“I am,” nodded the general as he inhaled deeply. “I am just shocked at how much you know. I heard about Alamar a couple of days ago, but I just found out about Gatong not an hour ago. Where are you hearing these things?”
“Just around,” shrugged Cherri as she sat back down. “Perhaps the Katana does not share the information with you until it is confirmed. Rumors don’t really need any confirmation.”
“That could be,” frowned the general, “but I would hope that the Katana would also share the rumors. I am in charge of moving huge armies around based on this news. I can use all the advance notice that I can get.”
“I agree,” Cherri said forcefully. “The Katana should be sharing everything with his Minister of Defense. That is how it has always been done before. How could he be so forgetful?”
“It has?” puzzled the general. “I forget that your first husband was a minister on the Katana’s Council. You probably know more about procedure than I do. I only served under Alazar and his reign was terribly short.”
“And rightfully so,” nodded Cherri. “Why is it that we get so many false Katanas?”
“So many?” echoed the general. “Alazar is the only false Katana in history that I know of.”
“He was the first false Katana,” conceded Cherri. “By the way, when did Larst become pro-war? He was always the one who pushed for peace, wasn’t he?”
The general shook his head in confusion at Cherri’s change of topic. “I do not call him Larst,” the general replied. “It shows disrespect. I always address him as Katana. In fact, the names of many Katanas are lost in history because their names are discarded when they become Katana.”
“True,” Cherri nodded impatiently, “but when did he change his attitude?”
“That is a good question,” conceded the general. “When he was First Minister, he was very vocal for peace. In fact, I heard that he was holding secret meetings with the Star of Sakova, but those rumors must be false because his first order upon becoming Katana was to draw up war plans.”
“I heard those rumors at the time,” Cherri declared, “and they were not false. He had several meetings with the Star of Sakova.”
“How do you know all of these things?” questioned the general. “It can not all be from rumors.”
“You are right,” smiled Cherri. “There are rumors, but I seek out information. Remember that I once told you that information is money?”
“I do remember that clearly,” nodded General Kapla, “and from all accounts, you have proved it is true by handling my assets.”
“Well,” continued Cherri, “that makes me seek out the truth of many rumors. Do you remember that historian that was constantly shadowing Larst?”
“You mean the Katana,” scolded the Minister of Defense. “Yes, I remember him. He hasn’t been around in a long time.”
“He was last seen the day before the new Katana was chosen,” declared Cherri.
“What does that have to do with anything?” asked the general.
“I am not sure,” admitted Cherri, “but it made me curious. I hired an investigator to see what happened to him. Do you know what I found out?”
“I have not a clue,” shrugged the general. “What did you find out?”
“He never existed,” smiled Cherri.
“That is nonsense,” balked the general. “He existed. I met him.”
“No you didn’t, General,” corrected Cherri. “I will grant you that you met someone who claimed to be a historian, but the man you met was not one. He was an imposter.”
“Imposter?” echoed the general. “For what purpose would someone impersonate an historian?”
“To gain access to the next Katana,” stated Cherri. “Larst must have suspected something because he had the Monitors investigate the man.”
“Stop calling him Larst,” pleaded the general. “You may get me calling him that, and that would not be healthy for my career.”
“I am calling him Larst because that is who I am talking about,” insisted Cherri. “I am not talking about the Katana.”
“What do you mean?” frowned the general. “Larst is the Katana.”
“I don’t think so,” Cherri shook her head. “Larst would not call for war against the Sakovans. He was always a peacemaker, and I know for a fact that he did hold secret meetings with the Star of Sakova. I also know that those meetings were very fruitful. Larst was himself the day before the Katana was chosen. In fact, he met with the Star of Sakova the day before the Katana was chosen.”
“How do you know this?” asked General Kapla.
“From the Imperial Guards,” answered Cherri. “Ask them yourself. He always had a small detail accompany him to those meetings. Now, add to this the fact that the false historian disappeared the very same day and what do you have?”
“I have no idea,” the general shook his head. “What do we have?”
“We have a mage who stole Larst’s body when he found out that Larst would be chosen Katana the very next morning,” declared Cherri.
“That is preposterous,” scowled General Kapla. “You are never to repeat those words again. It is treasonous, and you would be killed for saying them. Never say them again.”
“That is exactly what the Katana would want,” pouted Cherri. “Never speak the unspeakable so that no one will ever know the truth.”
“Enough,” sighed the general. “Change the subject. I will not talk about the Katana this way. I will not listen to you speak treasonous words any more.”
“Very well,” sighed Cherri. “I will change the subject if this one bothers you so much. What shall we talk about?”
“I don’t know,” the general said softly. “I am sorry for getting upset with you, but I do not want to lose you to an untimely death.”
“Right,” Cherri said with finality. “Let’s talk about the war. Wars are always good for helping the food to digest. Who do you think will win this one?”
“You are making fun of me,” chuckled the Minister of Defense. “There is little to talk about. Omunga has always won, and we will always win. It is no contest.”
“But this is the first time that cities have defected,” Cherri pointed out. “That must be causing some concern.”
“It truly is causing concern,” nodded the general. “The Katana is livid about it. Four cities have already defected, and anyone with half a brain can predict that Fortung will be next. It is so close to Gatong that the Sakovans will not pass it by.”
“That makes sense,” nodded Cherri. “There is probably little that can be done to change that, though.”
“Sure there is,” smiled the general. “We will be one step ahead of the Sakovans this time. Finally, we know where they will strike before they do.”
“What will you do?” inquired Cherri.
The general looked around the room conspiratorially even though he knew the servants had been dismissed.
“General Didyk is leaving in the morning with ten thousand men,” whispered the general. “When the Sakovans invade Fortung, we will be waiting for them.”
“What if the Sakovans get there first?” asked Cherri. “You did say it was rather close to Gatong.”
“True,” nodded the general. “There is a possibility that the Sakovans will get there first, but that will not stop General Didyk. He has orders to destroy the city if they defect to the Sakovans. The savages will not move one single step closer to Okata.”
“Oh no!” exclaimed Cherri as she started to swoon.
General Kapla rose from his chair and raced around the table. He caught Cherri just as she was falling off her chair. He placed her gently on the floor, Cherri’s eyes roving in their sockets as if she had delirium.
“What is it?” General Kapla asked with grave concern. “Are you ill? Do you need a healer?”
“No,” Cherri said weakly as she waved her hand dismissively. “No healer. I will be all right. Just give me a moment.”
Cherri closed her eyes fo
r a moment and then snapped them open. She tried to get up, and the general had to help her into her chair.
“I am so sorry,” Cherri said weakly. “Please forgive me.”
“Nonsense,” the general said encouragingly. “You do not need to apologize for feeling ill.”
“That is not what I meant,” Cherri replied. “I was apologizing for what I have done to you.”
“Me?” questioned the general. “Whatever do you mean? You haven’t done anything to me.”
“Sit,” Cherri pointed to the general’s chair. “Please sit down while I explain this.”
The Minister of Defense’s face clouded with confusion, but he walked around the table and sat down in his chair. He looked at Cherri expectantly.
“You are not going to care for this news,” Cherri said as she steadied her head with her hands.
“What are you talking about?” prompted the general. “What can possibly be the matter?”
“You fortune, General,” sniffed Cherri. “It is all wrapped up in farms around Fortung. If General Didyk marches his army on Fortung, you will be ruined.”
“Fortung?” the general said with anguish in his voice. “That can’t be.”
“From a rich man to a pauper in one day,” sniffed Cherri. “How cruel can the fates be?”
“He will only attack if Fortung has already gone Sakovan,” the general fretted as he sought to find some glint of hope in the situation.
“That most assuredly will be the case,” sobbed Cherri. “You already mentioned how close they are to Fortung. The Sakovans move very quickly. They grabbed three cities on the east coast before anyone even knew. They will not hesitate to seize Fortung.”
The general’s head fell to his chest. “You are right,” he said softly. “I am doomed. I might as well cut my own throat now.”
Cherri’s head popped up and her eyes instantly cleared. “No,” she said emphatically. “You cannot do that. Do not even think of such a thing. I forbid it.”
“Forbid it?” echoed the general. “Why? I have no life left, and I will not allow myself to face the punishment of a debtor. You said yourself that you would run away from it. Oh, if only I could run away.”
“But you can,” Cherri said excitedly. “You can run away.”
“I cannot,” the Minister of Defense shook his head. “I cannot run from the Katana. He will follow me everywhere I go.”
“You are not thinking clearly,” smiled Cherri. “There is a way to do this.”
General Kapla’s eyes brightened a bit as he saw the enthusiasm in Cherri’s face.
“You have thought of something, haven’t you?” asked the general.
“I have,” beamed Cherri.
“Tell me,” urged the general. “Do not hold me in suspense.”
“You are the Minister of Defense,” grinned Cherri. “As such, you get to determine who goes to Fortung. All you have to do is order General Didyk to remain here in Okata. You take his place at Fortung.”
“Do you mean I should take over command of his army?” frowned the general. “How will that help?”
“No,” replied Cherri. “You go to Fortung with your army.”
“How will that change anything?” asked the Minister of Defense. “All that will do is require me to destroy my own farms, and as a result, ruin myself.”
“Not true,” explained Cherri. “Let’s assume that the Sakovans have already taken Fortung. I think that is safe to assume, isn’t it?”
“That is a safe assumption,” nodded the general. “My orders would be to attack Fortung and destroy my own farms.”
“But you won’t,” grinned Cherri.
“I won’t?” echoed the general. “But that is what will be demanded of me.”
“So what?” asked Cherri. “Who is going to know that you have not retaken Fortung? And if someone does find out, what are they going to do about it? You will have ten thousand men protecting you.”
“That would be treason,” protested the general.
“It might be,” shrugged Cherri, “but you will still be alive, and your investments will still be good.”
“I could not do it,” the general shook his head. “It goes against everything that I have ever sworn to.”
“Do you want to be publicly dismembered?” posed Cherri. “Do you want to lose all of your money, everything you have saved from your long years of service?”
“Absolutely not,” replied the general, “but I have sworn to protect and defend the Katana. That is what I do. I have given my word.”
“Just like Larst gave his word to the Sakovans about peace,” retorted Cherri. “Why is all right for him to lie, and not for you? Or is there no lie because Larst died before this Katana was chosen? If that is the case, who are you really sworn to protect?”
“You are making my head spin,” the general shook his head. “All of this makes no sense. You are asking me to defy the Katana, but this war will soon be over. When it is over, I will have to face the Katana.”
“Not true,” countered Cherri. “You are assuming that Omunga will win because they always have in the past, but this time is different. The Sakovans have never really fought back before. This time they have already taken half of Omunga.”
“You think the Sakovans could really win this war?” asked the general. “That is preposterous. It just can’t happen.”
“But it can,” replied Cherri. “Who is going to stop the Sakovans this time? General Romero is heading out to fight at Alamar. The Sakovan army will not be there. That is one fourth of the Omungan armies neutralized.”
“That still leaves thirty thousand men,” argued the general.
“Another fourth are wandering around the Sakova,” Cherri continued. “They are searching for the elusive Sakovan army. Will they find StarCity? How long will they be gone looking for it? Will they turn tail and run like the smaller army did?”
“How do you know about that?” General Kapla asked as his eyes narrowed. “Surely you did not learn that from a rumor?”
“Then there is your army,” Cherri continued while ignoring the general’s questions. “Your army will be blocking the road south from Fortung. That leaves only General Didyk’s army. The mighty Omungan army is now down to ten thousand men.”
“You present a plausible scenario for the Sakovans to win,” shrugged the general, “but it won’t happen that way. For one, I cannot toss my obligations away to go to Fortung.”
“Can’t you?” posed Cherri as she thought about how Kapla became to be the Minister of Defense. “Haven’t you ever put your own life above your duty?”
General Kapla’s mind automatically locked onto the dead face of the previous Minister of Defense. He had allowed First Minister Alazar to talk him into murdering his predecessor to gain a seat on the Katana’s Council. He soon realized that Alazar had used him to get rid on an obstacle. His whole body shivered as he wondered if there was any way that Cherri could know of that. She seemed to be more informed of what went on in Omunga than any of the member of the Katana’s Council, but surely this one thing could not be known. If anyone discovered his secret, the general knew that he was worse than dead.
“You have a decision to make, General,” stated Cherri. “You can stay here in Okata and lose everything you have, your money, your position, your life, even me.”
“Don’t say that,” protested the Minister of Defense. “It is bad enough to contemplate losing my own life. I do not want to even think about losing you.”
“Then you have no choice but to go to Fortung with your army,” declared Cherri. “There is nothing more to discuss.”
General Kapla stared into Cherri’s blue eyes and sighed. “And what am I to do there?” he asked. “I cannot crush the Sakovans, or I risk losing my fortune. I cannot return here unless the Sakovans win the war. How do I get out of this mess?”
“Are your men loyal to you?” asked Cherri.
“They would die for me,” blustered the general.
<
br /> “Ah,” smiled Cherri, “but would they defect for you?”
“Defect?” gasped the general. “Do you mean to the Sakovans?”
“Why not?” shrugged Cherri. “Already most of the cities of Omunga have defected.”
“But those were small regional garrisons,” protested the general. “I lead a major army.”
“That is true,” nodded the Sakovan spy, “but are they loyal to you? The only way that you can come out of this with a fresh start is if the Sakovans win this war. Do you really care if the country is ruled by a false Katana or the Star of Sakova?”
“The Sakovans would round up all of the generals and hang them,” argued the general. “How is that winning?”
“Nonsense,” smiled Cherri, “I am willing to wager all of my gold that you would be welcomed by the Star of Sakova. You could remain a very important person in Okata. Think about it. She will not want to live here. She will depend upon those Omungans who were wise enough to defect. You could be more important than you are now. There would be no Katana after all.”
“Do you really think she would still let me lead troops after defecting?” asked the general.
“Of course she would,” insisted Cherri. “I will tell you how to prove it. When you reach Fortung, go into the city under a flag of truce. See if the old general is still in control. That will answer your question before you even mentioning defecting.”
“That is brilliant,” nodded the general. “I know General Smythe. If he still commands the garrison at Fortung, then defecting is a safe bet, as long as the Sakovans win the war.”
“I have no doubt that they will,” smiled Cherri. “I know a good investment when I see one, and a Sakovan victory is something that I would wager everything on.”
“I am nervous about this decision,” admitted General Kapla. “The risk of failure is great.”
“The risk of not trying is even greater, General,” countered Cherri. “Guaranteed death awaits you in Okata. In Fortung, a new life is possible.”
“Then a new life it is,” the general said as he rose. “You will excuse me, but I must make a change in orders so my men are ready to leave in the morning.”
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