Rebellion

CHAPTER 106

“You look dreadful,” said Rix from the entrance to the chancellor’s quarters. He could see the man himself, at the rear, bent over a stack of papers.

The chancellor’s head lifted and he gave a sardonic smile. “If I looked as bad as you do, I’d know I was about to die. Come in and get it over with, whatever it is you want.”

Rix limped in on Glynnie’s arm. Three days had passed since the fight with Grandys but his face was still swollen and covered in yellowing bruises, his split lip was scabbed and blue, and he ached all over. But at least he was getting better. Whatever ailed the chancellor appeared terminal and it had affected the whole army. The officers Rix had met on his way through the camp all looked defeated. They were going through the motions, waiting for the inevitable end.

Nonetheless, he felt that familiar gnawing in his belly. The chancellor had publicly condemned him and there was no saying he felt the way he had at Glimmering, when he had held Rix up to the world as a hero. If the chancellor was on the way out, he might feel that it was time to settle old scores, permanently.

They stared at one another for a long time. Finally the chancellor said, “Well?”

“You may take it that I’m no longer under the thrall of Grandys’ command spell,” said Rix.

“So I’ve heard.”

“What have you heard?”

“The tale spread across Hightspall like a forest fire.” The chancellor’s eyes slid sideways onto Glynnie. “May I see it?” He held out his hand.

After a brief hesitation, she reached into her bag, brought out the black opal armour broken off Grandys’ nose and dropped it in the chancellor’s small, wrinkled hand. He looked down at it, then laughed until tears flooded from his eyes.

“How tall are you, Glynnie?”

“Five foot two,” she said, frowning.

“And Grandys is six foot eight.” He looked up at Rix. “It’s true then? She knocked the bastard down?”

“Glynnie got in five blows with a six-foot baulk of timber,” Rix said proudly. “Flattened his ugly nose against his bloated face, knocked him to his knees and had him howling and spitting blood.”

“Ah, thank you, thank you,” said the chancellor. “You’ve done me more good in a minute than all my healers and all their blasted potions have in a week.” He handed the piece of opal back and wiped his face. “You’ll want to keep that to show your grandchildren.”

“It wasn’t just me,” said Glynnie. “Rix fought Grandys to a standstill. He knocked out two front teeth, gave him a black eye and, but for a greasy plate underfoot, would have won. And Rix stole his horse. Don’t forget that.”

The chancellor’s lip twitched. “Did he now? Ah, that’s the icing. Well, Ricinus, you find me brought to a new low. My arm gone — ” He flapped his stump. “Half my army lost or deserted. Hope fading by the minute and, according to my spies, Lyf is already marching north to attack us. I’m in such desperate straits that I’m even prepared to enlist vagabonds, traitors and condemned shifters, so why should I baulk at a Herovian, dead-handed horse thief?”

“I don’t believe I am Herovian,” said Rix. “And I can’t say I go for their ideals.”

“Whatever! Is that what you came for — to hear that all is forgiven?”

“No,” said Rix. “I haven’t forgiven anything. I want a commission in your army — a captain’s rank.”

“A captain’s rank?”

“At Glimmering you sang my praises,” Rix said defensively. “You told the world how greatly my victory had improved morale.”

“Glimmering, yes,” said the chancellor, as though that had been a lifetime away. “But a captain’s rank… I’ll have to think about that.”

Rix swallowed. It did not appear as though the chancellor had forgiven anything either.

“But, surely — ?” said Glynnie.

“I said I’d think about it,” the chancellor said mildly. “In a day or two we’ll ride to Reffering. You can be sure Grandys won’t be far away, but which side will he fight on? Sit down. Eat, drink. We’re all going to die and I’ve broken out the best bottles I have. Let’s raise a glass to the end of the world.”