Demonkin

by Richard S. Tuttle

  The Vinaforans gathered their gear and headed into the trees. A few moments later, Garth heard them riding away.

  “I take it you didn’t know either of them?” frowned Stan.

  “Never saw them before,” replied Garth. “I had expected Colonel Pfaff to meet us. I hope nothing is wrong with his organization.”

  “I do not get a warm feeling about this encounter,” stated the Ranger. “Should I go back and get the Door?”

  “Yes,” answered Garth. “I think the two men were honest. They were expecting someone from Sidney Mercado, and they certainly recognized my name. If the Federation was aware of my true identity, I would know about it by now. My only concern is for the patriots. Go get the Door.”

  The Ranger mounted his unicorn and backtracked to where they had hidden the Door. By the time he returned to the wagon, Garth already had one side of the false compartment lifted up in the air.

  “Slide the Door in there,” Garth said as he strained against the weight of the grape-laden board he was holding.

  Stan dismounted and carried the Door to the wagon. He slid it into place and then helped Garth lower the panel back into place. They rearranged the grapes to even out the look of the wagon and then tied their unicorns to the back of the wagon. They hopped up on the seat of the wagon and began riding towards the southern gates of Waxhaw.

  The ride into Waxhaw was uneventful, and the gate guards waved them through without a question. Garth led the way to the warehouse that Sidney owned in the city. A couple of Sidney’s men manned the warehouse, and they seemed quite surprised to have a wagon arrive at the large doors. Garth halted the wagon and hopped down. He showed the men the papers that Sidney had given him, which authorized him as a special agent for Sidney Mercado. The men immediately swung the large doors open, and Stan drove the wagon inside. The men looked curiously at the wagon loaded with grapes.

  “The warehouse has been empty for some time,” one of the men said embarrassed. “You can use any of the bays to store it, but the grapes will go bad before long.”

  “We will be leaving again in the morning,” Garth replied. “We just wanted the wagon inside for the night. I didn’t realize that Sidney had left anyone in Waxhaw to man the warehouse.”

  “Well, he didn’t actually,” the man smiled uncomfortably. “Sidney released all of us when the Federation entered Tyronia. Me and the boys were originally from Waxhaw, so we figured that we would return home, but King Daramoor seems to want everyone to join the Federation army. We figured that he would leave us alone if he thought we still worked for Sidney Mercado, so we come down here each day and sit in front of the warehouse. We figured Sidney wouldn’t mind none.”

  “I am sure he wouldn’t mind,” Garth replied with a sympathetic smile. “What do you have against joining the Federation army?”

  One of the other men spat in the dirt as a sign of disgust, but the speaker merely shifted his feet uncomfortably. He looked curiously at Garth as if weighing the trust he should extend to the special agent. Eventually the man sighed deeply.

  “Sidney was always a good judge of character,” the man said, “and we have heard the stories about Garth Shado, the wagon warrior. Sidney wouldn’t make a special agent out of someone who thought a great deal different than he did, and he couldn’t stand the Federation. It’s not like the boys here are cowards. We have all served as warriors on the caravans, but we won’t be forced to serve in any army that means to tear Vinafor apart and ship it east of the Barrier.”

  “You know Sidney well,” smiled Garth. “If you sit all day at the warehouse, how do you earn a living?”

  “We don’t,” frowned the man. “We all had our wages from Sidney, and he let us take our horses to keep or sell in the market. We all decided to sell our mounts once we reached home.”

  Garth looked sympathetically at the four men. “What is your name?” he asked the speaker.

  “I am called Druck,” answered the man.

  “Come into the warehouse with me, Druck,” urged the Knight of Alcea.

  Garth walked into the cavernous warehouse and Druck followed him. Garth did not stop or talk until he reached the wagon that Stan had parked in front of the stairs leading to the offices upstairs.

  “How loyal are you and your men to Vinafor?” Garth asked quietly.

  “Vinafor is our home,” Druck answered without hesitation.

  “Yet there are two Vinafors,” probed Garth. “Surely, the reign of Queen Romani and the Vinafor under the Federation are not exactly the same.”

  “There is only one Vinafor,” Druck replied adamantly, “and it is not a part of the Federation. There is a lot of hatred for the false king in Vinafor. I do not think he will last a year.”

  “Do the rest of your men feel the same way?” asked Garth.

  “That’s why we are here.” Druck nodded. “We could have had a pretty easy life in the Vinaforan army, but we won’t die to save Daramoor’s life. When someone finally gets up the courage to kill him, Vinafor will be free again.”

  “How would you all like jobs?” asked Garth.

  Druck’s eyes opened as wide as gold coins as he stared at Garth. “What do we have to do?”

  “Nothing much more than you have been doing,” answered Garth as he opened a pouch and extracted some gold coins. “I want this warehouse kept secured, and I would like to do it with men who are loyal to Sidney Mercado.”

  Druck grinned broadly as Garth handed him the coins.

  “I think we should also try to stir up a small bit of business,” Garth continued. “It doesn’t have to be a great thriving business, but the army will get suspicious if the warehouse is never used. My associate, Stan Fargo,” he added with a nod to Stan, “will be staying in Waxhaw when I leave. He will try to get some freight moving in and out of the warehouse in the coming days, so some of your men might have to haul loads. Will that be a problem?”

  “Certainly not,” Druck replied enthusiastically. “We will do whatever is required to earn some gold. You will find us to be hard-working, honest employees.”

  “Excellent,” smiled Garth. “Go share that gold with the rest of the men, and then send everyone home. Tomorrow you will sit down with Stan and get to know each other.”

  Druck nodded so severely to Garth that it practically seemed to be a bow. He nodded to Stan and ran off to share the news with his friends. Garth and Stan stood silently staring at the open doors until they saw the men head off for their homes. Garth walked to the large doors and swung them closed. He returned to the wagon in the dark warehouse, and Stan moved alongside him.

  “So now I will run a shipping company?” asked Stan as Garth lifted the false bottom of the wagon.

  “Why not?” chuckled Garth. “What better cover could you ask for than your own warehouse and a loyal staff? Grab the Door.”

  Stan slid the Door out of its hiding place and Garth lowered the false bottom. Garth took one end of the Door and nodded towards the stairs. Stan led the way up the stairs and halted once Garth had reached the last step.

  “Where to?”

  “Sidney’s office is the large one at the end of the hall.” Garth nodded towards the front of the building. “You will take over that office. I am sure we will find a place to erect the Door in there.”

  * * * *

  Garth Shado and Stan Fargo sat in the sitting room of their suite at the Waxhaw Wheel House. When the expected knock sounded on the door, Garth rose quietly and opened the door. Colonel Pfaff slipped into the room and Garth closed the door. The two men crossed the room and sat down near Stan Fargo.

  “This is Stan Fargo, Colonel Pfaff,” introduced Garth. “He will be taking Shawn’s place.”

  The two men exchanged pleasantries and then the colonel sighed anxiously.

  “I apologize for what happened to Shawn, Garth. Word never got to him that K’san and two black-cloaks had entered the building. I feel responsible for his death.”

  “Shawn was a good man and an excel
lent warrior,” replied Garth. “It is always difficult to lose someone like him, but we both must move on. I had planned to take his body from you, but my plans have changed. He shall be buried here in Vinafor. Stan will take care of the details. Were his belongings recovered?”

  “Yes,” answered the colonel. “Would you care to have them?”

  “Give them to Stan,” answered Garth before he turned to the Ranger. “You will use his sword, Stan. It has been enhanced to deal with demonkin.”

  “The sword?” gasped the colonel. “I wondered how Shawn was able to strike a killing blow on the priest. He had warned me that they were indestructible.”

  “They are practically impervious to normal weapons,” Garth replied, “but Shawn’s sword was enchanted for that exact purpose. It may soon be needed again.”

  “Again?” questioned the colonel.

  “K’san is not a single individual,” explained the Knight of Alcea. “He is a demonkin, and there are several of them. They have some type of herd mind that communicates with other demonkin. I would not be surprised to find another K’san arriving here soon. Avoid him if you can.”

  “I shall,” promised Crusher.

  “What do you know about the men who hang around the Mercado warehouse?” asked Garth.

  “They are wagon warriors,” answered the colonel, “or at least they used to be. Sidney Mercado appears to have shut down his operations in Vinafor. I think those men merely stay there out of habit.”

  “Could they avoid service in the army by pretending to still be employed there?”

  “Joining the army is not mandatory,” answered the colonel, “but there is a great deal of pressure put on able-bodied men to do so. If they were of a mind not to serve, they would be wise to pretend to be employed. Do you suspect any of them of working for the Federation?”

  “No.” Garth shook his head. “I take them to be what you described, and that pleases me. Stan is going to be running the warehouse for Sidney Mercado. That will give him a reason to be in Waxhaw. He has hired those four men, so notify him if any of them appears suspect.”

  “I will have them checked out quietly,” promised Colonel Pfaff.

  “I am also advising Stan to develop a small amount of business, even if it is just moving things from one side of the city to the other. If you can steer some small jobs in his direction, it will help.”

  “I will make jobs just to keep his men busy,” grinned the colonel.

  “Why weren’t you with the wagon south of town?” Garth asked.

  “King Daramoor had all of the officers in the palace today,” answered Colonel Pfaff. “He is unhappy about the progress made on the investigation into Captain Terazini’s death. He felt by keeping us all in a room and yelling at us that we would magically come up with the answers to his questions. He is in a foul mood.”

  “No one knew who Captain Terazini was going to meet?”

  “No.” the colonel shook his head. “Terazini was probably afraid that word would leak out and someone would warn Aniello off. We have stopped recruiting for the time being.”

  “I think that is wise,” replied Garth. “Work with Stan to develop safer ways of recruiting. We are too close now to take too many chances.”

  “You have information about the timing that you have not shared?” asked the colonel.

  “I know that this month will bring a shock to the Federation,” smiled Garth. “When it happens, they will begin to think very carefully of accelerating the attack on Alcea.”

  * * * *

  General Forshire galloped northward past the soldiers of the A Corps until he reached the vanguard. He slowed as he pulled alongside Colonel Magee.

  “You have made good time,” greeted the general.

  “Just following orders,” grinned the colonel. “We will be well past Olansk before the new moon.”

  “Excellent,” replied the general. “Have you been letting people notice you along the way?”

  Colonel Magee chuckled as he nodded towards the large standard one of the men was carrying. “No one will miss us passing by. I have taken a couple of squads into each city we have passed, and your name has been bandied about as if you were the next emperor of Barouk.”

  “I hope you are joking,” the general frowned anxiously.

  “About the emperor?” laughed the colonel. “Of course I am, but General Forshire’s name has been heard in every city as if you were the one leading this parade. No one will doubt that you have been with us the entire trip.”

  “You are a good man, Colonel Magee. Would you care to join me in riding ahead to visit Giza?”

  “I would love to,” frowned the colonel, “but I am hesitant to leave the army in the command of a major.”

  “And so you won’t,” smiled the general. “It is time for A Corps to have its third colonel. Why don’t you call Major Donil forward and give him the good news.”

  “An excellent choice,” grinned Colonel Magee. “He deserves it.”

  “I know,” replied the general. “I really do read your reports.”

  Colonel Magee called the column to a halt in a clear area along the shore of the Sea of Tears. The officers were called forward, and Colonel Magee announced that there would be a presentation. The soldiers crowded around behind the officers to see what would happen. The colonel called for Major Donil to come forward, and General Forshire announced his rise in rank. The general gave a short speech reminding the men of their need for honesty and loyalty and then praised them for their performance. Colonel Magee turned over command of the army to Colonel Donil and then called for two squads to form around him.

  “General Forshire and I are going on ahead to Giza,” Colonel Magee told the new colonel. “Send a runner when you get close.”

  “You’ll only have one day to rest,” smiled Colonel Donil. “Make good use of it.”

  General Forshire and Colonel Magee rode away from the column, and the two chosen squads followed. The small column rode hard and spent the night in a small clearing on the shore of the sea. The following night they entered the city of Giza.

  “I will be staying at the Palace Keep Inn,” stated General Forshire. “Take the men to one of the city garrisons and get them settled in. Tomorrow take them on a walk through the city so that they are seen.”

  “That is what I have done in the other cities.” The colonel nodded. “Will you be joining us?”

  “I will take my own tour,” replied the general. “Perhaps our paths will cross during the day, but I want to set expectations correctly so that my absence from you in the other cities is not considered abnormal.”

  “I understand,” Colonel Magee said.

  General Forshire split from his small column and headed for the most expensive inn in the city. After he got settled into his suite, he went to the common room for the evening meal. He sat at the end table so he could watch everyone in the room. Moments later, he saw a familiar face, and she saw him. She walked directly to his table.

  “Good evening, General Forshire,” smiled Natia. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  Clint smiled broadly. “I wasn’t aware that you were in Giza. Please, sit down.”

  Natia sat across from Clint. “I only arrived this morning. What are you doing here?”

  “Parading my army through town,” chuckled the Ranger. “I will be leaving the morning after tomorrow. Are you all prepared for the big day?”

  “Hardly,” frowned the Knight of Alcea. “I just got Tedi settled in Valdo. Now I have to get myself settled in here. There is much to be done yet.”

  “And so little time.” Clint nodded sympathetically. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “I don’t think so,” replied Natia. “I will have the help of Headman, the leader of the thieves in Giza, but I haven’t figured out how to get them out of the building yet.”

  “What about out of the city?” asked the general.

  “I think our plan for that will work well, but there is always a
certain amount of risk involved in such a plan.” Natia fell silent for a moment as she ran through the plan in her mind. After a few moments, her eyebrows rose as a thought entered her mind. “There is something that you can help me with.”

  “Name it,” smiled Clint. “If it is in my power, you shall have my help.”

  “I just realized that I do not have a fairy. I am so used to depending on Button, but she stayed with Tedi. Could you send Peanut to the island and get me one?”

  “I will send Peanut this evening,” promised Clint. “From what I have heard, we have quite a few of them lingering on the island. Anything else?”

  Natia shook her head as the waiter came to take their order. Clint described what his plans were while they waited for the food to be delivered. While they ate, Natia talked about her plans, especially the parts that had not been completely developed.

  “I can see your main problem,” sighed Clint. “If an alarm goes off in the city, the wagons will not be allowed to leave. You have to find a way to get into the building, get the children out, and leave the city without anyone knowing about it. It seems an impossible task.”

  “I have been inside before,” stated Natia, and I might be able to get in again, but I can’t kill all of the guards by myself.”

  “What about the thieves?” asked the general.

  “Possibly,” frowned Natia, “but that would mean getting the guards to open the door a second time. I know there is an angle to this that I am missing.”

  Clint’s eyes narrowed as he gazed past the gypsy princess. “Do you know any officers in Giza?”

  “I have met a few,” Natia replied with a questioning frown. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because there is a colonel a few tables away, and I am certain that he keeps looking at either you or me. Could you possibly be under investigation here in Giza?”

  “If I am,” Natia fretted, “the new moon will be a night of great disappointment for everyone. Is he still looking this way?”

  “With great interest.” Clint nodded. “Why don’t you go for a walk for a moment so I can see if it is you or me that he is interested in.”

  Natia nodded almost imperceptibly and rose from her chair. She turned and started to walk away from the table, her eyes casually scanning the other patrons. When her eyes landed on the colonel, she halted in recognition.