From all reports, a wave of thousands of Dasati had literally erupted through a rift in the chamber of the High Council. No Tsurani in that room or within half a mile of it had survived.
The Imperial Guard, except for those around the Emperor at the old Acoma estates, had given their lives defending the Tsurani nobles. Alenca and half a dozen Tsurani Great Ones had died within minutes of the start of the assault. Others had arrived in response to the alarm and most had been killed as well. Most magic appeared to have no effect on the Dasati, though one enterprising magician who survived managed to do so by the expedient method of dropping a massive stone statue on two Deathknights. Thinking back to her own encounter with the lesser Dread up near the Peaks of the Quor, Miranda wondered why she hadn’t thought to use her powers to pick up a boulder and drop it on one. It might have worked.
Miranda sat back in the chair usually occupied by Pug, feeling overwhelmed. Caleb entered a few minutes later.
‘More word from Kelewan.’
‘What?’
He handed her the message. ‘The last Dasati died less than two hours ago. Some were weakened, apparently, by exposure to the Tsurani sun or because of something in the air that sickened them. Whatever the cause, the last Deathknight was overwhelmed in a market square by a dozen merchants who tore it apart using tools and kitchen implements.’
‘It’s nice to know they can die,’ said Miranda bitterly. ‘What else do we know?’
‘There are as many as fifty thousand dead or wounded.’
‘Gods!’ she exclaimed. ‘That many?’
‘It’s estimated that ten thousand Dasati came into the city in three locations, two in the Imperial palace – one right in the heart of the High Council’s meeting chamber, while they were in session, one in the centre of the administrative suite where all the palace functionaries work, and the third in the richest merchants’ quarter in the Holy City.’
Miranda had already read a report which indicated that the High Council had been sitting when the attack came. She. still had no word on the sum of the damage, but given the number of dead and wounded Caleb relayed, she was certain the damage had been appalling. ‘Varen.’
‘How do you know?’
‘The Dasati could not have known how to do this much harm in so focused a way. Varen had to have told them. In a single attack they’ve decapitated the Empire of Tsuranuanni.’
‘There’s still the Emperor,’ said Caleb.
‘But who is there to command?’ Miranda stood and began to pace as was her wont when under stress. ‘Eldest sons? Daughters? Wives? The leadership of every house in the Empire has been disrupted, which means every political party and every clan as well. Right now the balance of power in the Empire is completely overturned, and for every house that has an eldest son groomed to rule and step in to his father’s place, there are a score who are torn by grief and without effective leadership.
‘This is a far worse disaster than had the Emperor been slain.’
Caleb said, ‘At least he lives.’
‘Yes, and that gives the Tsurani a single advantage.’
Caleb asked, ‘What is that?’
Miranda turned and said, ‘Blind obedience.’
Caleb’s expression turned doubtful. ‘How does that become an advantage if there’s no effective leadership?’
‘The Tsurani need generals. We can give them generals. They just have to be ordered to obey foreigners—’
‘And if the Emperor orders them to obey generals from Midkemia, they will,’ finished Caleb.
Miranda said, ‘Now, how is that meeting Tomas asked for coming along?’
‘Everyone who is willing to come will be here by sundown.’
‘Good, I don’t know exactly what Tomas will say to everyone, but I have a pretty good idea. I’ve only met him a few times, but from what your father has said about him, he’s hardly a man to panic, but I think he’s worried, Caleb.’
‘Did Father ever speak to you about the Dread?’ He sat down in a chair in the corner. Miranda sighed. ‘There are lots of things your father doesn’t talk about, mostly from the early days. I think it has to do with a lot of different things.’
‘Such as?’
Caleb was not the sort to probe idly, so his mother knew him to be genuinely interested. She realized once again how different he was from Magnus and his parents. As the only member of the family without the ability to practise magic he was always somehow detached from their shared experiences, no matter how much they tried to include him in their lives and how much they loved him.
Miranda said, ‘I don’t have much time before Tomas’s meeting, but I can speculate a little.’ She closed her eyes as if remembering something, then said, ‘I also haven’t talked a great deal about my youth, and I am older than your father.’