by Bob Blink
“Are you afraid of him?” Asari asked tauntingly.
“You’re damned right I am. I want to get him, but I want to be certain.”
“We could at least try.”
“Don’t be stupid. You wouldn’t even get off one shot. You couldn’t get close enough. The one shot you attempt has to be successful, or you’ve given it all away. Cheurt would know that he was being followed, or worse targeted. He’d know we know about him, know about the Nexus, and maybe his whole plan. He would suddenly take more care, making another attempt impossible, and he would change his whole plan around the fact he had been discovered. The potential havoc would be incredible.”
“I think we could do it.” Asari argued.
“Stop acting like a kid who can’t have his own way. I told you we’d try, but we have to do it right. It’s going to take some time.”
Calling him a kid had been a mistake. The argument continued until neither wanted to talk anymore. Jolan dropped him at the inn and after offloading the wagon and putting everything away, left angrily for the campus.
His mood didn’t improve when he couldn’t find Shyar. It was three days before she suddenly appeared at his dorm room.
“Your friend is really hurting,” she said as she slipped into the room.
“Shyar!” Jolan said standing and rushing over to her. “I’m sorry about what happened. Are you all right?”
“I was really upset, but I talked with Buris who told me a lot about you and Asari. I guess you told him about your travels together. I think I understand now.”
“He had no right to be that way,” Jolan objected, his anger still simmering, but she held up her hand.
“I think Asari feels unimportant all of a sudden. He feels he is losing you and there is nothing he can do to change that. From what Buris said you have replaced someone important in his life and he has bonded to you. Now, suddenly, after all your travels and adventures, you have been accepted into the College of Mages. You are well on your way to becoming a mage, a bit of a celebrity at that. You have something that has captured your interest, and a whole group of new friends who share your passion, a passion that is forever denied to him. He can’t compete, and feels you slipping away. Jolan, if he is truly your friend you must find a way to help him. He needs you now.”
Jolan felt his anger melt away. He’d known it all along he realized, but hadn’t known how to proceed. Making sure Shyar was really okay, he told her he had to go to see Asari immediately. Would she tell his instructor he wouldn’t make the afternoon session? He didn’t know what he would say to Asari, but they’d find a way to work this out.
When he got to the inn he was not prepared for what he found. Asari had left, three days before. The innkeeper told him he’d purchased a horse, and paid the bill. He’d left a couple of boxes in the back room for Jolan, but he’d told the innkeeper he wouldn’t be back.
Jolan recognized Asari’s large travel trunk. It was filled with most of his clothing. Too much to carry, Jolan assumed. The other box was filled with the damaged weapons.
“Did he say where he was going?” Jolan asked.
The innkeeper shook his head.
Jolan could think of three places Asari was likely to go. He could go to Seret, either to Carta to look up Ashreye and Sindra, or all the way to Slipi to try and find Morin. That would mean taking the ship, something he didn’t think Asari would do, or making the trip all the way through the mountains and back into Seret as Morin had done. From what Jolan had learned, the mountains at the border dropped directly into the sea with fierce waves and rock, and other than a ship, the only way between the countries was the long way around. If he went by land, either to get to Seret or to return to Trailways, he’d be making the long trek into the mountains. It was a route through Angon that Jolan had never traveled.
Jolan rode to the port, and questioned the ticket agent. He learned that Asari has been there, and had bought a ticket for Seret, lowest class. However, the agent said that while Asari had ridden up on a horse, he’d made no provision for shipping a horse on board the ship. He’d bought a ticket for a single passenger only. Why would he buy a horse, and the same day buy passage without the animal?
Jolan was certain Asari was sending him a message. “You can’t find me” he was saying. If Jolan chose to follow, he’d have to pick a path. If he guessed wrong he’d be weeks or months following the wrong track. With the lowest class ticket Asari had bought, he’d blend into the crowd, and it would be unlikely any of the crew would have noticed him. It would be four or five days before that crew would return anyway. That would mean Asari would have an eight day lead if he’d gone that way.
By the same reasoning, by the time Jolan could get a horse and supplies, arrange for someone to guide him on the path through Angon, days would have passed as well. Again, Asari would have a lead of the better part of a week. Since he clearly was saying he didn’t want to be found, it was unlikely Jolan would be able to do so.
If Jolan headed to Trailways, where he really suspected Asari would have gone, he would arrive a week late or more, and should Asari head into the mountains, no one would be able to find him. Jolan doubted he would be able to retrace the path they had taken, and it was likely Asari would follow the wizards trail, again a path Jolan had never seen.
Even if by some miracle he could find him, Jolan suspected nothing he would say right now would change Asari’s mind. What could he offer?
It felt like a lot of excuses to Jolan, but he came to the conclusion that all his following would accomplish would be to pull him away from the training he was going to need without ever leading him to Asari. Shyar had said that nothing was more important than your friends. It seemed to Jolan he had managed to forfeit one of the best friendships he’d ever had.
Chapter 56
Kalnd and his close-mouthed traveling companion had arrived in Carta two weeks earlier after the most miserable journey of his entire life. It had taken them the better part of the winter to fight their way through the mountain passes, sometimes being stopped for days in the same location as the winds howled and nearly continuous heavy snow fell. Why take chances when the trail was hidden by the blowing snow. While their shield could protect them from the winds, it still had to be anchored if one didn’t want to be blown around, which meant they could not move anyway.
The trip had cost all but two of the horses, and those that had survived had been almost useless. He’d replaced them once they broke out of the mountains and reached Honlt in southern Seret. But they had done it.
Even as they traveled toward the capital city, Kalnd had been able to pick up bits and pieces of information regarding the man he was seeking. He had obviously been traveling with a group of others, cover perhaps? Once they had reached Carta, his search had begun in earnest. There were a lot of inns in the capital city, but he rightly deduced the man would want to be near the center of the town. After days of searching, searching that would have been unnecessary if that idiot Tonak had been willing to see them earlier, he found the Peaceful Pony Inn. From then on it was easy. Jolan and his friend Asari from Trailways had stayed at the inn for a long time, and were well known to the staff. Liked as well it seemed. The staff were more than willing to tell him about their stay, especially to someone they thought was an old friend to the two and was trying to catch up with them. He even learned the two men had apparently linked up with a couple of girlfriends that stayed with them frequently. No one had known where the women lived in town, but he’d known he could find them if he wanted to put in the time.
He was able to verify the story Cheurt had relayed to him about the killing of a low class wizard and the capture of the kidnapping mastermind that had been preying off wealthy families for years. He’d suspected there was more to the story than he could get from the street gossip, and was proved correct when he learned the full story from Lord Tonak later.
Once he’d learned about the boy’s uncle, progress had been swift. A little checking arou
nd, and he was able to pay the man a visit. The uncle was persuaded to tell everything he knew, and Kalnd had found it wise to leave the man dead along with everyone else in the household after their little meeting. That discussion had encouraged him to put pressure on the reluctant Lord and finally he was able to force a meeting.
He had just come from that meeting, and things were as bad as he feared. Through a combination of luck and persistence, Jolan had made contacts at the highest levels of the government. He wondered if Tonak’s claims he had tried to obstruct Jolan’s progress were at all truthful, but he had failed regardless. Jolan had a letter of introduction from both the King and another member of the Parliament that he had taken weeks ago to the College of Mages in Cobalo. That meant that Cheurt’s plans, his use of the Nexus, and the likelihood of war were known to both governments. The secrecy they had been counting on had been lost due to the interference of this one individual. Kalnd suspected word would have been sent to the leaders of Kimlelm as well, so they would be preparing for war, making the initial assault there considerably more difficult.
Kalnd had seriously considered killing the old fool Tonak. Not only had he failed to impede Jolan’s efforts, something he had to know Cheurt would have wanted even without having any instructions regarding the man, he hadn’t gotten around to sending any word of the events back to Ale’ald. He hadn’t seen the urgency and had thought to send a courier only after the passes cleared in the spring. If he hadn’t feared Cheurt would be angry at the loss of his only contact, however inept, within the ruling ten, Lord Tonak would be a greasy patch of ash right now.
There was only one positive note to all he had learned. Cheurt had to know everything as soon as possible. That meant it was imperative he send the courier back to Ale’ald immediately. Kalnd couldn’t have been happier in that regard. He had a reason to break free of the man at last. Even so, it would be nearly another two months before the man could get word back to Cheurt. The compromising of his plans was information that couldn’t be delayed.
In the meantime, Kalnd would leave within a day or two for Angon to see how much damage Jolan had done to their cause there. If he was with the College of Mages, he would be hard to get to, but maybe an opportunity would present itself to kill the man. He couldn’t know he was being followed, and might be careless. Briefly, Kalnd imagined how Cheurt would have to revise his opinion of him if he managed to eliminate the source of all this difficulty. Of course, the damage couldn’t be undone, but with the mage Jolan gone, they could focus on how to adapt to the new conditions.
“Tell Cheurt I’ll be reachable through the woman in Cobalo,” Kalnd said to the courier, who was astride his horse and ready to head back down the trail. He didn’t seem particularly bothered to be starting out on another weeks long journey after a short respite in town following their long winter on the trail. The man had no imagination.
“I’m certain he’ll be sending someone once you make your report to him. Move swiftly. The news must reach his ears quickly.”
The courier nodded, then turned and started off. The courier wondered if Kalnd had any idea how glad he was to be free of him at last.
Chapter 57
Jolan had been called to the palace by Prince Mojol when he returned from his out of town errand for his father. The Prince’s extended absence had given Jolan, Shyar, and Buris time to consider their position, so when the call came, Jolan had been ready. They had jointly agreed that the development of the firearm should become a project sanctioned and funded by the crown. There had been nothing wrong with pursuing the matter as a private project, but now that an official query had been raised, trying to keep it secret would be a treasonous and dangerous path to follow. By making the crown a participant, the project would be fully funded, and they would have access to all the resources of the government. They would be more likely to achieve the result they sought, while at the same time, the kingdom would benefit by being better prepared for the war they all knew was coming. They simply needed to get the Prince to bring the matter before the King. To pursue the matter without the King’s approval would be the worst of follies.
Fortunately, Mojol had come to a similar conclusion. Pursuing a weapons development could not be kept secret from the King. Too many people would be involved, and at some point word would leak. Tolerant as he was of his son’s sometimes foolish behavior, such an action would not have been well received. Therefore, Prince Mojol had been prepared to pave the way with his father, if Jolan thought a development were possible. He was also curious what other suggestions Jolan might have come up with that could benefit the country in the event Ale’ald were to start another war.
Shyar and Buris had studied the damaged weapons from the aborted testing Jolan and Asari had done their last time together, and felt they could see several approaches that might solve the problem. They were ready to press on. Jolan also had several ideas of possible projects, but decided for now that the development of a firearm, and one other would be sufficient. If those panned out, he could bring other ideas forward. Too many projects at this point would dilute the effort, and all might fail.
All of this effort had led to the meeting they were having today. Buris had approached the Council of Mages to tell them of the request, so the full Council and Chancellor Vaen were present today. In addition to the King, the five senior members of his Council, Mojol, and the King’s daughter, both Majors Eward and Wylan had been invited to participate.
“My son has convinced me to hear you out today, even though I’m not as convinced as he as to the seriousness of the risk facing Angon. It is true, however, that several disturbing reports have come from Kimlelm, and I have sent couriers for clarification from their government. It will be some weeks before I can expect a response.”
“Father, the firearm that Jolan and his team would like to develop is a weapon that can be held against any future war once it has been tested. It offers advantages against both the common soldier and against the wizards themselves.”
Mojol had yet to see proof of the capability against wizards, but he had talked with Dibon, who described the “demonstration” Jolan had given of a weapon when he first arrived in Cobalo some weeks before. Mojol had demanded a repeat today, so that would be the first order of the meeting. It would set the stage for the discussions to follow. It would also reduce Jolan’s supply of ammunition to twelve rounds.
Since many of those present were not capable of using the power, a small variation had been designed into the demonstration. Once the goblet of wine was shielded, a group of the King’s Guard would attempt to attack it first with swords and then arrows. Showing how the shield protected it, Jolan would then perform his bit of “magic”, concluding the demo.
“I would ask the King’s permission to bring a weapon into his presence,” Jolan asked formally.
This issue had already been approved by the King, but these things proceeded a certain way. When the demonstration was complete with the usual results and surprise, and the damaged goblet handed around, the King asked.
“Is it your intention to design a weapon solely to attack the wizards?”
“No your Highness. The fact the weapon is able to penetrate the shields is not a function of the weapon itself. That is simply because the particular projectile used was covered in cuprum. I doubt there is sufficient cuprum available to cover many projectiles. The more typical use would be to use standardized lead projectiles, and use the weapon in place of the bows men now carry. It should be able to shoot farther and faster than the bows. It also takes a lot longer to properly train an archer. A few cuprum projectiles might be made for use against an offensive wizard.”
Mojol had been totally surprised to see how well the weapon functioned, and was impressed by the small size. He immediately seized on the idea that it should become the property of the crown, himself actually, and proceeded to make that claim, interrupting the flow of the meeting. Jolan had worried about just such a development, and had already deposited
the pistol in his Mage’s Box, which was closed and secured to a position on the floor behind him.
“You would refuse a command from the King?” Mojol asked when Jolan explained he would not turn it over to him.
“The pistol would not help you win any upcoming conflict. If I thought it would do so, I’d gladly offer it up for your use. It would merely be a status symbol for you to carry. There is limited ammunition, and absolutely no hope of making anymore for the foreseeable future. In addition you would be stealing my property and depriving me of the use of a tool which has already twice saved my life.”
“You don’t think it would be advantageous to the kingdom for it to protect the heir to the crown?”
“It is unlikely with the small amount of ammunition remaining you could learn to use it well enough to be effective. Pistols are notoriously difficult to shoot. It would be better if we could develop the firearm we are here to talk about for which you would have sufficient ammunition to practice.”
Jolan was glad they couldn’t know how few times Asari had fired it before using it to save Jolan’s life. The thought of his absent friend’s name gave him a moment of sadness, but he pushed it aside. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“Nonetheless, I demand you turn it over to me.”
“I don’t take kindly to those who would coerce me, and forcibly take my property. I wish you luck trying to get into the storage box where it currently is, and I advise against any intent to detain me. If this is the course you wish to pursue, I will withdraw my offer of support and depart.”
Jolan didn’t know how much of what he said was bluff. As much as he needed the help of the people in this room, he’d be damned if he would be pushed around. If that were to be the approach, he’d try and leave, find Asari, and hope his mind would sort out the Nexus in time. Whether it did or not, he’d work with his friend to find a way to take care of Cheurt, and figure out where to go from there.
