“It is easy to see how you became the primarius of the senate,” said Otto.
“Will anyone believe that?” asked Safarius.
“We shall hope, for your sake, they do,” said Otto.
“I am truly free to go?” asked Safarius.
“It is part of my plan,” said Otto.
“But I will be in danger,” said Safarius.
“We are all in danger,” said Otto.
“I am afraid,” said Safarius.
“You will be protected,” said Otto.
“I do not understand,” said Safarius.
“Boris, Andak,” said Otto. “You will go with the primarius. Guard him well. Too, in this way things must seem much as before.”
“Yes, my emperor,” said Boris.
“And if there is the least evidence of treachery, kill him, immediately.”
“Our pleasure, my emperor,” said Andak.
Safarius, then, slowly, and unsteadily, touching his throat gently, accompanied by Boris and Andak, left the corridor, and began to ascend the stairs. In a moment or two their footsteps could no longer be heard.
“You are clever, for an Otung,” said Abrogastes to Otto.
“That is high praise, from a Drisriak,” said Otto.
“You have bror, here in Telnar?” asked Abrogastes.
“Imported, from Tangara,” said Otto.
“It is horrid stuff,” said Rurik.
“Let us adjourn to the palace,” said Julian.
The dogs lay amongst the bodies, sleepily.
Abrogastes crouched down, between them.
“Good dogs, good dogs,” he said, affectionately shaking those massive heads. “I do not think you need more feeding tonight, but tomorrow you will be fed again, and well, though, I trust, differently.”
Chapter Forty-Five
“Splendid! Splendid!” cried Ingeld, rising from the chair and clapping his hands.
“We thought you would be pleased,” said Sidonicus, on another chair, in his private audience chamber, forsaking the exarchical throne which dominated the room.
“How could it be better?” said Ingeld.
“Would you care for a sweet,” asked Sidonicus, reaching into a box.
“No,” said Ingeld, resuming his seat.
“Are you sure, dear Safarius,” asked Sidonicus, placing a sweet in his mouth, “that we may speak openly before these other two?”
Toward the back of the room, standing, arms folded, were two figures, those of two large, strong men, who had accompanied Safarius to the meeting.
“Yes,” said Safarius. “They may be trusted implicitly. Both are privy to these affairs. Both were present in the fourth basement of the house of Dardanis, on the day in question.”
“They participated in the business?” asked Fulvius, deputy to the exarch.
“Very much so, as is my understanding,” said Safarius.
“As is your understanding?” inquired Fulvius.
“I withdrew, once all was readied,” said Safarius. “I feared blood, the dogs. I did not wish to risk the soiling of my robes.”
“That is understandable,” said Sidonicus. “It does you credit. I myself would have been reluctant to attend, personally, to such unpleasant details.”
“You two,” said Fulvius, addressing the two men in the rear of the room, “were present? You saw what occurred?”
“Yes, your excellency,” said Boris.
“Good,” said Fulvius, satisfied.
“It was clever,” said Sidonicus to Safarius, “to have the bodies abandoned outside the walls, where they could be prey to the dogs.”
“We thought,” said Safarius, “that indignity would further enflame the Drisriaks, and the other tribes of the Alemanni.”
“And it will,” said Ingeld. “I promise you that.”
“Sometimes,” said Fulvius, “such beasts even find their way into the city. They are dangerous.”
“Only in the streets and alleys of the poorer districts,” said Safarius. “They live on garbage. One tries to exterminate them.”
“Unsuccessfully,” said Fulvius. “They can run in packs; they are dangerous to approach.”
“Sometimes,” said Safarius, “we are successful.”
“But others find their way in,” said Fulvius.
“Unfortunately,” said Safarius.
“Amongst the keenest of motivations,” said Sidonicus, helping himself to another sweet, “is hunger.”
“Even now,” said Fulvius, “reports of the Otung atrocity streak amongst worlds.”
“I fear they will be largely ignored,” said Sidonicus. “Events in Telnar seldom stir the worlds unless they are personally touched, even the comings and goings of emperors.”
“I assure you,” said Ingeld, “the Drisriaks will stir, and the other tribes of the Alemanni, too, and the allied tribes, as well. Blood is involved, and honor. I will bear a torch that will set fire to the tinder of outrage and vengeance. Our worlds, our thousand holdings and camps, will rise, and flame. I shall shortly take ship to the Meeting World, Tenguthaxichai, and send forth a summons to council.”
“Be not too precipitate, dear prince, or now, I should say, king, for the Otungs control the batteries of Telnar. Such defenses could melt fleets.”
“They may be overwhelmed, if not suborned,” said Ingeld. “Hundreds of Drisriaks, and Dangars, and Borkons, and others, can find their way into Telnar in the guise of merchants, tradesmen, and laborers, waiting for the signal. Too, it will be simple to rally the remnants of the Ortungen from the towns they control in the delta of the Turning Serpent. They too will demand satisfaction. And, I trust, noble Sidonicus, that you can, upon short notice, bring your faithful into the streets with clubs, fire, and stones.”
“If it is the will of Floon,” said Sidonicus.
“I trust it will be,” said Ingeld.
“It is highly probable,” said Sidonicus. “It is I who pronounce the will of Floon.”
“When the city swarms, and the batteries are seized,” said Ingeld, “the fleet, unimpeded, will land and seal the doom of the Otung regime.”
“I trust,” said Sidonicus, “that the fair Viviana, your lovely spouse of royal blood, is now with child.”
“Soon, I am sure,” said Ingeld.
“Not yet?” said Sidonicus.
“It is curious,” said Ingeld. “Not yet.”
“It must be a male,” said Sidonicus.
“I have no control over that,” said Ingeld.
“What of gentle Alacida, she, too, of royal blood, espoused to your noble brother, Hrothgar?”
“Hrothgar has no more interest in thrones than a hunting dog or war horse,” said Ingeld.
“Still,” said Sidonicus. “Should Alacida bear a male, it would be in line for the throne, and Hrothgar could rule as regent.”
“That will not occur,” said Ingeld.
“Some misfortune might befall the infant?” suggested Fulvius.
“It is possible,” said Ingeld.
“What if Viviana does not produce a male heir?” said Sidonicus.
“Should an accident befall my dear brother,” said Ingeld, “I might wed his widow, and sire a son, or sons.”
“And rule as regent,” said Sidonicus.
“Of course,” said Ingeld.
“Given the removal of Aesilesius,” said Fulvius.
“A tasteless chemical mixed with a draught of wine?” said Sidonicus.
“Perhaps better a writ of removal on the basis of infirmity, unfitness, or incompetence, reluctantly promulgated by the senate,” said Fulvius.
“That could be arranged,” said Safarius.
“We should keep Aesilesius about,” said Fulvius. “Should our first plans fail, we might need him, as a p
uppet, to rule through him, much as the empress mother and the Arbiter of Protocol, Iaachus, have done in the past.”
“Our plans will not fail,” said Ingeld.
“The writ of infirmity, unfitness, or incompetence,” said Fulvius, “constitutes no obstacle. On the advice of carefully selected physicians, given new evidence, the senate might nullify the writ.”
“That is easily done,” said Safarius.
“But others, not we, might rule through him, as well,” said Sidonicus. “Better the tasteless chemical.”
“He would be the third of his line to so perish,” said Safarius.
“I shall take ship tonight for Tenguthaxichai,” said Ingeld. “It is fitting that the council summons be issued from that world. It is the Alemanni Meeting World.”
“Soon, I trust, the usurper will be usurped,” said Sidonicus.
“Let there be pretense of legitimacy,” said Fulvius. “Rule for a time, dear Ingeld, in the name of the pathetic dolt, Aesilesius. Within a year or two, given a son by Viviana, or Alacida, he may be replaced. You will then rule as regent, in full legitimacy.”
“The senate may be depended upon,” said Safarius.
“As usual,” said Sidonicus, drily.
“A ship is fueled,” said Ingeld, rising. “I leave at dusk.”
“Remember, dear Ingeld,” said Sidonicus, “the cooperation of the temple is not without its condition.”
“That condition is easily met,” said Ingeld. “It costs not a darin. It is accomplished with an utterance, with the stroke of a pen. Floonianism becomes the official religion of the empire.”
“There are dozens of versions of Floonianism,” said Fulvius. “One must be specific. It must be our particular version of Floonianism.”
“Religion is lucrative,” said Ingeld. “It accumulates wealth. It is a facile source of income. It costs little; it gathers in much. It sells empty promises for gold. Naturally you wish the gold to stream in one direction, yours.”
“How little you understand,” moaned Sidonicus, dismayed.
“Right belief,” said Fulvius, “is essential if one would sit at the table of Karch.”
“Your beliefs,” said Ingeld.
“As it happens,” said Sidonicus.
“How do you know?” asked Ingeld.
“Karch has spoken,” said Sidonicus.
“When and where, and before which witnesses?” asked Ingeld.
“At hundreds of times in hundreds of places, before thousands of witnesses,” said Sidonicus.
“Karch, as I understand it,” said Ingeld, “has no body, no eyes, no ears, no voice, and so on, so how does he speak?”
“Through his holy sayers,” said Sidonicus.
“And how does one know that Karch, who has no body, no eyes, no ears, and no voice, speaks through them?” asked Ingeld.
“It is a matter of faith,” said Sidonicus.
“And Karch reportedly says different things to different sayers,” said Ingeld.
“There are false sayers, of course,” said Sidonicus.
“Whose sayers are the true sayers?” asked Ingeld.
“Ours,” said Sidonicus.
“How do you know?” asked Ingeld.
“It is a matter of faith,” said Sidonicus.
“Next I will hear of miracles,” said Ingeld.
“Possibly,” said Sidonicus.
“What is the logical relationship between an interesting or surprising event and a claim?” asked Ingeld.
“The matter is admittedly obscure,” said Sidonicus.
“Do not many faiths have their miracles?” asked Ingeld.
“There are evil miracles and false miracles,” said Fulvius. “Only our faith has good miracles and true miracles. Indeed, most of the alleged miracles in other faiths are mere misunderstandings of natural events, or coincidences, anomalies, surprising occurrences, lies, tricks, frauds, or such.”
“But yours are not?”
“No,” said Sidonicus.
“How do you know?” asked Ingeld.
“It is a matter of faith,” said Sidonicus.
“Putting aside subtle matters on which you are unqualified to form an opinion,” said Fulvius, “just make certain that our version of Floonianism is decreed to be the official religion of the empire.”
“And you will bring your faithful into the streets, to abet the coup?” said Ingeld.
“Surely,” said Fulvius.
“It would help,” said Sidonicus, “if you would be publicly smudged with oil from one of the sacred pools of Zirus.”
“It is enough that I make your faith the official religion of the empire,” said Ingeld. “You cannot expect me to believe it, too.”
“It could help,” said Sidonicus.
“Your views are confusing, contradictory, and often unintelligible,” said Ingeld. “I would not know how to believe in them even if I wanted to, which I do not.”
“I see,” said Sidonicus, not happily.
“Besides,” said Ingeld, “Kragon, the Alemanni god of war, would disapprove.”
“That is a false god,” said Sidonicus.
“His priests claim that Karch is a false god,” said Ingeld.
“Absurd!” exclaimed Sidonicus.
“Perhaps all gods are false,” said Ingeld.
“After you make the correct version of Floonianism the official religion of the empire,” said Sidonicus, “you must then, shortly thereafter, outlaw other religions, suppress them, and see to the conversion or extermination of their unfortunately misguided adherents.”
“That is not easily done, and would be costly, and not well accepted in certain quarters, particularly in those quarters occupied by other religions,” said Ingeld. “That is an independent question.”
“Very well,” said Sidonicus. “One thing at a time.”
“I would not approve of making myself a heretic,” said Ingeld.
“As I understand it,” said Fulvius, “you leave this evening for Tenguthaxichai.”
“Yes,” said Ingeld, “and shortly after arriving on Tenguthaxichai, I shall issue the summons to council.”
“I trust,” said Fulvius, “that all will proceed smoothly.”
“It will,” said Ingeld, “now that Abrogastes and Ortog are out of the way.”
Safarius looked down. The two large, strong men in the background, arms folded, revealed no emotion or reaction.
“I fear only,” said Sidonicus, “that nature will not see fit to abet our plans.”
“How so?” asked Ingeld.
“That neither Viviana nor Alacida may bear sons in a timely fashion.”
“Do not concern yourself,” said Ingeld. “I have prepared for that contingency.”
“How is that?” said Sidonicus.
“It is obvious,” said Fulvius.
“Beware how you speak to the exarch of Telnar,” said Sidonicus.
“Forgive me, your excellency,” said Fulvius.
“Of course, it is obvious,” said Sidonicus. “I merely wished to hear it spoken by our guest.”
“Forgive me, your excellency,” said Fulvius. “I failed to understand, to grasp your subtlety.”
Sidonicus turned to Ingeld. “Please, speak,” he said.
“One need only announce that Viviana, on Tenguthaxichai, has born a son,” said Ingeld, “and then produce a male infant as the child. Male and female infants abound. Neither is in short supply.”
“You see,” said Sidonicus to Fulvius, “it is obvious.”
“Yes, your excellency,” said Fulvius.
“There will be much rejoicing in the empire,” said Safarius.
“Of course,” said Sidonicus.
“But what of Viviana?” asked Safarius.
“Yes,�
�� said Sidonicus, “what of Viviana?”
“I fear,” said Ingeld, “she died in childbirth.”
Ingeld then turned, and left the room.
“It is unfortunate that we had no opportunity to shape the mind of Ingeld from childhood,” said Sidonicus. “We would then own him.”
“In time, that problem will be ameliorated,” said Fulvius. “Many schools will be closed, and others will be seized, or founded. We will control the mind. One takes the child; one molds the man.”
“It is easily done,” said Sidonicus. “It is a simple business.”
“Yet some, somehow, a few, will think for themselves,” said Fulvius.
“That is troublesome,” said Sidonicus.
“Assuredly,” said Fulvius.
“If they are wise, they will be silent,” said Sidonicus. “Otherwise they may be dealt with.”
“Easily,” said Fulvius.
Sidonicus then helped himself to another sweet. He did not offer one to his deputy.
Chapter Forty-Six
“Much has occurred, Master,” said Nika, going to her knees beside the couch on which young Aesilesius sat, in the quarters to which he was confined.
“Sit beside me, on the couch,” said Aesilesius.
“I am a slave,” said Nika, “I belong on my knees.”
“As you wish,” said Aesilesius. “I missed you.”
“I am frightened,” said Nika, adjusting the thin string at the left shoulder of her tunic. “I think the world is shaking beneath our feet. I know not what it might portend for my Master.”
“Your hair is lovely,” said Aesilesius. “I will comb it for you later. You must permit me to do so.”
“Master may do with me as he wishes,” said Nika. “He need not ask me such things. I must submit.”
“I enjoy combing your hair, touching it,” said Aesilesius.
“A Master may enjoy grooming his animal,” said Nika, “combing the mane of his horse, smoothing the fur of his dog.”
“I shall fetch the comb, and kneel behind you,” said Aesilesius.
“Please wait, Master,” said Nika, in agitation.
“Later, then,” said Aesilesius. “You are very beautiful, you know.”
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