Abuud: the One-Eyed God

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "Not that I am aware of," replied Duke Zalski, "but she made it clear that the wedding would not take place until she was seated on the Council."

  "Well she did propose eliminating a councilor to my son," frowned Duke Tredor. "I have no doubt that her demands led Duke Engar to his death. It could easily have been me that was arrested this morning, had I been as gullible as Duke Engar. Perhaps Duke Graves does have a reasonable approach to the problem. Stafa Rakech is known to have spies everywhere. I think I will catch up to him and join him in visiting Stafa Rakech."

  "Do you think Stafa Rakech is a player in the game?" asked Duke Zalski.

  "Stafa Rakech avoids public appearances," Duke Tredor shook his head. "He might have a hand in backing a candidate though."

  "Then I cannot afford to let Duke Graves go without me," surmised Duke Zalski. "If Stafa Rakech is going to accept a meeting with councilors, then I plan to be one of them. Do you know if Stafa Rakech has a daughter?"

  Duke Tredor laughed as he rose, "If he does, your son does not stand a chance. Actually, he did have a daughter," Duke Tredor said more seriously. "She was the Empress of Sordoa, but that was a long time ago. The story I heard said that Stafa Rakech owned the country of Sordoa."

  Duke Zalski rose swiftly and followed Duke Tredor out of the Palace Shadow. As they exited the building they saw Duke Graves just getting into his carriage. Duke Tredor shouted and ran to catch the carriage before it left. Duke Graves grinned as he watched the two councilors running to procure a ride in his carriage.

  "I thought you would be along shortly," chuckled Duke Graves as the other two councilors entered the carriage. "It is fortunate for you that my runner took so long to have my carriage brought up. You almost missed the chance to meet with the richest man in the world."

  "You sound fairly confident that Stafa Rakech will see us," panted Duke Zalski.

  "Actually I am not confident at all," frowned Duke Graves. "I am hoping that he will find a visit by three councilors curious enough to admit us. I doubt he would see any one of us separately."

  Chapter 5

  Stafa Rakech

  The carriage halted at the gate to the grand estate as a green-clad mercenary approached it. Duke Tredor noticed the image of a dragon sewn onto the sleeve of the mercenary.

  "What does the dragon represent?" he asked Duke Graves.

  "It is the symbol of the Grakus Mercenary Company," Duke Graves replied. "It is reported that dragons have taken up residence on the island since the Collapse. I thought the stories were yarns until one of our ships returned to port. The sails were burnt and there were huge claw marks upon the mast. I have heard many a tale about the dragons in the years since then."

  "I am sorry, gentlemen, but this is a private estate," declared the mercenary as he approached the carriage. "Unless you have an appointment, I must ask you to continue your journey."

  "We have come to speak with Stafa Rakech," stated Duke Tredor while Duke Graves groaned under his breath.

  "I do not know of anyone by that name," declared the mercenary. "Please move your carriage along or I shall summon men to move it."

  "Officer," interrupted Duke Graves, "I am Duke Graves of the Council. My guests are also councilors, Duke Tredor and Duke Zalski. We desire an audience with the master of the estate. Please relay our request for a meeting."

  The mercenary peered into the carriage and nodded glumly, "I will return shortly with your answer."

  "Why continue with the meeting if this is not Stafa Rakech's estate?" questioned Duke Zalski after the mercenary was away from the carriage.

  "Stafa Rakech would never admit to being himself," scowled Duke Graves. "Can you imagine how many people would rush here to speak with him? This is his estate; trust me. I suspect even after we speak with him that he will never acknowledge who he is."

  "I have seen that mercenary somewhere before," mused Duke Tredor. "I just cannot place his face."

  "He was a Targa Ranger," offered Duke Graves. "You can't recall his face because you have never paid much attention to the little people as I do. There are many ex-Rangers employed by the Grakus Mercenary Company and the Koman Mercenary Company. They should make excellent bodyguards. That is one of the reasons that I was checking them out."

  "Well that mercenary did not appear to be impressed with three councilors," stated Duke Zalski. "How do you know if they will really protect you? We were after all responsible for the demise of the Rangers."

  "The Rangers were no longer needed for the city," retorted Duke Graves. "We did our job as stewards of Tagaret's purse strings. Besides, they were all offered jobs with the regular army. Obviously the pay of a mercenary is more desirable to them. How can they complain?"

  "Mercenary companies live and die by their reputation," added Duke Tredor. "If they do not protect a client they will suffer greatly for it."

  "Perhaps Duke D'Ales should have invested some of his funds in better protection," Duke Graves bemoaned aloud.

  The interior of the carriage lapsed into silence until the mercenary returned and ordered the gates opened to admit the carriage.

  "The master will see you briefly," announced the mercenary.

  The carriage proceeded through the gates and along the drive to the front steps of the mansion. An aged servant opened the carriage door for the councilors. The old man offered no greeting to the visitors, but simply turned and hobbled up the steps. He opened the door to the mansion, and the councilors entered into a massive and ornate entrance foyer. The old man closed the large door with obvious effort and then led the trio down a long corridor to the special sitting room.

  Duke Tredor inhaled audibly as the councilors were led into the austere sitting room. The room was stark in comparison to the rest of wealthily appointed mansion and certainly appeared to belong in a different home. Duke Graves examined the two mercenary guards as Duke Tredor and Duke Zalski occupied the only two chairs. Within moments, the aged servant returned with another simple wooden chair and Duke Graves sat down. As soon as he sat, lights were lit in the room beyond the silk screen.

  "Thank you, Fabel," said the voice. "To what do I owe a visit from three of Tagaret's finest?"

  "Thank you for admitting us," Duke Graves said before either of the other councilors could reply. "We wanted to welcome you to Tagaret."

  The voice was silent, and Duke Graves peered at the turbaned shadow in an attempt to gauge the person beyond the silk screen.

  "Your reputation precedes you, Sir," Duke Graves continued. "While I will not presume to use your name, others in this city have done so. Frankly we seek to validate or invalidate the claims of another."

  "What do I care what common people say?" questioned the voice.

  "There is a person in this city who claims that you are dead and that she has inherited your wealth," Duke Graves continued. "She now seeks a seat on the Council and her ancestry certainly is being considered in a positive manner. I would think that you would detest a fraud using your good name."

  "Clearly you can be ascertained that I am not dead," the voice responded. "Be assured that unless it is by ill means, I shall never be dead."

  "Preposterous!" exclaimed Duke Tredor. "Nobody lives forever."

  "Really?" chuckled the voice. "What good is wealth if you cannot obtain that which matters most to you? Specialized magics are outrageously expensive, but some are well worth the great expenditure. As for your Council, I could care less what politicians do. It is no concern of mine."

  "There are those on the Council who will wish to make it your business," retorted Duke Graves. "While your mercenaries are impressive, the Council controls the army. Surely a few words from you are worth the potential trouble these sinister people can create?"

  "Very well," sighed the voice after a long pause. "Why can't people let me be? Do not ask me about my family or lack of one, but I will tell you that I have no relatives living in Tagaret. Anyone who purports to be my heir in this city is a fraud."

  "As I thou
ght," declared Duke Zalski. "What do we do about her now?"

  "Your Council is an interesting device," commented the voice. "It would seem to me that you should desire to fill your vacancies with people who do not bring any alliances with them. If the Council continues its current path, all of you will die like Duke D'Ales did."

  "You already know about Duke D'Ales?" questioned Duke Tredor. "I did not realize the news was released yet."

  "I do not wait for news to be released," responded the voice. "I presume that Duke Engar has already been arrested?"

  "At the Council meeting this morning," nodded Duke Zalski. "Not more than an hour ago."

  "He will not be the last," declared the voice. "You three should really look into the use of mercenaries. They are expensive, but do you wish to save your money as Duke D'Ales did?"

  "How could you possibly know about Duke Engar?" inquired Duke Graves. "We are councilors and just found out about it. In fact, Duke Everich just found out this morning himself. You could not possibly know unless you were involved."

  "Be careful of your accusations in my presence," warned the voice. "While I may not care much for your Council, I am a law-abiding man. In fact, it was I who alerted the authorities about the assassination. That they failed to act in time to save Duke D'Ales is not my responsibility."

  "You reported the assassination before it occurred?" asked Duke Tredor.

  "I felt it was the duty of a good citizen," answered the voice. "Mind you I am not the type of person who offers information to others, but this situation did appear to be unsettling. Duke Everich and Duke Jiardin appeared to be thankful, and I fully expected them to take immediate action. This Contest of Power you play is very destructive. I am glad that I have no desire to be involved in it."

  "So they knew last night," scowled Duke Tredor. "We should have words with them."

  "Your attitude needs work," berated the voice. "There are ground rules for dealing with me, so let me state them now for those of you who do not know. Never, and I mean never, allow others to know that your information comes from me. I will not allow it. While I am a lawful man, I have learned many ways of legally destroying a man. If you affect my reputation by using information that I give you, rest assured that your destruction will be swift and permanent."

  "Nothing we learn here will ever be attributable to you," promised Duke Graves. "I think the rash response of my colleague stems from his frustration, but I am sure he would never compromise you."

  "What are we do about the nominations now?" Duke Zalski asked his fellow councilors. "We cannot continue to promote Niki."

  "We need someone who has no connection to Duke Everich," snarled Duke Tredor, "and that will be hard to find."

  "And someone who is not likely to be persuaded by him after being accepted on the Council," added Duke Graves. "Perhaps you have a suggestion, Sir?"

  "As I said, before," responded the voice, "I am loathe to get involved in politics. Were I you, I would nominate someone of considerable station, but preferably someone new to the city. Seek out someone who has not been here long enough to get involved with the other players."

  "Do you know of such a person?" inquired Duke Zalski.

  "There are several," replied the voice. "I have files on all of them."

  "You keep files on everyone?" asked Duke Graves.

  "Of course," chuckled the voice. "One does not get wealthy by leaving things to chance. When I make a deal with someone, I like to know whom I am dealing with. That requires extensive information on everyone. I will not share this information with you or anyone else though. That is not the purpose for which it was obtained. I do not use information to gain an advantage over anyone. I use it to assure myself that I am not being the victim of misrepresentations. I value honesty in my trading partners."

  "If we were to ask you for the names of nobles who were honest and without ties to families in the city," asked Duke Graves, "would that be permissible? Surely that is not asking you to betray any real information or sources."

  The voice was silent for a long time and the councilors fidgeted as they waited. "There are two honest nobles that I have dealt with in the past few years," the voice finally offered. "Both are from Sordoa and are new to the city. In fact, they came to me for financing for their homes and guards. I readily agreed as I have had long-standing relationships with their families and have always been treated honestly by them. I do not know if they will want to be bothered by politics though. They have come to Tagaret to avoid the devastation that is gripping Sordoa."

  "That sounds promising," nodded Duke Graves. "Is Lord Wason one of them?"

  "No," answered the voice. "I have not had any financial dealings with the young lord from Cidal. I did deal with his uncle, Amos Alrecht. The old sea captain was an honest man. Now I am afraid that I must end your audience. I do have tasks that require my immediate attention. I will have Fabel show you out."

  "Sir," Duke Graves quickly called out as he heard a distant gong sound probably meant to summon the servant, "May we have the names of the two nobles?"

  The lights behind the silk screen flickered out. "Lord Clava and Lord Markel," the voice said as it rose from the chair behind the screen. "I doubt they will play in your game though. Both are men of high honor and value truth above all else."

  Duke Graves rose and saw the old servant enter the room. Without a word, the servant waited for the three councilors and then escorted them to their carriage. The carriage exited the estate and returned to the Palace Shadow. The councilors returned to the dining room and ordered a bottle of wine.

  "Can we trust him?" Duke Tredor finally asked.

  "Trust him?" echoed Duke Zalski. "What is there to trust? He did not ask anything of us, and he appeared reluctant to even offer any information. The real question is, if it is advisable to take his advice."

  "One piece of his advice I am certain to take," offered Duke Graves. "It is time for me to get serious about my security. These young army lads that we have moonlighting as security men are not sufficient for our protection. I plan to get some well-trained mercenaries for my estate. I will not be the next victim in the Contest of Power."

  "How expensive are they?" asked Duke Tredor.

  "One hundred crowns a day per man," frowned Duke Graves. "They are not inexpensive, but neither is my life. Stafa Rakech was correct about Duke D'Ales valuing his money more than his security. That is why he is no longer with us."

  "Interesting that Duke Everich knew about it beforehand," interjected Duke Zalski. "Why do you suppose he didn't act upon the information?"

  "D'Ales never agreed with Duke Everich," Duke Graves pointed out. "Capturing the assassin was important, but stopping the assassination was not. I always suspected that Duke Jiardin was Everich's man."

  "Certainly not his only one either," added Duke Tredor. "I think we should interview Lord Clava and Lord Markel this afternoon. Perhaps they can be talked into sitting on the Council, and they will favor our views because we brought them in."

  "There are no shortages of people begging to be on the Council," sighed Duke Graves, "but after the events of this morning I am hesitant to nominate anyone who has lived in this city for long. I fear the Contest of Power is about to go through one of its bloodier phases. Choosing two Sordoans who are new to the city may well aid our longevity. Count me in."

  "And me," added Duke Zalski. "At least we will be able to eliminate a couple of councilors from the suspect list when the next assassination takes place."

  "And what about Niki Forloe?" questioned Duke Tredor. "She cannot be allowed to get away with her deception."

  "She does not even have bodyguards," commented Duke Zalski. "I suspect that she does not have long to live."

  ***

  "Tell me that we are not staying at the Empty Keg again," Tanya pleaded as the ship docked in Tagaret.

  "No," laughed Alex as the gangplank was put in place. "We will be leaving by land this time. Tanya, you will join Jenneva and I at the
Golden Sword. The boys can get a room at the Falcon's Hood. Don't forget to check the Pawn Shop for messages. I am not sure when we will be leaving the city."

  "I have to go check on my army," chirped Prince Midge as he launched himself off of Arik's shoulder. "I will rejoin the Bringer at the Falcon's Hood."

  "What does the Sword of Heavens say?" Jenneva asked Arik.

  "Almost due west," Arik answered. "About as far as the fairy village was from the pass in the West Mountains."

  "That places the diamond near Klandon," suggested Alex as he adjusted his wig to cover the rear of his neck where his long braid was tucked under his cloak. "Let's move out and get off the streets."

  The Alcea Rangers split up and made for their respective inns. Alex left the Golden Sword as soon as he got the room for Jenneva and himself. He moved swiftly through the streets of the city until he entered the Sword and Shield Inn. He followed his secret procedure for getting a room overlooking the street and sat on the floor to wait for Larc.

  "You are becoming a frequent visitor," greeted Larc as he slipped through the door and sat on the floor near the window.

  "I go where the Sword of Heavens directs me," smiled Alex. "Tell me the state of affairs in Tagaret."

  "Mercenary guards are a big seller today," informed Larc. "One of the councilors was assassinated last night. Another councilor was arrested for the assassination. We have managed to get quite a few Rangers into the city as mercenaries."

  "Are we going to manage to get our people on the Council?" Alex inquired.

  "We don't really know," admitted Larc. "It seems unlikely, but nothing is ever certain with the Council. There are hundreds of nobles making the rounds today to try to influence the councilors. It would have been better if we had had more time before this happened."

  ***

  Prince Midge darted in the window of the Falcon's Hood and settled on Arik's shoulder. "There is great trouble, Bringer," he reported. "We have to move now. Get your weapons."

  "What is the problem, Midge?" Arik asked as he grabbed his sword.