What Exactly Is Reality?

by D.P. Allen

  The Duche demanded to speak to the person in charge to which Hue once again looked all around before he responded that he was the one in charge and he wished to speak with the person in charge of the column.

  While the Duche was sputtering with rage and trying to figure out how to get to this outrageous idiot or crazy man, a cart arrived carrying the Bar’n.

  The Bar’n surveyed the situation and demanded that the gate be opened for the Bar’n who ruled Tif’n.

  Hue calmly looked at the Bar’n and said that he would be happy to, but his leaders had given him specific instructions that must be followed before he could open the gate.

  The Bar’n was obviously very practiced in court behavior as he kept his temper and asked in a friendly voice what the requirements were. Hue explained his orders to which the Bar’n agreed much too quickly.

  Hue also added that the 18 who would enter could present themselves here at the gate in the morning and would be received by the present rulers of Tif’n. All others must remain beyond the first bend in the serpentine or the gates would not be opened.

  The Bar’n almost said something, but decided better of it and after taking a moment to control his anger, agreed. He then had his cart turned around and the Duche followed him around the bend and out of sight.

  Hue said, You don’t know how hard it was for me not to just put a bullet through that arrogant imbecile’s face.

  Erman asked, Which one? to which Hue laughed.

  Chapter 39

  Guess who’s coming to dinner.

  The following morning the city’s delegates were at the canopy when the sun rose. Three hours later, the Bar’n and the proper amount of escort arrived at the gate.

  A lookout on the hill reported that there was a large body of mounted Duche waiting just out of sight. Assuming that they would rush the gate as soon as it was opened, Hue announced that all should dismount and approach the gate. He told them that it would be opened only far enough for them to enter and that if anyone else appeared it would be closed with whoever was on each side stuck there.

  He then called the attention of the Bar’n to some clay jars sitting on the top of the first serpentine. When the Bar’n and his entourage looked, Hue and several of his “Watchers” leveled their rifles and blew the jars into pieces with a single shot each. He then told the Bar’n that they worked equally well on anyone who attempted to hold the gate open.

  The lookout reported that the Duche on the other side of the serpentine had moved back after the shooting and were just milling around trying to decide what to do. With them distracted, the gates opened just enough for the Bar’n and his entourage to enter, which they did quickly and quietly.

  As they entered, they kept a wary eye on the rifles of the Watchers as they formed lines on either side and escorted them towards the canopy and the people seated there. The gate slammed shut almost knocking the last escort over and was immediately locked. All within knew that all without would be staying without and the new entrants had to be wondering if they would be able to leave again.

  The Bar’n regained his composure as they walked and was his swaggering self-confident self by the time he reached the canopy. Those within rose to greet the new arrivals and then the six Royals took their seats followed by the city delegation. The Bar’n waved off a Duche who began to reprimand the Tif’n delegates for sitting in the presence of Royals.

  The dozen Duche escorts stood in a tight group behind the Bar’n as if he would protect them rather than the other way around. Hue left ten of his Watchers on the wall as security and surrounded the canopy area with the rest of his platoon. Twenty surrounded the canopy and faced out to keep the delegates from being interrupted by outside forces.

  Hue and the other ten stood in a single line behind the Tif’n delegates as their honor guard balancing the Royal honor guard facing them across the table. Their professionalism and capability of lethality was not lost on the Royals.

  Chapter 40

  Let the games begin.

  The table was laden with fresh fruits, cheeses and jugs of the sweet fruit juice. It was obvious from the way the Royals looked at the table that they hadn’t seen any food this good in a long while.

  Gabre’ invited all to help themselves and Hue thought that the Duche would pounce on the table. They held their position only because the Bar’n lifted his hand slightly as a signal not to move and their pecking order required them to wait until he allowed them to eat. The Bar’n got first choice of anything and others followed according to social status. The Bar’n looked at the table, but didn’t touch anything.

  Gabre’ chuckled as he told the Bar’n that the government of Tif’n did not follow the same customs as the Royal court. There were no poisons present in anything here. With that, he poured himself a cup of juice and after tasting it, handed the jug to the Bar’n. The other Tif’n delegates followed suit tasting and then handing their counterparts the jugs.

  Gabre’ then asked the Bar’n if he would choose a fruit for Gabre’. That showed the Bar’n that Gabre’ would eat anything chosen by the Bar’n and thus the fruit would not be poisoned. With that point settled, all at the table ate and drank as they began their talks. The Duche honor guard could only stand and drool, which caused Hue to smile. He and his troops had eaten a full meal before the Royals had arrived.

  The discussions began with each side showing that they were very good at the political attributes of remaining straight faced while spouting and listening to total drivel.

  Gabre’ broached the primary question immediately and with no preface when he asked what the Bar’n expected to gain by this visit. The Bar’n responded that he had come to reclaim his city of Tif’n, which his family had built and owned since the beginning of time.

  Gabre’ asked why the Royals hadn’t defended the city and its citizens when the deus came but had instead abandoned them to survive the best they could on their own. The Bar’n said that they had not abandoned the city, but merely moved to another city to plan the liberation of the city and the defeat of the deus. Now they had returned in force to drive the enemies away.

  Gabre’ acted surprised as he asked if the Royals hadn’t heard that the city had already been liberated and that the closest deus were in Corde’. The Bar’n also acted surprised as he said that they hadn’t known when they formed their army to march here that the deus were gone. He said that once they had settled in here, they would plan a campaign to free the other cities as well and rid all of Joe'Ja of the deus infestation.

  Gabre’ asked if the Royals hadn’t gotten the word of the demise of the deus here from the crew of a boat that had escaped from Tif’n and sailed to Alb'ny to which the Bar’n responded that he knew nothing of that. He was assuming that Gabre’ would assume the boat had been lost enroute to Alb'ny while Gabre’ had to assume that the boat’s failure to return to Alb'ny after it had sailed back to observe Tif’n had been written off as lost at sea by the Royals.

  Later, if he deemed it advantageous in showing the Bar’n that Tif’n knew more about what was going on in the world than the Royals believed, he could have the boat’s captain brought to the meeting. That would bring up the question of the status of the Royals who had sailed with them, so for now, he decided to act as if he knew nothing of the return of the boat.

  Gabre’ told the Bar’n that Tif’n wasn’t the city that the Royals had left. It was much more than it had ever been under Royal control and the citizens were united in their belief that they would not allow anyone to return them to that previous level of servitude.

  The Bar’n smiled condescendingly at this and responded that common people were incapable of ruling themselves and they needed the Royals to govern them. Building a wall or two was not improving themselves and without the knowledge of governing brought back in the body of the Royals, the city would soon collapse into anarchy. Then they would all either starve or be reconquered by the barbarians.

  Gabre’ noticed that the Bar’n had made no
mention of Mike. He suspected that the Bar’n assumed that something had happened to him and he was no longer here. The Bar’n couldn’t really mention him as he claimed no knowledge of the demise of the deus, but Gabre’ also knew that the Bar’n would expect Mike to be present at these talks if he was still here. The dictator mentality was the only way the Royals understood. Mike was another interesting surprise that could be sprung when the time was right.

  Gabre’ decided to play a minor card just to throw the Royal off balance a bit more. He mentioned that it was a good thing that Allas wasn’t with the Royals even though he was reported to have met with the Bar’n in Mericu. He continued by telling the Bar’n that Allas and his family had been banished from the city and were under penalty of death should they return.

  The Bar’n’s eyes widened a little bit before he regained his poker face. He had to be wondering how these people knew what was happening in other cities and how much they really knew about the condition of the Royals.

  Gabre’ could see that his controlling the topics for conversation was making the Bar’n uneasy as he was used to everyone subordinate to him letting him run the conversation as he saw fit. Gabre’ told the Royal that if the city should collapse into anarchy, they might invite the Royals to return, but in the mean time, the city would continue as it now was.

  The Bar’n acted like he had bitten into something sour and said that the matter wasn’t open to discussion. The Royals had returned and they would have what was theirs again. He didn’t care what the non-people of Tif’n thought.

  It was his city and not theirs and there was nothing further to discuss. At that he stood up and started walking toward the North Gate. It was obvious that he was falling back on the bluster of a bully now that he knew he had been out thought by these little non-people.

  Gabre’ called after the Royals as they walked away that he would be ready to discuss possible trade agreements with the Royal cities as Tif’n was developing a surplus of food and other goods and that the Bar’n need only send a messenger and the talks could continue. As the Royals approached the gate, it swung open a little bit, the watchers having made sure that there was no one on the other side waiting to charge in. As the last Royal passed through, it swung closed behind them.

  Hue and his platoon followed the Royals to the wall and took position on the ramparts watching as the Royals marched out of sight into the serpentine. Hue called after the retreating backs that they were welcome to throw themselves against the wall and that he would not order their deaths unless they actually appeared to be damaging the wall, or his people became bored watching.

  Chapter 41

  And I’ll blow your house down.

  The following morning the Royals attacked or rather they charged the wall and then milled around for a while when they realized it wasn’t going to fall down at sight of them. Armed only with their lances, the Duche had no way to damage the wall. A few scratched their lances against the gates and when they couldn’t leave as much as a scratch on it stopped.

  Some hurled threats of what they would do when they broke through, but the only response they got was laughter from the ramparts. One Duche angrily threw his lance over the wall and had it returned the same way with a call over the wall asking who had lost their toy.

  They left at lunch time and a little later a cart was brought forward. It was unhitched from its team and positioned as a battering ram in front of the gate. A dozen servants rolled it against the gate as hard as they could. The cart crumbled, but the gate was unscratched. The laughter got louder from the wall mixed with calls to make sure the servants removed all of their trash when they left.

  The servants started to pick up the pieces of the cart, but left them when a Duche called them away. He then threw a torch onto the cart in an attempt to burn the wall down. The cart wouldn’t catch fire from the little torch, so Hue asked the Duche if he would like a little help.

  While the Duche stood at the turn in the serpentine, Hue signaled a fire bolt to be fired into the cart from one of the hidden positions on the hill. A moment later a bolt dropped from the sky, hitting the largest pieces of the cart making them explode into flames. Hue looked over the wall to see the Duche disappearing around the corner at a run.

  The cart was still smoldering as the sun went down on another day that the Royals would want to forget. The next morning a messenger arrived at the gate to announce that the Bar’n would be sending a delegation in a few minutes to reopen discussions. Hue informed the messenger that today was inconvenient, but a delegation would be welcome on the morrow.

  Chapter 42

  That line is busy. Would you like to call back later?

  At sun up the next morning, 18 Royals stood at the gate. The Bar’n was not with them, but one of his sons stood in the livery of the Bar’n and announced that he had been tasked with negotiating a trade agreement.

  The delegation was let through the gate and with security operating as it had for the previous meeting, the meeting was soon underway. At least the eating was underway, as the Royals gorged themselves as if they hadn’t eaten for a while. It must be getting very hungry in their camp thought Hue.

  The city was represented by guildsmen during this meeting, with only a single Elder present to act as government representative. Trade negotiations were the guilds’ expertise. It didn’t take long to see that the Royals were ready to promise anything for the fruits and fruit juices that were the main trade food trade item from Tif’n. It was equally obvious that they were promising things they couldn’t deliver.

  Lumber might be available, but rice and fish supplies were obvious lies. When it was announced that the food must be shipped to the Royals’ cities first. Then the trade goods would be loaded onto the city’s boats and wagons for the return from the various Royal cities. Everyone in the city’s delegation could not only smell, but also see the rat.

  The counter proposal was that the trading should be done at Tif’n, in this same field where they now met, or in the harbor. Tif’n was a safe and secure place, with adequate storage warehouses. The Royals objected saying that that might be considered later after Tif’n had proven its honesty in trade matters. The city delegates suggested that they come back to that issue later.

  The delegates then began bartering for values of different items. The Royals agreed much too quickly with the city delegates that because Tif’n would be handling all transportation that the trading would be on an equal weight swap. Each weight of food from Tif’n would be matched by an equal weight of food or lumber from the Royals. No mention was made of building sheeting or any other Tif’n export other than food.

  The Royal representative finally asked when the first shipment could be sent. The elder responded with a question as to when the first return shipment would be ready. The Royal responded that the warehouses at Mericu were full of everything that would be needed for the first exchange.

  The Elder agreed, but added that naturally he would need to send a delegation to inspect the warehouses first. That was to insure that proper amounts would be sent from Tif’n. Tif’n would also supply a security force to protect the shipment from predators.

  The Royal answered that that wouldn’t be needed as he would leave some of the Duche to act as escort. The Elder had the word of a Royal that the Royals would be able to give proper compensation for as much food as Tif’n could supply. The Elder smiled as he said, Just like they protected Tif’n from the deus?

  The Royal turned red in the face, but said nothing as the Elder continued that the Tif’n inspection team and escorts were not up for negotiation. Since Tif’n was taking the Royals at their word that the trade offer was legitimate, the Royals shouldn’t object to inspectors provided by Tif’n. If everything was as described all would be fine. The escort would have orders to defend the Tif’n products until they had been properly exchanged for the Royals’ products as per the agreement.

  The Royal said that sending an inspection team would be time consuming, as
it would take days for them to travel to Mericu, do their inspection and return with their report. The Elder said that since the Royals said they had plenty of food on hand, a short wait before receiving some fruits and juices shouldn’t be that critical and the inspection team he had in mind could get there very rapidly, as they were all mounted and very good riders.

  The Royal did a literal biting of his tongue before he said anything about the penalty for peasants riding a mount and instead looked directly at Hue. The Royal announced that that might be acceptable as long as the escort did not include any of the ill-mannered people guarding the meeting. The Elder responded that they were too valuable to allow to leave the city.

  The Elder looked the Royal straight in the eyes as he said that these were the terms or the Royals could look elsewhere for food. Tif’n could live without the Royals, could the Royals live without Tif’n? The Royal said that he would discuss it with his father and send an answer later.

  Later in the day the Royals packed up their carts and started their trek back to Mericu. No goodbyes were exchanged and their leaving was the only answer they gave to the trade agreement.

  That was understandable and fully expected by the Elders. The Royals had tried threats that hadn’t worked and then figured to at least steal one convoy full of food. They had been called on that one too and knew they had lost. Now they would probably head to the capitol to throw the matter into the Rex’s lap. When the Rex tired of the drain on his resources and when the knowledge of a city free from Royals spread among the population he would have to do something.

  That something would be war. There was no doubt, but it would not be for quite a while. Months at least and possibly years. The Rex could open honest trade with Tif’n using his other cities’ resources, but Royals being kept from their “own” property was a direct slap in his face.

  He would not be able to handle that through diplomacy. If for no other reason than to keep the populations of the other cities from rebelling, he would have to squash Tif’n. He would dismiss the stories of the defenses brought to him because of his “Royal Superiority” mentality. He would lose the war and probably all of the cities would be freed of Royal control, but he would not consider that possibility.