Alutar: The Great Demon (66 page)

“Alright,” came an agitated voice from beyond the door. “Hold your horses.”

The door opened slightly and a man stuck his head out to see who was making the racket. The deep frown on the man’s face faded immediately and was replaced by a broad smile.

“Garth?” Ferris asked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“Open the doors,” instructed Garth. “I have a wagon that people might be looking for.”

Ferris nodded exaggeratedly and swung the doors open while Garth ran back to the wagon and drove it inside the warehouse of Sidney Mercado. Ferris immediately closed the door, and Garth and Kalina jumped down from the wagon.

“There are two chests in the wagon,” Garth said to Ferris. “I want one delivered to King Samuel of Spino and the other delivered to King Harold of Ertak.”

The Resurgence sailed smoothly past the Federation blockade leagues to the east of Zara. Forty black-cloaks kept the sails filled with air, while ten more stood by to aid in bailing should water come over the low freeboard. Fortunately, the seas were calm and no bailing was required. Most of the other fifty black-cloaks slept below deck, awaiting their turn to care for the ship. Seiko, the leader of the black-cloak mission stood near the helm where Captain Imatin steered the huge ship.

“It feels good to be back in familiar waters,” commented the captain. “Come dawn, we will be able to see the Needle.”

Seiko seldom replied to the captain’s musings, and this occasion was no different from the others. The captain shrugged indifferently. After a while, a starling glided through the night sky and landed on the deck. The bird disappeared in a flurry of movement, and a black-cloak suddenly stood in its place. The newly arrived black-cloak strode towards the helm and stopped in front of Seiko.

“Have the batteries atop the Needle been informed of our passage?” asked Seiko.

“No,” reported Jong. “Those batteries are no longer controlled by the Federation. Both the Cliffs of Ranool and Suicide Point are now under the control of elves.”

“Elves?” echoed Seiko. “Did I hear you correctly?”

“I do not understand it, either, but the elves are clearly in control of the catapults. There are thousands of them, Seiko. I cannot imagine what has happened to our homeland during our long trip abroad.”

Seiko did not reply immediately. He stared off into the night as he thought about a way of completing his mission.

“It’s just as well,” Seiko eventually said with a sigh. “I did not care for carrying Alutar through the streets of Giza in any event. Imatin, once we are clear of the reefs, I want you turn the Resurgence towards Cyranak.”

“Cyranak?” scoffed the captain. “There is no Cyranak any more. The Sands of Eternity come straight down to the sea.”

“Nevertheless,” scowled Seiko, “Cyranak is where we are heading. I am sure that the old city still appears on your charts. Take us there.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Jong.

“We are going to sail the Resurgence across the Sands of Eternity,” smiled Seiko. “It will get us much closer to the Forest of Death without having to resort to building a special wagon to carry Alutar.”

“You can’t sail a ship across a desert!” scowled Captain Imatin.

Seiko turned abruptly, his arm flying out to slap the captain’s face. “Do not dare to tell me what I can do,” snarled Seiko. “We can and will sail the Resurgence across the desert and into the Forest of Death.”

Seiko stormed away from the helm and leaned against the starboard rail, his eyes playing across the black water as he sought to control his temper. A moment later, Jong appeared at his side.

“In all fairness,” Jong said cautiously, “sailing this ship across two hundred leagues of sand is a daunting thought.”

Seiko nodded. “I know,” he admitted, “but we have no choice. It will take all of the skills aboard this ship to complete the journey. We will not only have to fill the sails with wind, but we will also need to levitate the ship, at least partially. We will need to keep the bow above the sand in order to maintain progress.”

Jong frowned at the thought of crossing the desert, but he knew that Seiko was probably correct.

“At least we will not run into anyone out in the desert,” he stated softly. “That will allow the men to concentrate on moving the ship.”

* * * *

Garth and Kalina knocked on the door of a room in the Greystone Inn. A moment later, Zack Nolan opened the door and silently ushered the Knights of Alcea into the room. Zack closed the door and followed his guests deeper into the room.

“An unexpected surprise,” smiled the Alcean spymaster. “What brings you to Valdo?”

“Have the Badgers been in contact yet?” asked Garth.

“No,” answered Zack. “Lord Zachary has not been seen in Valdo since the last contact with the Badgers. Is there a need for him to appear again?”

“There is,” Garth nodded. “We want to interrogate Wain.”

One of Zack’s eyebrows rose “Now that is an interesting proposition,” he remarked. “What do you hope to gain from such an interrogation?”

“The name and location of the leader of the Badgers,” replied Garth. “It is the only way to discover who is behind the coup in Despair.”

Zack rubbed his chin as he mulled Garth’s words. Eventually, he smiled and nodded. “That might work,” he mused, “if you can find something that he fears more than death. While I am not a fan of the Badgers, I do admire their organization and effectiveness. The Badgers would rather die than fail at their mission.”

“I think we have found what they fear most,” smiled Garth. “Public humiliation is the key. That and the thought of their capture destroying the Badger organization. We recently interrogated the Badger leader in Zinbar. He gave us the name of the leader of the whole Badger organization, but we need to verify it with another regional leader. Wain is the only one we have access to.”

“Then Lord Zachary needs to return to Valdo,” agreed Zack. “The Badgers will need to see me enter the city, and I will have to go to the Royal Palace to speak with General Vladin before the Badgers will visit me. There are a couple of problems that I see, though. General Vladin will not have the gold to make the payment, and I doubt that King Samuel will agree to pay it. He is raising all of the gold he can to promote the revitalization of Valdo.”

“Samuel will not pay it,” agreed Garth. “In fact, if he finds out that General Vladin authorized the assassination of King Harowin, the general’s life will be forfeit.”

“That is as I suspected,” Zack nodded. “Who will take his place?”

“Bin-lu and Rut-ki have recommended General Somma,” replied Kalina. “He was part of the attack force sent against Ongchi, but his heart was not in it. In fact, he was very helpful in getting some of the other generals to surrender. They think he would be the perfect commanding general for Spino.”

“Then I will mention his name should I get a chance to speak in private with King Samuel,” Zack responded, “but there are other problems. As I told you before, the Badgers are well organized. Wain might be the only Badger in the room with me, but three or four others will shadow him. If there is a delay of Wain leaving the meeting, the others will come looking for him.”

“Bin-lu and Rut-ki will take care of them,” stated Garth. “Kalina and I need to be hidden in your room before Wain arrives. We will need her magic for the interrogation to proceed smoothly.”

“Getting you into the room will not be a problem,” Zack said. “Lord Zachary already has a room on the next floor, and I can give you a key, but hiding will be up to you. Wain will probably come to the room before I arrive from the palace. I am sure that he will inspect the suite thoroughly before settling in to wait for me.”

“I can handle that,” offered Kalina. “He will not see us.”

“Then I should get going,” Zack said as he handed a key to Garth. “The room is directly above this one. The location allows me to keep an ear on it.”

* * * *

Lord Zachary walked through the corridors of the Royal Palace to the office of General Vladin. When he was announced, the door was immediately opened to admit the nobleman. General Vladin waved his guest to a chair.

“Lord Zachary,” smiled the general. “What a pleasant surprise. What brings you back to Valdo?”

“We have unfinished business,” Lord Zachary stated. “I assume that you have heard of King Harowin’s death?”

“Tragic,” smiled the general. “I must say that the Badgers do deliver what they promise.”

“And they demand that their customers also deliver what was promised,” noted the Vinaforan lord. “Do you have the gold?”

General Vladin frowned. “I have not broached the subject with King Samuel,” he admitted. “The young king is trying to raise vast amounts of gold to revitalize the slums. Now is not a good time to go sticking one’s hand out.”

“You are sticking out more than your hand,” frowned Lord Zachary. “You are sticking your neck out, and mine along with it. The Badgers are not bankers, General. They have completed their contract, and they expect to be paid now.”

“Isn’t that something that you could do until I get King Samuel to authorize the payment?” asked the general.

“I am afraid not,” replied the Alcean spymaster. “While I might have enormous amounts of gold, I do not haul it around with me, and I doubt the Badgers would be willing to accept a promissory note. Now that I have returned to Valdo, they will undoubtedly visit my room tonight. Just what do you expect me to say to them?”

“I don’t know,” fretted the general. “Can you stall them?”

“No, General,” scowled Lord Zachary. “The debt is a legal obligation of the Kingdom of Spino. We will go together right now to speak with King Samuel and get this matter resolved.”

Lord Zachary immediately rose and started walking towards the door. The general sat in a daze, wondering what he was going to do. He called out for the Vinaforan noble to wait, but Lord Zachary opened the door and left the office. General Vladin rose quickly and hurried after the noble. It was a short distance from the general’s office to the king’s office, and by the time the general caught up, Lord Zachary had already been announced. Two black-clad warriors opened the door to the king’s office and admitted Lord Zachary. General Vladin followed the noble into the king’s office. Besides the king, three other black-clad warriors stood in the large office. They watched the entry of Lord Zachary and General Vladin with interest. Lord Zachary bowed to the young king

“Thank you for seeing me, King Samuel,” Lord Zachary said. “You have my condolences on the death of your mother. I feel as if I had gotten to know her well over the last year.”

King Samuel frowned and waved the noble towards a chair in front of his desk. “There are few people who speak of my mother in favorable terms, Lord Zachary, but I understand why you would be one of them. I have been going through Queen Samir’s papers, and your name comes up quite often in the most recent ones. I understand the nature of your interest in me, but I must tell you that the throne of Spino is not for sale. I must also tell you that I have met your daughter, Rita. She is a beautiful woman, and a very interesting person, but I disavow my mother’s contracts in this matter. If you feel that you have a legal claim on the Kingdom of Spino, I would be willing to discuss the return of any payments you have made to the kingdom, but I alone will choose my queen. Is that understood?”

“I make no claim on the Kingdom of Spino,” announced the Vinaforan lord. “In fact, my visit here today is to discuss the recent death of King Harowin.”

“King Harowin?” puzzled the king. “His death has nothing to do with Spino.” The king narrowed his gaze as he stared at Lord Zachary. “If you are trying to insinuate that I had anything to do with the Ertakan king’s death,” the king scowled, “you had better think again. King Harold and I are close personal friends, and neither of us would interfere in the other’s country. In fact, if the assassin of King Harowin is found within the boundaries of Spino, he will be arrested and delivered to King Harold. Can I be any clearer, Lord Zachary?”

The Vinaforan noble and the Spinoan general glanced at each other. General Vladin’s eyes were filled with fear.

“May I speak privately with you?” Lord Zachary asked the king.

King Samuel looked curiously at the noble, but he nodded in agreement. “Leave us,” the king said to General Vladin.

The general glared at Lord Zachary, but he had little choice but to obey the king. He turned and left the office, as did the three Rangers guarding the king. King Samuel stared in disbelief as his bodyguards left the room. He opened his mouth to call them back, but Zack held up his hand to halt the order.

“Let the Alcean Rangers go,” Lord Zachary said softly.

The king snapped his head towards Lord Zachary, and fear filled his eyes. “Who are you, and how do you know about Alcean Rangers?” the king asked

“I am an Alcean Ranger,” admitted Lord Zachary. “That is why your bodyguards have no reason to fear leaving me alone with you. I am well known to them. The charade with your mother was to make sure that you were placed properly in the line of succession. There was nothing more to it. The contracts may be torn up and disposed.”

King Samuel sighed deeply. “I am actually pleased to hear that, Lord Zachary,” he said with relief. “I have dreaded this meeting with you, but I was determined to stand my ground. Is Rita really your daughter?”

“No,” smiled Zack. “The woman you met in Herinak is a Knight of Alcea. She not only portrayed Rita, but she also played the part of my wife in our dealings with Queen Samir. You might find it a bit humorous, but she is also Wylan’s wife.”

“That is incredible,” gasped the king. “Have you Alceans thought of everything?”

“We have had to think of every possibility, King Samuel,” frowned Zack. “If we had not, we would not have survived.”

“I appreciate your honesty,” replied the king. “Some in the lair thought that the Alceans were manipulating us to their own ends. I can see some truth to the claim of manipulation, but you and Wylan both revealed yourselves to me, and that tells me that you are speaking the truth. I am indebted to both of you for putting me where I am and for opening my eyes to the truth. Why did you want to see me about King Harowin?”