Spacer Clans Adventure 3: Naero's Fury (12 page)

They made their way out into the street, where a small crowd of people had gathered.

Many paid homage to them as they passed on.

“
Thank you, holy ones.”

“
Praise the gods.”

“
Thank you, for helping Ama and the boy.”

They said nothing for a while.

Finally, Kent made a comment. “Was that all really necessary,” he said. “Look at the time we have wasted.”

“
We are not having this same, standard argument, Chaos adept,” Oshara said, and then sighed.

“
No, seriously,” Kent said. “What real good did we do? You may feel better now, but the infant mortality rate among the natives is still sixty percent or more. The same thing could happen to that boy tomorrow, and he’ll be just as dead, like others all over this city. What difference does it make any way, if they live or die? We should not have interfered. Let things be as they will.”

“
No,” Chang Fu-han said. “A holy one here on this world would try to help when asked to do so. That is part of their purpose. They would not simply let things be as they are.”

Lijuan was quick to add,
“and when we came here two years ago, the infant mortality rate was more than seventy percent. We have helped change things for the better.”

“
That’s just it,” Tenarra said. “We’re fakes. We shouldn’t even be here, and neither should our tek–our medicines. We’re lying to these people and toying with them for our benefit, to make ourselves feel better about using their world for our purposes. Can’t you see that? We should just leave them alone, and whatever happens to them happens.”

“
I see your point and your line of reasoning,” Naero said. “But I still disagree. If I see someone who needs help, or someone asks me for help, if I am able to give it, I’m going to do so.”

“
Agreed,” all of the others said. The two out-voted Chaos adepts sighed and rolled their eyes.

The made their way through the city, bought their thon hats and some fresh dried meat, cheese, and fruit in the marketplace
.

What Naero would
n’t give for a borbble of Jett and a pod of Spum.

It took them another hour to reach the palace at the highest point of the city, well-defended and set behind high walls. They approached the massive, heavily guarded gatehouse, even though the ironbound gates and doors stood wide open, with many troops lining the way.

The leader on duty hailed them, and soldiers came forward to search them for weapons–male on male, female on female.

The veteran woman-warrior searching Naero got a bit grabby for Naero’s liking
, during the pat down.

“
Must you handle me in such fashion?” Naero said, trying to catch the flavor of the local speech in her protest.

The warrior woman chuckled. “Everyone entering the palace gets searched,” she said dryly. “No exceptions, even holy ones. The last group of assassins that attacked the palace all posed as holy ones. Before that–circus performers. Do
n’t flatter yourself, chicky. You’re a firm one, you are. But ya don’t have anything I want or need right now.” She winked at Naero. “Move along!”

They passed more soldiers, and squads of archers milling about. There was a stable in the huge courtyard, where they heard gults stamping and snorting. Guards were posted at regular intervals.

A male courtier or court official met them at the open palace gates. The palace also looked to be a fortress, and had a hexagonal wall with six high towers and battlements. The palace keep lay within, a four story structure with stained glass windows, starting on the third floor.

The keep
was cleaner than any place Naero had seen thus far, but both it and the people in it still smelled, nose filters or not.

The palace bustled with guards and nobles, and servants, all scurrying about doing something.

They were led into an ante-chamber to the throne room and told to wait there. After half an hour, a servant brought them watered wine, and bread and cheese. Naero ate a little, but put her head down on the table and slept some more when she could.

After another half hour, another courtier came for them, squeezing through the door. He was a big, fat man with expensive looking robes and thick legs. His belt was wide and plated with silver, and his long
karath dagger had jewels on the hilt.

The Changs brightened. They
obviously knew this man. He also wore a silver medallion on a thick silver chain, with the graven image of a bear on it. He had a barrel chest, and an enormous belly to go with it.

“
Lord Tholsen, our good friend,” Fu-han said, taking his big hands.

Lijuan placed hers on theirs and smiled together with them.”

“Sister Foon, Sister Lijoon. Wellmet. How are you and your brothers and sisters, this day? I see some new faces. Introduce me.”

Fu
-han did so quickly. “Sisters Tenarra, Oshara, and Naero. Brothers Kent and Timan.”

Lord Tholsen shook hands with them all. “Wellmet, I say. Now, which of you is o
ur new mediator?”

Everyone pointed to Naero.

“Bless me, she’s so young and pretty, and so tiny. I would think her a minstrel or a dancer–but surely not a mediator.”

Naero stepped forward and took both of his hands as if he were an old family friend.

“Wellmet, milord. I assure you, I will do my best in my situation.”

“
Indeed. Let us hope so. We are ever in need of wise heads and patient minds. In truth, I am glad you have come. Our Majesties are quite beside themselves.”

“
Say that it is not so,” Fu-han said. “What is the situation?”

“
What can be done?” Lijuan added.

Lord
Tholsen let out a great sigh, as if he might deflate entirely. “Why, what has changed? No one wants to listen to anyone. Everyone seems to want to murder everyone else and rule everything. While we Thanes only want the constant warring and raiding to end–for the sake of trade, and for the sake of all. The Emperor of the Vaedo continues to play his bloody little games. He likes everyone at each others’ throats. The Kall have learned to trust no one but themselves and their mastery of their ships, and so therefore, no one can trust them, either. The Maedo are suffering more than anyone, these bloody days. Their position and situation is the weakest, and so they remain defensive and silent, withdrawing at the least insult or sign of aggression. They’ve withdrawn into their mountain forts.”

“
So, as usual,” Fu-han said, “the four city states remain divided and at each others’ throats, constantly on the brink of open war.”

Lord Tholsen nodded. “Yes, that about covers it. The endless raids continue, but no one will make a move openly, in fear of the other three banding together against them.”

“A four-way standoff,” Naero said. “That does not sound good for anyone.”

“
It most certainly is not,” Lord Tholsen said. “The stalemate must be broken, but everyone is afraid to do so, and risk making themselves a target for the other three to dismember.”

Naero considered the situation. She neede
d more time to learn the particulars, if the High Masters wanted her to take a crack at negotiating a solution.

She also needed more time to read more of the reports.

“As Mediator, I want to speak to the representatives of all four parties separately, before I meet with them all together,” Naero insisted.

“
I can arrange that, over the next few days,” Tholsen told her. “In the afternoons, say around this time?”

“
That will be fine. Who can I speak to today?”

Tholsen blinked. “
Why…Their Majesties, of course.”

“
Of course.”

“
Just give me a moment, and we’ll be ushered in shortly.”

“
Thank you, milord.” He slipped out.

Naero immediately turned to the Changs.

“Quick, what do I need to know about the King and Queen of Thanarra?

Fu-han spoke first. “King Arrok is a warrior king, but with a keen mind. He wants things to change, but is not in a place to change them. Most of all, he wants to protect his people from the sort of thing that is happening to the weaker, less numerous, Maedo. There are only about four or five thousand Maedo left, where there used to be twice that many. Queen Liita
of Thanarra is a warrior queen, with a bad temper, not as intelligent as her lord, but she is more compassionate in some ways. They have two children: Prince Shondar, who is fourteen and very headstrong, and Princess Iiden, twelve, who everyone dotes on, especially her parents.”

Lijuan took over. “
The king and queen secretly despise Emperor Vauk of the Vaedo, a vulgar, ruthless bully, but the Vaedo are currently in the strongest position of all the city states. There is mistrust between King Arrok and Haikoda, the Sea King. Haikoda trusts no one and will only meet with others on his ships. It is said that he will never set foot on land until there is peace. The sea people number about fifteen thousand, and control the bay with their warships. Everyone needs them to some degree. Queen Aijarri of the Maedo warrior women was betrayed by the Vaedo, and has suffered several crushing defeats in the past two years. The Maedo are in a bad way. If not for their mountain fortresses, they would have been wiped out by now.”

Lord Tholsen returned to them at that very moment.

“Good Sisters and Brothers,” Tholsen said. “Their Majesties will see you now.”

14

The throne room was filled with guards and nobles of the Thanarran court, milling about on either side of a long
, dusty purple carpet, leading up to the two thrones. The vaulted stone ceiling, about fifteen meters up, was decorated with woven tapestries, just like the walls. Guttering torches of pitch and candle lanterns provided light in the large, drafty room.

To Naero’s nose, all of the Thanarrans smelled bad. The constant odor was difficult to overcome or ignor
e. She could smell the king and queen–and the queen’s nasty perfume–even as she approached the thrones.

She stopped at a safe distance, about ten meters, leaned on her staff, and bowed her head as she dipped one knee. The Thanarrans did not require people to
actually kneel before them.

“
Well met, holy sister,” the King said. “I am King Arrok, ruler of Thanarra, with my beloved Queen Liita by my side. You are the mediator the priests sent to help us?”

Naero looked up at them, cast back her hood, and smiled. “I am. My name is Naero, and I am you
r mediator.”

The queen became livid. The king burst out laughing.

“Why, you’re nothing but a child,” the queen protested. “The holy ones sent us a little girl to mediate for us? Outrageous. Emperor Vauk will dip her in sauce and devour her for breakfast, like one of his dainties.”

“
Verily,” the king said, still chuckling. “Is this some jest? Please, tell us, child.”

Naero shrugged. She took the king’s eye and held
it with force of will. “Forgive me, Majesties. I am older, wiser, and much tougher than I look. Please do not judge me by appearances. I will do my best for you.”

The king pondered for a moment, rubbing his beard. “The gods must have sent you to us for a reason, perhaps one we do not yet understand. The situation remains impossible, and in any case–I
like what I see in your eyes, Sister Naero. We have nothing to lose here. Perhaps the others will underestimate you as well. You have our permission to act in our names, for the good of all.”

Naero dipped her knee again and bowed her head. “Thank you,
Your Majesties.”

The Queen clapped her hands twice. “These holy ones will dine with us at our table tonight, in honor.”

They were given leave to explore the palace, the gardens, and the palace grounds–as well as a chamber to rest in until dinner was served that evening. After dinner, they would return to the Mystic caves in the mountains. Naero studied the layout of the palace.

They arrived early for dinner. Naero felt her sense of warning spike, as they approached the dining hall. One of their cloaked
spyfixers sounded a quiet alarm through a com dot in their ears.

Om. What is going on?

The cloaked spyfixers have scanned the food and the table setting for infection or disease. It appears that the actual cups and dishes for the royal family have been coated with an invisible glaze of a strong poisonous substance. Any food or drink served in those cups and dishes will become lethal if consumed.

Naero whispered the situation to the other adepts.

“The rest of you stay here and watch everything. The Changs and I are going to speak with Their Majesties. Don’t let anyone touch or put anything on these dishes.”

They went looking for Lord Tholsen, but could not find him
.

A page put them in contact with the House Master, Gavan, who took them to the Captain of the Guard. They sent word to the royals, and went to the head cook and the royal taster. The king’s loremaster, doctor, and apothecary were all sent for.

A full investigation began. Naero and the Changs each went with one of the three fact-finding teams, who began to question anyone involved with washing and storing the dishes and setting the table.

They came back to one of the meeting rooms in half an hour and disclosed their findings.

“So,” Naero said. “Three people handled the place settings for the royals. A dishwasher, a serving girl who brought them out to the table, and the table-setter.”

Turvar, Captain of the Palace Guard jumped in. “We are questioning the dishwasher and the setter and we have searched their quarters and work areas. Nothing points to them.”

Naero and the Changs and their fixers had confirmed that. No trace of the poison yet.

“
Where is the serving girl?” Fu-han asked.

Gavan the House Master paled. “That is a problem, I’m afraid. Jannil lives near the palace with her family; you can see her home from the west wall. She asked if she could go home today–to tend some family who had taken ill. I sent her home, right after she brought the place settings out. She’s always been a good girl, a very sweet child.”

“I know the girl,” Turvar said. “She comes from a good family, very loyal. I can’t believe she would have a hand in anything like this.”

“
It is always someone you would least suspect,” Naero said. “Show me the girl’s family home on our way down. Captain, get your people to that house as fast as you can.”

On the west side of the palace, Turvar pointed down at the tidy house of the serving girl Jannil and her family.

“I have to get away by myself,” Naero told the Changs. “You two go with the Captain.”

“
I’m going to stay here,” Naero announced. “Perhaps I can speak to Their Majesties at some point. Let me know what you find with the serving girl. Search her home well, and bring her back to the palace.”

After they left, Naero ducked into an empty chamber.

She cloaked and activated her psyonic wings.

Once unseen, it was nothing to
leap off the west wall and float down to Jannil’s home. Naero landed toward the rear of the home and approached the back door and windows.

Immediately she heard tense voices within.

“I did as you asked,” a young girl’s voice sobbed. “Gods forgive me, it is done. Now keep your word, and let my family go free. Do whatever you wish with me. My life is forfeit, either way.”

An oily voice spoke calmly. “We must wait until we have news from the palace,” the man said. “Be at peace, little one. It will all be over, very soon.”

Naero slipped in through an open window.

Jannil faced down five large men, all of them heavily cloaked and hooded
, yet they bristled with weapons, and all but the leader held long blackened daggers in their ready hands.

They only awaited orders.

“Tie her up. Gag her with the rest.”

The four thugs quickly overpowered Jannil. In seconds she was tossed in among the rest of her family in the meeting hall, crying and murmuring like them. Naero made out the girl’s parents, a younger brother and a sister, even a small child of about three–all helpless.

One of the thugs glared at the captives and then spoke nervously. “Master, we should have heard something by now. Something may have gone wrong. We should flee.”

Their leader thought a moment. “I agree. Make sure of them all. Slash their throats open. Do
n’t get any of the blood on you. Then we slip out of the city.”

Naero had heard enough. She zapped all five thugs with partial stun bursts to weaken and disorient them.

The thugs staggered and nearly fell over.

“
What is happening to us?”

“
Witchcraft! I can barely stand.”

“
All strength has left me!”

“
Get out, you fools. We must get away from this place!”

They fell over each other to
scramble out of the house.

The five thugs had barely staggered forty meters away, when Turvar and his guards fell on them and subdued them further, beating them
senseless and tying them up.

Naero slipped back out the window, and up to the palace. In less than an hour, the assassins and Jannil and her family were all hauled up to the palace guard tower for questioning. Naero and the Changs were present for most of that.

It was clear that Jannil and her family were helpless pawns. The thugs were clearly trained professional assassins, and revealed nothing, even when the palace guards beat and tortured them.

The king and queen entered quietly, wearing cloaks of disguise so that they could listen in.

“We’re wasting our time,” Turvar said, spitting in the face of the smiling leader. “We’ve seen their kind before. They won’t tell us anything useful.”

“
The gods shall reveal the truth,” Naero said. “Let me examine the leader.” She quickly formed a mindlink with him.

This man’s stench was even worse. He reeked of death.

“Who hired you, assassin?”

He tried to mock her. “
Who else? The gods.”

It was a small matter to
search his unshielded thoughts.

“
You were hired by Haikoda, the Sea King. He paid you and your guild three hundred talents in silver.”

The leader paled. “Filthy witch.
Unhand me! I did not say that. You couldn’t know that. Sorcery!”

“
The Sea King paid for your services, but you actually work for Emperor Vauk of the Vaedo. He blackmailed Haikoda into doing so, by kidnapping the Sea King’s youngest brother, Jigan. But Jigan is already dead. You dipped the youth in whale blood and fed him to the sharks, feet first, while Emperor Vauk looked on, and laughed at the sight.”

The Master Assassin foamed at the mouth in rage. “Filthy, rutting, bloody witch!”

Turvar struck the wretch so hard with his heavy, gauntleted fist, that broken teeth and blood sprayed out.

“
Murdering bastard,” Turvar shouted. “You and your vile kind are steeped in blood. The hangman’s noose is too kind for you!”

Naero sighed.
“This entire scheme, was meant to bring the Thanes and the Kall to war–whether the royal family perished or not. Planted evidence would point to the Sea King. The poison is a lethal concoction made from the puffer fish. The assassins themselves have already boasted about how much Haikoda paid them for the deed.”

The
Master Assassin went mad, seething and fuming at her through his broken face.

“
The final goal is clear. Once Thanarra and Kallos weakened each other sufficiently through a senseless war, Vaedor would sweep in to conquer them both, and in the end, Emperor Vauk would rule all things.”

Naero stepped further back in disgust. “That is the truth of things, as the gods reveal them to me.”

The king and queen pulled their cowls down and revealed themselves. All present bowed to them.

“
Stand with us, my good friends,” King Arrok said, “in the face of this naked treachery. Errant knaves, you who sought our lives and the lives of our blameless children.”

Warrior Queen Liita gritted her teeth and drew the long gleaming sword she kept at her side. “Hang them. Hang them now, before I run them through, by my own hand.
You meant to murder my children? You devils will harm no one, ever again!”

The killers were ushered out to their fate.

The king came forward and took Naero’s hands in wonder. “Forgive me for doubting you, holy sister. The gods have given you the gift to read men’s hearts and discern the truth?”

“
At times, my king. When they see fit to grant me that power.”

He placed her hands on his face.

“Prove it to me. Something I have never told another, even my beloved. When I was a youth, I broke my arm. How did it really happen?”

Naero closed her eyes, and formed the mindlink.

“You told your parents it happened during sword practice, but earlier that morning, you rode you father’s warhorse in the fog and fell hard when it threw you.”

King Arrok gasped and turned away.

“Amazing. It is true then. Thank you, Sister Naero. Thank you for saving our lives, and the lives of our people. Whether anything happened to us or no–there would have been war, and Vaedor would have been the winner when all was done.”

The king left them all, deep in thought at all that had transpired.

Queen Liita sheathed her sword, and also came to Naero.

“
My sweet child, I too doubted you. Can you ever forgive me?”

Naero bowed her head. “There is naught to forgive,
Your Majesty.”

“
You have saved my life, and those of my family. I can never repay you, You shall be welcome within our halls at any hour. You have but to name your wish, and if it is in our power, it shall be granted.”

“
Nothing but your good will, my queen.”

“
I am a woman, so I must ask. Did you truly read the heart of the king? Are you blessed which such power?”

“
The king is a good man, and strong of heart and will, my queen. Yet as you know, he is beset with many troubles, and worries greatly about the future of his reign, his children, and his people.”