Ordermaster (72 page)

   
"I represented the renderer. Captain Egen was not exactly happy. Did you see where he went?"

"He looked less than pleased, but he rode off up the hill."

   
"The renderer may show up at the residence. We might as well use him, if he does. He has some ability with a staff. Enough to take out three of Egen's patrollers."

   
Kharl glanced out the carriage window, toward the harbor. One of the Sarronnese warships was swinging clear of the pier, and the other looked to be ready to follow the first.

   
If matters in Brysta simmered on, and no conflict appeared in the next few days, Kharl would have to have Erdyl write a letter begging Egen's indulgence, but he could do that. He'd also have to tell Fundal to expect Werwal.

   
Kharl smiled. At the least, if Werwal could fight off Egen's patrollers, he wouldn't make a bad guard until Kharl could make arrangements to have the renderer and his consort leave Brysta.

LXXVII

Delatedly, Kharl had ordered Mantar to drive up Lord's Road from the Hall of Justice. Even from just outside the Quadrancy Keep, Kharl had not been able to sense the kind of chaos that surrounded a white wizard. Nor had there been any chaos near the Hamorian residence. In fact, the Hamo-rian envoy's residence had felt deserted. Kharl had not liked that at all.

   
After checking the Hamorian residence with his order-senses, Kharl had Mantar swing back by the harbor. Both Sarronnese warships were well beyond the breakwaters, and a single iron-hulled warship was making its way past the harbor forts-a Hamorian ship. Despite the muting effects of the water and the iron, Kharl could sense that there were several white wizards on board.

"Ser?"

"More white wizards on that ship."

   
"With them and the rain, won't be long before things get tight," suggested the undercaptain. "You thinking we should move out?"

   
"That would be a good idea, if we had anyplace to go." Also, even using the wagon and the carriage, Kharl doubted that they had mounts and space enough to take everyone housed at the residence. Given Egen's vin-dictiveness, Kharl had no doubts that anyone remaining would be in great danger, and the captain could always claim that none of them were protected by being part of the envoy's staff because they were all from Brysta.

"Sure would like some more armsmen."

 
  
"That would help," Kharl agreed, not voicing his thoughts that even a full company of armsmen and lancers would not make that much difference.

   
The streets were not quite so busy as usual on a fourday, but they were far from deserted. Kharl found the situation almost like a dream-or a nightmare. Egen had a private army ready to take over the city. The rain would keep falling, and make it hard for anyone else to contest Egen's control, and the Hamorians now had at least four white wizards supporting them. Kharl also suspected that the white wizard who had been in the Quadrancy Keep might well have left to join Egen-or the Hamorians.

Yet, with all that, nothing in Brysta looked amiss.

"We'll have to mount some sort of guard," Kharl said.

   
"Yes, ser." After a moment, the undercaptain added, "Sure would like a good squad of lancers."

   
"That would help," Kharl said. So would being in a position to strike at Egen. One of Kharl's problems was that neither Ostcrag nor Osten seemed to understand, or want to acknowledge the depth of Egen's treachery. Every other envoy seemed to see it. Then, reflected Kharl, perhaps Ostcrag and Osten did as well, but had their own plans. Or found themselves unable to act because they had discovered too late that they had been out-maneuvered.

   
What made it worse for Kharl was that he didn't care for any of them. It was just that the idea of Hamorian control of Nordla was even less appealing.

He took a deep slow breath.

"Piss poor situation, ser," offered Demyst.

   
"It is." It was even worse than that. If he could find Egen at the moment, killing him might well help Kharl and those with him. It would not help Ghrant and Hagen, because they would be seen as wanting to meddle in other land's affairs. That would not help Kharl over the long term. And that was if Kharl could even find Egen and kill him against the opposition of the Hamorian white wizards. Then, he might not have to find Egen. Egen might well soon be after him-and everyone close to Kharl.

   
Kharl looked out the coach window. Once more, everything that he tried to do to help those he cared for seemed to turn back against him. Yet, if he had not stood up for Werwal.. . who would have?

   
Kharl just hoped Werwal listened to his consort and hurried to the residence.

LXXVIII

in the late-evening air, misty and damp, Kharl stood in the darkness on the front portico of the envoy's residence. He could barely see Sestalt, stationed by Demyst on the corner of the portico overlooking the brick drive and the now-closed gate, but the newly retained guard's presence was more than clear to Kharl's order-sense.

   
In the end, after talking matters over with Demyst, Erdyl, and Jeka, Kharl had decided to remain at the residence for a time. While staying was far from good, in the rain and without the support of armsmen or lancers, until he had a better idea of what was going to happen, trying to leave could well place them in a worse position, at least. He was definitely missing such necessities for the road as scouts and supplies. For the moment, at least, he was also in city that he knew.

The rain had subsided into a foggy mist a glass or so past sunset, but

the clouds above remained, and the next few days would likely bring more rain.

   
There were two concentrations of chaos. One was centered near the harbor, probably at the newer barracks at the old slateyard or at the Hamo-rian warship. The other was somewhere to the south, near the new south patroller barracks. There was another fainter hint of chaos even farther south, but that might have been seemed fainter because it was at the quarries and more distant, although Kharl was guessing about that. The nearer chaos to the south was moving slowly toward Kharl.

   
The rain would not help the white wizards, but Egen also faced a tradeoff. He needed the rain to slow any reinforcements to his sire and brothers, although, from what Kharl had heard, it was likely that Vielam was also backing Egen. For the moment, Kharl could not tell exactly how far away the chaos might be, except that it had to be several kays away.

"What you doing?"

   
Kharl jumped slightly. He'd been so intent on tracking the chaos that he'd not paid any attention to his immediate surroundings, and Jeka had seemed to appear from nowhere. "There's a white wizard heading in our direction, maybe more than one. I was trying to find out how far away he was."

"Why'd you come back? Really?"

"I had to."

"Don't tell me it was for me."

   
"I can't lie about that." Kharl paused. "I was worried about you and Warrl. For different reasons." His laugh was soft and bitter. "I really thought Warrl would be mostly safe. I wasn't sure about you."

"I was safe."

   
"I didn't know that. I was wrong about both of you. You were safe, and he wasn't." Kharl looked out into the darkness, all too aware of Jeka's warmth and presence.

"Don't know what to make of it, do you?"

   
Kharl understood. He also understood that he didn't have a good answer.

After a silence, Jeka said, "Can't sleep. Mind if I stay here?"

"I'd like that/' Kharl admitted.

Neither spoke for a time.

Kharl continued to track the white wizards. The one from the harbor

area was clearly headed up in the direction of the Quadrancy Keep, while the one from the south was nearing the residence, and was less than a kay away. With him were at least two squads of lancers.

   
"Jeka, would you go find the undercaptain, and tell him that there are lancers headed our way?"

"I'll find him." She turned, then stopped. "You can tell that?"

"Yes."

   
Kharl kept tracking the wizards, but, in the few moments that passed before Demyst hurried across the front portico to where Kharl stood, the lancers and the accompanying wizard had not moved that much closer. "Ser? How long before they get here?"

   
"Somewhere between a quarter glass and half a glass." Kharl looked through the darkness at Jeka. "Would you wake the retainers, Fundal and all the others, and have them go down to the cellar in the main residence?"

"Not staying there."

"You don't have to. I'll need you for messages."

Jeka was off.

   
"Mind of her own, that one," Demyst said quietly. "Beauty, too, if you look close. She hides it."

Kharl was all too aware of both.

"How do you want to handle this, ser?"

   
"They've got two squads or so. I don't think they know who I am. You know what I mean?"

   
In the darkness, Demyst nodded, then replied belatedly. "They think you're Lyras, maybe?"

"Something like that. We've got a couple of crossbows, don't we?"

"Three."

   
"Why don't we just wait, and let them get close. I'll just keep behind the stone pillars there at the corner. If our men can use the third-floor front windows, that might give them an angle."

"You don't want to be inside?"

   
"I can't do what I need to do if I am." That was always the problem for Kharl. While he had means of releasing great force or redirecting the chaos of a white wizard, he had to be fairly close to do so.

"I worry .. . someday, ser ..."

"So do I," replied Kharl.

   
"I'd best be getting them positioned." Demyst slipped away into the darkness.

   
The force approaching the residence through the darkness was less than half a kay downhill, when Jeka reappeared. "Got everyone down in the cellar. Wanted to know why. Told 'em that Egen sent a white wizard. Better stay down there less they want to get burned. That right?"

"That's right."

   
"Undercaptain's got Cevor, Alynar, and Erdyl up top with crossbows. Erdyl said he was a good shot."

   
"Probably is." Kharl felt a slight twinge of something. Jealousy? He was too old to be jealous, and in too much trouble to worry about it. "He doesn't boast."

"You don't, either."

"I try not to."

   
The street and the other dwellings seemed suddenly silent, hushed as if the very structures knew that danger neared.

   
Kharl thought he heard hoofs on brick, but that might have been his imagination.

   
He kept waiting until he was certain that the muffled clop-clop-clop was indeed nearing and not something he just thought he heard.

"They're almost here. Keep down!" he hissed at Jeka.

   
"I'm down." She was crouched beneath the low stone half wall that formed the outside edge of the portico around the residence.

   
As the lancers drew up in the street below the residence, Kharl wondered why they were waiting-and for what. He could sense but a single white wizard, and an effort to collect free chaos.

   
Four lancers rode toward the gate. Between them they carried some sort of ram-sling that swung into the gate. Thud!

The four backed off, then rode forward again.

   
With a second thud, the gate, more decorative iron than barrier, broke open, and the four lancers turned their mounts.

   
As the remainder of the lancers shifted formation in some fashion, Kharl forced himself to remain behind the shelter of the stone. Then something flew past him, and the window behind him and to his left shattered, spraying glass into the residence. Flame flared up. The crossbow bolt had carried chaos.

   
What could Kharl do? For a moment, he just stared. Then he reached out with his order-senses, and hardened the very air around the chaos-flame, clamping a small order shield around it. The flame died. After a moment, he released both barriers, but the flame did not rekindle.

   
He could sense another flare of chaos headed toward the residence, and he threw up an order shield. Chaos flared against the shield, lighting the night like a lightning flash that vanished. In that moment, Kharl peered out.

Crack!