"What can we do about the beggars?" interrupted Duke Zalski. "Tagaret does not have the funds to give money to everyone who needs it."
"I have two problems with that attitude," sighed Konic. "The beggars are not asking for money. They want food to survive. Secondly, Tagaret has a very high tax on its citizens. How is it possible that we don't have any money? Where is the money going?"
"Your second point is an excellent question," interjected Duke Graves. "I have tried to ask that very question on numerous occasions. Somehow it never gets answered. Perhaps you could bring it up at our next meeting."
"Are you saying that the Council does not have knowledge of the city's funds?" queried Konic. "I cannot imagine that being the case."
"That is exactly the case," affirmed Duke Tredor. "All of the finances are handled by the staff of the Royal Palace, who are directed by the Head of the Council, Duke Everich."
"Which brings up the reason we were talking about you," declared Duke Graves. "I think it is time to challenge Duke Everich for the leadership position. We would like you to ally with us to accomplish this."
"Who would replace Everich?" inquired Konic.
"I would," stated Duke Graves.
"We have not agreed to that," snarled Duke Tredor.
"This is precisely why Duke Everich will remain in power," sighed Duke Zalski. "None of us are willing to turn over power to another. Each of us yearns to take Everich's place, but we fare no better by selecting someone else other than ourselves to replace him."
"I guess that depends on what it is you seek to accomplish," frowned Konic. "If you see this as a game for your own self-benefit, then I agree that you cannot succeed by giving power to someone else. What we should be seeking is to promote someone who will do the best job of providing for this city. As much as I think the three of you have much to offer this city, it bothers me that I see your primary interest is in self-promotion."
"You must understand, Lord Clava," sighed Duke Graves, "that we truly hold no power on the Council. It is not that we wish to neglect the needs of the city, but the rules give all of the power to the Head of Council. I, for one, would strive my very best to better the lives of every citizen. You have only to give me a chance to prove it."
"Be that as it may," retorted Konic, "but even were I to join with you, that is only four out of the five votes needed to oust Everich as Head of the Council."
"We thought you might be influential in persuading your fellow Sordoans to join with us," smiled Duke Graves.
Konic sat quietly and stared at the table for a long time. Of the three councilors at the table with him, Konic suspected that Duke Graves would prevail in being the one selected to oust Everich. To put Graves in the place of Everich really did not get Queen Marta any closer to returning to power. Konic decided to shake up the loose alliance somewhat.
"Duke Tredor," Konic said as he lifted his gaze, "how would you care for the people if chosen to replace Everich?"
Duke Tredor had trouble suppressing the wide grin on his face as he answered, "I have always been for the little people. Personally, I think that I am the best choice to replace Duke Everich."
"What is your point, Lord Clava?" scowled Duke Graves. "Why would you choose him over me? Tredor wouldn't know a citizen if he tripped over one."
Konic immediately held up both hands to quell the coming fight. "Gentlemen," he pleaded, "let us not fight each other. It is hard enough to fight Duke Everich without bickering amongst ourselves. There are two problems that we face as I see it. One is building a coalition to oust Duke Everich. The other is choosing a man to replace him. I think we can gather the votes for the fist part, but I see little chance of coming to a consensus on the second point."
"That is something I think we can all agree on," nodded Duke Zalski. "Perhaps we should vote upon it ourselves and choose someone."
"That would be little better than nominating someone for the Council," frowned Duke Graves. "We all would get one vote."
"It almost makes you want to wish for a return to the monarchy," nodded Konic. "It would be so much easier for everyone. What happened to the king?"
"A monarch cannot do anything for the city that the Council cannot do," scowled Duke Tredor.
"I am not so sure of that," argued Duke Zalski. "We thought the Council could do a better job, but we have not."
"The Head of the Council is actually the same as a monarch now," stated Duke Graves. "That is not the way it was meant to be, but that is how it turned out."
"What difference does it make?" retorted Duke Tredor. "King Byron is dead and will not be returning."
"Is there no heir?" questioned Konic.
"What are you getting at?" frowned Duke Graves. "You did not bring up the monarchy just as a point of discussion. Why are we talking about it?"
"Good question," nodded Konic. "I am looking for a solution to our impasse. Even if we managed to secure the votes of Lord Markel and Lord Wason, there is the sticky question of who should replace Duke Everich. I guess I was thinking of letting an outside party make that decision, and we would all vow to back it."
"Queen Marta fled the city after the assassination of King Byron," declared Duke Zalski. "I doubt anyone could find her even if we decided to take that approach."
"She would also have no power if she did return," added Duke Tredor. "The Council has changed the laws to make the monarch nothing more than a figurehead."
"Plus one of us would have to replace Everich before she could be called back," interjected Duke Graves. "So the choice would be made before she had a say in it."
"But if all agreed to abide by her choice," retorted Lord Clava, "then the interim Head would step down and yield to her choice."
"If she could be found," Duke Tredor shook his head, "and I doubt that she will be, she would have no basis to choose any of us. No doubt she has never heard of you three Sordoans, and she cares little for the rest of us. I do not think the plan is workable."
"Lord Clava, can you guarantee the votes of the other Sordoans?" asked Duke Graves.
"No, I cannot," answered Konic, "but I have found them to be reasonable men who care for the people of the city. If we have a decent plan then I would have no problem with approaching them."
"Talk to them then," suggested Duke Graves. "I am willing to go along with your plan if you will concede that I am to be the interim Head of Council."
"Aren't you forgetting about us?" posed Duke Tredor. "Suppose we don't agree that you should be the interim Head?"
"I am not forgetting about you," smiled Duke Graves. "The way I see it, we can sit here until forever and not make a decision about this. I am proposing to adopt the plan put forth by Lord Clava to remove Duke Everich from power and return Queen Marta to the throne. Let Queen Marta decide who is to head the Council. Neither of you appeared to be enamored with the idea, so I am just deciding to step forward and seize the initiative. If you would prefer to keep Duke Everich in power, then vote for him."
Konic recognized the gambit that Duke Graves was pursuing and decided that it was as close as he would get in dealing with the three councilors. He stood and nodded.
"I shall approach the Sordoans and see if I can persuade them to join us in this effort," Konic stated. "I will notify you as soon as I learn of their answers."
"Why should we back you?" growled Duke Tredor after Konic had left.
"Because we cannot succeed at wresting power away from Everich without the help of the Sordoans," smiled Duke Graves. "Without this plan, none of us would ever enjoy any more power than we have now. I have a plan that will ensure greater power for all three of us. You will have to defer to me on the Head of Council position, but I will make it well worth your while."
"Why can't we all gain power with me at the top?" complained Duke Tredor.
"Because you do not possess the plan that I do," chuckled Duke Graves. "There are a few things I know that will turn these interim positions into permanent positions of power. You can bac
k Duke Everich and get nothing in return, or you can back me and get power that you could never attain on your own. It is your choice."
"There is little choice in what you offer," frowned Duke Zalski. "Duke Everich must be replaced, and the Sordoans will never back us if we remain divided over the new leadership."
"Very well," growled Duke Tredor, "but you had better deliver on your promises. I will not see you elevated only to have you become like Duke Everich and force your will upon us. We had better get something for backing you."
***
"You appear to like the sea," greeted the captain of the ship as he approached the three boys in the bow.
"Tedi and I grew up on the coast," answered Arik. "Sometimes I miss being out on the water."
"It shows," smiled the captain as he handed a packet to Arik. "I have some papers for you. I do not know how much you understand the situation in Lanoir these days, but you will need those papers to survive. They identify the three of you as employees of the Marchek Shipping Company."
"Why do we need papers?" asked Wylan.
"Lanoir is a military state," explained the captain. "All men are required to enroll in the military. That is how they have amassed such a large army. If you are found in the country without papers, you will be imprisoned or forced into the army. There are exemptions from the compulsory service though. Employees of Marchek Shipping Company fall under one of the exemptions. Always remember that you work for us, and do not lose those papers."
"You make it sound as if it is dangerous just to ride through Lanoir," commented Wylan.
"It is, lad," frowned the captain. "It is. All of Lanoir has been embroiled in a long civil war. It has finally been united under Emperor Hanchi. Yet he still continues to build his army. Many fear that he plans to invade what used to be Sordoa. In the meantime, he has all too many soldiers running around the country. It is not a safe land to travel through."
"How far is Barouk from Marchek?" asked Tedi.
"It is quite a distance," answered the captain. "This ship will travel to the capital city, Ongchi, after we stop at Marchek. I have been told that you three are allowed to remain onboard if you wish. It will get you much closer to Barouk."
"That sounds great," grinned Wylan. "The closer the better."
"You don't sound all that strongly that it is such a smart idea," commented Tedi. "What are the potential problems with going through Ongchi?"
"It is the capital city, lad," frowned the captain. "Security and scrutiny are much stronger there than in the lesser cities. The closer you get to the Emperor, the more dangerous it is in Lanoir. If you choose to take the ship to Ongchi, you are well advised to hide that necklace. Such wealth in Lanoir belongs only to the Emperor. It will get you in trouble."
"What kind of employees are we supposed to be?" asked Arik.
"We sometimes use small groups to investigate trading opportunities," offered the captain. "As of now, Ongchi is as far along the coast as our ships go. You could be traveling to Barouk to see if it is profitable for us to extend our reach that far east. I do not think anyone would question that."
"Why are you offering us all this help?" questioned Wylan. "It does not seem normal that Marchek Shipping would care if we get caught."
"I agree with you, lad," frowned the captain. "It is most unusual. I was told that we should do whatever we could to accommodate Arik and ensure that his journey was safe. Protecting his fellow travelers also protects him. Whoever you are, Arik, you have friends in high places. If there is anything else that we can do for you, you have only to ask."
The captain nodded and returned aft. Wylan watched him leave and then asked, "Don't either of you suspect that there might be another agenda here? Why is everyone so accommodating? It is not natural."
"Don't worry about it," grinned Tedi. "The captain is only following orders. Arik's father was a friend of Reese, who runs the city of Dalek. Just be glad that he thinks so highly of Arik to extend this kind of support to us. The trip to Ongchi is likely to save us days of traveling."
"There is truth to what Tedi says," agreed Arik as he wondered how much to divulge to Wylan. "My father was well respected in the shipping business."
"I thought your father was a fisherman," puzzled Wylan. "I feel like you two share a secret that you do not want to reveal to me."
"I have two fathers," explained Arik as he passed out the identification papers the captain had given him. "It is a long story and I will share it with you some day. Keep these papers safe. It sounds like we will be in trouble if we lose them."
"We should have asked the captain how long it will take to get to Ongchi," commented Tedi as he strived to distance himself from the conversation about Arik's father. "I wonder what it will be like?"
"You are avoiding my questions," persisted Wylan. "If you do not trust me then why are you allowing me to accompany you?"
Arik sighed and stared at Wylan. Arik realized that Wylan was smarter than most lads. Wylan had already heard Niki declare that one of them was the heir, and Arik knew that Wylan must already suspect and merely wanted to be included in the secret.
"You are right," Arik conceded. "We are holding a secret from you. You are wrong when you think that we are doing it because we do not trust you. It is a secret that we refuse to share with anyone because the knowledge could mean their death."
"This whole trip is an opportunity for death," retorted Wylan. "At least I should know what I am dying for."
"Are you prepared to hold this secret to your death?" interrupted Tedi as he realized that Arik was about to share the secret. "Are you prepared to suffer under the torture of Achmed without revealing it? Do you really want to bear such a burden?"
"Yes," Wylan asserted. "I cannot stand the thought that you would not trust me with your secret. Are we not all in this adventure together?"
"Very well," nodded Arik after a long pause. "What we are hiding is the fact that I am the heir to the throne of Alcea. There are precious few people who possess this knowledge. Each is willing to guard it with his life."
"I would never tell anyone," promised Wylan. "I am glad for you that you are some type of royalty, even though I have never heard of Alcea. It must be a rather small province."
"The King of Alcea is mentioned in the Ancient Prophecy," Tedi shook his head. "He is one of the Children of the Prophecy."
"Now that is exciting," Wylan responded enthusiastically. "Where is this Alcea?"
"Alcea is the ancient name for Targa," continued Tedi.
"Targa?" gasped Wylan. "You are the heir to the Targan throne?"
Arik merely nodded and Wylan fell to his knees before Arik.
"Sire," Wylan said as he bowed his head, "can you forgive my impertinence? Your secret is my secret and never shall it pass my lips. I swear my life to your service and to your protection."
Chapter 17
Sarac's Ravens
Alex halted Kaz and dismounted. He walked away from the river gorge and sought a tall tree. When he found one to his liking, he started climbing. He climbed as high as he could. He hung onto the tree with one hand and removed Prince Midge from his pocket with the other.
"I think this will provide you with a clear view of the battlefield and yet keep you out of harm's way," Alex stated.
"It will do fine," chirped Prince Midge as he hopped onto the branch. "Don't forget to let the others know where I am."
"In case I don't survive?" quizzed Alex.
"No," frowned the fairy prince. "So they do not hit me with their magic. It will take more than some Dark Riders to kill you."
"Can you see across the river gorge to where we started?" questioned Alex.
"Perfectly," answered Prince Midge. "The pine needle only affected my wing, not my vision."
Alex smiled at his diminutive friend and climbed down the tree. He reached the ground just as Tanya and Frea halted at the edge of the river gorge.
"Is that the tree Prince Midge will be in?" asked Tanya as she slid of
f of Frea.
"Yes," answered Alex as strode to meet Tanya. "How did the trap at the ford go?"
"Not many of the Dark Riders will survive it if they try to cross," grinned Tanya. "It is a nice wide ford so many of them will make it out into the water before the trap springs."
"Will the Black Devils be able to detect it?" queried Alex.
"They might," nodded Tanya, "but probably not until they are in the trap. By then it will be too late."
"I see Jenneva on the other side of the gorge," announced Alex. "Her trap at the upstream ford must be set as well. Are you ready to start the battle?"
"Let's hope they are monitoring our spells as we think they are," replied Tanya as she leaped onto Frea.
"How far do you think they are from us?" asked Alex as he mounted Kaz and signaled to Jenneva, who was on the original side of the gorge..
"Not too far," answered Tanya. "We have picked up vibrations of their scout flights, but they are looking in the wrong direction. I don't think we will have long to wait. We should prepare quickly."
Alex nodded and urged Kaz to fly across the deep gorge to the side they had started on. Tanya and Frea swiftly followed while Jenneva and Yorra crossed to the side with Prince Midge on it.
"That was three unicorns flying across a gorge," summarized Alex. "I hope they detected it."
"I am sure that they did," nodded Tanya. "Let's get into position."
Alex turned and waved to Jenneva on the far side of the river gorge. He pointed to Prince Midge, and Jenneva nodded and waved when she found where the fairy prince was perched. Alex then leaped off of Kaz and ran to his hiding spot behind a large rock slightly upstream. Tanya rode Frea northward until she was well away from the lip of the gorge. She jumped off of Frea and selected the tree she would hide in. Frea turned and galloped to the west while Kaz headed eastward. Alex looked across the river gorge and saw the images that Prince Midge was projecting. Alex smiled to himself as he gazed at the likenesses of himself and the rest of his party.
Abuud: the One-Eyed God Page 20