To Be Grand Maestro (Book 5) (49 page)

The only decorations in the office of the highest executive in Aakadon were plaques representing the seven guilds and a mural on the ceiling depicting, in brilliant colors, the Grand Maestro as champion against all forms of violence and corruption in the world. What constitutes corruption, Talmon wondered, any actions taken by a person or group not in harmony with Aakadon? That was the simple definition taught to entry level Talenteds. Delineations were less complicated before a young mountaineer cast his first spell on Tannakonna and proved to be as much a thorn in the side of Aakadon as to the Serpent Guild.

The Chosen Vessel is supposed to be the Creator’s champion against evil and yet Aakadon’s champion, as depicted in the mural, fights against him. Was it the incredible number of lightning bolts on the shoulders of one so young and the possibility such power could corrupt him that made the former mountaineer seem so bad? If the possibility of being corrupted becomes the new definition, then every spell-caster ever born is corrupt.

Daniel Benhannon could easily challenge for leadership the Maestro of whichever guild accepted him. Does that make him corrupt because he is a threat to someone’s career? Is being born an Aakasear what makes him corrupt in the eyes of most Accomplisheds? There is no question he has broken the laws of Aakadon and therefore is corrupt by legal definition. Does being out of harmony with Aakadon actually constitute corruption? The young man is guilty of being a rogue, but how could he be anything else when the only guild that actively attempted to recruit him was the Serpent? This being the case, it is little wonder he felt the need to establish his own.

These questions and thoughts began plaguing Talmon Reese after a small number of meetings with the Aakasear in the wildernesses of Ducaun and Lobenia. He thought of them now while standing before the desk of the Grand Maestro, after delivering the latest report from Senior Soarer Vance Cummin. He watched as the leader of Aakadon put away a communication amulet. Accomplisheds assigned to all twelve royal courts had transmitted the respective monarch’s concern over the immensely powerful harmonic waves that had washed over the continent several marks ago. It was all the results of the same mysterious spell, something relatively harmless and annoying that has been cast every morning. “Whatever Daniel Benhannon is up to on Mount Filia, one could calibrate a chrono disk by the regularity.” Talmon broke the silence.

Efferin, clothed in his green and scarlet silks and hooded cloak with the six golden lightning bolts stitched into the shoulders, closed the desk drawer and looked up at hearing the remark. “If you are curious, why have you not sent Soarers to investigate?”

The close relationship between Talmon and the Grand Maestro had not been the same since the events on Shantear and only grew more strained after the vote concerning the Chosen Vessel. Being asked a question when the answer is already known was further evidence of the tension. “The reason, as you well know, is the vast resources you have directed me to invest in the apprehension of Daniel Benhannon. Not only have I sent the thousands of Eagles who were involved in the excavation of Mount Gosian, you required flocks from all over the continent and Serinia. Hence, we know very little of what is happening in the world beyond what can be gleaned from the Capitol cities.”

The Grand Maestro sniffed as if getting a whiff of something unpleasant but not worth taking the time to seek out the source. “True, yet those reports have proven accurate. We know the renegade was in New Oben ten days ago and from gleaning information into and out of Ducanton, that he is in the city even as we speak,” Efferin replied as if satisfied with the meager resources.

“And if you had not recalled Fenton Chen, we would have no need to glean what could have been ascertained first hand,” Talmon answered back sharply, perhaps too sharply. “I noticed, Grand Maestro, you did not mention some of the other facts coming in from the Capitols. Your plan has resulted in attacks on Ducaunan ports along the Taltin Sea; intense fighting that has resulted in the loss of life and ships on both sides. Queen Cleona’s legions are skirmishing almost daily with those of Pentrosa at the border and the Atlantan Guild fought back a massive attack perpetrated by the Serpent Guild in the region of the Benhannon Northland Holding. And let us not forget Cenkataar’s brief invasion of Ducaun, two legions were rendered unconscious by Daniel Benhannon and his associates, and then transported back across the border. Even though there was no loss of life, King KaTaar has placed all but the Arian Legion on the border and fighting between the two kingdoms could breakout at any time.”

Efferin smiled at the news when his face should be reflecting concern. “I am pleased you finally remembered to whom you are speaking and thought to use my title in the middle of that recitation of things I already know. King KaTaar is doing what I asked of him, applying pressure, and doing so in a responsible manner. You failed to mention the person you believe to be the Chosen Vessel is the one who crossed the border and utterly destroyed a major base, killing thousands of Pentrosans, and it is those actions that intensified the violence between the two kingdoms. I cannot believe it slipped your mind since it was in a report from Vance Cummin not so long ago. The involvement of Demfilian ships in the conflict at sea can also be laid at the feet of the Renegade in light of him casting that consistently-timed spell each morning from the middle of their kingdom. As for the Serpent attack, it is clear their efforts are all aimed at Benhannon and his associates, and that works to our advantage. Tarin Conn wants him dead for the vanquishing of his guild at Shantear and his continued imprisonment. All of these factors increase the pressure on our adversary from Ducaun to withdraw from Shantear and if he is wise, to surrender himself to Aakadon.”

Those answers were good on the surface, if one went along with the high degree of speculation involved. “What about King Bolton? Do his actions factor into the pressure cooker? He has invaded Taracopa and now Aczencopa controls all of the land east of the Aczen River. He claims to have done so in response to your call for all nations sharing a border with Ducaun to help put a stop to its annexation of sovereign territory belonging to other realms. He did not have such a border and so he made one. If we do force Daniel and his illegal association out of the mountain, I have concerns about an order from you being able to stop the violence. It is not faith in your leadership I am questioning,” Talmon added quickly when the fingers on Efferin’s right hand began drumming an anxious rhythm on the desktop. “It is the ability of the commoners to cease hostilities on command.”

The fingers stopped drumming and the Grand Maestro gave a curt nod of acceptance of the clarification. “One can never predict the speed at which the command will be heeded by the commoners, so your concern is valid, and yet the violence shall end at some point once I declare a termination to all conflicts. At that time we can redirect our resources back onto Serpent Guild activities. Even though not a pulse of a spell has been felt from Kelgotha in quite some time, the followers of Tarin Conn will become more troublesome once they no longer have Benhannon as a focal point for their animosity, so we must stay vigilant. As for Taracopa, Van Efery invited the invasion by antagonizing the other kingdoms over interfering with shipping, failing to secure his borders, and by continuing to have commerce and full diplomatic relations with Ducaun.” The last sin was in all likelihood the gravest on the list in Efferin’s way of thinking. “He failed to adequately police his own kingdom and his weakness has earned him a civil war, so I accept no responsibility for what is happening in Taracopa.”

Talmon realized; the Grand Maestro was actually pleased with himself and unable to see the dangers that may be triggered by his most recent decisions. “The death of the person who cast the spell currently restraining Tarin Conn,” Talmon began to say while deliberately refraining from using the term, Dark Maestro, in front of the Grand Maestro, who only now applied it to Daniel Benhannon, “could result in the freeing of the ancient Spell-Caster. We have no idea onto what the Da Capo has been tied; it could be Daniel’s own life force.”

Efferin leaned back in his chair and waved his hand dismissively. “Our forces are nearing Shantear and other assets of the Atlantan Guild. I am aware of the danger and that is why I gave you, and all other Maestros who have assets in those areas, orders to refrain from using lethal spells unless the other side resorts to them first. Even so, the only person they are not permitted to kill for any reason is the Renegade, all other Aakacarns and commoners associated with him are expendable. When Daniel Benhannon and the members of his illegal association are in custody, I will order the kingdoms to stand down and King Bolton to withdraw from the land he has taken from Taracopa. Talmon, you worry too much, all is going according to plan, and soon a certain Seven-bolt Accomplished will be under my control.”

The assurance did nothing to relieve Talmon’s doubts and only triggered further thoughts about the wisdom of the champion in the mural choosing to face off against the Creator’s champion.

Vance Cummin walked briskly along the main corridor on the seventh level in the complex deep within Mount Suteck. The spells illuminating Serpent North lit the installation as if this was the middle of the day. No person inside paid attention to the fact that it was early evening outside. Associates of the Serpent Guild were flowing through the corridors of every level and busy at their assigned tasks, when not working on their own schemes. Ambition is something he well understood, and so he tolerated the plots and intrigues, when they did not get in the way of his goals. Male and female Accomplisheds greeted him on his way to the Pen. He accepted the salutations as his due, yet did not allow such to slow his pace.

The communication array rested on his head just about every waking mark. So much was going on that he needed to be kept informed of, it was easier to keep the device in place rather than grabbing for it every few moments. The Supreme Maestro provided guidance and inspiration to the guild, but it was he, Vance, who ran the organization, and was determined to keep it that way. Efficiency and discipline were major factors, but information kept him on top and therefore had to be accurate and frequent.

Casting the spell, Condemnation, did not take long, not the way he utilized the Melody, only sustaining the potential long enough to seize control of the person’s mind and alter the facial features. It was the quantity of the castings that took up so much of his time, two hundred yesterday, thousands before that, a hundred today, and another two hundred tomorrow. In a few more days he will have replaced the loss of Condemneds at Shantear and could then focus on a number of other pressing matters, not the least of which was learning the whereabouts of the crescendo onto which Daniel Benhannon tied the Da Capo of the spell restraining Tarin Conn.

“Maestro, this is Accomplished Oliver Ogdennmyer,” the voice sounded within Vance’s head.

“Acknowledged,” Vance sent, while smothering his irritation over not yet finding out anything about the spell-enhancer.

A strong sense of self-satisfaction flowed ahead of the words, “I have news concerning Daniel Benhannon.”

Vance truly hoped the news warranted the positive feelings because the stunted manner in which the fellow often transmitted his thoughts was irritating in and of itself. “Proceed with your report.”

“I have lost contact with Bork and the Condemned I left in his charge, - but my other operative, Beasonly, - has seen the Ducaunan Maestro in Ducanton. - He is again wearing a diamond-bladed knife on his hip. - I believe it may be the crescendo onto which The Da Capo is tied.”

Every time a member of the guild says, “The Da Capo,” they are referring to the one on the spell holding the Supreme Maestro, so this could be a valuable piece of information. “What has brought you to that conclusion?” Vance sent in reply, while being sure not to transmit any of his emotions.

“Daniel Benhannon has been seen in a number of different outfits, - the silks of his guild, - the uniform of a Ducaunan Royal Knight of the Realm, - ordinary street clothes, - and the one thing that remains constant is that knife,” the feelings of elation sent by Ogdennmyer reached a crescendo and then diminished to a quiet calm.

Even if the speculation proved to be accurate, getting an object that amplifies spells by seven bolts away from the Accomplished capable of making such a powerful object would be difficult and dangerous to say the least, Vance knew full well. “I believe there is some merit to your suspicions and we must therefore acquire and destroy the item in question, only then can we know for sure if The Da Capo is tied to it.”

As expected, fear drowned out all other emotions and shot through the mental link with the psychological equivalent of a lightning strike. “The only Accomplished able to battle toe to toe with Benhannon is the Supreme Maestro and even he cannot do so until the shield is removed.” The weak minded fool seemed to believe he was actually relaying something no one else had figured out. At least he sent it in one cohesive sentence.

Vance chuckled as he neared the door leading into the Pen where people were waiting to join the Condemneds, yet did not allow the amusement to flow along with his response. “Now you are giving me stale information. My predecessor gained the knowledge the hard way but all of us, with the exceptions of Serin Gell and Phil Nettle, learned from experience that it is unwise to challenge Benhannon one on one. He must be attacked in mass and so you will wait on the outskirts of Ducanton until such time as I send a Grand Circle.”

The fear subsided and Ogdennmyer calmly sent, “A hundred Accomplisheds should be sufficient.” After a brief period of mental silence a sense of astonishment mingled with disgust and a sprinkling of amusement came ahead of, “Daniel Benhannon has married Sherree Jenna. - It was announced from the palace not much more than a mark ago.”

Vance laughed out loud and did not care that the emotion went through the link. “That young man never ceases to find ways of running afoul of Aakadon. It has been well over four thousand years since an Aakacarn married anyone, let alone another Accomplished. While I am personally disgusted, the matter does not hinder the plans we have in motion, and so is of no concern to me. The man could marry a goat for all I care.”
How anyone could mistake that man as being chosen by the Creator was beyond his understanding.
Benhannon’s downfall was inevitable.

“His marriage affects us indirectly, - it will definitely throw a mighty wedge between him and Aakadon, - and that ensures there will never be an alliance of the two against the Serpent Guild,” Ogdennmyer drew a conclusion Vance agreed with.

“The report is satisfactory and I will contact you later concerning the Grand Circle and what tactics are to be used. Taking the crescendo from Daniel Benhannon will require careful planning,” Vance sent while opening the door and stepping into the Pen.

“It will be as you say, Maestro,” Ogdennmyer sent.

The connection ended and Vance stared at the huge round chamber and the pit, seven cubits deep and slightly less in diameter than the circular room it occupied. More than a thousand people, some fully clothed and some scantily clad, were asleep on the floor. They were wearing whatever was on their bodies at the time of snatching. The smell of urine and feces made him angry. Where were the No-bolt Accomplisheds who were supposed to keep the sleepers clean? “Stockton, Lambert, why do I smell uncleanness?”

A half-dressed female floated up and off a tall, dark man of Ecoppian descent. Stockton quickly wrapped his cloak around his body and stood up. His spell holding the female in the air ceased and she dropped lengthwise across two other sleepers. “I just cleaned that one,” he replied, and since the blouse and skirt she had on appeared to be freshly laundered, his words had the ring of truth. “Lambert stepped out for a while, but I expect him back at any moment.”

Vance did not have time for excuses and was about to tell him so when a voice sounded in his head. “Maestro, this is Fenton Chen. I have learned from my source in Ducanton onto what The Da Capo is tied.”

It never hurts to have verification from two entirely independent sources and so Vance decided to hold off mentioning the earlier report about the diamond-bladed knife. “Acknowledged, give your report.”

Unlike Ogdennmyer, not a trace of emotion came out of Fenton, only what he chose to communicate. “The Da Capo is tied onto the Supreme Maestro’s life force. It is my belief the great Tarin Conn battles against himself every time he attacks the shield.”

Vance was shocked and knew a little of the emotion escaped into the mental link. “Ogdennmyer believes it is tied to the diamond-bladed knife Benhannon carries with him at all times. His theory makes more sense. It is not possible to tie a Da Capo onto someone else’s life force. Your informant must be mistaken.”

A sense of absolute certainty flowed through the link. “As fantastic as it is to believe that such could be done, my source is impeccable, and I am completely convinced of the veracity of the information. I am her confidant, even from afar, and she trusts me completely.”

Vance gave the matter further consideration and decided, as incredible as it seems, this news is worthy of the Supreme Maestro’s attention. “Fenton, you have done well. I will consult the great Tarin Conn and if he accepts this report, I will announce throughout the association that you are Tri-Con of the Serpent Guild.” That placed him one step below Vice-Maestro, a well-deserved promotion for his many valuable reports over the past six months.

“Maestro, it is my duty to serve in whatever capacity you see fit,” Fenton replied without a trace of emotion and ended the communication.

Vance noticed Stockton spelling clean a sleeper and Lambert over in the corner doing the same, they might even have them all clean by the time this next report was made. He walked over to the only chair in the room and sat down and cast the spell, Slumber, focusing the potential inward, and then fell asleep.

In the dream, he appeared in the throne-room of the great Tarin Conn, glowing chandelier above and a crimson carpet leading up to the seat of power.

“You have come before me eight marks earlier than expected, there must be news of some import,” the Supreme Maestro, dressed in royal splendor, said from his crystal throne.

Vance stared into those black eyes and knew they were assessing him and decided to give the information up front rather than warm up to it. “I have been told the Da Capo on the shield is tied to a diamond-bladed crescendo Daniel Benhannon carries at all times. I have also been told the Da Capo is tied to your life force. Is that possible?”

He expected outrage from the ancient spell-caster at being told two different possibilities and especially over the one that seemed the most incredible. Tarin Conn brought his hand to his chin as if giving serious thought to what was said and then shook his head as if dismissing one or both possibilities. “I received a report that one of Daniel’s closet Accomplisheds, Sherree Jenna, wears a similar diamond-bladed knife. This has been so even before she left the Aloe Guild, following the example of everyone the young Aakasear cast my spell, Condemnation, upon and reformed to his liking. This is consistent with his habit of giving high level energy amplifiers to Accomplisheds of lesser potential. The design of these particular crescendos in all probability, have something more to do with him and her and less to do with spell-casting.”

“Their marriage was announced this evening,” Vance was quick to supply the information, anxious to keep the Great One in a cordial mood.

Tarin Conn nodded his head, taking in the fact, and no doubt placing it with all of the other bits of knowledge stored in that twelve hundred year old mind. “In answer to your question, in order to tie a Da Capo onto the life of another person, one must first establish a link similar to the one I have attached to you and most of the members of the Serpent Guild.”

“Supreme Maestro, you are the only one who can do that,” Vance replied, certain the fact totally destroyed Fenton’s theory.

Tarin Conn took in a deep breath and let it out slowly and even so his eyebrows drew down in anger. “Daniel established just such a link, through a spell of his own composing, just before he passed out and I discovered the shield he placed on my potential still held.”

Vance understood the implications and the reason for the anger. “That illegitimate son of a dog, that diabolical viper, he made it so the only way for you to be free is to die.”

Those dark eyes seemed to be staring into his soul and Vance felt a chill wash through his vitals as the terrible and ancient Maestro leaned forward. “You have found out what the Da Capo is tied to as I commanded,” the words came out of Tarin Conn devoid of emotion and yet frightening when issued from a face reflecting a raging fire seemingly on the verge of consuming all that was before it. “Your report was informative and I commend you for it and order you to reward the Accomplished who supplied you with the fact. Now, I need time to reflect on the matter and suggest it would be prudent not to come before me again until I choose to visit your dream. I do not want to be disturbed by anyone for a while, in person or in the dream, unless the matter is truly urgent. My anger burns, longing to be released, and woe betide the fool who earns my wrath by troubling me trivial concerns.”

Only an idiot would fail to heed the warning. “It will be as you say, Supreme Maestro,” Vance replied, and allowed the Da Capo on Slumber to fade, exited the dream, and woke in a cold sweat.

“Maestro, are you alright?” Lambert asked, and fortunately for him the smell of human waste no longer permeated the room. His round face reflected concern as his squat Demfilian body floated up out of the pit and came down in front of the chair.

“I am perfectly fine. Bring me one of the sleepers,” Vance ordered, not in the mood to discuss the particulars of his meeting with a mere custodian, much less his physical condition, and especially when there was worked to do.

The members of the guild did not need to know of the Supreme Maestro’s dilemma. The knowledge would only cause problems if they found out, better to keep them ignorant for as long as possible, and proceed as if nothing had changed.

He cast the spell and one sleeper after the other joined the ranks of the Condemneds, while Vance pondered over how the news concerning The Da Capo would impact the battle plans going forward. There was no longer a need for a Grand Circle to go after the knife, so that idea needed to be scrapped. He went over every detail in his mind, the fleets were in place, including the newly designed vessels for Zune, General Kall was in position, and Rex and his teams were nearly ready. Vance made up his mind. Operation Death Blow will go on as scheduled.