Free Serpent's Silver by Piers Anthony

assumed that Blastmore was ignorant of the ways of the tax collectors, and it would have been awkward to disabuse him. But now it was time to begin asserting himself with Melbah, knowing that they were in agreement anyway. He needed to prepare for the time when they might not be in agreement.
    Now, raising his eyes from the chessboard, he found General Ashcroft standing in front of him. A tall man with heavy eyebrows, he had always appeared as if conjured by Melbah’s magic. The general was her man, Blastmore knew. He was making it a point to know the identities of all her men, just in case.
    “Your Majesty,” General Ashcroft said. “Following your specific orders, I have kept track of the roundear known as St. Helens. As you know, he tried to stir up sedition and create rebellion in various parts of the realm. Each time, following orders, Melbah has thrown the fear of magic into those he appointed leaders. A tornado, a fire, a groundquake, a flood—and rebellion dies before it’s born. All who foolishly still opposed your policies have died, with the exception of St. Helens, who was allowed each time to escape.”
    “That is well,” Blastmore said. How clever of him to have thought this out. It hadn’t even been Melbah’s suggestion, though he knew she gladly dealt the punishments. It was like a chess game, leaving an avenue for the opponent to escape a trap—an avenue that led to a worse trap. “And now?”
    “Now, Your Majesty, the Roundear has left Aratex’s borders.”
    “What?” Blastmore could hardly believe his ears.
    “He has recrossed the river into Rud. He has heard reports that his daughter is now married to the Roundear there. It is believed by my agents that he has gone to this Roundear of Prophecy to get his aid and perhaps also help from the king of Rud.”
    “Against me? Against Melbah?”
    “Do you wish to send assassins?”
    Hmm. Assassinate the Roundear of Prophecy, and that would stop St. Helens from seeking his help. But possibly St. Helens wasn’t bent on mischief, and besides, Blastmore had so enjoyed his stories and his chess. He had hoped that after some experience with the degenerate rebel elements of the kingdom, St. Helens would recognize the need to keep them down, and would have a change of heart. That might still occur. Suddenly he had an inspiration.
    “I want him followed in Rud. When this is practical I want him captured, taken across the river into Aratex, arrested, and brought here in chains.”
    The general nodded, saluted, and departed.
    There, he thought with a satisfied smile. This was going to fix everything.
    *
    Kelvin regretted having the Crumbs and his sister along, long before they reached the capital and the site of the old palace. St. Helens was like a lizard that changed its coloration to suit its background. Not only did he soothe them with his rough charms, he also won their respect. When he wasn’t talking to Mor about the battles that had been fought on Earth, he was imparting knowledge to Lester of what Earth was like. If he wasn’t reciting bits of Earth poetry to Heln—who seemed to like it in spite of herself—he was delighting Jon with accounts of something called Women’s Liberation. “We need that here,” Jon said at one point. Trust her to pick up on this. As roughnecked as ever, despite her late-found femininity, she had just demonstrated her prowess by downing a distant game bird. As she put her sling away Lester rode for the bird. Kelvin stayed and listened, trapped here regardless of his preference. “I never did see why men should have all the fun.”
    “Bite your tongue, Brother Wart!” Kelvin said in the manner of their so-recent youth. “You walked with me into dragon country, you helped fight Rud’s war, you reached the palace ahead of the troops, you rescued me from the magician, and you got yourself almost drained of your last drop of blood. What more could a man enjoy.”
    “I did all that disguised as a boy,” she