‘Hail, Eternal Salmissra,’ the eunuch who was escorting me intoned, prostrating himself on the polished floor.

‘The Chief Eunuch approaches the throne,’ the dozen red-robed functionaries intoned in unison.

‘What is it, Sthess?’ Salmissra replied in an indifferent sort of voice.

‘Ancient Belgarath entreats audience with the Beloved of Issa.’

Salmissra turned her head slowly and gazed at me with those colorless eyes of hers. ‘The Handmaiden of Issa greets the Disciple of Aldur,’ she proclaimed.

‘Fortunate the Disciple of Aldur to be received by the Serpent Queen,’ the chorus intoned.

‘You’re looking well, Salmissra,’ I responded, cutting across about a half-hour of tedious formality.

‘Do you really think so, Belgarath?’ She said it with a kind of girlish ingenuousness which suggested that she was quite young - probably no more than two or three years on the throne.

‘You always look well, dear,’ I replied. The little endearment was probably a violation of all sorts of rules, but I felt that, considering her age, I could get away with it.

‘The honored guest greets Eternal Salmissra,’ the chorus announced.

‘Do you suppose we could dispense with that?’ I asked, jerking my thumb over my shoulder at the kneeling eunuchs. ‘You and I need to talk, and all that singing distracts my attention.’

‘A private audience, Belgarath?’ she asked me archly.

I winked at her with a sly smirk.

‘It is our pleasure that the Ancient One shall divulge his mind to us in private,’ she announced to her worshipers. ‘You have our permission to withdraw.’

‘Well, really!’ I heard one of them mutter in an outraged tone.

‘Remain if you wish, Kass,’ Salmissra said to the protestor in an indifferent tone of voice. ‘Know, however, that no one living will hear what passes between me and the disciple of Aldur. Go and live - or stay and die.’ She had style, I’ll give her that. Her offer cleared the throne room immediately.

‘Well,’ she said, her colorless eyes smoldering, ‘now that we’re alone.’ She left it hanging suggestively.

‘Ah, don’t y’ be after temptin’ me, Darlin’,’ I said, grinning. Beldin had gotten away with that; why couldn’t I?

She actually laughed. That was the only time I ever heard one of the hundred or more Salmissras do that.

‘Let’s get down to business, Salmissra,’ I suggested briskly. ‘I’ve been conducting a survey of the western kingdoms, and I think we might profitably exchange some information.’

‘I hunger for your words, Ancient One,’ she said, her face taking on an outrageously vapid expression. This one had a very sharp mind and a highly developed sense of humor. I quickly altered my approach. An intelligent Salmissra was a dangerous novelty.

‘You know what happened in Mallorea, of course,’ I began.

‘Yes,’ she replied simply. ‘Congratulations.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Would you like to sit here?’ she invited, rising to a half-sitting position and patting the seat of the divan beside her.

‘Ah - thanks, but I think better on my feet. Aloria’s been divided into four separate kingdoms now.’

‘Yes, I know. How did you ever browbeat Cherek into permitting that?’

‘I didn’t. Belar did.’

‘Is Cherek really that religious?’

‘He didn’t like it, but he saw the necessity for it. Riva’s got the Orb now, and he’s on the Isle of the Winds. You might want to warn your sea-captains to stay away from the Isle. Cherek’s got a fleet of war-boats, and they’ll sink any ship that goes within fifty leagues of Riva’s island.’

Her colorless eyes grew speculative. ‘I just had a very interesting thought, Belgarath.’

‘Oh?’

‘Is Riva married yet?’

‘No. He’s still a bachelor.’

‘You might tell him that I’m not married, either. Doesn’t that suggest something rather interesting to you? It certainly does to me.’

I almost choked on that one. ‘You’re not really serious, are you?’

‘It’s something worth exploring, don’t you think? Nyissa’s a small nation, and my people don’t make very good soldiers. The Marag invasion taught us that. If Riva and I were to marry, it’d form a very interesting alliance.’

‘Don’t the rules say that you’re not supposed to marry?’

‘Rules are tiresome, Belgarath. People like you and me can ignore them when it suits us. Let’s be honest here. I’m the figurehead ruler of a weak nation, and I don’t like that very much. I think I’d like to take real power instead. An alliance with the Alorns might just make that possible.’

‘You’d be flying in the face of tradition, you know.’

‘Traditions are like rules, Belgarath. They’re made to be ignored. Issa’s been dormant for a long time now. The world’s changing, and if Nyissa doesn’t change, too, we’ll be left behind. We’ll be a small, primitive backwater. I think I might just be the one to change that.’

‘It wouldn’t work, Salmissra,’ I told her.

‘My sterility, you mean? I can take care of that. All I have to do is stop taking those drugs, and I’ll be as fertile as any young woman. I’ll be able to give Riva a son to rule his island, and he can give me a daughter to rule here. We could alter the balance of power in this part of the world.’

I laughed. ‘It’d send the Tolnedrans into hysterics, if nothing else.’

‘That in itself would be worth the trouble.’

‘It would indeed, but I’m afraid it’s out of the question. Riva’s already been spoken for.’

‘Oh? Who’s the lucky girl?’

‘I haven’t any idea. It’s one of those marriages made in heaven. The Gods have already selected Riva’s bride.’

She sighed. ‘Pity,’ she murmured. ‘Ah, well. Riva’s still only a boy. I suppose I could educate him, but that’s sort of tiresome. I prefer experienced men.’

I moved on rather quickly. This was a very dangerous young lady. ‘The Arendish civil war’s heating up. Asturia and Wacune are currently allied against Mimbre - at least they were when I was there. It was two whole months ago, though, so the situation might have changed by now.’

‘Arends,’ she sighed, rolling her eyes upward.

‘Amen to that. The second Honethite Dynasty’s winding down in Tolnedra. They might be able to squeeze out one or two more emperors, but that well’s almost dry. The Vorduvians are waiting in the wings - not very patiently.’

‘I hate the Vorduvians,’ she said.

‘Me too. We’ll have to endure them, though.’

‘I suppose.’ She paused, her pale eyes hooded. ‘I heard about your recent bereavement,’ she said tentatively. ‘You have my sincerest sympathy.’

‘Thank you.’ I even managed to say it in a level tone.

‘Another possibility occurs to me,’ she said then. ‘You and I are both currently at liberty. An alliance between us might be even more interesting than one between Riva and me. Torak isn’t going to stay in Mallorea forever, you know. He’s already sent scouting parties across the land-bridge. It’s just a matter of time until there’s an Angarak presence on this continent, and that’ll bring in the Grolims. Don’t you think we should start to get ready?’

I got very careful at that point. I was obviously dealing with a political genius here. ‘You’re tempting me again, Salmissra.’ I was lying, of course, but I think I managed to convince her that I was interested in her obscene suggestion. Then I sighed. ‘Unfortunately, it’s forbidden.’

‘Forbidden?’

‘By my Master, and I wouldn’t even consider crossing him.’

She sighed. ‘What a shame. I guess that still leaves me with the Alorns. Maybe I’ll invite Dras or Algar to pay a visit to Sthiss Tor.’

‘They have responsibilities in the north, Salmissra, and you have yours here. It wouldn’t be much of a marriage, no matter which of them you chose. You’d seldom see each other.’

‘Those are the best kind of marriages. We wouldn’t have so much chance to bore each other.’ She brought the flat of her hand sharply down on the arm of her throne. ‘I’m not talking about love, Belgarath. I need an alliance, not entertainment. I’m in a very dangerous situation here. I was foolish enough to let a few things slip when I first came to the throne. The eunuchs know that I’m not just a silly girl consumed by her appetites. I’m sure that the candidates for my throne are already in training. As soon as one’s chosen, the eunuchs will poison me. If I can’t find an Alorn to marry, I’ll have to take a Tolnedran - or an Arend. My life depends on it, old man.’

Then I finally understood. It wasn’t ambition that was driving her so much as it was her instinct for self-preservation. ‘You do have an alternative, you know,’ I told her. ‘Strike first. Dispose of your eunuchs before they’re ready to dispose of you.’