by John Marco
Jahl Rob laughed. "That I very much doubt, young Leth. Vantran isn't called the Jackal for nothing."
Alazrian could feel Rob's disappointment. It was tangible. "You hate him, don't you?"
"Yes," admitted the priest. He picked up another stick and poked it into the fire, distracting himself. "Richius Vantran is to blame for Aramoor's sorry state. If it wasn't for him, Elrad Leth and Tassis Gayle would never have ruined us. I hate the Jackal more than any man alive. But I hate Biagio, too." He laughed. "Funny, this alliance. Once the Saints were just a bunch of farmers. Now it looks like I've got a king and an emperor on my side."
"You'll help me, then?"
Jahl Rob nodded. "I may hate Vantran, but I love Aramoor." He tossed the stick into the fire. "Yes, I'll help you. And may God help us all."
FIFTEEN
There she is," said Queen Jelena. "Next to your Sovereign."
Biagio looked out over the waves, squinting in the strong light bouncing off the sands. The sun beat down hard on the beach, burning the back of his neck. On the ocean he could see the Lissen schooners still surrounding the Dread Sovereign. Only now, two more ships had joined the flotilla.
"The big one?" Biagio asked.
"Don't be ridiculous," answered Jelena. "That's my flagship. She's called the Nemesis."
"An apt name."
"Yours is the other one," Kasrin guessed. Jelena had summoned him to the beach as well. The captain grinned sarcastically at his emperor. "Not as grand as you're used to, eh?"
"I should say not," replied Biagio dryly.
Next to the queen's brawny flagship floated a much smaller schooner, single-masted with dingy sails and an uninspiring profile. Sandwiched between the Dread Sovereign and the Nemesis, the vessel looked more like a rowboat than a warship. Biagio took a few steps toward the lapping surf, hoping to get a better look. She was small but she would do. He nodded, satisfied. "I didn't ask for a pleasure barge. That ship will be fine. Thank you, Queen Jelena."
Jelena was almost apologetic. "It's the best we can spare. But she's stronger than she looks, and I've picked a good crew for you. She'll get you to the Eastern Highlands."
"What's her name?" asked Kasrin.
"The Dra-Raike. It's an old Lissen word, a kind of sea ghost." The girl turned to Biagio, half-smiling. "I thought the name suited the secrecy of your mission."
"I appreciate the irony," said Biagio. "Just as I appreciate the ship. Again, thank you."
Jelena looked at him expectantly. Biagio gave a little laugh. Queen Jelena had been very patient with him, and he appreciated it. For almost a week she had endured his secretiveness, his unwanted presence on her island. But now she wanted her patience repaid. It was why she had summoned them.
"I am ready to talk," Biagio declared. He looked around the empty beach. Surprisingly, Jelena had brought none of her guards along. She was starting to trust her strange guests, and that was a good sign.
Biagio sat down on the sand crossing his long legs under him. It was warm and salty-smelling, and he brushed his palm over it, picking up a scoop and pouring it from hand to hand. Jelena and Kasrin looked down at him curiously. Biagio urged them both down with a wave. "Sit. We'll talk out here, where there are no ears."
Kasrin glanced around in embarrassment. "No ears, maybe, but plenty of eyes."
"Who cares who sees us?" said Biagio. He loved being back on Crote and resented having to leave it again. But Crote was part of Jelena's spoils now. "Sit down, Kasrin. We have things to talk about."
Jelena was the first to join Biagio on the sand. She sat in front of him, forgetting her expensive dress and not bothering to arrange her skirt in a lady-like fashion. She glanced up at Kasrin.
"Well?"
Kasrin frowned as he lowered himself to the ground. Biagio hadn't seen much of the captain lately, but he could tell Kasrin had something on his mind. The way he looked at Jelena spoke volumes. But Kasrin was tight-lipped about his feelings and had never once shared an intimate thought with Biagio. Biagio let him settle down, looking to see if anyone was watching. When he saw the Lissens staring at them from the mansion, Kasrin rolled his eyes.
"So?" he asked impatiently. "You've got some explaining to do, Lord Emperor."
"I know. You've both been very patient."
"Not anymore," Kasrin warned. "Tomorrow I leave for Casarhoon."
"You have the Sovereign ready?" Biagio asked. He had seen Kasrin ferrying back and forth between his warship and shore over the past few days.
"She's ready," said Kasrin, not volunteering any information. It was a ruse, Biagio knew. Kasrin resented having secrets kept from him and so hadn't told Biagio anything about the plans he'd been making with Jelena.
"His ship is supplied and fit," said Jelena. "As is the Dra-Raike. We're all setting off in the morning." She leaned back comfortably in the sand. A wave crawled up the shore, threatening to soak them, but Jelena didn't flinch. She kept a steely gaze on Biagio, waiting for him to divulge his secret. She could be remarkably strong-willed, Biagio realized. And unlike Kasrin, she didn't seem to resent his furtiveness.
"I'm tired of this," said Kasrin. "I'm tired of being used and lied to, Biagio. Why are you going to the Eastern Highlands?"
Biagio listened to the music of the surf. He would miss it terribly. "Use your imagination, Kasrin. What did I tell you before we left Nar?"
"You said you'd give me Nicabar, but you said nothing about abandoning the Black City."
"I said there would be demands on you," Biagio corrected. "I asked you to trust me. You agreed, did you not?"
"You said nothing about--"
"Did you agree or not, Kasrin?"
"I did."
"Yes," drawled Biagio. "You did. Don't make me remind you of every little thing, Captain. I'm not a man who dabbles in minutia. I don't have time for your hurt feelings. There are bigger things concerning me. Important things."
"Important enough for you to need one of my ships," added Jelena. "But you and I also had a deal, Biagio. I told you I would provide you passage to the Highlands. You promised you would tell me everything. Well, I'm waiting."
"We're both waiting," put in Kasrin.
Biagio picked up another handful of sand. Again he studied it with unusual scrutiny. Tomorrow he would leave his beloved homeland behind, and the thought of it was killing him. He was afraid of the little schooner in the distance, and he was terrified of the path it would set him on. But he had cast the die. There was no turning back now.
"Before we left Nar City," he began, "I sent a messenger into the Iron Mountains. His name is Alazrian Leth, the son of Governor Elrad Leth of Talistan. I gave Alazrian orders to make contact with the Triin, and to have the Triin take him to Richius Vantran."
Kasrin's face lit with shock. And Jelena, who had never once spoken of her brief alliance with the Jackal, sat bolt upright at the mention of his name.
"Richius?" she stammered. "Why?"
"Because I need allies, my lady. I sent a letter with Alazrian Leth. Alazrian is going to deliver it to Vantran asking him to bring the Triin into a war against Talistan. In return, I promised to give Vantran back his homeland."
Biagio steepled his fingers beneath his chin, watching his companions with amusement. Both were dumbfounded at the news.
"You should say something," he advised. "It's the truth."
"My God," breathed Kasrin. "You're going to start a war with Talistan?"
"Talistan is going to start the war," said Biagio, "unless I stop them first. But I need help. Talistan has a large army, and it's getting larger by the day. Tassis Gayle is conscripting men, forcing them to join his horsemen. And he's secretly building war machines in Aramoor. At least, I think that's what he's doing. News out of Aramoor is unreliable. That's why I'm asking Vantran to bring the Triin into the war. And that's why I'm going to the Eastern Highlands."
Jelena frowned. "Why go to the Eastern Highlands for Triin help?" she asked. "I don't understand."
"
I do," said Kasrin. "Talistan is too strong for the Triin to handle alone. You need a two-front war, don't you, Biagio? That's why you're going to the Highlands."
"Without the help of the Highlanders, Talistan will defeat us," Biagio admitted. "They could easily push the Triin back into the mountains unless there was another force to occupy them."
"Do you know where Richius is?" asked Jelena. "None of us have heard from him in months. To be honest, we don't even know if he's still alive."
"My guess is that the Jackal is in Falindar. That's where the Triin government sits, and that's where he has always been. And it doesn't really matter. The Triin lion riders in the mountains will know where Vantran is. They will take Alazrian to him."
"You hope," said Kasrin. "That was a huge risk, Biagio, sending a boy into the mountains alone. Those Triin are vicious. What if something happens to him?"
"You don't know this boy," said Biagio. "He's remarkable. He'll be fine, I am certain of it."
"Then what?" asked Jelena. "You expect Richius to help you?"
Biagio looked at the queen inquisitively. He had noticed the way she called Vantran by his first name, and wondered how deep their relationship had gone. Biagio was good at guessing people's feelings. What he felt from Jelena now was something like hope.
"He will help me," said Biagio, "because he wants Aramoor back, and because the chance to crush his enemies in Talistan will be too much for him to resist. Remember, he's been away for more than two years. A man can get bitter in that time."
Jelena glanced down at the sand. "Yes," she whispered. "I believe that."
Kasrin noticed her melancholy and gave her a little nudge. "What is it?"
"Richius Vantran helped us capture Crote," said the queen. "We used and betrayed him. By the time he left us, he was a different man. I think about him sometimes, what we did to him."
Biagio dismissed her sadness with a wave of his delicate hand. "Ancient history. Do not trouble yourself over the Jackal, my lady. If I know him, and I think I do, there is only one thing consuming him--Aramoor."
"So we kill Nicabar, and you bring the Triin and Highlanders into a war against Talistan," said Kasrin with a grin. "Not a bad scheme."
"Yes, I thought so," agreed the emperor. "Still, there is one other thing . . ."
He watched Kasrin's face tighten.
"In my letter to Richius Vantran, there is a date," explained Biagio. "The first day of summer. That's the day he's supposed to attack Aramoor. On that day, I will bring the Highlanders into battle against Talistan. We will open up our two-front war on Tassis Gayle. But it must be perfectly coordinated."
"So?"
"I need a diversion," said Biagio. "That will be your job, Captain. You must be on the coast of Talistan on the first day of summer. The Dread Sovereign must open fire. That will be my signal to strike. It will occupy Gayle's forces while I attack him."
"Hold on," rumbled Kasrin. "I didn't bargain for this." He got to his feet and glared down at Biagio. "I'm going after the Fearless. That's all I'm doing."
Biagio fought to remain calm. "I told you when we left Nar that I would expect more of you, Kasrin. Don't pretend I never said that."
"Yes, more!" agreed Kasrin sharply. "I thought you meant you needed protection, maybe passage to a safe port if things didn't go well. You never said anything about attacking Talistan!"
"If I had, would you have come this far?"
Kasrin shook his head in disbelief. "God, you truly are insane. How do you expect me to do this? First I'm to destroy the greatest warship afloat, then I'm supposed to single-handedly attack Talistan? With one bloody ship?"
"Talistan has no navy," Biagio pointed out. "The Dread Sovereign will be unopposed. You need only to open fire with those big guns of yours. Pick any target you like, anything that looks remotely like a fort or stronghold. That will be sufficient to distract Gayle. When he realizes he's under naval bombardment, he'll have to send some of his troops to the shore. That will get them off the battlefield and make it easier for my own forces to deal with them. But you must be there on time. You must open fire at dawn of the first day of summer."
"Right," spat Kasrin. "Assuming I can destroy the Fearless."
Biagio looked at Jelena. "You have been making plans, yes?"
"Yes," said the queen. "The captain and I have been going over it with my men. I've given him a chart of one of our secret waterways, on the southeast of the main island. The channel is barely wide enough for the Fearless. Once she's in there, she'll be trapped."
"You'll make arrangements for this?" asked Biagio.
"In the morning I leave for Liss aboard the Nemesis. Once I get there, I'll start arranging the defenses. There are high canyon walls around the channel. We'll line them with cannon." The queen's face glowed treacherously. "We'll blow the Fearless to pieces."
Biagio was pleased. "There, you see, Kasrin? You and Queen Jelena will take care of the Fearless. Then you will be free to sail to Talistan, as per my plan."
"I suppose," grumbled the captain. "Assuming Nicabar follows me. And assuming I can find him."
"Casarhoon," Biagio reminded him. "That's where you'll find Nicabar."
Captain Kasrin nodded gloomily. He continued to stand, hovering over his companions. Biagio could tell he was exasperated--maybe even to the point of disobedience.
"You're angry," said the emperor. "But you shouldn't be. It is no more than I warned you of, Kasrin."
Kasrin glanced away indignantly.
"You should think on what I'm saying," Biagio continued. "Really, you have no choice. If I fail, there will be nowhere for you to go. You and your crew will be outcasts, as you are now. But if I win, you can return to Nar a free man." Biagio smiled. "And I always win."
"Not always," said Jelena. She held up a handful of sand. It ran through her fingers slowly, bending a little in the breeze. "And let us be clear on one thing, Biagio. Crote is not part of this new bargain. If you expect it back, forget it."
"I do not expect it back," said Biagio. "Crote is too close to the Empire for you to release it. I know that. Crote is yours, and I won't fight you for it."
"A wise decision," said Jelena. "And what about us? What happens between Nar and Liss when this is all over?"
"There is no more us after this is over. Once the Fearless is destroyed, our alliance is ended. As I promised, there will be peace between us. You will cease attacking Nar, and we will leave Liss alone forever. Agreed?"
"Very well," said Jelena. She got to her feet, brushing the sand from her dress and giving each of them a careful smile. "We will all leave in the morning. And if either of you need anything before then, just ask. I don't want any surprises now, and I don't want anything to go wrong."
The queen turned and left them on the beach, walking back toward the mansion. Kasrin watched her go. His mood was still dark and Biagio could feel his emotions, tainting the brilliant afternoon. The emperor slowly got to his feet, not bothering to clean the sand from his trousers. It was part of his home, after all. If he could have, he would have taken all the sand on the beach with him. He looked out over the sea, waiting for Kasrin to speak. Their three ships waited for them out on the waves, destined to take them to different ports. Biagio felt strangely sad. Prince Redburn of the Eastern Highlands had made his disdain for Nar's new emperor plain, and Biagio didn't know what to expect from him. He realized that the emotion bothering him most was fear.
"Jelena will not betray you, Kasrin," he said at last. "Follow the chart she's given you. Together you will destroy Nicabar."
"You used me," said Kasrin.
"Yes, I did," admitted Biagio. "But I did so because it's important. And you let yourself be used. You knew I'd ask more from you, but you were too blinded by hate for Nicabar to let yourself see. So don't blame me for manipulating you because you're in this up to your neck."
"Biagio--"
"Up to your neck, Kasrin. Don't even think about backing out now, because I won't let you. If
you fail me, I will hunt you down. No matter where you hide, I'll find you. You're the cornerstone of my plan. I can't let you out."
"God, you're insane. This is all just some grand vendetta of yours, isn't it? You just want to crush Tassis Gayle."
Biagio sighed ruefully. "If you believe that, then you are a fool. Talistan is the greatest threat to Nar I've ever seen. Gayle intends to overthrow me, and he doesn't care how many nations he drags down into war. But I have a chance to stop that from happening, and I'm going to stop it, no matter what. And if you stand in my way . . ." Biagio caught himself abruptly, throwing up his hands. "Ah, forget it. You wouldn't understand."
He started walking back toward the mansion, furious at himself for his silly speeches. But Kasrin caught his arm, spinning him around.
"Stop right there. You're not the only one who cares about peace, you know. Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"
Biagio reddened. "I have not forgotten."
"I'm not in this just to kill Nicabar. I agreed to help because it seemed that you needed me. I'm not stupid, Biagio. I knew there was something more than you were telling me. So stop keeping secrets from me. If I'm going to do this thing, I want to know everything. I demand it."
Very carefully Biagio took Kasrin's hand and removed it from his arm.
"I am sorry for my furtiveness," he said. "You are right to be angry. But that's it now; I've told you everything."
Kasrin eyed him suspiciously. "Have you? Have you really?"
"You told Jelena that you trust me, did you not?"
Kasrin looked embarrassed.
"Don't deny it; I know you did. And I know that isn't easy for you. Or for anyone else, for that matter. Trusting me is an act of enormous faith. My past is . . ." Biagio shrugged, unable to think of the right word.
"Colorful?" Kasrin suggested.
Biagio laughed. "Yes, if you like. But I never lied to you, Kasrin. I told you I would need more from you, and I told you I would deliver Nicabar. None of that was untrue. If I omitted certain things, it's because I thought it necessary. But now I need to know if you're still with me. When I leave for the Eastern Highlands, I want to be certain that you'll be there when I need you."