Temple of the Traveler: Empress of Dreams (7 page)

Pagaose laid a finger aside his nose. “Our opponent was a cautious man. He would have sent a large contingent of scouts to investigate any battle on his flanks. This would have reduced the possible warning for my attack, lowering my casualty rate. For though this charge was nominally successful, the campaign was crippled by the losses it incurred. An officer’s job is to obey his general. Failing that, he should conserve his resources while inflicting the maximum toll on his enemy.”

Lord Conifer blinked a few times before admitting, “The candidate passes strategy; we will break until tomorrow. I want to get home before the rains.”

Pagaose conferred with a group of generals. “So, after I pass my arms proficiency tomorrow, I’ll get your vote?”

The others looked to Lord Ashford. “
If
you pass tomorrow’s exam, we will do so in exchange for a guaranteed annual budget of . . .” Then he named a figure twice Myron’s largest war budget.

The emperor snorted. “Pull the other one.”

Ashford drew himself up, insulted. “If we’re to build an empire, we need money and ships.”

“I say to you we
are
an empire; we just need to act like it. If I bring warships, will you vote for me?”

“Yes.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Pagaose said with a smile.

****

On Windsday Pagaose rose earlier than normal and stretched so he could be ready for combat. As they meandered from the palace down to the Military College, he breathed in the fresh air and took in the beautiful view of the harbor in the pre-dawn light. The students responsible for hanging out the flags gazed at the rocks instead of attending to their duty.

Niftkin made inquiries and one lad pointed to a wrecked merchant ship just outside the pincer-shaped mouth of the harbor. “She’s made this voyage a hundred times, but somehow, today, she hit the shoals. None of us can make heads or tails of it.

The emperor’s eyes widened as he spotted a new rock where no rock had a right to be. Running down to the harbor, he was followed by his guards, Lord Ashford, and a few curious students. “Sire?” asked Niftkin.

“No time,” he answered, pouring on the speed, stretching his line of pursuers behind him like a parade. Winding through the streets, he turned right when he reached the docks. Running out of docks, he switched to a cart path. When the path ended, he clambered over the rocks that reached out into the bay.

His entourage was panting; some dropped off to rest. When he finally halted, only Niftkin remained within five paces. The moment the emperor ceased moving, the guard sank to his knees, heaving. “What—is—it,—sire?”

On the shore nearest the rescue boats, Pagaose squinted at the rock a few hundred paces out to sea, just on the border of the Deep. “She’s a crafty one.”

“Who, sire?” the guard asked, grabbing the stitch in his side.

“Serog!” the emperor shouted.

A single silver-gray eye opened on the rock. In his mind, he heard the panicked voice whisper, “
The Sun!
”

“I would have words with you, Fallen!” he bellowed sternly.

The rock unfolded so fast and shot into the sky so quickly that a waterspout formed in its wake. When the others in the retinue arrived, only a misty rainbow remained to mark the place.

“Blast. Next time, I’ll have to try to sneak up or distract her.”

“What in the hells?” asked Niftkin.

“An irate dragon is targeting our ships,” Pagaose explained. “This makes no sense. Normally, she would work through storms or other untraceable means. She doesn’t like to be seen. She’s survived this long by not leaving evidence.”

“I saw it, sire, but even I don’t believe it.”

He paced. “I’ve done nothing to her. If she were angry at me, she would have flown over to tell me exactly what I did wrong.”

Niftkin gulped. “Are you sure that’s wise, sire?”

He patted the sword at his hip. “This would protect me.”

“What about us?”

“Not so much. You might be able to hide in the rocks, though. She’s not allowed to touch the lands of men; violating that stricture would cause her great pain. Not to fear, she’s usually very civil and reasoned.”

“Of course,” Niftkin agreed, looking for a nice-sized crevice to hide in.

“That she’s attacking in broad daylight means that someone is forcing her hand. See if there have been other unexplained disappearances lately. I want to find out what she’s up to. Until then, I would advise that no ships come in or out of this harbor.”

“Can’t we just put up a ward on the ships?”

Pagaose shook his head. “She’s one of the ancient Air Spirits. Only an armored Imperial warship might stand a chance. You wouldn’t happen to have one of those hidden somewhere?”

“No.”

The emperor’s eyes scanned the horizon, looking for other strange rocks. “What’s that low, flat rock over there with the circles painted on the side?”

“The spirit arena: it’s where ward wizards take their final exams. It’s just over the border of the deep, and spirit creatures have free reign there. Duels have been known to take place there. People can watch from the higher rocks inside the safety of the harbor.”

“Interesting.” After a few bits, the emperor said, “Please instruct the harbormaster about the danger. If you don’t mind, I’ll stay here. It’s a nice day, and my presence might keep the rescue boats from being sunk.”

The guard clamped his mouth shut and ran back to the city with the ominous news.

****

Abbot Small Voice took a long, circuitous route in his skiff to avoid spirits and storms on the way to his abbey. Seagulls followed them hoping for scraps of bread. When he arrived at the remote island of Muro, his pilot said, “Someone’s coming to greet us, sir. A ferret-faced man in a fancy uniform with a purple dragon over his chest, followed by a lot of soldiers.”

After the pilot tied up to the docks, he helped the blind sage onto the bamboo planks.

The sage could hear the heavy boots approach.

“Is this the abbot?” demanded the man in front.

“What can I do for you?” asked the sage. “Mister . . .”

“
General
Navarra.” The sage heard a scroll unrolling. “Sign this decree, and your people will be spared.”

“Since I cannot read, you will have to tell me what it says.”

“Does it matter? Almost four hundred of Sandarac’s soldiers are setting up base camp in your abbey. You’ll sign anything I give you.”

“I could give camels lessons on stubborn, boy.”

The skiff pilot cried out as someone knocked his feet from under him and pushed him to the ground.

“Easy, we don’t need to fight,” said another, softer voice behind the general. “Honored sir, twelve of your people were already injured, two died. We just need you to acknowledge Sandarac as emperor. He already holds most of the world.”

“I cannot.”

“You’ll starve until you do!” threatened the general.

“I cannot because I have already resigned my post at the college in favor of the true emperor—Pagaose.”

“Damn,” said the shorter man behind the general. “This complicates matters.”

“He’ll sign anyway,” insisted Navarra. “Lock him in the tower. Chain the sailor in the barn for now; he’ll row with the other captives when the warship returns with more supplies for the siege.”

On the first morning of the weekend, Pagaose worked out alone with Niftkin standing guard. “Any more shipping incidents discovered?” the emperor asked.

“Only at night, sire, and only ships known to be in deep water.”

“Since under ideal conditions it takes over twenty hours to reach the nearest shore from Center, that means every ship that tries to leave the Inner Islands. Serog can use darkness to her advantage and rest when we might be able to fight her. Spread the word to travel only in short hops and only during sunny days.”

At breakfast, Anna asked, “Since you have no testing for two whole days, what do you want to do?”

The emperor shrugged, “Brush up on the law and try to free up finances for our day-to-day expenses. We’ll start with the Royal Zoo.”

Once he was cleaned up, they went on a jaunt down the hill to his private zoological gardens. The foliage was overgrown in most places, forcing Niftkin to whack a path with his short sword. Most of the cages were empty and the caretaker wasn’t at his post. The tiger was old, losing teeth, and almost blind. A pile of chopped meat lay beside it, swarming with flies.

Anna’s favorite was the otters; they splashed and frolicked in the water provided to them. “They’re so playful!” Seeing her brighten this way warmed him inside.

The path ended in the sun bear enclosure. There was a painting of the creature over the entry arch. After searching for several minutes, they found no such animal. “Pity,” he said. “If there was one animal I wouldn’t mind on my coat of arms, it’s the sun bear.”

Pagaose returned to his palace and examined the expenses reported for the previous year. “In addition to the caretaker, there are seven assistants. They provide tons of meat to twenty-eight wild animals, plus tons of grain for numerous species of birds and fish.”

“The only fish I saw were the ones the otters were eating,” Anna noted.

“There were koi and some sort of blue fish under the bridge we crossed.” The emperor sighed. “The zoo may have been beautiful once, but someone has been using it as an excuse to rob the coffers for years. Most of the creatures could be released into the wild. The peacocks could probably live on the lawn of any college.”

Niftkin shook his head. “The otters couldn’t be released into the wild; they’re too used to humans now. The first time they climb into a fishing boat and eat the catch, they’re dead.” Anna covered her face in horror. “One of those fishermen will just pick up an oar and smack . . .” Pagaose waved his hands trying to shush the guard. “No?”

“We won’t let that happen,” the emperor insisted, glaring at his head guard. “Bring me the alleged caretaker.”

“Where can we keep the otters?” Anna asked.

“We’ll find somewhere they can stay.”

She hugged him so hard that she knocked the wind out of him. “Thank you!”

Uncomfortable, he said, “You missed checking the brewery yesterday. Weren’t you going in today?”

When she left, he had to sit down.

A few hours later, two guards arrived with a drunken, unshaven toad of a man who cursed nonstop. They announced, “Murali of Zanzibos, the Patawash clan.”

Pagaose smiled as he approached the man. “What were your qualifications for being head zoo caretaker?”

Seeing the tall man with six fingers, the keeper turned pale. “Sire?”

“Your qualifications?”

“I’m skilled in tracking and subduing wild animals,” he whispered, head bowed.

“I’m only going to ask this once: how much did you steal?”

“My cut was eighty silver hours per week plus twenty to care for the animals. I let my boy handle that.”

“You have spared your life; now you’ll determine how the rest of that life will be spent. Who else received a share of your spoils?”

Sweating, the man recited a long list of names, some high-placed government officials. When he finished, Pagaose ordered, “Place him in a comfortable dungeon cell, but make his son responsible for his daily feeding and that of the otters.”

“Sire, a word,” said the large man. “You have been just, but is there a chance for mercy? Despite my appearance, I’m not a sedentary man by nature. The inactivity drove me to drinking, and the alcohol led me into debt. That is my shame. Not only am I the best in the world at hunting, but I’m also a water-diviner like my mother.”

“If an opportunity arises that demands your unique skill set, you shall be given the chance to volunteer. With war on our doorstep, I expect opportunities to abound. There is hope.”

When the man left, the emperor ordered, “Round up the other offenders and we’ll have a discussion, one at a time. Save Lord Vapordoom for last. If we’re to impeach him, we must have several witnesses.”

“Very good, sire,” said Niftkin.

When Anna returned, the guard summarized for her. “In the end, three of the embezzlers confessed, gave testimony, and were placed in the dungeon. The list of names implicated matched almost perfectly. Only Lord Vapordoom couldn’t be confirmed. The other three, who claimed innocence, were turned over to the court system for execution.

“Death?” she gasped. “Isn’t there another way?”

“He gave them all a chance to come clean first,” said Niftkin. “He hates death sentences, but if the emperor doesn’t draw a line from the beginning,
everyone
will steal from him.”

“What good does it do?”

“The emperor recovered enough funds to pay this week’s salaries for the palace workers, and he’s selling the zoo property a parcel at a time so his chamberlain doesn’t have to buy our food. Scribbles is managing the transactions, showing nobles the location and whatnot.”

“Where’s Pagaose?”

“In his room meditating, but please don’t go in there unless you can be positive.”

Anna went into his parlor, head bowed. “Highness, am I permitted to cry for the condemned?”

“Yes,” he said, his voice choking slightly. Then she wept. He wanted so badly to hold her, to comfort her, but she was pledged to another.

****

Holyday morning, Pagaose had circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. “Myron generated a lot of laws. I searched through half of them last night to find some way I could mitigate the punishments. Nothing.”

Anna patted his hand. “That’s why I’m going to the pleasure dome ahead of you.”

Niftkin objected. “Only the emperor and his lovers may enter. Even I, his head guard, am not permitted.”

She replied, “If I enter first, I might convince wrongdoers to repent before the consequences are severe.”

“There will be rumors,” the guard insisted.

“Rumors about my virtue are a small price to pay to save a life.”

“Lady Anna, you still need a royal invitation.”

She glanced at the emperor, and he responded, “She may enter any chamber I own. She is my herald.”

Satisfied, she raised her nose and strode from the room.