Dark Quest (17 page)

“King Austin, if we put ten thousand men on the Cordonian border, war will be inevitable. Just the massing of our army on their border will demand that they mobilize and attack us before we attack them. It will become a self fulfilling prophesy.”

“Enough! Carry out my orders or you will hang for treason. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will get our Army moving.”

The King snickered. Soon Targa would have a war on each border and their proud Army will not be able to win either one. By the time the blood stops flowing, he will own every book in Targa, Sordoa, and Cordonia. He wondered about Tork. His men had not been able to contact King Guldar, so he had no idea how the attack went. Based on the number of returning Rangers, there either had been no attack, or the goblins faired very poorly. Still, Tork was the objective and he could have been killed. He really didn’t care much whether Tork was alive or dead, as long as the Captain was out of the way.

General Clark could not believe that the threat to Targa was coming from Cordonia. He left the King’s chambers and decided to check on the prisoners. Perhaps one of them could shed some light on why the King thought as he did. He wound his way down the stairs and through the musty corridors. When he came to the dungeon the guard let him through. He crossed the large room to the corridor that contained the cells. He rounded the corner and looked down the long hallway. No guard was visible. He glanced at the first pair of cells and there were no prisoners. The General quickened his pace as he passed each pair of empty cells. There were no prisoners in the cells and no guard on duty.

At the last pair of cells, the General stopped and scratched his head. Certainly all of the prisoners could not have escaped. The Palace gates were still manned. The dungeon, itself, still had a guard on duty. He looked closer at the cells and noticed a pile of ashes in each. Quickly he retraced his steps and found that there was a pile of ashes in each cell. The General returned to the dungeon guard. “Soldier, where have the prisoners gone?”

“General, no one has come or gone since I’ve been on duty.”

“Where are the cell guards, then?” the General demanded.

“They were relieved yesterday, Sir.”

The General did not appreciate having to pry information out of soldier. “Would you mind telling me who relieved them, Private?”

“That’s Corpor . . . The King’s aide, Sir.” The soldier was less than pleased with his demotion and began to offer everything he knew. “The young one with the long, black hair, Sir. He said there was no need to keep watch on them and it was safer for everyone if the guards helped out with body removal outside, Sir. They thought it was your orders, Sir.”

The General fumed down the corridor and up the stairs. He stormed into Colonel Gregor’s office and slammed the door. “What the hell is going on in this place? Do you have any knowledge of prisoner removal, Colonel?”

Colonel Gregor leaned back in his chair and looked up at the General. “Prisoner removal? No, doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, though. Where were they removed to?”

“That’s what I’m asking you, Colonel. We’ve got some damn King’s aide running around giving my men orders! I’ve just come from the cells and there is no one there. No prisoners. No guards. Nobody. Just a pile of ashes in each cell.”

Colonel Gregor bolted upright in his chair. “What about Lord Habas?”

“If you think that is crazy enough, the King has just ordered me to send ten thousand men to the Cordonian border.”

“What about Lord Habas?” interrupted the Colonel.

“What? Oh, Lord Habas wasn’t kept in the cells. He wasn’t a criminal, after all. The King just wanted him out of the way so he couldn’t help Tork. He’s confined to one of the bedrooms with a couple of guards outside the room. He’s quite safe. Have you been listening, Colonel?”

Colonel Gregor relaxed. “Yes, General. The King wants you to send ten thousand men to the Cordonian border. Did he say why?”

“Look, Colonel, something is not right here. The King told me that they had interrogated the prisoners and he and the Council were convinced that the Sordoan invasion was a hoax. Supposedly, all of the criminals were Cordonian agents and as soon as we committed our troops south, the Cordonians would attack.”

The General pulled over a chair and slumped into it. “Now I’m not one to play my own fiddle, but the Cordonians couldn’t pull off something like that without me getting wind of it. However, if we shove ten thousand men up their nose, they’re going to sneeze. It’s like asking for a war. Not only that, but we leave the capital undefended.”

The Colonel had not indulged in his pipe in a long time, but now opened a drawer and retrieved it. He sat absently packing the pipe while he tried to figure out what Mordac was up to. “You said that he had Council approval for this?”

“Technically, the Council is an advisory body so they don’t have any authority to okay it. But, yes, he said they agreed, which really gives some credence to the whole mess.”

“So what are you going to do, General?”

“What can I do? I think it is one of the greatest strategic blunders of our time, but he is the King and I am not. I must send ten thousand men to the border and that will include your Red Swords, I’m afraid.”

“General, it’s getting on towards dinner time and the troops are not going to leave tonight. What do you say, I blow this month’s salary and take the two of us out to dinner at the Palace Shadow? We can talk over deployment plans there and at least be in a pleasurable atmosphere. Go check out your office and I’ll go get us a table.”

The General had never eaten at the Palace Shadow. Its pricey menu was not conducive to military pay. “An excellent idea, Colonel. You go ahead. I’ll not be long.”

The Colonel ran to the inn, hoping that Duke Whitley was in his room. He spoke to the Duke and returned downstairs to get a table. He chose a table in the corner just as General Clark appeared. The Colonel insisted on ordering for the General and requested red wine. The veins in the General’s temples started to disappear as he sat in the plush chair and sipped his wine. By the time the shrimp appetizer arrived, so did the King’s’ Advisor.

“General, Colonel, I thought I recognized you. Do you mind if I join you?”

The General was clearly embarrassed being caught in such a lavish surrounding. “Certainly not, Duke Whitley, please sit down.”

The Duke sat and ordered and the conversation was kept on casual topics. The Colonel waited until the General was savoring his baked duck before he asked the question. “Duke Whitley, the General and I were planning to discuss our deployment to Cordonia during this dinner. I hope you don’t mind us discussing a little work during dinner.”

“Certainly not, Colonel. But what would you be sending troops towards Cordonia for? The war is in the other direction, I thought.”

The General nearly choked on his duck. “Weren’t you in the Council session where the King discussed the interrogation of the prisoners?”

“My dear General, the King hasn’t graced the Council with his presence since the coronation. Whatever are you talking about?”

The color drained out of the General’s face. He sat there for a while expecting the punch line for some joke. Finally, he explained his meeting with the King.

“That does put us in a tough spot, doesn’t it,” summarized the Duke. “General, I’m not a military man, but I may have some ideas that may help. Are you interested?”

“Of course, Duke Whitley. I am always receptive to the wisdom of the King’s Advisor.”

“I think what you should do is take only your six thousand men from Tagaret. Leave the entire Red Sword garrison. Make the difference up by cutting the frontier garrisons in half. This way, if the Sordoans attack, you will have four thousand Red Swords to stem their flow until your forces can reverse course. I say reverse course because your troops are going to take a very long time to get to the Cordonian border. I’d wager that your men will never reach there before Sordoa attacks.”

“Duke, what you are suggesting is tantamount to treason. I cannot ignore the Crown’s wishes.”

“You would not be, General. You would be catering to the King’s desire, but also protecting Targa by utilizing your own wisdom. He did not give you a deadline for delivering the troops and he didn’t specify where the troops should come from.”

“You’re right. Still, I would be putting myself in the place of second-guessing the Crown.”

“General, when you served under King Olweg and King Eugene, did they ever give you military orders without first asking your opinion? And did they in their wisdom ever dismiss Duke Nelson’s thoughts on military maneuvers?”

“I see what you are trying to present to me, Duke Whitley, but it still makes me feel like I am putting my own desires before the Crown’s”

“General Clark,” the Colonel interrupted, “I told you recently that I have never known a strategic mind superior to yours. I meant it then and I will remind you of it now. Being loyal to the Crown means giving your best to Targa every bit as much as it means following the King’s orders. It the King ordered you to run him through with your sword, you would refuse. Why is this so hard to understand? You will be following his orders completely, but you will be deciding strategically how best to implement those orders.”

The General sipped his wine and thought. “You are right, gentlemen. I thank you for pulling me out of the murky depths of my own stubbornness. How can I ever thank you for not letting me do something stupid?”

“Well,” suggested Duke Whitley, “you could start by releasing Lord Habas. You did say he was not a criminal. If he has to be kept under guard, at least let him do it in his laboratory. The Colonel can even supply Red Swords to guard him. It would make me feel better about the type of treatment we give to loyal Targans who are being used as pawns.”

Before the General had a chance to answer, Colonel Gregor chimed in. “I agree. The General and I would certainly like to do any small thing we can for the King’s Advisor.”

“That’s excellent, General. Allow me to pick up the tab for your dinner. Just have it put on my room bill and please dally for a while. I am sorry but I must run.” Duke Whitley got up and quickly left.

Duke Whitley knocked on Oscar Dalek’s door. Oscar answered and showed the elderly Duke in. “How did it go, Duke Whitley?”

“It went very well, but I think it is high time you stopped calling me Duke Whitley, Oscar. My given name is Byron and I would appreciate it if you would use it. I like to think of you as my son and the court formality seems so cold and impersonal.”

“It is an honor to be considered your son, Byron. Does this mean that Lord Habas will be freed?”

“We will have to wait for the Colonel’s report, but yes, I think Lord Habas will be at least free enough to use the Door. General Clark will be leaving Tagaret tomorrow with six thousand men. The Red Swords will be in charge of the Palace. We still need to talk with Lord Habas to form a plan of uncloaking Mordac, though.”

“If we have access to the Door, we can get the advice of Jenneva and Egam, as well,” responded Oscar.

Jenneva and Egam walked through the Door to Atar’s Cove. “John, Callie, how good of you to come and visit. Is Oscar with you, as well?”

“No,” replied John. “They are in Tagaret, but I am certainly glad to see you. We have problems that require your assistance.”

John proceeded to relate the story to the two magicians. Jenneva and Egam interrupted several times for clarification, but tried to let John tell the entire story before the real questions started. The strategy session lasted well into the night without any firm plan to defeat Mordac. There were too many unknown factors involved and the safety of the citizens of Tagaret was a major concern.

The next morning everyone gathered again in the study to continue plotting the downfall of King Austin. Egam answered the knock at the Door and admitted Duke Whitley, Oscar, and Alex.

While Alex and Jenneva embraced, Egam summarized the extent of their knowledge.

“There have been further developments since John came here,” offered Duke Whitley. “King Austin has ordered the Army to the Cordonian border to stave off an imaginary attack. Colonel Gregor and I managed to talk General Clark into leaving the Red Swords behind. Whatever we do in regards to King Austin must be done soon or Targa will be involved in two wars. Our time limit is over when the King’s Army reaches the Cordonian border.”

“And we can’t try to take Mordac by force,” added Oscar. “His power could destroy half the city, not to mention the bunch of magical advisors he has imported as aides.”

Jenneva broke off from Alex’s embrace. “Then we will disrobe him in public and allow him to flee. He must be using Reflecting Pool to assume the appearance of King Austin.”

“What is Reflecting Pool?” asked Callie.

“Reflecting Pool,” answered Egam, “is a spell that allows you to assume another’s identity. To utilize the spell, the personage assumed has to be dead. There is a concoction that can counteract the spell.”

“Yes,” offered Jenneva, “it is called Passive Drain, but getting it to King Austin will be a bit of a problem. We need for his image to change in public and from what I’ve been told, he doesn’t care much for public appearances. If we can get the Passive Drain into him somehow, then the next time he uses magic, his facade will disappear.”

“He has food tasters,” mentioned Duke Whitley.

“Plus we need to make him want to flee rather than fight,” appended Oscar.

Alex walked over and joined the discussion. “Let’s not forget that when he flees, we want to know where he has fled to.”

The group continued debating potential scenarios for King Austin’s downfall, but they had no success in coming up with a plan. After a while they broke for lunch and the group split up for some private meditating.

Alex and Jenneva strolled down to the beach and sat on the sand, gazing out over the azure waters. Alex held Jenneva’s hand and stared into her sparkling blue eyes. “Jenneva, have you ever thought about having children?”

Jenneva squeezed Alex’s hand. “Alex, do you really think this is the type of world you would want to bring children into?”