The Fireseed Wars k-5

by John F. Carr

  The Fireseed Wars

  ( Kalvan - 5 )

  John F. Carr

  John F. Carr

  The Fireseed Wars

  DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  HOS HOSTIGOS amp; ALLIES

  Alkides-Artillery general in the Royal Army.

  Aspasthar-Commandant of the Hostigos Military Academy.

  Armanes-Prince of Nyklos.

  Baldour-Mercenary General formerly from Morthron.

  Chartiphon-Chancellor of Hos-Hostigos.

  Demia-Kalvan and Rylla's daughter.

  Ermut-Dean of the University of Hostigos.

  Eutare-Prince Phrames betrothed.

  Hectides-Chief Scout for the Royal Army.

  Herad-Admiral of the Royal Hostigos Navy.

  Hestophes-Captain-General of the Army of Hos-Hostigos.

  Kalvan-Former Pennsylvania State Trooper and Great King of Hos-Hostigos.

  Kestophes-Prince of Ulthor.

  Klestreus-Head of Hostigos Security.

  Mnestros-Duke of Eubros and Kalvan's ally.

  Mytron-Highpriest of Dralm.

  Nathros-Rector of Engineering College.

  Pheblon-Prince of Nostor.

  Phrames-Prince of Beshta and Captain-General of the Royal Army.

  Rylla-Great Queen of Hos-Hostigos, Kalvan's wife and co-ruler.

  Sarrask-Prince of S ask.

  Skranga-Chief of Hostigos Intelligence now in Hos-Bletha.

  Tharses-Uncle Wolf and Highpriest of Galzar for Hos-Hostigos.

  Tythanes-Prince of Kyblos.

  Vanar Halgoth-Captain of Kalvan's Tymannian Guard.

  Vinaldos-New Acting Chief of Intelligence for Nos-Hostigos.

  Xentos-First Primate of Dralm at the Hos-Agrys Great Temple.

  Xykos-Grand-Captain of Great Queen Rylla's Own Horse Guard.

  PARATIMERS

  Altarn Vor-Deputy Bureau Chief, one of Verkan's trusted advisors.

  Aranth Sain-Kalvan Study Team military expert now undercover as Ranthos.

  Barton Shar-Deputy Chief (Inspector) Inspector in charge of Stores and Equipment.

  Danthor Dras-University Professor and expert on Styphon's House Subsector.

  Danar Sirna-Former Member of Kalvan Study Team and Phidestros' mistress.

  Hadron Dalla-Verkan's wife and Paratime Police Chief's Special Assistant.

  Hadron Tharn-Dalla's power-mad younger brother.

  Hadron Zinganna-Dalla's adopted Prole sister. Undercover in Greffa as Zinna.

  Hasthor Flan-Head of Opposition Party.

  Kostran Galth-Head of the Greffan Study Team.

  Maldor Dard-Paratime Police Field Agent assigned to Harphaxi Study Team.

  Raldrov Varn-New Director of the Kalvan Study Teams.

  Ranthar Jard-Paratime Police Inspector.

  Tortha Karf-Former Paratime Police Chief.

  Verkan Vail-Paratime Police Chief.

  Yandar Yadd-Newsie on First Level.

  STYPHON'S HOUSE

  Albides-Second in command of Styphon's Own Guard.

  Anaxthenes-New Supreme Priest and Styphon's Own Voice.

  Aristocles-Grand Commander and second in command of the Order. Cimon-Inner Circle Archpriest called the "Peasant Priest."

  Danthor-Danthor Dras' undercover identity as Styphon's House Archpriest.

  Dimonestes-Archpriest and one of Roxthar's followers.

  Dracar-Archpriest of Inner Circle and Roxthar's puppet.

  Drayton-Styphon's House Treasurer.

  Qrythos-Archpriest of the Inner Circle and Military Advisor.

  Haltor-Highpriest of the Agrysi Great Temple.

  Heraclestros-Archpriest and former Highpriest of Agrys City.

  Neamenestros-Archpriest and one of Anaxthenes'allies.

  Phyllos-Highpriest of Harphax City Great Temple.

  Roxthar-Holy Investigator and Torquemada of Styphon's House.

  Sarmoth-Knight Sergeant of the Order of Zarthani Knights.

  Soton-Grand Master of the Order of Zarthani Knights.

  Timothanes-Archpriest and one of Archpriest Dracar's supporters.

  Yagos-Anaxthenes' Special Deputy and spy master.

  Xenophes-High Marshal of the Styphon's House Temple Guard.

  ALLIES OF STYPHON'S HOUSE

  Anaxon-Prince of Ktemnos and heir to the Golden Throne.

  Cleitharses-Great King of Hos-Ktemnos.

  Demnos-Captain-General of the Army of Hos-Harphax.

  Qeblon-Phidestros' friend and General.

  Hythar-Lysandros' Chief Intelligencer.

  Kaphros-Duke in charge of Hos-Harphax while Lysandros is away.

  Kyblannos-Phidestros' Chief of Artillery.

  Lyphannes-Chancellor of Hos-Harphax and Lysandros' advisor.

  Lysandros-Great King of Hos-Harphax and Kalvans enemy.

  Lukthos-Styphon's House's new candidate for Great King of Hos-Ktemnos.

  Niclophon-Great King of Hos-Bletha.

  Phidestros-Prince of Greater Beshta.

  Sopharar-Great King of Hos-Zygros.

  Sthentros-New Prince of Hostigos.

  Thessamona-Lady of Death and Anaxthenes favorite concubine.

  NEUTRALS

  Arminta-Oldest daughter of Prince Soligon of Argros.

  Carvros-Prince of Nyklos and only son of Prince Armanes.

  Davros-Highpriest of the High Temple of Dralm in Agrys City.

  Dementros-Son of Duke Thalros and heir to the Agrysi Throne.

  Demistophon-Great King of Hos-Agrys.

  Errock-Captain-General of the Thagnori Army.

  Eudocles-Grand Duke of Zygros and Sopharar's brother.

  Eythart-Prince of Morthron and ally of Grefftscharr.

  Lavena-Baron Sthentros'daughter and Great Queen of Hos-Harphax.

  Nestros-Great King of Hos-Rathon.

  Olmnestes-Uncle Wolf Highpriest of the Grand Host.

  Osthwuld-Duke of Thagnor.

  Pariphon-Prince and heir to theThorne of Hos-Zygros.

  Ranjar Sargos-Var-Wannax of the Sastragath.

  Ranthos-Former Paratimer Aranth Sain undercover as a mercenary Captain.

  Roltholf-King of Xiphlon.

  Ruffulo-Greffan Duke from an old family.

  Selestros-Son of former Great King Kaiphranos of Hos-Harphax.

  Sopharar-Great King of Hos-Zygros.

  Theovacar-King of Grefftscharr.

  Varrack-Prince of Thagnor.

  PROLOGUE

  A northwestern gale roared through Greffa, rattling shutters and howling through the streets. Tortha Karf was happy their boat had reached port in Greffa City before the storm struck, rather than the morning after. During the sea voyage from Ulthor Port, he had heard tales from the crew about the Galfryth Sea's vicious storms, with their short steep waves and the eastern shore waiting close under your lee. Vargabar was the Home Time Line equivalent of Greffa City; on Europo-American, Great King Kalvan's home Subsector, it was called Chicago and nicknamed the "Windy City."

  It had been centuries since Tortha had gone on a sea passage in as primitive a craft as the small trading schooner, appropriately named the Sea Dog. Nor was he relishing the return journey to Port Ulthor, the gathering point, where Great King Kalvan was retreating with his defeated army and hundreds of thousands of Hostigi refugees. Kalvan was at an impasse; he couldn't return to Hos-Hostigos where the Grand Host was laying waste to his former kingdom, nor could he go south without fighting his way through Styphon's House's power base in Hos-Ktemnos. Kalvan's only possible route was to the northwest, the Upper Middle Kingdoms, where he'd be as welcome as another northern blizzard.

  Tortha, under his Aryan-Transpacific cover as Trader Tortha of Xiphlon, had been sent along with Prince Phrames to act as ambassadors at the Co
urt of King Theovacar of Greffa City in order for Kalvan to obtain some reliable information on the political situation in the Upper Middle Kingdoms and, more specifically, on King Theovacar. Tneovacar was the most powerful of the Upper Middle Kingdom rulers and controlled over a third of the region. With Verkan Vail out of the picture from a bad chest wound and believed dead, Tortha was now Kalvan's only window into the Upper Middle Kingdoms.

  Great King Kalvan didn't have a lot of choices facing him: play the part of a cornered rat in Ulthor, with his back to the Saltless Seas, make a suicidal attack on the Grand Host in a glorious attempt to reclaim Hos-Hostigos, or move his army and subjects into the Middle Kingdoms. Tortha knew that if he could figure that out so could just about everyone else in the Five Great Kingdoms. The real question was: Why was Styphon's House taking so long to strike at Kalvan's jugular?

  Tortha decided that he was not going to solve this problem tonight so he wrapped himself tightly in dry sheepskins and let fatigue and First Level self-hypnosis put him to sleep in spite of the roaring wind and crashing roof tiles.

  The next morning Tortha awoke to a mild headache and the howling wind. He used the bell pull to summon a servant and asked for some sassafras tea. When outtime he usually stayed with local medicinal remedies to keep in cover. Successful infiltration meant trying to become one of the local outtimers, not play-act; he'd learned that much from his two centuries of outtime enforcement in the Paratime Police. Later he would join Kostran Galth, head of the Greffan Study Team, and his lovely wife, Zinna, for first meal. They were the caretakers of the House of Verkan, a modest mansion in the suburbs of Greffa City, as well as Verkan's local commercial ventures.

  The mansion was newly built; the Verkan Fireseed Works and Verkan's Hostigos'Trading Company had brought in so much profit over the past three years that Verkan had required quarters in a house and neighborhood befitting his new stature among the Greffan merchant magnates. It was a large stone house, very well built, designed by the best Greffan standards, but still a long way from providing what Home Time Liners considered acceptable comfort.

  On the other hand, it contained the only collapsed-nickel cellar and transtemporal conveyer head in Greffa City. It was too bad that the Royal Foundry in Hostigos had been destroyed and the entire area was under Styphoni control, making it dangerous for him to be there. Otherwise, he could have used the Hostigos conveyer to paratemporally transpose back to Fifth Level Hostigos Equivalent and then flown to Fifth Level Greffa Equivalent (Tergostar), and from there been transposed back to Verkan's cellar. That way Tortha could have made the entire journey in less than half a day, instead of wasting a moon on horseback riding and-worst of all-a sea journey with stops at every puddle and port. Instead he could have spent time with Chief Verkan and Dalla, caught up on all the latest Opposition Party shenanigans, and still would have had time to check out his Fifth Level estate and rabbit nursery.

  However, traveling by boat had given him a firsthand view of the difficulties and challenges that Kalvan was facing, along with half a million refugees. Tortha didn't envy his lot-no, not even one little bit.

  He made his morning ablutions: a cold water wash-up, then dressed himself in a floor-length blue gown-like robe of linen, with a broad black leather belt studded with jewels and a golden buckle the size of a lemon. He gazed in the polished silver "mirror" and shook his head; to himself, he looked like a middle-aged matron with a bad case of the mange.

  He joined Kostran, whose First Level job was Paratime Police Inspector, along with Zinna in the spacious kitchen. Kostran's Greffan cover was that of a journeyman clerk who'd married a cousin of Verkan's wife. Since Tortha had been out of direct contact with Home Time Line for several months, Kostran filled him in on all the latest Home Time Line news, politics and gossip-reminding him of the old adage, that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

  Yandar Yadd, one of the big time newsies, had put together a critical expose on how much time Paratime Police Chief Verkan Vail spent out-time on Kalvan's Time Line, and was making political hay out of it. Those Paratime Police logs were kept under high security, which meant if Yandar had access to them, then there was a leak on the force-bad news for Verkan and anyone else affiliated with the force.

  Yandar and Verkan had had run-ins before. After the Wizard Traders case broke, the newsie had received several death threats and gone into hiding. It had been a wonderful respite from his leg-biting editorials. No one was more unhappy than Verkan when the rogue newsie suddenly turned up after one of the major crime bosses was jailed and sentenced to psycho-rehabilitation by the Bureau of Psychological-Hygiene.

  In response to Yandar's negative publicity, several Management Party bigwigs had complained to the Paratime Commission about Verkan's out-time absences. As if Vail didn't have enough problems.

  Prince Phrames joined them at the kitchen table for a first meal of pork sausage, turkey egg omelets and fried potatoes prepared by Zinna and a female Paratime Police officer masquerading as a Greffan serving wench. "Very good," Phrames said, polite almost to a fault. The Prince had suffered the tumultuous lake voyage without a cross word and in unfailingly good humor. It had taken all of Tortha's First Level discipline not to toss him overboard.

  Still, Tortha had to agree that after two ten-days of hardtack and jerky aboard the Sea Dog, it was damn good to eat a decent meal. He even took a second helping of eggs and hash browns, although he would have given his favorite needler for a cup of coffee. In his opinion, sassafras or ginseng tea were not good substitutes, although he'd found himself eating healthier on Kalvan's Time-Line than he had in a long time. He'd also lost about twenty pounds since arriving in Hostigos; he felt in the best physical shape he'd been in for a century, after too many stressful decades of sitting behind the horseshoe desk at the Chief's office in Paratime Building.

  Once everyone was finished eating and pipes were lit, Kostran briefed them on the local situation: "Everyone in Greffa is following the Fireseed Wars with great interest. I don't know of anyone in the Lower or Upper Middle Kingdoms who doesn't despise Styphon's House for selling inferior fireseed powder at inflated prices and in limited quantities. The locals call it 'Styphon's Worst.' There are few believers of Styphon in Greffa. There's one Styphon's House temple in the city, but it's no bigger than the one that Kalvan sacked in Hyllos Town. At a well-attended service, they're lucky to bring in two score of worshippers, most of them workers at their local banking branch."

  "Praise Dralm," Phrames said. "We've fought enough of Styphon's bed-sheet battalions, as Kalvan calls them in Hostigos."

  "Speaking of Kalvan, the Great King has a lot of man-in-the-street sympathy," Kostran added. "However, the mercantile classes view him with concern; they've heard about some of his reforms and slave trading is big business in the Middle Kingdoms. On the other hand, the nobility here is always on the lookout for opportunities; a war with Kalvan would supply plenty of battlefield commissions, as well as clear out the deadwood from some of the older houses. Since his coronation King Theovacar has been putting the squeeze on his nobles, chipping away at their rights and raising taxes; now, they'd like to squeeze back.

  "In the other Upper Middle Kingdoms, the smaller kings and princes are worried that Kalvan might covet their real estate. They know that Kalvan and the Hostigi have been booted out of Hos-Hostigos and need living space. No state in the Middle Kingdoms has an army capable of stopping the Hostigi, or even slowing them down-not even Theovacar. However, the other Princes are counting on Theovacar, as the dominant power in the Upper Middle Kingdoms, to keep Kalvan at bay: Maybe through negotiations or an alliance of smaller princedoms.

  "As usual, no one knows what King Theovacar thinks, but I suspect he's worried. Plus, from what we know about Theovacar, he'll be spending most of his time attempting to turn Kalvan's troubles to his advantage. He'll use anything you tell him to advance his interests."

  "Theovacar should be worried," Phrames said. "If Kalvan decides to move into t
his area, he'll be bringing better than thirty thousand soldiers, all of them hardened veterans. I wouldn't want to be in Theovacar's boots."

  "Actually, from what King Kalvan told me," Tortha added, "he'd much rather work with Theovacar than against him."

  Phrames nodded his agreement. "The Great King always prefers the path of peace, although he's not often allowed to walk that path."

  Tortha took a minute to empty his pipe bowl and fill it with fresh tobacco. "Kostran, what's on our agenda for today?"

  "King Theovacar told me-well, ordered me-to arrange a meeting with you as soon as you arrived, and before he met with the Hostigi Ambassador." Kostran nodded at Phrames.

  "What's your take on that?" Tortha asked.

  "He wants to pump you, as a successful Xiphlon trader and potential ally, to find out what he can about what the Hostigi are up to. He's also desperate for information on King Kalvan. Like most merchants of his acquaintance, Theovacar suspects that you'd be more than willing to sell Kalvan out for future tariff concessions and a few sweetheart trading opportunities."

  Tortha leaned back in his chair, and made washing motions with his hands. "Let's go trade some crowns!"

  Kostran turned to Prince Phrames. "Your Grace, while we're gone, Zinna will take you on a tour of the capital. You can look at it as either a pleasant afternoon ride or a reconnaissance of a future enemy city. Your choice."

  Tortha noted that Theovacar had already scheduled him for an early morning audience. It had taken Verkan several ten-days to arrange one two years ago, but that had been before the fall of Hos-Hostigos and the mass migration to Ulthor, which bordered the Saltless Seas-Theovacar's own ponds, as he saw them. Thus, no surprise there. Tortha's own cover was as good as gold since Xiphlon had been under Mexicotal siege for years.

  As they left the house and went back to the stables, Tortha asked, "Kostran, is there anything more I need to know before I meet with Theovacar?"