Awari glanced at Nirome for a moment, then said to Erland, “It is as my lord Nirome says, Erland. Your Kingdom has been growing steadily in power since the time of your grandfather and with those Quegan pirates properly chastised—”
“Quegan pirates?” interrupted Erland.
Awari said, “I guess news has not been swift in reaching you. A fleet of Quegan galleys had been raiding the Free Cities and even being so bold as to raid some of your coastal towns near Questor’s View. Your father ordered Admiral Bruhall’s fleet to find and sink them. He did.”
Nirome chimed in. “A squadron of the raiders was blown by squall past their own island and were intercepted by a squadron of Imperial ships out of Durbin and were also crushed.”
At this, James and Erland exchanged glances, and Erland heard Gamina’s voice in his mind. James is fascinated by that.
Why? Aloud the Prince said, “Then the Bitter Sea should be safe to travel for some time to come. Barring a Durbin pirate or two.”
Awari smiled indulgently. “Some of our more distant cities are difficult to control on that level, Erland. If a ship’s captain raids outside of Imperial waters …” He shrugged. “It’s easier to send an army of Dog Soldiers to crush Durbin and hang the Governor than it is to replace a corrupt judge there, do you see?” The tone of the question showed clearly it was rhetorical.
Then James’s voice came to Erland. This is intriguing. What was an “Imperial squadron” doing in Durbin? Those pirates usually can’t agree on anything, let alone how to organize ten or more ships into a squadron.
Gamina spoke to Nirome. “My lord, what are these men doing?”
“These are men from Shing Lai, Dong Tai, and Tao Zi, many villages and towns in the region, who in ancient times were known as the Pô-Ta’o. They are no longer warriors, but they still practice the ancient arts and craft of war. These men are wall jumping.”
As he spoke, the first man in line raced for the large stone, then as he came within a stride of it, he sprang as high as he could, placing his foot on the face and flipping backward, and landing on his feet. The crowd cheered.
“Impressive,” said James.
Awari said, “The object is to clear the stone. He was just warming himself to the task.”
James said, “That stone is how tall? Seven feet?”
“Yes,” said Awari. “An adequate warrior will leap to the top, touching the stone, then land on the other side. A true warrior will clear the height without touching the stone. In ancient days, this was training for their soldiers, so they might jump the protective walls of rival villages.”
“That is impressive,” said Erland.
Awari smiled. “They used to plant spears on both sides of the wall stone, giving the contestants a bit more motivation in making the jump clean. Anyway, as I was saying, now that that nest of pirates up in Queg has been slapped down, I’m hoping things will stay calm along the northern borders. I don’t mean to bother you with the details of our domestic difficulties, but with my mother’s age …” He watched a moment as a strong-looking man in a wooden demon’s mask, with a spear in his left hand, leaped high over the stone to the roar of the crowd. “… well, the situation in the heart of Kesh is such that it would be to no one’s advantage for there to be any conflict between our two people. You are now clearly our strongest neighbor, and from this time forward, I hope our good friend.”
Erland said, “As long as I live, I hope that is so.”
Awari said, “Good. Let’s hope you live a long, full span of years.”
A flourish of trumpets announced the arrival of a member of the royal family, and Erland turned, hoping it was Sharana. Instead, the Princess Sojiana entered with her retinue, and Erland could barely contain his laugh of astonishment. Escorting the beautiful woman to her place in the box next to the one he occupied with Awari was Baron Locklear.
James’s amusement came behind his thoughts, too. Well, it seems that no barrier is insurmountable for our friend, doesn’t it?
It does appear that way, replied Erland.
The Princess was the first to enter the box, and behind her came Locklear, who couldn’t resist tossing a grin Erland’s way. Gamina’s only reaction was to raise one eyebrow and fix him with a look of disapproval. Then her eyes widened a bit and she spoke to both Erland and James. Locky is putting on a charade.
What? asked Erland.
He’s trying to keep up appearances, but he’s deeply disturbed about something.
What is that? asked James.
He said he’ll speak to us later, that right now he’s having difficulty concentrating. But he’s saying one thing now. He thinks Sojiana may have been behind the attempt on Borric in Krondor. Something about Awari being called to the frontier being in Sojiana’s … interests? It’s difficult to get any more out of him in this situation.
Erland nodded absently to some observation Lord Nirome was making. To Gamina, and through her James and Locklear, he said, Then that makes her a prime candidate behind the raid that killed Borric.
As if she somehow overheard, the Princess turned and regarded Erland with a frankly appraising look, as if trying to measure him against whatever reports her spies brought her from her daughter’s garden, or as if speculating as to his suitability for her own amusement. But when she smiled at him, her beautiful face looked nothing more than mocking.
The festivities wore on, and while Keshian nobles came and went at their leisure, Erland remained. He found himself concerned with things that a few months before he hadn’t dreamed of, and he wished he could speak with his father.
The various exhibitions had followed a martial theme, with warriors from distant corners of the Empire showing their Empress and her court their finest young men. The last exhibition was less a demonstration of martial arts as it was a ritual. Two companies of warriors were competing in a contest, the origins of which were lost in time. Two villages had been selected by the Governor of Jandowae to present the Battle of Dragons. Two large dragons, marvelously fashioned from rope, tied in coils and knots to the actual size of the creature, were carried upon the backs of hundreds of warriors. The rival villagers were wearing cane-and-bone armor, centuries old in design and nothing that would withstand modern iron weapons. Each man’s helm was bedecked in bright ribbons—one side red, the other blue—and each rope dragon had a brightly carved mask on the front of the same color. Upon the back of each of the two dragons, riders in ornate and brightly painted armor directed their companies. The two competing groups would pick up the massive creatures, easily ten feet in circumference at the widest part of the body, behind the head, and run. They would run until they reached the speed they felt was sufficient for their purposes, then charge, bringing the dragons together in a clash. The two rope monsters would then be furiously pushed upward, the tension between them forcing them higher and higher, until the riders were easily fifty feet in the air. Then the large figures would fall to the ground. Eventually, Erland had been told, one of the two riders would gain a height advantage over the other and seize the plume from his opponent’s helm, ending the contest.
Erland found it strangely compelling. The two forces had closed a half dozen times, with one side or the other feigning and dodging away before the first clash. They had actually come in contact three times now, without either rider getting the other’s plume before being forced to jump away and try again. Erland was also impressed on how the riders could make the jump, from a height of twenty-five or so feet, in armor, and not be hurt.
At last the contest ended, with the red side prevailing, and the festivities were over for the afternoon. After a recess for a long nap and refreshments, the dinner festivities would commence. Erland was thinking about sending a runner to the Princess, requesting a repeat of the previous night’s encounter, when Gamina’s voice came to him. James would like you to dine with us this evening.
Erland had gotten so used to the mind speech that he almost answered aloud. He covered by feigning a
cough, then said, “Perhaps we should have a quiet meal tonight, my lord Earl?”
James shrugged as if it was nothing important. “Well, we’ve another fifty-eight days of festivities, so we should marshal our resources. Perhaps that would be best, after all.”
Kafi, who had been at his usual post, said, “Then, Highness, I shall bid you good evening and return to my quarters in the lower city. I shall return at dawn for your pleasure.”
“Thank you, Lord Abu Harez,” said Erland, with a slight bow.
As Erland’s party returned to its quarters, nothing of consequence was said, either aloud or by mind-speech. Reaching the entrance to the wing they were housed within, Erland said, “I guess the Empress felt her time was spent better elsewhere.”
James shrugged and Gamina said, “It’s a long festival and she is elderly, Erland. It may be wise for her only to attend those functions that are absolutely vital. Today was not much different than a harvest festival, really.”
“True—”
Further conversation was cut off by the appearance of a soldier, dressed in trueblood fashion, but without the colorful headdress. This one wore a very functional-looking helm, and his sandals were replaced with boots and greaves. Upon his chest he wore a leather vest, and a very well tended sword hung from his belt. “My lords,” he said, without waiting for permission to speak, “She Who Is Kesh commands your presence at once.”
Erland felt himself flush in surprise and irritation. “Commands—?”
James put a restraining hand upon Erland’s shoulder, preventing him from making any rash statement to the guard. “We shall accompany you now,” he said.
From Gamina, Erland heard, James said something important must have occurred. He urges you to remain quiet until we know what is happening.
Erland remained silent as they left the guest wing and made their way back past the amphitheater tunnel entrance they had used, then on to the center palace. In a few minutes they were joined by many armed nobles, most looking grim and concerned.
When they entered the Empress’s audience hall, the vast central chamber of the palace, the full roster of Lords and Masters was present in the upper gallery, which surrounded the Empress’s dais. Court officials mobbed the floor below, leaving only a straight path to the dais. It was down this path Erland and his companions marched.
When they reached the foot of the dais, Erland and James bowed, while Gamina curtsied. Without preamble, the Empress said, “Would His Highness care to tell us why we just received word that your father is marshaling his Armies of the West in the Vale of Dreams?”
Erland felt his mouth open, then he shut it. He glanced at James, whose expression of astonishment matched his own. At last Erland said, “Majesty, I have no notion of what you are saying.”
Throwing down a crumpled parchment, the woman who controlled the most important Empire in the world nearly screamed in frustration. She said, “For reasons beyond my wisdom to understand, your father is holding this court personally responsible in the matter of your brother’s death. Not content to assume the role of monarch, and to negotiate some sort of indemnity, he instead takes the role of bereaved father and orders his vassals into the field. Your uncle Martin and his garrisons from Crydee, Tulan, and Carse have just landed on the shores southeast of Shamata. Five thousand Principality troops, including the full company of Royal Krondorian Lancers join them, and our reports tell us another ten thousand foot from the garrisons of Sarth, Questor’s View, Ylith, and Yabon march south, and full three thousand Tsurani from LaMut march with them. Elements of the garrisons at Darkmoor and Malac’s Cross also are on the march. Will you please tell me what thirty thousand Isles’ soldiers are doing massing on our borders if this is not a prelude to invasion?”
Erland could not believe what he was hearing. James stepped forward and said, “If Your Imperial Majesty will permit—”
“I will permit nothing!” shouted the old woman. Her rage was fully unleashed. “The fool is mourning one son, yet apparently forgets that I hold another here as a guarantee against his good behavior.”
Gaining control over her rage, the Empress said, “Get to your quarters, sirs and madam. See to those messages you need write tonight. Send them with all haste to the border and pray your father and Prince has learned to control himself. Or by the gods, he’ll mourn another son should one Isleman cross into Kesh with violence toward my people in his heart. Is that clear?”
“Very clear, Your Majesty,” answered Jimmy.
Half-pulling Erland along, he led him out of the court. Along the entire route from the dais to the front door, the glare of eyes upon them was near palpable, and there was nothing of kindness in anyone’s stare.
At the entrance to the Royal Court, a company of Household Guards waited to escort them back to their own quarters. As they moved back through the gigantic palace, Erland sent his words to James via Gamina. What are we now? Prisoners or guests?
From James came, We are both. We are hostages.
As the party from Isles was escorted back to their quarters, Kafi Abu Harez and Lord Nirome joined them. Kafi said, “Highness, lord and lady, I have been given an apartment for the evening at the base of the upper city, just a few yards from one of the many entrances. I will be awaiting your call should you have any need of me.”
Erland nodded absently as he tried to imagine what could possibly bring his father to this incredible decision. Even if Arutha didn’t have some personal experience with Kesh, as Erland’s grandfather and namesake had, he read the intelligence personally, rather than simply leaving it to Gardan and James to advise him. He knew the scope of Kesh’s power should she bring it to bear upon the Kingdom. The Kingdom’s independence from Kesh had always rested upon one point: Kesh couldn’t afford the losses she would endure to invade a nation a third her own size. And the mauling the Kingdom would inflict upon Kesh whatever brief victory she might enjoy would make her vulnerable in turn to revolt by the Confederacy, or attack from Roldem or the other Eastern Kingdoms.
But never for a moment did Kesh live in fear of military adventure from the Kingdom. An occasional border clash over the lands in the rich Vale of Dreams had certainly become commonplace in the history of the two nations, but only once did Kesh seek to annex Kingdom lands, when Imperial forces attempted to occupy the narrow strip of land north of the Peaks of Tranquillity between Deep Taunton and the eastern point where the mountains met the sea. Then an army under the command of Guy du Bas-Tyra had crushed the Imperial forces at Deep Taunton, ending all Kesh’s attempts to capture a port on the Kingdom Sea.
Since that time, no confrontation of major proportion had occurred. But the specter of the Kingdom invading the Empire was never imagined, for if the consequences of invading the Kingdom would be ruinous to Kesh, the Kingdom’s consequences for invading the Empire would be even more disastrous.
Drawing his attention to the present, Erland became aware of Nirome’s having said something. “Forgive me, my lord, my mind was elsewhere. What did you say?”
“I said, Highness, that you will certainly wish to send messages to your father at once. I shall have dispatch riders ready to leave at your convenience.”
“Thank you,” said Erland.
James said, “My lord, if you could provide me with a copy of your latest reports upon this feared invasion, I would be thankful.”
“I’ll see what I may do, m’lord. But Aber Bukar might consider this a sore issue. You are, after all, hostile aliens now.”
James controlled his urge to say something nasty and merely smiled. “Thank you.”
From Gamina Erland heard, James says there is something terribly wrong here.
Of course there is, replied Erland.
They reached the wing of the palace where their own quarters were and saw that the passages between the rooms given over to the Prince and his party were thankfully without guards. “At least we can visit one another,” observed Erland.
“Yes,” answered James
. “Now, the question of the moment is where is Locklear?”
With bitter humor, Erland spoke, as he accompanied James and Gamina into their own quarters. “Even money says he is once again entertaining the Princess Sojiana.”
Not willing to risk speaking, James sent, I’m concerned about him. He has never reacted to a woman in the way he showed us today. Something in this has him worried, and he doesn’t worry easily. I think we should wait until he joins us to decide what to do next.
Erland nodded agreement, without speaking. To Gamina he sent, Are we being watched again?
Gamina glanced around, then said, The magic device is upon us once again.
They sat in the receiving room and James signaled for the servants to place some refreshments upon a nearby table and leave them in privacy. When they were gone, James poured all three of them wine.
See if you can determine who is controlling it, said James, and Erland knew that Gamina had established the odd three-way mind-link. It was something she did only when she could sit and not speak, as the strain was too great otherwise. Most of the time in public she simply relayed messages.
Gamina closed her eyes as if she had a headache, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose, then after a moment she said, It’s no one I know by thought patterns. It’s difficult to say without risking being detected. I can only eavesdrop a few moments without being sensed by whoever is there.
Where are they?
Nearby, she answered. In a complex of rooms on the other side of the garden that opens on to your rooms is the most likely place, Erland.
Erland nodded. “I think after a bit I’ll retire. This has been a most distressing day.”
“Yes,” agreed James. So what do you think of this invasion?
Aloud, so that any eavesdroppers might hear him, Erland said, “This invasion is clearly nonsense.”
James raised one eyebrow, but followed Erland’s lead. “I think so, too, but what is your reasoning?”
“Father would never let anything, especially personal grief or anger, lead him to make so rash and destructive a decision.”
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