PROLOGUE (70 page)

The feast dragged on in this manner. Where were the pious readings of the book of St. Johanna, to remind the faithful of her apostolic journey and her noble martyrdom? None stood to sing psalms or to declaim from the Holy Verses. Feast days had always been celebrated with the solemnity they deserved in Mainni, when she had been biscop in that city. But the skopos lay dying and could not control Ironhead's excesses.

In the midst of the merrymaking, Hugh rose quietly and left. Antonia made haste to follow him. He had gone outside to the shelter of the colonnade. Scattered clouds made a patchwork of the night sky. A misting rain fell.

He was not alone. By the heavy scent of lilac, she knew that the womanly form leaning against him, embracing him, was one of the king's whores.

"He'll never notice I'm gone this one night," the young woman said in a breathless voice.” I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you."

He set hands firmly on her shoulders and pushed her away.” I beg your pardon, Daughter. My heart is already given to another." She hissed, like a cat ready to claw.” What's her name? Where is she?"

"Not walking on this Earth."

The whore began to snivel.” I hate God for stealing you. You ought to be warming women's beds, not praying on cold stone."

"Don't hate God," he said gently.” Pray for healing."

"What do I need healing for? You could heal me, if you'd come to me. Aren't I pretty? Everyone says so. All the other men desire me."

"Beauty doesn't last forever. When men no longer desire you, you'll be cast onto the street. Which will serve you better, Daughter? Men's lust, or God's love?"

"It's all very well for you to babble piously about God's love! What other profession is open to me? My mother was a whore. There are at least five presbyters smirking like saints in the sko-pos' palace who might be my father, any one of them! What am I to do, a gir] like me, bastard daughter of a whore, except be a whore in my turn? That's the only life I know. What respectable man would want someone like me?"

He didn't flinch under the assault of her scathing fury.” I happen to know," he said quietly, "that there is a certain respectable sergeant of the guards at the skopos' palace who has a brother who is a tailor down in the city. That brother has had cause to visit the sergeant a time or two, and he saw you in the garden more than once. I expect he even makes excuses to come visit his brother in the hopes of catching a glimpse of you. But of course to his way of thinking, what chance has a common tailor like him with little enough to offer compared to the silks and wine given you in the king's suite?"

"His kin would all know I was a whore, and hate me for it," she muttered, but the edge of anger in her voice had muted. She sounded unsure of herself, afraid to hope.” He's probably some ugly, leprous, wizened dwarf anyway, who can't get a decent wife."

"Ah, well. I happen to know he visits his brother every Ladys-day and that they attend Mass together in the servants' chapel."

"You lead that Mass," she said, surprised.” Everyone knows you do. All the servants talk about it. But I know that the presbyters don't let whores into the church, the old hypocrites, poking their lemans in the nighttime and calling them nasty sinners during the day."

"When I lead Mass in the servants' chapel, no one is turned away, no matter what they have been in their past. No matter what they have done."

She knelt at his feet abruptly, bowing her head.” I pray you, Father, forgive me. You know I'd do anything for you in return for your kindness and mercy."

"So be it, Daughter." He touched her on the head, his blessing, and she caught in a sob, jumped up, and hurried away.

It was too dark to see his face. He stood there for so long that Antonia wondered if he was on the verge of turning around and going back into the feasting hall. The bell tolled the end of Compline, and she recalled belatedly that she had other obligations. But she dared not move until he at last shook himself and walked away down the colonnade, returning to the skopos' palace. When she could no longer hear his footfalls, she followed that same path past the great hall and through the monumental court where king and skopos might meet to survey their troops in times of trouble. Her feet thudded quietly on the cobbled stone walkway. Light rain moistened her skin. A servant hurried past toward the hall, carrying a lamp and a basket, and a brace of presbyters hastened from their prayers to the promised joviality of the feast already in progress.

The whore's words stayed with her. Would these pious presbyters spend their nights in carnal pleasure, only to turn around the next day and condemn sinful humankind? Truly, God's creation had slipped to the very edge of the Abyss. It needed a firm hand to guide it back to holy ground.

The skopos' palace was a warren of chambers suitable for intrigue, or so it seemed to Antonia. Heribert might have corrected her; once, after he had spent a year in Darre studying at the palace schola, he had returned with many a boring explanation of how the palace had been built out of the remains of an old Dariyan emperor's residence, then expanded upon, partially destroyed in a fire, and rebuilt, only to be expanded again during the time of Taillefer.

But while Anne might keep secrets, she had not come to the skopos' palace to skulk about like a thief. She had already a suite of chambers suitable to a cleric of die highest rank and a bevy of servants and lesser clerics to serve her. By the time Antonia reached

the innermost chamber of Anne's suite, where the Seven Sleepers met each week to discuss their progress, the others had already all arrived and taken their places. Polished silver cups gleamed under lamplight, and after servants poured wine, they retreated soundlessly and closed the doors, leaving Anne and her four companions alone.

"You are late, Sister Venia," said the Caput Draconis, she who sat first among them. That damnable hound always lying at her feet growled.

"I beg your pardon. I lost my way again." "So do we all at times, alas. If you will sit, Sister Venia, then we may prepare ourselves."

The hound lifted its head to watch as Antonia sat on the bench next to Brother Marcus. He acknowledged her with a quirk of his lips, nothing more. He wore the presbyter's robe and cloak easily. Except for Anne, he had made the smoothest adjustment when they had fled south from the smoking ruins of Verna. Antonia still found the city of Darre confusing, a labyrinth of ancient ruins and modern timber buildings, courtyards and alleys, pastures and paved squares, and the palace compound a maze of corridors, chambers, and servants' passages in which she often got lost even after all these months. Marcus had grown up here. To him, navigating in the skopos' palace was as natural as breathing.

"I am not sure he is the right person to ask to join us," Severus was saying.” I don't trust him."

Marcus laughed sharply.” Don't trust him because you fear he's ambitious, or because you're jealous of his influence over the Holy Mother and the college of presbyters?"

"I trust no person who uses beauty as a weapon to gain advancement," said Severus sourly.” Nor should you."

"Beauty is not a weapon," said Meriam softly from her couch, "but a gift from God. It would be a sin to shroud that which God have molded."

"Women are always fools when thrown into the company of attractive men, or so I have observed," muttered Severus.

"Even if that is true," said Antonia, amused by the tenor of their conversation and especially by Severus's indignation, "we are but six when we must be seven. Hugh of Austra is bom of a noble line, he has Bernard's book, he studies sorcery, and he seems pious.

Must we cast away this opportunity to make our number whole again just because you don't trust his handsome face, Brother Severus?"

He grunted irritably.” In my old monastery, we understood that vanity is a mortal sin."

Anne raised a hand for silence.” Time is short, and our need is great." Three lamps burned in this richly furnished chamber, enough to light the table and elaborately carved benches at which they sat. Tapestries softened the walls, but the lamplight barely illuminated the shadowed images of the holy martyrdoms of St. Agnes and St. Asella, youthful girls who, in the early days of the church, had chosen death over marriage to nonbelievers.” I saw last year at Werlida that Hugh had promise. That is why I let him take Bernard's book."

"You
let him take it?" Severus sat back in outrage. He still bore scars on his face from the conflagration at Verna. Of all of them, except of course for poor dead Zoe, he had sustained the worst injuries.” After all I had done to erase that knowledge so that we alone would possess it?"

"Of course. I could have prevented him from leaving with the book, but I chose not to. Now that I see what he has made of his opportunity to gain in knowledge, I know that I was right to do as I did then. He is clever, and he seems to have tempered his obsession for Liathano, which hindered his ability to learn and wax stronger in knowledge."

Antonia thought better of mentioning that illuminating episode in St. Thecla's Chapel. Secrets, like treasure, were best hoarded until that day when they could be spent most usefully by the one who possessed them.

"The new year is almost upon us," continued Anne, "and the rains will soon cease here in Aosta. Travel will be possible again. We must consider certain errands." The gold torque, signifying her royal lineage, winked at her throat, barely visible beneath the rich wine-colored robes she wore to mark her status as a member of the Holy Mother's innermost circle of counselors. It irked Antonia that Anne had simply walked into the skopos' palace early last autumn and by means unknown to Antonia had gotten herself seated at once at the Holy Mother's council table, especially since Antonia herself had been relegated to the schola as a mere cleric. But

Anne's power was not to be trifled with, or challenged. Not yet, anyway.” Sister Meriam, you must continue your work with Hugh of Austra."

"So I will," agreed Meriam from her couch.” It is always a pleasure to work with a young man whose manners are elegant and whose understanding is quick rather than dead. It goes slowly because he will not let the book out of his grasp, and he is often busy with other matters in the palace. But in any case, I urge caution." She paused to catch her breath.

"Go on," said Anne after a suitable interval.” This text Bernard bound into the middle of his book is not proving to be what I expected. If it goes on as it has begun, from what little we have translated so far, then it may prove more dangerous than any of us can know."

"Yet what we seek may still be found there. You must continue, Sister. If we cannot find the key to the Aoi crowns, through which they wove their magic, we will not be able to prevent the Lost Ones from returning."

"I will continue," said Meriam, her frail body almost hidden by shadows. The lamplight did not quite reach her.” What of the other matter? What of the promises made to my son?"

Anne frowned as if she'd forgotten what she was about to say next, but the expression passed quickly.” That must wait until we see what transpires with Ironhead. King Henry's mind is closed to me, and his Eagles shroud him from my sight. Let us see what course events take before we act. Meanwhile, another serious matter must be dealt with. Brother Lupus is missing." "Do you suppose he is dead?" asked Severus.” Do you hope he is?" asked Marcus with a smirk.” You've never cared for Brother Lupus."

"A common-born man with no family to recommend him? And no respect for those born of noble kin?"

"I would know if Brother Lupus were dead," said Anne, thus ending the exchange.” He is missing, and I cannot say why, nor can I find him when I seek him through fire or stone. Brother Marcus, you must seek him out. Rescue him if need be."

"Travel again! Sister Venia remains whole and hearty, and knows the northern kingdoms better than I do. My Wendish is a frail thing, easily flustered. She could go."

child
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"Sister Venia remains under ban in the northern kingdoms and might be recognized. It will be you, Brother Marcus."

He sighed.” Very well."

Anne nodded. Her calm expression never altered. Why should it? Her wishes were never refused.” There remains the unfinished business of my mother, Lavrentia, whom I thought long since dead. One among us must go to St. Ekatarina's Convent in Capar-dia. Without seven to bind a daimone to our will, we haven't the power to do what needs to be done, as we did with Bernard." There it came, the look that none could disobey.” Therefore, it must be you who goes, Sister Venia."

Antonia sighed, an echo of Marcus' displeasure at having to leave the manifold comforts of the skopos' palace. She had eaten well this night at the Feast of St. Johanna the Messenger. But she knew better than to object.” What am I to do there?"