Foundations Broken and Built

by Jeffrey Quyle

  “What is this?” Silas mumbled.

  “We’re on the deck of the Seabird,” Jimes answered. “We’re approaching the harbor of Barnesnob. I wanted to make sure you could wake up,” the Speaker explained. “I’ve been watching you for two days now to make sure you didn’t disappear again like you did in the Amenozume palace.”

  Silas held a hand above his eyes, then cautiously opened them once again.

  The sky was blue, the white sails of the ship rustled sporadically, and the crew’s activity swirled all around him as he lay on the wooden deck of the ship.

  After a minute of silently acclimating himself to the scene, he sat up.

  “The ship’s okay?” he asked. “The hull got repaired? What about the dead sailors?”

  “What dead sailors?” Jimes replied. “No one died. They repaired the hull quickly once you emptied out the bilge and the ship rode out the storm while you were passed out.”

  “The dead sailors from the armada,” Silas began, then stopped, as he saw the curious face that Jimes displayed. “There were no dead sailors?”

  “You had some bad dreams,” Jimes told him. “You were moaning and thrashing and we had to tie you into your hammock for a day until you calmed down. Stash said it was just part of the consequences of living as a god-like being.

  “But you didn’t evaporate away and disappear with the sprites or imps or elves or whatever you claim healed you after the invasion fleet. Here comes Lexy,” he abruptly observed.

  “It’s about time you woke up. You’re always causing trouble,” the fighting girl said first as she studied him. “Ever since the first day in the city when you went off to find your girlfriend instead of meeting us at the fountain like you promised,” her words were tough, but her eyes looked concerned as she examined his face.

  “You’re not going to give us any more trouble, are you?” she asked.

  “How much more can you take?” Silas asked flippantly, drawing an oath and a rude gesture from the girl, followed by a grin.

  “We’ll be back on land before nightfall,” Lexy said. “I’ve never been to the mainland before; this is my first time to leave Amenozume,” she admitted.

  “The catigers are dangerous here,” Jimes warned.

  “What are catigers?” Lexy immediately wanted to know.

  “They’re like house cats, but twenty times bigger, with claws and teeth that will slice through your flesh like it’s warm butter,” Jimes spoke in a low, threatening tone, and raked his hands demonstrably through the air, then laughed out loud a moment later.

  “You were believing that nonsense, weren’t you!” he laughed.

  Lexy slugged his shoulder angrily. “I ought to know better than to believe a simpering Speaker like you!” she declared heatedly.

  “I’m not simpering, and I’ll be fighting to set Heathrin free in just a matter of days,” he wasted no time responding.

  “Enough, you two,” Silas held a hand up. He squatted, then rose to his feet, and the three of them strolled to the railing. Their short journey was interrupted repeatedly by crewmen from the boat who thanked Silas for saving them all during the storm.

  When he reached the rail, Silas looked out at the green land that shimmered in the distance. He’d be there soon, and on his way to trying to devise a plan for fighting on against Ivaric.

  “There’s been a couple of messages sent out by Sloeleen, trying to reach you in the past day,” Jimes reported in a low voice. “I didn’t answer.”

  “What did she have to say?” Silas immediately asked.

  “She didn’t say; she just used the formula to call your name and request an answer,” Jimes shrugged.

  “I’ll think about talking to her later,” Silas declined to consider the matter.

  “Will you always do this?” Lexy asked. “Will you always pass out for unnatural lengths of time after you do something heroic? If so, we’ll need to take that into account in our battle plans.”

  “It’s been that way recently,” Silas answered with uncertainty. “Let’s hope we don’t get in any dire situations where it becomes an issue.”

  They lapsed into silence for several minutes.

  “I need to contact people here in Barnesnob,” Silas spoke up, as his mind began to consider what his next steps would be.

  “What people?” Jimes wanted to know.

  “Speakers, to start with,” Silas gave a short answer, as he prepared to begin his messages in his mind. He knew three Speakers in the city of Barnesnob, and he wanted to speak to all three.

  His first message would be to Charms, the disreputable Speaker who worked on behalf of the criminal gangs in the city. Charms would have a type of information that the others would not have, information that might prove useful insights into the conditions back in Avaleen. Given that the thief Stash was one of his companions, and a competent and capable one suited for the type of travel that Silas expected to face, dealing with Charms did not feel awkward at all.

  He would also reach out to Vertuco, the Speaker for the palace in Barnesnob. Vertuco could counsel Silas on how to approach the idea of taking battle against Ivaric into Avaleen.

  And finally, Silas would call on Grecco, to request a visit to the Healers Guild headquarters in the city. There was less of an obvious, logical reason to visit the Healers than there was to call upon the other two Speakers, but Silas enjoyed the company of the wife of the Head of the Healers, Dianu, married to the master healer Stout.

  “This is Silas, a traveling Speaker, seeking to converse with Charms, a Speaker in Barnesnob,” Silas launched his first request for a conversation. “Charms, I’d like to meet you when I arrive in Barnesnob. I want your advice,” Silas explained.

  He waited for a moment, hoping for an immediate response from the thieves’ Speaker, but no message was forthcoming, so he began his next request to meet.

  “This is Silas, a Speaker, seeking conversation with Vertuco, the Palace Speaker of Barnesnob,” Silas began. “I’ll enter your city soon, and wish to meet with you,” he kept his request simple and plain.

  “Silas, this is Charms. I’ll be happy to meet with you. When will you arrive?” Charms responded.

  “I hear you Silas, and I heard you call upon Charms as well,” Vertuco’s answer came nearly on top of Charms’s answer. “I will be delighted to meet you. Shall I speak with Charms about meeting both of us together again? Shall I invite Grecco? When will you arrive?” the palace Speaker asked.

  “My ship is approaching the harbor,” Silas answered.

  “You’re close!” both Charms and Vertuco answered at the same time.

  “Charms, is that you?” Vertuco asked.

  “How often does this happen?” Charms chuckled. “Three Speakers speaking together.”

  “Silas, would you like to meet with us together, or are there topics to discuss individually?” Vertuco wanted to know. “And where are you coming from this time?”

  “I’m on a ship sailing in from Amenozume. I could meet with both of you together,” Silas impulsively offered. He assumed that both Speakers would be opposed to Ivaric’s wars and would be helpful to him in the presence of one another.

  “And you’ll tell us what is happening in Amenozume, what has happened?” Vertuco’s responding question was quick and sharp. “The Traders Council is very eager to learn what is taking place in the world.”

  “I’ll tell you everything I know,” Silas agreed. The crew of the ship began to adjust the sails, and the Seabird began to pick up speed for its final approach to the pilot boat that waited in the harbor to lead it to its dock. “We’ll be docked within a couple of hours, I’d guess.”

  “We’ll be waiting at the palace for your arrival. Just tell the guards at the gate that you’re here to see me,” Vertuco directed.

  “You still have those extraordinary eyes, don’t you?” Charms asked. “You’ll be easy to identify.”

  “My eyes haven’t changed,” Silas agreed. They’ve just seen a lot since
the last time we met, he thought to himself.

  “I’ll see you at the palace,” he agreed, “Silas finishing the conversation,” he ended the talk, and closed his eyes.

  “What are our arrangements?” Lexy asked after a moment of silence indicated that the conversation she couldn’t hear had ended.

  “I’m going to the palace of the Traders Council to talk to the two Speakers about what’s happening here on the mainland,” Silas replied.

  “What are we going to do?” Lexy asked. “Are we going to wait for you somewhere?”

  “Why don’t we see if you can come with me,” Silas answered. “If you’re not allowed in the palace with me, then Jimes and I can talk after I leave the palace, and plan to meet. I’m going to see if we can stay at the Healers Guild headquarters.”

  “Their Guild is seated here?” Jimes asked in wonder. “I guess I forgot that.”

  “You’d forget your head if it wasn’t attached to your neck,” Lexy laughed as she bumped her shoulder against Jimes, making Silas smile. The trio were soon on their way back to their tiny cabin to retrieve their companion and belongings and prepare for disembarkation.

  Chapter 8

  The crew and officers of the Seabird expressed mixed emotions over watching the departure of their unusual passengers.

  The captain surprised Silas by presenting a small pouch of silver coins from himself and the rest of the officers. “Without you, and you alone, this ship would have gone to the bottom of the ocean,” the captain explained as he firmly forced the funds onto Silas, who reluctantly accepted them.

  But there were whispers among the superstitious members of the crew who were appreciative of Silas’s rescue but wary of having such powers aboard their ship.

  Silas led his group in the general direction of the palace, which they reached without incidence.

  “It’s nice to walk through a city without having to hide my face,” Silas commented as they strolled by a street full of merchants’ shops. “Up ‘til now, I’ve had to hide from Ivaric everywhere I went.”

  When they reached the palace gates, the guards spotted Silas’s eyes and immediately passed him through to the palace structure, where he and his friends were shown to a sitting room, without any questioning of the presence of the people traveling with Silas.

  “Welcome back Silas,” Vertuco greeted him. “We’re honored to have you and your companions. We’re eager to hear directly from reliable witnesses who might be able to tell us about the happenings in Amenozume in recent weeks. And some of the stories we’ve heard seem to indicate that you will have very intimate knowledge of what’s happened on the island.”

  “Who are these others?” Charms asked bluntly.

  “This is Lexy, a leading fighter among the rebels who opposed Ivaric’s control of Amenozume,” Silas introduced the others in his group from right to left along his side of the table they all were sitting around. “And this is Jimes, a fellow Speaker.”

  “I recognize the name,” Vertuco frowned as he tried to recollect details. “Weren’t you the official Speaker for the palace, and disappeared? Presumed dead?”

  “I’m actually not dead,” Jimes nodded and grinned. “But for now, I’m letting people think I am.”

  “With some reason in mind?” Charms asked.

  “One we’ll discuss soon,” Silas promised.

  “And this is Stash, a companion who helped me flee from captivity in Avaleen before I traveled to Amenozume,” Silas finished his introductions.

  “I’ve heard of him. He has several bounties on his head, I believe,” Charms studied Stash closely. “You’ve got a reputation among your fellow tradesmen in Avaleen.”

  “I didn’t go out looking for a reputation; it just got attached to me,” Stash answered with mock politeness.

  “Silas ought to know that he could make quite a bit of money just for turning you in to the right people in Avaleen,” Charms offered.

  “He’s proven to be valuable enough as a companion already,” Silas interjected. “I plan to keep him with me.”

  “Thank you for the introductions,” Vertuco directed the conversation back to the topics he wanted to learn about. “It’s quite a varied fellowship you’ve chosen to bring to our fair city. To what do we owe this honor, and what can you tell us about Amenozume?”

  Silas proceeded to tell the story of the revolt against Ivaric in Amenozume, up to the point of the destruction of the fleet, when the others in his entourage colorfully filled in the details of the storm and the size of the fleet that was destroyed by it.

  “The rumors all spoke of a powerful sorcerer who had used energies to destroy the fleet, but no rational person here was prepared to believe in such an incredible story,” Vertuco commented.

  “We all thought it was hog poop,” Charms affirmed succinctly.

  “So, you were proclaimed the hero of the nation? And why would you leave?” Vertuco asked.

  “I have been told by the gods that it is my assigned task to fight Ivaric and L’Anvien all the way to the end, until L’Anvien is removed from the continent and Ivaric is beaten,” Silas answered. “And that’s what I intend to do. My next goal is to find a way to fight Ivaric.”

  “And that’s where I come in,” Jimes spoke up. “I’ve made it my mission to go back to Heathrin and set the Speakers Guild free from the Ivaric overseers who are controlling how we Speakers spread news among ourselves. I want the Guild to be free again, so that we can all know what is truly happening.”

  “I’m not sure how exactly I’m going to fight Ivaric, so I’ve decided I’ll go with Jimes to Heathrin first, to fight the battle for the Guild first, and then go on to Avaleen to set the rest of the nation free to,” Silas said.

  “That makes me feel better!” Jimes exclaimed, as he and Silas grinned at one another.

  “What can you tell us about Ivaric’s power on land, here on the mainland?” Lexy spoke up and asked as she looked at Vertuco.

  “They are apparently growing more vicious in their use of power and punishment,” the Speaker replied. “The loss of the fleet, the loss of so many soldiers, and the blow to their image of being invincible all are weighing heavily on them.

  “And from what you tell me about how you used the captive prince Jarvis himself as a bargaining chip against them, they must be even more furious. There are severe restrictions on movement, we’re told,” Vertuco offered.

  “The business partners of my employers say the same thing. It’s much harder to smuggle goods now, but the prices paid for the items that are successfully carried through are extraordinary!” Charms spoke up. “But anyone caught smuggling, or suspected, or even accused of smuggling, is executed on the spot.”

  “The Ivaric forces are spread thin; they have to try to fill in all the positions left empty when soldiers were assigned to the invasion of Amenozume,” Vertuco added.

  “I’ve heard that about Heathrin,” Jimes agreed. “There aren’t as many guards on duty as there were.”

  “And now there apparently won’t be any more coming back from Amenozume to backfill the vacancies,” Vertuco said.

  “That’s promising,” Silas spoke contemplatively. “Jimes says he has people in the Guild ready to rise up if we go there to set them free.”

  “When do you plan to go?” Vertuco asked.

  “Tomorrow maybe?” Silas shrugged. “We needed to hear from you to learn the situation here before we made any solid plans.”

  “Good, so you’ll stay the night in the city? Come back tomorrow for lunch before you start on your journey. I’ll see if I can gather some more news for you,” the palace Speaker offered. “Would you like to stay in the palace? We have cabins in the gardens that are reserved for guests.”

  Silas considered the offer. There was no good excuse for refusing the generous proposal, other than his desire to see Dianu in the Healers Guild. But his friends would enjoy the honor and comfort of being guests of the palace, he was sure, and he might be able to go visit Dia
nu on his own while staying in the palace.

  “Thank you for the offer, it sounds wonderful,” he accepted on behalf of the group, and heard Jimes’s softly uttered exclamation of approval.

  “I’ll have the staff show you to the cabins, and we’ll arrange for some clean clothes that you can wear to dinner tonight,” Vertuco generously offered.

  Charms stood up.

  “I’ll be back tomorrow if I have any news to report about the situation in Avaleen,” the Speaker for the criminal class offered. “It was a pleasure to meet you all. Vertuco, thank you for hosting.

  “Silas,” Charms spoke more directly. “I am amazed and impressed. You are changing the destiny of millions of people, and I think for the better. I hope I can help you,” he told the young traveler, and then he slipped out through the inconspicuous servants’ door to the room.

  “I’ll go find someone to show you to your cabins,” Vertuco stood, and left by the more imposing formal door to the front hallway.

  “We’re staying in a palace tonight! Who would believe it!” Lexy spoke with an uncustomary giddiness.

  A servant appeared at the door. “Please follow me,” he requested as he held the door open.

  As they journeyed through an ornate wing of the palace, Silas decided to Speak to Dianu.

  “Dianu, this is Silas, the Speaker who gave you your special mirror,” he reintroduced himself. “I’m in Barnesnob today, and I’d like to come visit you, to see how you’re doing.

  “I’ll leave the palace in a few minutes and come to the Guild gates. I hope to meet you there, but if not, I understand this is sudden and short notice,” he told her.

  “What are you planning?” Stash asked. “I heard you talking to the air, or someone somewhere.”

  “I want to go visit an old friend,” Silas used a liberal definition of the term. “So, I called ahead. I’ll see where the cabins are, and then I’ll go to the Healers’ Guild for a visit before coming back.”

  Minutes later their guide showed them the pair of cabins they were bound to share for the evening.