Ontogeny

Chapter 10a

Arwin Tsocco, the Kelvon ambassador, came to the palace to visit his friend, the King, the next Tuesday, as he always did if circumstances allowed. "Arwin!" cried the King in delight as he entered the entrance hall, where the doorman had taken his guest "Welcome! Really glad you could make it."

"Good to see you, my friend," replied the ambassador as he handed his coat to the doorman, who left the room with it. "The ride from the embassy really works up a thirst, though. I hope you have some more of that excellent Harrolian tark laid in."

"Something even better, my friend. I've come into possession of something really special. Three crates of Kelnish wine "

"Kelnish wine?" said Arwin, his eyes widening in surprise. "The Emperor himself couldn't get any of that stuff. How did you get it?"

"It was a gift from King Altor, in return for a favour I did him. Let's open a bottle tonight, shall we? Drinking it by myself is no fun."

"You are full of surprises, Bill. What other little treasures have you got hidden up your sleeves? A cup of glee powder? A clutch of pearl beetles?"

"I think Kat might take exception to that. I'd like to offer you one of the crates, though, to take back home. You can impress Tyron by serving it to him next time he visits your home. Should do wonders for your reputation."

Arwin laughed. "Thank you. I accept. Tyron will think I raided Altor's wine cellar. Maybe he'll make me the new Director in charge of Special Acquisitions."

Leothan chuckled. Very few people knew that there actually was such a person. Arwin had confided this to him during one of their previous drinking nights and had later jokingly accused the King of getting him drunk on purpose in order to get him to say things he shouldn't. Leothan had just laughed in reply.

"Shall we go?" said the King, gesturing the way up one of the long, sweeping staircases to the first floor. The two men followed the familiar route along the upper corridor, past huge landscape paintings by the best artists of the past three hundred years and little alcoves in which chairs with cushions of padded green velvet stood against the wall in case someone might want to sit on them, although to the best of the King's knowledge, nobody ever had. They passed a maid along the way, who stood with her back against the wall and lowered her head until the two men had passed.

Near the end of the corridor was the room they always used for their private meetings, and as they entered Arwin saw that the palace staff had set up the Glory board for the game they liked to play together. The starting pieces, round flat discs, gold on one side, ivory on the other, were all in their correct places, and the box standing beside it contained the extra pieces that the players would recruit during the course of the game.

Also on the table was the promised bottle of Kelnish wine, dusty with age and the label curling where it had come partially unstuck. King Leothan pulled the cork, then poured a glass of the silvery liquid into a crystal glass. He handed it over to the ambassador, then poured another glass for himself.

Arwin lifted the glass to his nose, took a long sniff, then took the very slightest sip. He stared up at the intricately carved wooden panels in the ceiling as he savoured it. "Superb!" he said, then took another sip. "Sharp, with a bite to it. The Emperor will love it."

     The King took a sip from his own glass, then took his place at the table. Arwin sat opposite him. “Has there been word from the Brigadier?” asked the ambassador. “He's been gone some weeks now, hasn't he?”

"We have no means of communicating with Mekrol," replied Leothan. "The nearest city with a telegraph connection is Barlowe, and that's nearly a thousand miles away from the direct route he'll be following. We won't know whether he's been successful until he actually arrives back."