Land's End, Part 8
Gilbetron managed to talk Nieka out of continuing on to Lystria. If she was hoping that Telematrice would suddenly experience a wave of regret upon the presentation of a Question, even one implicating her of murdering a nobleman, she would be sadly mistaken. It’s not that Telematrice didn’t have a heart; it’s just that this Telematrice didn’t.
He couldn’t deny Nieka her moment of surprise.
At some point during the last few months, one of the surviving Telematric had begun replacing his wife’s Sisterhood one by one. The interloper must have stolen or found some means of tricking Telematrice’s sceptre. The entire Sisterhood had pledged their fealty to Telematrice on it years ago, following the Massacre of 993. But perhap one of their number had never taken that oath.
“An impostor sits on the throne of Lystria,” Gilbetron spat, “and my wife has been taken. We have to rescue her, and the rest of the Sisterhood, too. Who knows where they’ve been taken?”
“We?” Nieka asked, taken aback. “What do you need me for? All I came for was to exact revenge on my father’s murderer. Now that I know what other crimes have been committed, I’m more convinced than ever to make her pay.”
Gibletron sighed. “And how are you going to do that?”
“I’ll think of something,” she said. “I’m not as helpless as people take me for.”
“I’m sure that’s true,” Gilbetron agreed. “But your family took a blood oath to serve the Royal Line. If it wasn’t for Telematrice and myself, Nabon would still be under Bobolonious’s occupation. You owe us your freedom, Nieka. How can you turn your back on her?”
Nieka sat down heavily in the a wooden chair by the door. “You said yourself that you don’t know where they’ve gone.”
“Yes, but I have a secret weapon.” He dug into his pocket and held up the small crystal. “This crystal led me to you for a reason, and now I believe it will lead me to Telematrice.”
“Where did you get it?”
“From a man… I think, anyway.” He scratched his head irritably. “I actually don’t know, but a cloaked man gave it to me in Lystria. He told me it would help me find what I search for. The moment I came into contact with me, it began to glow.”
Nieka gestured broadly. “All right, Lord. Then lead the way.”
He closed his eyes and slowly began turning in a circle, waiting for the crystal to give some indication. When he had completed the circle without any hints from the crystal, he popped his eyes open. He shrugged, and pointed to the room’s only door.
“Well, the door seems as good a place to start as any.”