Diera returned to her duties, musing on how the daily routine had changed this day and wondering whether there was any higher meaning to it. She and Sistian would have an interesting conversation over the evening meal.
Responsive
The next morning the stranger was still asleep when Diera visited him.
“He did wake several times during the night,” the night attendant told Diera, “and then drifted back to sleep. At mid-morning he awoke again.”
They tried feeding him broth, but he turned away when the spoon came under his nose. By afternoon, he’d swallowed a small cup of phila juice. While it was too sweet for Diera’s taste, and she didn’t care for the musty flavor, it was heavy in sugar and other nutrients. By the third day, he kept down a small portion of barley and beef soup. By the fifth day, he consumed large helpings, and on the eighth day, the stranger sat up and ate solid foods by himself.
He was still weak, but the change astounded the medicants. The pallor that had made them afraid he was near death had transformed into a healthy complexion, though lighter in tone than most Caedelli.
They also confirmed he didn’t speak any of the languages known to them—Caedelli or any of the major mainland dialects of the same language group, several dialects of Collardium of the Iraquinik continent, Frangelese, or High Landolin, the learned language of the Landolin continent and the accepted scholastic language of most of Anyar.
Diera felt trepidations when they brought in an escaped Narthani slave working on a farm near Abersford to try the Narthani language, fearing the stranger was either a Narthani or one of their agents. She was relieved when he was as oblivious to the Narthani language as any of the others they tried.
Five days later, an impromptu staff gathering was called to discuss the next step for the stranger.
A senior theophist, Callwin Wye, sat hunched over, lines of discontent scoring his dour face. “Where is he from, then?”
Diera sighed. Wye was a difficult, conservative man. “We have no idea, Brother Callwin. I sense he hasn’t been deceptive, at least as far as language is concerned. Although he might be suffering from a mental impairment, my instinct tells me he’s from a distant part of Anyar, where the language is completely unknown to us.”
Brother Bolwyn nodded. “That’s possible. It’s not as if Caedellium is on the main travel routes or widely known on Anyar. He could be from an island population even smaller than ours or some geographically isolated language enclave. All we know about him is his name. Yozef Kolsko, if we are pronouncing it correctly.”
“Yozef Kolsko,” Diera drew out the sounds. “I don’t recall ever hearing either name.”
“Me, neither,” Bolwyn said. “Which gives more credence to his origin being somewhere unknown to us here on Caedellium.”
“We should have serious reservations about leaving him unguarded,” groused Wye. “The speed of his recovery should be a warning that he could be an agent of the Evil One.”
The others looked at Wye with resignation. The stubby brother never faltered in his search for signs of demons and malefactors. While they usually tolerated his fixation, it was tiring.
Bolwyn waved a dismissive hand. “Let’s get back to the purpose of this meeting and our next step with the stranger. For the last few days, he’s visited the relief room in the ward and sponged himself off.” He smiled. “I didn’t think he was up to it, but I suspect having people help him with voiding and washing his body makes him uncomfortable. His people may have stronger privacy customs than us. Since he is able to care for himself, I recommend he be moved to a room in the visitor’s building. He needs fresh air and sunshine.”
“And you think he . . . ,” Diera paused. “I suppose we should quit calling him ‘he’ or ‘the stranger’ and use his name.” She glanced at Bolwyn. “You think this Yozef Kolsko is ready to be moved?”
Bolwyn shrugged. “I see no reason not to.”
Into a New World
That afternoon, two brothers helped Joe to quarters in a nearby building. The simple room contained a narrow bed and bedding, a plain chest with three drawers, a small mirror on the wall, and a window looking out at a garden and the abbey’s main wall. There was one painting in the room, one that Joe suspected was a depiction of God bringing the first man to life. A flask of water sat on the table, along with a drying cloth, a sphere of soap, a comb, and a tooth cleaner, all of which the staff hoped he knew how to use.
Because he had no clothes when found and had worn nothing but a patient’s gown during his recovery, they had laid out two sets of clothing on the narrow bed: a pair of sandals, a pair of sturdy shoes, two trousers, two pull-over shirts of the same brown cloth he’d seen worn by the people caring for him, and a brimmed straw hat. Joe had been nervous when two men walked him to a different building, wondering what was in store. When he saw the clothing, he took it as a sign they expected him to stay for a time.
Well, at least they aren’t turning me out on my own, imprisoning me for being an illegal alien, or burning me at the stake. Yet, anyway.
They left him, after pantomiming he should rest. At evening mealtime, an elderly brother, Fitham by name, if Joe understood, came to Joe’s room and guided him to a large dining hall with about forty tables made from light, grainy wood, some with four chairs and others with eight. The floors were foot-wide planks worn smooth. A variety of tapestries, patterned cloths, and paintings hung on the stone walls, among them, a larger version of the painting in his room.
He later learned the permanent staff lived in their own quarters, which had meal-preparation facilities. The abbey also operated the central dining hall for ambulatory patients, patients’ family members, visitors to the abbey, and any abbey staff who either preferred not to prepare their own meals or wanted to join the others on occasion.
When Fitham led Joe into the hall, the buzz of conversation died. Talk picked up again as the brother sat Joe at a table. He ignored the covert glances from the diners. The move to new quarters and the walk to the hall were the most exertion and excitement he’d had since his arrival. He focused on eating hunks of meat in thick gravy over starchy chunks of greenish vegetables and generous slices of heavy, dark bread. Thankfully, the bread was familiar enough, although the starch and the vegetables were too much in the “some kind of” category for him to be comfortable. It didn’t matter. His appetite had blossomed. He ate the portion Fitham brought to him in a round wooden bowl, and after he’d devoured the contents, Fitham, without hesitation, took the bowl back and returned with an even larger portion. Joe ate it, slower this time. He thought his stomach might have room for even more food, but by now he was aware of the other diners’ attention.
Brother Fitham waited for him to finish eating and then led him back to his room. Already, he seemed steadier on his feet. They stopped off at the large communal outhouse. Joe thought that “an out-chalet” would be more descriptive of the elaborate facility. Back in his room, Joe undressed, lay on the bed, and pulled the covers up to his chin.
I’m alive. They’re feeding me, giving me clothes, and a place to stay. What’s next? What am I going to do here?
With no answers forthcoming, he drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 5: A Gathering Storm
Narthani HQ, Preddi City
Five men stood in General Okan Akuyun’s office. Two stood at the window overlooking the Preddi City harbor: Admiral Morfred Kalcan, commander of all Narthani naval forces in Caedellium waters, and Nizam Tuzere, head administrator of Narthani non-military personnel. Facing the wall map of Caedellium were General Akuyun; Colonel Aivacs Zulfa, in command of all Narthani ground forces; and Sadek Hizer, who carried the title of Assessor and reported directly to the Narthani High Command.
Zulfa waved a hand across the map. “General, information shows the mountains of this island contain sources of minerals the Caedelli haven’t exploited, either because they don’t realize what’s under their ground, or because they lack markets. And that’s on top of the
agricultural potential here.”
“All the better for us.” Hizer shrugged and tugged an ear. “Otherwise, some other realm might have gotten here ahead of us, like one of the Iraquinik states or even the Fuomi.”
“I’m surprised they haven’t, given the strategic location of the island,” Zulfa commented.
“It may be considered strategic for us, but not anyone else—yet,” said Akuyun. “The High Command is looking for options on how to break out of our current stalemate. The coaltions on our western and eastern borders have successfully staled us for many years. Caedellium has the potential to serve as a staging site for direct action against the rears of the Landolin continent and the Iraquinik Confederation. So far, they haven’t become aware of our interest in Caedellium, and we want to be firmly in control of the entire island before our enemies realize our control of Caedellium puts a dagger pointed at their backs.”
The other four men continued talking, but Akuyun only pretended to pay attention. He asked questions, but his mind was elsewhere. This was the traditional day of rest and worship of the god Narth: Narthday, Godsday to the Caedelli. It was Akuyun’s custom to schedule an afternoon meeting with his senior commanders the day before beginning the five workdays of every sixday. However, today’s meeting was not routine.
“All right, gentlemen, let’s start.” Akuyun turned from the map and took his seat. The other four men followed and sat at the round table, shuffling papers, adjusting chairs, and clearing throats.
Akuyun waited, his right hand on the tabletop, thumb lightly tapping the surface until the other four were ready. These men were among the best the Empire had produced, yet only Akuyun knew their selection by the High Command was deliberate compensation for the poor quality of troops they commanded and the limited resources assigned to achieve their objective.
“Gentlemen, as you’re aware, there’s only one item to discuss today.” His eyes went from one man to the next. “To consider the formal decision of whether it’s time to move into the next phase of our ultimate goal here on Caedellium—bringing it into the Empire.” Akuyun’s hand lay on his notes, though he didn’t need to consult them. While he wouldn’t be saying anything they didn’t already know, he believed in formalities and clarity of purpose.
The silence of the four men belied their anticipation.
“None of us at this table were here for Phase One, establishing a Narthani presence on the island. Granted, we’ve all studied the reports, but I’ll review how we’ve gotten to this point. It began six years ago with the establishment of a Narthani trading presence in Preddi City, the largest city on Caedellium and capitol of the Preddi Clan and Province. The city had an original population around twenty-six thousand and was the center of external trade for the entire island—the source of the Preddi Clan’s wealth. Our agents, acting as trading companies, established themselves in the city with the cooperation of the clan’s leadership and traders.”
Akuyun allowed himself a small smile. “This part of the plan went so easily as to be absurd. The Preddi leaders, eager for our gold, either ignored or didn’t recognize our agents as arms of the Narthon Empire. After all, money was money, and the cheap goods we supplied, along with contributions to Preddi infrastructure and bribes to all sectors of the province, greased the acceptance of our growing presence. The Preddi also sold us land adjoining the city for a Narthani enclave. By the end of the third year of Phase One, the locals were accustomed to having Narthani around. Though our people weren’t liked, they were scrupulously honest in business dealings and took care not to offend Preddi laws or customs. And that, gentlemen, is when it was determined Phase One was complete, and we moved on to Phase Two.” Akuyun raised an eyebrow and gestured with his left hand to solicit comments.
“This was a critical stage,” offered Tuzere, shaking his head. “The Preddi could have rejected our opening ploys and made things much harder for us. However, I think the Preddi leaders became addicted to Narthani gold, and it numbed their reasoning powers.”
“Now, now, Nizam.” Zulfa smiled. “Let’s not be too critical. They did some of the hard work for us.”
“Whatever motivated the Preddi,” Akuyun said, “our people moved on to Phase Two, undermining the Preddi and the adjacent clans, Selfcell and Eywell. Despite being the richest of the Caedellium districts, Preddi had one of the smallest land areas, the result of being on the losing end of a series of border disputes with the Eywell and Selfcell clans.” Akuyun used a wooden pointer to touch clan territories on the wall map. “By judiciously manipulating trade and playing on Preddi resentment, we stoked tensions among the three clans, leading to a series of clashes.
“This gave us the excuse to claim we needed to provide security for our enclave.” A sardonic smile graced his face. “We argued that since the best Preddi fighting men were concentrated on the borders, then our trade center was at risk if there was a raid on the city. The Preddi Hetman was so focused on the other clans, he allowed us to bring in several hundred soldiers to ensure the security of our trading houses. Our numbers grew until the enclave included more than three thousand traders, craftsmen, and their families, and security forces.”
Tuzere grinned. “Still, hard to believe they accepted our story.”
Akuyun nodded. “Indeed, and by orchestrating a chain of events, we arranged for Selfcell and Eywell to attack the Preddi in a series of major raids and inconclusive minor battles, with casualties on all sides, thus weakening the Preddi Clan. In a gesture of support, the leader of our mission at that time offered to help the Preddi by bringing in more troops.” His smile broadened. “Troops, on their way to another destination, that just happened to come to Caedellium to replenish stores. The Preddi leaders, afraid of being dismembered by the other two clans, agreed, and two thousand more of our troops disembarked.”
Kalcan put his hands behind his head and stretched expansively. “They really were dim-witted.”
“Maybe so,” Akuyun said, “but it was at this point two years ago that the five of us came to Caedellium. The threat of our backing the Preddi cooled the fervor of the other two clans, and a three-way truce was well brokered by Administrator Tuzere.”
“Thank you for the compliment, General Akuyun, but it wasn’t all that difficult. Neither of the other two clans resisted once their hetmen got a look at our men in formation and the artillery demonstrations.”
“Thank Narth, they didn’t know the condition of our men.” Zulfa slapped the tabletop. “Besides being the dregs of our army, they could hardly stand on their feet after months of being crammed in troop ships.”
“Then maybe Administrator Tuzere does deserve credit for brokering a cessation of fighting based on a bluff,” Akuyun said.
The other three nodded in agreement.
Tuzere opened both palms, accepting the praise.
Akuyun cleared his throat. “Naturally, the Preddi expected most of our troops to withdraw. The hetman wasn’t happy when I informed him there was still too much uncertainty, and the troops would remain to protect Narthani citizens. Without bothering to inform the Preddi hetman, we then filtered additional military and civilian personnel into our enclave. Once the Preddi realized what we were doing and protested, we gave up any pretense and brought our totals up to four thousand troops and three thousand civilians.”
Zulfa shook his head. “I’m just glad they didn’t come to their senses earlier.”
Akuyun raised his eyebrows. “Don’t forget, Colonel, that during these months, although you mercilessly worked our men into better physical and fighting condition, it was mainly out of sight of the Preddi. Finally, the Preddi Hetman and other clan leaders realized they were losing control. After increasing acrimony in our meetings and small clashes between our men and the Preddi, the hetmen led an attack on our enclave, one we were prepared for. The Preddi ineptitude at organization and security, along with our paid Caedelli agents, combined to keep us apprised of their every move. When they attacked, we stayed in our enclave u
ntil they amassed their fighting men outside our defenses, then we landed another two thousand men behind the Preddi. In the ensuing battle, we crushed them between our two forces and took control of the Preddi Province. Any leaders who survived the initial fighting were hunted down and killed, and their families shipped off as slaves to Narthon. Fighting erupted within Preddi City and some of the smaller towns, but we put an end to any significant resistance within a month.”
“An amazing result in so short a time,” Admiral Kalcan remarked. “I remember wondering back then why we didn’t move on to the rest of the island if taking down the Preddi Clan was so easy.”
Zulfa frowned. “But—”
Kalcan raised a hand. “No, no, Zulfa. I don’t mean to pass judgment on army strategies. I was just thinking from the deck of my flagship offshore and not on the ground. It was a fleeting thought.”
Zulfa grunted. “It wasn’t that the Preddi weren’t brave enough, at least at first. In several fights, they continued even after losing over half their men. They simply had no concept of coordination, tactics, picking their ground, of strategic withdrawal. It was charge straight in. By the time we’d killed enough of their older leaders and younger, more flexible-thinking leaders emerged, it was too late.”
“Zulfa’s right.” Akuyun steepled his fingers. “It wasn’t so much their fighting spirit as inexperience in warfare. However, the result gave us our foothold on Caedellium. Narthani casualties were less than two hundred dead, compared with destroying the Preddi Clan and almost a thousand dead each for Eywell and Selfcell during previous years of fighting. At a minimal cost, we absorbed one of the Caedellium clan provinces, and two other clans were about to be co-opted as allies.
“The Selfcell and Eywell clans were shocked at the suddenness of the Preddi destruction and belatedly understood their own danger. At separate meetings with the two clan hetmen, I explained that although we had ‘inadvertently’ gotten involved in Caedellium affairs, the die was cast. The trade had proven lucrative to us, and we intended a further increase. However, to justify the investment, we required confidence that our trade center, which now comprised the entire Preddi Province, would never again be threatened. Yet even an entire province did not provide enough ‘security,’ and we needed assurances of the friendly status of their two clans by means of formal alliances with them.
Cast Under an Alien Sun (Destiny's Crucible) Page 5