The Invisible Chains - Part 2: Bonds of Fear (20 page)

“Calm down, Tenax. On yours. Haven’t I always been? But it

doesn’t pay to underestimate your opponent. He stamps his foot on

the ground and an army rises out of it. Quite some doing for a mere

boy. Admit it.”

“You have a point, I guess,” Tenaxos agreed grudgingly.

“I most certainly have. Maybe it is not too late.”

“It is of course, but I must go through the motions.”

“How so?” the high king asked.

“You could still summon him and tell him why you don’t want him

to fight the Mukthars. Make it out to be a great honor that you are

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taking him into your confidence. Make it seem as if you are holding

him in the highest esteem, above all his brothers. Flatter him a bit.

Never met a youngster who didn’t fall for honest flattery. Especially

from his elders. Just don’t overdo it. Honest flattery, honest being the

key word. Based in truth. Then make him see why it isn’t opportune

to wage war against the barbarians now. Share the burden of the

crown with him.”

Tenaxos hesitated.

“Don’t you think I’ve considered that course myself? The last

one who shared the burden of the crown was his Glorious Majesty

Portonas III. We know how that ended. Of all people, we two should

know, as we organized most of it.”

The baron laughed out loud.

“Ha, my poor, poor friend. You’re afraid that your youngest will

drag you by your cock from the throne.”

“Gerri, damn it. Do you have to use such coarse language. But, yes,

partially I have to take that into account. There is another concern.

You’ve read the reports. He’s stubborn. What if, after I explain the

reasons to him, he still goes obstinately ahead. What if he hoodwinks

me, feigns to understand and comply, and once back in the Northern

Marches flaunts my authority and quietly goes on preparing for

an armed conflict with all the disastrous consequences that would

entail? Tell me. How can I trust him? Trust him enough to not set the

whole country on fire?”

“He’s not stupid.”

“No, he isn’t, but he doesn’t know what we know.”

“Then tell him.”

“He’s a hands on guy. He’ll want to find out for himself. And,

Gerri, he hasn’t lived, like you, for more than a year amongst the

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Mukthars, learning their ways and traditions. He doesn’t know their

real strength.”

“Very well. What is your alternative?”

“You go to the Northern Marches and you tell him. Order him to

desist.”

“Basically you want me to do what you already have Dem for.”

“Yes, but you’re better at it and I’ll give you more authority.”

Damydas raised his eyebrows, more for show than out of real

surprise.

“A third autarchy, Tenax?”

“You read he reports. You’ll bloody well need it.”

“Tenax, a word to the wise. Once you make me an autarch, the

only thing I will take into account is the safety of the kingdom. And I

will permit nobody, nobody at all, to endanger that. You understand

that, don’t you? I will take every measure I think necessary for the

well being of Ximerion, and I mean literally any measure. Think.

Think hard before you decide.”

Tenaxos seemed to hesitate. He shook his head as if to chase

away all doubt.

“I’ve already thought hard and long. I see no other way… Gerri,

you only will take extreme measures if there is absolutely, definitely

no other way, won’t you?”

It sounded almost like a plea.

“If you mean will I execute Anaxantis if I think it is necessary, then

the answer is: in the blink of an eye. Make no mistake about that. But

I give you my word that I will only do so after having exhausted every

other possibility. Every other possibility.”

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The high king sighed.

“That will have to do. We’ll discuss the exact terms like duration

and territory this evening. How will you go about it?”

The baron shrugged.

“I’ll have to give it some careful consideration. I also need to

collect a team of Black Shields and make some other preparations,

but, right off the top of my head, I was thinking of explaining to him

what you didn’t. Contrary to you, I can do so without loss of face. I

didn’t explain all this to Whingomar or the lord mayor of Dermolhea

twelve years ago, but with them flourishing my title and suggesting

what the price of disobedience would be worked just fine. After a few

whacks with the stick, I held a couple of carrots before their noses,

and that was it. In all likelihood that won’t work with Anaxantis, but I

can tell him how I came to know about the Oath of Sherashty between

the Mukthar tribes while I lived amongst them. It’s an interesting

story, don’t you think? He might even listen to me.”

“Let’s hope so. I hate seeing talent go to waste.”

“While seeing a son go to waste is of no concern to you?” Damydas

mocked.

“No. No, of course that is a concern as well.”

“Well, I’ve been up all night. I urgently need a bath, a whore,

another bath, food, and a bed. In that order.”

“Yes. Thank you, my friend.”

“One more thing. I still think it’s a shame you didn’t explain

yourself to him about the Oath of Sherashty and how a major defeat

of one tribe would make the other tribes come to their aid. He’s

headstrong maybe, but he’s nobody’s fool. Surely, if he understood

that defeating one Mukthar tribe would make the other tribes honor

bound to give them armed assistance, he would think again. I’m sure

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he’s wise enough to understand that resisting a force of ten thousand

barbarians is one thing, but that a flood of one hundred thousand

Mukthars is a totally different proposition. Don’t you think he will

agree that it is best to let the sleeping giant sleep on quietly?”

“And what if he doesn’t care about waking the sleeping giant?

What if he answers you that in that case he will raise an army of a

hundred and fifty thousand?”

“Then, we really would have a problem.”

The baron had almost reached the door when he turned back a

last time.

“Still, my friend, I can’t see why you didn’t tell him all this yourself.”

After the baron had left, Tenaxos sank in his chair.

“Because I was afraid. That’s why. I was afraid I might like him.”

Baron Gerrubald of Damydas, captain of the Black Shields,

retired, but soon to be in active service again, as well as to be made

an autarch for the third time, hastened to his temporary apartments.

“A good thing you called me, old friend. You can’t see it of course.

You can’t possibly know, but your youngest is far too dangerous to run

around the country unchecked. Or be alive. You’ll be so kind as to give

me the authority to do something about that, won’t you? The moment

you make me an autarch, he’s as good as dead. Count on it. I’ll have the

little cocksucker strangled as soon as I can. Don’t thank me. It will be

entirely my pleasure.”

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Chapter 5:

Tomorrow’s Fire

Two women, one pudgy, the other taller but equally fat, scurried

hastily along the wall that encircled the big house. When they came

to the gate the tall one pulled a chain five times. Someone looked

through a small hatch, and moments later the door opened just

enough to let the two portly ladies through.

Once inside, Emelasuntha removed her black wig with a sigh of

relief.

“Damn, that thing is warm. It won’t be a moment too soon when I

can remove this padding from under my clothes,” she said.

“Now you know how it feels to be me,” Sobrathi replied.

“You’re used to it, dear,” the queen said. “I’m not.”

Several servants who had recognized Emelasuntha came running

toward them.

“You, take this thing,” she said, holding out the wig. “And you,

loosen the straps at the back and help me get rid of these cushions.

Damn, I feel like a stuffed goose. A cooked, stuffed goose.”

Sobrathi looked at her, slightly miffed.

“Oh, you can carry it, dear. On you it looks good. Fits the powerful,

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smart woman you are.”

“Nice save, dear,” she replied dryly.

“Did I lay it on too thick?” Emelasuntha smiled.

“You certainly could use some lessons from the Tektiranga on

how to insult women politely.”

They entered the house and went up the stairs, taking two steps

at a time. On the second floor Emelasuntha entered a room without

stopping or knocking.

The master of the House looked, first with anger, then with a

mixture of awe and fear at the intruders.

“Your Majesty, what an unexpected honor.”

“Yes, it is,” Emelasuntha replied curtly. “Who are you?” she asked

of the second person in the room.

“My name is Ffindall Dram, Your Majesty. I’m the overseer of the

eastern sector. I just finished giving my report to the master of the

House and we were discussing some of the… more delicate points.”

“I see. Well, carry on. Pretend I’m not even here.”

The master cleared his throat.

“As I was saying, Ffindall, I’m not prepared to appropriate these

funds, merely because one of your agents has a hunch.”

“It’s somewhat more than a hunch, master.”

“And somewhat less than a solid lead,” the master answered.

“Just because we have money doesn’t mean we should spend it

irresponsibly.”

“I know that since the king left for the southern border, the royal

castle has lost some of its importance, but the Royal Administration

and the headquarters of the Black Shields are still there. My urgent

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advise is to arrange for more operatives inside the walls.”

“How many do we have for the moment?” Emelasuntha asked.

“Four, your Majesty,” Ffindall answered.

“Four, that seems a bit on the low side, indeed,” the queen said.

“Oh, Ffindall, the first time you call me Your Majesty, after that my

lady will suffice.”

She smiled broadly. Ffindall became red in the face.

“Yes, Your — my lady.”

“Well,” she said, turning to the master, “why have our effectives

in the royal castle dwindled from more than twenty to a mere four?”

“As I said, my lady, the action is where the king is. Not that the

castle is an empty husk, but its significance has diminished. So much

so that, in my view, it doesn’t warrant the expenditure of a great

number of operatives anymore.”

Emelasuntha looked again at Ffindall.

“Well?”

“Eh… yes, that may very well be the case, but a lot of what goes

on at the southern border trickles down to the Royal Administration.

Almost everything to do with the Black Shields is still decided here,

and if not, the preparations for any action are most certainly made

here. For the moment we’re as good as blind in that respect.”

“Nonsense,” the master intervened. “Ffindall, sometimes I wonder

if we made the right decision when we appointed you Overseer of