The Sleeping King (87 page)

Kodo's expression momentarily become one of commiseration with Krugar's gripe over the White Heart's stubborn neutrality and insistence on healing enemies already felled once on the field of battle.

Hyland, Aurelius, and Selea all spoke up in unison, declaring. “She's real.”

Kodo nodded in their direction. And then turned his stern gaze on Raina. “Very well. With so many upstanding citizens to vouch for you, I accept your veracity. What is your name?”

“Raina of Tyrel, my Lord Captain.”

“Very well, Raina of Tyrel. Now tell me. Why were you in that forest?”

“We did indeed search for a lost friend.” She paused delicately and then added in a tone of regret, “It is my sad duty to inform you, sir, that we had occasion to witness the governor consorting with the Boki he claimed to attack. From the conversation we overheard, it is clear he has an arrangement with the orcs. It sounded as though he conspires with part of the Boki leadership to engineer an invasion of the outlying holdings of Dupree.”

“Hey now!” Anton shouted. “She lies!”

“Silence!” Kodo hissed. The rage and power in the man's voice physically drove Will backward, his throat muscles paralyzed. He couldn't have spoken in that moment if his life depended on it. Everyone within earshot seemed similarly affected.

Kodo turned his attention back to Raina, warning, “Think carefully on what you say, Initiate Raina. Do you have proof?”

She swallowed convulsively and then said, “I have only the evidence of my eyes and ears. Along with my companions, I witnessed the governor receiving sanguine fruits from a Boki thane. To my knowledge, such fruits are mainly used in the creation of death poisons. I cannot condone such poisons, of course. In return, the governor passed what looked like several maps to the thane. Anton verbally identified them as the defense plans for Talyn, both perimeter protections and the defenses of Talyn Keep, itself.”

A gasp went up among those who were close enough to hear the accusation.

“These are serious allegations, White Heart,” Kodo warned.

Raina nodded. “I am fully aware of their seriousness, my lord. But I have reason to believe that if this Boki invasion occurs, many lives will be needlessly lost and much suffering will ensue. The White Heart cannot in good conscience stand by and do nothing.”

Anton tried to speak, no doubt to defend himself, but Kodo was having no part of it and waved the governor sharply to silence.

Will caught the brief, triumphant glances that passed between Aurelius and Hyland behind Selea's back. The nulvari, for his part, stepped forward and bowed formally. “Well met, Captain Kodo.”

Kodo nodded back and spoke more warmly. “Selea Rouge. It has been a long time. How do you fare?”

“Very well. My thanks for asking.”

An elven woman as black-skinned and white-haired as Selea stepped forward beside the assassin.

Kodo smiled openly at her, his voice thawing considerably. “First Advisor Nightshade. We meet again. How have you been?”

“Well, my lord. And you?”

Will tuned out as the threesome entered into a lengthy series of inquiries among old friends about health and well wishes for one another. He perked up, though, when he heard Selea say lightly, “If I might be so bold, my Lord Captain, you may find certain documents in the first advisor's possession … informative.”

Kodo turned to the nulvari woman. “What documents are these?”

“I believe the esteemed gentleman speaks of my journals chronicling my tenure as First Advisor. More specifically, he speaks of my records of the governor's activities since I took office working for him.” She held out several large, leather-bound books that Will thought looked somewhat like his mother's financial ledger.

“What in these do you believe I need to see?” Kodo asked as he accepted the books.

“Among other things, they include true accountings of revenue and income as opposed to those amounts reported to yourself for tax collection purposes. They also record various imperial trade deals and appropriations the governor has diverted to his personal coffers. Illegally, of course. Oh, and they chronicle evidence I have gathered that implicates the governor in a plot to arrange for the Boki insurrection that nearly destroyed the colony. It was a ploy to kill his enemies and enrich himself.”

Will's eyes popped open wide. That the governor had been skimming from the Empire was no surprise. But that he would arrange a lethal attack upon his own people was beyond shocking. Even Kodo seemed taken aback.

“Indeed,” the captain said even more coldly than before. He spent a few minutes browsing the pages while everyone around him watched and waited in silence tempered by varying degrees of dread and eager anticipation.

As the minutes ticked by, Kodo's jaw went tight, and at some point the muscles in it began to ripple as he clenched his teeth. When Ty's jaw had done that he'd been dangerously near losing his temper and Will had generally vacated the vicinity of his father with alacrity. But today Will was trapped by the ropes binding his wrists behind him.

Kodo slammed the book shut, making everyone within hearing jump. “I have seen enough,” he declared abruptly into the thunderous silence. “Governor Anton Constantine, I place you under arrest for embezzlement, graft, gross corruption, and dereliction of duty, among other charges I shall list later in my official report to the Emperor.”

“What? I'm given no chance to defend myself before you level these outrageous charges? You take the word of a bunch of … of conspirators and criminals … over a governor with many long years of faithful service behind him?”

Kodo turned to Ceridwyn Nightshade. “Do I have your word of honor that everything in these journals is accurate?”

“Absolutely, my lord. My word of honor.”

“Now
that
I believe, Constantine. You will be held on the Courageous and taken back to His Resplendant Majesty for trial. Until then, you are under arrest, Constantine. Surrender your weapons to me.”

“You have no authority to arrest me! How dare you. I shall take this up with the Eperor himself. You will lose your ship. Your title—”

Kodo took an angry step closer to Anton. “Did you just threaten me and my ship? You go too far now, Anton. As for begging the Emperor, he will never give you your title back after he sees the contents of these journals. And you won't have your rakasha royalty to bail you out this time. In the meantime, you are under arrest.”

“This is a travesty!” Anton shouted. Will noted he made no move to hand over the golden swords hanging on his belt. “I am governor in these lands. I rule here. Not you, Kodo—”

The naval captain and Imperial Lord continued implacably, “By the authority vested in me
directly
by His Resplendent Majesty, Maximillian the Third, Emperor of Koth, I hereby remove the title of Governor of Dupree from you.”

Will was so shocked, he could hardly fathom what he was witnessing. It was as if the entire order of everything had shifted. As if the entire world had shifted upon its axis. And somehow—he was not sure exactly how—he was part of whatever had been set in motion.

Forces he did not ken swirled around him, converging upon this point in space and time to a purpose he did not yet see. But one thing he knew. A blow had been struck against the Empire this day. A brick had been knocked loose from the wall of Imperial power.

Satisfaction coursed through him. One brick at a time, he would do his part to bring the Kothite house down.

Kodo glanced around at the crowd before continuing grimly, “First Advisor Nightshade, as you are the logical choice to take over as interim governor I hereby—“

Will started when the nulvari woman interrupted. “Before you finish that statement, Captain, I must refuse the position and title of governor. This colony needs a clean start free of any taint of Anton's corrupt regime. And while I did not condone his actions, I am nonetheless not the right person for the job. My path leads in other directions.”

“You are certain?” Kodo responded.

She bowed formally in the elven fashion. “I am certain, my Lord Captain.” She turned and paced down the dock toward shore with all the dignity of her kind.

Will watched her departure in shock. What kind of person turned down such an honor? Such power? The world shifted a bit more out of its normal orbit. For his part, Selea looked satisfied. As if honor had been well served. What was that about?

Kodo was speaking again. “… Lady Wingblade, as the ranking Imperial noble present other than myself, and the only Kothite noble in this place upon whom I can count not to be tainted or corrupted by the former governor, I hereby appoint you temporary governess of Dupree until such time as a permanent replacement shall be named by the Emperor. Do you accept?”

The avarian woman looked shell-shocked. “I suppose so.” Then with more strength in her voice, “Yes, Captain. I accept.”

Kodo wheeled back around to face Anton. “As for you Constantine. You will return with me to the Imperial Seat and stand trial for crimes against the Empire.” He gestured to his sailors. “Take him aboard the
Courageous
and lock him up—”

Anton turned without warning and barreled into the crowd. The nearest bystanders appeared so stunned by Kodo's declaration that they did nothing to block Anton's way.

When Kodo's men would have given chase, they charged straight into the main body of Anton's guards, who seemed not to know whether to stand and fight or to flee along with their leader. The crowd roared and surged forward as sailors from the black ship and soldiers of the Haelan legion appeared to be scuffling on the dock. Will had no idea which side the locals supported, and mayhap the peasants did not know, either. The earlier brawl, which Krugar's men had mostly suppressed, flared back up, and in moments the entire pier was engulfed in fisticuffs.

A knife slipped between Will's wrists, and the ropes holding his hands fell away. Hyland's voice murmured in his ear, “My house. As soon as you can.”

Will eased away from Krugar, who was busy shouting orders at his men to form up around the new governess and protect her. He saw Sha'Li slip into the crowd and disappear from sight. Rosana was already kneeling beside someone hurt on the ground, and he grabbed her arm.

“Quickly, we must go. There will be plenty of wounded to heal elsewhere.”

She nodded and followed him as he plunged into the raucous crowd. He used his height and strength to protect her from the worst of the flailing fists and improvised weapons. He spied a small opening in the crush and darted for it with her in tow, slipping through it just before the gap closed behind them.

They ran, holding hands, until the worst of the fighting fell behind them. People streamed toward the shore from all over the city, and the two of them were buffeted by the crowds heading the other direction. But eventually even that abated.

“Where to now?” she panted.

“Hyland's house.”

They rounded a corner and the landsgrave's walled compound loomed ahead.

“Do you suppose anyone will join us here?” she asked as they reached the barred gates.

He knocked smartly on the postern door. “Let us find out, shall we?”

One of Hyland's retainers let them into the relative quiet of the bailey. They appeared to be the first of their party to arrive. Or perhaps they were the only members of their party who planned to continue the quest.

“Is Anton Constantine really finished?” Rosana asked in a small voice.

“It appears that way.” Memory of that brief glimpse of freedom Will had experienced in Gawaine's presence surged through him. Events were moving almost too quickly to comprehend, like a boulder rolling down a hill, gathering speed as it went.

Will and Rosana conversed quietly for a time about inconsequential matters. The big unanswered questions hung between them, unspoken. Would anyone else help them find Kendrick? Would the others continue the quest to finish waking the Sleeping King now that they knew full well how dangerous it would be? What would become of the two of them?

The sun was casting long shadows upon the courtyard when Eben slipped in through the postern gate. Will had been certain the jann would go after Kendrick and his sister, but it was still a huge relief to see Eben here. “How's the arm?”

Eben flexed the new arm that had regenerated upon his resurrection. “Fine. I'm just back from the Heart. The High Matriarch declared me fully cured of the plague and was kind enough to get rid of my slave mark.”

Will put a hand on the jann's shoulder and said low, “I will never forget your sacrifice, my friend.”

Eben nodded shortly. “A life well spent. We know what we must do next. After we find Kendrick.”

“Of course.” Will smiled. “Kendrick first. And then other adventures.”

“No,” Rosana disagreed. “Your cure first, Will Cobb.
Then
Kendrick. Then … the other.”

“You always were a bossy little thing,” Will teased her. Besides, he'd been feeling a little better since whatever she'd done with Bloodroot to save his life.

Eben's chuckle was still fading when a quick knock upon the postern door made Will turn quickly. He glimpsed a dark, shiny form slipping through the gate and into the shadows.
Sha'Li?
Now that surprised him.

Will strode over to where she lurked, looking around suspiciously. “Well met, Sha'Li,” he said warmly. She lifted her chin in gruff greeting, looking as surly as ever. “What's that upon your face?” he inquired.

Her hand reached up almost shyly to brush the white lines there. They formed a stylized moon-and-stars symbol. What had she called it? The Tribe of the Moon mark? “Nothing it is,” she mumbled.

If he did not know better, he would say she was embarrassed.

Rosana exclaimed, “Congratulations upon getting your mark! And a white one, no less.”