The End of the Game Read online

  “If we’re forced to sit at table together, maybe I can find out what the problem is.”

  “Well, why in the name of the Hundred Devils didn’t you say so? I’ll speak to her table mistress.”

  So, in a day or two, there was a general reassignment of tables, and I found myself at the same one as Dedrina-Lucir. She had been stripped of some of her closest followers in the reassignment and some new students had been included, so we started on more or less equal footing.

  I had thought she might wait a day or two before attacking, but evidently her anger would not let her. At the end of the first meal, she slitted her eyes at me over the fruit and said, “You’re the girl they call Dangle-wit, aren’t you?”

  “I am the Gameswoman you call Dangle-wit,” I replied quietly, smiling at the pawn who was serving the soup. “Though it is a discourteous thing to call any fellow student by other than her correct name. I am sure you will learn that, however, if you stay here at Vorbold’s House long enough. They are excellent teachers of courtesy and Gamesmanlike behavior.” I then smiled at her, a very open, friendly smile, one I had practiced with Bets for at least an hour. That smile was faultless, and I made sure the table mistress saw it.

  Dedrina’s eyes narrowed. I saw the lizard for a moment. Almost I heard the hiss. “I thought it was your name,” she said. “Everyone uses it.”

  “Everyone you have Beguiled to do so uses it,” I said. “Though I’m sure you have not intended to influence them in this way. I understand it is terribly difficult not to use one’s Talent when one is accustomed to it. Being a Basilisk must be very difficult for you. Not having any Talent myself, I can only accept what I am told by others.”

  These well-rehearsed words were triple-edged. It told those at table she was Basilisk, though she had chosen to wear no device. It reminded them not only that using Talent in Xammer was forbidden, but that using it against a student who had not yet showed Talent was considered plain un-Gamely. She flushed. I saw it and so did two of her hangers-on, who looked puzzled and somewhat ashamed at her discomfiture. I, however, merely smiled again and got into conversation with the newly arrived student across from me. I had been astonished to find I knew her. It was Lunette of Pouws, and I wanted to be sure she knew my standing, or rather lack of it, in the Game between Pouws and Stoneflight.

  “I was contracted to King Kelver as part of an alliance,” I told her in my most sincere voice as soon as I had reminded her who I was. “I’ve never met the King, and since he has a living wife, I may not meet him for many years. I did not seek the betrothal, or the alliance, though I must say it was one way to escape from Stoneflight Demesne ...”

  “I remember your mother,” she said, making a little face. “We stayed at Stoneflight once. I remember Mendost, as well. He tried to get me into his bed, though I was only a child, and Dorto objected to his behavior.”

  Lunette was chilly, but not hostile, and under the circumstances I considered her behavior generous.

  “Mendost is impossible,” I murmured. “He will end by getting himself killed, but only after he has sacrificed every other inhabitant of Stoneflight Demesne. If you speak to your brother, Dorto, tell him from me to trust no settlement or negotiation which Mendost brings.”

  “Why would you tell me this?” she murmured, under cover of the dishes being cleared. “You are his sister ...”

  “I have as much reason to hate Mendost as you do,” I answered. “But I have no reason to dislike Pouws, or any person from that Demesne. I offer you my friendship, Lunette. Take it if you will. If you will not, at least know that I am no part of Mendost’s Game.” Then, I could not forebear adding, “And watch out for Dedrina-Lucir. She will draw you in and use you if she can.”

  “I heard you say Basilisk,” she murmured behind her napkin. “Was that true?”

  “Watch her, and make up your own mind.” We rose then, I to go off to the courtyard visitors room. Dedrina-Lucir went who knows where, but very pale she went and burning with rage. The table mistress had rebuked her for discourtesy, and for one of that proud nature, it must have felt like the blow of a sword.

  “Well?” asked Bets, eyes shining, wanting to hear every detail. I told them what had happened.

  “She’ll bite.” Tess Tinder-my-hand nodded, her white hair waving. “She’ll bite. She’s too angry to do anything else. By Mother Didir, she will.”

  “I fear for Jinian,” whispered Sarah. “Have we gone too far?”

  “Dangerous,” Margaret Foxmitten agreed, “but necessary. We must bring her out into the open.” She bent above some needlework she was doing, hair shining in the lamplight. I wondered why Margaret stayed without a man. In some lights, in some times she was so beautiful.

  My thoughts were interrupted by Murzy. “You’re right, Margaret. She’ll bite. But the teeth will be sharp. Which means we must be ready. Now, what shall it be? Herbary? Field magic? Summoning? Casting?”

  “It cannot be Talent. It must not be wize-art,” said Cat. “Jinian may be questioned about it.”

  It was true. If something happened to Dedrina, I might be asked. I might be asked by a Demon. We had at least one Demon Gamesmistress who could Read what I had for breakfast yesterday after I had forgotten what it was myself. If there were sufficient reason, the ban against use of Talents in Xammer would be set aside.

  “Stones,” said Cat, suddenly.

  The rest were silent, thinking. I had no idea what Cat meant. I had learned no stone magic. They looked as puzzled as I did.

  “Footseer,” Cat said impatiently. “Old Road.”

  “Old Road here?” asked Sarah, her face full of wonder. “In Xammer?”

  “Just outside,” I said. Gamesmistress Joumerie had pointed it out during some lesson or other. A lengthy chunk of Old Road ran just east of Xammer, parallel to the Great North Road. “But what of it? What use is it?”

  “Basilisks can’t see in the dark, no more than you or I,” said Cat. “On the Old Road, Footseer can.”

  They started plotting, and arguing, and plotting more. At last I had to leave them, for the hours for visiting were done.

  “Mind, now,” said Murzy. “You don’t ride or walk or go anywhere alone until this is planned out.”

  “Yes, Murzy. No, Murzy,” I agreed. “I won’t.” Remembering my former encounter with a Basilisk, I wasn’t at all eager to meet another.

  10

  The next evening, Margaret Foxmitten came to visit, and we strolled about the courtyard quite openly, she giving me instructions in a quiet voice between louder bits.

  “Say you are going riding tomorrow after dark,” she instructed.

  “Tomorrow night, Margaret, I am going riding after dark. It is very lovely in the fields in the moonlight.”

  “It will rain tomorrow,” she said loudly. “Don’t go out. It will be black as char.” Then, in a softer voice, “Tell me you’re sure it will clear later on.”

  “Oh, it will clear later on, “ I said carelessly, then murmured, “What in the name of the Hundred Devils is going on, Margaret?”

  “Ride out at dusk, barefoot,” she said. “Be sure you find the Old Road and dismount before it gets completely dark. Lead your horse. You’ll see two red lights, lanterns, north and south. Position yourself about midway between. You’ll know when to run. Let go of the horse, we’ll get him later, and run toward the northern light like a bunwit—a long-legged bunwit. Be sure you stay on the Old Road. It makes two or three sharp little swerves right there, so be sure you stay on it. When you pass the red lantern, Murzy will be there with a wagon. She’ll have some shoes for you, and one of us will bring the horse up.”

  “But, but, but,” I sputtered. “What’s going to happen? What am I doing it for? Why do I—”

  “Just do it,” said Margaret. Then, loudly, “Well, if you won’t listen, you won’t listen, Jinian. Mark my words, if you go out after dark, you’ll be sorry.”

  As I returned to my room, I saw a skirt flick away around a cor
ner. I recognized it as belonging to wretched Banila, the stupid little girl from some tiny Demesne behind Three Knob. Dedrina’s particular follower. She’d been listening to me, and now she was going to report. As Margaret had undoubtedly counted upon. I shook my head. One of these days the dams would start telling me things first.

  So, the night went by, and the day went by, and after supper I saddled up Surefoot and we went out into the dusk. The School servants were there, as usual, and I knew they expected me to return well before total darkness. So, I went east of town, seeing the little red lanterns glowing before me as it got darker and darker. I heard one of the Schoolmen calling me, then there was a shout as though his horse tripped. I slipped my shoes off, putting them in the saddlebag, then headed for a point midway between the two ruddy lights.

  Between the lights was a ghostlike paleness against the ground, long chunks of the white stone of which the Old Road was made. I dismounted, feeling for it. Oh, it was strong here, much stronger than near the Old South Road City. I turned, facing north, and began to pace slowly along, leading the horse. The world was very quiet. There were yells off somewhere to the west, and a flicker of light. Evidently the School servants were about to mount a search for me ...

  Then I heard it. A hiss. A long, shuddering hiss that reached deep into my self and grabbed something there, wringing it, twisting it into a fearful, terrorized tangle. Hiss. Again. Going on and on until it seemed nothing could have enough breath to continue that sound. “Turn around,” it said. “Turn around. Look me in the eye.”

  Margaret had said, “You’ll know when to run.” Almost I was too paralyzed to run, but Surefoot had no such difficulty. He reared back, jerking the reins from my hand. That released me from the spell. I ran. Light-footed, quick-footed, feeling the road tingle in my feet.

  Behind me the hiss came again in fury. Again the command to turn around, to look in the eye. Then I heard the slithering, scraping of the scaled beast blundering after me. It had four legs and I only two. It could run as fast as a horse, so I’d been told, but my feet knew where I was going and its feet didn’t. I lengthened my stride and prayed that Margaret knew what she was doing.

  The road swerved. I swerved with it. Behind me the scraping and slithering slowed as the creature listened, finding me again. Then it was behind me once more. The road straightened, and I with it, and the pursuer gained. Almost I could feel its breath on my heels. I was beginning to tire. Running was not something we did a lot of in Xammer, and I knew I could not run as fast nor as far as I had done at Stoneflight. I would have given my ears then for the Talent of an Armiger to Fly, the Talent of an Elator to be anywhere else at all. The Talent of a Sorcerer to turn and blast the creature behind me with stored power. Any, any Talent at all to save me. Surely the creature could follow my sound now, for I panted, heaving as I ran.

  Then another swerve. I almost didn’t feel it in my weariness, but the flat-footed plop as my right foot dropped off the road told me I was awry. I swerved, curving away in a sudden swoop, following the road, actually moving away from the red lantern just a bit. The slithering behind me didn’t stop. It had seen me making for the red light and it was going straight to that place, faster than I could run.

  Then the sound of its following wasn’t there anymore.

  Trickery! I told myself. Don’t believe it. I didn’t believe it. I went on running, panting, heaving, until I could see Murzy seated beside the red lantern. I plodded toward her.

  “Gracious, chile,” she said. “Tha’s all out of breath.”

  I was too out of breath to be pert with her, which I much wanted to be. In a few moments, Sarah Shadowsox brought Surefoot back, lathered and rolling-eyed, a badly frightened horse. Somewhere there was talking, a wagon moving about.

  “When you are asked,” said Cat, coming out of the darkness. “You must tell the precise truth. You went out for a ride. You were walking, leading the horse. You were frightened. The horse reared. You began to run. After a time, you came to some friends who caught your horse for you. Only the truth.” She smiled one of her rare smiles at me, and helped me up on Surefoot, who danced this way and that, unsure he wanted to carry anyone or go anywhere that evening. I rode toward the gates of Xammer, and in a few moments the School servants found me and gave me quite a tongue-lashing for having lost them. I apologized in a properly subservient manner and they were in a better mood when we got back to Vorbold’s House. I was not even late for bed check.

  In the morning, I learned that Dedrina-Lucir had disappeared. By noon, there was a general alarm and search. By evening, certain of the students were being questioned. Perhaps one of them mentioned me. Perhaps Gamesmistress Joumerie did so. In any case, I found myself before Queen Vorbold with a tight-faced Demon seated at her side.

  “Jinian, do you have any idea where Dedrina is?”

  I said, truthfully, I had not.

  “Would you mind telling me where you were last evening?”

  “Not at all, Gamesmistress,” I said, seating myself comfortably and folding my hands in my lap. “After supper last night, I went out for a ride. I rode east. It became quite dark, and I don’t really know where I was. I saw a light north of me and began to walk that way, leading my horse, when suddenly there was a terrible hiss. My horse reared, tearing the reins from my hand. I ran to the light, and found some people I knew. One of them caught the horse for me, and I returned to the House.”

  “You did not purposely avoid the School guard?”

  I said, truthfully, I had not.

  “Michael says he was waylaid by a woman he has seen with you.”

  “Waylaid, Gamesmistress? Assaulted?” Michael was one of my favorite guards. I would have hated to have him hurt.

  “Not at all, Jinian. Merely stopped and asked a question by a very pretty woman. Did you know about that?”

  I said, truthfully, that I did not. I guessed, however, it had been Margaret Foxmitten.

  Queen Vorbold turned to the Demon; the Demon shook her head; and I was dimissed. The Demon would have told her that I told the exact truth.

  11

  “All right,” I said to Murzy. “Where is she?”

  “Where is who, chile?” she asked me, all innocence. “Don’t ask me anything tha shouldn’t know.”

  She meant that having been questioned once with a Demon present didn’t mean they might not do it again. I humphed about, but I didn’t ask her again. Instead, I said, “Is there anything you can tell me, Murzy, about Daggerhawk Demesne? Anything useful?”

  To which she replied, “Not yet, chile, but I’m sure we’ll learn many interesting things in time.”

  And I had to be content with that. The only things the Demon could find in my head, assuming she was still looking, was that I had been badly frightened by something that hissed at me. Hissed, and tried to get me to turn around. That would indicate “Basilisk” to anyone who had studied the Index even slightly, and Queen Vorbold would remember what I had said to her earlier about Basilisks. Well. Very soon she called me in again. Demon was there. So was a foreign Pursuivant, a Gamesman, one I’d never seen before. Evidently Daggerhawk Demesne was bringing some pressure to bear.

  “Jinian. This is Pursuivant Cholore, sent by Daggerhawk Demesne to assist in the search for Dedrina-Lucir. We know you will want to help us.”

  “I will help you, Gamesmistress, if I can, though I do not want to and do not care what has happened to Dedrina-Lucir. She was most un-Gamely with me, and I have no reason to care for her.” This made the Pursuivant blink. Which, in turn, made the Demon turn on him sharply, snarling between her teeth.

  “What Game is this, Pursuivant? Your mind betrays ill intent toward this girl Jinian.”

  The Pursuivant put up his hands, shaking his head. “Only suspicion, Demon. Truly. Why, I must be suspicious of all here or I could not seek the answers I have been told to seek.”

  I kept carefully quiet and as invisible as I have ever been. Queen Vorbold wasn’t accepting any of th
is, and they got into a three-way wrangle with me outside any of it. The Pursuivant obviously had a great deal more than suspicion, as the School Demon immediately confirmed. Queen Vorbold was having none of that. She came abruptly to herself and snarled at me, “Outside, student! This is evidently not the time to ask you anything.”

  The time was the following morning, but the Pursuivant wasn’t present. This time there was only one question. Why would Dedrina-Lucir or any other member of the Daggerhawk Demesne hold enmity toward me sufficient that they might have breached the ban in Xammer? Question.

  Answer. I don’t know. But wouldn’t I like to have known!

  Truth. I didn’t. The Demon shrugged, gestured, and they sent me away again. About noon they were back. Did I think the flitchhawk that had delivered me to Xammer was in any way connected with hawk as in Daggerhawk Demesne?

  This surprised me. I had not really thought of this connection, but when one stopped to consider the matter, it was curious. Curious, I mean, that Daggerhawk should be so near to Chimmerdong Forest. Curious that a particularly giant flitchhawk seemed to frequent that forest. Curious that the Demesne seemed to find some special significance in the killing of a hawk. I mentioned these curiosities to Queen Vorbold and the Demon, and they looked at me in a bad- tempered way. Obviously they wanted answers, and all I was giving them were enigmatic suggestions. They couldn’t be angry with me, however, for I was trying to be helpful, and the Demon knew it.

  They sent me away again. Two days later they found a woman’s body out in the fields east of Xammer. The face was mauled and unrecognizable. There were Basilisk bites on her arms and hands. The body was presumed to be that of Dedrina-Lucir. From the School tower, I saw the Pursuivant riding away west. He would have no good news for those at Daggerhawk Demesne. I wondered if Murzy would have any news for me.

  I think she did.

  But she refused to tell me anything about that.

  Actually, she refused at first, but then she and Cat and Margaret got into an argument in the kitchen that I overheard. Murzy was saying something about “trust” and “complete confidence”, and Cat was being firm as any Gamesmistress about “the rules’ and “the covenants”.