The Warded Box

by Guy Antibes

  “Officer?” Jack asked. “A Loyalist?”

  “No, one of the Panderite officers who interrogated us just before we got to Yellowbird. Actually, he was a pleasant person to talk to. He gave me the name of their leader and his location.”

  “Have they hooked up with the Black Fingers?” Jorey asked.

  “Just the opposite. They are more concerned about maintaining their domain to the northwest of Yellowbird. When they went into Yellowbird, it was to restore order since the king’s army had headed west.”

  “To Pestersee,” Jorey said.

  “Oh. Was that intentional?” Tanner asked.

  “I would guess so,” the grand wizard said. “I wonder if someone directed Baron Overvale to camp on the road to Gameton to keep all parties from moving south.”

  “The officer told us that too. They didn’t use the main road either on their march to the south. The Panderite army is a half-day away to the west. They also believe that the king is a Black Finger and they will not tolerate that.”

  “So the royal army, which is more beholden to Harida Maltwill than to the king, will clash with the Panderites. Don’t they know that will only strengthen the Black Fingers in Gameton?” Jorey said. He looked at Lark. “What do you think, Prince?”

  Lark raised his eyebrows. “I just thought I was your doll, to carry around as you work to prop me up as the pretender.”

  “Not at all. We discussed this.”

  Lark sighed. “We did. I’m a bit out of sorts with everything. I feel powerless, not that being the third son had given me any pretentions in the first place.” He sighed again. “I agree with your interpretation of the situation, but I think we can turn the Panderite problem into an advantage if we can come up with some kind of an alliance. The royal army is days away, so Uncle Whelham can have his Black Fingers stir up Gameton, so the citizens will defend the gates. I am very surprised that Father let the Kadellians into the city. They are enemies of Corand and Tesoria.”

  “But they are allies of the Black Finger Society. That is a given,” Jorey said.

  “Perhaps we should write all this down so we can keep track of everyone,” Jack said. “That is what we did in extended school when we discussed politics in Corand before the unification. There is a blackboard in my room with chalk. Shall I bring it down?”

  Lark brightened. “My father used to do that with his ministers. Go get it.”

  Jack took the blackboard to the kitchen and put it on the large work island in the center of the room. Jorey reviewed the factions and his guesses as to their allegiances. Lark made a few comments. Then they looked down.

  “Who do we need to contact?” Jorey said.

  “It isn’t who we need to contact; it is who else should be put on this list?” Tanner said. “If we assume the king is following Black Finger orders, we need to know who is doing the string pulling.”

  “Whelham is, of course,” Jorey said.

  “Maybe not,” Ralinn said. “Father has often shown a dislike and a distrust of his brother. Uncle Whelham spends most of his time in Wilton anyway.”

  “Another Black Finger then. Perhaps one higher up? We should know,” Lark said. “I don’t dare enter the castle until we do.”

  “Not yet,” Jorey said. “I would expect Ran Maltwill would know, but I wouldn’t dare bring it up to him right now.”

  “Then ask his sister to find out. Won’t that be better than us snooping around?” Jack asked.

  Jorey and Lark smiled at the same time. “Good thinking. I will talk to her,” Jorey said.

  “Then we need to find out how many Sparrow soldiers have infiltrated into Gameton,” Lark said, looking down at the chalkboard.

  “Harida wouldn’t know.” Jorey rubbed his chin. “She mentioned Norris Everlight, didn’t she, Jack?”

  “The criminal?”

  “I wouldn’t know the first thing about talking to a crime lord, even if he is as notorious as Everlight,” Jorey said.

  “Let’s get the Panderites on our side, first,” Tanner said.

  ~

  Tanner looked up at a closed school. He looked back down at the address the Panderite officer had given him.

  “This is it,” he said to Helen and Jack.

  They walked through the open school gate and were stopped by men in plain clothes.

  “You are not permitted inside the gate,” one of them said.

  Tanner looked down at the name the Panderite officer had given him. “We are here to see Fenton Allwin.”

  “What about?” the guard said.

  Jack smiled. They were in the right place.

  “We have information that Allwin can use to advance his cause in Gameton.”

  “It’s all right,” a man said walking up. He looked vaguely familiar, but the man seemed to know Tanner well enough. He turned to Jack. “We met on the road to Yellowbird.”

  “You have seen my papers before?” Jack said.

  “Yes, I have. Come with me.”

  The officer led them to an office on the main floor. Once inside, the place looked more like the Corandian embassy with people moving back and forth. He took them to an office with a headmaster sign still above the door and knocked.

  He poked his head inside. “The Corandians are here.”

  An older man came to the door. He looked fit, just like Jack would expect from a military man. “I am Fenton Allwin. Come in. Have seats all of you.”

  The officer joined them as they took seats, and Tanner introduced them to Allwin.

  “Do you have a title in Gameton?” Tanner asked.

  “Ambassador is good enough for now, but I haven’t been presented at court. I don’t think I’d be welcome,” Fenton said.

  Jack thought the man seemed open enough. He had expected a den of spies, but this was more like an overt military operation, but without uniforms.

  “So what do you have to offer me?”

  “Offer?” Tanner said.

  “You want something from our faction.”

  “I represent Prince Larkin Waterford.”

  “A Corandian?” the officer asked.

  “He passed through your lines on the way to Yellowbird.”

  Fenton looked at the officer. “He did?”

  “With Corandian papers, sir.”

  Tanner told him some of the Yellowbird story and ended with the liberation of the grand wizard.

  “Larkin is against the Black Fingers?” the ambassador concluded.

  “Very much against. We would like you to meet him. Perhaps you could come to some kind of mutual terms. There are Sparrows…”

  Jack saw the ambassador grimace.

  Tanner continued. “And Kadellians in Gameton who aren’t opposed to the society.”

  “Do you think the Panderite army is anti-Black Finger?”

  Jack nodded at Tanner. “We do. Why else would you have your own corps of wizards? If you have any question of their allegiance, I can reverse the conversion spell.”

  “You can?” Fenton said.

  “The Black Finger Society attempted to convert Lark twice. I was able to reverse the conversion each time,” Jack said.

  “What do you gain by allying yourself with the Waterfords?” Fenton asked.

  “We were asked to by my mentor,” Jack said. “I also have a task to do that is for the benefit of the Waterfords, not the Black Finger Society. I have no love for them.”

  “In that, we are allied. We have had to eradicate them from our domain,” Fenton said. “If I can get a written assurance from Prince Larkin, along with other promises that he should be able to keep as an honest monarch, we might be able to work together.”

  “Just what is Pander?” Jack asked.

  Fenton chuckled. “It is a region encompassing an old duchy. We have our own customs that are a little different from other regions in Tesoria. Some call us humorless and tradition bound, but much of that comes from a centuries-old dedication to hard work and honest trade.”

  “What di
d King Kaleen do to turn you from Loyalist to insurgents?” Tanner asked.

  “Taxes and the imposition of duties on what we make. Most insurgencies started because of their duties. Every bit of product a region created that is sold in another region has resulted in a duty or a tax paid to King Kaleen. Most of us feel that it is wrong and penalizes our hard work. If Prince Larkin can pledge to eliminate that, we have another basis for an alliance.”

  “When can we meet?” Tanner said.

  “I can take Torrence with me.” He nodded to the officer. “Right now, if you wish. No guards to stir up our adversaries in the city.”

  Tanner rose. “Then let’s go. We will all have to wear veils.”

  “A Tesorian custom that is also followed in our region.”

  They left the school and returned to their townhouse. Jack knew Tanner was taking a risk bringing the man to Lark, but it was safer than exposing the prince to the populace. Jack didn’t know who had watchers out in the city, but he was certain they were abundant.

  Jorey opened the door. “You brought someone here?” he asked Tanner.

  “Panderites,” Tanner said. “This is going to be a political negotiation.”

  The grand wizard sighed and let everyone in.

  Jack retrieved Lark and Ralinn from the kitchen. They were preparing dinner.

  “Time to be prince and princess,” Jack said giving them a very brief description of what Fenton Allwin was looking for.

  Lark entered the room first, followed by Ralinn who had held Jack’s hand as they walked in the hallway. “Thank you,” she said as she squeezed his hand and let go just before they entered the sitting room.

  “These are your advisors?” Fenton said.

  Lark nodded. “They are for now. They have proven their loyalty to Tesoria many times, even if some are Corandians.”

  Tanner went over much of what Jack had said with much more detail.

  “We are not against a Tesorian monarchy, but we are against measures that are put into place that do not benefit people in Pander or Tesoria as a whole.”

  Lark looked a little confused. “I haven’t been involved in any of this. I thought I would spend my life being a wizard in Wilton. I sympathize with your plight, but I suppose I have much to catch up on,” Lark said. “I am not interested in seizing all the wealth in the country, of that you can be assured. I also don’t like factions ruining Tesoria. We were harried for much of our journey. Your soldiers were at least reasonable gatekeepers to Yellowbird. I wish I could say the same for Baron Overvale.”

  “It is the evil influence of the Black Finger Society.”

  “We can both definitely agree our interests are united in that regard,” Lark said. “I don’t want to depose my father, but something has to be done to stop the damage.”

  Fenton pursed his lips. “I was under the impression you would, as pretender, declare your father’s reign over.”

  “A revolution?” Lark said. “I think it is premature for that. I will say this, if it is proven beyond a doubt that my father has become a Black Finger Society member, I might reconsider.”

  “Are you willing to put that in writing?”

  “In those terms, yes,” Lark took a deep breath. “I will write exactly what I told you.”

  Fenton looked at Jack and Tanner and nodded. “Then we can become allies. You will have my forces at your disposal when the time comes. We will not lay siege to the city.”

  “Of course you won’t,” Jorey said. “The royal army would squeeze you against the city walls.”

  “Precisely. Who else is with you?” Fenton said.

  “Lady Harida Maltwill, but not her brother at this point. She controls the Loyalist nobles and has great influence among the royal generals.”

  “I am aware of Lady Maltwill’s importance. Her concurrence alone is good enough for me.”

  “Corand will not interfere,” Jorey said. “On either side.”

  “They have troops in the city, and the ambassador is an honorable man, for an ambassador,” Fenton said.

  Jack couldn’t keep from saying, “But you are an ambassador too.”

  “I hope I am as honorable as he,” Fenton said with a smile. “A simple one-page document is good enough for me and my superiors. Once you achieve the throne, we will expand it. We will be the first insurgency to reattach ourselves to the monarchy.”

  “You have that much power among the Panderites?” Jorey asked.

  Fenton smiled with a great deal of confidence. “I do. Who will be our contact?”

  “Jack,” Lark said.

  Jack was surprised to be nominated, and he was more surprised that Lark chose him.

  “Walk back with us to our compound, and I will show you what resources we have in Gameton.”

  Jack looked at Tanner, who gave him an encouraging look.

  On the way back to the Panderite headquarters in Gameton, Fenton turned to Jack. “You didn’t tell us how you eliminated the Black Finger curse. Can you reveal that to us?”

  So that was why they chose him. “I am a wizard’s helper,” Jack said. “Do you know what a helper is?”

  Both men shook their heads. “I have a different level of magical power than most wizards. I can give power to others. In Lajia, a helper is called a Takia’s font, and they are rarer in that country than in Corand. The grand wizard said there aren’t many helpers in Tesoria. Anyway, if I touch a wizard that has been subjected to the conversion spell, after a time, the spell goes away. It isn’t a spell on my part, but all I know is that it works, and I can’t be converted. I do know the stronger the wizard, the less susceptible they are. The process is faster if I use the spell word clean.”

  “How susceptible is Larkin Waterford?”

  “More than his sister, Aralinn,” Jack said. “But I know he is clean of any Black Finger taint, and if there is a conflict I will stay in Gameton long enough to give you assurances he is free.”

  Fenton looked at Torrence, the officer that Tanner recognized. They nodded at each other.

  “I think that is acceptable. The alternative is one I don’t want to contemplate. Pender wants Tesoria to settle down. We are exporters to the rest of the country, and our people are hurt when the trade is down.”

  “I can see that,” Jack said. “My father makes furniture in Raker Falls, and a good part of what he makes is sold elsewhere.”

  “Furniture? Perhaps we can import some of his goods when this is over.”

  Jack smiled. “I think he’d like that.” He paused for a moment. “Do you want me to check on your wizards?”

  “At least the ones in Gameton, if you wouldn’t mind. I’m not sure the prince will let you out of the city to work with our wizards.”

  Jack hadn’t even contemplated such a thing. “Then that is something we can talk about in the future.”

  “And let us hope there is a future,” Torrence said.

  They made their way to the compound. Fenton asked his wizards to assemble in the schoolyard.

  “This is a wizard from Corand. He was in Yellowbird and would like to congratulate your efforts by shaking your hands.”

  Jack shook each hand. Some of the wizard’s eyes bulged as they felt his power and others were too weak to notice. One of them looked at Jack suspiciously, and that was a Black Finger plant. The man began to bolt, but the guards stopped him.

  “I will finish if you don’t mind.” Jack found another Black Finger. This man was stronger, and the conversion spell wasn’t as solid.

  “Thank you,” he said. The man looked at Fenton. “I have something to tell you in private,” he said, looking at the captured man.

  Jack held onto the other man’s wrist and spoke the trigger word “clean” to accelerate the removal. “I can’t be sure he won’t return to the Black Fingers,” he said. “I was told in Lajia that there are wizards that volunteer to be a Black Finger. Perhaps that might be why there was so much resistance.”

  “We will take care of him. Thank you fo
r your work. You can return.”

  Jack took that as a dismissal now that he had been used by the Panderites to purge their wizards. He nearly felt resentful of being used like that and summarily dismissed, but he had offered to help.

  The market beckoned. Jack strolled through the lanes in the marketplace. He noticed leather goods and wondered if they were from the Morakans. He was disappointed that upon closer inspection they were cheap purses and belts. He bought some market food, not trusting Lark or Ralinn’s cooking, and while he strolled looking at the goods and mingling with the basic citizens, he spotted Whelham Waterford speaking with a woman wearing the robes of an Eldoran sister and another man in front of a bank fronting the market.

  He studied the two people as they talked in earnest until the meeting broke up. There was no arguing, but they all looked intent about the subject. Jack could tell they weren’t discussing the weather. He turned and ducked back into the market and bought a few veils of a different style than the ones Jack and Tanner wore, before leaving the market from another exit and heading back to their townhouse.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  ~

  D inner was as bad as Jack had expected. Ralinn wasn’t the best cook in Tesoria nor was Lark, but at least Jack’s taste buds remembered the tasty market food from an hour before. They sat down to eat, and Jack related the service he performed for Fenton Allwin.

  “The Black Fingers are everywhere. They are a scourge,” Lark said passionately.

  “Speaking of Black Fingers, guess who I saw in the market today.”

  “You went to the market alone?” Ralinn asked.

  “How was I to get from the Panderite compound to here except alone?”

  She folded her arms. “Who did you see?”

  “Your uncle talking to an Eldoran priestess. She came up to Whelham’s shoulder, and her purple robe was trimmed with a silver band at the bottom and the sleeves. What does that mean?” Jack said.

  “It means Wessa Fanstrong is meeting the wrong people,” Ralinn said.

  “They were with another person, the same height as the priestess. He had streaky gray hair and a bulbous nose. I don’t know if you—”