Grand Vizier of Krar

by W. John Tucker

  There were local boatmen out along the river in small rowing boats, even a few canoes, who had risked conscription or enslavement to catch fish for their villages. Arnapa spoke to some of them in the local dialect and received news as to where the enemy had garrisons or patrols nearby. That helped Arnapa guide her team away from trouble.

  On the third day of their journey from Belspire they came near the entrance to Polnet River. They sought out the lad Nellinu. After the twins introduced him to Arnapa and the others, they learned that the enemy had advanced down Southport River to within thirty-five leagues of Port Fandabbin. This was not because the Dabbinan ships had been pushed back, but because the ships had to withdraw to keep level with the defenders on land. They could not risk the enemy army getting behind them and then blocking the river downstream by creating some kind of barrier there, such as building a pontoon bridge or sinking old barges. The front line was now at Tannic River, just upstream from where Chay-Enn River converged with Southport River. The enemy had established a camp there to gather forces for another push toward Port Fandabbin.

  The intrepid Nellinu had started to create a network of nosy children all up and down the rivers. His lieutenants lived in villages close enough for them to report to him and return home within a day, and they each had lieutenants who could report to them in a similar fashion, and so on, already stretching Nellinu’s reach to Quolow and half-way to each of Belspire and Port Fandabbin. The children inveigled their way into the enemy camps and boats in a manner not very different from the way Memwin had infiltrated the circus caravan. Nellinu’s cardinal order to his acolytes was, “Act dumb but be useful, and always have an adult-resistant escape route.” Nellinu had been jubilant when Arnapa disclosed that she was Spymaster General for the Duchy of Dabbin. She formally appointed Nellinu a Trainee Master Spy (the paperwork and the academic part of the training to be completed after the war) with the initial rank of Captain. One of Nellinu’s lieutenants was with him at the time and, after an appropriate jaw-dropping at Nellinu’s newfound importance, soon spread word about his leader’s new status. Arnapa felt confident that she would have no lack of new recruits for her Spy Service, assuming she survived. She did not mention that her department had been greatly depleted by the war; it was a dangerous job. She had two Master Spies and a dozen part-time spies engaged in watching Prime Minister Binpin and his contacts, but she was otherwise desperately short of personnel. Nellinu’s help was actually more important now than even he imagined in his most self-congratulatory dreams.

  After they passed Polnet River the current became swifter and they made better time. The marshes and swamps dwindled and the river was broader, deeper and darker, more like the sea between two long islands. This made it easier for three canoes to pass unnoticed. Occasionally there were trees floating in the current, some still laden with branches and leaves. The trees were some of those which had been cut down far upstream to build barges, these ones having escaped that destiny by falling into the river. Three such trees now each had a canoe by their side. The floating trees shielded the canoes from the enemy garrisons which were appearing with increased frequency on the north shore. Enemy patrols could also be seen on the south shore but there was still sufficient marsh on that side for the canoeists to hide from view amongst the tall reeds when they needed to do so.

  Two days after they had said farewell to Nellinu, they saw signs that they were approaching a major enemy position. To avoid a fleet of large barges coming upstream, they moved into the narrow strip of marsh that remained on the southern shore. The barges were empty, suggesting that they had disgorged their cargo and their passengers.

  Another fleet of barges appeared upstream. This one was fully laden with soldiers. It had clearly been catching up with Arnapa’s party, the barges having made speed with both river current and sail. A large number of longboats now appeared downstream, possibly to tow the incoming barges to docks not far away. There was an elaborate dance as the two fleets of barges passed each other. The ones going upstream had to tack across the river to make way against the current while the ones going downstream had to manoeuvre around them.

  “How are we going to get past all this?” Zeep whispered to Arnapa.

  The nearest barge was passing them just thirty paces from the edge of the reed bed. The barge was packed with soldiers, yet only one pair of eyes was turned toward the southern shore. Moments later, from the corner of her eye, Arnapa saw a small shadow plummet into the water behind the barge. Two minutes later a small pair of hands shot out of the water to grasp the top strake of Arnapa’s canoe and, before she could react, a small head popped out of the water, gasped and then smiled broadly.

  “Captain Nellinu sent me, Ma’am,” the child whispered without any other introduction. Before Arnapa or Zeep could help the boy into the canoe, he had already rolled into it as though it took no effort at all.

  Arnapa was so amazed that she forgot the patience she had learnt to endure when extracting information from people. Her questions rolled out one after the other: “What’s your name? How did Nellinu know where to find us? How did you find us? You must be only nine.”

  “I’m Nellinar, age eight, champion underwater swimmer, and brother of Captain Nellinu,” the boy said as though he were reporting for duty in some military order. “Nellinu sent me with the barges when they stopped off the day after you left. I saw you all just now from the barge where I was making myself useful cleaning boots. You’ll need to be guided across to Chay-Enn River, about four leagues south, to avoid the big camp just downstream. I was here last week recruiting our agent. He lives by the Chay-Enn. The enemy garrisons were being set up then and I know where they are.”

  The other canoeists had come close enough to hear what Nellinar was saying.

  “How do we get our canoes from here across to the Chay-Enn?” Aransette asked.

  “Don’t worry. Once you get to the Chay-Enn, our lieutenant there will provide a fast sloop to take you back to the Southport where Alliance forces are still holding out.” He waved his hand downstream to where the troop carriers were now disappearing from view.

  “Are you sure that your very new agent can supply such a boat?” Arnapa enquired dubiously. The idea of a child of eight coming up with a fast sloop in the midst of war seemed remarkable to say the least.

  “He looks after them for the owner,” Nellinar replied. Then seeing that further explanation would be necessary he continued. “There’s a small marina on the south side of the Chay-Enn. That side is not yet controlled by the enemy. My friend watches over six or seven boats for the marina owner who fled to Port Fandabbin. There’s an Alliance patrol that comes and goes with messages for the guerrilla units in Chay-Enn Mountains and to resist enemy raids across the river. The knights of the patrol sometimes use the boats to get down to their headquarters on the Southport when they don’t need to take their horses or camels with them. Anyway, my friend will just let you take one of the sloops as though you were regular Alliance knights.”

  “Thank you, Nellinar, you are a true spy, but how many enemy forces are deployed between here and Chay-Enn River?” Arnapa asked.

  “Alright, the latest news that came in yesterday was that the big army is on the north bank of the Southport about a league downstream from here. The Chay-Enn comes out another five leagues downstream. We have to get there before the invaders do. Everyone is expecting them to move very soon because their biggest boss is not happy with the way things are going. Heads have been rolling. The invaders also have garrisons and patrols all the way across to the Chay-Enn. They haven’t raided across the Chay-Enn for a while because the guerrillas made a mess of them last time. Even the high general at Lake Quolow hasn’t bothered to send any of his soldiers this far yet.”

  “I see you have been very busy collecting intelligence,” Arnapa complimented him.

  “We’ve been doing that all year. With our parents and teachers away slaving for the invaders, there’s nothing much else for us to do t
han find wild berries, catch fish and spy on the invaders. We didn’t think of linking up until Nellinu met Aransette and Norsnette. I think he was in love with them both. Now he’s a Captain, I have to keep reminding him not to fall too deeply in love with himself.” They all stifled a laugh at Nellinar’s cheeky assertion.

  They worked their way stealthily a mile upstream to a place that Nellinar had noticed where they could hide their canoes. True to his word, Nellinar led them safely through the hilly woodland between the Southport and the Chay-Enn. On the way, they avoided several enemy garrisons and evaded a number of patrols, all due to Nellinar’s knowledge and his ability to spy on things without drawing attention. Any concern they had about crossing the Chay-Enn was allayed when Nellinar swam across the river, much narrower than the Southport but a challenge nonetheless, and returned with his friend, the sloop and a small rowing boat in tow. The two lads brought these close enough to shore for Zeep to wade out and bring them in.

  As Bonmar was the only qualified mariner in the party, he took charge with the assistance of Nellinar who, as a river dweller, knew quite a lot about small boats. Meanwhile, Pretsan and Zeep crouched ready with poles to fend off flotsam or push the boat away from rocks or shallows. The other three women had to crouch together and keep out of the way. There was no room for them to do anything else.

  Nellinar’s friend climbed into the rowing boat and they towed him back to his employer’s marina, really just a series of three jetties. After exchanges of gratitude and good will, they raised the sails and set off downstream without further delay.

  Several enemy patrols tried to shoot at them and some small boats were launched from the enemy shore, but none could match the speed of the sloop under Bonmar’s steady guidance. They kept to the south side of the Chay-Enn, just out of the effective range of enemy archers.

  The first suggestion of a greater danger was when they were just a mile from Southport River and a great warship suddenly appeared in front of them. It was just before noon two days after they had met Nellinar.

  They had sailed straight into a battle.

  100

  Southport River – 22nd November

  “It’s a Dabbinan ship!” Arnapa called out jubilantly.

  “The sails are furled and it is at anchor,” Bonmar called back. “This close to enemy, it must be a blockade.”

  As their sloop sped downstream, a second warship appeared and then another until they could see a V-shaped formation of warships pointing north (this small stretch of Southport River flowed from north to south). Suddenly, there was a flash of movement on the decks of all the warships and a volley of fiery catapult shot launched into the air and soared across the river in all directions except south. This was answered by an even more ferocious volley of returning shot.

  Bonmar cried, “We must hurry. The enemy are trying to cut off the blockade.”

  “The Dabbinan ships were holding the line at Tannic River, three leagues north of here, so the invaders must have pushed forward while we were going across country,” Nellinar yelled.

  Arnapa then cried back, “Our forces can’t hold the enemy back now that Tannic River has fallen. Our ships will have to evacuate the soldiers to Lake Glorz twenty leagues west. Glorz River is Port Fandabbin’s last line of defence beyond Outer Wall. We must hurry to reach those ships or they will leave us behind in the middle of the enemy’s vanguard.”

  “Hold steady!” Bonmar cried. Chay-Enn River joined the Southport almost at right-angles. The land on the downstream side of the confluence was protected from erosion by a massive block of granite. As Bonmar accelerated the sloop around this rocky bastion into the Southport, they all had to hold on for their lives. Pretsan, who had little experience of boats, became alarmed when the sloop tipped rapidly to one side and the foresail looked as though it might go into the water. Bonmar and Nellinar seemed to be standing horizontally on that side of the boat with their backs almost touching the water, or so it seemed to Pretsan. Moreover, Bonmar’s curiously intricate wooden leg, now half exposed, looked to Pretsan as though it might break (he did not know just how strong it was). Imagining imminent disaster, Pretsan moved to save his new friends, but instead slipped into the water and was saved only by the strength of his mighty hands which still clung to a cleat. Ironically, this movement of his heavy frame helped to stabilize the boat and he was soon clambering back in, red from both exertion and embarrassment.

  “Thank you, Pretsan,” Bonmar called. “That helped, but it was a very brave and dangerous thing to do. There is a technique which I will be happy to show you for next time.” Bonmar understood Pretsan’s embarrassment. He still remembered many embarrassing occasions when he had trained as a mariner, and had sworn that he would never humiliate anyone for their mistakes as he had sometimes been humiliated by others for his.

  As they swung into Southport River, they saw a whole fleet of Alliance warships: some were already sailing south; some were a mile away near the north shore and hauling in anchors; and others were still in the V-formation exchanging volleys of fiery catapult shot with the enemy’s vanguard ashore.

  Bonmar approached the ship standing at the nearest end of the V-formation and furthest from the enemy. It was fortunate that the ship’s master recognised the sloop as one previously used by the Chay-Enn Patrol. She ordered her archers to hold their fire, and she invited all aboard as soon as she saw Bonmar furl the sails. All the warships were by this time hauling in anchors and sliding back with the current.

  Speedy introductions were made. The skipper was a woman of about the same age as Arnapa. Her name was Serunipa. She offered to take them all back to Port Fandabbin. “Most of the fleet must withdraw to Lake Glorz, but I can take you on to River Docks.” She recognised Arnapa as Spymaster General, yet quite properly did not disclose that as her reason for making the diversion. Whatever Arnapa’s mission was, it took precedence, and its secrecy had to be maintained.

  “I must return with the sloop,” Nellinar complained. By this time the quick-acting crew had already turned the warship around and the sloop was being towed.

  Serunipa replied, “The wind is changing. Your return would be slow and expose you to capture. However, I will make sure that the Patrol informs your friend that circumstances have overwhelmed you and that the Duke of Dabbin has required you and the sloop to enter his service.” This greatly pleased Nellinar who had never been to Port Fandabbin. He did not mind at all that word would spread back through his brother’s network to the effect that he, Nellinar, had been personally called upon to attend the leader of the Free Alliance.

  A great shout could be heard across the water from the shore. Zeep and Pretsan, both tall enough to look over the heads of the surrounding crowd saw the glint of light on spears and swords and then a pall of dust rise.

  “I would know that sight and sound anywhere,” said Pretsan. “There is a cavalry charge on yonder western shore.”

  “Even the enemy vanguard outnumbers us, and their army is close behind,” Serunipa reported. “We have just evacuated our infantry. That’s why we have all these soldiers on deck getting in the way of my crew.” The deck did seem to be crowded with idle soldiers who blocked the view of the cavalry charge for Arnapa, Bonmar, Norsnette and Aransette (Nellinar had managed to climb into the rigging to see it). “Our cavalry are attacking only to disrupt the enemy long enough for us to get away. They will then retreat to Glorz River where we have barges to take them across. Between here and the Glorz we will deploy guerrilla tactics to delay the advance, but we can’t hold the territory and it would be pointless to try.”

  The change of wind then became apparent. Square sails unfolded above them and the ship sped up. In fact, all the warships were now speeding downstream at ten knots or more.

  “Oh, look at that!” Nellinar exclaimed from his position several fathomes up.

  They turned and saw that an enemy blockade was approaching the confluence behind them. It consisted of a multitude of large barges tied together
in tandem. They had square sails, so they too were able to take advantage of the change in the wind.

  “Don’t worry,” Serunipa said, “our warships are now fully rigged and will make better speed than those barges. We will set up a new blockade of our own at Lake Glorz where we will have support from land again.”

  Meanwhile, after wrecking many catapults and disrupting the enemy vanguard, the Free Alliance cavalry made a sharp turn and disappeared into the western hills.

  Arnapa and her six companions found space on the deck to rest and then to sleep.

  101

  There was a curious geography in the area of the last section of Southport River. Where Glorz River would have met Southport River some fifteen leagues upstream from the sea, a lake had formed to cover an area more than three leagues long and more than two leagues wide. However, Lake Glorz emptied into the sea not only via Southport River but also via numerous uncharted subterranean watercourses. Between Lake Glorz and Belspire, Southport River was often more than a league wide and never less than a mile, but it was only about half a mile wide below Lake Glorz.

  The narrowness of the river west of Lake Glorz would have made it easier for an enemy to attack River Docks from the south except that only desert and quicksand lay on that side.

  Nature had made the mouth of the Southport into a broad delta of many streams. However, centuries ago, the Dabbinans had dug a single channel through the middle of the delta and protected it with walls on either side. As the centuries passed by, they deepened the walls and the channel. The streams to the north of the channel mostly filled up or were diverted, and the land was developed as Township Farms.