Limits by Larry Niven (tohfa e dulha read online TXT) 📗

old wound keeps you awake nonetheless? Well, tell me of these invaders. If you can lure them here, I and my army will pull them under the water.”

Karskon thought that Minterl’s ancient king couldn’t have drowned a bumblebee. Again he kept silent, while Durily said, “They invaded the year after the great quake. They have ruled Minterl for seventy-four years. The palace is drowned but for these top floors.” Durily’s voice became a whip. “They are used as an inn! Rabbits and chickens are kept where the fighting-birds roosted!”

The ghost-king’s voice grew stronger. “Why was I not told?”

This time Karskon spoke. “We can’t lure them here, to a drowned island. We must fight them where they rule, in Beesh.”

“And who are you?”

“I am Karskon Lor, Your Majesty. My mother was of Beesh. My father, a Torovan calling himself a lord, Chamil of Konth. Lord Chamil raised me to be his librarian. His legitimate sons he—” Karskon fell silent.

“You’re a Torovan’s bastard?”

“Yes.”

“But you would strike against the Torovan invaders. How?”

Durily seemed minded to let him speak. Karskon lifted the silver eye patch to show the great green gem. “There were two of these, weren’t there?”

“Yes.”

“Durily tells me they were used for spying.”

The King said, “What you keep in your eye socket was the traveling stone. Usually I had it mounted in a ring. If I thought a lord needed watching, I made him a present of it. If he was innocent I made him another present and took it back.”

Karskon heaved a shuddering sigh. He had almost believed; always he had almost believed.

Durily asked, “Where was the other stone?”

“Did your mother tell you of my secret suite? For times when I wanted company away from the Queen? It was a very badly kept secret. Many ladies could describe that room. Your mother was one.”

“Yes.”

The ghost smiled. “But it stood empty most of the time, except for the man on watch in the bathing chamber. There is a statue of the one-eyed god in the bathing chamber, and its eye is a cat’s-eye emerald.”

Durily nodded. “Can you guide us there?”

“I can. Can you breathe under water?”

Durily smiled. “Yes.”

“The gem holds mana. If it leaves Minterl castle, the ghosts will fade.”

Durily lost her smile. “King Nihilil—”

“I will show you. Duty runs two ways between a king and his subjects. Now?”

“A day or two. We’ll have to reach the stairwell, past the innkeeper’s family.”

The ghosts went where ghosts go. Karskon and Durily pulled the wool loose from the windows and opened them wide. A brisk sea wind whipped away the smell of scorched blood. “I wish we could have done this on the roof,” she said viciously. “Among Rordray’s damned chickens. Used their blood.”

It happened the second day after their arrival. Karskon was expecting it.

The dining room was jammed before noon. Rordray’s huge pot of stew dwindled almost to nothing. He set his older children to frying thick steaks with black pepper and cream and essence of wine, his younger children to serving. Providentially Merle showed up, and Rordray set him to moving tables and chairs to the roof. The younger children set the extra tables.

Karskon and Durily found themselves squeezing through a host of seamen to reach the roof. Rordray laughed as he apologized. “But after all, it’s your own doing! I have red meat! Usually there is nothing but fish and shellfish. What do you prefer? My stew has evaporated, poof, but I can offer—”

Durily asked, “Is there still fish?” Rordray nodded happily and vanished.

Cages of rabbits and pigeons and large, bewildered-looking moas had been clustered in the center of the roof, to give the diners a sea view. A salvo of torpedoes shot from the sea: bottlenosed mammals with a laughing expression. They acted like they were trying to get someone’s attention. Merle, carrying a table and chairs, said, “Merpeople. They must be lost. Where the magic’s been used up they lose their half-human shape, and their sense too. If they’re still around when I put out I’ll lead them out to sea.”

Rordray served them himself, but didn’t join them. Today he was too busy. Under a brilliant blue sky they ate island-fish baked with slivered nuts and some kind of liqueur, and vegetables treated with respect. They ate quickly. Butterflies fluttered in Karskon’s belly, but he was jubilant.

Rordray had red meat. Of course the Attic was jammed, of course Rordray and his family were busy as a fallen beehive. The third floor would be entirely deserted.

Water, black and stagnant, covered the sixth step down. Durily stopped before she reached it. “Come closer,” she said. “Stay close to me.”

Karskon’s protective urge responded to her fear and her beauty. But, he reminded himself, it wasn’t his nearness she needed; it was the gem.…He moved down to join Durily and her ally.

She arrayed her equipment on the steps. No blood this time: King Nihilil was already with them, barely, like an intrusive memory at her side.

She began to chant in the Sorcerer’s Guild tongue.

The water sank, step by step. What had been done seventy-odd years ago could be undone, partially, temporarily.

Durily’s voice grew deep and rusty. Karskon watched as her hair faded from golden to white, as the curves of her body drooped. Wrinkles formed on her face, her neck, her arms.

Glamour is a lesser magic, but it takes mana. The magic that was Durily’s youth was being used to move seawater now. Karskon had thought he was ready for this. Now he found himself staring, flinching back, until Durily, without interrupting herself, snarled (teeth brown or missing) and gestured him down.

He descended the wet stone stairs. Durily followed, moving stiffly. King Nihilil floated ahead of them like foxfire on the water.

The sea had left the upper floors, but water still sluiced from the landings. Karskon’s torch illuminated dripping walls, and once a stranded fish. Within his chest his heart was fighting for its freedom.

On the fifth floor down there were side corridors. Karskon, peering into their darkness, shied violently from a glimpse