“You are to make sure that Kent leaves Despair promptly. Make him understand what the penalty is for defying me.”
“He will be out of the city in two days,” promised Clint. “If you will execute a pass for him, I will have him off the palace grounds before morning.”
“Done,” agreed Grand General Kyrga as he scribbled a pass for the captain. He shoved the pass across the desk and Clint pocketed it. “I don’t know what it is about you Forshire, but I find myself liking you despite the fact that you usually get your way in our meetings.”
“I just try to find solutions that work best for all concerned,” smiled Clint. “I believe that we need to save our energy and direct it at the enemy, not at each other.”
“Whatever it is,” sighed the Grand General, “I think we can put this issue behind us now. In the future, work with me instead of against me.”
“That would give me great pleasure,” stated Clint. “I am pleased that you managed to soothe the emperor. We have no time to waste on internal squabbling.”
“We have less time than you might imagine,” Kyrga replied with a frown. “I will be addressing the generals this week about our plans for attacking Alcea. As one of the few people to know about the existence of Alcea, I thought you would want to know, but do not speak of this to anyone. I want to gauge everyone’s initial reactions.”
“Have no fear, Grand General,” grinned Clint. “I am also anxious to see those first impressions. I can imagine how surprised everyone will be.”
* * * *
Clint went to his quarters and penned a release from the army for Captain Kent and then went downstairs. Although the hour was getting late, the rooms were still filled with dignitaries. He wormed his way through the crowd as he aimed for the rear door of the palace. He was halfway across the room when he halted and stared at one of the nobles. Although the man’s hair was gray bordering on white, when it should have been black, and his frame was much fuller than he remembered, the features of the face were familiar to Clint. The Ranger frowned and wondered if he should approach the Alcean spymaster. A nearby group of nobles made the decision for him. Three powerful nobles of Barouk were discussing Zack Nolan. Clint could not help overhearing their conversation, and he felt a duty to intervene.
“He claims to be Lord Zachary of Vinafor,” stated Lord Burkett, “but I have never heard of such a person.”
“He is probably some midlevel merchant trying to hobnob with the rich and famous,” chuckled Lord Kommoron.
“Maybe we should ask General Nazzaro about him,” suggested Lord Zandel. “He is the Commanding General in Vinafor, is he not?”
“An excellent idea,” agreed Lord Kommoron.
“I could not help overhearing your conversation,” smiled General Forshire as he stepped closer to the three nobles. “If you were discussing Lord Zachary, I can confirm that he is from Vinafor and that he is indeed quite wealthy.”
“And you are?” asked Lord Zandel.
“General Forshire of the A Corps,” smiled Clint. “I was previously the Commanding General of Tyronia.”
“And how do you know Lord Zachary?” asked Lord Burkett.
“I escorted him to the estate of Sidney Mercado once,” replied Clint. “The merchant described Lord Zachary as owning half of Vinafor.”
“Why have we never heard of him?” frowned Lord Kommoron.
“That I cannot answer,” replied Clint. “I do know that his coming to Ur was considered to be quite special. I assumed that the man did not travel much, but that is just a guess on my part.”
“Thank you for the enlightenment, General,” Lord Zandel said. “You might have saved us from an embarrassing situation.”
“My pleasure,” smiled Clint.
Lord Zachary had turned and was staring at the three lords talking to a Federation general. Clint’s fingers moved swiftly alongside his leg, sending a message in code that only a Ranger would understand, and Lord Zachary immediately seemed to lose interest and walked away. Clint excused himself and left in a different direction than the way he had been heading before the impromptu meeting. Ten minutes later, Clint exited the rear door of the palace and saw Lord Zachary walking away from the mansion. He followed at a distance, and they met near the palace docks.
“I should have been informed that you were coming to the palace,” Clint said softly. “Those lords were on the verge of calling for proof of your identity.”
“I think my cover will withstand some scrutiny,” frowned Zack. “I apologize for the lack of warning, but I didn’t think I would be able to get inside the palace. Fate was with me this night.”
“I told those lords that I once escorted you to the estate of Sidney Mercado in Ur. I mentioned that you owned half of Vinafor and suggested that you were a bit of a hermit. I hope that is not too far away from your cover.”
“You think quickly,” smiled Zack. “Colonel Pfaff is altering land records in Waxhaw as we speak. Perhaps by the time he is done, your story will prove true. Thank you for the reference. I will make a point of mentioning my trip to Ur two years ago.”
“If you think it is wise,” sighed Clint. “It might be better for the two of us to remain separate. We do not want either of us to drag the other down.”
“A good point, but the fall of either of us would be disastrous. Who were the three lords?”
“Burkett, Zandel, and Kommoron. Each of them is wealthy and powerful. Along with three other lords, they control all of the mining in the empire. It has been suggested to me that they can exert enough pressure on the emperor to get the armies of the Federation to support their goals. They are not men to play around with.”
“That makes them exactly the type of men I want to play around with,” Zack grinned mischievously.
“You had best be careful,” warned Clint. “They were talking about getting General Nazzaro to investigate you. He is the Commanding General of Vinafor.”
“And a dolt from what I have heard.”
“You know him?”
“No,” Zack replied. “I know about him. That is not exactly the same thing. Before coming here, I went to Waxhaw and met with Colonel Pfaff. Daramoor is the true power over there. He orders Nazzaro around like his personal servant. Nazzaro is no concern to me. I know enough about the general to disarm him.”
“I will trust your judgment,” conceded Clint. “If there is anything I can do to help your mission, let me know. I do have a few men under my command.”
“I have two good men. Cobb and Bork. Are you familiar with them?”
“I have met them,” Clint nodded. “They traveled with Garth for some time. That speaks highly of them.”
“They have great potential,” Zack said as his eyes scanned the area for spies. “We had better get back to what we were doing.”
Clint nodded in agreement and walked away. A few moments later, he arrived at the old gardener’s shed.
“Bring him out,” General Forshire commanded the guards.
One of the soldiers opened the door and the light of the moon flooded into the shed. Captain Kent looked out and saw General Forshire waiting for him and panicked. He rose and raced towards the rear of the shed. The soldier inside ran after him, and the soldier outside raced around the building. Together they caught Captain Kent crawling through the hole in the back wall. Clint arrived a moment later.
“This is rather strange behavior, Kent. What is going on?”
“I am tired of being used as a pawn,” scowled the captain. “You promised to set me free, but here I still am. I should have run away earlier.”
“Had you run away earlier,” General Forshire retorted, “you would be dead now. Grand General Kyrga had notified the gate guards to seize you the moment you showed up.”
“Then how am I getting out of here?” Kent asked nervously.
“Right through the front gates,” answered Clint as he handed a pass to the captain. “That will get you off the palace grounds. These,” he handed the captain h
is release papers, “will remove your obligation to the army. You are a free man Kent, and there are only two conditions.”
“What are they?” the captain asked suspiciously as he stared at the pass.
“You must leave the palace grounds before dawn, and you must leave Despair within two days. Other than that, you are free.”
“This is a trick,” Kent replied. “This pass is signed by Kyrga. He would never sign such a thing. He wants me dead.”
“He did want you dead,” corrected Clint. “He also wanted me dead. I had a talk with him an hour ago. I convinced him that no man should be punished for faithfully following orders. I also explained to him that you can cause no further harm. He eventually agreed. If you are afraid of the guards, I will form my escort and personally see you through the gates. I keep my promises, Kent. I always have and always will.”
Kent looked at the two guards holding him and frowned.
“Release him,” ordered General Forshire. “He is a free man now.”
The soldiers released Kent and moved away from him. Kent stared at the pass and the release papers and his face flushed with embarrassment when he realized how he had repaid the general for his help.
“Will you alone see me through the gates?” Kent asked.
Clint nodded and dismissed his men. The soldiers disappeared, and Clint and Kent started walking towards the front gates.
“I have wronged you, General,” Kent said softly.
“I will get over it,” smiled Clint.
“No.” Kent shook his head vigorously. “That is not what I am talking about. I met with Colonel Taerin a couple of hours ago. I was convinced that you were selling me to Kyrga. I am afraid that I mentioned some things that I picked up during my time with the A Corps.”
“What things?” Clint asked anxiously.
“That the capture of the rebels was faked. That the coins were planted, and that your men are loyal only to you. I fear I have harmed the one man in the Federation army who actually cared about me. I am sorry.”
Chapter 6
Subterfuge
Colonel David Jaynes, leader of the Red Swords, finished his inspection of Tagaret’s city gates and was riding back to the Royal Palace when he heard the commotion coming from the practice grounds of the Alcea Army. With a furrowed brow, the colonel changed course and turned at the next intersection. When he reached the practice grounds, he saw Sergeant Shank leaning on the fence watching the sparring. He rode towards the Red Sword sergeant and dismounted.
“What is all the commotion?”
Sergeant Shank pointed to a pair of men sparring in the center of the compound. A crowd of cheering men surrounded the two fighters, ignoring the other spars taking place within the compound.
“Lloyd Becker is a fairly new recruit to the army, but he fights like a seasoned professional. This is his sixth spar this morning. He remains undefeated.”
“Impressive,” the colonel commented as he watched the spar. “And what brought you down here?”
“I heard about Lloyd the other day,” answered the sergeant. “As we still have a few open slots in the Red Swords, I thought I would watch for myself and separate fact from fiction.”
“He appears well trained,” the colonel said as he kept his eyes glued on the fighters. “What have you learned about him?”
“I don’t think it is training,” replied the sergeant. “I think it is natural instincts. He has no military background. He didn’t even serve during the Great War. The lad is a farmer, or I should say that he was a farmer. Sergeant Toucker ran into him on one of his trips to Southland. Lloyd’s farmhouse burned to the ground. His wife and daughters died in the blaze. Lloyd barely escaped from trying to save them. His clothes were burned, but he survived without any serious injuries. Toucker brought him here to Tagaret.”
Colonel Jaynes nodded as he watched Lloyd defeat his sparring partner. Another soldier immediately stepped up to try his hand against Lloyd.
“He doesn’t even look as if he is sweating,” commented the colonel. “Does he not take breaks between bouts?”
“He takes a few minutes, but not more,” answered the sergeant.
“Does he have any family left?”
“Toucker said he has a mother and father in Southland. He spoke to them briefly on his last trip. They were distraught, not only about the tragedy, but because Lloyd didn’t come to them afterwards.”
Lloyd started the next bout, and Colonel Jaynes watched in silence for a while.
“Remind you of anyone?” asked Sergeant Shank.
“He is a bit like Tork when Alex was young. His movements are a bit unrefined, but his strength appears to be impressive.”
“Tork also has an uncanny sense of what his opponent is going to do next. Lloyd lacks that. I do not know if such a trait can be taught, but Lloyd will do well in battle.”
“He has potential,” agreed the colonel. “Alright, Shank, you know the drill. I want him fully investigated before you even mention the Red Swords to him. Take a trip to Southland and talk to his parents. Check out his old homestead and then report back to me. I also want you to assign a man to shadow him. I want to know where he drinks, what he drinks, who his friends are, anything that might make a difference to the Red Swords.”
“I know the procedures,” stated Sergeant Shank. “I will talk to you when I get back from Southland.”
* * * *
General Forshire mingled with the other guests at the Imperial Palace in Despair. He made a point of getting introduced to every single general in the Federation. Most of them made snobbish remarks about the A Corps at first, but Clint pursued the conversations until he got past that. By the evening meal, he knew each of the generals well enough to carry on a decent conversation with any of them. Several times during the day, he noticed Colonel Taerin watching him, and each time he felt a shiver race up his spine. Grand General Kyrga on the other hand appeared to have gotten over his distrust of General Forshire. More than once during the afternoon, the Grand General joined in one of Clint’s conversations, and the Ranger could detect no animosity.
Meanwhile, Lord Zachary was getting introduced to the royalty and elite from around the Federation. The monarchs seemed eager to make his acquaintance, probably because of his supposed wealth, but some of the elite saw him as a competitor. His most contentious conversation came just before the evening meal.
“Ah, Lord Zachary, isn’t it?” asked Lord Burkett.
Zack turned to see the three mining barons and General Nazzaro, Commanding General of Vinafor.
“Greetings General Nazzaro,” smiled Zack. “Perhaps you could introduce me to the rest of your party.”
The general’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Zack, but he nodded and made the introductions.
“I have heard that you are the richest man in Vinafor,” opened Lord Kommoron. “Why have I never heard of you?”
“Actually,” smiled Zack, “I can only claim to be the second most wealthy man in Vinafor. I only own one half of the country, but King Daramoor owns it all.”
Lord Zandel chuckled, but Lord Kommoron was not amused by the joke. “I was asking General Nazzaro about you, but he doesn’t seem to know you either. Can you explain that?”
“I certainly could,” replied Zack, “but I see no reason for it. I have no intentions of entering the mining industry, so I am not your competitor, Lord Kommoron. Unless you drink a great deal of wine, I can’t imagine that we would have many areas of business in common.”
“The security of the Federation is a concern of all of us,” scowled General Nazzaro. “I smell a fraud among us.”
Lord Zachary turned and glared at the general. “That was an unwise statement, General. I was avoiding the question to spare you from embarrassment, but I see that you wish to demonstrate your ignorance. The fact is, the only thing you know about Vinafor is what King Daramoor tells you. You have made no efforts to learn about the land you have been given control over.”
General Nazzaro blinked and stepped back a pace. The three lords looked on in surprise, but none of them spoke. They wanted to hear more.
“We have never met, General, but there are good reasons for that. I do not live in Waxhaw. While I do have a home there, I spend very little time in the city. The Commanding General of Vinafor has been shown to be incapable of providing a safe environment. In fact, the Patriots of Vinafor continue to grow at an alarming pace. How does that square with your great desire for security of the Federation, General?”
General Nazzaro looked around to see who was in hearing range, but Zack continued his attack.
“The last time I was in the city was for the annual party thrown by Lady Ferini. I am sure you are aware of that annual gathering for the rich and famous of Vinafor? Oh, perhaps not, as you were not invited because the Vinaforan elite do not consider you one of them. Perhaps if you spent more time outside the Royal Palace, you might learn a little more about the land you were given to control.”
The general’s face was flushed, and Lord Burkett raised an eyebrow as he listened to the attack. Lord Zachary turned away from the general and faced the three lords.
“Forgive my manners,” Lord Zachary said calmly to the lords. “I would like to get to know the three of you better, but I find your present company offensive. Incompetence is not something I can stomach very well.”
Lord Zachary turned and walked away from the group. The three lords looked at each other questioningly. They then all turned to stare at General Nazzaro.
“If there is truth in his words,” Lord Zandel said softly, “you had better move to soothe his anger before Grand General Kyrga hears of his views.”
“Or you may find yourself recalled to Despair permanently,” added Lord Burkett.
The general nodded and headed after Lord Zachary.
“So there is truth in Lord Zachary’s words,” Lord Kommoron chuckled as he watched the general trail after the Vinaforan lord.
“It would appear so,” agreed Lord Burkett. “How embarrassing for the general.”
“He deserved it,” retorted Lord Zandel. “We do not send out Commanding Generals to behave like kings in palaces. They are sent to quell the local populations and bring them into conformity with the Federation. I wonder how dangerous those Patriots are in Vinafor?”
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