“Quiet! I will ask the questions.” There was a short pause and the voice spoke again. “You had a mission a short while ago, Donil. You and a band of your misfits visited a certain estate in the foothills of the Barrier. You should remember the stench of the bodies on that estate. Either you tell me where the women are right now, or you will end up like Colonel Jurgon. Do I make myself clear?”
The sound of a sword being drawn drifted to Colonel Taerin’s ears.
“You are wrong,” Colonel Donil replied. “I have been in Despair for only a short while. Before that I was posted to a mission with the 1st Corps. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Colonel Dorfan of the 1st Corps. When I returned to Despair, I saw General Forshire for only a few hours before he left for Olansk. I have no knowledge of his activities or what the rest of the A Corps has been doing in my absence. I was gone for almost two months.”
“You went to Alcea?”
“You are well informed,” replied Colonel Donil. “I was assigned to Force Targa.”
The sound of the sword being sheathed reached Colonel Taerin’s ears, and he knew that the interrogation was over. The question in Taerin’s mind was whether they would kill Donil before they left or leave him alive. He feared the former, and he refused to allow that to happen. Colonel Taerin turned and raced into the trees. He brought a whistle to his lips and blew it loudly. Almost immediately the whistle was relayed all over the palace grounds as guard units rushed to respond to the alarm. He knew that the intruders, whoever they were, had very little time to flee. He hid in the darkness until he saw three shapes slip into the stand of tall trees beyond the barracks. Colonel Taerin raced out of the trees and around the barracks to the front door. He threw open the door and stared into the dark interior.
“Are you alive, Donil?”
“Colonel Taerin? Did you sound the alarm?”
“Who were those men?” demanded Colonel Taerin.
“I have never seen them before,” answered Colonel Donil, “but they certainly wanted me to believe that they were Badgers. Each of them wore a golden badger pin.”
“Stay in this building, Donil. You are not to leave until I say so.”
Colonel Taerin slammed the door and ran along the path towards the palace to put some distance between himself and the old barracks. He halted when the first group of guards encountered him.
“Was that your whistle?” asked the sergeant in charge of the group.
“It was,” replied Colonel Taerin. “There are three assassins on the grounds. They are black-clad and masked. They were last seen entering the old forest section of the grounds. Have one of your men spread the description to the other units. I want them captured alive, but be cautious. I believe them to be Badgers.”
One of the soldiers was dispatched to spread the description and the others hurried towards the last reported location of the intruders. Colonel Taerin turned around and walked back to the old barracks. He opened the door and stepped into Donil’s quarters.
“Make a light, Donil. We have some talking to do.”
Colonel Donil lit a torch and placed it in a wall sconce. Colonel Taerin could see that Donil’s face was bruised, but he appeared otherwise unharmed.
“What is this all about, Colonel Taerin? If this is some kind of joke, I am not taking kindly to it.”
“Badgers do not joke,” Colonel Taerin replied as he sat on one of the bunks facing Donil.
“Badgers are a myth,” Colonel Donil replied, his tone revealing the uncertainty of his words.
“They are no myth. You are lucky to be alive. They usually do not leave witnesses behind, but I suspect that they want word of this visit to reach the ears of General Forshire. It would appear that they suspect the general of interfering in their plans.”
“You heard what they said?”
“I was outside the window.” Colonel Taerin nodded, wondering how Donil would take the news that he was being spied on. “Why did Forshire leave you here?”
“If you were listening,” frowned Colonel Donil, “then you heard my answers to the Badgers. Why ask the same questions when you know the answers?”
“Because I doubt that you told them the truth. The loyalty the A Corps shows to General Forshire is remarkable. There is no way that you would tell the Badgers where the general could be found. That would endanger his life.”
“General Forshire will not be harmed by the Badgers,” retorted Colonel Donil. “Let the Badgers send their best to Olansk. They will be met with the steel of A Corps. They will have to cut through two-thousand men to get close to the general.”
“I could easily believe that if I thought that the A Corps would even know that the Badgers were coming, but they won’t know. They will be caught as unawares as the defenders of the Imperial Palace appeared to be this night.”
“They’ll know,” swore Colonel Donil. “The A Corps will be waiting for the Badgers to appear.”
Colonel Taerin smiled at his small victory. He suspected that Donil had some way of communication with General Forshire, and Donil’s words confirmed it.
“Then the A Corps will be doing the Federation a great service. The Badgers deserve to die, but General Forshire will not be there to witness it.”
“What do you mean?” Colonel Donil asked suspiciously.
“You are going to send a message to the general that he is to report to the Imperial Palace immediately. I want to speak to him personally.”
“You are but a colonel,” balked Colonel Donil. “You do not order a general around. Besides, how can I send a message to the general any quicker than you can? Send your own message.”
“Do not try me.” Colonel Taerin snapped in a most uncharacteristic manner. “I wish to speak to General Forshire alone, and I wish to do so immediately. Do not force me to involve Grand General Kyrga in this because he will have many questions that might prove to be very embarrassing to your general.”
“Even Kyrga cannot order General Forshire to return to Despair,” countered Colonel Donil. “Why is speaking to General Forshire so important to you?”
“Grand General Kyrga can order any general to do anything he wants. Are you daft?”
“Kyrga is indeed the Grand General, but he has no authority over General Forshire. General Forshire reports directly to the emperor. If you want him so badly, perhaps you should speak to Emperor Jaar.”
Colonel Taerin was about to angrily respond when he suddenly fell silent. He let Donil’s words roll around in his head. There was no known position reporting directly to the emperor, yet if there was one, it might explain a great deal about Forshire’s strange activities. He decided to change course.
“Look, Donil, I really need to talk to General Forshire. I am sure that he would agree to the meeting if I could get word to him. I know that you have such a method for doing so. I will not even inquire about your method of delivering such a message, but I ask you to send one as soon as you can. Something is not right in the Imperial Palace, and I think General Forshire can shed some light on it. Tell him that I will meet with him wherever he wants, and I will tell no one else about the meeting, but we must speak. It is urgent.”
Colonel Donil merely nodded, and Colonel Taerin knew that was the best answer he would receive.
“Why don’t you move into the palace, Donil? I will give you authorization to use General Forshire’s suite until he arrives.”
“I could not do so,” Colonel Donil replied. “My orders were explicit. I am to stay here until I am told otherwise.”
“The Badgers obviously have found a chink in our defenses,” sighed Colonel Taerin. “They can easily come back for you. You are not safe out here.”
“I do get that feeling,” admitted Colonel Donil, “but absent permission from General Forshire, I am duty-bound to remain here.”
“Very well,” sighed Colonel Taerin. “I hope some day to learn how Forshire has instilled such loyalty in his men. I suggest you ask for permission to move into the palace when you
send my message. I will leave the offer open. All you need to do is come to me and ask to move indoors. Your request will be granted.”
Colonel Taerin turned and walked out of the building. He paused briefly outside as the thought of concealing himself came to mind. If he was clever enough, he might discover how Donil communicated with Forshire, but he soon gave up the thought. Donil would not send the message until he was certain of success without observation. All Taerin would accomplish would be a delay in sending the message, and he wanted it sent without delay. As the clouds opened up and rain started falling, Colonel Taerin ran towards the Imperial Palace to return to his room.
Chapter 5
The Archives
The thunderclap was so loud that it felt as if it shook the bed. Colonel Taerin bolted upright and listened to the sound of the rain pelting the building. He slid out of bed and eased the shutters open. The rain poured down so heavily that he could not see the palace docks. Pools of water dotted the palace grounds and small rivers flowed along the footpaths. He pulled the shutters closed and got dressed. He made his way downstairs to the officers’ mess and found it packed with generals and colonels. He grumbled under his breath. While Despair was usually crowded in the winter because of its warmer weather, many of the senior officers usually stayed up late into the night and rose late in the morning, but the storm must have awakened every last one of them. He turned around and fled from the crowded room. With a slight smile on his face, Colonel Taerin entered the dining room set aside for visiting dignitaries. It was almost always empty. On this particular day, General Fabio sat alone. He looked up and smiled as the colonel entered the room.
“There are plenty of seats in here,” greeted the general.
“So you are aware of the marauding hordes running around the palace?” chuckled the colonel as he sat down at the table.
“One could hardly be unaware. There was a line outside the officers’ mess when I came by. It looks as if the storm woke the entire palace.”
The colonel ordered a light meal when the servant came for his order. He was tempted to engage the general in friendly conversation, but his mind was already reflecting on the events of the prior night. He ate in silence as he planned his day. When he finished his meal, he looked up and was surprised to see that the general had already left the room. He pushed the plate away and rose to his feet.
Colonel Taerin’s first stop was with the duty watch. He inquired about the patrols of the previous night and asked if the intruders had been captured. He learned that the grounds had been thoroughly searched, but no intruders had been found. He frowned as he nodded to the officer. As he made his way to the archives, he wondered if that meant that the Badgers had a secret way onto the grounds of the palace, or more ominously, did they already reside on the palace grounds? He halted in the corridor as a shiver raced up his spine. It was quite possible that some of the soldiers posted to protect the Imperial Palace could actually lead double lives. Could the Badgers have men on the palace staff?
The colonel shook off the ill feeling and entered the repository of official documents. Colonel Donil had said something the night before that stuck in Colonel Taerin’s mind. He stated that General Forshire was not under the control of Grand General Kyrga. Taerin found that hard to believe, but he intended to check on it anyway. Colonel Taerin was one of the few people who had access to the emperor’s archives, and he was let into the special room without question. He started going through the stacks of proclamations and suddenly halted, a mask of confusion staining his face. He turned around and exited the room and faced the guard outside.
“The emperor’s papers are not up-to-date,” declared the colonel. “Where are the newest proclamations?”
“There are no other proclamations,” answered the guard. “Everything pertaining to the emperor is in that room.”
“Who is now responsible for bringing the emperor’s papers down here?”
“You are, sir.”
Colonel Taerin looked stunned. The task had been his for years, but he thought it had ended when the emperor’s guard had been changed. Evidently, it had not ended. He flushed with embarrassment as the guard stared at him.
“Then I have been derelict in my duty,” Colonel Taerin stated. “I shall rectify that immediately.”
The guard tried to hide his smirk, but the colonel cared little for the guard’s opinion. He strode out of the archives and headed for the emperor’s office. The emperor’s guards knew Taerin well, and they knocked on the door as he approached. One of them cracked the door open and stuck his head inside. He immediately opened the door to admit the colonel. Colonel Taerin entered the emperor’s office and saw the emperor sitting back in his chair. The colonel bowed respectfully and waited for the emperor to speak.
“What is it, Colonel?”
“I have come to collect the papers for the archives,” the colonel announced as his eyes moved to a rather large stack of papers on one of the shelves behind the desk.
“What? Oh, yes,” the emperor said as he turned and saw what the colonel was staring at. “Let me add one more to the pile before you take it.”
The emperor leaned forward and slid a paper from the corner of the desk to bring it closer to him. He picked up a writing utensil with his left hand and brought it towards the paper. With a low grumble under his breath, the emperor quickly reached over with his right hand and seized the pen. He scrawled his signature on the paper and shoved it towards the colonel.
“There is no need to announce that one,” stated the emperor. “It has already been carried out. Just file it with the rest.”
Colonel Taerin nodded and picked up the proclamation and carried it to the shelf. He placed it on top of the stack and then picked up the entire stack and retreated to the doorway. He bowed once again and then tapped the door with his foot. The guard immediately opened the door to allow the colonel to leave. Colonel Taerin carried the papers straight to the archives and entered the special room. He pulled up a chair, placed the stack of papers on the table and then proceeded to read each and every one of the proclamations before filing them away in their proper place. The task consumed hours of the colonel’s time, but he found the reading enlightening. What he found most curious was that the proclamations ran back to the days leading up to the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Federation, which had occurred months ago. During that entire time, no one had bothered to do anything with the proclamations except pile them up on the shelves in the emperor’s office. The colonel was amazed until he realized that Grand General Kyrga probably had no idea how the emperor’s office was truly run. After all, Colonel Taerin had been handling that before Kyrga became the Grand General.
When Colonel Taerin got near the bottom of the pile, he found the most interesting papers. One of them proclaimed General Forshire as the Imperial General, a new position on par with the Grand General, who reported directly to the emperor. The colonel noted the date of the proclamation and realized that it was the very day that the emperor’s original guards were returned to duty. The colonel finished reading and filing the stack of documents . When he finally emerged from the archives, he was surprised to see that the storm had passed and the sun was setting. He grabbed a meal in the same dining hall that he had used for the morning meal and then headed outdoors to check on Colonel Donil. The first place he checked was the bench near the waterfront, but Donil was not there. He headed straight for the old barracks and opened the door without knocking. He saw the colonel sitting on his usual bunk as if he had been waiting for a visitor.
“I see you are still alive,” quipped Colonel Taerin as he entered the building and strode towards the colonel. “I am pleased.”
“Wait outside, Donil,” came a steely voice from behind Colonel Taerin. “Keep guard and let me know if anyone comes within sight.”
Colonel Taerin did not need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to, but he did so anyway. General Forshire stood in the shadows, sword in hand. Colon
el Donil gave Colonel Taerin a wide berth as he moved past. When Donil exited the building, he closed the door.
“I guess you weren’t in Olansk after all,” Colonel Taerin said with surprise evident in his voice. “I should have known better.”
“If you know so much about my travels, why did you bother to send that urgent message? Did you expect me to respond sometime in the spring?”
“Actually,” frowned the colonel, “I expected a return message that would prove Donil’s ability to communicate with you. I then planned to use that communication link to discuss certain things with you, but it is far better that you are here in person.” The colonel’s eyes dropped to the long, two-handed sword that the general held in one hand. “Is that really necessary for a simple conversation?”
“Ordinarily, I would say yes,” smiled Clint as he sheathed his sword, “but you would be a fool to do anything towards me that might require me to use it.”
“And why is that?” asked the colonel.
“Let’s skip the small talk, Colonel. What is so important that you needed an urgent meeting with me?”
“I take it that Colonel Donil brought you up-to-date on what happened here last night?” Clint nodded and the colonel continued. “The Badgers think that you have absconded with some women. I seriously doubt that they would risk entering the grounds of the Imperial Palace unless they were fairly sure of their information. I want to know who those women are and where you are keeping them.”
“Perhaps you should join the Badgers then,” taunted the general. “You seem to have the same questions as they do.”
Colonel Taerin sighed in frustration. He sat down on one of the bunks and stared at the general. He was unsure how to get the information that he was certain the general had.
“This is a serious matter, General,” the colonel said. “I have reason to believe that the women may be members of the emperor’s family. If that is true, I demand to know where they are.”
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