Intrigues (18 page)

“So we do have time before we need to ride out to face them,” Jovvi said, her expression thoughtful as her finger tapped her lips. “We’ll be able to move much faster than that many people, and we’ll have to discuss how large our own force ought to be.”

“My people have discovered something else as well,” Mohr said before a tangential discussion could be started. “It seems that a substantial number of members of the former nobility escaped from here before the troubles, and they’re now more or less hiding out on various estates. My people tried to start the same sort of movement in the smaller towns that we did here, but the effort didn’t work. The nobles employ a very large number of servants, too large for the limited means of the towns to help support. In addition to that, the nobles have been recruiting their own guard forces, and the townspeople are afraid of what will happen if they try to revolt.”

“They’re right to be afraid,” Naran said, her expression grim as she shook her head. “One of the things that made the changes here possible was the depletion of the guard force. If the nobles have recruited guardsmen in any sort of number, the townspeople would be very much at risk. Killing a few people at random and destroying a small number of houses would bring the rest of the town back into line at once.”

“So we have more than just an army to worry about,” Lorand said with a sigh. “I knew it was too good to be true.”

“That just means we don’t have quite as much time as I thought,” Jovvi said, and oddly enough she seemed to be holding back laughter. The rest of the group laughed aloud without bothering to hold it back, and even Mohr showed a smile. “Yes, my love, what you said was funny, because most people don’t consider themselves lucky to be facing nothing more than an army.”

“And the funniest part of it is that I saw it exactly the same way,” Tamrissa put in around her chuckling. “Do you think we’ve changed just a little over the past weeks?”

“Not me,” Vallant denied at once, amusement still dancing in his light eyes. “I’m the same humble, loveable, highly talented man I always was. Did I remember to mention humble?”

“At least we don’t have to go into all this alone,” Jovvi said with a smile as everyone else laughed again. “We can take some of the Astindans with us, and afterward they’ll have more workers to take back to their country.”

“I second that,” Tamrissa said at once. “Supplying them workers to rebuild their country is one thing. Having to capture those workers and then finding a way to deliver them is something else entirely. I think we have enough to do on our schedule.”

“It seems that your schedule has just been added to, Excellence,” Mohr put in with a small smile but one that looked very pleased. “Your Seating ceremony has been scheduled for tomorrow morning, and everyone in the city has been invited to attend. The notices have been going up on announcement boards most of the day.”

“It looks like those people are
really
anxious to get us going after the approaching army,” Tamrissa commented, wrinkling her nose. “Or else they’re hoping that riots will start when we announce that we’re a six rather than a five. Or am I being too suspicious of those dear, sweet people?”

“Believing that they’ve all had a complete change of heart would be foolish on our part,” Jovvi said with a small shake of her head. “Part of me thinks I
am
being too suspicious, but the rest of me remembers that most of the people in the crowd this morning were swept along when Rilna Zokill curtsied to us and a few others followed her example. Some of them must have regretted going along once they had time to think.”

“You know, I’m really getting very tired of this,” Tamrissa said, no longer in the least amused. “I think I’m going to ask for a show of hands tomorrow before we go through that ceremony. If enough people raise their hands to show that they don’t want us as leaders of this empire, we can walk away before we commit ourselves too far. I believe I’ve mentioned how much I hate to be where I’m not really wanted.”

“I agree with Tamrissa,” Rion said at once, his expression as sober as hers had been. “This back and forth is making me dizzy, and I also dislike being where I’m not wanted. Our lives would be a good deal less complicated if we took ourselves off to some private part of the world.”

“But you can’t,” Lavrit Mohr blurted, looking from one to another of the group with sudden desperation. “You’re the Chosen Blending, and it’s your
destiny
to rule! Why do you keep talking about leaving?”

“Possibly because we don’t enjoy wasting our time,” Tamrissa told him, her exasperation making her tone a good deal sharper than Lorand’s would have been. “I think we all understand that there’s never going to be unanimous agreement among the people we have to deal with. But letting ourselves be Seated and then spending years arguing in order to get anything done isn’t
my
idea of how to run an empire. If it’s yours, then I say we let them Seat
you
.”

“Not to mention the fact that we still aren’t completely convinced about being Chosen,” Rion added, his tone no softer than Tamrissa’s had been. “That point, however, is neither here nor there. If we really aren’t the Chosen spoken of in the Prophesies, then we won’t end up in charge even if we decide we want to be. It’s just that lately I’ve felt an … understanding for some of the methods used by the nobility, and that disgusts me. If the only way to accomplish anything is to crush everyone ruthlessly underfoot, then I’m definitely in favor of walking away.”

“What we’re trying to say, Dom Mohr, is that we’re ordinary people, not nobles raised to rule,” Jovvi put in, but
her
tone was gentle with compassion. “Possibly it would have been better if we
had
been nobles, as many of our supposed followers would be less likely to argue with us. And we would have a better idea of how rulers are supposed to behave. Apparently
our
behavior encourages disagreement.”

“There’s also a fact that all those people aren’t considerin’,” Vallant said, almost as gently as Jovvi had spoken. “If we really wanted to be Seated above all other things, those people would have a chance to bargain for what they think they want. But we aren’t particularly eager to start workin’ our backsides off for nit-pickers, so if they push us too hard we really will walk away.”

“But if we do stay, one of the things we’ll need is an intermediary,” Naran contributed, surprising Lorand until he saw that distracted look in her eyes. “The person – or people - we name can do any necessary listening, arguing, and persuading in our place, leaving us free to do the important things.”

“Now,
that’s
an idea I like,” Lorand had to put in, finally finding something he could support wholeheartedly. “High Master Mohr, here, for instance, has the patience needed to listen to people without exploding, and Dama Zokill would be perfect to handle those who shouldn’t be shown patience. That way staying won’t mean our being driven crazy.”

“Well, that
might
work,” Tamrissa grudged while everyone else considered the matter with pleased surprise. “Then, if someone does happen to come up with a good idea, it won’t be lost behind all the bad ones. Yes, I think I can go along with that – assuming we can get all those pests to also go along with it.”

“Once we’re actually Seated, we shouldn’t have much trouble putting the idea into practice,” Jovvi said, a thoughtful finger to her lips. “Right now we’re ‘unofficial,’ so to speak, but after the ceremony everyone will see us differently. Yes, I think the idea will work.”

“The least we can do is try it,” Rion allowed, his arm around Naran again. “If it doesn’t work, then we can discuss the matter and decide what must be done.”

“And even if it doesn’t work, we’ll only have to put up with the nonsense for a year,” Vallant pointed out. “After that the competitions will be held again, and if the people have been givin’ us too much of a hard time we don’t have to enter them.”

“But right now we have plans that need to be made,” Jovvi pointed out, ending the discussion with a smile of apology. “Is there anything else you need to tell us, Dom Mohr? If not, there must be tasks that need
your
attention as well.”

“Yes, Excellence, there certainly are, and I have nothing to add right now,” Mohr answered with evident relief, quickly getting to his feet to bow. “If I learn anything new from my people, I’ll either send word or bring it. In any event, it will be my pleasure to see all of you tomorrow, at the Seating ceremony.”

“Just where is the ceremony supposed to be held?” Tamrissa asked before Mohr could bow a final time and leave. “We were … otherwise engaged or out of the city when the usurpers were Seated, and I, at least, wasn’t born for the one before that.”

“The ceremony will be held in the amphitheater, so everyone in the city can attend if they wish,” Mohr told her with raised brows. “Are you saying that no one sent word of the location of the place you’re supposed to be tomorrow? If
you
don’t show up, there won’t
be
a ceremony.”

“It’s possible that word just hasn’t reached us yet,” Jovvi soothed the man’s sudden and obvious suspicion. “And you have to remember that almost everyone already knows where the ceremony will be, so not mentioning it could be an oversight.”

“And you’ll have an escort, who will certainly know your destination,” Mohr conceded with a nod and a sigh. “I’m afraid I’m beginning to fall victim to the state of mind that sees dark plots everywhere, which means I really should leave. There are enough real plots about to occupy us all.”

And with that Mohr bowed only once and then quickly left the room. Lorand watched the man until sight of him was gone behind the closed door, and then he shook his head.

“If Dom Mohr isn’t careful, he’ll worry himself into true illness,” Lorand commented as he looked back at the rest of the group. “He’s pushing himself too hard, and there’s a tension inside him that’s doing damage.”

“He considers himself responsible for the actions of the man who was once his second in command, I think,” Jovvi added with a sigh. “And he also seems to be afraid that we’ll suddenly begin to blame him and his true followers for what that splinter group is doing. He’s spent many years dreaming of getting full acceptance for himself and his people, and now, when the accomplishment is within his grasp, it could be snatched away forever.”

“Snatched away by a bunch of fools who think they could have become nobles, or who have talked themselves into deciding they’re the only ones who can stop the ‘false’ Chosen.” Tamrissa’s tone held the shadow of impatience, but behind the shadow Lorand could hear true disturbance. “I think the first thing we need to do is check the amphitheater for any surprises Ayl and his people have planned. If they didn’t fail to take advantage of that party, they won’t ignore something as important as the Seating ceremony.”

“What I can see of the ceremony is on the odd side,” Naran contributed, apparently aware of the fact that everyone had turned to her even though her attention was again elsewhere. “There are so many possibilities surrounding the event that they’re almost crowding each other out, and some of them are obscured by the number of shadows. I think I’m going to have to get a bit … insistent about increasing the lessons from my peers. I was told I’d be fully trained once we were here in the palace, but so far I’ve only had three sessions that weren’t particularly helpful.”

“I’m willin’ to bet that even rantin’ and ravin’ won’t get you anywhere,” Vallant put in thoughtfully after finishing the tea in his cup. “There seems to be a lot of things your people don’t want us knowin’ about in advance, like what Tamrissa did last night at the party. When she said we were leavin’ Dom Mohr was almost in shock, but Ristor Ardanis never lost that jolly smile of his. He knew all about it, and probably knew we wouldn’t be leavin’ after all. What we need is for our Blendin’ entity to take a few good looks around that amphitheater, startin’ right now.”

“Starting after I visit the comfort facility,” Tamrissa said as she quickly got to her feet. “I’ve had too much tea today to ignore the need.”

It turned out that Tamrissa wasn’t the only one with the same need, so a few minutes passed before everyone was ready. Lorand took the opportunity to tell the servants and guardsmen that they weren’t to be disturbed, waited until Tamrissa had alerted their link groups just in case they were needed, and then he felt Jovvi initiate the Blending.

But this time the blending wasn’t as it had been in the past. Lorand wasn’t simply a submerged part of the entity; instead, his awareness continued on, and it was the Lorand entity that floated above the bodies of his flesh forms. The Lorand entity was pleased to be in existence again, and he knew precisely where he was meant to go. This time, however, his destination was one that was well known to all of his flesh forms, therefore was a roundabout journeying unnecessary.

With that awareness, the Lorand entity simply translated himself to the place called amphitheater. No time elapsed in the doing, of course, and it immediately became clear that searching would also be unnecessary. A number of flesh forms showing not the least amount of talent were busily working in the amphitheater, their attention on more than one project.

A wide stand made of wood had been erected in the middle of the sand of the amphitheater, a platform meant to hold quite a few flesh forms. Some of the flesh forms now present were spreading around large amounts of the substance known as hilsom powder, carefully mixing the powder into the sand all about and under the platform. At the same time other flesh forms were working to weaken the wood of the platform, clearly so that the structure would collapse after a short time under the weight of those who stood on it.

The Lorand entity then floated to other locations about the amphitheater where other flesh forms were, at first not understanding what it was that they so carefully hid. Then the Lorand entity recognized the weapon called bow, accompanied by the missiles called arrows which the weapon threw over long distances. Bows and arrows were being hidden inside niches carved out of the rock of the seats, thin sections of rock standing by to be inserted in the niches as well. With the sections of rock in place, the seats would look untouched under any but the most attentive examination.