Alutar: The Great Demon

by Tuttle, Richard S.

  “I appreciate your honesty,” replied the king. “Some in the lair thought that the Alceans were manipulating us to their own ends. I can see some truth to the claim of manipulation, but you and Wylan both revealed yourselves to me, and that tells me that you are speaking the truth. I am indebted to both of you for putting me where I am and for opening my eyes to the truth. Why did you want to see me about King Harowin?”

  “Because we have a problem that must still be dealt with,” answered Zack. “The Badgers were hired by General Vladin as revenge for the killing of Queen Samir.” The king’s face grew red with anger and he started to rise, but Zack shook his head and held up his hands to belay the king’s reaction. “I know what is going through your mind, but hear me out before you rush out and have the general arrested.”

  The king sat back down and nodded, but his hands remained curled into fists.

  “I think it is important for you to know the whole truth,” admitted Zack. “I was actually the intermediary between General Vladin and the Badgers. Queen Samir and King Harowin were major players in the Federation, and as such, they had to be eliminated. When your mother was assassinated, I took the opportunity to work with General Vladin to hire the Badgers. I did this because General Vladin would have attacked Ertak to take revenge, and that would have only caused more problems.”

  “But you have helped involve Spino in a plot to kill the King of Ertak,” frowned the king. “That is unacceptable. How am I now to tell King Harold that a Spinoan did indeed kill his father?”

  “You are not to do that,” answered the Alcean spymaster. “That is precisely why you and I are having this conversation. While King Harold might understand the need for his father to die, the people of Ertak will not. Turning General Vladin over to the Ertakans will foment distrust between your two countries. That is the exact opposite of what you and King Harold are trying to do.”

  “Are you suggesting that I conveniently forget about the treachery of General Vladin?” asked King Samuel.

  “Yes,” replied Zack. “Demand his resignation and ban him from your borders. I guarantee that the Badgers will find him and kill him. Justice will be served.”

  “Why would the Badgers kill him?” asked the king.

  “Because he has not paid them,” smiled Zack. “I, as his intermediary, will be meeting with the Badgers this very night. They are expecting to be paid, but they will be surprised. I will tell them that General Vladin was obviously working without authority and does not have the gold to pay them. The Badgers will demand his head. It would be prudent to make sure that the general was already relieved of command and outside the Royal Palace when that happens. Make it well known that he has resigned.”

  “And what should I do for a general then,” grumbled the king. “I would not trust any of Vladin’s underlings to step up to be the Commanding General of Spino, and I certainly don’t want to give General Kartacus an opening to take charge of the 16th Corps.”

  “Certainly not,” agreed Zack. “General Kartacus is not your friend. He has been sent here to keep the Spinoans in line. In fact, you need to find a way to get General Kartacus and the 35th Corps out of Valdo. Eject them from the city, and your allies will deal with them.”

  “Garth told me to do that,” the king nodded, “but I am not sure how to accomplish it. I will be honest with you, Lord Zachary. I may be the King of Spino, but the people have not accepted me. They still see me as a weak-minded lad. I am in no position to demand a Federation army leave my city.”

  “You will do fine,” smiled Zack. “You certainly stood up to Lord Zachary over your mother’s contracts. You just need to instill some confidence in the people that you are a true leader, and I think I know how to do that, but that is a talk for another time. Right now, we need to find you a general. Have you heard of General Somma?”

  King Samuel shook his head. “I knew a Captain Somma when I was a lad. He was an officer here in the Royal Palace. He seemed to be a decent man, but I seem to remember that others thought him a coward. Why do you ask?”

  “General Somma had an unnatural fear of water,” explained Zack. “For living in a nation on the coast of the Sea of Tears, I can imagine that he took more than his share of abuse for that phobia. I mention his name because some Alceans like the man. He was the commanding general of the 18th Corps when it attacked Alcea. His actions during that war showed him to be an intelligent man who truly cared about his soldiers. He has the ability to analyze events far better than the average Federation general, and he proved to be instrumental in keeping down the number of Federation deaths during the war. I think you could do far worse than Somma as a replacement of General Vladin.”

  “You said that he had a fear of water,” frowned the king. “I do seem to remember that now as the source of the disparaging comments. Why do you indicate that his fear is behind him?”

  “Because it is,” smiled Zack. “The 18th Corps walked into a well-engineered trap set by the Alceans. Along with the 4th Corps under General Franz, the 18th Corps was caught in a massive flood. Thousands of Federation soldiers died, but General Somma helped to save many thousands that might have perished except for his efforts. The amazing thing about the flood is that it seemed to cure the general of his fear of water.”

  “Where is General Somma now?” asked the king.

  “He is in Alcea,” answered Zack, “but if you want him here in Valdo, I can arrange it. I could have him here by morning.”

  “By morning?” gasped the king. “If you can truly do that then do it. I will demand General Vladin’s resignation tonight.”

  “You will have Vladin’s resignation within the hour,” promised the Alcean spymaster. “He probably already knows that I am telling you of his involvement in the assassination. One of your bodyguards is already watching over him to make sure that he does not try to flee or gather support from his army.”

  “How did you arrange that?” asked the king. “You did not speak to any of the Rangers before the general left.”

  “But I did,” smiled Zack. “Alcean Rangers have ways of communicating that are not verbal.”

  “I think I still have much to learn from you Alceans,” said the king. “Do you need the aid of the Rangers for your meeting with the Badgers tonight?”

  “No,” answered Zack. “That is already taken care of. Perhaps we can meet again in the morning? I would like to discuss ways of proving your fitness to rule to the citizens of Valdo.”

  “I look forward to it, Lord Zachary,” responded King Samuel.

  Lord Zachary bowed and left the office. He headed straight to the general’s office and let himself in. General Vladin rose in a start when the door opened. When he saw who it was, he glared at the nobleman.

  “You sold me down the river, didn’t you?” he snarled accusingly. “One of the king’s bodyguards refused to allow me to leave my office.”

  “I have saved your life,” Zack responded. “Did you really think we could keep this secret from the king? The best path was obviously the truth.”

  “And how does that save my life?” spat the general. “You heard the king’s words. He is going to turn me over to Ertak. I will be hanged.”

  “You will not be turned over to anyone,” Zack said soothingly. “All you have to do is resign your position and leave the country. If you do so quietly, the incident will never be mentioned again.”

  The general’s eyes widened in surprise. “Is that the truth?” he asked. “What will happen to you?”

  “I have already lost what I came to Valdo for,” sighed the Alcean spymaster. “After tomorrow, Lord Zachary will never set foot in Spino again. We are both lucky to get out of this alive, Vladin. Do not mess up this chance. You must write your letter of resignation now.”

  “With pleasure,” the general replied as he retrieved a piece of paper and began writing. “I could not imagine remaining in Valdo with the king knowing of my complicity. In fact, I will be long gone before morning. I advise you to do th
e same. Samuel might just change his mind during the night.”

  Chapter 43

  Bloody Lances

  Bin-lu dragged the body of the slain Badger deeper into the alley. When he came to a pile of garbage, he threw the body to the ground next to the wall and then moved the garbage to cover it. He turned and hurried out of the alley to join up with Rut-ki.

  “What is next?” asked Bin-lu.

  “The two behind the Greystone Inn,” answered Rut-ki. “If we walk along the alley behind the inn, there will be one on each side of us. I will take the one on the left standing at the rear of the shop. You get the one on the right near the stables.”

  “I will follow your lead,” Bin-lu replied softly. “Keep an eye out for late night revelers. We do not want the deaths to be noticed before morning.”

  Rut-ki nodded silently as the Lanoirian couple walked hand in hand. As they approached the rear of the Greystone Inn, the Badger on the left moved back into the shadows. Rut-ki pretended not to notice him. Just before they reached the corner of the Greystone Inn, where an alley led to the stables, Rut-ki tripped, falling face down on the ground. Her arms flew out to each side to break her fall. The Badger near the stables watched her without emotion, but the Badger on Rut-ki’s left issued a surprised grunt, a Lanoirian star imbedded in his chest. The Badger near the stables reacted quickly to the cry from his partner. His head jerked away from watching Rut-ki as his eyes searched the shadows in search of his teammate. While the Badger’s eyes were averted, Bin-lu let fly his Lanoirian star. It sank deeply into the assassin’s neck, and Bin-lu raced forward to confirm the kill. Rut-ki leaped to her feet and dashed into the shadows to do the same. Within moments, the Knights of Alcea were reunited.

  “That only leaves the one in the lobby,” whispered Bin-lu.

  “I am not sure how to approach that one without being seen,” frowned Rut-ki.

  “We draw him out of the lobby,” replied Bin-lu. “Follow my lead and be ready to improvise.”

  Rut-ki nodded and the couple entered the lobby from the side door. Bin-lu unclasped Rut-ki’s hand in the center of the lobby, a sign for her to wait behind. Bin-lu approached the attendant in the lobby and spoke softly to him. No words could be heard by anyone in the lobby, but it was clear from the attendant’s shaking of his head that Bin-lu was not getting what he wanted. Bin-lu turned around sporting a look of disappointment and headed towards Rut-ki, who had managed during her meandering wait to end up near the Badger sitting in the lobby.

  “It is no use,” Bin-lu said to Rut-ki. “There are none available at this hour. Wait here for me. I am going up to the room. I will be back shortly.”

  Rut-ki let Bin-lu reach the foot of the stairs before calling to him. “What about Lord Zachary?” she called. “Surely, he must have one. Do you think he will lend it to us?”

  Bin-lu smiled broadly as the Badger’s head snapped to stare at Bin-lu. “I don’t know,” Bin-lu called back, “but it won’t hurt to ask him. Wait for me.”

  Bin-lu turned and started up the stairs. The Badger rose immediately. Although the Badger tried to make it look casual, Rut-ki knew that the man was anxious. She pointedly ignored him as he swiftly made his way to the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, Rut-ki raced after him, leaving the impression that she was trying to catch up to Bin-lu. When the Badger was out of view of the lobby, he started running up the stairs after Bin-lu. When he reached the second floor, an arm reached out and grabbed him. The Badger reached out towards his unseen assailant, but he was off balance. Before the Badger understood the true danger, Bin-lu grasped the assassin’s head and twisted it. A loud crack reverberated off the walls of the empty corridor, and the Badger’s body went limp. Rut-ki raced by Bin-lu and began trying doors along the corridor. Most of the doors were locked, but not all of them. The first door she found open was occupied, and the Knight of Alcea quickly closed it. She moved on and found an empty room and then signaled Bin-lu. Bin-lu carried the body of the Badger into the room and dumped it on the bed. The Knights of Alcea left the room, closing the door behind them. Bin-lu woke up his fairy.

  “Is it nighttime already?” Shrimp asked groggily.

  “It has been for some time,” smiled Bin-lu. “You are to find Lord Zachary and tell him that it is time to come home.”

  “Be quick about it,” added Rut-ki. “He is not far away. Check the taverns.”

  The fairy darted away while the Knights of Alcea headed for their own room. The tiny green man zipped through the nearby taverns until he found the Alcean spymaster. Without even being informing of the message, Lord Zachary rose and headed for the door. Shrimp waited until Zack had exited the tavern before landing on his shoulder.

  “It is time to come home,” stated Shrimp.

  “Which is where Flea and I are going,” smiled Zack. “Your message has been delivered, Shrimp. Thank you.”

  Shrimp darted skyward and Lord Zachary walked towards the Greystone Inn. He entered the inn and climbed the stairs to his room. He did not bother to check the trap he had set. He knew that Bin-lu and Rut-ki would not have sent Shrimp if the Badger named Wain was not already in his room. He opened the door and walked in.

  “You waste more of my time than any other intermediary I have ever dealt with,” complained Wain. “Did you not learn from the last time that I would be here within minutes of your first ale?”

  Lord Zachary closed the door and approached the sitting area. “Perhaps I needed a few ales this night,” frowned Lord Zachary. “We have a problem.”

  “We do not have a problem,” scowled the Badger. “You and General Vladin might have a problem, but do not include me in your hardships.”

  “General Vladin has fled the city,” declared Lord Zachary.

  “What?” snapped Wain. “Why would he do that?”

  “He fled because of two reasons,” Lord Zachary said calmly. “He found out today that King Samuel has promised to turn over anyone involved in the assassination of King Harowin to the Ertakan authorities.”

  Wain was quiet for a moment as he pondered what this meant to the Badgers. He had never had a customer who refused to pay before.

  “What was the other reason?” Wain asked.

  “General Vladin does not have the gold to pay you,” replied Lord Zachary.

  “That is the wrong thing to say,” threatened Wain as he rose to his feet and pulled a knife from his belt. “We completed the contract. If General Vladin does not pay us, someone else will have to.”

  “I am only an intermediary,” Zack said defensively as he moved towards the end of the couch to turn the Badger’s attention away from the rest of the room. “I neither guaranteed your completion of the contract nor General Vladin’s payment. If I felt any responsibility for either, I would not be standing here talking to you. I came to warn you that the general is getting away.”

  “And you took your time in doing so,” spat the Badger as he turned to face Lord Zachary. “You could have been here hours ago.”

  “I could have,” smiled the Alcean spymaster as he watched Garth and Kalina suddenly appear behind the Badger, “but then your men outside would have been more alert. Had they been more alert, they might still be alive.”

  Wain’s eyes grew large with disbelief at what he was hearing. His face reddened with rage and his arm cocked to throw his knife at Zack. He never got the chance. An icy blue ball soared across the room and struck the Badger in the back. He froze instantly. Kalina moved forward, her fingers already sparking. She touched the throwing knife and then the area of the Badger brooch. Zack pried the knife from the Badger’s hands while Garth removed the brooch. Kalina then touched the Badger’s head and Garth moved to stand directly before the frozen assassin.

  “I will make this brief,” Garth said. “You will tell me the name of the Badger leader and where I can find him. In return, I will allow you to swallow this brooch. If you do not comply with my demands, you will be turned over to King Samuel, who will parade you through this cit
y and then transport you to Farmin, where King Harold will parade you through that city. You and the entire Badger organization will then be humiliated by a show trial that will become the talk of all of Zara. When we are done with you, you will rot in a dungeon while the Badgers try to kill you for ruining them. Of course, that will only result in further humiliation for the Badgers because we have a way of making sure that you don’t die.”

  The Badger did not speak, and Garth smiled thinly.

  “Oh,” Garth said casually. “Did I forget to mention that we already learned this information from the leader in Zinbar who arranged the contract on King Anator? Do not even think of lying to me, Wain. I am looking for verification. Unless your answers match what we already have, Kalina will probe your mind for the correct answers. I shudder to think what you might reveal under such a probe. Imagine the crimes we could publicly charge you with.”

  “Issa,” spat the Badger. “Give me my brooch.”

  “You only answered half of my questions,” replied Garth. “Try again.”

  “I do not know where to find him,” answered the Badger. “He is more secretive than all of the other Badgers combined. The only one that I know who has ever met him is Franco.”

  Garth nodded with satisfaction. He held up the brooch and placed it in the Badger’s mouth. Wain bit down hard on the brooch and died.

  “An interesting technique,” mused the Alcean spymaster. “Does the information match?”

  “Is the Badger dead?” retorted Garth. “Both Badger leaders agreed on both points. I think we have some work to do in Despair. We could use your help, Lord Zachary.”

  The use of Zack’s Vinaforan cover name told Zack that he had a role to play in Despair. He nodded in acceptance.

  “And you will have a new wife this time,” grinned Kalina.

  “Now you have me intrigued,” chuckled Zack, “and honored as well. When do we leave?”

  “Right after your morning meeting with King Samuel,” answered Garth. “I have been thinking about his standing with the citizens, and I think I know just how to prove his worth to those skeptics.”