Hozel stared hard at Elric and smiled. «Then let the human race protect itself and not fight under an unhuman leader. Tis well-known that the men of Melnibone are not true men at all.»

«Be that as it may, » Elric lowered his head and lifted a thin, white hand to point at Hozel. The king shivered and held his ground with obvious effort. «But I know more than that, Hozel of Argimfliar. I know that the men of the Young Kingdoms are only the gods' first mouldings-shadow-things who precede the race of real men, even as we preceded you. And I know more! I know that if we do not vanquish both Jagreen Lern and his supernatural allies, then men will be swept from the boiling face of a maddened planet, their destiny unfulfilled! »

Hozel swallowed and spoke, his voice trembling.

«I've seen your muttering kind in the market places, Elric. Men who prophecy all kinds of dooms that never take place-mad-eyed men such as you. But we do not let them live in Argimiliar. We fay them slowly, finger by finger, inch by inch until they admit their omens are fallacious! Perhaps well have that opportunity, yet! »

He swung about and half-ran from the hall. For a moment the other Southern Monarchs stood staring irresolutely after him.

Elric said urgently: «Heed him not, my lords. I swear on my life that my words are true! »

Jemed said softly, half to himself: 'That could mean little, There are rumours you're immortal.»

Moonglum came close to his friend and whispered: «They are unconvinced, Elric. Tis plain they're not our men.»

Elric nodded. To the Southern nobles he said: «Know his: Though you foolishly reject my offer of an alliance, the day will come when you will regret your decision. I have been isolated in my own palace, my friends have been insulted and I curse you for the upstart fools you are. But when the time comes for you to learn the error of this decision I swear that we shall aid you, if it is in our power. Now go! »

Disconcerted, the Southerners straggled from the hall in hence.

Elric turned to Kargaa Sharpeyes. «What have you decided, Sealord?»

«We stand with you.» Kargan said simply. «My brother Smiorgan Baldhead always spoke well of you and I remember his words rather than the rumours which followed his death under your leadership. Moreover, » he smiled broadly, it is in our nature to believe that whatever a Southern weakling decides must therefore be wrong. You have the Purple Towns as allies-and our ships, though fewer than the combined fleets of the south, are smooth-sailing fighting ships and well-equipped for war.»

«I must warn you that we stand little chance without Southern aid, » Elric said gravely. I'm doubtful if they'd have been more than an encumbrance with their guile and squabblings, » Kargan replied. «Besides-have you no sorcery to help us in this?»

«I plan to seek some tomorrow, » Elric told him. «Moonglum and myself will be leaving my cousin Dyvim Slorm in charge here while we go to Sorcerers' Isle, beyond Melnibone. There, among the hermit practitioners of the White Arts, I - might find means of contacting the Lords of Law. I, as you know, am half-sworn to Chaos, though I fight it, and am finding increasingly that my own Demon-God is somewhat loathe to aid me these days. At present, the White Lords are weak, beaten back, just as we are on Earth, by the increasing power of the Dark Ones. It is hard to contact them. The hermits can likely help me.»

Kargan nodded. «Would be a relief to us of the Purple Towns to know that we were not too strongly leagued with dark spirits, I must admit»

Elric frowned. «I agree, of course. But our position is so weak that we must accept any help-be it black or white. I presume that there is dispute among the Masters of Chaos as to how far they should go-that is why some of my own help still comes from Chaos. This blade that hangs at my side, and the twin which Dyvim Slorm bears, are both evil. Yet they were forged by creatures of Chaos to bring an end, on Earth at least, to the Masters' rule here. Just as my blood-loyalties are divided, so are the swords' loyalties. We haw no supernatural allies we can wholly rely upon.»

«I feel for you, » Kargan said gruffly, and it was obvious that he did. No man could envy Elric's position or Elric's destiny.

Orgon Kargan's cousin-in-law, said bluntly: «Well to bed now. Has your kinsman your full confidence?»

Elric glanced at Dyvim Slorm and smiled. «My full confidence-he knows as much as I about this business. He shall speak for me since he knows my basic plans.»

«Very well. We’ll confer with him tomorrow and, if we do not see you before you leave, do well for us on Sorcerers' Isle.»

The Sealords left. Now, for the first time, the Regent of Vilmir spoke. His voice was clear and cool. «We, too, have confidence in you and your kinsman, Elric. Already we know you both for clever warriors and cunning planners. Vilmir has good cause to know it from your exploits in Bakshaan and elsewhere throughout our territories. We, I feel, have the good sense to bury old scores.» He turned to the Merchant Princes for confirmation and they nodded their agreement

«Good, » Elric said. He addressed the gaunt-faced archer, Rackhir, his friend, whose legend almost equalled his own.

«You come as a spokesman of Tanelorn, Rackhir. This will not be the first time we have fought the Lords of Chaos.»

'True.» Rackhir nodded. «Most recently we averted a threat with certain aid from the Grey Lords-but Chaos had caused the gateways to the Grey Lords to be closed to mortals. We can offer you only our warriors' loyalty.»

«We shall be grateful for that» Elric paced the dais. There was no need to ask the senators of Karlaak and the other cities of Ilmiora, for they had agreed to support him, come what may, long before the other rulers were called.

The same was true of the bleak-faced band who made up the refugees from the West, headed by Viri-Sek, the winged youth from Myyrrhn, last of his line since all the other members of the ruling family had been slain by Jagreen Lern's minions.

Just beyond the ways of Karlaak was a sea of tents and pavilions over which the banners of many nations waved sluggishly in the hot, moist wind. At this moment, Elric knew, the proud lords of the South were uprooting their standards and packing their tents, not looking at the war-battered warriors of Shazar, Jharkor and Tarkesh who stared at them in puzzlement Sight of those dun-eyed veterans should have decided the Southern nobles to ally themselves with the East, but evidently it had not . Elric sighed and turned his back on the others to contemplate the great map of the world with its shaded dark areas.

«Now only a quarter is black, » he said softly to Moonglum. «But the dark tide spreads farther and faster and soon we may all be engulfed.»

«Well dam the flow-or try to-when it comes, » Moonglum said with attempted jauntiness. «But meanwhile your wife would spend some time with you before we leave. Let's both to bed and trust our dreams are Ught! »