(Chronicler's note: "The Fromu Khyl, of all the players during the Dark Time, is the best known and understood. His leadership of the brotherhood of Thara when it was dangerous even to admit that one WAS a brother was inspired to say the least, and is the reason that today every temple has a small picture or statue of him near the doorway. Were it not for him, the Tyrant-King might have wiped the brotherhood from Thaelia completely.

"Khyl, however, continued his studies in the dark corners of the libraries which abounded throughout Tithede, mastering techniques that long had been forgotten by the rest of the brotherhood. When the ruling Fromu decided that the time had come for him to choose a successor, none was surprised to discover that young Khyl had been chosen; although many were surprised that the young man had accepted. Even after assuming the position of head of the whole brotherhood of Thara, Khyl continued to spend what free time he had in research of forgotten or archaic mysteries; and in time, his learning and patience paid good interest, both to the Magician-King and the people of Thaelia." HISTORY OF THAELIA, Vol. IX.)

Lord Thuth stood in the darkened entryway to the temple complex and waited until the Fromu Khyl moved into the pool of light thrown by the large lightstone before pressing his palms together and bowing his greeting. The Fromu returned the formal gesture and then reached out to clasp the other priest's arm in a warm armshake. Thuth sighed with relief as his superior moved past him into the dimly-lit sanctuary and, after a deep bow and short meditation before the altar, moved off in the direction of the temple kitchens. The two men took warm mugs of cha from the priest-cooks and made their way to a rough-hewn table and bench against the far wall of the dining-hall so they could talk in privacy.

"Much has happened," Thuth began when he had made himself comfortable, "but first, did the Princess..."

"A boy and a girl, to be known as Rhyl and Rhoma. Both healthy," the Fromu anticipated the question. "What is more, the boy-child possesses the Glymm."

"Indeed!" Thuth allowed little more than a trace of astonishment to creep into his visage, although he really was quite surprised at the unexpected news. "That is quite a development."

"It changes everything," the Fromu agreed and took a long drink of cha. "I have no reason to deny Chlin his annulment, since by tradition he is not the true King by virtue of the Glymm. Karinna sent along a document that fulfills the regular requirements of proof of abandonment for a divorce; indeed, she was most pleased with the idea of being freed of any further obligation to him."

"Chlin will have to be told, won't he?"

"Of course. And between that and the news of the Glymm, he should be infuriated to no end." The Fromu took another sip. "He should know by now of my arrival; I told one of the guards at the city gates to send word that I would see him in the morning."

"Pra Fromu," Thuth began again, unsure of how exactly to break the news, "about Lanji. He was taken from the temple and hasn't been seen or heard from since. Trumped-up proof of the charge of conspiracy was presented in the square last week."

The Fromu closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "I feared as much. I doubt sincerely that he still lives, knowing Chlin; but we probably will never know for sure."

"I'm very sorry, Pra Fromu."

"I know you did what you could, Pra Thuth. But decisions had been made that rendered any conscious efforts to avert their results useless. It is sadly ironic that I would have returned to Tharea, even had Chlin not threatened Lanji, to bring him the news of his children from the Halidem Mountains."

"But what of Karinna when Chlin finds out everything?" Thuth's voice again was vaguely anxious. "Will not she and the children be in danger from Chlin once the spring thaw has made the roads into the mountains passable again?"

"Possibly, but I doubt it. The Halidu were warned about Chlin before the King escaped the city; as a matter of fact, Lord Gyrl is at present sheltering in the mountains as well. In his present frame of mind he may very well agree to help plan a defense should it be needed. I believe it to be possible that Lord Harryhl and Lord Gyrl will make a sort of truce and will soon be working together."

Thuth shook his head in disbelief. "That is hard to believe. But even so, Chlin could still manage to defeat the Halidu and take the Glymm by force..."

The nature of the Fromu's smile made Thuth pause in his speculations. "The Princess is well guarded by man and beast." At Thuth's confused look, the Fromu simply patted his old friend on the shoulder. "My journey was extremely informative in many ways. If we both survive the audience tomorrow morning, remind me to tell you of some of the more fantastic lessons I have learned."

x

The presence chamber was filled to capacity with finely-garbed men and women murmuring softly to each other as the double doors swung open to admit the Fromu Khyl and Lord Thuth. Along the back wall, Lords Loy and Gareth, the only surviving lowland Lords from the days of Hariki, tried to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible from the Fromu's penetrating gaze. The crowd parted as word spread that the priests had arrived, and a clear path to the raised dais formed before them. Seated with a smug look on his face, Chlin was even more ornately adorned than when Thuth saw him last; fine embroidery in silver thread sparkled on his shirt beneath massive silver chains. In the lower throne beside him, Shamira was a haughty vision of beauty in a dark blue velvet gown that made her black hair seem to be but a hood. They made a handsome couple, Thuth admitted to himself; and well suited to each other, if the reports of her temper had any truth to them.

Chlin was gratified to discover that the Fromu had come dressed in his yellow robes of high office, most likely to perform both ceremonies on the spot, he mused to himself happily. Thuth was, as always, in the somber black of his order; but he bore the yellow skullcap of ritual on a black velvet pillow. Both men wore enigmatic expressions as they moved to the front of the crowd and bowed shallowly to the man on the throne.

Chlin rose from his throne and motioned the priests to stand erect. "We are pleased to have again the Fromu Khyl with us at the Palace," he announced loudly and magnanimously.

The Fromu bowed again and answered in an equally loud and musical voice, "It is the first day of spring, Your Highness, and I am come as you requested."

"I trust the Lord Thuth discussed with you the nature of our urgent request?"

"He did, at length."

"And are you willing to perform the services requested of you?" Chlin had prepared himself mentally for days with the arguments he might need to convince the Fromu to break with the Law and tradition, and in spite of the yellow robes, he almost hoped the Fromu would object.

"I have no reasons to prevent the divorce between yourself and the Princess Karinna and then a marriage to the Lady Shamira, Highness," came the astonishing reply.

In the front of the crowd, Kari Hanu stiffened and jerked in surprise and consternation. A self-satisfied smile aimed in her direction by Shamira made the old woman seethe in anger. Now the reasons for Chlin's actions were clear, but the Fromu's reply was unprecedented.

On the dais, Chlin stared at the priestly nemesis with mouth agape until he finally managed, "What?"

The Fromu turned to Thuth and slipped a rolled parchment from where it had been held below the black pillow. "As required by Law and religion, I have a signed statement from the Princess Karinna, witnessed by myself and Lord Harryhl Jedh of the Halidu, attesting that she did willfully abandon the marriage."

The news shattered the rest of Chlin's facade, and he took a step backwards, nearly falling back into the throne. Even Shamira lost her look of smugness, and she fidgeted in her seat. The murmur from the astonished onlookers continued until Chlin managed to recover himself and regain some color in his cheeks. An expectant hush fell as the crowd watched him stand erect again, the anticipation obvious in their faces as they waited eagerly for the next developments. "I... we assume that this was the important business that kept you from returning with Lord Thuth from Tithede originally?"

The Fromu's musical voice remained calm and dispassionate. "Not entirely, Your Highness." Chlin's brows furled slightly at the continued and obvious use of the improper title for a King, but he said nothing and let the Fromu continue. "I was originally summoned to witness the birth of, and then seal the heritage of, the Princess Karinna's twin children, your heirs."

The tumult that resulted from this latest announcement covered completely the sharp cry from Shamira as she slipped from her seat in a dead faint. Chlin sat down heavily in his throne, all traces of color completely erased from his face. The Fromu's voice rose above the din and was relentless in continuing to demolish Chlin's composure. "I also witnessed, at the time of birth, the passing of the pendant known as Glymm to the chosen heir of King Hariki, thus giving Thaelia a new King, King Rhyl."

Complete chaos broke in the presence chamber. Hanu stood staring at the yellow-robed priest and marveling at his calm and detachment from the explosive news he had just delivered. Several Palace Guards rushed in as a result of the noise and then stood still in confusion, looking to Chlin for some indication of how the King wished them to act. Chlin gave no signs of realizing that the guards were present, so the Captain of the Guard drew his sword and struck his shield repeatedly like a gong. Gradually the noise died down, and the Captain again sheathed his sword and curtly ordered his men to take up stations around the perimeter of the room. Order restored, all eyes returned to the dais and the priests who still stood silently before it. Shamira stirred and revived by herself and groped her way back onto her seat, somewhat dismayed that her display had caused so little notice.

The Fromu waited until Chlin's glittering eyes again focused on him before again turning to Thuth to draw yet another parchment from below the pillow. "As a result of these events, I could find nothing in the Law or religion that prevents the divorce; and the official declaration here but requires your signature and a short service to be official and binding. Will you sign, Highness; and then we can proceed with the services?" He stepped forward and held out the parchment to Chlin.

Chlin took the document in a shaking hand and threw the other out for the quill and ink an aide held waiting. He scribbled his name wildly and looked back up, his face flushed a deep red and a maniacal gleam in his eyes. "You may proceed, Fromu. But the rest of you here take heed!" He staggered to his feet and glared at the faces of the crowd. "There is only one King of Thaelia here. I am the King! I AM THE KING!!! Look around you! The guards you see in this room are my guards. The army is my army! No snarking infant in the z'f'thoniku Halidem rules this land; I DO!" He caught Hanu's eyes and directed the next at her. "There will be no further discussion of this, do you understand? From any one of you; highborn or low, any remarks about this will be dealt with as treason! I AM THE KING!!!" He turned his glare back to the Fromu and said between clenched teeth as he tossed the parchment and quill at the priests' feet, "Proceed with the services."

In carefully controlled rage, Chlin sat back down as the Fromu reached for the skullcap and began the low chanting that would compromise the divorce ceremony. The crowd watching all closed their eyes, as was customary during the chanting; and after a few opening phrases, the Fromu's strong voice was augmented by the addition of Thuth's, which added a counterpoint. Both priests had their eyes closed as well, concentrating on the chanting; so there was nobody looking as Chlin leaned over to Shamira.

"I'm going to kill that man!" he snarled softly as Shamira clutched at his sleeve. "One way or another, I'll see him crushed in Chan's mills and his bones ground to powder!"

"No," Shamira hissed back, equally softly and vehemently. "If a mere acolyte could cause trouble amongst the people when you seize him, think of what killing the Fromu himself would cause! Don't let your anger lead you to do something rash and foolish - especially now!"

"I can't just let him walk away after defaming and offending me like that!"

"You had better do just that! Let him think he has won this round while you figure our a way to get your hands on your son. After all, he is doing what you wanted him to do; and even though is was through no fault of yours, you can take comfort in knowing that the death of his nephew will cause him at least some hurt."

"But to make the proclamation that my reign as invalid in front of all these chulos . . ."

"Chlin, listen to me!" Shamira shook the sleeve. "By letting him walk out of the Palace a free man, he may become complacent and make another mistake. Besides, you can begin planning how you are going to get your son away from the mountains. Once you have him, then there would be no threat to your reign, right?"

"But the Glymm..."

"That pendant you used to moon over that your father took with him when he disappeared? What of it?" Shamira whispered scathingly. "When you have the boy, you have the Glymm; although you have enough of these already." She flicked a finger through the chains about his neck.

Chlin looked down at the chains around his neck and then, with a tight smile, back up at Shamira. "Even though you have no idea what that pendant means, you're right; much as I wish it otherwise. I'm glad you're with me and not against me." He took her hand none too gently and focused on the chanting with closed eyes hiding the fact that he was concentrating, not on the ceremony, but on how he was going to turn this new disadvantage around.

The Fromu's and Thuth's chanting faded away, and all in the room quickly made the sign. The Fromu opened his eyes and looked at the man on the throne. "I declare the marriage of Chlin d'ganech and Karinna Domagi finished in the eyes of Thara and those present. We will now commence with the wedding."

The look in Chlin's eyes as they opened made the Fromu uneasy, and he told himself that rushing the chanting of the wedding service might not be such a bad idea.

x

"The One grant that I never have to pass another day like today!" Thuth exclaimed tiredly as he and the Fromu entered the sanctuary of the temple. "For a moment I thought we wouldn't survive long enough to perform the wedding at all!"

"WE aren't safe yet," the Fromu cautioned. "Chlin dared do nothing to us in front of all those people, but I fear the only place we may be safe is in Tithede, which is a long way from here."

"What will we do now, wait for Chlin to come and haul us to his dungeon like he did to Lanji?" Thuth's voice rose as his long-repressed anxiety surfaced.

"Be calm, Pra Thuth; remember, calm and objectivity. Giving way to your fears only impedes constructive progress," the Fromu chided softly. "I have no intention of being here to receive any backlash from today's events. And you should know that I would never leave all of you, my brothers, to face it in my stead. Look."

Thuth stared at the niches in the wall of the sanctuary. All of the meditation candles were lit, and each had two or more figures sitting before it. "I called the entire brotherhood from the city into this temple tonight, stopping at each of the smaller temple in the city on my way from the gate to here yesterday." The Fromu smiled at Thuth's incredulous expression. "There are ways out of Tharea, and then there are ways that Chlin and his probing never knew existed. Tonight, we all leave the city and the dangers behind."

"But there are nearly a hundred brothers," Thuth complained. "How can we all escape undetected, and where will they all go? A crowd of black robes on the road will surely cause comment." Thuth shook his head. "Besides, there are some too old or ill to undertake any long journey."

The Fromu led the way past the altar and into the serenity of the rock garden without answering. He gazed long at the stark beauty displayed by the shadows cast by the moons before continuing. "There are many temples nearby where an extra old priest will cause no comment or even be noticed. The rest of us will travel neither as priests nor together in one large group. Chlin seeks to bring the brotherhood under his heavy fist, and this must never take place. With a few exceptions, all of us will scatter into the outlying temples to await a final recall to Tithede. The withdrawal must be gradual and unimpressive, except for here in the city."

"No, Pra Fromu."

The Fromu looked over at Thuth, eyebrows raised in surprise. It was not often that his decisions were questioned, much less argued with. Thuth's face wore none of the apprehension of just a few moments before, and the expression in his eyes as he met the Fromu's questioning gaze was calm and neutral. "No what, Pra Thuth?"

"No, it won't work. Chlin probably has all of the temples in the city under observation by now, and any lack of activity will make him suspicious. Besides, he seeks to control all of us through you, since that is the only way he could possibly succeed. If you were not within his reach, he could have no hopes of making the brotherhood bow to him. You, Pra Fromu, must leave Tharea, taking with you some of the more learned brothers back to Tithede with you; and at the same time, those of us who choose to remain behind will give the temples the look of normalcy that will allay any doubts as to your whereabouts for a much longer period of time than would have happened as a result of your plan."

"Those who remain will be at Chlin's mercy when he discovers that I and some other brothers are long gone. I couldn't be responsible for anyone getting hurt trying to protect me."

Thuth only allowed a ghost of a smile to lift the corners of his mouth. "How many times have you reminded me that the responsibility for a man's destiny lies with that man and no other, with the only exception being murder? Besides, there is much more at stake than just the welfare of you personally; the freedom of the brotherhood and the hope for freedom for the rest of Thaelia travel with you to Tithede."

The Fromu snorted softly, something he rarely did. If the circumstances hadn't been so serious, he would have burst out laughing. "Leave it to you to turn my own arguments against me, my brother. You surprise me; you left me no logical argument for what I had planned. Alright, for the sake of argument, who would you suggest that I take with me back to Tithede?"

Thuth rapidly ticked off several names on his fingers, and the Fromu nodded his approval each time. Then he frowned as Thuth fell silent without having mentioned his own name. "Aren't you forgetting yourself?"

"No, Pra Fromu. If we are to succeed in keeping the King off balance, we will need a brother of some importance to stay behind. Except for just recently, there has never been a time that Tharea has been totally without a figure of authority in charge of the temples. Remember, we do this to buy time for you to get as far from here as possible before Chlin figures out what we're up to."

The Fromu returned his gaze to the empty rock garden, nodding yet again. "What is more, the public outcry at your arrest, or whatever he might do with any of you would make the outcry at Lanji's arrest seem small by comparison." Thuth bowed shallowly at the tone of approval in his superior's voice. "You are a better strategist than I gave you credit for, Pra Thuth. We will tell the brothers of the change in plans during the evening services, and then let those brothers who wish to remain behind with you make their decisions later."

Thuth bowed again to his superior, and then the two priests fell silent and contemplated the silent beauty of the lifeless garden, each wrapped in their own thoughts that neither was willing to share with the other for the time being.

x

"What do you mean, you don't know where he is?" Hanu screeched at the wide-eyed lieutenants. Never had the men seen their tiny leader so upset. Narik cleared his throat nervously. "He hasn't been to his home in a week, Lady. His wife is beginning to get quite worried."

"When was he last seen? Were there any papers in his office to give you a clue to where he might have gone or whom he might have seen?" The questions were worried demands.

Mylu shrugged. "The last time I saw him, he told me he was going that night to meet somebody about getting into the dungeon to see the priest. He didn't mention any names, but he seemed to feel he was close to his objective."

"His desk had been ransacked when I went in yesterday," Kor added in concern. "There were papers strewn all over the desk and floor, none of them having anything to do with Lanji, the dungeon or anything else about that particular task."

"Z'f'thon!" Hanu spat and struck the table, using a man's curse in the presence of others for the first time. "He must have been discovered - that's the only reason he would have deserted that pretty young wife of his. But how? No one but those of us here knew of what he was doing."

"None of us would have betrayed him or you, Lady," Cham spoke up vehemently. "We are loyal to you and the good of Thaelia, you know that!"

"Yes, yes, I know. I wasn't accusing any of you here. But who? How?" Hanu struck the table again in frustration.

"Perhaps some arrangement we made was overheard and reported," Kor suggested. "I can remember the Chlin gathered much intelligence by eavesdropping from the secret passages before he joined us on the river."

Hanu looked up at the young man, a sharp, thoughtful expression on her face. "Secret passages, of course! How could I have forgotten!" She jumped out of her seat and hurried to the door. "Mylu and Cham, you stay here and keep talking. Kor, you and the rest come with me."

Silently she led the men to the end of the hallway, pausing to count the blocks from the dead-end wall they were approaching. She pointed to a block just out of her reach. "That one, Narik. Push it." He obeyed, and section of the wall they had just passed shifted open slightly. Kor pulled it completely open, marveling that the process was done on silent hinges.

Hanu shook a warning finger at Narik and Kor. "You two stay here and sound a warning if you hear anyone coming, understand?" As Narik nodded, she continued, "And don't let this thing close, whatever you do. I have no idea where the trigger would be on the other side. Fichiku, with me" With that she led the young man into the dark behind the wall.

The passageway led back parallel to the hallway for a dozen paces and then turned a square corner to the left. As Hanu and Fichiku rounded the corner, they could hear muffled voices from the other side of what was now revealed as a thin, wooden wall. Stifling a curse, Hanu ran her hand along the wall until she found a tiny knob set into the wood and pulled it toward her. A small square portion of the wall moved back with the knob, and the voices of Mylu and Cham became clear as they continued to discuss the weather. "That will do, gentlemen. Please join the others in the hall." Hanu could well imagine the startled looks on her two aides' faces at her clipped tone coming as if from nowhere. At the opening, she waited for the young man to move out of the way and then closed the wall and wait for the two remaining lieutenants to join the group.

"As you can see," she said, pointing to the now-closed passage opening, "we must assume that all of our meetings, or at least some of them, have been overheard. We have gained a slight advantage, however, in that we have remembered and discovered the one here without being observed. Thal's disappearance can only be the work of Chlin's new network of spies - little consolation to wife Lavita, or should I say widow? We'll most likely never know now. We will need to find a secure place to meet when we have something that the King might not approve of on the agenda, and I leave it to you gentlemen to come up with such a place. Otherwise, our meetings will be business only; and I hope Chlin chokes on the boring details. Go on now. We meet again in four days - in a secure place!"

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