"Yes, those are raiders."
"Should we go back and warn the others?"
"It's only one boat. They're not intent on invading our lands. If they were, there'd be lots of boats with them. They're probably fishing or lost. They're not even heading for our shores."
"Then should we go down and fight them?"
"We don't need to. Remember, our oath instructs us to fight only when necessary. It's really not necessary right now. Let's go over the oath once more. It's something we try to live and not just say because it sounds noble."
After almost landing in the surf, Gonzales led the way on foot to Castle Staten Island. In the gloomy light, the god lights from inside shone better than he'd ever noticed before.
"What is that?" Deliah asked, about one large screen in a bulkhead.
"No one knows. It just circles about endlessly going from one color to another. Some of the proctors have speculated that it's trapped lightning. Look around for a few moments, if you want. Then we'll conduct your oath."
"I think I'm ready. If we delay any longer, I might forget it."
"You won't. Step over to that wall and place your hand upon the star. Then repeat after me."
Deliah set down her supplies and walked over to the wall. She placed her hand against the star.
"Welcome, Private Deliah."
Deliah jerked her hand away for a moment before placing it against the wall once more.
***
"Has anyone tried to close this door?"
"What good would that do?" Gonzales asked.
"You say that god doesn't speak like this to everyone?" Deliah asked.
"Proctor Raash told me that I was the first to hear god inside Castle Staten Island since Sir Private Malidor. You're the second. He and the others will be even more interested in you upon our return. Somehow, we're special, though I don't know why. Proctor Smith spent a month out here trying to shed some light upon the mysteries that god sent us, without any success."
"What mysteries?"
"Well, one mystery is the matter of opening the doors. We believe that over there and opposite that on the other side are doors. You can see that they're identical in shape to this opening within the wall. Do you see any way of opening those?"
"I don't know. I just wondered if anyone had tried. Maybe this isn't a door. Maybe those just happen to be the same shape."
"Those have to be doors. Sir Private Malidor went through them." Gonzales sneezed several times in quick succession.
"Blessings be. You're still not completely well."
"I've been well for over a week. I just hope I'm not becoming ill once more. Jones told me that most of the knights have suffered frequent bouts of the brief illness."
"You'd think that god would grant us some relief," Deliah said.
"It's believed that this is one of the ways god reminds us to be humble and not assume greatness simply because we can fly. Sh! I hear voices."
"God?"
"No, from outside. Now keep quiet." Gonzales walked to the jagged opening in the Staten Island and peered out cautiously. He hastily ducked back inside. "Raiders. They must have landed. Draw your sword and be ready to fight."
Deliah drew her sword and stood ready behind Gonzales, as he drew his. "They must be the ones we saw earlier."
"Keep quiet. They might not come in if they don't hear us."
"Sorry."
Gonzales glared ever so briefly at Deliah before turning back to watch the entrance.
"There it is! Just like Basoc described."
"Yes! With this in our control, there will be no more knights. The Order will crumble."
"Quiet, you fool! There might be someone here. Basoc warned that the knights sometimes leave one of their retired brethren here for weeks to study and meditate. Old they might be, but they can still fight!"
"They mean to take god's castle. We'll have to fight," Deliah whispered.
"I'll have to fight. You'll fly back to High Crag and call out until someone hears you," Gonzales said.
"I'm not leaving you. God chose me to become a knight," Deliah said.
"You took an oath. Live up to it. My order is for you to fly back and alert the other knights, so they can fly out here before it's too late. Once you reach them with a warning, you can return. Now get ready to leave as soon as I gain their attention."
"How?"
"As soon as I have them looking at me, move up to the entrance and give the commands to fly right from there."
"I don't think there's enough room. What if I hit the ceiling?" Deliah asked.
"I'll charge the raiders so you can step outside before you fly. This is probably why god chose to give me extra power. Now get ready to follow me and don't stop for anything."
Gonzales carefully wiped away the perspiration that coated his forehead inside his helmet. He clenched his sword tighter in his other hand, and carefully stepped around the pile of debris to stand visible in the opening.
"This is sacred ground! Leave if you value your lives!" Gonzales shouted, as he stepped forward.
"A knight!"
"Leave!" Gonzales shouted, as he held his sword up over his head.
The raiders stopped at the sudden appearance of a second knight.
"Another knight! Is this a trap?"
"Up!"
"Keep going, Deliah!" Gonzales said.
A moment later, Gonzales backed up to the entrance so that he could be attacked only from the front. His action encouraged the raiders to resume their advance.
"Get him!"
"Activate sonic," Gonzales said, as two arrows flew at him.
"Identify...target identified."
Gonzales stared out at the group of men who had been knocked out. Those farther away remained on their feet. They halted and stared in horror at their comrades who had fallen simultaneously before a single knight.
"To the boat!"
"He has the new power!"
"Back to the boat!"
In a panic, the remaining raiders ran across the sand toward their boat. Gonzales lowered his sword to his side as there was no longer a need to fight. It wasn't until the fleeing raiders shoved off from the beach that he realized he still faced a serious problem. The raiders before him on the sand would eventually revive. He needed to disarm them. At least, without weapons, they'd pose less of a threat. With his sword at the ready, Gonzales walked among the recumbent bodies to pick up their weapons and carry those into the castle.
"Sir Lieutenant Gonzales, can you hear me?" Deliah asked.
"Yes, I can hear you. Did you get the message out?"
"Blessings be, you're still alive. Jones is relaying your message. How badly are you hurt? I'll be there as soon as I can spot the island."
"I'm not hurt at all. Use a spell to turn slightly to your sword side."
"You know where I am?"
"My god view shows that you're almost here, but you'll pass away from the island unless you turn some."
"Five right! How's that?"
"You're almost perfectly aligned. You should see the island in a few moments."
"That's good. I'm freezing."
"You shouldn't fly so fast then."
"I was worried about you."
"Thank you, I appreciate that."
"Hover! Okay, how do I get back now?"
Gonzales chuckled at how Deliah had overshot the island and now hovered over the surf. If she landed, she'd get a dunking. "You'll just have to give more spells to turn yourself. Then give a forward once you have the ground beneath you."
"You think this is funny?"
"We all do that eventually. Even when you think you're experienced enough not to do that, it still happens on occasion."
"Just remember you said that in case you over-fly and I laugh at you. By the way, I didn't see the raider boat."
"Most of them fled shortly after you left."
"You killed the others all by yourself?"
"Not exactly. The ones who didn't run are tied
up and sitting under a keel."
"You captured them?"
"I couldn't kill them while they were helpless. As soon as you land, you can assist me in guarding them."
"First I want to get warmed up. I'm freezing!"
***
Van Dyke landed upon the sandy beach with five other knights he'd pulled from their assignments across the Allied Kingdoms. He knew well before reaching the island that Gonzales and Deliah were both alive and in control of fifteen prisoners.
"You should have just killed them. They've violated our sacred ground."
"They know of a spy in our midst. I overheard one mention the name Basoc before they knew we were here," Gonzales said.
Van Dyke halted with a stunned look on his face. "I've not heard that name for a long time. However, I'm not a spy."
"You're Basoc?" Deliah asked.
"I used to be Duke Basoc before I swore my oath. However, it's not an uncommon name. Quite likely, someone else by that name is the spy. When we return, we'll notify the Council of Kings, so they can send out their agents to investigate everyone by that name and find the spy. Now we had best kill these raiders for violating god's castle."
"I can't kill these men while they're helpless. You said that we have to obey our oaths not to kill unless absolutely necessary," Gonzales said.
"It might be wiser to question them. We should find out what more they know than where this island is located and who might be here," Deliah said.
"We can't keep these men on our sacred ground," Moto said. "Besides, there's no food or water for them."
"What if we carry them back to the mainland for questioning? Their presence might force the spy to flee," Lee said.
Van Dyke turned to Lee. "You've a good suggestion there. When the spy flees to avoid capture, we'll know who he is for certain. Return with Moto, and bring back enough ropes for us to suspend these prisoners between two knights."
"We've already got a rope that can be used," Gonzales said. He retrieved the rope he'd used to guide Deliah to the island.
"In that case, they can carry the first prisoner with them and turn him over to the Duke of High Crag. Fifteen prisoners? That means we'll have to make several trips apiece. Moto, Lee, bring back more food and water with you, as well. There won't be enough daylight to make another flight. This may take several days to accomplish."
***
"I'm supposed to hold your prisoners?" Duke Sabbo exclaimed from behind a large, ornate desk in his office.
He'd just listened to Sir Private Lee explain about the prisoner in the courtyard and the others to be flown in later. Proctor Smith had accompanied Lee to the Duke, so that Lee encountered no delays in being heard. Moto remained in the courtyard with the prisoner. The two knights had used their god voice to contact Jones before they reached Castle High Crag so that the supplies could be waiting for their arrival. Jones had, of course, consulted with the proctors to obtain what was needed. At the same time, Moto and Lee needed a brief rest to warm up before returning to Castle Staten Island.
"Think of how it would impress the Queen. You need only break these prisoners and gain information concerning the spy they know about. Surely, any spy who threatens the Order also threatens you and the Queen," Proctor Smith said in a soft voice.
"Yes, it would impress Queen Neesha. It might even elevate her status in the council," Sabbo said. He knew well enough that any increase in her status would apply to his own.
"If you would break these men, have them thrown in cells. Have your guards withhold water from them until time for questioning. Then they'll tell all they know for one drink. There won't be any need to beat them," Smith said.
Sabbo nodded. "Very well, Sir Private Lee. I'll accept your prisoner and the rest when they're delivered. Give me a moment to arrange for my guards to take the one outside into custody." Sabbo rang a bell to summon a servant.
"Come along, Lee. We're finished here. We'll get your supplies loaded up so you and Moto can return before darkness gets any closer," Smith said.
Lee followed along without speaking until they were outside in the courtyard. "This should have been settled before we arrived."
"My apologies, but I was busy gathering the supplies you needed so you could return sooner. Those had to be selected and bundled together. As far as I was concerned, the welfare of the knights at Castle Staten Island was more important than a prisoner who I could have seen to on my own after you left."
"My own apologies, Proctor Smith. You must ignore the provocation I inadvertently spoke. You clearly had more to accomplish than we did in just flying this prisoner here."
"Accepted. It looks like the Duke has already contacted some of his men to take charge of the prisoner."
"They're welcome to him. Right, Moto?"
Moto nodded as he handed over the rope he held onto so that the prisoner couldn't run, even though it wasn't really necessary. The prisoner appeared to be scared over his ordeal of flying at high speed over the ocean while dangling from a rope between the two knights.
Chapter 16
"My Queen, I do not know who poisoned the prisoners. They weren't supposed to be given any water until questioning. I will not rest until I find out who killed them before they could reveal the identity of the spy who must obviously be among us," Duke Sabbo said.
Queen Neesha opened her mouth to speak, but paused in thought for a moment. "Yes, you must be right about the spy being among us. Find him, Duke Sabbo. If you accomplish nothing else, find the traitor so that we might deal with him."
"I will, my Queen."
***
Van Dyke waited for the last of the knights to enter the church and take a seat. He had to recall some who'd already been sent back to their assignments.
"It seems strange that all the prisoners were killed just after we delivered the last of them to the Duke. Without pointing a finger that does appear to reduce the number of people among whom we should be searching for our spy. Yes, Proctor Smith?"
Proctor Smith had found a seat at the front. However, he paused and signaled that he wanted to speak. "I just overheard the last of what you said. Actually, quite a large number of people knew of their presence: other prisoners, the guards, the Duke, the Queen, and all of the proctors. I even dare say that most of the people in Cragless know by now that there were raiders brought here as prisoners. Tongues are certain to wag about such events. Surely, someone saw the knights carrying them all tied up. It doesn't take an educated man to figure out that they were prisoners."
"We were seen bringing in the first prisoner by some fishermen on the water," Moto said.
"How did they know how many prisoners would be brought in and when the last arrived?" Van Dyke asked.
"Perhaps they figured out that there weren't any more prisoners when they saw the last of the knights return," Smith said.
"How would a spy know that there weren't more knights yet to arrive?" Moto asked.
"The spy obviously monitored your comings and goings. I would expect a spy to do such things. Perhaps one of the prisoners already held by the Duke passed on information to the spy from the prisoners you turned over to the Duke. They might have indicated to one of them just how many they numbered. Even ignorant raiders can count that high," Smith said.
"Duke Sabbo assures me that the prisoners were held apart from each other so they couldn't converse. Besides, that still doesn't account for how any prisoners could have contacted a spy to give him any information or why they were all killed," Van Dyke said.
"Then it had to be one of the guards," Miles said. "They had access to the prisoners. Only they could come and go freely. Besides, it had to be someone who could reach the prisoners in order to poison them. They killed the others already there to keep them from identifying anyone."
Smith nodded. "Miles makes sense. He's right that we should look for someone with access to the prisoners."
"And access to poison," Lee said.
"I dare say that anyone could find poison
outside the castle and easily bring it inside," Van Dyke said.
"But how many know how to find poison around here? I'm not familiar with the poisons in this area, though I could easily point out several in Minius," Lee said.
"A good point, which may assist us in eliminating some suspects," Van Dyke said.
"Surely, you don't suspect any of the knights," Deliah said. "All of us were too busy carrying those prisoners and keeping them alive for the past four days. Certainly, if Gonzales or I was a spy, we could have killed them at Castle Staten Island or let them escape."
"If anything, I don't believe that either you or Gonzales is a spy. It would be the height of stupidity for either of you to jeopardize yourselves as spies by capturing fifteen of your own warriors and turning them over."
"Unless they didn't think we'd ever question them," Smith said.
Van Dyke shook his head. "No, that doesn't fit. Those men would have talked to save their lives. I saw it in their eyes. Gonzales and Deliah spared their lives in accordance with our oaths. Besides which, they remained at Castle Staten Island until we brought back the last of the prisoners. They had no opportunity to contact anyone. If anyone is beyond reproach, they are."
"So it must seem," Smith muttered.
"Are we considering the Duke to be a suspect? He was, after all, reluctant to even accept the first prisoner. Proctor Smith had to convince him," Lee said.
"Actually, I did little to convince him. It might be possible that he was merely putting on a false face at first to disguise his real feelings. He has, after all, held ill will toward Sir Lieutenant Gonzales," Smith said.
"Are you suggesting that the Duke is a spy?" Lee asked.
"No, I'm suggesting that he might have wished to strike back at Gonzales. He could have ordered the prisoners killed to prevent Gonzales from receiving any credit in uncovering a spy who the Duke is now responsible for finding," Smith said.
"But Gonzales is bound to receive some credit for discovering that there happens to be a spy in the first place," Gwinn said.
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