Heirs of the Enemy

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “We do not train outsiders,” the head warrior replied tersely. “Perhaps you would be more comfortable waiting inside the carriage.”

  Zack was tempted to ignore the suggestion and see how far the warrior could be pushed, but he eventually decided to comply. He climbed back into the carriage and waited. The minutes dragged by until he finally heard the sound of the gates opening. The head warrior opened the door again and stuck his head in.

  “Men will accompany your carriage to the home of Lord Kimner. Your men will not be allowed to leave the carriage at any time while beyond these gates. The penalty for disobedience is death. Ensure that they understand before you leave the carriage.”

  The head warrior did not wait for a reply. He closed the door and shouted an order. The carriage began to move, and Zack heard the gates close behind him. After a couple of minutes riding, the unbroken wall of trees lining the road gave way to high estate walls and manicured lawns. Each mansion’s drive had a gate barring access from the road, and warriors manned each gate. Barely visible over the tops of the walls were the upper stories of the mansions of the elite. Each mansion was greater than the one before, and Zack began to get a feel for the incredible wealth the warriors were protecting. Before the carriage had traversed half of the length of the private road, the carriage turned into a driveway of one of the estates. Before the gates opened, Zack could hear the warriors jumping off the carriage and others taking their place. The gates opened and the carriage moved onto the estate grounds.

  Zack stared at the armbands worn by the new guards as the carriage rolled through the gates. He suddenly realized that each estate used a different color for their armbands. Combined with the changing of guards at the estate’s gates, that told Zack that the elite not only didn’t trust each other, but they also distrusted the main band of warriors in charge of guarding all the estates. With memories of the Contest of Power in Tagaret, that told Zack that the nobles’ security fears could be used against them. He filed that tidbit in his memory for future use. The carriage slowed to a halt in front of an enormous mansion. The door to the carriage was thrown open and two warriors stood waiting to escort Lord Zachary up the steps to the front door of the building. When they reached the door, the escorts stepped aside.

  “These men will take you to see Lord Pata,” stated one of the warrior escorts as he nodded to two guards waiting at the door.

  “Lord Zachary is here to see Lord Kimner,” retorted one of the estate guards. “You two will remain with the carriage until it is ready to leave.”

  The guards opened the door and ushered Lord Zachary inside. The entrance hall was immense. A beautiful tiled floor stretched away from the entry door, and the walls were lined with statues. The guards walked briskly and opened the first door leading off the entrance hall. Lord Zachary was ushered into a huge sitting room and shown to a chair.

  “Refreshments will be served in a moment,” stated one of the guards.

  Zack sat in the offered chair and gazed around the room. Animal heads adorned the walls, and thick rugs made from animal furs were scattered about the floor. The chairs were overstuffed and gild framed paintings hung near the fireplace. It was opulent and cozy at the same time.

  “Who is Lord Pata?” Zack asked the guard.

  “Lord Kimner’s son,” the guard answered hesitantly. “This is his estate. Lord Kimner will be with you shortly.”

  The guard moved away, but did not leave the room. Zack suspected from the man’s reaction to his question that the move might have been to avoid further conversation. A few moments later, the door opened and an old man was wheeled into the room in a chair with wheels. The old man’s attendant rolled the chair across the floor until it was positioned facing Lord Zachary. The old man looked at his guest with narrowed eyes before waving his attendant away. A long awkward silence enveloped the room as Zack and the old man silently stared at one another.

  “Forgive this intrusion into your privacy,” Zack finally said, “but I would have been remiss to come all the way from Vinafor to honor the Federation without speaking to the man who many say is responsible for its formation. I am Lord Zachary of Vinafor.”

  The old man said nothing. Zack had been prepared to handle a warm welcome or an angry rejection, but the man’s silence caught him off guard. He wondered if the old man was deaf or mute.

  “I wish I had known of your condition before the celebration,” Lord Zachary continued. “I would have brought my carriage here to escort you to the Imperial Palace. The celebration should not have taken place without your presence.”

  The old man did not respond, and Zack looked imploringly at the attendant standing across the room with the guards, but no one came to his aid.

  “I apologize for disturbing you,” Lord Zachary said softly as he started to rise. “I will remove myself and let you return to your comfort.”

  As Zack started to rise, the guards crossed the room with amazing speed. One of them placed a hand on Zack’s shoulder and gently, but firmly, pushed him back into the chair.

  “You are to remain seated while Lord Kimner is in the room,” ordered the guard.

  “But he neither hears me nor talks to me,” frowned Zack. “I was merely trying to leave him in peace.”

  “I hear quite well, Lord Zachary,” declared Lord Kimner as he waved the guards away. “I have merely been waiting to hear the real reason for your visit.”

  “The real reason?” echoed Zack. “I do not understand.”

  “Don’t you? You are a fraud, Lord Zachary.”

  Zack’s body tingled with fear as he thought about the number of private guards between him and freedom. Despite his skills in warfare, the spymaster knew that he would not escape from the situation unless he could convince Lord Kimner to let him leave.

  “I take offense at your words,” Zack replied indignantly. “Do you think I came to the Sanctum to steal your valuables? That is an outrageous thing to accuse me of.”

  “Ah, mock offense,” smiled the old man. “You play your part well, Lord Zachary. Why are you here? Out of all the estates in the Sanctum, why have chosen to visit me?”

  “Because you are the architect of the Federation,” answered Zack. “I have already met most of the others who live in the Sanctum. Why are you suspicious of my intent?”

  The old man did not answer right away. He sat staring into Zack’s eyes for a while and then sighed.

  “I have never heard of a Lord Zachary,” stated Lord Kimner, “and I pride myself on keeping track of the rich and famous. Besides, a Vinaforan is hardly likely to congratulate me on the formation of an empire that has just swallowed his country. If anything, you should be wanting to see me dead for stealing your wealth. No, Lord Zachary, you are as phony as they come, and I intend to find out the truth about you, no matter how long it takes.”

  The door opened and servants brought in trays of refreshments. The old man said nothing as the servants set the trays on the table near the two lords and retreated from the room.

  “Enjoy a bit to eat, Lord Zachary,” the old man smiled thinly. “It might be your last meal.”

  Chapter 21

  Mark of the Heir

  Lord Zachary forced an outward appearance of calmness as he sampled the refreshments served by Lord Kimner’s servants. Behind that façade, Zack’s mind whirled in a search through the few words spoken by Lord Kimner for some hint of a way out of his predicament. He mentally replayed every spoken word since his arrival. A few things stuck out. The Baroukan lord indicated that he could not imagine any Vinaforan welcoming the Federation to his country, yet this man was supposed to have been the architect of the Federation. That made little sense unless Lord Kimner was not happy with his own creation. Or his creation did not turn out as he had planned. The other clue that Zack honed in on was the question of why Lord Zachary had chosen to visit him out of all the nobles. That indicated the Lord Kimner did not believe the story about wanting to meet the founder of the Federation. Zack wondered i
f Lord Kimner thought he was being singled out because he was old and feeble and whatever Lord Zachary was after would have a better chance of success with him than a younger, more alert noble. Zack decided to test his theories.

  “The refreshments are quite enjoyable,” Lord Zachary smiled thinly. “My compliments to your staff.”

  Lord Kimner raised an eyebrow at his guest’s calm demeanor, but he did not speak.

  “You said earlier that you pride yourself on knowing the rich and famous of the world, Lord Kimner, but I am proof that your efforts are less than successful. While I am not usually a boastful man, I think this situation warrants some clarification. My family is one of the oldest in Vinafor, and clearly the wealthiest. I own half of Vinafor, but unlike many nobles, I am not known for ostentatious displays of wealth. In fact, many of my own countrymen would not know me if they passed me on the street, yet they drink the wine from my vineyards, and they eat the food from my farms. That you are unaware of my existence shows that your researchers are overpaid.”

  “So you say,” retorted Lord Kimner. “They have been known to be accurate in the past.”

  “And how would you know if they were wrong?” countered Lord Zachary. “Oh, you might catch them in errors east of the Barrier where you have a long history of agents in place, but we are not talking about Spino or Aerta here, are we? We could quibble over the size of my wealth, but that is not really what is troubling you, is it? You want to know why I chose to come to see you today, when no one has bothered to seek your advice in a long time. Am I correct?”

  Lord Kimner let his surprise show, but Zack refused to continue. Two could play the silence game, and the spymaster decided to wait for his host to speak.

  “Assuming you are who you say you are,” Lord Kimner eventually asked, “why have you come to see me?”

  “Several reasons,” said Lord Zachary. “I was not being deceitful when I said that I came to see the architect of the Federation. Whether or not the Federation has turned out the way you intended, it is an organization on a scale that has never been seen before. That is a mighty accomplishment, and I admire any man who can accomplish something on that scale, regardless of its effect on me.”

  “And what do you think the effect on you will be?”

  “That is another of the reasons I have sought you out today,” smiled Lord Zachary. “I have worked hard to accumulate my wealth. I am not anxious to see it slide into the pouches of others. That is what has brought me on my first journey east of the Barrier. I seek knowledge to enable the retention of my wealth. While I have met most of the elite in the Federation over the last week, you are the one man who stood out for being absent during the celebration. I can see that you suffer from an infirmity, but why weren’t you at the palace to celebrate your creation?”

  “The Federation is not my creation,” scowled Lord Kimner. “Stop saying that.”

  Zack’s eyes widened at the unexpected outburst. There was a venomous strain to the man’s words, and the spymaster waited for his host to regain his composure. Lord Kimner sighed and continued in a soft voice.

  “I never intended the Federation to be an enlargement of the Empire of Barouk. It was meant to be a confederation of equal states. I am not responsible for the implementation brought about by others.”

  Suddenly, Zack understood the old man. “Only those wielding the tool can determine how it is used, but the inventor of the tool should still be held in the highest regard for his invention. There is no shame for your part in the creation.”

  The old man’s face softened as he stared at Zack. He sighed again and almost smiled.

  “Your words are kind, but that will do little to help the people of Vinafor. Your country will be stripped just as clean as all the others. I am in no position to help you preserve your wealth. You have wasted your time by coming here.”

  “I disagree,” Zack smiled warmly. “I built my fortune from nothing. I can do so again, but I think meeting you will prove to be worth the time and expense of my journey. Tell me about your original vision for the Federation.”

  The old man’s eyes brightened at the request. He turned slightly in his moveable chair and waved the guards out of the room. Once they were alone, Lord Kimner took great pleasure in laying out his original idea of the Federation. Lord Zachary occasionally interrupted the telling only to issue affirmations and praise. Within an hour the two lords were talking as if they were old friends.

  “It is a beautiful concept,” Lord Zachary remarked. “Imagine if it had actually been implemented in the fashion you described.”

  “Jaar is nothing like his father,” Lord Kimner replied. “Forkuna was a wise man. He understood that diplomacy was the most valuable tool in a ruler’s pack. Jaar sees diplomacy as the last resort of a weakling. He would never negotiate for something that he could just take by force or deceit. I often wondered if Jaar was not Forkuna’s son after all. They could not be more dissimilar.”

  “Perhaps the untimely death of his father changed him.”

  “No.” Lord Kimner shook his head. “Jaar was always like that, even as a child. If he saw another child with something he wanted, he would order his guards to seize it for him. He was always a bully. As for the idea of a Federation, Jaar was dead set against it from the beginning. He tried to talk his father out of the negotiations, but Forkuna dismissed him. The wrong man died that day in the palace.”

  Zack realized that such words could carry a heavy price if they were issued in front of the wrong person. His admiration of Lord Kimner grew.

  “What happened that day?” Zack asked. “I understand that some assassins barged in and killed the emperor. I also heard that Jaar rushed to the rescue, but he was too late, and you were severely wounded in the attack. Did they ever find out who was behind it?”

  “No,” answered Lord Kimner. “The assassins were Badgers. They are never captured alive, and they would never break their vow of secrecy if they were captured. In fact, one of the assassins was captured alive, but he died within minutes. He poisoned himself with a pin the Badgers wear on their tunics. He actually tried to swallow it. I still have that pin around here somewhere. It is a reminder of the fragility of life.”

  “Do these Badgers still exist?”

  “They have always existed,” answered Lord Kimner, “and they always will exist. As long as there are wealthy men wanting to increase their power by eliminating their opponents, groups like the Badgers will flourish.”

  “If they still exist,” asked Zack, “why haven’t they struck at Jaar? Surely the power behind the assassination would not have suddenly given up hope of taking over.”

  “Jaar might be evil,” answered Lord Kimner, “but he is not stupid. The very first thing he did was to send his wife and son into hiding. No one has seen them in twenty years. As long as his son lives, no one will expose themselves with an assassination attempt. The armies would follow the son no matter who sat on the throne at the time.”

  “What if the emperor had no son?” questioned Zack. “Or if something happened to him during those twenty years?”

  “No emperor would remain without a son,” answered Lord Kimner. “If one died, he would be obligated to sire another. To not do so would be to invite an assassination.”

  “Couldn’t the emperor merely claim to have a son hidden away somewhere? Wouldn’t that save him from assassination attempts?”

  Lord Kimner nodded. “That is possible, but would it be believed? The more likely response from an emperor is to say his son is dead. To most people, dying is the worst thing that can happen to them, but for emperors it is preferable to die rather than let your opponents win. Any emperor who says his son is dead is lying. If it were true, he would never admit it.”

  “I don’t understand. Why would an emperor set himself up to die?”

  “To see who steps up to seize the throne,” explained Lord Kimner. “That is the only way to uncover your true enemy at times. When that happens, the son will step forwar
d and order the armies to seize the new emperor. The false emperor and his entire family will be executed. So you see, even in death the assassinated emperor would stand victorious. That is why the Badgers struck when both Forkuna and Jaar were in the same room. They had to kill both of them to succeed.”

  “I still can’t imagine that someone as powerful as an emperor would willingly die, even if he knew his son would avenge him.”

  “You are assuming that such a person would have a choice,” explained Lord Kimner. “I guess it is hard for a westerner to understand. The emperor’s family is a forbidden topic in Barouk. The only time that anyone would dare mention the emperor’s son to the emperor is when the emperor has already been captured. He is likely to die in any event, so vengeance against his enemies becomes his only focus.”

  “I see.” Lord Zachary nodded in understanding. “But if the emperor’s son has been hidden away for years, how would the army know enough to follow him? He would be unknown to everyone.”

  “Such a situation actually occurred in the early history of the empire. While it was eventually settled after a long period of chaos, the emperors since then have adopted a way to alleviate the problem in the future. When the emperor has a son, he brands his own right hip with a secret symbol. He also brands the left hip of his heir with the same symbol. The actual symbol used is kept most secret so that others cannot brand their own newborn and pass him off as the heir.”

  Zack silently pondered the implications of what the old lord was saying and how it suited the current circumstances surrounding Emperor Jaar.

  “We seem to have gotten far off the track in discussing the merits of the Federation,” Lord Kimner said softly with a tone of suspicion. “Why is a Vinaforan lord so interested in the laws of succession?”

  “I am not sure how we deviated onto this subject,” lied Zack, “but I do find it interesting. It stands in stark contrast to the ways Vinafor works. Our heirs are widely known and celebrated. It is hard for me to grasp a society that survives under such a veil of distrust.”