Free Shards of a Broken Crown by Raymond Feist Page A

than
most people understand.”
    Miranda and Pug
exchanged glances, and Pug said, “Yes, but I am not free to
share details.
    “As for
why we didn’t seek Tsurani aid, our relationships with the
Empire have never been the same since Makala.”
    Kalari said,
“Ah,” and nodded in understanding. A Tsurani Great One,
Makala had come to the Prince of Krondor’s court years before,
ostensibly to act as a liaison between the Assembly on Kelewan and
the Prince, but in fact had come as a self-appointed spy determined
to discover the secret of what truly happened at Sethanon at the end
of the Riftwar.
    He had been
motivated by loyalty to the Empire and the fear of some Kingdom plot
or weapon of great power, and had actually discovered the secret of
the Lifestone. Through agents who chanced upon one another near
Sethanon, he had become a party to a conspiracy involving the
Brotherhood of the Dark Path. Only the intervention of a renegade
moredhel chieftain had prevented a major catastrophe.
    Makala and four
of his allies from the Tsurani homeworld had ensorceled the great
dragon oracle that lived below the city of Sethanon, and were on the
verge of unlocking the Lifestone when Pug and his companions had
arrived. That secret had died with Makala and his four companions,
deep in the chamber below the city. His betrayal of the trust given
him had strained relationships between the Kingdom and Empire for a
decade. Only members of the Assembly on Kelewan and a few trusted
advisors to the Prince of Krondor knew of the incident; it served as
a cautionary tale on both sides of the rift. Since then, all business
between the Empire of Tsuranuanni and the Kingdom of the Isles had
been conducted in the most formal, cautious of fashions. More than
once it had been suggested that the rift between the worlds be
permanently closed, yet trading between them continued. But it was
now limited to the one rift located on Stardock, hence the Empire’s
presence at these negotiations. They were anxious that this one
passage between the worlds be kept open.
    “Yet,”
said Kalari, “it seemed prudent to you to request our help in
that display of might we arranged for the Keshians?”
    Pug shook his
head and shrugged. “Nakor.”
    Kalari returned
the smile. “He is the most unusual fellow.”
    Pug agreed.
    Miranda said,
“What will you tell Patrick?”
    Pug let out a
long, tired sigh. “Many things; none of which he will enjoy
hearing.”

    Prince Patrick
appeared on the verge of rage. His normally light complexion reddened
and his voice rose. “Autonomous? What is that supposed to
mean?” he shouted.
    Pug sighed.
Unlike his predecessor, Prince Arutha, Patrick lacked vision. Pug
reminded himself that in most ways the Prince was a young man, and
unlike Prince Arutha, who had leadership thrust upon him, a young man
untempered in the cauldron of war. While his city had been destroyed,
Patrick had been safe in the East, at the King’s insistence.
Pug suspected much of Patrick’s ill humor came from frustration
and his inability to do other than his father’s bidding.
    With even tones,
Pug said, “The magicians at Stardock require—”
    “Require!”
shouted Patrick. “They
require
!” He stood up
from his throne, formerly the state chair of the Baron of Darkmoor,
and took a step down to stand directly before Pug. “Let me tell
you what their King requires. He requires their unswerving loyalty
and
obedience
!”
    Pug looked at
his grandson, the Duke Arutha, who gave his head a slight shake,
indicating there was little use in talking to the Prince when he was
in a rage. Pug didn’t care. He was three times the Prince’s
age and had seen more than most men did in a dozen lifetimes and he
was tired. “Patrick,” he said evenly. “Sometimes
you lose.”
    “These are
our citizens! They live within the borders of the Kingdom.”
    Nakor, who had
been silently standing to one side with his student, Sho Pi, said,
“Only if the old borders are