~*~
Donald strode through the corridor on his way to find Kwestor, when one of the liveried castle servants hastened toward him out of breath.
“Excuse me, Your Highness. I was told to find you to tell you Chief Adviser Barter wishes to see you at your earliest possible convenience.”
Barter wanted to see him? Barter had never wanted to see him before, and Donald certainly did not want to see Barter. The man intimidated him.
“I see. Well, I’m rather busy right now. I have to prepare for the trip to Kartok.”
“That’s what he needs to see you about. He said now would be a very good time, begging your pardon, Your Highness.”
His heart began to pound at the thought of meeting his father’s trusted adviser and, quite possibly, the man trying to drive Westgrove to war. But wait. Donald was a prince, damn it! He could not be summoned. He did not have to respond at all. So Chief Adviser Barter thought now would be a good time, did he? Well now would not be a good time for Prince Donald of Westgrove, and he barely restrained himself from telling the boy to inform Barter of this very fact. It would have been a childish reaction. And wrong. Now is a very good time, a second, wiser thought suggested, but not because Barter said so. Meeting him face to face and looking him in the eye might provide some hint, some clue to indicate if his father’s adviser was cooking and flavoring intelligence to support a war with Gotrox and why. It would not be easy. Donald had always found the man as expressive as a block of ice, but this time he would be actively looking. This could make a difference.
“All right, I think I can make time for Mister Barter now.”
“Thank you,” the servant said with obvious relief. “He’s in his study. I’ll inform him you’ll be there presently.” He rushed away to do so.
Donald followed at a much slower pace. When he arrived at Barter’s offices, he noticed the page who had delivered the meeting request standing nervously near one wood-paneled wall. The chief adviser’s secretary greeted him, rising from his chair behind a large desk, which held neat stacks of paper and bound books with plain covers.
“Just a moment please, Your Highness. I will announce you.”
Barter saw him immediately, welcoming him into the room personally, albeit formally. As far as Donald knew, the man never smiled or exhibited any sign of emotion other than an intense sense of duty. “Thank you for coming to see me on such short notice, Your Highness.”
Donald, his palms sweating, followed the thin, black robed man into his dark office. Heavy curtains kept out the daylight, and a flaming log in the fireplace more than held off the early autumn chill.
Barter glided to his writing table, motioning to a straight-backed wooden chair with a red cushioned seat as he passed.
“Please take a seat and make yourself comfortable. I’m sorry I have no refreshments to offer.” He took his seat behind his writing table. “I imagine you must be excited to be part of such an important mission.”
“Yes. My mother tells me it is quite an honor and will prove to be a valuable learning experience.”
“She is right, of course.”
“My part in this seems rather simple, though. I am just to be seen. Your Ambassador Snyde will be doing all the talking.”
Donald looked for some kind of reaction and found none. The man displayed complete confidence and control.
“Yes, for the most part this is true, but your presence will send an important diplomatic message to the Gotroxians. Diplomacy has something like an unwritten code nations use when dealing with one another. Sending a member of the royal family on a diplomatic mission says this matter is of grave concern, and unless it is satisfactorily addressed, there will be grave consequences.”
“So my father is making a threat?”
“No, certainly not. We would never threaten Gotrox.”
“This is diplomacy again, right?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I don’t think I’d be good at it.”
“You don’t need to be. Ambassador Snyde is an expert in these matters, and he is in charge of this mission. Follow his lead. Support him. Trust him. I assure you he has the best interests of the kingdom in mind as well as your father’s fullest confidence.”
In other words, do what I’m told and stay out of the way. “When will I be able to meet him?”
“This is hard to say. Your father’s pronouncement this morning came earlier than we anticipated, so Ambassador Snyde has many last minute tasks to which he must attend. I am hoping you will be able to meet before you leave, but if not, I have asked him to speak with you the first chance he gets once you are on the road.”
“I see.” The face before him remained unreadable. If he hid anything, he hid it well.
“There is something else I would like you to do while you are there, though, other than just show the crown, as it were.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. While Ambassador Snyde is occupied with negotiations and other matters of diplomacy, I would like you to observe the Gotroxians. Be cordial. Ask to be taken on a tour of their Central Citadel or any other place that peaks your curiosity. As royalty, they will be hard pressed to deny your request. Keep your eyes and ears open, and note anything that seems out of the ordinary as soon as it can be done discreetly to Special Ambassador Snyde.”
“I’m not sure I’d notice anything out of the ordinary if I saw it. I don’t have a great deal of experience in… Would this be spying?”
“Certainly not. We would not spy on Gotrox.”
“It would be—clandestine observing?”
“You would simply be noting items of interest and sharing them with the ambassador.”
“Discreetly because…”
“Because it is all too easy to make an unintended insinuation, and we do not wish to appear rude.”
“This is something like diplomacy again?”
“I see you are catching on.”
“But whatever it is called, I am not an experienced observer and certainly not of Gotroxians. I wouldn’t know if half of what I saw was normal or not.”
“I appreciate that, so I am having some papers prepared for you to read along the way. Our Intelligence Department is preparing a report on Gotroxian governmental bodies, key officials, and other information you may find useful. The Department of Culture will provide you with a report on Gotroxian customs, society, and religion. By the time you get there, you should have a fair understanding of what you are likely to see.”
He just wants to keep me busy so I won’t get in the way. “Thank you. And what is it I should be looking for?” Donald asked, hoping his suspicions did not show on his face.
“Like I said, anything that seems out of the ordinary but especially anything that might indicate they have hostile intentions toward us or that they are trying to hide their hostile intentions toward us.
“We have very good information they do harbor such intentions, by the way. This comes to us from many different sources—professional sources. We know there are elements in Gotrox with designs against us, and we expect they will attempt to conceal them. It is very unlikely you will see any obvious sign of their plans. You must be sharp, and try to see beyond the obvious. Assume anything they tell you is a deception.”
“I’m not sure I understand. If I see nothing obvious, it probably means they are hiding something?”
“Yes. And that you must keep looking.”
“And if I do see something obvious, it definitely means they are up to something?”
“I know it seems rather ridiculous on the face of it, but this is a very critical time for Westgrove. We have become increasingly dependent upon Gotrox for our manufacturing resources. This gives them considerable influence over our economy, and they are using this influence to weaken us in preparation for an invasion.
“But these are not matters you need concern yourself with right now. You simply must appreciate that those of us with the means to know are certain of the severity of the G
otroxian threat, and finding out any details of this threat is the most important duty you can perform. I will not exaggerate your importance by suggesting you can be a hero and save the kingdom by yourself, but anything you are able to discover could be of vital importance to the defense of your father’s kingdom.”
“I will keep my eyes open, Adviser Barter,” Donald promised. He refrained from saying what he would be looking for, though.
“I must also warn you that the Gotroxians will not admit anything. In fact, they will pretend to be outraged when Ambassador Snyde suggests they have any plans against us. It is all part of the diplomatic game. They know we are on to them and will deny everything all the louder because of that. They may even try to turn the tables and claim to be the innocent victims of our plots. Do not be taken in by this.”
Donald promised not to be, and left with Barter’s polite, diplomatic good wishes. He thought the meeting with Barter went none too badly and he did give him one good bit of advice. When someone is speaking to you diplomatically, assume everything said is a lie, and Chief Adviser Barter had just been very diplomatic.
Chapter Twenty-Two