The Feline Wizard Read Online Free

visit. Then he recovered his poise, clearly resolving not to make the mistake he had made then, when he treated Matt and his party as common travelers. He bowed and said, “I am amazed that you could come so quickly, Lord Mantrell.”
    “Your king's letter made it seem urgent,” Matt said, “and I had air transport available.”
    The chamberlain stared. “That dragon who flew over the city… was that…”
    “Me on its back? Yes, but I didn't want to take a chance on landing in the plaza in front of the palace. Your sentries take their duties very seriously, and it never pays to underestimate a crossbow.”
    The chamberlain smiled, pleased at the compliment to his fellow citizens. “Will you follow, my lord?” He turned to snap a phrase to a page, and the boy stared at Matt, then took off running.
    Possibly as a result, Matt only waited a few minutes in the antechamber before the chamberlain ushered him into Prester John's private study.
    “Lord Wizard!” Prester John advanced, arms wide in welcome. “How good of you to come—and how quickly!”
    “Glad to be back.” Matt bowed, then straightened to survey the man closely. Prester John had lost weight; beneath the black beard, his cheeks had grown gaunt. His eyes were shadowed and haunted, and his golden skin had faded to parchment. He was taking the loss of his newfound niece very hard indeed. “Of course I'm glad to help any way I can,” Matt assured him. “Any progress in finding Balkis?”
    “Come and see.” Prester John turned to the window in a whirl of gorgeous robes.
    Matt stepped up and looked down through an elaborately carved screen at a courtyard full of soldiers milling about. He stared. “Is this your idea of a search party?”
    “Of course,” Prester John said, surprised. “Her rank merits nothing less. Balkis is Princess of the Eastern Gate, Lord Wizard.”
    “Well, yes, but a smaller force might be less noticeable and find her faster. Has there been any word of her? Maybe abeggar delivering a discreet note demanding that you-sur-render half your kingdom if you want to see her again?”
    Prester John stared at him in horror. “No, not a word. Are such things common?”
    “I've heard of them happening,” Matt said in as neutral a tone as he could manage.
    Old anger seeped through, though, making Prester John frown with concern. “Of course! Your own children were stolen last year.”
    Matt nodded. “And Balkis helped me find them, if you recall, so it's time to return the favor—but if there's no word of her, we also have no clues, no hints as to where she might be.”
    “None, save the man who spirited her away—but even he had no notion where the man to whom he gave her might have taken her.” Prester John glared out at the army in the courtyard, his face dark with dread. “I very much fear she may be already dead, Lord Wizard.”
    Matt could see the grief welling up beneath the scowl. Alarmed, he said, “I very much doubt that, Your Majesty. Remember, she's a cat whenever she wants to be, and cats have nine lives. I suspect that a cat who is also a human wizard would have nine times nine.”
    Prester John turned to him with the ghost of a smile. “Eighty-one lives? Perhaps—if she transformed herself to a cat in time.”
    “Not much that could stop her,” Matt assured him, then turned away toward the comfortable-looking chairs in the corner. “But I need to know everything that happened. How about you sit down and tell me about it?”
    “Perhaps I have been pacing too long,” the king admitted. He proved it by pacing over to the corner and sitting with a sigh. “Yes, that is welcome.” He frowned at the still-standing wizard. “But you too must sit, Lord Wizard!”
    “In the presence of a sovereign? Perish the thought!”
    “You are not my subject, but the emissary of my fellow sovereign, the Queen of Merovence, and her consort! Come, sit!”
    Matt bowed and sat. The chair was a welcome rest. “Now tell me how