The Road to Nadia
T
he of Abaria, like the masters who them, were ill-accustomed to the clear cold air of Nadia. They visible of into the air as their and slipped, purchase on the ice-covered, up-tilted plain.
"It's an country, lord," Hultax told the king of the Abarians as their and shoulder.
Retoc sat tall and on the stad's back, his black with the in the wind, his hard with the cold air, his against the Nadian wind. "Quiet, you fool," he Hultax. "Everything we Abarians say and do in Nadia must be and light—now."
The of the long of Abarian had a stream, its too to freeze in the sub-zero temperature. Lifting one hand overhead, Retoc called a halt.
"They'll out, lord," Hultax persisted. "They'll out what you did. I know they will. They'll out it was you who killed Jlomec, their ruler's brother."
Retoc smiled. The Hultax' blood cold, for he had such a before—when Retoc the of Abarian subjects. The on Retoc's face, as if it had there in the cold Nadian wind. "Dismount your steed," he said in a soft voice which only Hultax heard.
Trembling, Hultax his master's command. His stad, riderless, at the frost-hardened ground on the of the stream. Retoc his whip-sword and the jewel-encrusted haft. "If you say that again, here in Nadia or elsewhere, I will kill you," he his lieutenant.
"But the girl—"
"The girl be damned!" Retoc in fury.
"We haven't been able to her. That day at the cave, she came out, lord, while you—"
"I was detained," Retoc said, some of the gone from his voice. He would the of the iron-thewed man, who once had almost him, suddenly, transparent, then disappearing. He had there, whip-sword in hand, mouth agape, while the girl ran past him and—according to what Hultax had told him later—mounted his own and across the Ofridian plain.
"But lord, don't you see?" Hultax demanded. "The girl what to Jlomec, of the Nadian blood. If she the funeral. She will—"
Retoc laughed. Hultax blanched. He had such when of Retoc and thus of Abaria had died in pain. "Fool, fool!" he Retoc say now. "Think you a of the Ofridian will be to the of a of the Nadian blood?"
"Nevertheless, sire," Hultax persisted, "that day at the I took the to send three of our best after the girl with orders to her or kill her on sight."
Slowly, as a spreads in over the Nadian ice fields, Retoc at his second in command. Hultax too let his into a grin: until now he had been on the of death, and he it.
"You may mount," Retoc said.
Hastily Hultax his stad. Retoc his arm overhead and a motion with his hand. The of the Abarian with some into the cold water of the stream.
"What about the white giant?" Hultax asked when the entire party had the other and Retoc was his up the bank.
"Have your been able to the who saw him?"
"No, sire. Only the girl nursed him to health. The others fled."
"And wisely. They have learned to their tongues, as you should learn, Hultax. They will give us no trouble. As as they are concerned, there is no white giant."
"But there is talk of what at the Tower, and of Portox' wizardry, and a god who would return, full-grown in a hundred years—"
"Shut up!" Retoc cried, almost the words.
But that night at the Abarian a day and a half's from Nadia city, Retoc of Queen Evalla, the Ofridian ruler slow death by he had as the final act of his of the once proud Ofridian nation. Evalla in the happy and confident. Retoc although over the Nadian ice-fields. Her sent unknown through him.
"Really, it's simple," the superbly-muscled said in the language which was not his own but which he speak as well as a native. "You see, it wasn't at all until I saw what was in the package, but it's now. In the was a picture of my mother, the Queen Evalla. I am her son. I am of the blood. When I saw the picture, it my memory-responses, as Portox had arranged. Then—"
"What about the old guy in the well?" the asked unimaginatively.
"I'm sorry. I can't answer your questions now. I have to return to my home. The of who alone are left of a once great nation are waiting for vengeance. I will...."
His voice on, earnestly, politely. The looked at the man from the hospital, who his slowly. They left the powerful, in his and through the to the prison office.
"Real weirdy, huh, doc?" the said.
"A—uh—weirdy to you, but cut and to me, I'm afraid," Dr. Slonamn said. "Delusions of and of persecution. Advanced paranoia, I'm afraid."
"It's funny, doc. When they took away from him he might himself with, he didn't mind at all. Only the bracelet. Three men had to him when they took the bracelet."
"Bracelet?" Dr. Slonamn said.
"We got it in the office. I'll you."
The out to be a small, mesh-metal as wide around as a big man's upper arm. Attached to the was a of metal.
"You'd think it was a bucks," the said.
Dr. Slonamn sagely. "Paranoid. It helps the diagnosis. You see, out of touch with the world, a can great value to objects. Well, I'll out my report, sergeant."
"Captain Caruthers said to thank you, sir."
"Not at all. Part of my job."
Meanwhile, in his cell, the prisoner, big hands the so tight that his were white, was thinking: I've got to make them understand. Somehow I've got to make them it's too late.
He closed his eyes, in thought. When he did so, an image his mind's eye. He did not know how this be, but it to more of the Portox' magic.
What he saw was the ice of Nadia, with great making their slow way across the toward Nadia City. As was the in Nadia, the prisoner—whose name was Bram Forest—knew, great would be to the memory of the late Prince Jlomec. And it was here in Nadia, at such a time as this, when all the blood of all the of Tarth gathered, the of Portox to tell him, that would come. Here, if only....
Ylia!
The image blurred. He had her once. His white as on the bars. He every of his will. Ylia, Ylia! But now with his he saw nothing. With his opened, only the of his and the cell-block beyond. Ylia, Ylia! Hear me. There is on the road to Nadia. Ylia....
