Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen Ruilan Dragon

The ship sails into the harbour. The climate of the Sea of ​​Kingdoms is far more benign than that of the Sea of ​​Pain, and the journey from Salado has been uneventful.However, due to the continuous northeast cold wind, they had to travel against the current, which extended the original two-week trip to three weeks. Pug stood on the forecastle, his cloak wrapped tightly around him.And as spring is approaching, the biting cold winds of winter have also begun to become mild and cool. Rylan dragons were called the jewels of the kingdom, and Pug thought that was an apt title.Different from the low-lying and entrenched towns in the west, Ruilanlong has towering peaks, elegant curved arch bridges, and soft and winding roads, which are methodically interspersed with the rolling hills.On the majestic castle, with banners and flags fluttering in the wind, the simple fact of the existence of this city is enough to be famous all over the world.To Pug, even the ferryman who anchored in the port looked gorgeous under the magic of the Rylan dragon.Duke Saladhor ordered a banner to be sewn for Borric, and it was now flying from the ship's mainmast, announcing to the official royal city that the Duke of Kared was coming.Under the guidance of the navigator of the city harbor, Bolik's ship had the priority of docking, and soon the ship docked safely at the Royal Dock.A group of people waited to disembark and land to meet the Royal Guard.The senior member of the guard, with gray hair all over his head, but still straight, greeted Bolik warmly.

The two embraced tightly. The old man was dressed in the golden and purple royal guard attire, but had the Duke's logo on his heart, "Bolik, it's great to see you again. How long has it been? Ten… ...eleven years?" "Caudrak, old friend. It's been thirteen years." Bolick looked at him deeply.He has clear blue eyes and a short gray beard. The man shook his head and smiled. "It's been too long." He looked at the others.Noticing Pug, he said, "Is this your youngest son?" Bolick laughed. "No, but I wish he was." He pointed to Arusha's lanky frame. "This is my son. Arusha, come and say hello to your uncle."

Arusha stepped forward, and the two embraced.Duke Cordrick, the lord of the Ryland Dragon, the Knight Commander of the King's Royal Guard, and also the Royal Minister, stretched out his arms and pushed Arusha back, and then looked at him carefully. "Last time I saw you you were a little boy. I should have recognized you, even though you resembled your father, you were more like my dear brother - your mother's father. You will be the father of our family pride." Bolick said, "Well, you old warhorse, what's the matter with your city?" "It's a long story, but it's not here. I'm going to take you to the king's palace to make you comfortable. We've got plenty of time to visit. What brought you to Ryland Dragon?" Cowd Rick replied.

"I have urgent business to speak to His Majesty, but this is not something to be discussed in the street. Let us go to the palace." Bob and his entourage were given horses and rode through the city, escorted by guards, driving through the crowd.If the magnificence of Krondor and Salado had impressed Pug, then Relan Dragon left him with nothing but shock. This island city is built on continuous mountains, and many small rivers flow into the sea.It looks like a city woven of canals and bridges, with countless towers and spiers.Many of the buildings looked new, and Pug figured this must be the part of the city the king planned to rebuild.Everywhere you look along the road, workers can be seen knocking down bricks and stones on old buildings, or erecting new stone walls or roofs.The new buildings are clad in ornate stone surfaces, with abundance of marble and quartz giving them soft whites, blues or pale pinks.The cobbled streets were clean and tidy, and even the side gutters weren't clogged with debris like Pug had seen in other cities.Capable or not, the boy thought, the king is indeed building a dream city.A river lies in front of the palace, so the entrance to the palace is set on a bridge that arches high across the water to the main courtyard.The entire palace is a collection of various majestic buildings, which are connected by high promenades and extend horizontally on the mountainside in the center of the city.Its surface is paved with stones of various colors, giving it a splendid appearance.As they entered the courtyard, horns sounded from above the walls, and the guards stood at attention.The porter came forward to lead the animals, and the nobles and officials in the palace gathered at the gate of the palace to welcome them.

Stepping forward, Pug noticed that the greetings of these people were mostly formal and lacked the enthusiasm that Duke Caldric had received.He was standing behind Kulgan and McMur, and he could hear Cordrick's voice. "My lord Borric, Duke of Kared, please allow me to introduce the Gray Baron, His Majesty's Steward." This is a short and fat man, wearing a tight red silk jacket, light gray tube socks Mention the knee. "The Earl of Sewers, the first head of the Royal Navy." A tall, haggard and thin man with a beard that was as stiff as wax and bent like a longbow.As they passed the welcoming procession, everyone made short statements welcoming Duke Borric's visit, but Pug felt there was little sincerity in their words.They were taken to their quarters.Coulgan asked McMur to stay with him, but the Gray Baron wanted to send him to the servant's quarters, but he stopped insisting when Calderick stood up as a minister.

The rooms here were more magnificent than any Pug had ever seen before.The floor was of polished marble, and the walls were of the same marble, but speckled with gold.A huge mirror hung from one wall of the small room next to the bed, where sat a huge, gilded tub.A servant put his meager luggage—purchased along the way since they had left theirs in the forest—into a gigantic locker twelve times larger than all of Pug's possessions.When the man was done, he asked, "Shall I prepare your bath, sir?" Pug nodded, three weeks of sea voyages had left him feeling his clothes stick to him.When the bath water was ready, the servant said, "Lord Caldric hopes that the Duke's entourage can all attend the dinner at four o'clock. When will I come to pick you up?"

Pug said yes, impressed by the man's tact.All he knew was that Pug was with the Duke, and he left it to Pug to judge for himself whether he was invited to the dinner.Pug slid into the warm water and let out a long hiss.He had never taken a bath when he was a castle boy, he would rather go to the sea or the stream near the castle to wash off the mud.But now, he slowly began to like this.He wondered how Thomas would feel about this.A wave of warm memories flooded in, of a very lovely, dark-haired princess, and a dejected, sandy-haired boy. Before the dinner began, there was an informal meeting, in which Lord Borric and his party were invited by Duke Caldric.Now they are all standing in the royal court waiting for the king's audience.A tall, vaulted, ceiling-to-floor arched window occupies the entire south wall, offering views of the city.Hundreds of nobles stood around, and the duke was led through the crowd.It never occurred to Pug that he would make Bolick's clothes look rustic. He was always the best dressed man in Karid, and so were his children.But in this room, among these richly dressed people, Bolick looked like a crow among a flock of peacocks.Pearl-encrusted doublets here, gold-embroidered tunics there—each aristocrat seemed more ornately dressed than the other.And every lady is dressed in smooth silk and brocade, more dazzling than the men.

They stopped before the throne, and Kodrak announced the Duke's arrival.The king smiled, and Pug was startled to see a resemblance to Arusha, though the king looked more agreeable.Leaning forward on his throne, he said, "Welcome to my city, cousin. It's a pleasure to see Khared in this hall again after all these years." Borric stepped forward and knelt on one knee Riddock - before the throne of the king of the kingdom of the islands. "I am delighted to see His Majesty all in good health." A shadow passed over the sovereign's face, but he smiled again immediately. "Tell us about your entourage."

Bao Jue introduced his son, and the king said, "Very well, it is true, there is another descendant of Kang Dongyin who has inherited our mother's blood besides us." Arusha bowed and then withdrew.The second was Kulgan, as the duke's advisor.McMur, on the other hand, held no rank in the duke's court, and was therefore kept in his chambers.The king said a few polite remarks, and it was Pug who was introduced. "Sir Pug of Khared, Your Majesty, Master of the Forest, Member of my court." The king clapped his hands and laughed. "It was the boy who slew the ogre. What a great thing. Travelers brought this story from Kared, far by the sea, and now we have the opportunity to speak directly with the author of this heroic deed. We must find time to chat later. Talk about this feat."

Pug bowed awkwardly, feeling a thousand eyes on him.In the past, he had hoped that the ogre story would not be spread around, but it was not as strong as it is now. He drew back, and the King said, "Tonight we will have a ball in honor of my cousin Bolick's arrival." He stood up, straightened the robe on his body, and then took off the gold chain that symbolized power from his head.A waiter took the gold chain and placed it on a blue velvet cushion.The king took the golden crown from his black curls and handed it to another attendant.The crowd bowed as he stepped down from the throne. "Come here, cousin," he said to Bolick, "let's go to my private terrace, where we can talk without all these bureaucratic formalities. I'm tired of the noise."

Bolick nodded and followed the king, motioning for Pug and the others to wait.Duke Calderick announced that today's interview was over, and that he would wait until tomorrow for the memorial to the king. Slowly the crowd dispersed through the two doors at the end of the hall, leaving only Arusha, Kulgan and Pug standing there.Cordric came up. "I'll take you to the waiting room. If His Majesty summons you, he can bring you closer." A court attendant led them through the gate by which the king had accompanied Borric. a wicket.They entered a large, comfortable room, and in the center of the room stood a long table piled high with fruit, cheese, bread, and wine.There were many chairs scattered around the table, and there were a few divans around the room, with puffy cushions covered in soft down. Arusha walked straight to the huge glass door and looked out. "I could see my father and the king doing it on the royal terrace." Kugan and Pug also leaned over and looked in the direction Arusha pointed.The two of them sat at the table and looked around, with a panoramic view of the city and the sea.The king was talking and gesticulating, and Lord Borric nodded and listened.Pug said, "I didn't expect Your Majesty to look a bit like you, Your Highness." Arusha responded with a twisted smile, "It's not so surprising if you think about it, my father was his father's cousin, so my mother is also his mother's cousin." Kulgan put his hand on Pug's shoulder. "Many noble families have more than one blood connection, Pug. Cousins ​​separated for four or five generations will marry together for political reasons to bring the kinship closer again. I doubt there will be that noble in the East." The family doesn't have any royal blood, even though it can be very thin and tortuous." They returned to the table, Pug nibbling on a slice of cheese. "The King seems friendly," he said carefully, each word carefully pre-planned in his head.Coogan was delighted to see the boy's caution in his comments, since Bolick had carefully warned them about Cruise's remarks since leaving Salado.He concluded his warning with the old proverb, "In the halls of power there are no secrets, even to the deaf." Arusha said, "Our lord is a good-natured man; let us hope he remains cheerful after hearing his father's news." The afternoon passed slowly as they waited for the Duke's orders.As the shadows began to lengthen outside, Bolick suddenly appeared in the doorway.He walked straight up to them with a disturbed look on his face. "His Majesty has been talking about his plans for the restoration of the kingdom almost all afternoon." "Did you tell him about Tsurani?" Arusha asked.The Duke nodded. "He listened and then calmly told me he would think about it. We'll talk about it another day and so that's all he answered." "At least he seemed friendly," Coogan said. Bolick stared at his old staff officer. "I'm afraid I'm being too friendly. I'd like to see a little urgency. I don't travel across the kingdom for petty things, but he doesn't seem to care about anything I say." Kugan looked worried. "We have already spent too much time on the road. Let us hope that His Majesty will not spend too much time making decisions on deployment." Bolick slumped down in his chair and picked up a glass of wine. "Let's hope." Pug walked across the hallway to the king's private chambers, his lips dry.He was due to meet King Riddock in a few minutes, but he wasn't used to meeting the ruler of the kingdom alone.Every time before he stood beside other powerful nobles, hiding in the shadow of the duke and his son, coming out only briefly to tell all he knew about Tsurani, and then as soon as he could again disappear into the background.And now, he is the only guest of the supreme ruler in the north of the great Kersh Empire. A waiter directed him through the door to the king's private terrace.Several servants stood around the spacious open-air terrace, and under the huge awning, the king sat alone at a long table carved from marble. Today is a sunny day.Spring is coming ahead of schedule, winter is gone, and there is a hint of warmth in the gusts of wind.From the terrace, beyond the hedges and stone walls that marked the edge of the garden, Pug could see Reland Dragon City and the sea beyond.The roofs are glowing with brilliant colors in the midday sun, and the last snow has melted away four days ago.Ships come and go at the docks, and the streets are filled with citizens.The shouts of merchants and peddlers could be faintly heard, and the shouts overwhelmed the noise of the street, and the place where the king dined had become a faint hum.As Pug approached, the servant drew a chair from under the table.The king turned around, "Ha! Sir Pug, please sit down." Pug hurriedly bowed, and the king said, "That's enough. I never stick to etiquette when I eat with friends." Pug hesitated, then said, "It is an honor, Your Majesty," and sat down.Riddock waved his hand. "I remember what it was like to be a boy among adults. When I was a boy—a little older than you, I got the crown. Before that I was just my father's son." His eyes changed Indifferent and ethereal. "Prince, that is true, but only a child. My ideas are worthless, and I can never satisfy my father, whether in hunting, riding, sailing or swordsmanship. My mentors often whip me, test Derek was one of them. It all changed when I became king, but I still remember." He turned to Pug, smiling, and the indifference faded away. "So I hope we can be friends." He looked away and his expression became cold and distant again. "One can't have many friends, now, can one? Since I've been king, there's been a lot of people who claim to be my friends, but they're not." He was silent for a while, then woke up again from his reverie . "What do you think of my city?" "I've never seen anything like it, Your Majesty. It's absolutely wonderful," said Pug. Riddock looked at the street scene behind them. "Yes, of course it is, isn't it?" He waved his hand, and a servant filled a crystal goblet with wine.Pug took a sip; he didn't know much about wine yet, but found it a very good wine, with a hint of fruit and aroma.Ridduk continued, "I have done my best to make Ryland Dragon a wonderful place in the eyes of its inhabitants. I hope that one day all the cities in the kingdom will be as good as this one, no matter where you look or walk. Where the eye is full of beauty. It may take a hundred generations to do this, so I can only demonstrate and build an example for posterity to follow. I dug out the bricks and replaced them with marble. Whoever sees it will understand what it is - my legacy." The Handle looked dazed, and Pug couldn't make out all he had said and wasn't sure if he should keep talking about the buildings and gardens or tear down the ugly landscaping.Suddenly, the king changed the subject. "Tell me how you killed the ogre." Pug told him, and the king listened to every word.When the boy was finished, the king said, "That is a marvelous story. Much better than the version I heard at court, half heroic, but twice as true. You have a brave heart, Pa Sir Greg." "Thank you, Your Majesty," said Pug. Riddock continued, "You mentioned Princess Karin in your story." "Yes, Your Majesty?" "I haven't seen her since I last saw her lying like a baby in her mother's arms. What kind of woman has she become?" Pug was a little surprised by the change of subject, but said, "She has become a beautiful woman, Your Majesty, much like her mother. She is bright and lively, with a slight temper." The king nodded. "Her mother is a beautiful woman. If the daughter is half as lovely as she is, she is beautiful enough. Is she good at thinking?" Pug was a little confused. "His Majesty?" "Does she have a thinking mind, logic? Does she enjoy arguing and debating?" Pug nodded vigorously. "Yes, Your Majesty. The princess is very good at it." King Shan rubbed his hands. "Excellent. I must ask Bolick to bring her to see. Most of these ladies in the East are dull and have no idea. I hope Bolick can educate the girl. I hope to see a A young girl who understands logic and philosophy, can persuade and argue." Pug suddenly realized that the king's meaning about the quarrel was not what he thought it was.But he decided it was best not to mention the misunderstanding. The king of handles continued. "My ministers are always urging me to find a wife as soon as possible to give the kingdom an heir. I've been very busy, and frankly, I have little interest in the ladies of the palace—oh, walking in the moonlight with them or It's not bad to do... some other things. But the mother of my child? It's hard for me to think about it. But I do have to think carefully about Lihou. Maybe Kang Dongyin's daughter is a good candidate." Pug was about to mention another girl named Kang Dongyin, but swallowed it back, remembering the tension between the king and Anita's father.Besides, the girl is only seven years old. The Hand King changed the subject again. "For the past four days my cousin Borik has been telling me stories about the aliens, the Tsurani. What do you think of that?" Pug looked startled.He never thought that the king would come to ask him for any advice, especially on such a matter concerning the kingdom Anwei.He thought for a long time, making his answer as perfect as possible, and then said, "From everything I've seen and heard, Your Majesty, I believe these Tsurani are not just planning Invasion, but already here." The king of handles raised one eyebrow. "Oh? I want to hear your explanation." Pug weighed his words carefully. "If there are so many signs that we have seen, Your Majesty, considering the conspiracy of these people, it stands to reason that there must be more of their movements that we do not know." The king nodded. "Nice view. Carry on." "It's just an inference. If they are entrenched in remote areas, the arrival of the snow season will make it difficult for us to find them." Riddock nodded and Pug continued. "If they're as belligerent as the duke and others say, I think they've mapped out the west and found the right place to send soldiers in winter so they can attack when spring comes." "Good reasoning, Pug." The king patted the table with his hands, motioning for the servants to serve. "Now, let's eat." The variety and quantity of food was astonishing for two, and Pug tried some of almost everything, so as not to appear indignant at the king's generosity.Riddock asked him some questions during the meal, and Pug answered them as well as he could.When Pug finished eating, the king put his elbow on the table and stroked his beardless chin.He stared intently for a long time, and then Pug began to feel a little embarrassed, not knowing what to do with etiquette in the face of a king lost in thought.He chose to sit quietly. After a while, Riddock regained his sobriety.He looked at Pug with unease in his voice, "Why are those people bothering us at this time? There are too many things to do here. I can't let the war ruin my plans." He stood up and paced around the terrace, Pug rose bewildered, as he must when the king rose.Riddock turned to Pug. "I must send a message to Duke Guy. He'll advise me. He's got a handle on things like this." Pug stood by his chair for a few minutes as the king strolled, looking at the cityscape.He heard the king murmuring that a great work cannot be interrupted, and then felt someone tug at his sleeve, and he turned his head to see a servant standing quietly beside him, smiling and beckoning to the gate , indicating that the meeting is over.Pug followed the man to the gate, slightly surprised that the servant knew the king's mind so well. Pug was shown the way back to the room, and he asked the servant to bring word to Lord Borlick that Pug would like to see him if he was free.He went back to his room and sat down to think.After a while he was interrupted by a knock on the door.The visitor came in, the servant who had been asked to bring a message to the Duke, and brought news that Bolick wished to see Pug immediately. Pug followed the man out of the house and sent him away, telling him he could find the duke's room by himself.He walked slowly, slowly thinking about what to say to the Duke.Two things were clear to the boy: the king was not pleased to hear that the Tsurani were a threat to his kingdom, and that Duke Borik would not be pleased to hear that Guy Dubasta had been summoned to Rylan Dragon up. " Like every meal in the past few days, a dull atmosphere enveloped the table.Five Kharidians dined in the duke's chambers, attended by court servants in black tunics with the king's purple and gold badge pinned to them. Bao Jue has been eager to leave Ruilanlong in the west.It had been nearly four months since they had left Khared: a whole winter.Now that spring was here, if the Tsurani were to attack—as they believed—it was within reach.Arusha is just as disturbed as his father.Even Kulgan was getting brusque about the long wait.Only McMurth seemed to have no effect on this, and continued to wait in peace. Pug was nostalgic for home, too.He was tired of being in the palace.He hopes to return to his tower to continue his studies.He also hopes to see Princess Karin again-although he has not told anyone about this idea.Lately he'd found himself thinking of her tenderness rather than the bad temper that had made him angry.He also understood that there were other expectations, and he wished to know Thomas' fate.If the snow on the mountain had melted, Dolgan would have sent him back to Kared.Bolik has held talks with the king several times in the past week, each time without success.The last session ended just a few hours ago, but he couldn't tell them anything until the servants in the room had left. When the last plate was cleared, the servants brought the king's best brandy for everyone, and with the knock on the door, Duke Caldric came in and waved the servants out.When the servants in the room had left, he turned to the Duke. "Bolick, I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, but I have some new news." Bolick and the others stood up. "Come and sit with us, please. Here, have a drink." Cordrick poured himself a glass of brandy and sat in Pug's chair, while the boy pulled up another chair and sat down.The Duke of Ryland Dragon took a sip of brandy and said, "Less than an hour ago, there was news from the Duke of Basterry. Guy warned the king not to let the 'rumors' of turmoil interfere with the West." Bolik jumped up , threw his wine glass across the room and smashed it to pieces.The amber liquid splashed on the wall, and Duke Kared yelled, "What trick is Guy playing? What is a rumor? Interference?!" Caldric raised a hand, and Bolick calmed down a little, and sat down again.Said the old duke, "I wrote the King's Bulletin to Guy myself. Everything you said, every clue and guesswork, is in it. I can only think that Guy wants to make sure that the King doesn't leave before he gets to the palace." Will make any decision." Bolick tapped his fingers on the table and stared at Caldric, eyes blazing with anger. "What does Bastari want to do? If war comes, the first to suffer will be Kared and Yaben. My people will suffer. My territorial prize will be ravaged." Calderick shook his head slowly. "I must say frankly, old friend. Guy has been the first minister of the kingdom since the king was estranged from his uncle. I think that if Eland fell completely ill, Guy would put himself in the purple robe of Krondor .” Borric gritted his teeth and said loudly, "Then please let me be clear, Kodrick. I never meddle in my business except for the highest goal. But if Ellander is really terminally ill, then Anita should also be sitting in the seat." On the throne of Krondor, not Black Guy, if I have to lead the Western Army into Krondor to rule as a regency, then I will do it, even if Riddock disagrees. Unless the king orders another Someone to take the throne of the west." Caldric looked at Bolick calmly. "Are you going to bear the notoriety of usurping the throne?" Bolick slapped the table with one hand. "Curse the day the wicked was born. I am ashamed to have to admit to being his kin." Cordrick waited a minute for Bolick to calm down, then said, "I know you better than you know yourself, Bolick. You will never start a war between the West and the King, as far as you can." Wouldn't like your cousin Guy. It's such a tragedy to me that the two best generals in the kingdom hate each other." "Yes, there is a reason for that. Every time the West asked for reinforcements, Guy always objected. Every time there was a conspiracy and someone was demoted, there would be a promotion for Guy's cronies. How can you turn a blind eye? This It was because of you, Balkor of Arbon, and my own staunch opposition that the council did not nominate Guy as regent for the first three years of Riddock's reign. He stood before every duke in the kingdom and called you Old guy with a king's name on his back. How can you forget?" Caldric was curled up in his chair, looking tired and old, a hand covering his eyes, as if the light from the room had hurt him s eyes.He said softly, "I saw it, and I haven't forgotten it. But he's still my in-laws, and if I don't stay here, what effect do you think he'll have on Riddock? The king adores him like a child." , see him as a valiant hero, first warrior, keeper of the kingdom." Bolick leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry, Caldric," he said, his voice losing edge. "I know you're working for our good. And Gay was the hero who brought Krystal's troops back to the heart of Tauentan in those years. I shouldn't be presumptuous of what I haven't seen Add a comment." Arusha had been sitting quietly by the side, but his eyes shone with the same anger as his father's.He leaned forward in his chair, and the Duke looked at him. "Have you anything to say, son?" Bolick asked. Arusha spread her hands in front of her. "Now here's something I don't understand: what good is the king's indecision doing to Guy if Tsurani comes?" Bolick tapped his fingers on the table. "It's really puzzling, and despite his insidiousness, Guy wouldn't do harm to the kingdom, not even me." "Maybe it's to his advantage," Arusha said, "to make the west suffer a little bit, and let the power whoever was suspected, and then he came with the eastern army like a triumphant hero, as he did in Deep Tauentin." Cowdrax thought about it for a moment. "I just hope Guy doesn't take these aliens too lightly." Arusha paced the room. "But consider what he knows. A dying wanderer. Guessing about a ship, and here, only Pug has seen that ship, and I've only glimpsed it swept into the sea. A cleric's and mage's conjecture , All of this makes Guy look down too much. The migration of some dark clans. He probably won't care at all." "But that's all we know," Bolick protested.Caldric watched the young prince pace the room. "Perhaps you are right. Your testimony lacks force, and a dry letter of ink and parchment all the more so. When he arrives, we must convince him." Bolick almost yelled. "It's for the King to decide, not Guy!" Calderick said, "But the king values ​​Guy's opinion very much. If you want to get the leadership of the Western Army, you must convince Guy." Bolick looked shocked. "Me? I don't want the banner of the Army of the West. I just want Eland to be allowed to support me if the situation calls for it." Cordrick put both hands on the table. "Bolik, use your wits, you've been in the country too long. Eland cannot lead an army. He's in bad shape. Even if he could, the king wouldn't allow it. Nor would Eland's marshal Delanick go. You've seen Riddock at his best. But when dark moods overshadowed him, he feared for his life. No one dares say that, but the King doubts his Uncle wants to usurp the throne." "Absurd!" cried Borik. "The throne belonged to Ellander thirteen years ago. There was no definite heir. Riddock's father apparently did not name his heir, and Ellander was rightly, or deservedly so. Only Guy and those who wanted to take advantage of a The children come to force Rheddock's throne. Most of the council will support Eland as king." "I know, but things have changed and the boy is no longer a child. He is now a frightened young man, terrified. Whether it was the influence of Guy or someone else or mental illness, I have no way of knowing. I know. The king doesn't think like everyone else. No king does, and Riddock is more serious. It will look a little ridiculous, but he will never give the army of the west to his uncle. I am also worried that this time Guy Yi will whisper in his ear again, and he will not give them to you." Borric opened his mouth to say something, but Kulgan cut him off. "Excuse me, sir, but can I say something." Caldrick looked at Bolick, who nodded.Kulgan cleared his throat and said, "Perhaps the king will hand over to Duke Balkor of Western Aben?" Bolic and Caledric slowly realized what Kugan meant, with joy on their faces, and the Duke of Khared raised his head and laughed.He slammed his fist down on the table, and he almost shouted, "Kulgan! If you haven't shown me how useful you have been all these years, you have done it tonight." He turned to Cordrick . "What do you think?" Caldric smiled for the first time since entering the room. "Balko? The old war dog? There is no more honest man in the kingdom. And he has nothing to do with the throne. Even Guy can't deny it. If he gets command of the army..." Arusha: Thinking over. "He's going to have his dad as his top advisor. He knows he's the best commander in the West." 考德瑞克在他的椅子中坐起身来，一脸兴奋。“你甚至能指挥亚本的军队。” “是的，”阿鲁沙说，“还有拉玛塔，祖恩，伊利斯，还有其他的。” 考德瑞克站起来。“我想这行的通。明天和国王什么也不要说，我会找个合适的时机提出这个'建议'让陛下批准。” 考德瑞克离开了，帕格第一次看到了这趟旅程美好结束的希望。甚至是整整一个星期都好像愤怒暴雷般的阿鲁沙，如今也陶醉于其中了。 帕格被敲门声吵醒了。他迷迷糊糊地叫门外的人进来，门打开了。一个皇宫侍从朝里张望着。“先生，国王命令公爵随行人员都立刻去王室见他。马上。”他举起一个灯笼为帕格照亮。 帕格说他马上就去并匆忙地穿上衣服。外面依然漆黑一片，他觉得有些不安，不知道这突如其来的召见所为何事。在夜晚之前，考德瑞克离去之后，一直是满怀的希望如今变成了不安，国王是否又收到了霸斯塔公爵的什么计划。 他边用皮带勒紧上衣边走出房间。匆匆忙忙地跑下大厅，在身后留下一连串的脚步声回荡在黑暗之中，好像向来在夜里点亮的火把和蜡烛也暗淡无光。 当他到达王室大厅，公爵，阿鲁沙，还有库甘也赶到了，都忧心忡忡地看着瑞度克，后者坐在他的王座里，依然穿着他的睡袍。考德瑞克站在一旁，脸色死灰。房间很暗，只有仆人举着的灯笼勉强照亮。 他们刚一到齐，瑞度克就发出怒吼。“堂兄！你知道我为什么在这里吗？”他尖声叫道，手中紧攥着一捆羊皮纸卷。 博利克说他不知道。瑞度克的声音稍微降低了一点。“这是从亚本来的消息！那个老笨蛋巴尔寇已经受到了那些簇朗尼异族的攻击并被消灭了一支驻军部队。看看这些！”他几乎尖叫起来，起身将羊皮纸扔向博利克。库甘捡起它们然后递给公爵。“没关系，”国王说道，他的声音似乎又恢复了正常。“我来告诉你他们怎么说。” “这些入侵者已经攻入了自由都市，沃里诺近郊。他们还攻入精灵的森林。他们也攻幻此巨岩山。他们还攻幻此卡瑞德。” 博利克不假思索地问，“卡瑞德有什么消息？” 王国停止了踱步。他盯着博利克，有一阵，帕格看到他眼中闪耀着疯狂的光芒。他短暂地合上双眼，然后又睁开，帕格能看到国王又变成了他自己。他摇了摇头，微微地抬起手放在他的太阳穴上。“我只有第二手的信息，从巴尔寇来。这些消息已经是六个星期以前的事情了，其中之一是卡瑞德的一次进攻。你的儿子莱恩报告大获全胜，将那些异族人赶进了森林。” 考德瑞克走上前。“所有的报告都诉说了同样的事情。在夜晚遭到了庞大的步兵部队的进攻，在积雪融化之前，使驻守部队措手不及。我们只知道他们已经攻克了巨岩山附近拉玛塔人的驻军。所有其它的攻击似乎都已经被挡住了。”他意味深长地望着博利克。“没有任何消息提到簇朗尼使用骑兵。” “那么或许塔里是对的，他们没有马匹。”博利克说。 柄王看上去有些晕眩，他蹒跚地向后退去跌坐在他的王座上。再一次将手按在他的太阳穴上，“这和马有什么关系？我的王国被入侵了！那些家伙胆敢攻击我的士兵！” 博利克望着国王，“陛下要我做什么？” 王国提高了声音。“做什么？我一直在等待我忠臣的霸斯泰瑞公爵来帮我作决定。但是看来我现在必须自己做了。” 他停了一会，脸上露出一幅狡诈的神情，正如他黑色的双眼里闪动着的灯火的光芒。“我本考虑将军队交给西部的巴尔寇，但是那个蹒跚的老傻瓜甚至不能保护他自己的要塞。” 博利克想为巴尔寇辩护几句，但阿鲁沙了解他的父亲，抓住他的手臂，公爵最终保持了沉默。 柄王说道，“博利克，你必须把卡瑞德交给你的儿子。我认为他完全有能力。毕竟他是迄今为止我们唯一的胜利。”他的目光涣散，笑容呆滞。他摇了摇头，声音几乎到了疯狂的边缘。“哦，天哪，这痛苦。我的头都要裂开了。”他又暂时闭上了眼睛。“博利克，把卡瑞德留给莱恩和阿鲁沙，我现在就给你西部大军的旗帜；到亚本去。巴尔寇正在遭受猛烈袭击，大部分的异族军队都在朝拉玛塔和祖恩发起猛攻。你到那里去，你需要什么就提出来。那些侵略者必须被赶出我的领土。” 国王的脸色苍白，前额布满汗水。“这是不是出发的好时机，但是我已经命令码头准备好船只，你必须马上离开。现在就去。” 鲍爵鞠躬转身退下。考德瑞克说，“我带陛下回他的房间。等你们准备好，我将陪你们去码头。” 老大臣从王座上搀扶起国王，公爵一行人离开了大厅。他们匆匆回到各自的房间发现仆人已经在为他们收拾行李了。帕格兴奋地站在一旁，他终于要回家了。 他们站在码头，与考德瑞克告别。帕格和麦克莫等待着，高个子的乡绅说道，“那么，小子。现在战争又搅和了进来，看来我们在再次看到家乡前还要有很长一段时间。” 帕格望着那个很久以前曾在暴风雨中找到他的人和他满是伤疤的脸。“为什么？我们不是回家吗？” 麦克莫摇了摇头。“王子将会乘船从克朗多穿越黑暗海峡去帮助他的兄弟，但是公爵将要乘船去伊利斯，然后前往拉玛塔附近巴尔寇的营地。无论去哪里库甘都会跟随博利克公爵。而无论去哪里我也都会跟随我的主人，你呢？” 帕格觉得他的胃里有东西沉了下去。乡绅说的是事实。他要跟随的是库甘，而不是卡瑞德的亲友，尽避他知道如果他要求，他会被允许和王子一起回家乡去的。但他最终顺从了另一种征兆——他的童年已经结束了。“库甘去哪里，我就去哪里。” 麦克莫拍了拍他的肩膀然后说，“好极了，至少我能教你如何使用那该死的长剑，你挥舞它就象是个抡扫把的泼妇。” 对未来感到了一丝欣慰，帕格勉强微笑着。他们很快登上船头踏上了前往萨拉多之路，漫长的西方之旅的第一步。