Abuud: the One-Eyed God (28 page)

"Those resolutions will have no meaning at all," Everich shook his head. "If the queen could be found, she would have already been found."

"Exactly," agreed Lord Wason. "That is why I had no problem offering my backing for the resolutions to Lord Markel. My support for his resolutions has made him confide in me. It is like getting something for nothing."

"What do these resolutions have to do with Duke Tredor?" asked Everich, his patience beginning to wear thin.

"The way I see it," Fredrik continued, "is we merely need to watch how Duke Tredor votes on these resolutions. If he votes against them, you can be assured of his support. If Duke Tredor votes for the resolutions then you can expect him to vote for Duke Graves. At that point, you can call the meeting to a close as we will not have enough votes to defeat Graves."

"Why shouldn't I demand that Duke Tredor vote against these resolutions?" asked Everich.

"Because then you would allow the nomination to take place while being unsure of whether you would win or not," answered Fredrik.

Duke Everich stared at Fredrik and rubbed his chin. "You have a talent for this game," Everich finally nodded.

***

The Council Chamber filled early, so Duke Everich called for the scribes and started the meeting early. Lord Markel promptly raised his hand, and Duke Everich nodded to him glumly. The resolution inviting Queen Marta to return to the throne was proposed and adopted by a vote of six to three. Lord Clava proposed his resolution calling for the queen to have a bodyguard separate from the army, which is controlled by the Council. It also passed by the same margin. Only Duke Everich, Duke Jiardin, and Count Melorn voted against the resolutions.

As Duke Graves's hand went up for recognition, Duke Everich scowled and called the meeting to a close. Graves protested loudly, and Everich ordered the army to clear the room. The swift ending to the meeting stunned Duke Tredor, and as he gazed around the room, he noticed the lack of friendly faces. He rose swiftly and tried to catch Duke Everich on the way out of the Royal Palace, but he was too late. He ordered his carriage driver to proceed to the home of Duke Everich, but his escort stopped the carriage after it had gone only a short distance. One of Duke Tredor's mercenaries appeared at the door of the carriage.

"I am sorry, Duke Tredor," stated the mercenary, "but the streets are too dangerous to proceed. The citizens are protesting, and it is not safe for you to be on the streets. They are quite an unruly crowd, and the army has been ordered to disperse them.  We are ordering your carriage to return to your estate."

***

The Targan army colonel marched into the sitting room and stood stiffly waiting for the duke to address him.

"Colonel Salvo," scowled Duke Everich, "what are you doing to suppress the protesters? I had to order your men to disperse a crowd on my way home. I do not care to have such peasants in my presence."

"The protest was unexpected, Sir," reported Colonel Salvo. "We are in the process of infiltrating the ranks of the peasants to find out who their leaders are. We will take care of the problem. You will not be accosted again. You have my assurances."

"Good," replied Duke Everich. "What about these mercenaries? Have you found a way to infiltrate them so we can get to the protected councilors without a major assault?"

"We have had little luck in that arena," frowned Colonel Salvo. "The Grakus Mercenary Company and the Koman Mercenary Company appear to be made up of ex-Rangers. They each say that their rosters are full and they need no more men. We have been unable to get a single man into either organization."

"Then how am I to expect that you will carry out the eliminations that I require?" queried Duke Everich. "Are you telling me that those councilors are beyond my reach?"

"No, Sir," answered Colonel Salvo. "We will find a way to accomplish the task. It just will not be possible through infiltration."

"I do not care much for the delay this is causing in my plans," snapped Duke Everich. "Find a way to get to those councilors, and find it quickly. What about the search for Queen Marta?"

"My men have scoured the city and all of the places that she would go," responded Colonel Salvo. "I have even sent men to Dalek and Bordon and they have found no evidence that she has been there. I suspect that she is dead."

"I want proof of her death," demanded Duke Everich. "Bring me her head, whether she is dead or not. If she makes it to the Royal Palace it will be messy to eliminate her. The Council has approved a resolution providing for her bodyguard to be outside the control of the army. It will not be as easy to eliminate her as it was King Byron."

"Even with her own bodyguards, she will not be safe in this city," smirked Colonel Salvo. "A couple of dozen bodyguards are not going to save her."

"Very well," conceded Duke Everich. "The Council resolution allows her and her bodyguards entrance to the city and the Royal Palace, but if she manages to get there, you had best deliver on her destruction. I will hold you personally responsible."

"You know you can count on me, Sir," saluted Colonel Salvo.

Arik marveled at the harbor full of strange-shaped ships as the Marchek Shipping Company ship docked in Ongchi. There were ships of every shape and size. Some were powered by sails and others by oarsmen, but no two ships looked alike. The harbor was so teeming with ships that it seemed inevitable to Arik that collisions must be an everyday occurrence. The buildings of the city were also strange to the Sordoan. Most of the roofs visible were covered with tiles, and the corners of the roofs were upswept. Bright colors covered the roofs and walls of most buildings, and Arik thought the city had a vivid exotic look about it.

As the ship was tied to the dock, dozen of dockworkers scrambled about in a seemingly unorganized manner. Several dozen uniformed men stood on the dock scrutinizing the ship as the gangplank was put in place. The soldiers' uniforms were a light olive, and Arik had never seen anything like them before. Arik felt the presence of the ship's captain before he saw him.

"Do not forget the papers I gave you," the captain warned softly. "Each trip here appears to show more scrutiny of foreigners. You should get out of the capital city as soon as possible."

Arik nodded silently and then nodded to his two fellow travelers. He held Chaco's reins and led the way across the gangplank. Tedi and Wylan followed Arik off the ship, and the soldiers stopped them all when they tried to exit the dock area.

"Foreigners must stay on the ships," snapped one of the soldiers, who Arik assumed was an officer because of the red stripes across his sleeves.

"We are bound for Barouk," explained Arik. "The ship does not go any further than Ongchi."

"Foreigners are not allowed in Barouk," retorted the officer. "Only those with Imperial permission can enter Lanoir. Return to the ship."

Arik produced his papers and held them out to the officer. "I have these papers allowing me to go to Barouk," Arik said pleasantly.

Tedi scowled at the scores of rats scurrying around the buildings near the dock. A shiver ran up his spine as he recalled the dark cell in Cleb.

The officer examined the papers and grunted. He stuck out his hand towards Tedi and waited impatiently for more papers. Tedi gave his papers to the officer, and Wylan hurriedly retrieved his own papers and handed them to the officer. The officer examined the papers closely and grunted disapprovingly several times. He handed the papers back to the boys and then stared at Arik.

"Why do you carry two swords?" asked the officer.

"What?" stalled Arik.

"You have two swords," scowled the officer. "It is not permitted to bring gifts of weaponry into the country. Giving the sword to anyone will mean imprisonment, regardless of your papers. You are best to leave one sword with me."

"The sword on my back is ceremonial," offered Arik. "It is a family heirloom, and I would never think of parting with it. It is my good luck charm."

"You have been warned," scowled the officer as he glared at the foreigners. "Leave the city quickly. Go."

Arik did not waste any time. He immediately led his group past the soldiers and off of the docks. As they entered into the streets of Ongchi, Arik marveled at the sights of the foreign city. Masses of people swarmed through the streets in every direction. Few horses were visible, and dozens of people-drawn carts carried cargo and people around the city. Soldiers were highly visible in the city and were always stationed outside official-looking buildings. The merchant shops had small tables in front of the stores displaying their goods. Some merchants approached the three boys with samples of their wares as they passed.

One disturbing thing that Arik noticed as they walked through the streets of Ongchi was that everyone noticed them as they passed. It would be impossible for the Sordoans to blend in. Arik noticed a vendor selling the wide conical straw hats that many people wore, and he stopped and purchased three of them. He handed a hat to Tedi and one to Wylan and then he put his own on his head. The hat sat comfortably, and Arik smiled as he felt the relief the wide brim brought from the heat. Ongchi was a hot city, and Arik began to wonder how much warmer it would get after the Darkness had been obliterated.

People still looked at them as they passed, but he did not feel as much like a foreigner after donning the straw hat. Several groups of soldiers stopped and stared at them as they walked eastward through the city. Eventually, a group of soldiers confronted them, and they were required to produce their papers again. Once again the Sword of Heavens caused questions to be asked, but the soldiers were satisfied with the explanation given. Fearing an encounter with a group of soldiers that might not be so easily satisfied, Arik gave the orders to mount, and the boys rode through the city streets.

As they rode away from the city center, Arik noticed that the buildings lost their bright colors, and things appeared rather drab and less maintained. Beggars lined the streets, and the people seemed to be underfed. Arik saw soldiers scattering the beggars and shook his head.

Eventually, Arik glimpsed a huge stone wall rising above the small buildings. The wall was not only huge because of its height, but its width was wide enough for a wagon to ride along its top. The wall stretched as far as Arik could see in either direction. There were two sets of gates in the wall. The inner set of gates was open, and Arik rode past the soldiers stationed there and into the darkness between the two sets of gates. There they were stopped and asked for their papers again.

Arik gazed up at the underside of the massive wall as the soldiers examined his papers. He had never seen a wall so huge. Four staircases rose to the upper level from between the two sets of gates, and there were rooms built into the wall. Arik saw one room with dozens of soldiers lounging in it. He began to get the eerie feeling that the wall was meant to be defended from attackers on the city side of the wall, as well as those on the outside.

The soldier had to tap Arik's leg to get his attention when the papers were handed back. Arik nodded to the soldier and rode forward as the outer gates opened to allow them to exit the city. A long, flat road stretched out before them as it wound its way along the coastline. The ocean side of the road was lined with large, diked fields that were flooded with water, and trees were sparse. The inland side of the road rose gradually towards the distant hills. The rising land was terraced, and farmers were scattered about tilling the land.

There were few travelers on the road, and Arik picked up the pace to put the city of Ongchi behind them. Throughout the day, the countryside they passed was agrarian with little land other than fields of crops. Shaded camping spots were sparse. As it became too dark to ride safely, Arik spied a stand of trees and left the road towards it. He found a small clearing amongst the trees and decided to set up camp.

"I did not care for all the attention we got in Ongchi," Arik remarked as Wylan started a small fire.

"I was wondering if you should hide the Sword of Heavens," prompted Tedi. "They have all too much interest in it."

"There would be greater interest in it if they found it hidden," countered Arik. "I will give up my own sword before I let them have the Sword of Heavens."

"Is Barouk going to be like Ongchi?" asked Wylan.

"Neither one of us has ever been in Lanoir before," replied Tedi. "Barouk is a mystery to all of us."

"I have never seen so many fields," remarked Arik. "What do you suppose they do with all that food?"

"In Southland they said the people of Lanoir were starving," interjected Wylan.

"They could be," mused Tedi. "We saw lots of fields, but we did not see a great deal of healthy crops. I think they are trying to cultivate so much because the crop yield is poor."

"Maybe the clearing of the Darkness will help that," Arik said as he withdrew the Sword of Heavens and rotated with it.

"What are you doing?" quizzed Tedi. "We are not searching for the Diamond of Edona down here."

"I was trying to gauge how much further we were from Cleb," frowned Arik, "but the Sword of Heavens feels about the same as it did in Marchek. It should be so weak as to be almost undetectable."

"Maybe after we get so far away from the gem the pull just remains the same," offered Tedi.

"Perhaps," nodded Arik. "The diamond is a great distance from here."

"You mean the Sword of Heavens tells you where the diamond is?" questioned Wylan.

"Yes," nodded Arik as he slid the Sword of Heavens back into its sheath. "It tells us the direction and the distance. That is how we knew that the diamond was in Cleb. The closer we get, the stronger the pull of the Sword of Heavens."

"That is exciting," responded Wylan. "Wish we had something like that for the statue of Abuud."

"We will find the statue," promised Arik. "I think we should eat and then get some sleep. I would not mind getting an early start tomorrow. The sooner we get the statue and get back to Cleb the better I will feel about this trip."