“Frankly,” the general said, “I see no point in joining with the Sakovans. Oh, Manitow made it all sound so rosy, but I know differently. As we speak, General Romero is leading his army to crush Alamar. The citizens of Alamar are going to pay dearly for Manitow’s foolish decision.”
“The people of Alamar are growing fat while yours starve, General,” countered Lyra. “As for General Romero and his army, they will retreat before Alamar falls.”
“Ten thousand men against one thousand?” balked the general. “You are too young to understand what you are saying. Manitow doesn’t stand a chance.”
“That is where you are wrong,” smiled Lyra. “General Romero has already lost all of his siege engines. The fields around Alamar are barren, while the city is supplied by ship. And we are not talking about one thousand defenders. You see, General Manitow did not decide to become Sakovan. The citizens of Alamar made that decision, and they are willing to help defend the city against General Romero. The Katana’s army will retreat in defeat, and they will die of starvation during that retreat unless they surrender to General Manitow.”
General Smythe stared at Lyra in disbelief. He mulled over her words in silence for some time before he spoke.
“I do not know whether to believe you or not,” he finally said, “but the strategy is sound. If Romero had no food and no siege engines, he would be in for a rough siege, but do not underestimate him. He can build new siege engines.”
“Quite right,” agreed Lyra, “and they will be destroyed as the last ones were. There are forces at work in Omunga that you are not aware of, and I will not divulge them to an enemy, but I assure you that General Romero will never bring a siege engine to bear on the walls of Alamar.”
“You have confidence,” the general noted. “I grant you that. Perhaps you are too confident. I believe that you would have marched into this office on your own if you had not been captured.”
“Captured?” grinned Lyra. “I would hardly call my coming here a capture.”
“What would you call it?” the general asked with genuine confusion. “I saw you escorted into this room myself. Are you telling me that those Imperial Guards merely responded to your request to see me?”
“That is precisely what I am saying,” smiled Lyra. “Those Imperial Guards were from Gatong, General. They were escorting me under orders from General Papper. You had issued orders to have me imprisoned. That was not an acceptable entrance for me. I have seen the inside of a cell before, and I will not see one again.”
“A very bold statement,” replied the general. “I should have realized that their faces were unfamiliar to me. I may not recognize every man under my command, but I know most of them. I am surprised that General Papper did not order them to arrest you. Perhaps you left Gatong too quickly for orders to be issued?”
“Hardly,” replied Lyra. “General Papper escorted me almost to your city gates. He was adamant about sending men into the city beforehand to determine what kind of reception I was likely to receive here.”
“I may have misjudged Papper,” conceded General Smythe, “but that is not the issue here. Regardless of what happens in Alamar or Gatong, I will not subject the people of Fortung to the wrath of the Katana. I am much better off defending against any Sakovan attack. Frankly, I don’t expect that there will ever be one. Surely you know that General Valdey must be deep inside the Sakova by now. This war may be over sooner than you think.”
“The war is already over for General Valdey,” reported the Star of Sakova. “While his army is still roaming around the Sakova searching for StarCity, the general is dead.”
“Valdey is dead?” questioned General Smythe. “Am I to take your word for this?”
“Again,” insisted Lyra, “this discussion is not germane to the future of Fortung. You can believe it or not, as suits you, but I believe what my people tell me. General, you state that you can see no reason to join with the Sakova. Do you not care for the plight of your people? How do you plan to feed them? Surely you do not expect the Katana to send any food this way?”
The general frowned and stared silently at the Star of Sakova. Lyra could almost hear the thoughts passing through his mind, so it was no surprise when he finally answered.
“I will accept your offer of food for the city,” declared the general. “A ship load will ease their starvation for a time. That is still not reason enough to abandon our country.”
“The food will only last for a few days, General,” frowned Lyra as she sought a way to move the stubborn general. “What will you do when it runs out? I have the means to restore your fields to health, and I can supply food by ship until the fields are ready to harvest. What possible reason can you have to refuse me?”
“A number of reasons,” responded the general. “In fact, I can think of ten thousand of them.”
“Are you referring to General Kapla’s army that is advancing towards us?” asked Lyra.
The general’s brow creased in confusion. He wondered if Lyra did have information about Omungan troop movements, but was confused about the generals’ names, or she was just bluffing.
“General Kapla is the Minister of Defense,” the general stated as he tried to discover the extent of Lyra’s knowledge. “As such, there is little reason for him to leave Okata.”
“Generally that is true,” smiled Lyra. “I think you are probably expecting General Didyk’s army, but you will be surprised. General Kapla’s army is coming instead.”
“How can you possibly know this?” questioned the general.
“Surely you know the answer to that question,” replied Lyra. “We have the ability to talk over great distances. Did we not arrange for General Manitow to speak to you from Alamar? Did you think that we would not have spies in every Omungan city? We know where every Omungan army is and what their orders are. You will see when General Kapla arrives.”
“General Kapla or General Didyk,” shrugged General Smythe. “It makes little difference in the end. The point is ten thousand Imperial Guards will be here in a few days. They will march through Fortung and crush the rebellion in Gatong. Your days are numbered. In any event, I see no reason to continue this conversation.”
“I disagree,” declared Lyra. “You have not yet agreed to give me your allegiance.”
“After what I just told you,” balked the general, “you expect me to accept your request to defect?”
“It is not a request, General Smythe. I am demanding your surrender.”
“Do not push me, woman,” scowled the general. “I have been kind to you. I have allowed you to stand here and talk to me. I could have had you imprisoned at any time, but I gave you the courtesy of presenting your position. The sad fact is, you don’t have a saleable position. I will do what is best for my people, and right now that means staying with the Katana.”
“That is not acceptable,” countered Lyra. “There are still factors that you have not weighed. I wish to continue this discussion.”
The general rose, his arms shaking with anger. He glared at Lyra before speaking.
“You are a young woman in a man’s world,” scowled the general. “You do not understand that you are out of your depth. I could kill you right now, and the Sakovans would be leaderless. I have not made a move against you, but you are provoking me now.”
“Nor have I made a move against you, General,” smiled Lyra. “Do you think that I am foolish enough to walk into your office without knowing that I could defend myself? Let us continue talking.”
“Defend yourself?” echoed the general with disbelief. “You are out of touch with the real world. You are standing in the headquarters of the Imperial Guard in the center of the city. Just how do you plan to defend yourself? What weapon do you think you could use to harm me? You are powerless.”
Lyra’s arm rose and pointed at the outside wall next to the general’s desk. A burst of power flashed from her hand and slammed into the wall. Stones flew into the city streets as the wall of the
office blew outward. A cloud of dust clogged the air, and people outside the building shouted. Lyra heard the door opening behind her and immediately erected her blue cylinder. The sentries came rushing into the room.
“Stop!” shouted Lyra. “I do not want to harm you.”
The two soldiers slid to a halt and looked to the general for instructions. The general stared with wide eyes at the huge hole in his wall. He turned to look at Lyra and the blue cylinder surrounding her.
“What is that around you?” he asked nervously.
“It is a protective shield,” replied Lyra. “It will destroy anything that tries to pass through it. Please instruct your men to retreat. I do not want them losing an arm through foolishness.”
“Anything?” the general asked.
“Anything,” nodded Lyra. “If you doubt me, as you always seem to do, ask one of your men to gently move his sword into the cylinder, but warn him to stop before his hand reaches it.”
“Do it,” the general ordered the sentries. “I want to see what happens.”
One of the sentries pulled his sword. He hesitantly pushed it towards the blue cylinder and gaped when he saw the tip of the sword disappear. He pulled the sword back and held it up for all to see.
“Amazing,” commented the general. “Wait outside and close the door.”
The sentries retreated as people in the street stopped to gawk at the hole in the side of the building. The general ignored them.
“You are an amazing individual,” the general remarked as he sat down in his chair. “Where did you learn to control such power?”
“Kaltara gave me certain gifts,” Lyra replied, “but that is not what we are discussing.”
“Very well,” nodded the general. “You said there were things that I had not taken into consideration. Were you talking about your powers?”
“No,” replied the Star of Sakova. “We were talking about what is best for the people of Fortung, but you are not even aware of what you are up against. I have withheld some things from you in hopes that I would not have to reveal them, but I will now.”
“Good,” replied the general. “I would like this matter behind us. As you have not tried to kill me, can I assume that you will not try to when you leave?”
“I will not shed unnecessary blood,” declared Lyra. “If I am allowed to leave Fortung unmolested, I will leave peacefully. If you break that bargain, I will destroy this city, and you won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“I think I will believe you this time,” the general replied with the hint of a smile. “Tell me why my people are safer under your protection than the Katana’s.”
“The army coming to your city under General Kapla will not attack Sakovans,” declared Lyra. “In fact, they will stop any Omungan soldiers from reaching Fortung. The Katana is incapable of exacting his wrath on you.”
“Incredible, if true,” remarked the general. “How can I possibly know the truth of that statement?”
“General Kapla will reveal it himself when he arrives,” stated the Star of Sakova. “His first act upon arrival will be to come to your office to determine if you have defected.”
“And if I have?” questioned the general.
“Then General Kapla will as well,” replied Lyra. “His concern is that I would hang the generals after they defected. He was told to enter this city under a flag of truce to see if you were still in power.”
“But I know that you would not hang them,” replied General Smythe. “I have spoken to Manitow so I know that you are not in a hurry to rid yourself of generals. What will he do if I am still allied with the Katana?”
“Then he will camp outside your city and isolate it,” answered Lyra. “I am not going to attempt to explain his reasoning, but I have told you what will happen.”
“Fair enough,” nodded the general, “but you have also told me that General Kapla will not attempt to sack my city no matter what path I take. That hardly speaks in your favor.”
“But it does,” smiled Lyra. “If the Katana cannot take revenge upon Fortung for defecting, then your choice should be easy. Defect and feed your people.”
“That makes sense only if I think that the Sakovans will eventually win this war,” responded the general. “While Kapla may stop the Katana from exacting his revenge right now, that army will eventually go away. What makes you so sure of victory? Give me one clue as to how you positively know that you are going to win this war, and I will defect.”
“Very well,” smiled Lyra. “You asked before if the Sakovans had a navy. I said we did not, but that is not what you should have asked.”
“What should I have asked?” questioned the general.
“You should have asked whose navy is bringing the food to your city and all of the others,” grinned Lyra.
“I will bite,” sighed the general. “Whose ships are delivering the food?”
“The ships are Khadoran,” answered the Star of Sakova. “In fact, they are owned by my good friend and ally, Emperor Marak of Khadora.”
“Friend and ally?” echoed the general. “Are you saying that the Khadorans would send troops on your behalf?”
“Emperor Marak has already offered numerous times,” nodded Lyra. “So far I have not seen the need for Khadorans in this war, but as you already know, I can communicate my desires instantly. Surely you must realize that the Katana cannot possibly win against the combined forces of the Sakova and the Khadorans.”
“That is something that I can agree with,” exhaled the general. “Is this something that you can prove?”
“I can do so in two ways,” nodded Lyra. “I can allow you to speak directly with Emperor Marak, or you can ask the captain of the Khadoran ship when it docks. Which would you prefer?”
“Either would suffice,” replied General Smythe. “If I can verify that the Khadorans are your allies, even if they never enter this war, Fortung will be your city. With such allies, the Katana will not dare to attack us.”
“Then let us go to the docks, and I will summon the ship,” suggested Lyra. “There is no reason to keep the people waiting for the food that will fill their bellies.”
Chapter 31
Shrinking Omunga
HawkShadow, SkyDancer, and Goral approached the Wayward Inn in the city of Campanil. They stopped at the mouth of an alley across the street from the inn.
“This is where we stayed the last time,” commented HawkShadow. “I wonder if she would stay here again?”
“I have been to Campanil numerous times with StarWind,” stated Goral. “We have stayed at many different inns. She usually chooses one in the area of the city that interests her the most. She likes being able to get off the street quickly if someone is following her.”
“Well we were interested in the mayor when we were here,” mused HawkShadow. “We will stand here for a while and see if she shows up.”
“I can do better than that,” smiled Goral. “Wait here for me.”
The giant walked across the street before HawkShadow could object. He did not enter the inn, but instead entered the alley alongside it. Within moments he disappeared around the corner at the rear of the inn.
“What is he up to?” HawkShadow said softly as his eyes scanned the street for any sign of StarWind.
“It is hard to tell with Goral sometimes,” SkyDancer replied. “He does not think like normal people. Sometimes I almost believe that he has the mind of a child, but then he mutters something most profound and shatters the illusion.”
“Very much like Goral,” chuckled the Sakovan assassin. “He likes to shatter things.”
SkyDancer and HawkShadow stood as if they were friends conversing on the street. Each of their eyes continually scanned the streets, not only watching for StarWind, but also for any sign of a threat to themselves. A few minutes later, Goral walked nonchalantly out of the alley and across the street. He automatically stepped into the alley near HawkShadow so his imposing frame was not as visible to curious passe
rsby.
“She is staying at the Wayward Inn,” reported Goral. “Now we must determine which room.”
“How do you know?” inquired SkyDancer.
“She has a trick with the way she tethers her horse,” grinned Goral. “It is a simple knot that can be released quickly, but only if you are familiar with it. She taught it to me.”
“And me,” nodded HawkShadow. “I should have thought of that. You do well at this spying, Goral. I can see why StarWind likes to bring you along when she visits Omungan cities.”
“Actually,” replied Goral, “she brings me along to be a diversion most of the time. She can do some pretty unusual things while people are focusing their attention on me.”
HawkShadow chuckled and nodded. “We will enter the Wayward Inn and have a meal in the common room,” declared HawkShadow. “She will notice us when she passes through.”
“If she passes through,” frowned SkyDancer. “She might just stay in her room.”
“Not StarWind,” replied Goral. “She is a spy by nature. She would not be in an Omungan city to rest. She will be out snooping around even if she has no need to. I think resting and having a meal is an excellent idea. She will return eventually.”
HawkShadow led the way across the street, and the trio entered the Wayward Inn. The room was fairly empty, and HawkShadow chose a table in the corner. He slid into the corner with his back against the wall so he could observe the entire room. SkyDancer and Goral sat next to him.
The innkeeper came and took their order. When he delivered the food, the plates were only a third of what one would expect. SkyDancer was about to say something to the innkeeper when HawkShadow placed his hand on her knee. SkyDancer looked questioningly at the Sakovan assassin, but she said nothing. HawkShadow thanked the innkeeper, and paid the exorbitant price demanded. The old man left and returned to the kitchen.
“Do not forget that the Omungans are starving,” HawkShadow warned softly. “To comment on the small portions would make you stand out as someone who is foreign, not only to the city, but to the country.”
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