The Fireseed Wars k-5

by John F. Carr

  On the other hand, the work he performed for the Department was necessary and important; someone had to oversee the men and women who protected Home Time Line and provide controls over those who might otherwise exploit the outtimers ruthlessly. I don't mind that part of the job, I just wish it was someone else doing all the administering.

  Dalla had warned him that it might come to this. He suspected his friend Kalvan, sailing in the Hassfryth Sea toward Thagnor City, might feel the same way. Although, Kalvan had it worse; he had almost half a million dependents, women and children whose lives depended upon his decisions and leadership. What Kalvan didn't have were cadres of trained and skilled investigators and officers to back him up, as Verkan did. While Verkan might be an important cog in the Paratime exploitation machine, he wasn't solely responsible for the safety and protection of Home Time Line, as Kalvan was for his subjects.

  He shook his head. That was more responsibility than he wanted to contemplate.

  He did know that he was very tired of taking orders and dodging bureaucratic bullets and political snipers. Maybe it's time to go visit Kalvan and let the Paratime Commission do what it has to do, he thought.

  His intercom beeped. "Chief," his secretary intoned, "Deputy Bureau Chief, Altarn Vor, to see you."

  "Send him right in."

  The Bureau Chief strode in with his jaw outthrust. "Chief, we've got big problems."

  "What now?"

  "I had a couple of auditors go over to stores and they've spent the last ten-day trying to reconcile the on-hand and accounted-for inventory. You could manage a small belt with all the missing material!"

  "What kind of material, Altarn?"

  "Needlers, slug-throwers, anti-grav lifts, food stuffs, conveyers-just about anything you'd need to work outtime."

  "Conveyers missing! That's the first I've heard of that. Are you sure Deputy Inspector Barton stole all this stuff?"

  "Well, we don't know for sure if it's just lost, misplaced or stolen-yet! We'd like to interview him about all this stuff, but unfortunately, he's missing."

  "What do you mean, missing?"

  "Chief, he must have gotten wind of our audit. I had an appointment with him for this afternoon; I was going to grill him good. But he's not in the Paratime Building and none of his subordinates know where he is."

  "This is bad, very bad. How many conveyers are missing?"

  "Hundreds, maybe thousands, Chief," Altarn said, shaking his head. "We may never know. It appears Department of Stores and Equipment computer inventory has been tampered with. Who knows what he's been up to?"

  "Well, we'd better find out before word of this disaster leaks out."

  II

  Great Queen Rylla had been holding audience in the Traitor Nestros' former Royal Hall for most of the afternoon. She was seated on the Fireseed Throne to lend more majesty to the ceremonial audiences she was giving to their new subjects. It appeared that most of them were making a big effort to impress their new Queen. Unfortunately, there was a lot she didn't know; Rylla had far more would-be-advisors than good information.

  General Baldour was unfamiliar with the Rathoni court and nobility, as was everyone else that had come from Hostigos. Fortunately, General Klestreus had made lists of known Hostigi sympathizers and of those who had supported Nestros in his bid to become Great King. Unfortunately, the great majority of their new subjects were unknown. Klestreus was at work setting up a diverse group of informants from scullery maids to younger sons of the local nobility; before leaving the Hostigi Secret Service would know more about the Rathoni than they knew about themselves.

  Rylla didn't envy King Chartiphon the job she was dropping into his arms, although he appeared rejuvenated by his new position. He'd even found a wife among the top nobility, the Lady Sylvra. She was the widow of a Duke with two daughters; no sons to cloud the succession issue, since Chartiphon was twenty winters her senior. After her husband's death, most of her lands were confiscated by Nestros who needed the gold to pay for all the temples he'd promised Styphon's House.

  Sylvra was clearly no friend of the former King and young enough to bear Chartiphon the heirs he needed to solidify his crown and Hostigos' claim on Rathon. While she was happy for Chartiphon, Rylla knew that she would miss his presence and strong shoulder.

  Highpriest Mytron, who was acting Chancellor, introduced the next petitioner as Prince Daklon of the Princedom of Vysta.

  "Your Majesty," he said, as he approached the Throne on bended knees.

  "Rise," she ordered. "We are not Styphoni or the king of Greffa who demands his vassals grovel or beg from their knees." She remembered him from the oath-giving ceremony, where four of Nestros former princes swore their fealty and allegiance to Nos-Hostigos and their new Great King and Queen.

  Prince Daklon, who wore a golden crown with a bird's-egg sized diamond and had a gray beard that almost touched his belt, rose awkwardly to his feet. "Your Majesty, I had hoped to speak to you in private before I left, but this is as good a time as any."

  "Please speak openly, I value candor in my subjects," Rylla declared.

  "I know Your Majesty is unfamiliar with Hos-Rathon and our borders, but the Princedom of Vysta is to the west of the Kingdom of Cyros and south of Rathon City. Vysta Town does not have the great walls of Rathon and we are easy prey if the Grand Host decides to skirt Rathon City and go south. Can Your Majesty offer us any protection from Styphon's Grand Host?"

  Rylla knew better than to make promises she couldn't keep. However, she did want to ensure the loyalty of their new vassals-even though she knew her husband would not be happy with her "empire building," as he called it. On the other hand, she did have more soldiers with her than they might be able to feed through the coming winter. They'd already had a number of Nyklosi desertions; maybe she'd give them two thousand of the Nyklosi stiffened with two companies of Royal soldiers.

  "To show Our concern, I will provide you with an escort of two thousand soldiers."

  The Prince brightened up. "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

  He probably didn't expect anything but some sympathy, she thought. However, it's always nice when you can solve two problems with one decree and get credit for it.

  The next petitioner was King Zythos of the Kingdom of Cyros. There were all too many kings in the Upper Middle Kingdoms for her liking, but she wouldn't make any friends, or allies, by demoting legitimate rulers. Thus, she would have to learn to "live and let live" as Kalvan always said.

  "Your Majesty," Zythos said, bowing deeply. He was a saturnine man with deep blue piercing eyes and a gunmetal-colored beard.

  "Yes, King Zythos. What can We do for you?"

  "Your Majesty, I would like compensation for my losses in the current war, and your guarantee of protection from the Styphoni who are following upon your heels."

  Rylla didn't know whether to laugh or cry at these outrageous requests. She held up her forefinger. "First, you're lucky I don't have your head for resisting our force when we first entered Cyros."

  "I was following the orders of my lawful ruler!"

  "No, you were not. You were taking orders from a Styphon's House puppet, a traitor who gave up all claims to his throne and kingdom the moment he cut a deal with his masters from Balph! However, in your defense, you were not legally bound to Hostigos through any treaty or agreement. So We will not hold you responsible for war reparations for whatever damage you did to Our Army upon its passage through your territory."

  The look of astonishment on Zythos face made Rylla wish she had one of those cameras that Kalvan told her about; she would have loved to take his picture and share this moment with him.

  "Secondly," she continued. "You have not sworn to Us or to King Chartiphon and thus have no claim upon our protection, or for any aid in compensation for any damages suffered during the Army of the Trygath's passage through Cyros. In fact, King Chartiphon will order all Cyros' subjects to leave the walls of Rathon City upon my leave-taking."

  Zythos' face w
as as white as bone. "Your Majesty, there is no other place for my people to go. If you order my subjects to evacuate Rathon, you will have condemned them to death, either by the Styphoni invaders or the Trygathi barbarians."

  Rylla paused to rein in her temper. "Ask Styphon's generals for protection. See what they tell you!"

  Zythos fell to his knees, imploring her with raised hands. "Please, Your Majesty, I beg you not to evict my people! The Styphoni have no honor and will kill us for not resisting your invasion."

  "It appears you know Styphon's House well. Then you only have two choices: either swear fealty to Ourself and to King Chartiphon, or flee Rathon. I have too many of my own subjects to worry about yours, or those of other rulers we pass. However, if you are sworn, then it is Our duty to protect you as We would Ourselves."

  "Then I swear fealty to Your Majesty and Great King Kalvan right now upon my knees."

  Rylla removed her sword, and tapped him upon the head with the point, a ceremony she had learned from Kalvan. "You are now the vassal of Hos-Hostigos and Nos-Hostigos, which rules all lands west of the Pyromannes Mountains formerly known as the Trygath. In the name of the True Gods, I pronounce you King Zythos of Cyros."

  The audience chamber roared with cheers, led by Prince Sarrask and King Chartiphon who were both deep into their cups. That was another picture Rylla would have loved to take and share with her husband. The two former deadly enemies were now hanging onto each others' shoulders leading toasts to "Nos-Hostigos!" and "Long live Queen Rylla!"

  ** FALL**

  EIGHTEEN

  Kalvan called the General Staff meeting in the Admiral's Cabin aboard the Prince Ptosphes, the flagship of the Hostigos Navy. The Prince Ptosphes was the largest of the Ulthori gaff-rigged schooners. Since the Saltless Seas schooners didn't have lower decks, the guns were all mounted on the top deck; there were eight twelve-pounders and twelve eight-pounders, plus two swivel four-pounder guns fore and aft. This made the Ptosphes, if not the biggest ship, the most heavily gunned ship on the Saltless Seas.

  The great cabin was big for a schooner, but Kalvan felt positively claustrophobic with almost twenty men inside, including most of the fleet's captains and his own generals. The fumes from all the pipe smokers were as thick as fireseed smoke in a big battle.

  When he was certain all the principals were inside, Kalvan began to speak. "Despite the long face-off with Greffa, the Thagnori defenses are almost laughable. It appears our Middle Kingdom friends do not take war as seriously as we do in the Great Kingdoms. The biggest weakness of the Thagnori defenses is that they are aimed primarily at Grefftscharr. The western part of Thagnor City is heavily fortified, while the eastern part is only lightly protected. It appears that the threat of invasion from the princedoms around the Sea of Aesklos has never been a big concern."

  At Kalvan's prearranged signal, Tortha, who had been made a Colonel of the Hostigi Militia for this engagement, rose to his feet. "Your Majesty, there hasn't been an eastern threat to the Upper Middle Kingdoms for almost two hundred years. Great King Dylemnos of Hos-Agrys was soundly defeated by the Greffan Navy before he even left port! The Agrysi had thought their new fireseed guns made them invincible, they hadn't anticipated the Greffan marines boarding their vessels while they were still moored at dock. Since then, other than some pirates, there have been no serious threats from the Great Kingdoms."

  "I'm glad to hear that because it makes our job a lot easier," Kalvan said. There was nodding and head-bobbing from the assembled captains and generals. The only other sound was the creaking of the hemp cording and the water lapping at the hull.

  "I've got a question," one of the captains said. "Will Prince Varrack be there to rally his troops?"

  "Let me introduce Count Vinaldos, who will answer that question."

  Vinaldos rose gracefully to his feet. "Presently, our peripatetic Prince is out of Thagnor. Varrack is busy wooing a young noble lady in Karphya, who has a substantial dowry. He's also trying to enlist Karphyan support in his undeclared war against Grefftscharr. It appears that the young lady is receiving most of his attention as he underestimates Theovacar's enmity."

  Kalvan took out his dagger and went over to the large deerskin map of Thagnor, or Detroit as he still thought of it. He put the tip of his blade on Belle Island, which locally was known as Eryn Wolan. "This island is heavily fortified." He pointed out the location of the fort and the local garrison. "We'll ignore Eryn Wolan and Vart-Burgult for now; it's a stationary defense and we'll be keeping our ships downriver."

  One of the Ulthori captains asked, "Where is the Thagnori feet anchored?"

  Kalvan moved the point of his blade across the river from the island to Thagnor itself. "The Thagnori fleet is anchored along the City waterfront. Just below the island's fortifications and thus safe from the Greffan Navy." He pointed to a place farther downstream from Thagnor City named Prumfyld Village just below where Stony Point was back on otherwhen. "We'll anchor the ships and gunboats here. And put up a shore battery to keep any Thagnori ships from escaping. It will be up to the marines and gunboats to capture as many ships as possible. Our attack will be at daybreak so most sailors will be onshore or asleep."

  Admiral Herad, Supreme Admiral of the Royal Hostigos Navy, spoke up. "What's to stop the Thagnori Navy from attacking us?"

  Kalvan nodded. "Secrecy. The plan is to arrive just after dusk and neutralize the locals before they can warn the Navy." He looked over at Vinaldos and nodded.

  The Count stood up. He used his poignard to point to the same area Kalvan had hit. "First, I've just returned from the village of Prumfyld, which is situated in the middle of the border lands between Morthron and Thagnor. It owes allegiance to both kingdoms and to neither. Many of the men in the village are smugglers. Prumfyld has changed ownership so many times that the villagers don't recognize either overlord.

  "The Thagnori, in times of uncertainty, maintain a line of small watch-towers that run downstream from the mouth of the Thagnor River to the city itself. The watchmen are to set off a warning chain of beacon fires the moment an enemy has been spotted. In exchange for ten thousand ounces of gold, the Prumfyld hetman has agreed to silence all the watchmen between the village and Thagnor City."

  "As part of that deal," Kalvan interrupted, "the hetman's also allowed us to use his village as a staging area for the invasion of Thagnor. We will land a ship, with a complement of soldiers, before nightfall and take possession of the village. Once we've established control we can bring up the rest of the Nythrosi ships, anchor them off-shore and the Army can disembark. We will use our own ships to picket the river at this point in order to stop any ships heading towards Thagnor City from reporting our presence to the Thagnori."

  "If there's no river traffic, won't that raise suspicion?" one of the captains asked.

  Kalvan shook his head. "Not if we capture the merchant ships and board them with our soldiers. Once they're secured, we'll crew them with our own sailors before we send them off. After we've unloaded the Army of the Saltless Sea, we're going to take the guns off a third of our ships to make up shore batteries on both sides of the River. The ships without guns will be temporarily outfitted as merchant ships, with neutral flags, and sent with the merchant ships to Thagnor City to release their crews, most of whom will be regulars, for liberty. Before the attack, those who speak Urgothi will be responsible for spreading rumors that the government is going to increase taxes, impress civilians, outlaw ale-anything that will foment unrest. The rest will position themselves around the jails."

  Kalvan used his pipe bit to point to Tortha. "Colonel Tortha will be in charge of the Thagnor insurrection. Once the attack on the Thagnor Navy has been launched, they can liberate the jails, take over the civil buildings and encourage the idea of an internal uprising, which will tie down a lot of the army and garrison troops."

  Everyone nodded.

  "Colonel Tortha."

  Tortha rose to his feet, and once he had his sea legs, he said, "I've got almos
t a hundred volunteers who speak passable Urgothi. About half of them will act as interpreters for the eight hundred regular army soldiers. The other half will be busy spreading rumors and generally creating havoc for the civil authorities. I don't think the Thagnori are going to know what hit them!"

  He got a rousing cheer of "Down Varrack!" for his words.

  When the noise had died down, Kalvan said, "I'd like to capture as many ships as possible. Our reconnaissance tells us there are some eighty ships in port, most of them at the docks. Ten of them are on shore careened or in dry-dock.

  "Our guns should take care of any resistance. I doubt many of the Thagnori ships will have more than a skeleton crew. After this meeting, I want all of the captains to meet with Admiral Herad, who will assign ships and transports to their target areas.

  "The main division of the Army of the Saltless Seas, under the command of Prince Phrames, will disembark as soon as the village of Prumfyld is occupied. Phrames will gather at Prumfyld with the Mobile Force and nine thousand foot soldiers. They will go inland during the night; the land here is mostly flat and the only inhabitants are peasants. Both the attack on city walls and the Thagnor Navy will be nearly simultaneous, which will add to the fog of war."

  Prince Phrames asked, "What about farmers and any other locals who evade capture during our march to the walls? Some of them may reach the city and give away our position."

  Kalvan turned to Vinaldos.

  "It shouldn't be a problem. First of all, the local peasants will be reluctant to report anything to the guard for fear of involvement. Many of the locals here are smugglers and don't fraternize with the officials. The majority will be more concerned with fleeing with their valuables and families. Prince Varrack is not well-loved outside the city, and not much inside it, either.