Dark Quest (21 page)

“If I might make a suggestion,” interrupted Jake. “We should have the local fishermen create a large netting to be strung across the harbor entrance. If any of the Sordoan ships get by the Red Swords, they will get stuck in the net long enough to be bombarded from the shore.”

“We need to get better intelligence on the Sordoan movements,” added Duke Eddington.

Prince Oscar smiled at Colonel Gregor. “I’ll take care of that,” he offered.

Orders were sent to the northeastern frontier garrisons to send troops to Tagaret and march them along the coast. Until the Royal Navy was reconstructed, any coastal city in Targa was a potential Sordoan target.

Admiral Hill, Colonel Gregor, General Clark, and Captain Wikers went off to a corner and started mapping out a naval strategy to regain control of Targan waters. After several hours they came up with a plan that would be called brilliant, if it worked. It would mean the second loss of the Royal Navy if it failed. General Clark had King Byron pen a new decree. The Order would stop all shipbuilding in Tagaret until the new ships of the Royal Navy were outfitted. Shipwrights would work around the clock to complete the outfitting as quickly as possible.

The border guard was getting tired of walking his route. The sun would be up soon and he would be relieved. He could hardly wait. He always started to yawn at this time of the night, even as the sky was beginning to lighten. The other guard was approaching, but they would pass soundlessly. After the first few hours on duty, the small talk to another passing guard seemed pointless. He allowed his mind to drift to thoughts of how he would spend his off time. Lost in thought, it took a while for it to register when the arrow pierced the neck of the other guard. That lax moment cost him his life as another arrow found his chest and buried its shaft deep within his heart.

The Sordoans were up and charging over the border. Someone shouted an alarm and the Targan soldiers came streaming out of the barracks. The Sordoans were already within the camp and arrows streaked into the mass of men pouring out of the buildings. The Targans brandished their swords and close quarter fighting began, but it ended swiftly. The Sordoans were too great in number for the small Targan garrison and the victors started their march to Melbin.

The Sordoan galleons sailed west out of the rising sun. The Targan shore batteries rushed to load their catapults and bring them to bear on the approaching ships. The forty galleons started firing their own catapults and the Sordoans’ targets were brightly illuminated. The Targan units were not being very successful, as they were firing into the sun. As the ships got closer, the accuracy of the Sordoan catapults increased greatly. Soon most of the Targan catapults were destroyed and the rest were unmanned, the Targan soldiers fleeing for the safety of the fort.

The ships jockeyed for position as their catapults pounded the wooden fort. The smaller catapults within the fort were designed to defend against advancing infantry and were fairly useless against the ships. The ships were still out of range for the fort’s archers to engage, so the garrison hunkered down and withstood the naval barrage. The commander of the fort sent a messenger to Tagaret to describe the situation and request naval assistance.

The barrage lasted for three hours before the Sordoan infantry arrived from the border. The garrison of a thousand men now faced an army of five thousand Sordoans as well as the galleons offshore. The commander dispatched another messenger warning of the imminent capture of Melbin by Sordoan troops.

The Sordoan infantry encircled the fort, staying just outside the range of the Targan archers and small catapults. After another three hours of pounding from the Sordoan catapults, the fort wall was breached. The Sordoan catapults concentrated on the wall around the breach and soon the entire side of the wall collapsed. The garrison commander knew he had little time remaining and organized his men in an attempt to break through the Sordoan line north of the fort.

The soldiers raced out of the fort and charged the Sordoan infantry. Few of the Targans reached the Sordoan line and those that did died by the sword.

Colonel Gregor entered the Sword and Shield and sat at a table. He ordered a drink and when he had finished it he left. He walked across town to the back door of the Palace Shadow and stealthily ascended the stairs. He knocked on Oscar’s door and was admitted. He looked around the room and chose a comfortable chair. “He won’t be long, Prince.”

“Would you like a drink while we wait?” asked Oscar.

Colonel Gregor didn’t get a chance to answer before there was another knock on the door. Oscar opened it and admitted Larc. “That was not a very long delay after the Colonel, Larc.”

“Sorry, Oscar,” the spymaster replied. “I figured this would be a good chance to see if anyone was still shadowing the Colonel. There isn’t anyone.”

“Okay,” began the Colonel, “let’s get this started. What news do you have regarding Sordoan troop movements?”

Larc poured himself a drink. “They’re throwing everything they have into this offensive. They have three main army divisions. One is moving on Melbin as you would expect. Another heading for Southland, but I believe that the General’s troops will arrive in time to meet it. The third group is swinging west above the Great Sordoan Desert. They believe this group to be their secret weapon. It is going to march west until it hits the sea. Then it will turn north and attack Dalek.”

Prince Oscar gulped his drink and poured himself another one. “I was afraid they might think of something like that. The destruction of Dalek could well destroy me. How many men in each division?”

“About five thousand each,” answered Larc. “It looks like Melbin will be first. They will use their navy in combination with the infantry to secure it. They hope to lure the forces from Southland eastward in a Targan attempt to retake Melbin. If that succeeds, they will take Southland with the second division. If we don’t take the bait, they may join the second and third divisions together to take Southland. This part of the information is a little suspect. I don’t think they have made a final determination on that yet.”

“Your intelligence is informing, Larc,” interrupted Colonel Gregor, “but how good is it? Where are you getting this information from?”

Larc looked at Oscar and shook his head. “Sorry, Colonel. I will not reveal my sources. Do not take this as having any bearing on your integrity. I have a working arrangement with my sources. I never divulge where the information is going and I never tell where it came from. You asked me to set up the Spiders as a secret organization. I have done just that. Most Spiders wouldn’t know another Spider if he bumped into him in the street. I even have Spiders spying on other Spiders whom they don’t know are part of the organization. As far as the accuracy of the information, Colonel, it is accurate. You are now better informed of the Sordoan strategy then the fifteen thousand Sordoans who will be implementing it.”

“I am impressed, Larc,” commented the Colonel. “I understand your secrecy and applaud it. What do you think the Sordoans would do if we sent all of Clark’s men against Southland?”

“I’m not a military strategist, Colonel, and I don’t have knowledge of any scenarios that the Sordoans have thought of in that regard, but if I were them and detected you pulling that maneuver, I would attack Danver Shores.”

“You may not be such a bad strategist after all, Larc. That would certainly spoil my party. What of the Cordonians and the Northlands?”

“Well, Colonel, we have not detected any troop movements from the Cordonians. Our sources in Cordonia are not quite as good as Sordoa. Their General Fernandez appears to be very adept at detecting our agents.”

“You haven’t lost men, have you, Larc?” asked Oscar. “Do you think we may have a leak?”

“Oh, I’ve lost men, Oscar. This is not a low stakes game. We’re not losing men because of leaks, though. I’m been very careful to place agents independently of other agents. The only person who could leak that much information about the Spiders, is me. I just think that Fernandez has been playing this game for a long time and he is very good at it.”

“Larc,” asked Colonel Gregor, “what of the Black Devils? Did you have any success in tracking down the wagons?”

“Some. I informed Jenneva and Egam and they’re checking it out. Most of the wagons were made in Tor, up in the Boulders. The rest of the wagons were stolen. The shop that made the wagons said he was contracted to do the job over a year ago, so Mordac has been planning this for some time. The craftsman said that he only saw the buyer once and can’t really remember anything distinctive about him. Each month a different person would come and pay for the wagons that were built, and take them away. He didn’t know where they were taken.”

“How about Lanoir?”

“They seem to be keeping out of things. They have men on the Sordoan border, but no more than usual. They could be taking this opportunity to strike out at Sordoa because there are no Sordoan soldiers in the south. They’re all committed to the attack on us.”

“Anything further, Colonel?” asked Oscar. The Colonel shook his head and Oscar continued. “Larc, I have something I need you to do. I have a package that I want delivered to Trekum. I want to store it away from prying eyes, but close to the Palace. I also want a contact in Trekum that I can give to Alex.”

“No problem, Oscar. Continental Shipping has a warehouse in Trekum not two blocks from the Palace. As far as a contact, I’ll arrange for one to be present at the warehouse waiting for Alex.”

“Great, Larc. Alex will be there . . . ”, started Oscar.

“Oscar,” interrupted Larc, “I don’t want to know. The contact will wait for him whether it’s next week or next year. The contact will be there. If I tell my contact when to expect him, someone may find out. Let’s not take that chance. As far as the package to be delivered, get it to Dalek. Marchek Shipping can pick it up and send it overland from Marchek. If you think that may take too long, arrange to ship it to Grakus. Continental can arrange to have it shipped from Grakus to Trekum.”

“Is it possible to get a small band of armed men to go with it either of those ways? Perhaps as caravan guards,” asked Colonel Gregor.

“No,” responded Larc. “Caravan guards had to register with the government over a month ago. Any new guards would be extremely suspect. Armed men found anywhere in the country would be pressed into service, if they were not executed on sight. Even cargo boxes are routinely opened and searched, not to mention that whoever was in them would suffocate. Sordoa is mostly desert and in case you haven’t noticed, Colonel, it’s summer. You are not going to get a band of armed men into Sordoa unless you march them through the Sordoan infantry south of here.”

“Okay,” Oscar said, “let’s meet here again in two days, unless something urgent comes up. Larc, the package I spoke of will be going to Dalek today. It will be on the first ship to Marchek, which I believe will be this afternoon, if they’re on schedule. Larc, why don’t you slip out first. I see no reason that the Colonel and I cannot be seen in public. He is, after all, responsible for my family’s protection now.”

“Your will, my Prince,” smiled Larc as he disappeared through the door.

Oscar and Colonel Gregor returned to the war room. There was a great deal of activity in the room and the Colonel knew something major had happened. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Colonel, Prince,” greeted General Clark, “Melbin has fallen. They were attacked by land and sea. As best we can tell, there are no survivors.”

“Your plans, General?” asked Prince Oscar.

“Well, they seem to be consolidating at Melbin and not charging northward. That, in itself, makes me suspicious. They could easily move on to Danver Shores and probably take it just as easy as Melbin. That indicates to me that they have some knowledge of our troop displacement. If they went for Danver Shores, I would have them in a pincer movement with my troops out of Southland. So they know we have a large number of troops at Southland.”

The General turned to the wall map and lifted a pointer. “There are two things they can be planning. One is to fortify Melbin and leapfrog over Danver Shores directly to Tagaret. The other is to hope to draw our Southland forces eastward so another Sordoan group can take Southland and leave our troops in the middle.”

Oscar was impressed with the General’s keen mind for strategy. He informed the General of the information he had picked up.

The General studied the map for a while before speaking. “Not bad on their part. That third group could really cause us a problem. They must have left the entire country south of Lorgo undefended. Sergeant, get this out right away. I want every soldier in the central valley to head for Southland, everything from Kild to Cleb. Another message for Balfour and Cortland to move out immediately to Dalek.”

The Sergeant left and the General continued to ponder the map. “We thought the big move would be on Tagaret. We were wrong; it’s Dalek they want. They want a seaport on the Targa Sea.”

Oscar joined the General at the map and stared at the city he had built. “How are you going to stop them, General?”

“Pretty simple, really,” responded the General. “I’m going to let them have Danver Shores if they want it. I’m going to give them Southland as well, though not without a fight. We’ll allow them to push us out of the city.”

Oscar was confused. “You are going to beat them by giving them their objectives?”

“No,” lectured the General. “Those are not their objectives. They want us to think they are, but Dalek is their only objective. Once they control Dalek, they will sue for peace. If they marched directly on Dalek in the beginning, we would have easily crushed them because they would have bypassed the desert and we would see what they are doing. So they fooled us. They led us to believe it was an all out war so we would protect what was most important to us, while they capture what is most important to them. We are not going to give them what they want, though.”

The General cleared off the table. “Here’s what we are going to do. The Red Swords will remain in Tagaret until the Sordoan Navy is defeated, so we don’t inadvertently give away the hen while they’re trying to get their egg. The three thousand men in Southland will put up a good defense, good enough to cause their third division to pause on the march west. If we get that third division to engage, their cause is lost. Let’s assume that we don’t. Our men in Southland will unexpectedly pull out to the northwest towards Cleb. By the time they get to Cleb, there will be another three thousand men from the central valleys.”