“Herod Antipaz has an interest in obtaining the bounty and he will pay handsomely for him.”
“Ai? How handsomely?”
“The bounty of Talgath is two thousand but Herod Antipaz will pay you double that if you remand him to us. In addition, Talgath has squirreled away thousands more from his exploits. If you hand him over to us, you can share in that bounty.”
Pent’s eyes dart back and forth, trying to contemplate all the possibilities and all the possible complications. With such a bounty, he would never have to work again, and he could retire in comfort. He could buy a large ranch and hire someone to run it for him. He could finally live the life he had always dreamed.
After a brief pause, Felinius asks, “Well? If you’re not interested-”
“No, no!” exclaims Pent. “Am very interested. But what of Malachai? What is to become of him? Can’t imagine that he will warm to the idea of us takin’ his prize from him.”
Felinius smiles, with a sardonic gleam, like he would to a stupid child. “No, Pent. Malachai will not be receptive to such. He will have to be eliminated. Without mercy. Without prejudice.”
“Have heard stories of Malachai. The man is dangerous. He has killed more men than the croop, so he has,” warns Pent.
“We have come well-equipped. You help us track him and we will all eliminate him and his men. You ken? Even if Herod were so generous as to share the bounty with so many men, there would be complications. We are loyal to Herod Antipaz and that will keep us in line, but I ken that some of your men and Malachai’s men will stop at anything to attain Talgath’s stash for their own. You ken?”
Pent rubs his chin contemplatively. “Ai. Tis true. You speak truth. Fewer men, fewer complications. You have given me an offer I would be a fool to decline. But as a sign of good faith-”
Before Pent can finish, Felinius extracts his hefty satchel and counts out two hundred fifty gold pence. It is more than most bounties he has claimed. After counting out the large stacks, he slides it over to Pent. “Consider that a sign of good faith and an advance. Now, do I have your cooperation?”
Pent nods and extends his hand. Felinius takes it and shakes it forcefully, looking Pent squarely in the eye. “Ai. You have my cooperation, so be it. We are aligned to joint purpose.”
“Assemble your men and be ready to leave by the end of the hour. Malachai already has a day’s head start, and he is riding reindeer to boot. We will have to ride all day and night if we are to catch him before he reaches Cortez Municiary.”
Pent nods. “Ai. Set watch and warrant, I’ll set a fire to my men’s asses. I say thankee to you and Herod Antipaz.”
Felinius tips his white fedora hat with red laced trim around the cone. On some men, it would have appeared effeminate, but he somehow pulls it off, looking distinguished.
Chapter 27: Tenuous Meeting between Two Rivals
Pontius Selenius III gets off his horse and allows the stable boy to take it from him. He looks up at the massive drawbridge which quickly and quietly makes its way down, allowing him to pass on it.
Selenius shakes his head in disgust. He is no stranger to creature comforts and even luxury. But he considers such ridiculous displays of wealth obscene. Two large Gatling guns sit atop the turrets of the castle and are manned continuously. Paranoia or is it meant to intimidate and induce fear? Selenius reckons that If anyone needs protection, it is us against this megalomaniac.
He would never have deigned to visit Herod on his own accord. The only reason he is here is because his mysterious woman has sought out his daughter-in-law, ostensibly in hopes of currying favor with him. Selenius knows why Herod has sought him out. Past invitations were haughtily declined and for good reason.
Selenius hopes to dissuade Herod from future invitations.
Tennyson greets him at the cobblestone walkway bridge. “Good day to you, Sai. We are well met. My name is Tennyson, right hand to Herod Antipaz.” He extends his hand. Selenius reluctantly takes it and shakes.
“I will extend to you a good day, but I won’t say that we are well met. This is my man, Tennilus.”
Tennilus, a large brute like Tennyson, extends his hand. “Good day to you, Sai.” Says Tennilus.
“Good day to you Tennyson. How fareth?”
“Well.” He says in a monotone and deadpan countenance. He is unreadable.
They walk into the castle, Selenius scoffing at the level of ostentatious display of wealth. Tennilus doesn’t seem to take much notice, preferring to keep his eyes on his employer.
They go through the main hall and into one of Herod’s receiving chambers, which has a small tapestry, a fresco painting of the last supper and textured, beige walls, inducing a sense of comfort. Selenius is not the least bit comforted. Herod sits at a throne which is a miniature version of the one he keeps in his main hall.
He gets up from it when they enter the chamber. “Selenius, how well of you to join me here at my behest. I never thought you would accept my invitation.” He extends his hand and Selenius takes it. The smile runs away from Herod’s face when he sees the scornful look on Selenius’.
“We are well met, councilman,” says Herod, as if they are the closest of friends.
“Not as well met as you might believe,” says Selenius.
Herod raises one eyebrow in feigned befuddlement. “Pardon, Sai?”
“No need to be tripe, Councilman. We are not friends, and this is not a warm visit. We have business to discuss, so you may forego all the small talk and trivialities. I am here because your wife contacted my daughter-in-law, Lonnie,” says Selenius indignantly. “You have called on me, so speak it. My time is as valuable as yours.”
Herod’s eyes grow in dilation and seem to take on a darker shade of gray. Selenius doesn’t appear to be intimidated, a look of impatient indignation remaining on his face.
“Very well, Councilman. I am taken aback by your apparent dislike of me.”
“Revulsion would be more accurate,” says Selenius.
Herod nods, feigning wounded spirit. “Revulsion then. Very well. I had hoped that you and I could become friends, but I will just tell you why I have requested your presence.”
“Please do, Sai. And in a timely fucking manner.”
“As you know, your estranged son has been caught in Farley and his fate will probably result in his death,” says Herod matter of fact.
“I know well of my son’s crimes and it saddens me and devastates my family. How does this concern you?”
“I am in a position to intervene. For the sake of your children and your daughter-in-law, I would have your family properly united.”
“Oh, would you now?” says Selenius facetiously. “Out of the kindness of your own heart, you would break the law in the most egregious way to have my family reunited?”
“What concerns you isn’t the reason behind it, but the fact that I have the power to accomplish it. Would you not have your family properly united?” asks Herod.
Selenius shakes his head adamantly. “Not if the cost is to be aligned with you. Do you think I am tripe? On your relentless drive for power, I know well that you wish to acquire my publications for yourself. With Talgath in your pocket, you would have leverage over me, or so you would surmise. Set watch and warrant it so Herod: I will never sell you my shares. Not now. Not ever. I will never align myself with the likes of you. You are a vile, manipulating narcissist, paving an apt path to hell, so you are. I would no more make alliance with you than I would trust a hindserpent and show my back to him. So, to reiterate-No! No! No! Over my dead body. That clear enough for you, councilman?”
Herod sighs. “I am sorry to hear such. I suppose there is nothing left for us to discuss. Thankee for meeting with me.” Herod gets up and extends his hand. Selenius does not accept it. “My man Tennyson will see you out,” says Herod.
“Thankee for the offer, but I am perfectly capable of seeing myself out.”
“Well, then good day to you Sai,” says Herod.
Herod seems unperturbed but inside he is seething with anger. Were Selenius any other man, he would have him racked and gutted him like a fish.
When Selenius is gone, Morgana enters from her hiding place around the corner, a disappointing look on her face. “Were you able to breach his mind?” He asks, hopefully.
“Slightly, but I was almost immediately expelled after entering. Selenius is no stranger to mind assaults. He’s developed a bit of a vault over the years. He will never be dissuaded. There must be a way around him. You ken?”
Herod shrugs. “I was hoping the thought of reunion would be enough. I had underestimated him greatly. Send Tennyson in.”
Morgana nods. She returns minutes later with Tennyson. “Tennyson, I need you to do an inquiry. You up to the task?”
Tennyson nods. “Ai, Herod-Sai. Speak it and see it done.”
“Selenius is a dead end. I need you to go down to the Hall of Records and ascertain everything about Pontius Corp. I imagine the records will be sealed.”
“Tis a trifle matter for you, Herod-Sai. You have ample coin and influence. Bribery, coercion, whatever is your bidding. Set watch and warrant, I’ll do it.”
Herod shakes his head. “No, not this time. Won’t do anything to attract attention, so I won’t. This needs to be quiet. You ken?”
Tennyson nods. “Ai. A clandestine operation then.”
“Ai. Enlist as few men as possible for the deed. Get me that information.” Herod extracts fifty gold pence from a satchel and gives it to Tennyson. “Take this for any supplies you may need. Keep the extra. If you succeed, there will be a much larger bonus. This takes priority.”
“I will have it for you by the end of the week.”
“You have three days.”
“Ai.”
Chapter 28: Elimination
Another fierce and pounding headache rages through Dante’s temples in wave after wave. And just like that, it diminishes. Perhaps he willed it away. What else can he do?
Germanicus makes his way up to the front of the class. The recruits look at him nervously as their hearts seem to pound up through their throats.
As his headache diminishes, he has flickering images of Dotore once again. He ignores them, instead relying on his other hyper-acute senses. His heart beats faster and faster. Cammilia, sensing his anxiousness, muzzles her face into his side. He can’t feel it much under his armor and she is wearing armor as well. Her gesture nearly knocks him off balance.
“Good morning to you, recruits.”
“Good morning, Dotore!” yell the recruits.
“Set watch and warrant it, you should all be proud of where you stand here today. You are among the elite. Most of your fellow recruits have fallen by the wayside long ago, but you remain. It has not been easy, has it not?”
“No, Dotore!” Several of the recruits’ eyes well up.
“For some of you, this will be a stepping stone to your continuing endeavor to be a knight. But for others, this will be your last day among us. Our standards are impossibly high, so do not be discouraged if you do not pass. If you wish to serve in the King’s guard as a cavalry officer, know you are more than capable. Perhaps some of you wish to serve as dignitaries or ambassadors. You have proven your mettle and intelligence in this regard. Do not look on this day as failure. This is merely a stepping stone. God has chosen another path for you. Follow it. Your contribution to our way of life, our society, our elite order is born from purity. This cannot be refuted. We will never sully it by allowing anyone to pass through its doors who is not purest in heart. Their mettle has been proven beyond reason. It is a difficult life you have embarked on. Give yourself a hand for making it here today!”
The room erupts in applause. In coming this far, some recruits wipe away tears that fall from their eyes. Perhaps that feeling is born out of happiness or the knowledge that they will probably fail in their test. Dante is not among those. This is merely a stepping stone for him. He has only to prove it. A lingering doubt in his mind remains as it does with all recruits.
“Now, are there any recruits here that would volunteer to go first?” He asks. The room becomes deathly silent. Each recruit looks around at each other nervously. Their moment will come. They just don’t want to be the first.
Dante raises his hand and steps forward. “Ai, Dotore!” He yells. “I will be the first.”
“Then take your place, Dante.” All eyes watch as he makes his way to the starting position. Dante catches glimpses of the boys’ faces in split second increments. It is a look of admiration and nervous apprehension. Could it be that the boys who have ignored him for the past year are hoping he will succeed? Or praying he will fail? Maybe they’re hoping one of them can prove it can be done.
A hundred thoughts go through Dante’s head, seemingly at once. How long will the first stretch of the gauntlet take? What if he should trip up and lose his balance? It would be one failure he can’t afford. What if he fails three times? His life as he knew it would be over. Without the protection of the knights, he would be vulnerable to his enemy. Surely, he would be killed.
As if reading his misgivings, Cammilia nuzzles his side affectionately. Would he be able to give her the commands in time? Not only did he worry about himself finishing the gauntlet but also, he ensured she was with him.
He faces her and she stares back, and the answer that had eluded him becomes clear. He had memorized the gauntlet. He knew every nuance, every corner, every challenge. Dante had always given her verbal commands. But why? They were intrinsically linked to one another and had a telepathic bond. Why would he not use it?
He sends to her, ‘Follow my lead’. She seems to nod her head in understanding.
Dante stands at the starting line, awaiting Dotore’s signal. He concentrates and slows his breathing down. A smile emerges on his face. It is gone before he faces Dotore. Savelle stands off to the far left, a large pocket watch in hand. He is the timekeeper.
“You ready runt?”
Dante nods. “Ai, Dotore.”
Savelle nods to Dotore, indicating the time to start.
“Go!” yells Dotore.
Dante wastes no time. He sprints towards the first challenge. It is a ramp which is sharply inclined. He sprints hard, knowing that if he goes too fast, he will trip up. If he doesn’t sprint hard enough, he will never have enough speed to navigate it. His timing is perfect. He heads up the ramp and reaches hard for the parallel bar, grabbing onto it.
Once he grabs it, he swings onto the next bar and the next, using his momentum from swinging. He continues to ascend until he is nearly twenty-five feet above the ground. Cammilia scales a series of ramps, paralleling his progress.
When he reaches the top bar, he jumps up onto a flat parapet and scales the “mountain”. It is a large climbing wall about thirty feet high. The boy’s agility should allow them to topple it easily. But it is situated about forty feet in the air. If a recruit hesitates, the climbing wall knobs will disengage, sending the boy hurtling down towards the lake.
Dante doesn’t hesitate. He has been through this before. He ascends the wall, while sending to Cammilia ‘backside, over four feet’. Her progress mirrors him perfectly. When he reaches the top, Dante runs across a narrow beam. The wide beam easily accommodates him, but it continually slips out, causing the recruit to lose his balance. Dante focuses and crosses the beam successfully. Dante feels it slip out but concentrates on a perfect line across and does not deviate from it. He reaches the end.
From there, Dante reaches a large rope. The pulley system is for quick scaling down to the next challenge. It is easy to get into. The difficulty comes when Cammilia jumps down upon him. She is extremely heavy. Several times, Dante almost loses his balance. She emits several nervous whimpers on the way down. Dante is nearly at the minute mark. He needs to hurry.
Onc
e down on the ground, he unhooks and sprints for the series of parallel and horizontal beams. He jumps onto the first one and Cammilia follows. He deftly jumps onto a beam heading in the opposite direction. It is swifter but will get him to his destination sooner. But it is more likely to unbalance himself and Cammilia. He sends to her, “Now.” She obeys and they both jump onto the next beam. She goes to the other end, balancing it. One wrong move and they both tumble to the foamed mattress ground. Dante does not intend to make a mistake.
Once they navigate the beams, they simultaneously jump onto a platform. Dante hooks himself into a slack line. Next, he hooks Cammilia into the line through bungee on a carabiner on her vest. He picks her up and nearly faints from her weight. He jumps off and lets the slack line hurl him down towards the other end. He builds up speed from the angle of the slack line. Dante is carrying close to three pounds, not including himself.
Before he reaches the end, he unhooks and free falls nearly 15 feet. Dante catches a slack line with his gloved hands. He is jolted as he grasps onto the line. And he is jolted more when he feels the weight of Cammilia pulling him down. With a steely determination, he concentrates on not letting go. His profuse sweating inside his gloves doesn’t help.
When she dangles only a few feet from the bottom, he unhooks her, allowing her to fall onto a ramp.
He jumps onto another slack line and from there, jumps down about eight feet. He runs up another ramp, reaches for the top, and pulls himself over. Cammilia mirrors his progress from a parallel position.
He grabs onto a large shield and listens for the sound of the arrows. Several fly through the air. He doesn’t hesitate. He sprints with Cammilia at his side. They duck behind a small wall, a split second before an arrow would have pierced them. Another arrow penetrates the wooden wall.
The moment Dante hears it, they sprint for the other one. This time they are directly in the path of an oncoming arrow.
The Test of Ostra Page 17