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significance in the fact that the legs of Var-
odias' chair were six inches taller than those of the chair to which the
Mother Supreme had been assigned, THE UNICORN PEACE t 127
"We bid you welcome," Varodias said when the small flock of courtiers and
attendants had been dismissed.
The Emperor, as was his habit, used the Formal Mode even though they were
aione-
"I am most pleased to visit the Chief Upholder of the
Great Mother," she replied with equal ceremony, and accompanied the words with
a totally artificial smile that had no echo in the small, grey eyes.
Varodias' lips arranged themselves into a profes-
sional curve. "Let us dispense with the pleasantries," he said, the high voice
chilly but flexible. "You are here to discuss the disgraceful outcome at the
cathedral. Two hundred and forty people killed and twice that number wounded.
The news is spreading to every corner of the
Empire and talk of revolution follows it. How could you have been so stupid?"
The white-gloved hand that had been illustrating his words formed into a fist
and pounded down onto the armrest.
"If Your Imperial Majesty will permit," Arnulpha said imperturbably. She
adjusted the cloth-of-gold robe
to emphasize the belly.
I remember when she needed padding to suggest pregnancy, Varodias thought. Too
many years of good living. He tried to estimate the Mother's age. She had been
elected thirty years ago so she must be at least sixty, but it was difficult
to tell. The hair was covered as was the throat and the lines in her face had
been erased by her gain in weight.
"The figures you quoted are exaggerated. A hundred and thirty-two people died
and about a hundred had their wounds tended by the Sisters. That is still
regret-
table, but a mob was prepared to commit sacrilege against one of our holy
places and that I could not allow."
"It was, of course, the merest accident that you had
128 + JOHN LEE
four hundred armed retainers on call," Varodias said, the sarcasm evident.
Amulpha Hashed her non-smile again. "I am sure that my intelligence is no
match for that of Your Imperial
Majesty, but I did get sufficient warning."
"And you chose to hire mercenaries rather than ap-
peal to us for assistance."
The Mother Supreme drew back her head and cocked it slightly to the left. The
eyes, unwavering, weighed the
Emperor. The lips moved slightly, suggesting that she had made up her mind
about something. She leaned forward.
"We could, of course, have come to you, but I doubt that you would have
reacted fast enough. Besides, there is a considerable body of opinion within
the Church that blames you for the whole thing."
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Varodias pushed himself back in his chair as if to gain height and distance.
"Have a care, madam," he said.
"Well," she said, unabashed, "if you had condemned that infernal Simian
instead of letting him go, people would not have taken it into their heads
that Church property can be attacked with impunity. At least now they will
think twice before they try it again. Besides,"
she added in a more moderate tone, "it would have been very poor politics."
"Pray tell us more," The words were spaced, the high voice skeptical.
Amuipha shrugged, and the quivers seemed to course down her body, "The Church
and the Emperor are al-
lied in the minds of the people. How would it have
seemed if Imperial troops had dispersed the rabble and caused the casualties?
You should be grateful that you can disown the action."
"Oh, sweet, very sweet," Varodias said, hands hov-
ering at midchest. "All done for our good." The tone
THE UNICORN PEACE + 129
was almost caressing. He sat straight and the right fore-
finger jabbed out. "You did not ask us for our assis-
tance because you wished to establish an independence of us. That is the
truth. Well, know this, woman, de-
spite the fact that the Church and the Crown are inter-
twined in the popular mind, we do not countenance the slaughter of our
subjects." The finger was jabbing again.
The Mother Supreme drew in her breath. "Your Im-
perial Majesty is in a great deal more trouble than the
Church," she said evenly. "The mob, apprentices and journeymen for the most
part, were inspired by the Her-
mit, but they were not really interested in the Church;
the Church was simply thought to be an easy target.
You are the one this Simian is aiming at. He is a fanatic and, like most
fanatics, he believes what he preaches.
He would not be as effective as he is if he did not.
"It is true that, in the beginning, he took on the Holy
Mother Church, but he no longer inveighs against us.
He has money behind him now, and where do you sup-
pose that money comes from? My opponents?" Her hands splayed out and her
eyebrows rose. "Scarcely.
The majority of the population is devoted to the Great
Mother. That is not a tenet of belief. That is a fact. No, my friend. Simian
is a stalking horse for those who would supplant you. They begin by making it
seem as if you cannot govern the Empire." She sat back slightly, weighing the
effect of her speech. Varodias was a vol-
atile and dangerous man who did not take kindly to criticism. Her aggressive
performance was a deliberate gamble, and she was not at all sure that she was
win-
ning.
"It would be simple enough," the Emperor said lightly, "for us publicly to
condemn the Church for the massacre and thus allow the people's anger to focus
on you."
Amulpha allowed herself an audible and derisory puff
130 + JOHN LEE
of breath. "If you were going to do that, Majesty, you would have done it
right away. It is too late now. Be-
sides" the smile was genuinely amused this time "you made the mistake of
receiving me in state, I am sure that the word has already gone out."
Varodias tipped back his head and appeared to study
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the ceiling. "You have been grossly deficient in your judgment, both in your
actions and in your opinion of us." The voice floated out. People who did not
know him, and almost no one did, would have assumed that the Emperor was in an
amiable mood. The neatly ta-
pered beard descended slowly until he was looking di-
rectly at the Mother Supreme. His hands were still.
"While it is true that the Crown and the Church are supposedly inseparable,
the same is not true of Emper-
ors and individual Mothers Supreme." He smiled, but there was nothing amiable
about it. "My condemnation would be of the misguided priestess, not of the
organi-
zation, and it is by no means too late for that."
"Is Your Imperial Majesty trying to threaten me?"
Amulpha asked, striving to match his lightness-
Varodias' smile returned. "My Wisewoman tells me that obesity can put too
great a strain upon the vital organs. Then again, a glutton may choke on a
sweet-
meat."
The laugh started low in the Mother Supreme and rose until she threw back her
head and gave it free rein.
It was a totally spontaneous release of tension and it disconcerted the
Emperor. She wheezed; she wiped her eyes. The intrigues of men were so crude
when com-
pared to the machinations of women, she thought, and she had ruled more than
two thousand women for lon-
ger than she cared to admit.
"Nicely done. Majesty," she said, controlling her-
self, "but I am not so easily replaced. The hierarchy is loyal to me and to my
way of thinking. No compla-
THE UNICORN PEACE + 131
cent vessel of your choosing would be elected and the next Mother Supreme
might well be even less to your liking."
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