Soarers Choice (63 page)

“I
believe that’s the point,” Dainyl replied. “You and Josaryk and Brekylt wanted
to change things to have your own Duarchy. That’s not an acceptable change,
especially when you try to implement it through mutiny.” Dainyl could sense
that Staetyl had been born on Acorus, but birthplace was no indicator of
treachery, one way or the other.

In
the end, Dainyl executed all eight of the mutinous Myrmidons, disliking each
killing more than the previous one. But as High Alector, he needed to make a
statement that disloyalty had a high and immediate price. And Sevasya, Alcyna,
and he — and Khelaryt — needed the pteridons without going through the lengthy
process of transferring each from a living flier.

After
he finished the distasteful task, he and Sevasya stood in the entry foyer of
the Myrmidon building.

“By
definition, as senior Myrmidon, you’re now the acting submarshal of Myrmidons
in the east,” Dainyl said. “Marshal Alcyna will make the rank permanent. For
now, Seventh Company will remain in the west, and Third Company is officially
in mutiny.”

“Yes,
sir.” Sevasya’s smile was simultaneously rueful and grim. “Has the Alector of
the East made any statements or taken any other action against the Duarchy?”

“He’s
said nothing, and he’ll doubtless claim that he’s done nothing. If a recorder’s
assistant had not escaped, and if you had not caught Josaryk, we wouldn’t even
know about the attempts to subvert the Myrmidons.”

“Might
I ask what you intend to do? Do you have any orders for me?”

“I
don’t propose invading the east for now, but even if I did, I’d still have to
report these events to the Duarch and request his approval. So, the next step
is to inform the Duarch. Then we’ll see. At the moment, I can’t even confirm
where the pteridons of Third Company are. Your orders are simple. Maintain
Lysia as part of the Duarchy, reporting to the Duarch of Elcien. Use whatever
force you must. I’m in the process of arranging resupply directly by ship.”
Dainyl inclined his head. “Unless you have any more questions, I’ll be
returning to Elcien.”

“No,
sir.” Sevasya smiled. “I’ll be most happy to maintain Lysia for the Duarch.”

“I
thought you might.”

Dainyl
hurried back across the paved courtyard and down the stairs cut from the stone
itself back to the Table chamber. When he stepped into the Table chamber, he
looked for Sulerya. She stood at the end of the Table itself.

“You’d
best make the translation quick, Highest,” said Sulerya. “Those energy pulses
are continuing.”

“Thank
you — for the information and the warning. As acting submarshal, Majer Sevasya
has orders to maintain Lysia loyal to the Duarch of Elcien.”

“You
have an interesting way of phrasing things, Highest.” Sulerya’s green eyes
twinkled.

“I’m
certain that the Duarch of Elcien wishes to maintain the Duarchy,” replied
Dainyl, stepping onto the Table. “As does the senior alector of Lyterna.”

He
concentrated on the darkness beneath, and slipped ...

...
into the cool purpled light. There he concentrated on the white locator that
was Elcien, and then he was through the silvered-white barrier.

One
of the guards gaped as Dainyl stepped off the Table.

Chastyl
turned, paused for just a moment, then spoke. “Highest... I’m glad you’re
back.”

“Because
of the fluctuations in the tube?”

“Yes,
sir. We’ve had several more wild translations. Very wild. Oh ... sir?”

Dainyl
stopped.

“You
might wish to know that High Alector Ruvryn appeared while you were in Lysia.
He went to the Duarch’s Palace. He did not ask where you were, and we did not
volunteer that information.”

“Thank
you. Keep me informed as you can. I’ll be at the Palace for a time.” Dainyl
left the chamber at a fast walk, hurrying into Adya’s study. “Is the coach
back?”

“Yes,
sir. It’s standing by.”

“I’m
headed to see the Duarch. I’ll be back when I can get here.” Dainyl wasn’t
about to send a written message about Brekylt’s treachery or a verbal one
unless he delivered it personally.

Dainyl
hurried up the hidden stairs and then through the Hall of Justice and down the
outer steps to the coach. The lowering clouds promised some sort of cold rain,
but none was falling as he climbed into the coach.

While
he rode the short distance to the Palace, he tried to anticipate what might
happen next. Brekylt still had close to three hundred alectors, more than
enough to replace all alectors in the east who might be loyal to the Duarchy, particularly
since Brekylt had been filling positions with those loyal to him for years.
With the pteridons of Third Company, and the lightcannon Ruvryn and the
engineers at Fordall had created, Brekylt was in a good position to defy the
Duarches. And ... if Samist backed Brekylt...

Dainyl
shook his head. He’d have to leave that to Khelaryt.

Bharyt
stepped forward even before Dainyl was fully through the archway from the entry
rotunda at the Palace. “Highest...”

“Bharyt,
I haven’t been summoned, but I have urgent news.”

“He
is meeting with High Alector Ruvryn, sir.”

“He
should know this news before that meeting is over. Is there any way you could
ask him to step out? I promise that it will only take moments.”

“I
think I can manage that, sir. For you. He is in the conference room.”

Dainyl
followed the Palace functionary down the column-lined corridor he felt he had
walked too often recently.

Outside
the conference room, Bharyt stepped to the door, opened it just slightly, and
sent the quickest of Talent pulses. Then he stepped back.

In
moments, the Duarch stepped out into the corridor. His eyes went from Bharyt to
Dainyl. A steely purpled darkness hovered around him. “You knew I was in a
meeting?”

Bharyt
eased back several yards.

“Yes,
sir. When I heard with whom you were meeting, I felt it was imperative you know
this. Brekylt and his assassins murdered Noryan and half of Third Company this
morning. They also got one of those lightcannon and used it to kill one
Myrmidon trying to use a pteridon to escape. Officially, Third Company has
mutinied. Effectively, it belongs to Brekylt. Fourth Company is in Lysia, under
the overall command of Majer Sevasya. Eight Myrmidons in the company, including
Captain Josaryk, attempted mutiny. They’re all dead, and Majer Sevasya had
enough trainees to replace them. She is acting submarshal. In addition, there
are energy fluctuations coming from Ifryn that may affect the translation
tubes, but it’s not possible to tell the cause or whether the fluctuations will
abate, or worsen.”

“You’re
quite resourceful, Dainyl. Only losing one company out of four ...”

“Two
out of eight, possibly, sir. And the spreading of lightcannon worries me. They
can draw down lifeforce quickly.”

“True.
Is that all?”

“That’s
all for now. I can provide details as you wish. I wanted you to know as soon as
possible.”

“Thank
you. The details will have to wait.” Khelaryt nodded and turned, reentering the
conference room.

Bharyt
escorted Dainyl back down the corridor. Neither spoke.

Just
short of the archway leading out to his waiting coach, Dainyl stopped, then
turned. “Thank you, Bharyt. I appreciate your help and forbearance.”

“You
are welcome, sir.”

Dainyl
nodded and hurried back out to the rotunda. “Myrmidon headquarters.”

“Yes,
sir.”

Dainyl
half climbed, half jumped up into the coach, then sat back trying to think how
he should handle the situation in the east. Despite the assassinations, there
was no real proof of an actual attempt by Brekylt to seize power.

Once
the coach pulled up outside the gates, Dainyl hurried through the
almost-freezing drizzle into Myrmidon headquarters. He barely nodded at the
duty officer — Undercaptain Chelysta — as he turned left and went down the
corridor to the marshal’s study.

Alcyna
stood abruptly as Dainyl barged in and shut the door behind him.

“Sir?”

“I
was summoned to Lysia, but Sulerya’s assistant didn’t let me know why. There, I
found out that Noryan got the orders we sent, but someone let Brekylt know.
Brekylt took a team of assassins to Norda and murdered Noryan and half of Third
Company in the middle of the night, more toward this morning. They used a
lightcannon as well. The rest threw in with Brekylt. So you’ve got a mutiny of
Third Company. Josaryk attempted the same thing in Lysia, but Sevasya caught
him and the seven others. They’re all dead, but Sevasya had enough trainees to
replace them. In effect, she’s acting submarshal.”

“The
ones in Lysia are all dead?”

“I
executed them. Both Josaryk and Staetyl were quite certain that the Duarches
are weaklings and that only Brekylt is fit to govern Corus.”

“Were
they shadowmatched?”

“No.
They really believed it.”

Alcyna
shook her head. “Unless you have objections, I’ll appoint Sevasya as
submarshal.”

“I’d
hoped you’d see it that way.”

“Who
else is there? Fhentyl and Lyzetta are too junior, and Elysara is committed to
stay at Lyterna.” She paused. “What will the Duarches do?”

“What
can they do? Officially, we’ve had a mutiny and an attempted mutiny, nothing
more. Brekylt will deny everything, and he’ll claim the Myrmidon problems are
all because the Myrmidons lack effective leadership or something like that.”

“The
implication will be that alectresses can’t lead.” Alcyna’s voice was cold. “He
won’t say that, of course. Not in public.”

“And
I’ll be at fault for choosing you.”

“It’s
a wonderful pattern,” Alcyna said. “Shastylt, Zelyert, and Brekylt all create
this mess, and then when everything’s falling apart, and you and Khelaryt put
in some alectresses to try to undo the damage, we all get blamed for all the
problems they created.”

“Of
course,” replied Dainyl. “There weren’t any problems until all these
alectresses started ordering alectors around.”

Alcyna
snorted, her eyes flickering to the window and the gray drizzle beyond. “What
will you do?”

“Whatever
I can to put an end to it. But I’d like a glass or two to think about it.”

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

“There
is one other thing. I had one of the fliers ferry me over to see Colonel Herolt
first thing this morning. I’d just gotten back when you arrived. You were
right. He had a partial shadowmatch.”

“What
did you do?”

“I
thought about removing it, but that might make matters even worse. Shastylt put
in a suicide link.”

“So
that if anyone tried to remove it, he’d suicide?”

“More
like he’d do something so risky he was bound to die.”

“What
did you do?”

“Just
added a modification, so that he can’t order anything that might endanger the
survival of an entire company. If he feels that way, he has to defer to the
site commander.” She shrugged. “I thought it was worth a try. If it doesn’t
work, then we’re not that much worse off, since he can’t really issue direct
orders to his battalion commanders anyway.”

“That
had to be Shastylt.”

“He
didn’t want the Cadmians to be too effective.”

“I
think he was afraid of them if they had good leadership at the top. From what I
can tell, strange things happened to bright captains. Very few ever became
majers.”

“But
why?”

“Can
you imagine two thousand Cadmians with explosives and large-bore weapons?”

“They
couldn’t do that much damage against lightcutters.”

“I
wonder,” mused Dainyl. Inside, he didn’t wonder at all. Majer Mykel’s battalion
had used rifles to destroy close to fifty alectors armed with lightcutters in a
single afternoon, and the Cadmians had incurred only moderate casualties.
Dainyl understood Shastylt’s fear, yet he also recalled the ancient’s words
about Acorus needing both alectors and landers. And much as he might wish
otherwise, he could not forget that he owed his life to the majer.

Alcyna
looked at him sharply. “You know something.”

“Shastylt
was half-right. The Cadmians could be very dangerous, but killing off the
obviously bright officers won’t solve that problem. Sooner or later, officers
who are even brighter and who can see what happens to obviously bright officers
will hide their brilliance and bide their time and get promoted, and then it
will be too late.”

“You
would see that.”

Dainyl
ignored the reference. “I need to get back to the Hall of Justice.”

He
had to do something about Brekylt, before the Alector of the East split Corus
into civil war and deployed lightcannon against the Myrmidons.

Late
into the day, and then into the early evening, Dainyl remained in his private
study beneath the Hall of Justice. There was no word from the Duarches, and no
word from Brekylt. Nothing changed so far as the Tables were concerned — the
energy fluctuations continued, but neither increased nor decreased in amplitude
or frequency.

Theoretically,
Dainyl could recommend that the Duarches order the Myrmidons to attack Brekylt,
but it was highly unlikely Khelaryt would agree to that since the Duarch had
not summoned him back to the Palace. Duarch Samist would oppose such an effort.
Even if the Duarches were united in that, Dainyl had real doubts about such a
strategy’s success. Second Company would not obey that order, and sending First
Company east would be foolhardy, since that would leave Elcien unprotected
against Second Company. Fifth and Seventh Companies could be sent east, and
perhaps the reconfigured Fourth Company. Sixth Company might comply, but Eighth
Company was tied to Lysia. Four companies against one weren’t bad odds, except
for several problems. First was the distance. The closest company to Alustre
was Fourth, and it was a long day’s flight from Lysia. Sixth Company was more
than two days away, and Fifth and Seventh were at least three days’ flight from
Alustre. Add to that the fact that Brekylt had lightcannon and had no
compunctions about using them — and Dainyl had no
i.e.
how many or where they might be. Nor did he know where Third Company was.
Finally, in all probability, most of the alectors in the east probably
supported Brekylt. And the situation was bound to get worse. Unless Brekylt was
stopped, it was only a matter of time before Corus was split into factions, and
Brekylt still might use the lightcannon, threatening everyone’s future in a
form of lifeforce blackmail.