The Fireseed Wars k-5

by John F. Carr

  He quickly called Paratime Police Field Agent Maldar Dard on his kit-phone disguised as an idol of Galzar; no one thought twice about a man talking to a facsimile of the Wargod on a battlefield.

  "How are things in Harphax City?"

  "We've had almost a ten-day of riots after the new play titled King Kaiphranos was debuted at the Harphaxi Palace theatre," Maldar replied.

  "What idiot puts on a play about their murdered king?" he asked.

  Maldar replied, "It gets even worse. King Kaiphranos is loosely based on a Europo-American play by Shakespeare entitled King Lear!"

  "I remember that one. I see the problem. Do we have another trans-temporal hitchhiker loose on Aryan-Tanspacific?"

  "No, Tortha. It turns out the playwright is none other than one of the missing members of the Kalvan Study Team, Danar Sirna."

  "This skirts right up to the border of Paratime contamination, especially if Kalvan gets word of it. What was she thinking? Cross that out-she wasn't thinking. This is why we don't let undergrads take walkabouts out-time. This is a textbook case. What has the Harphax Study Team had to say about it?"

  "If the Paratime Commission ever hears about it, there might be problems, sir. I'm the only one here who recognized the text; these University dome-tops are too busy arguing about the relative merits of forced industrialization versus organic industrialization-whatever the Styphon that is! Do you want me to snatch Sirna, or leave her there to cause more trouble? When Lysandros gets wind of what's going on back in Harphax City, he's going to scoot right back home. That'll be good news for Kalvan."

  "Have they closed the play?" Tortha asked.

  Maldar nodded. "Yes, two performances and Harphax City was convulsed with riots. Of course, by now most of them have forgotten the flash point. There's a new controversy; it seems that former Prince Selestros has had some sort of miraculous religious conversion and is now a faithful worshipper of Allfather Dralm!"

  Tortha whistled, then looked around to make sure no one was standing nearby. "That's a real turnabout! This could be a serious problem. The last time we ignored some carpenter's son from Bethlehem, he had created a rift that split Europo-America into a hundred different subsectors and belts."

  "I think it's a local phenomenon, sir, but I will check with the Kalvan Control Study Teams to see what they've observed with their Selestros analogs."

  "I wonder what brought about this sudden conversion," Tortha said. "Was he influenced by drugs, hypno-mech or was it a vision? This sounds like the kind of spoof you might expect from Hadron Tharn; start up a religious controversy and blame it on Paratime Police meddling."

  "I'll have Selestros kidnapped, given some knockout drops and then taken to our secret facility. We'll question him under hypno-mech and see if there's any chance of outtime contamination. If not, we'll release him and bug his quarters with micro-transmitters."

  "Good idea, Maldar. But be careful. Now that Selestros has become a public figure again, we don't want to cause any alarm. Make it a nighttime snatch-and-grab and have him back by morning."

  "Right, Chief. What about Sirna?"

  "Ex-chief, please! Dalla's the current Chief and I wish her well. These days I'm not in a position to give any orders, but Dalla's a long ways away and Verkan is busy. He and Kalvan are off besieging Greffa City-"

  "What!"

  "I know, Maldar. It's nuts. I don't know what Verkan's doing anymore since he resigned as Chief. He won't open up to me, for Dralm's sake! Although that's nothing new, since he bristles like a porcupine at any mention of his resignation, or just what in Visthargg's Egg he's doing on Kalvan's Time-Line!"

  "I can't believe he'd just dump all the Department's problems into Dalla's lap, especially now! He'd better watch it or the Paratime Commission is going to recommend a Bureau of Psych-Hygiene reconditioning session."

  "Don't even go there, Maldar! I'm hoping that a few dozen ten-days with Kalvan will show him he's not the only one who's swimming in rough waters. At least, that's what I told Dalla in the last communication ball I sent out."

  "Any idea, boss, on what I ought to do with Danar Sirna?"

  "How did she get into this mess anyway?"

  "The story we've unraveled is that she was picked up by some peasant after the Foundry debacle and dumped off at a Hostigi house of prostitution for a few pieces of silver. It turns out this house, the Gull's Nest, was Captain-General Phidestros' temporary headquarters! You can guess the rest; she became his healer, then his mistress. After Phidestros returned to Greater Beshta, he brought Sirna and the new Great Queen Lavena with him. Then he got hitched in an arranged marriage to Princess Arminta, oldest daughter of the Prince of Argros. She's got a first-class mind, but a face like a horse. Turns out Phidestros is more interested in legitimacy than illegitimacy; he dismisses his mistress and turns into a right solid ruler.

  "Sirna, the spurned woman, turns to her new friend, the Great Queen of Hos-Harphax, who doesn't know a soul in Harphax City, and the two become best friends. It's really a great setup for a Paratime Study Team member; you couldn't put something together like this in a hundred years."

  "I agree," Tortha said. "She's an inside window into the Royal family of Hos-Harphax. But, Maldar, make sure you keep a close watch on Sirna to make sure she doesn't get into any more trouble. My advice is not to initiate any contact with her at this time; she's too much a novice at undercover work to act as our agent if she thinks we're watching her every move."

  "What about the University dome-heads?"

  "Don't tell them anything. We want to keep Sirna's miraculous survival as much a secret as she does. Remember, Verkan believed she was one of the leaks on the Royal Foundry Study team. We can't risk word of her reappearance leaking to First Level until we know what she was up to. If we notified the University she was alive, it would be the same as sending a message ball to Yandar Yadd or to the Opposition Party."

  "Do you think her survival at the Foundry was planned ahead of time?"

  "No, no one could have foreseen the events that took place at the Foundry unless they're clairvoyant. My thinking is we give her lots of room to run and watch where she goes. My guess is she's just somebody's pawn and reacting to events beyond her control."

  "Good thinking, boss. Dralm damnit, this is just like old times!"

  "You cut that right out! Remember I'm just here in an advisory capacity. Let Dalla make all the tough decisions. At first opportunity, send Chief Hadron a message detailing everything we know about Danar Sirna and what she's doing in Harphax City."

  "Right, boss."

  "Now, how is Soton's siege of Agrys City going?"

  "Slowly, as the Grand Master wasn't able to bring enough guns from Hos-Ktemnos to take down the walls. Agrys City is the richest and largest of the Great Kingdom capitals and has been besieged several times since its founding. The walls are thick and mostly granite. Also, the City is perched on ridges, meaning Soton has to advance uphill, which is a big headache, and eliminates the use of siege towers. At his current rate of progress, it might take him the entire summer to crack the city walls. However, the Host of Styphon's Deliverance did dispatch a large Agrysi sortie party, killing several thousand Agrys soldiers. Once the walls are breached, Soton's veterans will have no trouble taking the city. I don't believe King Demistophon has more than ten thousand men in arms, many of them poorly trained militia."

  "What about the League of Dralm?" Tortha asked "Haven't they raised an army yet?"

  "Yes, but it's only about twelve thousand men, not enough to defeat Soton's veteran Knights and the three Sacred Squares he brought from Hos-Ktemnos. From what our inside man tells us, they put one of their own princes as commander rather than Captain-General Hestophes. Even if they outnumbered Soton, they'd still have big problems."

  "It'll be interesting to see how that plays out. I've got to go, the battle here is heating up," Tortha finished, turning his attention back to the battle.

  The Hostigi, having the advantage of large numbe
rs of fireseed weapons, halted and fired their first musket volley, causing the Grefftscharri light cavalry skirmishers significant casualties, many from bucking and out of control horses that were not used to the loud noise of massed gunfire and clouds of foul-smelling fireseed smoke. The survivors recoiled, with most riding off the battlefield either to regroup or desert; it was too early to tell.

  The Hostigi got off two more volleys before the crossbowman fired their first salvo, as they had to wait until their own skirmishers cleared the field before firing. If it affected the Hostigi shot, Tortha couldn't tell from the overhead sky-eye camera. He pulled in for a close-up. Some of the Hostigi musketeers were down with crossbow bolts, but the line was unshaken. When the Hostigi fired their next volley, the entire Grefftscharri front line began to waver and break-up. Some of the crossbowman reloaded and returned fire, but it had very little effect on the musketeers who began firing salvos by rank. Under concentrated musket fire, the ribbon of crossbowman faltered, wilted and then retired.

  The spear blocks held firm as the crossbowman retired from the front. The Hostigi musketeers fired several more salvos before retiring. The Grefftscharri men-at-arms began to move forward to cover their otherwise vulnerable flanks. Suddenly the front ranks of the Hostigi pikemen lowered their pikes in the forward waist-high position and began their forward march, with the Hostigi light cavalry covering their flanks. The spearmen set their spears to receive the attacking pikeman. Those spearmen are going to receive a quick education on superior arms, Tortha decided, since the pikes had about a six-foot length advantage.

  The forward ranks of Hostigi pikemen smashed into the Grefftscharri squares of spearmen. The pikes ripped through the spear blocks like a warm sword through a snow bank. At the flanks, the Grefftscharri men-at-arms threw themselves at the pikemen, but the pikes went up to meet their charge. For the most part their horses shied away but those horses who continued their charge were skewered on pike points.

  While the Grefftscharri cavalry was pinned down, the Hostigi heavy lancers and cuirassiers charged from the rear, hitting both flanks and inflicting heavy casualties. From where he stood, Tortha watched as King Theovacar committed his cavalry reserve to keep the Hostigi heavy horse from outflanking both ends of his army. It was a good call, but not good enough to keep the Grefftscharri center from collapsing as the spearmen gave way to Kalvan's pikes.

  The musketeers began to fire en masse. Soon it was hard to see through the swirling masses of smoke and dust. The only thing Tortha knew was that King Theovacar's Army was getting the tar walloped out of it.

  Suddenly a green signal rocket for recall exploded overhead, signaling the arrival of the Styphoni forward element. This is the tipping point, Tortha thought. If Sarrask refuses to break off the attack, he'll have to fight the Grand Host's reinforcements. Through the battle haze he could see the mass of reinforcements who were several miles away.

  For a few moments it appeared that the Grefftscharri slaughter, as their army was now in full retreat, would continue, then the Hostigi trumpets called for a halt. The pikemen reformed ranks and with the rest of the troops began to pull back toward the West Gate. The skirmishers remained behind to help the Uncle Wolf mercy teams remove the casualties.

  Not even the Styphoni would blatantly disregard the rules of war and attack the Uncle Wolf teams: to do so would turn every worshipper of Galzar in the Five Kingdoms against them. The Hostigi cavalry reserve covered their evacuation.

  Well, I'll be double Dralm-damned! Even an old dog like Sarrask can learn a new trick.

  II

  By the time Great King Lysandros and his reinforcements reached the West Gate, the Hostigi had retreated back through the gate into Thagnor City and all that was left were the dead and wounded Grefftscharri soldiers heaped in piles on the hoof-broken earth. Lysandros estimated their casualties at four to five thousand. It took the rest of the day to round up the Grefftscharri Army, which now numbered less than six thousand men. It appeared there were several thousand deserters. This did not improve his view of their new allies.

  Theovacar, in polished black armor chased with gold, only returned with his Companions several candles after the main body had regrouped. Lysandros suspected that the King had led the retreat and noticed that Theovacar refused to meet his eyes when questioned about the debacle.

  "We were attacked by the entire Hostigi Army!" Theovacar exclaimed. "Where was your army?"

  It took all of Lysandros' restraint not to pull a pistol out of a holster and shoot the coward dead on the spot. "We just received the message that you'd arrived and were coming to join forces with you. It's not my fault that you didn't wait for us to arrive before approaching at the West Gate."

  "We had no idea that Kalvan would have the audacity to attack Us!" Theovacar was all but foaming at the mouth.

  "The Usurper is no fool. He saw a perfect opportunity to blood your Army when you marched up to his gates without sufficient reinforcements. What did you expect him to do? Wave at you from his ramparts?"

  Theovacar's right hand went straight to the hilt of his sword. "Do not insult me, outlander!"

  Lysandros felt Demnos restraining hand on his shoulder, or he might have done something foolish. He shook it off and took several deep breaths. "At the moment, we need to maintain our alliance. If the Hostigi believe we are fighting amongst ourselves, they will strike again."

  "There is some wisdom in your words. We will settle our disagreements at a future date."

  Lysandros nodded, wondering to himself: What else will go wrong on this failed expedition? "I would also recommend that you exchange your parade armor for something less noticeable. Kalvan's skirmishers have been killing our commanders and scouts with their rifles. We've lost almost a thousand men between here and Nythros to their bullets."

  "To remove my battle armor would signal that I feared Kalvan the Usurper and would diminish my own army's morale. They expect to see their King and know that he fights at their side."

  "May Lytris watch over you, then." I hope he takes one in the head, Lysandros thought to himself.

  FORTY-THREE

  The day had started out so well, thought Grand Master Soton, as he watched the thin figure of Holy Investigator Roxthar, his white robes flapping in the breeze like some man-sized bird of prey, trudging toward his tent. The Host of Styphon's Deliverance had met the Agrysi sortie and defeated it soundly right before sunrise. We killed or wounded about two-thirds of the party, some three thousand men, and Roxthar should be completely in his element, torturing prisoners, rather than coming to see me. What does this madman want now1?

  The Investigator arrived out of breath and took a moment to regain his composure before speaking. "Grand Master, one of the unbelievers I have Investigated tells of a great Army of Dralm that the League is sending against us-you must do something!"

  "I am doing everything I can to level these walls, which is unfortunately much less than I wish. Let the League of Dralm send its army, but we will not go chasing after it. Whoever owns this City, owns the Kingdom of Hos-Agrys. And I would own it now if I had some proper guns."

  "Have them sent from Balph!" Roxthar interjected.

  His words were punctuated by the sound of four or five small cannons being fired in unison. The resounding crash against the walls of Agrys City was almost negligible.

  "Hear that, Investigator? That is our main battery, three four-pound guns and two six-pounders. We have four larger iron-hooped guns, but they only fire every quarter to half candle. At this rate, Kalvan himself will have time to return from the Middle Kingdoms to do us mischief before these walls collapse. As far as guns from Balph, most of those guns that could be moved are already with the Grand Host and will not be returning for some time-if ever! This Fireseed War has been the death of big guns."

  "Tell that scoundrel Phidestros to give us his guns."

  "It was the Prince who sent us two of the large guns. He claims that the rest of his guns are back in Greater Beshta and
that it would take two moons to have them sent to Agrys City. I would rather have his soldiers, but he hides them behind his Great King's cloak in Tarr-Dodra. Better that you order Styphon to have his fireseed devils fly guns to us from his Sky-Palace!"

  Roxthar's face turned as pale as his robes. "Do not jest in the True God's name, Grand Master. Not even you are irreplaceable!"

  A deep laugh started at Soton's toes and worked its way up through his mouth. "If you can find someone who wants my job, please tell me about him. I will gladly invest him as Captain-General! It is bad enough that I have been ordered to attack a Great King without justification, but in order to complete my humiliation I have to allow you and your butchers to terrorize the countryside!"

  Roxthar sputtered, almost choking on his words. "Someday you will regret what you have spoken here today." He raised his arm to signal Xenophes, High Marshal of the Styphon's House Temple Guard, to his side. "I'm certain that Marshal Xenophes would relish taking this weight from your shoulders."

  Xenophes, in his silver parade armor, trudged over to the hillock upon which they stood. The High Marshal was a florid man who appeared breathless from the walk. He never went anywhere without a flask in his hand. "Hail, Grand Master. I drink to your great victory this morning over the Agrysi rabble!"

  "As Styphon wills it," Soton replied. "We were fortunate to have a traitor tell us when and where the sortie would take place."

  "Yes, a very rich traitor! I wish our gold would have purchased us entrance through these daunting walls as well."

  "They are much stronger walls than anything the Grand Host will find in the Middle Kingdoms," Soton said. "Agrys' City Walls have faced big guns before and are built thicker and stronger than any other fortifications in the Great Kingdoms. If we had some of the big guns we took from the Hostigi at Ardros Field, we could make even these walls shudder! Unfortunately, they are with the Grand Host and we are here at Styphon's Voice's command."