Heirs at War (The Marmoros Trilogy Book 2)

by Peter Kenson

  “That’s too much,” David stated. “We will get a better deal from your competitors.”

  Balthazar shrugged. “You are, of course, welcome to try. But nobody else will be able to complete this order from stock. They may offer you a better deal on the items they do have but, for the rest, they will have to come to me and those items will not be cheap.”

  “We came to you first because of your reputation and because we thought we could complete the deal in one hit,” David admitted. “But we cannot afford your price. If we have to buy things piecemeal, then we will.”

  “All right then. Make me an offer.”

  “20,000 credits.”

  Balthazar exploded into a gale of laughter. “You are joking, right?”

  “I could maybe go as high as 25,000 credits.”

  Balthazar stopped laughing and his voice took on a more serious tone. “I’m afraid you are out of touch with prices in today’s market, my lord. Many of these items are in high demand. There’s no way I could give you such a large discount on what is really quite a small order.”

  “Then perhaps we should put this to one side and come back to it. There is one more item that is not on the list.”

  “Go on.”

  “My principal requires a small warship. Something in the frigate class would be suitable but it must be in good working order.”

  Balthazar leaned back in his chair and pursed his lips. “That, as I’m sure you’re aware, would be several orders of magnitude more expensive. What sort of budget does your principal have in mind?”

  “There is no fixed budget for this item. It would depend very much on what is available.”

  “I see.” Balthazar tapped some more buttons on the desk and the holographic screen appeared again. He studied the data for a few seconds before looking up. “There are two frigate class warships that could be available at short notice. I know their current owners are looking to sell them… for the right price.”

  “And what sort of price would that be?”

  “If I can persuade them to sell, I can supply either one of these ships for between ten and twelve million.”

  That drew a gasp of shock from Dhamina which Balthazar noted with a quick glance, but Rachel kept her lips firmly together.

  “For that sort of money, we would require a detailed inspection and a demonstration of capabilities,” David said.

  “Of course.” Balthazar paused for a moment to look at the screen again before continuing. “There is one other possibility which might better suit your principal’s requirements. But it is a lot more expensive.”

  “Better suit. In what way?”

  “One frigate on its own is nothing,” Balthazar said looking directly at Rachel. “At best it would be a symbol, a royal yacht but, up against a cruiser and half a dozen frigates, it wouldn’t last more than a few minutes.”

  “You seem to be very well informed,” Rachel spoke for the first time.

  Balthazar spread his hands expansively. “In my business, information is as much a commodity as the weapons I sell, and generally more valuable.”

  “So what is this expensive possibility?”

  “There once was an imperial battlecruiser called the Tolstoy.”

  David’s eyes narrowed in concentration. “The Tolstoy was mothballed after the rebellion at Rigel was put down. But then, I thought, she was sent to the breakers yard a few years ago.”

  “Indeed so. And the records at the breakers yard will confirm that most comprehensively.”

  “So she still exists. What sort of state is she in?”

  “She picked up some damage at Rigel but she was restored to working order before they mothballed her. Then some bean counters in Starfleet decided that it wasn’t economic to update her and so she was scrapped. She is currently in the same state as she was when she was mothballed.”

  “But she’s no use to anybody in that state. As soon as she comes out of hiding, she’ll be recognised as the Tolstoy and Starfleet will go apeshit.”

  “Visually she still looks similar to other ships of her class,” Balthazar admitted. “Barring the damage repairs. However, her electronic signature has been radically altered in order to protect my investment. From any sort of distance, she will show up as an unknown warship.”

  “And her weapons systems?”

  “Are all still fully installed. As are the command and control, life support and propulsion systems. They did remove all the missiles and the ammunition for the rail guns before she was towed, so those will need to be replenished. But all her energy weapons will still work.”

  “And your price for this phoenix of the scrapyard?”

  “100 million credits.”

  That did draw a reaction from both David’s companions. Rachel reached out a hand to touch David’s arm and, as he glanced at her, she gave a sad shake of the head. He patted her hand and smiled at her. “Trust me,” he mouthed before turning back to Balthazar.

  “If we were interested in this deal, the same terms and conditions would apply. A full inspection by engineers appointed by us and a demonstration of capabilities.”

  “Naturally.”

  “Such a demonstration would require a supply of missiles and ammunition for the rail guns.”

  A smile started to spread across Balthazar’s face. “I believe I can live with that.”

  “We would also require the items on that shopping list, thrown in free of charge.”

  “Agreed.”

  “And delivered to a destination of our choice.”

  The smile suddenly vanished. “Now wait a minute. You can’t mean Ystradis?”

  David nodded. “There will be one passenger accompanying the delivery.”

  “This is not normal,” Balthazar frowned. “It’s not good business to get involved in my clients’ disputes. I never ask where the weapons are going or why.”

  “But for 100 million credits, you will do it.”

  Balthazar looked unhappy but nodded. “I will need some surety of payment and an advance. There will be expenses involved in preparing the ship for the demonstration.”

  “The Held Barony will guarantee the purchase and will cover any expenses you incur,” David said, sliding another data chip across the desk. “I think you’ll find my credit rating is sufficient.”

  There were murmurs of surprise from both Rachel and Dhamina as Balthazar examined the data chip before returning it to David.

  “Very well. Your list of supplies is quite extensive. It will mean two trips for the size of ship we will have to use to avoid detection. I can have the first load and a suitable ship ready by tomorrow morning. Where will your passenger be?”

  “We will return to the main spaceport and wait for you there. One of my friends here will accompany the supplies to Ystradis. The other will accompany your crew out to the Tolstoy and will remain on board throughout the inspection and trials. I suggest, by the way, that you change the name of the ship to the Phoenix and alter her transponder accordingly.”

  The guards escorted them back to their shuttle in absolute silence but, as soon as the hatch closed behind them, Rachel rounded on David.

  “How could you do that, David? There is no way my people can afford that ship.”

  “No, you listen to me, my dear. That ship is a bargain. It’s worth five times what you’re paying for it and it stands an excellent chance of holding its own if it does get tangled up with the Belsi.”

  “But we can’t pay for it. We simply can’t raise that much money.”

  “The Held Barony will advance you the money for the purchase. When you regain control of Ystradis, you can repay the loan from sales of Biridium and have money left over to rebuild your towns and villages. You may not be rich yet, your Majesty, but you certainly will be.”

  Chapter 20 - Marmoros

  Jeren stood on the balcony outside his apartments and filled his lungs from the gentle breeze that was blowing up the vall
ey. Officially it was the first day of spring although this made no appreciable difference in the valley itself, where winter was always held in check by the thermal springs. But beyond the Neverwinter valley, the snow was now clearly retreating towards the tops of the hills and soon would be gone completely.

  The spring flood caused by the melting snow had come a week ago and the river was still spread across all the lower fields and meadows, right up to the embankment carrying the road from the city to the valley gates. However, by the time the flood subsided, a layer of rich soil would have been deposited across the fields and the spring planting could begin.

  In the higher fields and orchards that the floodwater could not reach, farmers were already hard at work, harvesting the early season fruit and vegetables. Not visible from where he stood, Jeren knew the preserving houses would also be busy, preparing the early harvest for the first caravan of the season. The preserved fruits of Marmoros were eagerly sought after in the major cities of the surrounding lands and traditionally had provided a rich source of income for many of the leading families.

  Jeren loved the view from his balcony. Beneath the palace the red tiled roofs of the houses were glowing in the early morning sun. An enormous amount of restoration work had been carried out over the winter and the city was gradually returning to a semblance of its former glory. The marble quarries were working flat out to cut the beautiful white stone that faced many of the larger houses and public buildings, and the façade of the palace had been completely repaired to show no trace of the blast that had destroyed the Belsian tank.

  A frown crossed his face as he remembered that attack and his thoughts moved swiftly to his beloved Rachel. She was never far from his thoughts even though they had not been able to contact each other for three days now. She had told him that, while she was with the Resistance, she would be living in shielded underground caves and tunnels that blocked all telepathic contact, but knowing that it would happen did not make it any easier to bear. He had argued furiously with her for hours about the risks of going to Ystradis in the first place but she would not be dissuaded.

  He was distracted from his reverie by the clacking of the semaphore on the city walls. Idly he watched the arms move as it sent an acknowledgement of a message received from the valley gates. He leaned further over the balcony to get a view of the busy market square and spotted the disturbance as a messenger forced a passage through the crowd on his way to the palace.

  “Izzy,” he called as he went back into the bedchamber.

  A tousled head appeared around the edge of the door. “Yes, your Majesty.”

  “There’s a messenger coming from the semaphore station. Find out what it’s about.”

  The head disappeared and Jeren hurriedly threw some clothes on, discarding others in scattered piles around the room. There was a quiet knock on the door and Baltur came in, raising an eyebrow quizzically at the scene of disorder in the room.

  “Trouble?” he asked. “I’ve just seen Izzy at full pelt down the corridor.”

  “There’s a semaphore come in. I sent Izzy to find out what it is. While I wouldn’t wish trouble on anybody, I could almost hope for some action today to take my mind off Rachel.”

  “You still haven’t heard from her then?”

  “Not a word. I’m going to speak to Lord David when he gets back.”

  “Oh he’s back,” Baltur said. “Thought you knew. He came in very early this morning, dumped his gear and headed straight out to the market.”

  “Damn the man. He might at least have let me know. I suppose mother knows he’s back?”

  “I believe he did call at Lady Falaise’s apartments on his way out.”

  “Why am I always the last to know about these things?” Jeren complained. “All right, let’s go and see what Izzy has found out.”

  They met Izzy halfway down the hallway, charging back towards them at breakneck speed. “Whoa, hold up there, Izzy. What is it?”

  “There’s been an attack on a caravan, your Majesty. Halfway between High Falls and here. One of our patrols found them while the attack was going on and sent for the garrison from High Falls. Between them they drove the bandits off but there were casualties in the caravan. According to the report, the raiders were singling out wagons with Lyenar markings.”

  “Deribe!”

  “The report doesn’t mention her by name, your Majesty, but there was a woman there with a young boy mounted alongside her.”

  “That will be Krasta, her son by Kraxis. Does Commander Feynor know all this?”

  “He does by now, your Majesty. I sent the messenger off to the garrison while I came to report to you.”

  “That was well done, Izzy. Good initiative. Now run and tell Commander Feynor that Baltur and I will ride out with him today.”

  The youngster beamed at the praise and spun on his heel to disappear again at high speed. Jeren put his arm around his friend’s shoulders as they turned back towards the apartments.

  “Looks as though we’ll see some action today after all.”

  “Uh, I believe Lord Grekan may be expecting you in the assembly hall,” Baltur said hesitantly. “Something about a court?”

  “I’ll send word to postpone it.” Jeren looked at the doubtful expression on his friend’s face. “No seriously. An attack on one of our caravans is an attack on the lifeblood of this city. It must take priority and it must be dealt with decisively. Now let’s go and find some weapons and armour.”

  ***

  David eased his way through the crowds surrounding the shops and stalls in the marketplace. Outside the shop of Aron Golder, young Kaleb noticed his approach and ducked inside for a second before returning to greet him.

  “Good morning, Lord Held. Please come inside.”

  “Thank you, Kaleb.”

  Inside the shop Aron rose from behind the workbench where he had just retrieved a small velvet wrapped package.

  “Good morning, my lord. I have the stone here, cut to your requirements, as you requested.”

  “Thank you, Aron. May I see it?”

  Aron unwrapped the velvet and spread it out on the bench. The stone glittered in the light from the many lamps inside the shop. It seemed to have no particular colour of its own, but reflected a reddish tinge from the velvet on which it lay.

  “It has been cut precisely to your requirements, my lord,” Aron said. “Although he did charge me twenty talons for the cutting and another five for his silence.”

  “I said that I would cover your costs, Aron. You’re sure that no-one else knows about this?”

  “No-one, my lord. Not even Miriam.”

  “Good! Then I must ask you for a little privacy for a few moments, so that I may examine it in more detail.”

  A puzzled frown crossed Aron’s face but he bowed and disappeared through the curtain to the back of the shop. David carefully removed his moonstone pendant, the source of his own telepathic abilities and placed it on the velvet cloth. Then he picked up the new stone and held it tightly in his fist.

  “Suzanne.”

  There was a delay of a few seconds before the reply came. “Lord David! Is something wrong?”

  “No there’s nothing wrong,” he assured her. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

  “Not at all, my lord,” Suzanne lied as she disentangled herself from Mikael’s embrace and put her finger on his lips to stop him from speaking.

  “Oh I am,” David said as he caught the emotions that belied the words. “I am so terribly sorry. I’ll withdraw at once.”

  “No wait. You sound so clear. I’ve never heard you so powerfully before. What has changed?”

  “I was thinking exactly the same about you. I’m using one of those new stones. Like the one you sent to the lab for analysis. Only I’ve had it cut to shape.”

  “My god! Then the lab reports were correct. It does amplify your thoughts far more than a moonstone.”

  “It certainly
appears so. According to my contact here, they are local to this area and found in the volcanic streams. I will try to locate some more examples. In the meantime, I can only apologise most profusely to yourself and Mikael for disturbing you. Good night, my dear.”

  “Aron,” he called, as he broke the contact with Suzanne and replaced the stone on the velvet.

  There was a sound of footsteps from the back of the house and Aron appeared through the curtain.

  “Aron, my friend. You and I are going to make some people very rich; ourselves included. Firstly, can you mount this stone in a pendant similar to this one?” David indicated the moonstone pendant on the cloth.

  “Easily done, my lord, but it won’t increase the value by much.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. The value of this stone lies not in its beauty but in its power. This little stone is worth more than all the rest of your stock put together. And that of every other jeweller in Marmoros.”

  Aron’s jaw dropped as he stared at the stone in disbelief. “But why?”

  “That’s not something I can explain to you at the moment; you’re just going to have to trust me. But there are some people who will pay an awful lot of money for one of these stones. And that brings me on to my second point. Can you put the word out on the streets that you will buy as many of these stones as can be found? Pay what you have to for them out of the money for those emeralds plus five talons per stone for yourself, to cover your expenses. I also want your gem cutter brought in house; I don’t want him working for anybody else. Can you do all that?”

  “Y… yes, my lord.”

  “Good!” David picked up the moonstone pendant and replaced it around his neck. “When will the other pendant be ready?”

  “Um, tomorrow morning, my lord. Shall I have it sent up to the palace?”

  “No, keep hold of it here but you will need to hire some security guards. There should be at least one guard in this shop, day and night. Send word when you have some more stones for me to look at, but if you can obtain another stone the same size as this one, don’t wait for my approval. Have it cut straightaway to the same pattern and then mounted with some other gem stones around it, in a piece of jewellery fit for a lady. A necklace or a bracelet that has to be worn next to the skin.”