“K’san?” Clint asked with alarm.
“Yes. I have heard stories about the priest. If he has harmed the emperor, I will kill him.”
“No, you won’t,” cautioned Clint. “K’san is not a simple priest. He is a demonkin. Your sword would never scratch his skin. Besides, he is a mage. You would not stand a chance going up against him. Trust me on this.”
“Demonkin? What do you mean?”
“Demonkin are creatures created by demons. They walk and talk like humans, but they are something else entirely. You do not want to go up against one.”
“I cannot just abandon the emperor to the likes of Kyrga and K’san,” protested the colonel.
“Nor can I,” replied Clint, “but do not be hasty. If they wanted the emperor dead, he would already be dead. There is some other game going on here. Nose around and see what you can learn, but keep clear of Kyrga and K’san. I will see if I can learn anything, and we can compare notes.”
“Thanks.” Colonel Taerin smiled weakly and nodded to General Forshire and then he rose and walked away.
Clint sat for a while longer, trying to figure out what Kyrga’s game was. Realizing that he knew too little to determine anything for certain, he rose and headed for the barracks. Colonel Donil saw him coming and walked forward to meet him.
“Learn anything?” asked Clint.
“Colonel Taerin was here earlier,” reported the colonel. “He demanded to question Kent. He threatened to imprison my man if he was obstructed.”
“Colonel Taerin was acting under the emperor’s orders. He is not a threat to Kent.”
“Then I am glad that he didn’t try to take Kent away. My men have been ordered to fight before that is allowed.”
“What else have you learned?”
“Palace security was increased about an hour ago. It might be because of the large numbers of high profile visitors, but I detected a sense of urgency about it. The men are out now trying to discover more about it.”
General Forshire stared at the barracks in silence for a moment and then nodded to himself. “Kent might be part of the reason. We need to get him to a safer location.”
“We are not setting him free?”
“Not yet. I think at the moment, he would die before reaching the streets of the city. See if you can find a safe hiding spot for him. I will go in and talk to him.”
The colonel saluted and disappeared into the night. Clint entered the barracks and Kent immediately rose to his feet and grabbed his pack as if he were ready to leave.
“You are not leaving just yet,” stated Clint. “We are moving you to a different location.”
“What?” scowled Kent. “You promised me. You spoke to the emperor already. I know. I have done my part in this. I am going home.”
“The only place you are going is to a different hiding spot,” retorted Clint. “It is not safe for you to leave yet.”
Captain Kent continued to complain, but Clint tuned him out. He was not about to explain to the captain that the Grand General was holding the emperor hostage. Within minutes, Colonel Donil and several of his men entered the barracks. The colonel nodded silently to General Forshire to indicate that he had found a safe spot. Clint left the barracks without a word. He meandered around the grounds for a while trying to get his thoughts focused on the problem. Just as he was about to enter the palace, a general walked out the door and stared at Clint.
“I haven’t met you before,” stated the general. “I am General Ross, Commander of the 5th Corps.”
“General Forshire of the A Corps.”
“So you are Forshire,” smiled General Ross. “I have heard bits and pieces about your corps. I am not surprised to see you hiding out here. The other generals must be merciless towards you. They can be a snobbish bunch at times.”
“I am used to it,” shrugged Clint. “The truth is, I am more concerned with how my men see me than how other generals see me. I don’t see myself in competition with the generals.”
“Now that sounds like wise advice,” chuckled General Ross. “I would enjoy talking more with you before this week is out, but right now, Grand General Kyrga is looking all over for you.”
Chapter 5
Shifting Loyalties
Colonel Taerin meandered the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Despair. While hundreds of conversations were taking place inside the huge building, he sought the quiet of the night to ponder what was happening between Grand General Kyrga and Emperor Jaar. Had Kyrga managed to talk his way out of his problems? Or was something more nefarious going on? The colonel’s thoughts weighed heavily on his mind, but it did not make him any less observant. When he saw men of the A Corps scampering through the bushes at the far end of the gardens, he decided to investigate.
Colonel Taerin knew the grounds of the Imperial Palace as few others did. He immediately turned away from the far end of the garden and continued walking as if he had not seen anything. When he reached a tall hedge that offered concealment, he ducked behind it and ran towards the old gardener’s shed that had been abandoned years ago. It was the only place in the area that might interest the men of the A Corps, although the colonel could not think of what interest they might have in it.
When he reached the end of the hedge, Colonel Taerin dropped to his knees. A long row of smaller bushes ran ahead of him, and he crawled behind them. After a while of crawling, he came to a break in the bushes. He halted and peered through the open space. Less than a hundred paces away, two soldiers of the A Corps stood outside the old gardener’s shed. The men were silent and alert. It was obvious from their deployment that they were guarding the shed, but why?
Suddenly, it dawned on the colonel. The only thing the men of the A Corps had to guard was Captain Kent. General Forshire was certainly in no danger on the grounds of the Imperial Palace, but Kent might be. If Kyrga had refuted Kent’s claims, he might have demanded that the emperor produce the captain and then have taken steps to ensure that such an event could not occur. Under such a scenario, moving Kent to a safer location made sense, but General Forshire had promised the captain that he would set him free, and Taerin believed that the general could accomplish that easily enough. Why then would he still be held captive? Colonel Taerin decided to see for himself.
While there was only one entrance to the shed, the structure was old and decrepit. It was a long, wooden structure without a great deal of width to it, and Colonel Taerin covertly made his way to the rear wall. Pulling a knife from his belt, the colonel eased the tip of the knife between two slats. The knife slid easily through the rotting wood. Working silently, the colonel cut a hole in the rear wall and then slowly enlarged it until he could fit through it. Once inside the damp, dark building, Colonel Taerin crawled forward. He moved excruciatingly slow as deteriorating debris littered the floor. When he neared the area of the front door, his hand touched a sleeping body. Captain Kent started from the touch, but the colonel was quick to silence him with a whisper.
“I am Colonel Taerin. Follow me silently so we can talk without being overheard.”
Captain Kent offered no reply, and Colonel Taerin did not wait for one. He turned around and began retracing his path towards the rear wall of the long building. Captain Kent followed him. When they reached the hole in the wall, Colonel Taerin stopped and turned to face the captain.
“Why have you been moved here?” whispered the colonel.
“Obviously Forshire has no intention of letting me go free,” scowled the captain. “He promised me that once the emperor was told about me and the story was verified that I would be free to go. You did tell the emperor of what I said, didn’t you?”
“I did,” replied the colonel, “and the emperor seemed satisfied with what I told him. I thought you would be long gone by now, but General Forshire must have a reason for keeping you. Things inside the palace are not quite normal this evening.”
“You have more faith in General Forshire than I do,” spat the captain. “I bet he has
other plans for me that will end up benefiting him. Everything in the A Corps is all about him.”
Colonel Taerin frowned deeply. He had considered himself a good judge of character, and he had thought highly of General Forshire. Was there a side of the general that had escaped the colonel?
“What do you mean that it is all about him?”
“He is an ambitious one,” answered Captain Kent. “He doesn’t mind bending the rules a bit to gain notice and preference. He is probably bartering away my life at this very moment.”
“What rules does he bend?”
“All of them. The rules mean nothing to Forshire.”
“Specifically,” pushed the colonel.
Captain Kent hesitated, but only for a moment. “I have heard a lot of things since being with the A Corps. Oh, the things said were not for my ears, but the men soon forgot why I was with them. Men have to have something to talk about at night and I heard plenty. Did you hear about the capture of the rebels in the Dark Forest?”
“I did hear about it.”
“That was nonsense. It was all staged to make General Forshire look like a big man.”
“But there were coins found on the bodies,” frowned the colonel.
“Planted,” Captain Kent replied quickly.
“But such a false report would injure our intelligence gathering,” protested the colonel. “Plus there would be three more rebels running around that we have not accounted for.”
“So what? You do not seriously think that Forshire is interested in the welfare of the Federation, do you? He is only interested in his own personal advancement.”
“I find this all hard to believe,” stated the colonel. “General Forshire has two-thousand men under his command. Surely one of them would have stepped forward to report such abuse?”
“You presume that the men support the Federation,” sneered the captain. “They don’t. They have only one loyalty, Forshire. He got them out of prison and that is all they care about.”
“Then why would they complain about him in the camps at night?”
“They were not complaining about him. They were talking about him because they do not understand who or what he is. It is as if they were trying to work out a puzzle, but such ponderings do not break their loyalty to him. No matter what he turns out to be about, they will stick with him.”
“Your words cause me great concern,” sighed the colonel.
“My great concern is getting out of here,” retorted the captain. “I see that you have made a hole large enough to squeeze through. Move aside and let me use it.”
Colonel Taerin hesitated. “No,” he said eventually. “There are far too many people moving about the grounds right now. It is best if you wait for the hours just before dawn. There is nothing Forshire can accomplish tonight regarding you. Wait a spell. Rest up for your journey and flee when success is most likely.”
“Your words make sense, Colonel,” sighed the captain. “I am glad there is at least one honorable officer left in the army.”
“Continue to sleep near the front door,” advised the colonel. “That way if they check up on you they will not be alerted to this escape hole.”
The captain nodded in the dark. Colonel Taerin did not see the gesture, but it mattered little. His mind was already beginning to probe his prior meetings with General Forshire in search of clues regarding his character. The colonel crawled out of the hole and disappeared.
* * * *
Clint moved through the crowded palace rooms in an attempt to reach the safety of his suite without running into Grand General Kyrga. He almost made it. As he stepped out of the crowd to ascend the stairs, he heard Kyrga’s voice behind him.
“Forshire,” the Grand General called loudly. “In my office. Now!”
Two soldiers appeared at the top of the steps while Kyrga approached from behind. Clint knew that he had to comply with the order. He turned around with a thin smile on his lips.
“Of course, Grand General.”
Kyrga raised an eyebrow in surprise, but his swift steps quickly brought him to Clint’s side. Together they climbed the stairs and walked silently to the Grand General’s office. Kyrga waited until the door was closed and he was seated behind his desk.
“Sit,” commanded the Grand General. “You have some explaining to do.”
Clint’s mind whirled to anticipate where the line of questioning might lead, but there was only one reason he could think of for being called to Kyrga’s office this night. It was the investigation.
“I will explain anything that I am authorized to talk about,” Clint said with a smile. “What would you like to know?”
“Don’t get smart with me, Forshire,” snapped Kyrga. “You think you can sit there smugly and betray me, but you have underestimated me all along. This is your time of reckoning.”
Clint dropped his smile, and his face tightened with determination. “I play no games, Grand General Kyrga. I am a man sworn to the Federation, and my duty is to protect it. I have performed my duty to the highest standards, indeed, beyond the highest standards. My loyalty should be unquestionable, which is why I am taking offense at your tone of inquisition. What exactly is the transgression I am accused of?”
“You know exactly what I am talking about.”
“If it is what I suspect, I have been forbidden to discuss it. Are you asking me to violate my orders?”
“Your orders come from me, Forshire. I am your commanding officer.”
“And you report to the emperor. I understand the chain of command quite well. If you were to acquire a release from my orders, there is nothing that I would like better than to discuss everything with you.”
Kyrga sighed with frustration. “I know about the investigation, Forshire. I learned of it from the emperor. I learned how you worked behind my back to put me down so that you could take my place.”
“You learned no such thing,” Clint retorted forcefully. “Seeing as the emperor has already informed you of the investigation, my orders not to discuss it with you are no longer valid.”
“Then try to talk your way out of prison, Forshire.”
“Prison?” balked Clint. “For what? For faithfully investigating a matter of importance? For dutifully reporting the results to the Emperor of Barouk? I have done nothing but faithfully execute my orders, Grand General. When the investigation began, I had no idea who was involved, and frankly, I didn’t care. My task was not one of judgment, but rather one of investigation. Judgment is in the hands of others. I was given a near impossible task to complete, but I completed it. That is hardly cause for punishment.”
“Perhaps not,” conceded Kyrga, “but plotting against a superior officer is treason. That is a hanging offense, Forshire.”
“I have not plotted against anyone,” declared Clint. “I sat in this chair once before and told you that I had no aspiration of higher office than to lead my own army. That has not changed. If the emperor informed you of the investigation, he surely must have also informed you that I declined to take your place as Grand General. This was not a personal vendetta, Kyrga. I personally have nothing against you or the way you command the forces of the Federation. I have come to you with ideas, and you have accepted them. What do I have to complain about? I truly have no ambitions greater than what I have already attained.”
Kyrga frowned at the forceful defense, but he recognized a great deal of truth in Forshire’s words. The emperor would have chosen an investigator that he trusted, and he would most likely reward the success of the investigation with a promotion. In this case, that would mean making Forshire the Grand General. The question that remained was whether Forshire was telling the truth about refusing the position.
“Do you know who was nominated to take my place before I smoothed things over with the emperor?”
The statement that things had been patched up between Jaar and Kyrga surprised Clint. It was conceivable, but Clint somehow doubted it.
“The emperor did not c
onfide in me,” stated Clint, “but I know a general who was summoned to the emperor’s chambers after I spoke to him. It was General Ross.”
Grand General Kyrga nodded in acceptance. Ross would not have been Kyrga’s choice, but he could easily see Jaar choosing someone who was more mild-mannered to replace him. It made sense, and the fury drained out of Kyrga.
“There is still the matter of Captain Kent,” Kyrga said wearily. “I suppose you smuggled him into Despair?”
“I did,” confessed Clint, “and I would very much like to discuss his situation. Like myself, Kent did nothing wrong other than faithfully follow orders. He did not even willingly confess to his part in the raid on Elfwoods, although he had committed no crime in following your orders. I guess what I am trying to say is that there is no longer any purpose in pursuing him. His usefulness to you and the emperor is over. He wants to leave the army, and I have told him that I would try to make it happen for him. May I have your permission to release him out of the army?”
“You mean to just let him walk away?”
“Why not?” shrugged Clint. “With everything already out in the open, he can do no harm. With what he has gone through these past few months, I certainly wouldn’t want him in my command. I can’t imagine any general who would. And best of all, he plans to gather his family and move far away from Despair. I think the resolution of this problem is perfect.”
Kyrga stared incredulously at Clint. Forshire obviously knew about the assassination attempts, so he knew what Kyrga had planned when he found Kent, yet he was presenting a case for merely letting the captain walk away. Kyrga sat silently for a long time as he pondered the thought. He eventually had to admit that executing Kent during the celebration would be a bad move, especially when he was trying hard to make it appear that everything in the Imperial Palace was normal. Slowly, he nodded his head.
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