“Had to to get here in time. Thought about sending the horse ahead, but they couldn’t’ve gotten here before dark last night, and I didn’t figure anything would happen till morning.”
“True. True. You’re a welcome sight.”
III) Missive from a friend
Rolf came round briefly while the surgeon, who doubted there was much hope, was removing the arrow. He had ridden too far and hard with the shafthead tearing his insides.
Preshka saw the anxious faces. A weak smile crossed his lips. “Shouldn’t have... left,” he gasped. “Stu-pid... Couldn’t resist... one more try...”
“Be quiet!” Elana ordered while fidgeting, trying to make him more comfortable.
“Bragi... In kit... Letter... Haroun...” He passed out again.
“Figures,” Ragnarson grumbled. “This much going on, couldn’t be anyone else. Haaken, you feel like explain-ing?”
“Read the letter first.”
“All right. Damn!” He didn’t like this mystery piling on mystery, and nobody leaking any light. “I’ll hunt the thing up. Meet me in the study.”
The country, Haroun’s letter began, is Kavelin in the Lesser Kingdoms, among the easternmost of these, against the Kapenrung Mountains where they swing southwest out of the Mountains of M’Hand, and therein borders on Hammad al Nakir. In the southwest Kavelin is bounded by Tamer ice, in the west by Altea, and in the northwest and west by Anstokin and Volstokin. (I am assembling a portfolio of military maps and will get them to you when I can.) El Murid is an enemy, of course, though there has been no action since the wars, which Kavelin survived virtually unscathed. Altea is tradition-ally an ally, Anstokin mostly neutral. There are occasional incidents with Tamerice and Volstokin. The most recent war was with Volstokin.
Governmentally, this is a parliamentary feudality, power balanced between the Crown and barons. In force of arms the latter outweigh the Crown, butinternecine intrigues dissipate the advantage. Under the current, mediocre King, the Crown is little more than an arbiter of baronial disputes. Although, unlike Itaskia, Kavelin has no tradition of intrigue for the throne, a struggle for succession is taking shape. There is a Crown Prince, but he is not the King’s son. By listening at the proper doors one learns that the genuine prince was kidnapped on the day of his birth and a changeling substituted.
Historically and ethnically Kavelin is even more muddled than the usual Lesser Kingdom. The original inhabitants, the Marena Dimura, are a people related to those of the south coastal kingdoms of Libiannin, Cardine, Hellin, Daimiel, and Dunno Scuttari. They form the lowest class, the pariahs. Only the most lucky (relatively) are so well off as to be slaves, bond-servants, or serfs. The majority run wild in the forests, living in a poverty and squalor that would shame a pig.
When, between 510 and 520 in the Imperial dating, Ilkazar occupied the region, Imperial colonists moved in. Their descendants, the Siluro, today form that class which manages the daily work of government and business. They are educated, officious, self-important, and schemers of the first water, and through their hands flows most of the wealth of the kingdom. A lot, in the form of bribes, sticks.
In the last decade of the Imperial era, about 608, when Ilkazar crossed the Silverbind in the north and Roe in the east, whole villages of Itaskians were transported to Kavelin in what has been called the Resettlement. These people, the Wessons (most came from West Wapentake), still speak a recognizable Itaskian and constitute both the bulk of the population and of the peasant, soldier, and artisan/merchant classes. As with Itaskians, they are stolid, unimaginative, slow to anger, and slower to forgive a wrong. Their leqders still resent the Resettlement and Conquest and scheme to set those right.
The final group are the Nordmen, the ruling, enfiefed class. Their ancestors were proto-Trolledyngjans who came south with Jan Iron Hand for the final assault on Ilkazar. They decided life as nobles in a southern climewas better than going home to become commoners again in the icy North Waste. Can you blame them?
Everyone does. It has been centuries since the Conquest and still all three lower groups plot to topple the Nordmen. Add to actions forwarding these schemes the almost constant state of warfare among the barons, and the problem of the succession (for which several candidates have begun to vie), and you see we have an interesting political situation.
Native industries include mining (gold, silver, copper, iron, emeralds), dairying (Kavelin cheese is famous south of the Porthune), and a modest fur trade. Economically, Kavelin’s major importance is its position astride the east-west trade route. The fall of Ilkazar and subsequent drastic climatic changes in Hammad al Nakir forced the movement of trade northward. Kavelin became its benefactor by virtue of controlling the Savernake Gap, only pass through the Kapenrung Mountains connecting with the old Imperial road to Gog-Ahlan, which is the only developed way through the Mountains of M’Hand south of the Seydar Sea. Mocker is familiar with the eastern trade; he can explain more fully than I. He was in both Kavelin and the east before the wars.
Do you see the potentialities? Here is a kingdom, rich, yet small and relatively weak, beset by enemies, ripe for internal strife. If the King died today, as many as twenty armed forces with different loyalties might take the field. Most would be pretenders, but the Queen would attempt to defend her regency, and independent Siluro, Wesson, and even Marena Dimura units, under various chieftains, might align themselves with men they felt likely to improve their lot. Moreover, nobody would dare go all out because of greedy neighbors. Volstokin, especially, might loan troops and arms to a favorite.
Inject into all this a Haroun bin Yousif, with my backing. (El Murid, much as he may want to, will not dare interfere directly in Kavelin’s internal off airs. He is not yet ready to resume the wars, which would be the inevitable result of his interference with a Western state.) Add a Bragi Ragnarson with a substantial mercenary force.
There would be battles, shifts of loyalties, a winnowing of pretenders. By proper exploitation we should not only become wealthy men, but find a kingdom in our pockets. In fact, I genuinely believe a kingship to be within your reach.
Ragnarson looked up and leaned back, fingers probing his beard. What Haroun really thought and planned was not in the letter. He didn’t explain why he offered kingship, or reveal what he himself hoped to gain. But it would have to do with El Murid. Bragi rose and went to the map of the west, looking for Kavelin.
“Ah, yes.” He chuckled. The mere location of Kavelin cast light on bin Yousif’s plan. It was ideally sited for launching guerrilla incursions into Hammad al Nakir. From the border to El Murid’s capital at Al Remish was less than a hundred miles. Swift horsemen could reach the city long before defensive units could be withdrawn from more distant frontiers.
That country, rugged, waterless badlands in which small bands of horsemen would be difficult to find, was suited to Haroun’s style. It was the same country in which the last Royalists had held out after El Murid’s ascension to power.
Haroun’s goal was obvious. He wanted a springboard fora Royalist Restoration. Which explained the presence of El Murid’s raiders here. They wanted to spoil the scheme. The western states, long plagued by El Murid and weary of supporting rowdy colonies of Royalist refugees, would, if Haroun could manage it, gleefully support a fiat.
Haroun’s letter continued. Bragi read it out of a sense of debt to Rolf, but he had made up his mind. Haroun would not drag him in this time. Yesterday’s action, and his wounded leg, were all the adventure he wanted. Haroun could find another catspaw.
Haroun always talked fine and promised the moon, but seldom came near delivering.
The only crown Bragi felt likely to win, if he went to Kavelin, was the kind delivered with a mace.
IV) Knives in passing
Another dawn. Behind them the Trolledyngjan women were striking camp. Bragi, Mocker, Haaken, and Blackfang’s staff, were already under way. Uthe Haas, and Dahl, rode with Bragi, ostensibly to help with his business in Itaskia, but, he
suspected, more as Elana’s watchers. He had not had the strength to argue. His wound and another evening of drinking had washed the vinegar out of him.
“Why don’t you just ride along till we meet up with Reskird?” Blackfang asked. “He’ll want to swap a few lies, too. Been years since we’ve all been together.”
Reskird Kildragon was in the hills somewhere south of the Silverbind, near Octylya, training bowmen for service in Kavelin. These were prosperous times in Itaskia. Kildragon had been able to recruit few veterans. The youngsters he had assembled were all raw, with the customary, bullheaded Itaskian predilection for using their weapons their own ways. Bragi didn’t envy Reskird his job.
“I’ll think about it.” He wanted to say, “No,” but he would hear about that all the way to Itaskia. And if he indulged his emotions and agreed, he would hear about it from Uthe. “Ought to ride ready. Might be ambushed.”
The ambush didn’t come till after he had wearied of staying alert. The least likely place, he thought, was Itaskia itself. El Murid’s men would be too obvious there.
He overlooked the national prosperity that had eased suspicions. He was telling Dahl an exaggerated tale as they, Uthe, Mocker, Haaken, and two others entered Itaskia’s North Gate. The city watch had insisted that the main party remain outside, Trolledyngjans and alcohol having a reputation for not mixing.
“It was here that business with the rats started,” said Ragnarson. “When Greyfalls tried to take over. I was over there, Mocker was up Wall that way, and Haroun was on that roof over there...”
Someone was watching from the same spot Haroun had occupied then, a dark-skinned man who vanished the instant Bragi spotted him. “Watch it,” said Ragnarson. “We’ve got friends here.”
“We’ll be all right on King’s,” Haaken replied.
“Damned rules. Laws,” Ragnarson growled. “Don’t know if I want to see the Minister this bad.” He slapped his thigh where, till the gate guards had compelled him to check it, his sword had hung. The only personal weapons allowed were blades shorter than eight inches. “Wasn’t this way in the old days.”
“There was more killing then, too,” Uthe observed.
“Fallacy,” Mocker interjected. “Same number ca-davers in gutter mornings, now as then. Holes just smaller. Self, if decide man wants murdered, will dispose of same. Can exterminate with hands, ropes, rocks, bludgeons...”
“Maybe,” Uthe replied, “but it’s inconvenient, not being able just to grab a sword and stick him.”
They crossed Wall Street and entered King’s, a busy artery sweeping grandly to the heart of the city and kingdom with identical names. Bragi had convinced his companions that they should take rooms near the Royal Palace, where he had business.
In New Haymarket Square in New Town, only a few hundred yards from North Gate, the blow fell.
Two men, dusky and hawk-nosed, exploded from a throng watching a puppet show, hurled themselves at Ragnarson and Mocker with daggers and screams.
The dagger thrust at Ragnarson slid over the mail beneath his sleeve as he threw up an arm, then slashed up his chest and along his jaw. His beard kept the gash from being nasty. He brought his right hand across to strike back. His horse, spo. oked, reared and neighed wildly, dumping him. As he went down he saw Mocker doing the same, heard the screams and squeals of panicky on-lookers. Then his head hit cobblestones.
Mocker had a moment more to react. He threw himself, robes flying, off his donkey. His attacker plunged his dagger into an empty saddle. As the assassin bounced back, Dahl Haas kicked him in the temple.
Mocker came up off the pavement shrieking, “Murder!
Watch! Help! Help!” He plumped his considerable weight atop the man Dahl had kicked, began strangling him. “Murder! Dastardest dastard attacks poor old mendicant in middle of street in middle of day... What kind city this where even poor traveler is prey for assassin? Help!” Which only spurred bystanders to flee before they themselves were butchered or nabbed as material witnesses.
Several city watchmen turned up with amazing alacrity-as everywhere, they were wont to appear only after the dust settled and there was little danger to themselves-but were unable to get through the dis-persing crowd.
Haaken, Uthe, and Blackfang’s bodyguards piled onto the man who had attacked Ragnarson. Dahl tried to control the horses while complaining that his foot hurt.
The police finally sorted things out. A half-dozen bolder onlookers, who had hung on for the denouement, supported Blackfang’s story. Despite an obvious desire to arrest everyone, the officers settled for two battered would-be assassins and Haaken’s promise to file a complaint.
Mocker and Dahl then brought Ragnarson around. “Damn!” Bragi growled. “I’m going to start sleeping in a helmet, way my head’s getting smacked anymore.” He struggled to his feet, cursing the pain. Dahl and Mocker hoisted him into his saddle. “One thing. I’m going to see the Minister while I’m still hurting. That’ll keep me ornery enough to growl him down.”
“Or get yourself thrown out,” Haaken observed. “But it won’t hurt to stop off. I’ll get my excuses in ahead of time. Moving that gang of mine is touchy. Can’t let them get our passes revoked. The Guild wouldn’t help.”
“Good thinking. Mocker, you need to take care of anything there?”
The fat man shrugged. “Self, always have business at Ministry of War. Ministry has evil habit. Late payment on contracts. No interest, no penalty. Owes guineas six hundred twelve, four and six, on salt pork supplied for winter maneuvers on Iwa Skolovdan border. But let poor old pig farmer be hour late delivering same. Hai! Skyfalling, maybe, self thinks when agent shows up threatening repossession of soul.” He laughed. “Can have same. Is already in hock to six devils. Take to Debtor’s Court, scoundrelest scoundrels of state collectors! See who wins case.” He flashed an obscene gesture at the Royal Palace.
V) Secret master, silent partner
The War Minister was a small man, wizened, who had been ancient when Bragi had met him years earlier. Now, within the plush vastness of his private office, he seemed so small and old as to be inhuman.
“So,” said Ragnarson. “The heart of the web. Comfortable. Good to see my taxes well-spent.” Times past, because of their nature, their conferences had been held in less opulent surroundings.
“Rank and privilege, as they say.” The old man extended his hand.
Ragnarson frowned suspiciously. This was going too smoothly. He hadn’t been kept cooling his heels. “You’d think I had an appointment.”
“In a sense. Make yourself comfortable. Brandy?”
“Uhn.” Ragnarson sank into a chair that threatened to devour him. He was not a poor man, but brandy was beyond his means. “Looks like you got something on your mind too.”
“Yes. But your business first. And pardon me for skipping the amenities. Time presses.”
Ragnarson sketched recent events.
“Oh, my,” said the. Minister, shaking his head. “Worse than I thought. Worse. And sure to get worse still. Dear me, dear me. But they wouldn’t listen. Told me to forgive and forget, not to hold grudges.”
“What’re you talking about?”.
“Greyfells. They brought him back. Inland Ministry. Wouldn’t listen to me. Even moved Customs to his control.”
“What? No! I don’t believe it.” The Duke of Greyfells, as near an arch-traitor as was boasted by Itaskian history, back in favor? Astounding.
But Greyfells was a bouncer. During the wars, while commander of Itaskian expeditionary forces and prime candidate for supreme commander of the allied armies, he had been in touch with El Murid, plotting treason. Only astonishing victories by Haroun’s Royalist guerrillas, with the aid of Trolledyngjan mercenaries and native auxiliaries, in Libiannin and Hellin Daimiel, had forced Greyfells to maintain his loyalty.
Later, there had been plots to seize the Itaskian Crown. Greyfells, once, had been in the succession. Haroun, Mocker, and Ragnarson had ruined his schemes. One of th
e favors done the War Minister. Greyfells had renounced his place in the succession to evade the embarrassment of a treason trial.
“Politicians!” Bragi snorted into his snifter. The Duke kept complicating his life, and Itaskia’s, and he was getting tired of it. How many times would the man reach for the throne?
“My Lord the Duke has bounced back,” said the Minister. “My people at Interior think he’s in touch with his old accomplice. They’ve struck a devil’s bargain. El Murid to support Greyfells’ next power grab. And Greyfells to keep Itaskia out of the next war, and refuse passage to troops from our northern neighbors. You know what that means. Hellin Daimiel, Cardine, and Libiannin still haven’t recovered. Dunno Scuttari and the Lesser Kingdoms never were powerful. Sacuescu couldn’t keep a gang of old ladies from plundering the Auszura Littoral. El Murid would be at the Porthune and gates of Octylya in a month. There’ll be a catastrophe if Greyfells has his way. And he probably will. He grows more golden-tongued with the years. The King no longer hears his critics.”
“Then my days are numbered,” said Ragnarson. His dreams were smoke if Greyfells was back. Inland oversaw the management of Royal Grants even when their original issuance was under the purvue of War. Greyfells would find an excuse to revoke his charter.
“True,” said the Minister. “He’s working on it. The raid demonstrates it. That, which came to my attention only yesterday, was meant to rid Greyfells of a pain in the neck, and El Murid’s side of a potential thorn.”
“Politics don’t interest me,” said Ragnarson. “That’s a well-known fact. All I ever wanted from politicians was for them to leave me alone.”
“But there’s your friend, the Royalist, and your talent for warfare. Your friend’s a threat to El Murid. That makes you a threat.”
“I’m just one man...”
“And not that important from where I sit. But important in some minds. And in the mind is reality. It’s no objective thing. You pose a threat if only because they think you do. You aren’t the sort who won’t fight back.”