by Tony Roberts
“There is a new emperor, my father. He is Astiras Koros; perhaps you may have heard of him?”
The farmers muttered to each other, nodding. Sure they had heard of him. There were few in the empire who hadn’t. A famed soldier. “Yes, certainly we have; a good man and a brave one. But isn’t he fighting in Bragal?”
“No longer. The previous emperor treacherously withdrew the army from Bragal and was about to surrender it to the rebels. That is why my father is now emperor and intends continuing that war, as well as bringing those regions of the empire that have foolishly decided to go their own way back into the imperial fold – including Lodria!”
“Lodria is under the rule of Alfan Fokis, Duke of Slenna. He has declared no taxes shall go to Kastan and that we are to swear allegiance to him – or he will burn our farms.” The other farmers nodded, muttering.
Jorqel felt a surge of anger. He kept his voice calm, however. “Rest assured, good people, I shall not take such steps. I am the rightful governor of Lodria, and when Slenna falls to my force here, this – Alfan Fokis – shall swing from the highest tower. You will pay your tithes to me – a fair and equitable tithe. One fourth.”
The farmers broke into an excited chatter. They were being asked to pay one half at the moment. Jorqel sensed their mood. “When Slenna falls I shall send out patrols around this province to ensure all are protected. While Lodria stands isolated as it does now, the Tybar lick their lips with anticipation. Between the frontier and here is nothing. With Kastan as your overlords, you can enjoy the protection of the whole of the Empire. This I swear.”
“Sire,” the farmer’s spokesman bowed and knelt before Jorqel. The rest followed suit. “We swear allegiance to you and to Emperor Astiras.”
Jorqel smiled. “Stand. Be heartened, good farmers. Continue with your work and grow your crops and tend your beasts. Send your tithe after harvest to me outside Slenna. I shall be besieging it.”
“Sire.”
“A few things before we go on our way; how far is it to Slenna, and what other villages stand in our way? Are they loyal to the emperor or have they turned traitor?”
“Sire, it is a sevenday’s march to Slenna. There are three such villages on this road, and five or six off side roads. A day’s march from Slenna you will cross the Mendar Bridge. If the rebels know of your approach they may attempt to block you there.”
“Thank you for your assistance. I shall remember your help in time to come. Now good day to you all; we have work to do!” Jorqel raised a hand in farewell and the farmers bowed once more, then stepped aside as the army marched across the frontier into Lodria.
____
Teduskis was busy that day; the delivery of former Captain Mercos to the town militia barracks had gone smoothly before dawn, and he’d managed to snatch a few hours’ sleep before breakfast. Now he was on his way back to the barracks to speak to the new captain there, Vosgaris Taboz. Taboz was a young, eager man with bright brown eyes, a shiny clear skin that made Teduskis envious and resentful, and an uncluttered mind clear of any deviousness that Teduskis actually found refreshing.
There was also the matter that Taboz was a candidate to replace Mercos. Teduskis was welcomed to a messy, chaotic office full of papers and objects lying or standing all over the small room. Vosgaris apologised, explaining that his predecessor who had died in recent disturbances had left the place in a mess and that it would take some time to sort out what was supposed to go where.
Teduskis had appraised the town guard on his way to the barracks. This was yet another sign of the competing factions within the empire; instead of one unified regime, there were small factions all vying with one another for an advantage. The Imperial Guard, the Palace Guard, the Town Guard. The gods alone knew how many more guard factions there may be! But while the former two were professional units, the town guard were merely militia, part-timers who trained a few times a sevenday and rotated on duty. Some were those who could find no work elsewhere, others were old men on their way down from former army positions, others again young men wishing to have a career in the army but as places were full they bided their time in the militia until an opportunity to progress presented itself.
A right mixed lot, Teduskis decided. It showed in their appearance and conduct too. Some were sloppy, others smart. Vosgaris rummaged on his desk and dragged from a pile of papers one particular parchment. “Mercos is secure. The man who was in his cell has been released and is being smartened up prior to you escorting him to the palace. I understand he was a former advisor to one of the previous emperors and was jailed when one of the coups toppled his master.”
“As is the custom,” Teduskis said darkly. “Your name has been mentioned by the new emperor and empress, by the way.”
“Oh?” Vosgaris looked alarmed. In these days of uncertainty, it was not wise to antagonise or be noticed by the imperial families.
“Nothing to worry about, lad,” Teduskis grinned. “They think you might be a worthy successor to Mercos. They want a reliable loyal type.”
“Well, my family knows the Koros, and we’ve been friendly in the past. It’s an honour to be considered, that’s for sure.” Vosgaris pondered on the matter for a moment. He looked at the papers on his desk, then switched his attention to the window that looked out onto the inner courtyard where a couple of men were practicing with the shield and counterweight device. He winced as one of them was struck by the weight, not ducking out of the way fast enough. “Palace guard? It would be a step up and my family would be pleased. It would be good to gain favour with the new regime.” He sounded uncertain.
Teduskis knew why. “Worried that our regime may not last? And if it doesn’t, you’d be dragged down with it?”
Vosgaris nodded. “Mind if I think on it a couple of days? I want to gauge the mood in the city first. My predecessor was killed in a riot and I want to see if another is brewing. Hard to tell at the moment; there are rumblings but these happen most of the time, or so those who’ve been here a long time tell me.”
“If there’s trouble we’ll stamp it out,” Teduskis growled. “They’re not dealing with puling weaklings anymore; my men are veterans of the Bragal war. They’ll eat any rioters for breakfast.”
“Yes,” Vosgaris pulled a face. He’d never seen action before and the thought of it made him nervous. He didn’t want to let his family’s reputation down, but he worried he wasn’t up to the task. “My men would assist, of course.”
“I’d expect it,” Teduskis said. “Right. I want to see this former advisor. I’ve got a busy day and they want this fellow back in the palace fairly quickly. He’s still being cleaned up?”
“Yes,” Vosgaris stood up and led Teduskis over to the door. “Poor fellow was here for two years. Bad diet, rodents and filth. You know the sort of thing.”
“I can guess,” Tesduskis commented as he was led out of the door, along a passageway, then into a guard room and down a flight of steps and through a barred gate, unlocked by a guard. The smell of unwashed people and damp came to them as they entered a world of darkness, illuminated only by torchlight, and the thick stones of the walls and floors glistened with damp. The bars of the cells stood along one wall and emaciated and listless faces stared at them as they made their way to the end.
At least the room beyond was clean and dry, and a man was seated being attended to by two others. The two attendees stepped back and both Teduskis and Vosgaris could then see that the seated man was of middling age, had a newly clipped white beard, a long nose and piercing blue eyes. He looked up at the two men and raised a bushy eyebrow. “Am I acceptable, gentlemen?”
Teduskis grunted without indicating yes or no, but Vosgaris nodded his assent.
The man sighed and ran his fingers over his obviously borrowed clothes. “Not a good fit and poor quality, but much better than what I’ve been forced to endure these past couple of years. So the Koros are running affairs are they? They’ll shake things up, I should say.”
“
You’ll see for yourself soon enough,” Teduskis replied. “Are you fit to walk?”
“Just about. Some frightful meal with little taste was forced down me a short while ago. It was filling, I must say, but dreadfully presented.”
Teduskis smothered a smile. Vosgaris made little indication he was amused. “Glad we could free you, Counsel Sereth,” Vosgaris said in a neutral voice.
Sereth cleared his throat, stood and peered down at the captain. “Yes, but not as glad as I. I shall be making comments on the standard of accommodation here in due course, mark my words, young man.”
Teduskis looked at Vosgaris and his lips twitched. Vosgaris’ expression remained neutral. As Sereth was led upstairs, he blinked as the daylight hit his eyes. “If you will bear with me for a moment, I must get used to the light once more.”
Teduskis clapped the younger man on the shoulder. “It seems like you’ll have more than just your own desk to clear up in the coming sevendays. Speak again soon; don’t keep the emperor waiting long, he hasn’t got much patience, I should warn you.”
“Thank you,” Vosgaris replied, then stepped aside as Sereth was led out into the street by the imperial guard captain.
“A counsel to the emperor, were you?” Teduskis asked as they walked the few hundred paces to the palace.
“Amongst other duties, yes. Something I paid a heavy price for, but not as heavy as some others.”
“I can guess. I’ll leave you with the major domo; he’ll look after you until you see the emperor later today. I’ve got other things to attend to.”
“Indeed?” Sereth’s eyebrow went up once more. “A man of many hats?”
“I’m the emperor’s right hand man. He has plenty of things to sort out and as he can’t be everywhere at once, he needs me to carry out some of those tasks.”
“You’re a soldier.” Sereth examined Teduskis carefully. “I would say these tasks are – unpleasant?”
“Perhaps,” Teduskis said evenly, holding the courtier’s gaze, “but nothing I can’t handle. You may be of use to the emperor, Counsel Sereth. Understand that if you wish to regain your former position you’ll have to accept some unpleasant things must be done to sort out the mess we’ve inherited.”
“Hmmm,” Sereth pursed his lips. “That is something to be discussed at length.” They resumed their walk and fairly soon Sereth was handed over to Pepil for further visible improvements and a change of wardrobe. Teduskis retraced his steps and waved a finger at two men lounging by the entrance to the palace delivery gates. These two men were the same who had assisted in the arrest and interrogation of Mercos the evening before. Unlike Teduskis, they hadn’t shaved and looked like street ruffians – which, Teduskis decided, was quite appropriate for where they were headed.
The streets were full of people going about their business, but more than one stepped aside or crossed the street when the three men came marching purposefully in their direction. The constant changes of regime meant that anyone could be on a mission from the emperor – or opposing the new one. Either way, nobody wanted to be seen to be choosing sides. Too many times in the last ten years, those who had made the wrong choice ended up in prison, or simply vanished.
The sunlight felt good after the long winter, and Teduskis felt in fine health despite the lack of sleep. Winter campaigns in Bragal weren’t for the delicate. They turned off the main street and plunged into darker, narrower alleyways, forging deeper into the district many shunned. The houses leaned closer here and refuse cluttered the sides of the narrow streets. The smell of refuse was strong here. Felines and canines competed for scraps of food here and there, and other denizens scuttled about as the men tramped towards their destination, a large stone-faced building in the centre of the area.
Men wearing dark clothing watched their approach, and one slipped soundlessly into the building via a side entrance. These strangers were not of this district and that meant trouble.
Teduskis stamped up the four wide slate-topped stone steps in front of the building and banged on the door. After a moment it opened and a wizened, rodent-like face stuck itself out. “What do you want?” it demanded.
“Your master, little man.”
“Who’s asking?”
“I come from the palace. I bear a message from the emperor.”
“So you say. Where is this message, then?”
Teduskis tapped his head. “In here. So hurry up and let us in. Or do I ask my colleagues here to open it for me?”
Rodent-face looked at the two heavies and scowled. “You’ll find no profit in doing that. Wait here.” He vanished and was gone for a few minutes. The three men looked around and saw they had attracted a fair amount of interest. People were looking out of doorways and windows, or alley entrances, and a few were standing in the shadows of buildings on the street. It would take but a few heart beats for them to rush the three, and the two heavies nervously touched the hilts of their swords. “Easy, lads,” Teduskis said quietly. “No silly moves.”
The door opened inwards once more and Rodent-face beckoned the three in. They found themselves in a small ante-chamber with a door in the opposite wall. Another man was in this room and he pointed at the swords the three were wearing. “You’ll have to leave those here before you go any further,” he said. “Together with any other weapons you may have.”
“And leave us defenceless?” Teduskis countered.
“House rules. We’ve had previous – incidents,” the man ended with a death’s-head leer.
Teduskis scowled but unclipped his sword belt and passed it over. The man hung it from a rack behind him set against the wall. The other two followed suit, a little more reluctantly. Once this had been done, and the small daggers they wore had also been handed over, they were allowed to follow Rodent-face through the second door. Here was a huge hall with doors off to either side and a staircase leading up to a second floor. Underneath this were more doors; but they were led up the staircase, past a couple of curious occupants to the landing and along to a door where two men were lounging. They straightened and looked at the three with interest.
“Here to see the boss,” Rodent-face introduced them with a jerk of his thumb, “on palace business. It’s been cleared with Riklar.”
The guards opened the door and two escorted the three men into the chamber beyond. In contrast to the austere and stark decorations and furnishings outside, this room was positively over decorated. Rich tapestries hung from walls and cushioned chairs were scattered about the room with the floor covered in a thick colourful rug that could only have come from the west.
Behind a stout desk made of dark brown wood – probably the jandak tree, Teduskis mused idly – a man was sitting. Dressed in leggings and a jacket of rich red and blue velvet, he seemed dwarfed by his surroundings. He stood up and gave the three newcomers a very thorough examination. “I understand you have come from the palace?”
“That is so,” Teduskis nodded.
“These two – they are bodyguards.” It was a statement, not a question. “They stay outside.”
Teduskis shrugged and nodded to his companions. They allowed themselves, somewhat reluctantly, to be led out. One of the door guards took up a position on the inside of the door, arms folded, staring at Teduskis.
“So what is it that the palace needs of me?” the man said, sitting back down and clasping his hands together.
Teduskis thought he lacked quality. Even his mannerisms were forced, as if he were in an unfamiliar place and trying to be something he wasn’t. “The thieves’ guild has been implicated in a conspiracy against Emperor Astiras. The emperor is keen to clear up any misunderstanding there may be.”
“This guild is implicated in what? A conspiracy?” the guild leader frowned and leaned back. “Whatever gives the palace this misplaced idea?”
“We arrested one of the conspirators last night as he left the meeting that one of your members attended. The prisoner confessed under interrogation that one of this guild was ind
eed there and that there may have been a contract made to murder the emperor’s son, currently on campaign.”
“This man is lying,” the guild leader dismissed the charge with a wave of his hand. “A fabrication designed to put this guild in a bad light with the new regime. We welcome the new emperor and hope his reign will be a long and fruitful one.”
Teduskis didn’t believe the man for a moment. “I’ll inform the emperor of your wishes. He’ll be pleased. However, we do have good reason to believe the prisoner was telling the truth. I myself saw this man leave the meeting and he did make his way in this direction.”
“But you never saw where he went,” the guild leader finished. “He could have ended up in any one of hundreds of locations.”
“Possible.”
“Absolutely certain. There is no evidence to implicate our involvement in any – conspiracy. I myself would be horrified if such a thing was suggested. I’m a loyal citizen of Kastania.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Teduskis said, looking round at the plush surroundings. “An impressive collection of furniture. Business must be good.”
“We – manage.” The guild leader smiled in a way Teduskis didn’t care for.
“Tell me, thief, do you authorise every action the guild takes part in or are some of your members autonomous and carry out freelance work?”
“That is guild business,” the leader steepled his fingers. “What goes on behind these doors is our affair and no one else’s. I’m sure you understand.”
Teduskis nodded. “Very well. I’ll be on my way. However, we are aware there is some involvement in a conspiracy with this guild, whether you are aware of it or not. Should anything happen my men will return and burn this shit-hole to the ground with all its occupants inside it. Good day.”
The guild leader’s face froze and angry eyes bored into the back of Teduskis as he left. He sat motionless for a few moments, then opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of parchment. He flicked open an ink well and picked up a quill, then began to write hurriedly in a language nobody but a guild member would recognise. When he had finished he beckoned to the guard who had remained in the room. “Take this to our man in Niake. He’ll need to pass it on to our agent who’s on their way to Lodria.”