The Eyes of the Dragon(38)

"Yes," Peter said gravely. "You think your King is a murderer."

Peyna was a little surprised by this bluntness, but not entirely unhappy with it. Peter had always been a blunt boy; it was a pity that his surface bluntness had concealed such depths of calculation, but the important thing was that such bluntness, probably the result of a boy's stupid bravado, would speed things up.

"What we believe, my Lord, doesn't matter. Guilt or innocence is for a court to determine-so I've always been taught, so I believe with my most sincere heart. There is only one exception to this. Kings are above the law. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"But-" Peyna raised his finger. "But this crime was committed before you were King. So far as I know, this terrible situation has never come before a court of Delain before. The possibilities are terrible. Anarchy, chaos, civil war. To avert all of these things, my Lord, we must have your help."

Peter looked at him gravely. "I will help if I can," he said.

And I think-I pray-you will agree to what I am about to propose,

Peyna thought. He was conscious of fresh sweat on his forehead, but he didn't wipe it off this time. Peter was only a boy, but he was a bright boy-he might take it as a sign of weakness. You'll say you're agreeing for the good of the Kingdom, but a boy who could have the monstrous, twisted courage to kill his own father is also, I hope, a boy who cannot help believing he will get away with it. You believe we will help you cover this up, but oh my Lord, you are so wrong.

Flagg, who could almost read these thoughts, raised his hand to his mouth to cover a smile. Peyna hated him, but Peyna had become his number-one helper without even knowing it.

"I want you to put aside the crown," Peyna said.

Peter looked at him with grave surprise. "Renounce the throne?" he asked. "I... I don't know, my Lord Judge-General. I should have to think about that before I said yes or no. That might be hurting the Kingdom by trying to help it-as a doctor may kill a sick man by giving him too much medicine."

The lad's clever, Flagg and Peyna thought together.

"You misunderstand me. It's not a renunciation of the throne I ask for. Only that you put the crown aside until this matter has been decided. If you are found innocent of your father's murder-"

"As I will be," Peter said. "If my father had ruled until I was old and toothless, it would have made me perfectly happy. I wanted only to serve him and support him and love him in all I did."

"Yet your father is dead, and you stand accused by circum-stance."

Peter nodded.

"If you are found innocent, you would resume the crown. If you are found guilty-"

The Great Lawyers looked nervous at this, but Peyna did not flinch.

"If you are found guilty, you would be taken to the top of the Needle, where you would spend the rest of your life. None of the royal family may be executed; that law is a thousand years old."

"And Thomas would become King?" Peter asked thought-fully. Flagg stiffened slightly.

"Yes."

Peter frowned, deep in thought. He looked terribly tired, but not confused or afraid, and Flagg felt a faint stirring of fear.

"Suppose I refuse?"

"If you refuse, then you become King in spite of terrible charges which have not been answered. Many of your subjects-most, in light of the evidence-will believe they have come to be ruled by a young man who murdered his own father to gain the throne. I think there will be revolt and civil war, and that those things will come before much time has passed.

"As for myself, I would resign my post and set out toward the west. I am old to begin over, but I should have to try to do so just the same. My life has been the law, and I could not serve a King who has not knelt to the law in such a matter as this."

There was silence in the chamber, a silence that seemed very long. Peter sat with his head bowed, the heels of his hands planted against his eyes. They all watched and waited. Now even Flagg felt a thin film of sweat on his brow.

Finally Peter raised his head and took his hand from his eyes.

"Very well," he said. "Here is my command as King. I will put the crown aside until I am cleared of my father's murder. You, Peyna, will serve Delain as Chancellor during the time it is without a royal head. I would that the trial should take place as soon as may be-tomorrow, even, if that is possible. I will be bound by the decision of the court.

"But you will not try me."

They all blinked and sat up straighter at this dry note of au-thority, but Yosef of the stables would not have been surprised by it; he had heard that tone in the boy's voice before, when Peter was only a stripling.

"One of these other four will do that," Peter continued. "I'll not be tried by the man who will hold power in my place... a man who, by his look and manner, already feels in his heart that I have committed this terrible crime."

Peyna felt himself flush.

"One of these four," Peter reiterated, turning to the Great Lawyers. "Let four stones, three black and one white, be put in a cup. The one who draws the white stone shall preside at my trial. Do you agree?"

"My Lord, I do," Peyna agreed slowly, hating the flush which even now wouldn't leave his cheeks.

Again, Flagg had to raise a hand to his mouth to cover a small smile. And that, my little doomed Lord, is the only command you will ever give as King of Delain, he thought.