Chapter 13
I looked at the crowds in my rooms. Even as I was dealing with the intrusion of the demon's message, the palace wizards were tracking the spell that had crashed through our defenses.
They got to my apartment just after I had closed the demons access to the palace. Questions flew until I was sick and tired of them, and sent everyone packing. Shortly afterwards, my sister, and another entourage of people showed up.
Unfortunately, I was unable to kick these people out. The result was more of my coffee and cocoa was being consumed by uninvited guests. Again, the questions flew. This time, I could not just tell them off. Mirwanna wanted to know all sorts of things.
How had the demon managed to get through the protective spells? Why was I singled out? How did I cast out the demon? And so on. I explained what I had heard, as did everyone else who had been in the room with me.
Vostich showed up, which meant I had to start all over again. This was getting very annoying, now. I asked Vertwil to take over. I sat back and listened to him repeat, yet again, what had happened.
"Did it not occur to you to get as much information from your visitor, before you banished him?" Vostich asked me after he had been briefed.
I looked at him. "He insulted my wife. I take that from no one; be he man, god, or demon," I said sourly.
"I understand, but with the exception of his asking you to be an ambassador, there was more information that you could have gotten from him," Vostich told me with a heavy sigh.
I nodded. "Sure. I understand. It was just that his statement to my wife enraged me. I took what I deemed appropriate action," I said, folding my arms across my chest.
"Vostich? If you would be so kind, could you strengthen and add to the spells around the palace? It would seem there are glaring holes," Mirwanna said with a sigh.
"It will be my pleasure. If I had known they were able to punch through what was there already, I would have done something earlier," Vostich said.
We talked for about another thirty minutes, then people started drifting out. That was fine with me. Vostich came over to me, and asked me how my class in learning to create spells was going. Apparently Vertwil had informed him of my efforts.
I told him what and where I was, and he nodded. He then cautioned me.
"Just remember. The higher the level you go to, the more dangerous it is if you get a bad reaction. Spells will backfire on you, if you put them together wrong," Vostich advised as he left.
Finally, Mariel and I were alone again. The servants had tried vainly to keep up with the impromptu gathering, but the place would still need some time, before it was put back into a presentable appearance.
We retired to the bedroom and talked a bit. She asked me why I had gotten so upset when the demon had complimented her. I stared at her.
"Mariel. Demons always have an ulterior motive. Also, I ran across one group that was trying to bring a demon through to the Earth I had lived on for so long. They used sex to draw the demon to them. As far as I know, this is that same type of demon," I said heavily.
Mariel reddened. She then lifted her chin and looked me in the eye.
"Well, I am a person. I can make up my own mind, or defend myself. Next time, let me try to handle things like that, ok?" she asked me.
I shook my head. "Mariel, it took everything I had, and help from the sword, to banish that sending. It was very powerful. I WILL protect you when it is called for," I said grimly.
She came over and hugged me. I put my arms around her, and we talked until late into the night. The servants had finished quite a while ago, and everything was restored to order in our apartments.
We were just going to bed, when I felt Vostich doing spells. I lay down, and sent my astral body out. I shortly found myself watching Vostich as he worked. He noticed me, but ignored me, concentrating instead on placing some very powerful spells around the palace.
I am not sure how long he worked. When he was done he again looked at me, nodded, and left. I looked at the spells he had added to the palace. They were a beautiful pattern of lattices. I gasped when I saw them.
They blended and augmented the spells that were already there. I didn't see how anything except a demi-god or god could enter without invitation. The power that was represented in all the spells, was unbelievable.
I was pleased. While refugee's still showed up, they had slowed to a trickle. We now had the ability to house them, and feed them. We even found work for the men, and a few of the women.
Three weeks had gone by since the demon's visit, and nothing had happened since. I had put it out of my mind. I practiced my spell making, and straightened out the refugee problem.
While I still took a day to sit in judgment, Mariel was doing very well. As a matter of fact, she had time on her hands. So she busied herself learning from the Physician's Assistant that had come from earth. She seemed to take to healing, and the earth style of medicine fascinated her. So while my wife learned human anatomy and medicine, earth style, I was deeply into spell construction.
It was to my surprise, that Mirwanna sent a steward to me. I was commanded to make an appearance at court tomorrow. I blinked in surprise. Commanded? Well, it was her right. But still, she had never really done that before.
I wondered if this had something to do with her coronation, next week. No, that couldn't be it. Now I was going to have to get out my court clothing, and be on my best behavior.
I had a servant get those clothes ready, and went back to my spell making. I was already at the higher end of the mid-range spells, and had created several new spells to be added to the world's list of spells. Vertwil was excited about two of them.
Mirwanna held court directly after lunch. Her mornings were dedicated to learning who would be there, and for what. Then she resolved everything during the court. It was not like my court of judgment, but was more of a social gathering. Problems were resolved, promises made, and the usual skullduggery that went along with high politics was indulged in.
"Announcing his grace, Paul Landkur, Duke De Landkur," said the voice of Mirwanna's chamberlain. I rolled my eyes, and entered the grand reception room/throne room.
It was fairly crowded with dignitaries. I recognized several, and was waylaid be several more whom I did not know. I was finally rescued when a royal page appeared at my elbow, telling me my sister would like a word with me.
I gratefully followed my diminutive page to a circle of people. At the center of this circle, was my sister.
"Paul, how kind of you to come," my sister told me with a smile.
I bowed to her. "My pleasure," I responded.
The conversation had died while we went through this silly production of two heads of state meeting. I was the head of this city, and the grand duke. I mean, come on! But, form had to satisfied. The conversation picked right back up, and I was still wondering what I was doing here.
Shortly, Mirwanna glided her way to me, and grabbed my arm.
"Paul, I am so glad you could come. I simply have to introduce you to someone," Mirwanna said and dragged me towards a person standing alone in a niche. I noticed that the niche had been spelled, and the guy was inside the spelled area.
I also noticed Vertwil and a couple other wizards were standing close by in a group all their own. This did not look good. The man was looking out the window, and when he turned I was stunned! It was the demon whom had shown up uninvited, just three weeks ago! Here in the palace!
I had started drawing in power automatically, to try to blast it. He looked at me curiously, and Vertwil and company came over and tried to calm me down.
"Paul! It's All right! Really! Look at the closure. I mean, really look!" Mirwanna yelled at me.
I looked at her, and did as she suggested. I saw Vostch's work. The demon was firmly and clearly protected, or was a prisoner. Take your pick. The spell kept him in, and everyone else out. Including me.
I relaxed. Even the evil I usually felt associated with demons was blocked. Since I didn't feel it, I could actually look at him/it without reacting. He was tall. He was bald. He was definitely male, despite the fact I kept thinking of demons as IT.
"A pleasure to see you again, Paul," he said, bowing gracefully.
I nodded in return. "I can't really same the same. When we last met, you had appeared without permission, and ruined an otherwise very pleasant evening for me," I told him.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Elpor. Ambassador to the humans from the demon kind. We have chosen you to be the human ambassador to us from the humans," Elpor told me.
I just looked at him. He raised his almost non existent eyebrows at me. Without the waves of evil that had accompanied him before, he didn't seem all that intimidating. Mirwanna jabbed me in the side with her elbow.
I looked at her, then back at the demon. "A pleasure to meet you," I got out.
He beamed at me, and seemed pleased for some reason. I tensed up.
"Be nice, Paul," Mirwanna murmured to me.
"I came with our plan for integration of our city and world to yours. We realize you are unused to our ways. While my master's are a bit put out with you for destroying our second gate, they understand," Elpor said sincerely.
"Your master understands our defending ourselves? How nice," I said tonelessly.
"Come now. We are both men of the world, so to speak. We are most firmly ensconced, and it is doubtful you can dislodge us. The logical thing to do is to make the most of the situation," Elpor said in what I thought of as a superior tone of voice.
I gritted my teeth. I was about to let him have it when Mirwanna told him that there was not a certainty about that, just yet. The way she said it, made me proud! I smiled at her, and she grinned back at me.
"This is a most unusual place. If I give you my promise not to engage in anything that you would disapprove of, could I ask that you release me from this bubble of containment and let me mingle?" Elpor asked.
"I will ask Vostich about that as soon as he shows up," Mirwanna said.
Vertwil signaled me with his eyes and a nod and we drifted off a ways.
"Paul. You can't let that demon loose. You can't trust what they say," Vertwil said in a low voice.
"I don't want to let him out, either. But if Mirwanna has Vostich watching him, then I'll feel better. But I think I will go get a couple items, just in case," I finished.
I went in search of a quiet place, and found a small anti-room that was unoccupied. I thought for a minute, and summoned my staff. It was fully charged. I shrunk it down until it looked like a cane. If the demon was released, I wanted a large supply of power to draw on.
Edited By TeNderLoin