Arutha was correct. Jazhara and James were not even halfway back to their respective quarters when pages overtook them, informing them that the Prince required their immediate presence in the throne room.
They returned to find the High Priest of Ishap, along with two other priests and a warrior monk in attendance. The High Priest was an elderly man, scholarly in demeanor with closely cropped snow-white hair. Like their superior, the two priests were also bareheaded, and wore their dark hair cut short. Unlike other orders, the Ishapians tended to favor plain fashion. The priests were dressed in brown-trimmed white robes; the monk wore armor and carried a helm under his left arm. A large warhammer hung at his belt.
Prince Arutha sat on his throne, and while there were only two other officials of the court in attendance - Duke Gardan and his scribe - James realized that Arutha wanted to conduct this interview from a position of power.
The Ishapians were long thought to be the most mysterious of Midkemia’s religious orders, not courting converts as the other temples did. James had encountered them before, at the old Abbey at Sarth, and knew there was a great deal more to the Ishapians than commonly believed. They held a kind of supremacy among the orders; other temples avoided conflicts with them.
The High Priest said, “Highness, your message carried a note of the imperative and I came as soon as I received it.”
“Thank you,” said the Prince. He motioned to Gardan and the old Duke’s scribe produced the statuette, handing it to the High Priest for inspection. “Where did you get this, Highness?” the High Priest asked, traces of surprise and worry in his voice.
Arutha signaled to James, who said, “It was discovered earlier today in a cache of stolen goods. Booty from a pirate raid.”
“Booty?” said the High Priest.
Arutha said, “We both know, Father, what is due to occur this year. I need to know if that item came from the ship due into Krondor this month.”
The High Priest said, “These are matters which cannot be discussed in open court, Highness.”
Arutha nodded to Gardan and the duke dismissed the scribe. The High Priest looked at Jazhara and James and Arutha said, “The squire is my personal agent, and Jazhara is my advisor on all things magical. The duke has my trust beyond question. You may speak freely.”
The High Priest looked as if a burden had been placed upon him, for his shoulders sagged visibly. “Ishap’s Dawn was due in Krondor a week ago, Highness. We have sent ships out to search for her, all the way back to the Free Cities. Perhaps she is disabled or . . .” He looked at James. “A pirate raid? Is that possible?”
James said, “Apparently. A madman named Bear, aided, it seems, by dark magic, appears to have taken your ship. Guards are bringing the rest of the booty to the palace so that you may reclaim it, Father.”
A glimmer of hope sprang into the High Priest’s eyes. “Tell me . . . is there a large box . . .”
James interrupted. “According to his first mate, whatever it is that Bear wanted sank with the ship. It was the cause of some considerable friction between them. Bear tore the man apart with his hands trying to learn the location of the sunken ship.”
The warrior monk kept an impassive face, but the High Priest and his two other companions appeared to be on the verge of fainting.
“Then all is lost,” whispered the High Priest.
Arutha leaned forward. “The ship carried the Tear of the Gods?”
The High Priest said, “Yes, and all the other treasure accumulated over the past ten years by every temple from the Far Coast to the Free Cities. But all the gold and gems” - he brandished the statuette - “are meaningless without the Tear.”
James caught Arutha’s eye. The Prince said, “When I first came to this throne I was told something of the Tear’s importance, yet you have kept its secret from the Crown. Why is this artifact of such great value?”
The High Priest said, “What I tell you, Highness, only your brother the King in Rillanon, and a very few of our order, know. I must have your vow that what I tell you here will not leave this room.”
Arutha glanced at Gardan, who nodded, then to James and Jazhara, who also agreed. “We so vow,” said the Prince.
“Once every ten years, a gem is formed in a secret location in the north of the Grey Tower Mountains. The origin of this gem is lost to us; even our most ancient tomes do not reveal how our order first came to know of the existence of the Tear of the Gods.
“But this we do know: all power from the gods to men comes through this artifact. Without it, we would all fall deaf to the words of the gods, the gods would not hear our prayers.”