are you disturbing the king this late at night?”

Karigan allowed Tegan to explain. His expression fell when he heard about Beryl. He raked his fingers through his hair.

“That is bad news if true.”

“It is true,” Karigan said. “She is gone, but her message may prove useful.”

“Yes, your facility with the dead.” He shook himself. “That said, next time do not bother the king directly. Come to me first. Tegan should have known better.”

Karigan noted the two Weapons who guarded Zachary’s tent watching the exchange with interest. “It was im—” she began.

“Rider,” Connly snapped, “I’ve a mind to have you assigned to latrine duty. I’ve had to reprimand you so many times of late. You will do as you are ordered.”

Karigan had so much to say that it was a struggle to keep her mouth shut. She did not want to get on worse footing with Connly, and she certainly did not desire latrine duty. “Yes, Captain,” she said.

Light flickered as the flap to Zachary’s tent was pushed back.

“Would the three of you please attend me?” Zachary asked.

They exchanged glances of surprise. Once they were inside standing shoulder to shoulder, Zachary paced by them, his hands clasped behind his back.

“I have been very concerned about your missing colonel,” he said. “I miss her counsel and friendship. She’s been the leader of our messenger corps for a very long time. I know each of you feel her absence keenly, as well.” He paused in front of Connly. “Carrying on in her absence, having to fill her boots in precarious times, is a weighty responsibility, is it not?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Connly said, “it is.”

“I do not envy you having to unexpectedly assume the helm like that, Captain. You have been doing a fine job, thus far.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I had an excellent mentor.”

“The best,” Zachary agreed. “I did just overhear, however, your stern rebuke for Riders G’ladheon and Oldbrine. While normally it is wise for the Riders to follow the chain of command, I do not want any Rider to hesitate to approach me first when it comes to imparting important information. Beryl Spencer’s message was for me, and Rider G’ladheon and Chief Rider Oldbrine chose correctly in coming directly to me.”

“I understand.”

Karigan chewed on her bottom lip. Did he? Really? She feared this lecture from the king would only serve to increase Connly’s displeasure with her.

“Each Rider must have the ability to function independently,” Zachary continued, “to solve problems and make decisions on his or her own when there is no one in authority there to do so for them. It is the nature of the job. However, a war camp like this does require group discipline and respect for the chain of command, but as we’ve seen this night, there are instances when breaking the chain is called for. I do not want the Riders to hesitate to come directly to me if they think the circumstances warrant it. It is the way it has always been.”

“I understand, sire,” Connly said.

“Yes, I think you do,” Zachary said. “You have years of experience. It is not this but something else that raises your ire.”

“I don’t—”

Zachary placed his hand on Connly’s shoulder. Connly seemed to shrink. “Yes. At this point, I believe we must address the difficulty that is Rider G’ladheon, don’t you agree?”