Council of War
Page 49
"He is prepared to offer safe passage through Karamin to the Sisters of Justice if certain conditions are met," answered Kalina. "He insists that the women being brought to Atule's Maze are traveling of their own free will. He will not turn a blind eye to abductions. He will also not allow murders within his kingdom, but he has stated that he will cooperate in punishing those who abuse their women if you inform him. I think such an arrangement could herald a new era of peace with Karamin."
"And what do we have to do to get these friendly relations?" the queen asked skeptically.
"Nothing," answered Kalina. "You only have to hope that Boric is successful in his quest to claim the throne and overthrow the forces of the Federation in Karamin."
"Which has little hope of happening," interjected Garth, "unless of course you could see your way to aiding in his quest."
"Now we get to the true reason for your visit," chuckled the queen. "You both work very well together, but our warriors would not fair well in open conflict with the Federation in the forests of Karamin. Here in the jungle we will be much more successful."
"I agree," smiled Garth. "Women warriors would rightly be seen as Rhodans in Karamin, and they would be attacked quickly. You face the same problem as Boric does right now. Armed bands of men are taken for rebels and are immediately attacked."
"However," interjected Kalina, "what would happen if the Rhodans paired up with Boric's men? Couples are allowed free entry into Calusa. Together you could get thousands of warriors inside the gates of the city."
"And an incident along the Calusa Road could draw thousands of Federation troops out of the city," smiled Garth. "While the walls of Calusa are not what they once were, the Federation has no siege engines west of the Barrier."
"And what kind of incident would draw so many troops out of the city?" asked Tsarana.
"That is yet to be determined," replied Garth. "That is why we must all work together. There is a group in Vinafor that will be represented on the Council of War. One thought I have had is that of Vinafor falling to the liberation forces. I do think the Federation would try to march soldiers north from Calusa, especially if things were fairly quiet in Karamin. Boric can set that scene by halting his attacks on the Federation patrols."
"You have given this some thought," remarked the queen. "While I am warming to the idea, I can not give you a decision today. I will have Yortana escort you to a village where you may rest and refresh yourselves while I dwell on your request."
Without further words Queen Tsarana rose and walked out of the clearing. She moved casually through the growth to another clearing out of sight of the first one. Four Rhodan warriors stood in the small clearing guarding five horses. The queen mounted a horse without speaking, and the four warriors also mounted their horses.
"To the Sanctuary," commanded the queen.
Two of the warriors moved their horses in front of the queen's horse and started down a trail at a walk. The queen followed, and the other two warriors followed her. The group moved along a narrow trail until they came to a wider, well-used trail. The leader of the group picked up the pace, and the five Rhodans thundered through the jungle. The riders raced along the trail, slowing only as they passed through villages. By nightfall they had reached a large village. Queen Tsarana ordered a halt for the night.
* * *
Clint marched through the corridors of the Imperial Palace in Despair. He opened the door to the dining room reserved for visiting dignitaries. A long table ran down the center of the large room. There were over forty chairs arranged around the table, but only two of them were occupied. General Garibaldi of Vinafor sat at the head of the table, and General Fabio of Karamin sat adjacent to him on one of the long sides of the table. Clint marched across the room and sat opposite General Fabio.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Clint said as he sat down.
"Every morning is a good one, Forshire," smirked General Garibaldi. "This is like living as a king back home."
"You should try the duck this morning," suggested General Fabio. "It is exceptional."
"I think I will stick to something lighter," smiled Clint as a servant entered the room to take his order. Clint saw the man approaching and ordered some eggs.
"I see that they finally kicked your elite squad off the grounds," sneered General Garibaldi. "How will you ever feel safe without them?"
"I am a fair hand with a sword myself, Major," smiled Clint. "Perhaps we should spar one day."
"Major?" scowled General Garibaldi. "I am every bit as much a general as you are, Forshire. Don't go sticking your nose up in the air at me."
"Ah, forgive me," Clint replied as he glanced at General Fabio. The general from Karamin was having trouble keeping a straight face. "I must have unintentionally associated your name with your previous rank when you were in Vinafor. I am sorry."
General Fabio chuckled and Garibaldi glared at him. The Vinaforan rose to his feet and threw his napkin on the table and stormed out of the room.
"It would appear that the major is rather touchy about his newfound rank," Clint said as the servant brought his morning meal.
"More than you can know," chuckled General Fabio. "I guess there must be a shortage of generals in Vinafor." Fabio's smile faded as he glanced at Clint in a more serious manner. "I heard about your arrival in Despair a few days ago. Have you finally dismissed your escort?"
"No," Clint replied. "They are good men. I will keep them."
"For what purpose?" asked General Fabio. "We have no need of protectors here in the palace. This is our sanctuary."
"I am not one to remain cooped up in a palace," answered Clint.
"You should get used to it. We are being groomed to replace our kings, and I think Tyronia is much like Karamin in that regard. Neither of our princes-made-kings will last very long. Their own excesses will doom them soon enough. You should be making plans to rule your country."
"Ruling requires little thought," countered Clint. "It is only a matter of having good people under you."
"Precisely. You will need to cull the herd when you take power. There are many among the powerful in each country who would not pass up a chance to stab us in the back. You have to enter the capital with a show of strength and cause fear to course through the veins of your enemies."
"Perhaps," shrugged Clint as he pushed his plate away and rose to his feet. "I think I need to get out of here for a while. I will see you for the evening meal."
General Fabio nodded, and Clint left the dining room. The Ranger made his way out of the palace and to the stables. He saddled Aeron and rode out into the city. He took a circuitous route through the city to make sure that he wasn't being followed before exiting the city and entering the Bloodwood. He rode through the forest for a while until he came to a large clearing. Sitting in the clearing were two neat rows of tents. His men snapped to attention as he dismounted. Clint smiled and waved to the men in dismissal. Captain Magee walked up to Clint and saluted.
"How did the interviews go yesterday?" asked Clint.
"Fairly well," answered the captain. "We have a pool of nearly five hundred men in the prisons of Despair. Some of them are clearly unacceptable, but many are merely in prison for minor misbehaviors."
"Have you looked for the qualities that I demand?" asked Clint.
"Your requirements will be met," the captain said assuringly. "I have prioritized my choices for your approval."
"Excellent," replied Clint. "We will start with a small group first. Give me the names of the first twenty prisoners, and I will arrange for their release into your custody. Your men will train them one-on-one."
"It will take us a long time to get up to two thousand men that way," frowned Captain Magee. "We cannot train the new men overnight, and you cannot afford to be out here everyday."
"We have to start slow," conceded Clint, "but you are right, Major. That is why I will arrange for you to have unimpeded access to the prisons without my constant approval."
"Major?" Magee said in surprise.
Clint handed the officer a piece of paper authorizing his promotion. "You have done well, Magee. All of the men have done well. I also want you to prioritize our men for promotions. As we build up squads, promotions will flow into this army faster than you can imagine. The first squad will take longer, but we will be able to double the tutors when we are done. It will start to snowball before you know it, so use this time wisely to plan for the future."
"You can depend upon me," vowed the new major. "This promotion will make dealing with the jailors much easier. Most of them are captains."
"That is one of the reasons for your promotion," smiled Clint, "but far from the only reason. We are going to make this into an elite army."
"I have been giving that a fair amount of thought the past few nights," revealed Major Magee. "All of the other armies are known by their numbers. What if instead of being the Thirtieth Corps we became A Corps? Wouldn't that automatically set us apart from the others?"
Clint worriedly chewed on his lower lips as he stared at the major. For a moment he worried that his men might have discovered that he was an Alcean, but he soon realized that the letter had been chosen merely because it was the first letter of the alphabet. A smile spread across his face and he nodded vigorously.
"An excellent idea, Major. I will see about having an emblem made up for our uniforms. We will be the A Corps."
The major beamed as Clint mounted Aeron and rode out of the clearing. Clint returned to the Imperial Palace and entered his suite. He found a pile of papers waiting on his desk. He sat down and started to read through them and realized that they were the files on the rebels. He scanned them all quickly and a stunning void soon became evident. Pages were missing from the files, and there was not a single mention of Alcea in the entire stack. In fact, there was precious little information in the pile to start any kind of investigation. There were numerous conflicting descriptions of Mikal and Yolinda Obanik. The papers mentioned Yolinda as being a mage and specifically mentioned Haditha as a water witch in league with the rebels, but there was little of substance on the rest of the group. Clint sat back in his chair and began to read each paper in its entirety.
* * *
The five riders slowed as the small, square, stone building came into view. The building was windowless, and it extended into a huge lake. There was a single door to the building, and the queen dismounted in front of it.
"Return to the usual waiting spot," ordered Queen Tsarana. "I will come there when I am ready for the trip back."
The riders nodded silently, and they turned and left. The queen tied her horse to a post and walked to the lone door. She removed a key from a necklace around her neck and stuck it into the door. The door swung inward noiselessly, and the queen stepped into the dark building. She removed the key, and the door swung closed. As soon as it closed, the room filled with light. A chill ran down the queen's spine as she looked around for the source of the light, but as always, she saw no lanterns or torches. This was the Queen's Sanctuary, and Tsarana had not been in the room in years.
The room was simply furnished. There was a table and chairs and a small bed that had not been used since the last time the queen visited many years ago. Against one wall was a small bookcase with some old dusty volumes on it, and near it was another door opposite the first one. Queen Tsarana crossed the room and opened the second door. The second room was smaller than the first, and much stranger. There was only one thing in the room, and it was a small boat sitting in a channel of water. The queen closed the door and climbed into the boat. There was a small notch in the seat of the boat, and the queen inserted the key.
Suddenly, the wall in front of the queen dissolved to reveal the large lake in front of her. Without any effort on the queen's part, the boat began to glide across the water. As it picked up speed, the little boat skimmed over the top of the water like a pelican in search of its next meal. After a few minutes the watery horizon was interrupted by a small protrusion. The queen's eyes focused on the imperfection as it grew taller and taller, and after a while it began to take shape. Rising from a small island in the center of the vast lake was a lone tower with a conical roof. The boat decelerated as the island approached, and it slid smoothly alongside the dock on the island. The queen retrieved her key and stepped onto the dock.
From the dock it was a short walk to the base of the tower. Curling up the side of the tower was a narrow staircase stretching a third of the way up towards the roof. At the top of the stairs was a simple door, and the queen knocked loudly on it. The door swung open noiselessly, and an old man peered out. The sun glinted off his hairless dome as he stepped back to allow the queen to enter.
"You are back already?" frowned the old man, his eyes sparkling like stars in the night sky.
"Already, Atule?" frowned the queen. "I have not been here in years."
"Hmm," mused the old man. "I can remember the visit quite clearly. Come in, Tsarana."
Atule closed the door and promptly walked away. Queen Tsarana followed him into a semicircular room that had thousands of books lining the walls. A single window let the light stream in, and the light beams seemed to focus on the surface of a desk in the center of the room. Atule walked around the desk and slumped into an overstuffed chair that had seen a fair amount of use judging by the worn fabric on the arms. Queen Tsarana sat in a straight wooden chair before the desk.
"What brings you across the waters?" asked Atule.
"There is something that I seek your advice on. The Federation continues to grow, and it is only a matter of time before they seek to enter Atule's Maze. It is inevitable."
"You and your people are safe in Atule's Maze," stated the old man. "I have told you this many times. The jungle was created to afford protection for those who did not care to dwell in the world of men. Why do you think it will fail you now?"
"My people are not just those who live in the Maze," frowned the queen. "As you know, we send our warriors all over the world to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Even if the Federation merely surrounds us, it will mean the end of the Rhodans. Without new arrivals, we will die off and disappear from this world."
"That is possible," conceded the wizard, "but I cannot enchant everything. There are limits to even my power. I created the jungle as my home, and I have extended a welcome to you and your people. You will be safe within its confines. There is nothing more that I can offer you."
"I am not looking for anything more. I am seeking your wisdom on a decision that I must make. The situation is getting worse for my people outside the jungle, but there is an offer of help from an unlikely source. Boric of Karamin has offered a treaty with the Rhodans if we help him seize the throne."
"Is this Boric a good man?" asked Atule.
"He appears to be. Were the situation such that all we had to do was attack Federation soldiers, I would accept his offer, but there are conditions that give me pause."
"What is troubling you?" Atule asked in a fatherly way.
"He wants to pair his soldiers with my warriors."
"Why does this bother you?"
"Many of my women have shown weakness in close proximity to men. When they are called upon to fight, there are no problems, but this will be different. We will be fighting on the same side. You know what will happen."
"What will happen is nature's way," smiled Atule. "While rescuing women in trouble is admirable, you cannot eliminate men from their lives. Heal them. Make them strong and confident, but let them go free when they are ready. We have had this conversation before."
"But these marriages will occur in Calusa," frowned the queen. "It is too close to the jungle. They will want to bring their families back to Atule's Maze."
"That must not be allowed," the magician shook his head. "The jungle is to remain a refuge. It cannot retain its magic if it becomes merely another place to build a city. You have sworn to be stewards of the land. You must not relinquish your duties."
Atule sighed and smiled compassionately. "Each of your warriors will have a choice to make. They can wed, or they can return to the jungle, but they cannot do both. You cling to them as if they were your children, Tsarana."
"They are my children," the queen replied as her eyes moistened.
"Even children must grow up and leave the nest sooner or later. Prepare them as best you can, and wish them every happiness in their new life. There is nothing more that you can do. Some will flourish and grow. Others will wither and die. Such is life."
"And when they are all gone? What then? What will happen to me?"
"Blessed be the day that you cannot find a battered woman in all the land, Tsarana. Should that day come during your lifetime, rejoice."
Chapter 40
Puzzles
Herinak Castle was a huge stone fortress sitting atop a hill overlooking the mouth of the Herinak River in Korocca. Under a canopy of tall towers and numerous spires, the castle spread out to encompass the entire hillside. Terraced gardens surrounded three sides of the castle, and many of the gardens were walled in as private gardens for the suites in the wing for visiting dignitaries. It was in one of those private gardens that King Myer of Tyronia sat with his daughter, Jeanel.
"What is to become of us, Father?" asked Princess Jeanel as General Skye entered the garden and approached the bench.
The king smiled weakly at the princess. "We will stay here until a plan is worked out for the defeat of the Federation."
"I mean after our return," asked Jeanel. "You cannot rule forever, and Mectin cannot be allowed to ruin the country. Is the Kingdom of Tyronia finished? Will you remarry to save it?"
King Myer frowned as General Skye halted alongside the bench.
"Why would you ask such a question at this time?" asked the king. "There are so many other obstacles ahead of us."
When the princess did not answer, the general cleared his throat. The king looked up expectantly.