The general was about to abrade the colonel again when suddenly he realized that something was amiss. "General Blackmoor?" he asked. "Who is he?"
"I heard that he was promoted to general when Cornalos died," replied the colonel. "Isn't he here now?"
"Here?" balked the general. "Don't be preposterous. Why would he be here? This party is by invitation only. Suppose you tell me what is going on?"
"General Blackmoor appeared at the gates of the palace tonight," explained the colonel. "He demanded to speak to you, but the guards refused to state your whereabouts. When he explained that he was bringing important news from the front, the guards relented and sent him here."
"Well he never arrived," snarled General Daramoor, "regardless of who he is, or thinks he is. I will deal with him later."
"But he did arrive here," the colonel continued. "You sent him back to the palace with a healer to check on the queen and then he returned here with her."
"Healer? Queen?" echoed the general as his eyes widened with suspicion. "Make haste back to the palace," ordered the general. "I want the grounds shut down. No one enters or leaves without my express permission, and that includes any stray generals running around. I also want the gates to the city closed. I will be there shortly."
The general grabbed the colonel and spun him towards a door at the far side of the room that led directly outdoors. While the colonel raced off, the general stood alone for a few moments trying to figure out what game was afoot. He could not fathom General Cornalos turning back the Federation, but it was possible that the general had died, or it could all be a complete hoax, but to what end? Surely an attempt was being made to get at the queen, but even there the general was unsure of who would attempt it or why. Was it to rescue her, or kill her? The one person who might attempt something like that was Faldor, and he was supposedly dead. Realizing that his speculation was getting him nowhere, General Daramoor let himself out through the private door and headed for the Royal Palace.
Chapter 24
Patriot Plan
General Daramoor sat in his office in the Royal Palace while he waited for the reports to come in. Major Garibaldi soon arrived with the bad news.
"She's gone," reported the major. "The guards reported that General Blackmoor entered with a female healer. They were only there for a few moments and then they left."
"Just the two of them left?" asked the general.
"Yes," nodded the major. "I asked the guards several times, but the answer was always the same. I can't figure out how it was done. Either the queen went out the window or the healer did, but no one could survive that fall."
"And there is no body on the rocks below?" the general asked already knowing what the answer would be.
"None," confirmed the major. "There are no marks from grappling hooks, and no fibers where a rope might have been used. It has me baffled."
"Unless it was magic," mused the general. "We should get K'san to investigate."
"I was getting to that," frowned the major. "We found blood stains in one of the corridors. Someone had tried to clean it up, but they must have been in a hurry. I had a search done of all the rooms on that corridor and we found the body of the priest in a storage room. It looked like someone had taken an axe to the back of his head."
"K'san?" balked the general. "Are you sure?"
"It isn't possible to mistake his body for someone else's," shrugged the major. "It was K'san alright."
"I wouldn't have thought that an axe would even harm him," the general said softly.
"You do know that Faldor was working with K'san, don't you?" asked the major.
"Oh, yes," nodded the general. "K'san liked to have many pokers in the fire at the same time. No doubt he was working Faldor and me against each other. I guess he found it amusing, but Faldor was not a real threat to me. As someone has already shown, he died easily enough."
"Is it possible that K'san made the queen disappear and then killed Faldor in some scheme of his?" asked Major Garibaldi.
"And then killed himself?" quipped the general. "I don't think so. Faldor's death was not at the hands of K'san. I don't think the priest would stoop to using a knife, and Faldor could never summon the strength to kill K'san. No, the key to this whole puzzle is the mysterious General Blackmoor."
"I sent runners out to all the gates," stated the major. "General Blackmoor left the city on the Calusa Road. The healer was with him as well as four escorts. One of the escorts spoke about a war with Karamin, but that makes no sense to me."
"So," mused General Daramoor, "was she the queen or the healer?"
"No way to tell," shrugged the major. "She wore a hood the entire time. No one ever saw her face. Whichever one it was, where is the other?"
"Actually," sighed the general, "we do not know the location of either of them, but we now know that one of them has left the city."
"Indeed," nodded the major. "It might be wise to allow the gates to reopen. The whole city is clogged with caravans trying to leave. If we don't open the gates soon, the citizens are going to start asking questions."
"And questions we don't need right now," nodded the general. "Why are the caravans moving? The last I heard they were all camped out along the Calusa Road."
"The news about the opening of Ramaldi Pass has spurred them to action," replied the major. "Every last one of them is wanting to rush up the Lombardi Road."
"The opening of the pass is just a rumor," scowled the general. "The Federation would never flee before the might of the Vinafor army."
"They don't know that," shrugged the major. "I suggested that we let them through after a thorough search of each wagon, but Colonel Pfaff wanted to know what we were searching for. I didn't want to mention the queen to him, so I said nothing."
"That was wise of you," replied the general. "I have not taken Colonel Pfaff into my confidence. I don't think he has the stomach for it. He would probably open his mouth to the wrong person at the wrong time."
"Can you find a way to get him out of my hair then?" asked the major. "He outranks me and keeps questioning what I am doing. It just slows me down."
General Daramoor thought quietly for a moment and then smiled. "I will send him to Ramaldi Pass," he stated. "He can learn the truth of the matter first hand from General Cornalos."
"Excellent," grinned the major. "What about the caravans?"
"I want each wagon searched," declared the general, "but use men that you can trust. In fact, send a qualified patrol out immediately. Have them search the first caravans that left the city and start working their way back here. That will clear up the congestion in the city and still get the job done. Also send out a tracking team to sniff around the Calusa Road to see if they can pick up the trail of our mysterious general."
"I will see to it," promised the major. "What do we tell people about the queen?"
"We tell them nothing," answered the general. "The official position is that the queen is still ill. If we can locate her and get her back into custody, we can claim that Faldor murdered her and that one of the guards killed him in retaliation."
"That would be moving up your plan considerably," the major pointed out.
"Perhaps," shrugged the general, "but the time is ripe for it. With Faldor and the First Minister out of the way, I have no serious competition. Even K'san can no longer complain about my seizing the throne."
"What about the Federation?" asked the major.
"I have no qualms about joining the Federation," declared the general, "as long as I am the leader of Vinafor."
* * *
Garth Shado, no longer impersonating a general in the Vinafor army, stood atop a hill overlooking the Lombardi Road in Vinafor. Down below, the Mercado caravan sat alongside the road, and a swarm of Vinafor soldiers were searching the wagons. The Knight of Alcea moved silently back through the trees and down the other side of the hill to where his party was waiting.
"The caravan is there," Garth reported, "but so are soldiers o
f the Vinafor army. They are searching the wagons."
"They have wasted no time," frowned Edmond Mercado. "I thought we would be well ahead of them. This does not bode well for our plan."
"I disagree," responded Queen Romani. "You said that your father's caravan was the first to leave the city. The search merely means that General Daramoor sent his men out to catch the first caravan. He is a methodical man, and he would be loath to miss any chance of apprehending me. Set someone to watch which way the soldiers go when their search is over. I would wager they head towards Waxhaw, not away from it."
"Surely, he has enough men to search all of the caravans at once?" asked Cobb.
"He has plenty of men," answered the queen, "but he will not be anxious to say that he is searching for me. That means that most of the army is unsuited for this particular task. If the army learned that he had imprisoned me, there would be great bloodshed on the streets of Waxhaw."
"If the army is willing to fight for you," asked Garth, "why flee? Why not stay and defeat the renegades aligned against you?"
"It is complicated," sighed the queen. "I knew that the situation would reach this point sooner or later, but I tried to believe that it was impossible. I held secret meetings with the king of Karamin, and we had worked out a mutual defense pact against the Federation, but his death has destroyed everything we had planned. His son, Vlador, is a fool and enamored by the Federation. Without the help of the Karamin army, Vinafor will fall to the Federation. No matter how hard I fight against that, I cannot change the truth. So it makes no sense to spend the blood of true Vinafor patriots to challenge General Daramoor. Even if they beat back the rebellion, the Federation would swoop in and pick up what was left. I prefer to leave our patriots in place in the hope that we can devise a better plan to regain our freedom."
"So you think that General Daramoor will turn Vinafor over to the Federation without a fight?" asked Garth.
"Turn over?" balked the queen. "Goodness, no. Daramoor will set himself up as king and join the Federation as an equal member with the other states. There will be no fighting involved, Garth. That is why I must disappear for now."
"Only for now," smiled Edmond.
"Indeed," the queen nodded with determination. "While it is good, as far as my escape goes, to make General Daramoor believe that I am dead, I want the patriots of my country to know the truth. I want them to know somehow that I am still alive and planning on returning."
"It is far too dangerous to let anyone know at this point," warned Garth. "Let Edmond and Sidney get you to Ur first."
"There is danger in doing that," retorted the queen. "If Daramoor believes that I am dead, he will announce it at a time most convenient to him. I want someone in Vinafor to know the truth before he makes that announcement; otherwise the patriots will lose all hope. If I am believed dead for months while the Federation soldiers are marching through Waxhaw, the men will lose all hope. They might even take up arms to resist the Federation, and we will lose the very men required to take back our country."
"If you tell someone that you are alive," countered Edmond, "word is bound to get back to General Daramoor. He will then track you down and kill you. That serves no purpose at all."
Garth caught Tedi's attention and nodded towards the summit of the hill. The gypsy prince separated from the group and quietly climbed the hill.
"What about General Cornalos?" asked Garth. "Where does he fit in all of this?"
"Cornalos is decent man," replied the queen, "but making him a general was a mistake. He is intimidated by Daramoor and will bow before his new masters. Once I realized the true nature of Daramoor, I tried elevating a small group of officers to become future generals. I never got very far before Daramoor caught on. Unfortunately, the officers were young and inexperienced, and I had not confided my suspicions with them. Daramoor discovered most of them and had them eliminated. I am afraid that they were quite naïve about the true political situation. I thought it was safer that way, but…"
The queen sighed heavily, and Garth could tell that the queen was under tremendous stress. They had ridden all night to reach the rendezvous point on time, and while he had allowed for generous rest periods, the queen was fatigued.
"We will have time to dwell on this problem later," declared Garth. "The important thing is getting you safely into Sidney's wagon. After you have had a chance to rest and rejuvenate, we can discuss this more."
Tedi hurried down the hill and rejoined the group.
"The soldiers have finished their inspection," he reported. "They are heading back towards Waxhaw."
Garth glanced at the queen, and she was smiling broadly. He chuckled softly and ordered the group to mount up. Sidney was standing outside his wagon when the group rode into the open. As soon as the queen was safely inside his wagon, he ordered the caravan to start moving. Hours later, Kalina and Natia caught up with the caravan and slid into Sidney's wagon.
* * *
As the sun began to set, the Mercado caravan pulled into a large clearing alongside the Lombardi Road. The wagons were assembled in their defensive circle even though bandits in this area of the West Woods were rare. Sidney Mercado abandoned his wagon to the three women and joined a campfire with Garth, Tedi, Edmond, Cobb, and Bork. As daylight began to fade over Vinafor, a lone rider left the Lombardi Road and entered the camp. As the visitor rode slowly through the camp, Garth saw some of the caravan warriors pointing towards him.
"We have company," Garth said softly as he nodded towards the Vinafor soldier. "Tedi, warn the women."
Tedi rose nonchalantly and passed between two wagons in the circle. He doubled back to Sidney's wagon in a way that shielded him from the view of the new arrival. The soldier rode right up to the campfire and dismounted.
"Sidney Mercado," stated the officer, "I did not know that you had returned to Vinafor, and here I find you on the Lombardi Road."
Sidney looked up at the officer and smiled. "Colonel Pfaff, welcome to my humble camp. Are you traveling alone?"
"I am," replied the colonel. "I hope that I am welcome in your camp? I detest dining alone."
"Of course," smiled Sidney. "Sit and I will have one of my men get you some food."
"I wouldn't think of imposing in such a way," replied the colonel, "but the thought of a hot meal is enticing. I will get it myself."
"No," Sidney said a little too strongly. He recovered quickly and smiled broadly. "A colonel in the Vinafor army is never an inconvenience in my camp. Bork, please be so kind as to take the colonel's horse and bring him back a meal."
The caravan warrior jumped to his feet and eased the reins out of the colonel's hand. He also smiled at the officer before leading the horse away.
"I am honored," smiled the colonel.
"It is we who are honored," replied Sidney. "If you have come to search the caravan, your men have already done so early this morning. You will have no excuse to deny us your company around the campfire."
"Search the caravan?" questioned the colonel. "What were they looking for?"
"They did not say," shrugged the merchant, "but they were very thorough. My men spent over an hour putting everything back together."
It was a gross exaggeration, but Sidney watched the officer closely for his reaction.
"That is most unusual," frowned Colonel Pfaff. "One would suspect that something valuable was stolen in Waxhaw. I wonder what it could be."
No one responded, and the colonel shrugged as he gazed around at the people sharing the campfire. He nodded to Edmond as Tedi returned to the group and sat down.
"Greetings, Edmond," the officer said. "Cobb and Bork I have met before, but I see some new faces tonight. Your business must be growing."
Sidney nodded and smiled. "Garth and Tedi have been with me for years," the merchant said, "but they don't often make it to Waxhaw. You have a good memory for faces it seems."
"I suppose so," shrugged the officer. "I am pleased to meet you, Garth. And you as well, Tedi."
The Knights of Alcea nodded silently.
"If I may ask, why are you traveling on your own, Colonel?" asked Edmond.
"There was a rumor racing through Waxhaw last night," explained the officer. "I am sure that you must have heard it, or you would not be on the road today. It was said that the Federation was turned back at Ramaldi Pass. I am on my way to verify the situation up there."
"Indeed, we did hear it," offered Sidney with concern on his face, "although I did not understand it to be a rumor. Is there a chance that such is not the case? Are we riding into trouble?"
"I truly do not know," admitted the colonel. "It was a bizarre evening at the palace. I was awakened with the report of an officer from the pass, but he had departed the palace before I arrived to question him."
"That doesn't sound so bizarre," Sidney pressed as the colonel fell silent. "Surely, there is more to the story."
"There is," nodded the officer, "but it is not my place to be talking about the business of the Royal Palace. Let's just say that the evening was anything but normal. In a way, I am glad to be given this assignment."
Garth looked past the officer and saw a hooded figure in white. He tried to keep his face impassive, but his hand moved closer to his boot knife as his body tensed.
"Why is that?" Sidney asked, unaware of the danger lurking behind him and the officer.
"I am a colonel in the Vinafor army," declared the officer, "yet I am not treated as one in Waxhaw. Things are kept from me so that I feel rather stupid and inept when events occur. I feel that I must have gotten on the wrong side of General Daramoor somehow. Perhaps things will be more refreshing under General Cornalos."
"And what if things are not any different?" asked Queen Romani as she lowered her hood.
Garth slid his knife out of his boot and prepared to attack as the colonel whirled to see who was speaking. The colonel's face registered shock, and he rose to his feet and faced the queen. Tedi gripped his staff, and Garth saw that Edmond and Cobb had also secured knives. Unexpectedly, the officer fell to one knee and bowed his head.
Final Voyage of the Remora Page 30