‘My brothers meanwhile became immersed in their own areas of. . . interest. My eldest brother was probably the least talented among us, but was the most driven. My second brother had flashes of brilliance, but no discipline. Yet he’s quick to learn, and has mastered many things. I fall somewhere in the middle, I suppose. I am very good at what I do, but what I do has narrow limits.’ He looked at Kaspar. ‘I really don’t understand much about other types of magic, if you must know.’
‘Your brother?’ Kaspar prodded.
Amirantha sighed. ‘I’m having difficulty coming to the point because I want to impress upon you just how difficult the task my brother achieved was.’
‘Which brother?’
‘The middle brother, Belasco.’
‘Continue.’
Amirantha said, ‘I say with no false vanity that I know perhaps more about demons than any living man. My knowledge is hardly exhaustive, as I discovered rather recently when I met the battle demon my brother conjured instead of the one I was expecting.
‘That’s the point of it, my lord Kaspar; not only did my brother find me - and I have been successfully avoiding him for nearly fifty years - he found me in the middle of a conjuration that should have been far beyond his ability to understand, let alone influence. Moreover, he introduced a component to my magic of which I was unaware at the time, bending it to his will - alone no small feat - and almost got me killed, which I suspect was his intention.
‘If he has become that powerful he could have used far simpler means of disposing of me, but instead he chose to kill me in a fashion that was both ironic and insulting. He wanted me to recognize that he was the author of my death at the last instant, and meant me to know that he controls my craft better than I.’
Kaspar sighed. ‘So, your brother hates you and wishes you dead. But we still haven’t reached why I need fear for the safety of this kingdom.’
‘The demon my brother conjured was of a type I’ve never encountered before.’
‘So?’ asked Kaspar, not seeing the significance.
‘By our measure, demons tend to be stupid, their existence one I can scarcely imagine, and I have more knowledge of them than most men. It’s a lifetime of combat and struggle, where guile serves better than reflection. The idea of a reflective demon is . . . laughable, really.
‘They can be cunning; but the demon that I faced was not only cunning, he was intelligent. Once he realized his physical power was ineffective, he changed his approach and began to use magic’
‘I know nothing of demons, but I have heard stories from those who encountered one in the past,’ began Kaspar.
Amirantha looked intrigued. ‘I would like to speak to them if possible.’
‘More than possible,’ said Kaspar. ‘But I’m still not clear on why an intelligent, magic-using demon is something I need worry over.’
‘There is a demon realm, General, a world apart from our own. I’ve read a few ancient records, and there is no certain knowledge of what that place is like, but we do know a few things: If demons could, they would happily invade our world, for our abundant life intoxicates them. All life is helpless against them. The stoutest warrior I know—’ he indicated Brandos ‘—could only keep that demon at bay for a few moments, just long enough for me to effect its destruction.
‘Imagine if you could, a dozen such creatures appearing inside this palace at any time. I am the most powerful Demon Master I have encountered, and there are not many of us anyway, and I could only best two, perhaps three such creatures given the most perfect of circumstances.’
‘Life rarely provides perfect circumstances,’ offered Brandos.
‘Yes,’ said Kaspar. ‘I think I see where this is going.’
‘Yes,’ said Amirantha. ‘Now, imagine an army of such creatures . . .’
Thinking of his past encounter with the Dasati Deathknights on the now destroyed world of Kelewan, Kaspar said, ‘I think I can imagine.’ He sat lost in thought for a moment, then asked, ‘How would you control such an army?’
Amirantha took a deep breath, the rise and fall of his shoulders communicating what he said next, ‘I have no idea. Perhaps they have rulers, or some sense of loyalty; my dealings with those I have mastered lead me to believe everything in their realm is predicated either on power or usefulness. A demon will serve a greater demon rather than be destroyed; a demon will spare a lesser demon if he can be useful. Beyond that I have no notion of how an army of such creatures might be controlled.’
Kaspar was silent and then said, ‘Yes, you most certainly need to speak with some friends of mine.’
He moved towards the door and signalled for his secretary who had been hovering outside the room with the guards, waiting for his master’s command. ‘Secure quarters for these two and give them a good meal. Tomorrow I will take them on a journey with me.’
‘Sir?’ asked the secretary. ‘A journey?’
‘Yes,’ said the General. ‘I’ll inform the Maharajah personally, tonight.’
‘A journey by sea or land?’ asked the secretary. ‘By land,’ said the General. ‘I’ll need half a dozen of my personal bodyguards.’
‘Only half a dozen?’