"That's how I think, too," stated Fesler. "Look, if you could find out exactly when the king will be in Trekum, I know people who will pay a lot to have that information."
"You always claim to know important people," scoffed Lucky. "Frankly, I don't believe you."
Fesler looked around before he spoke softly. "I am very good friends with the head Snake for all of Sordoa. You don't get much more important than that."
"What's a snake?" asked Sinsy.
"You haven't heard of the Snakes?" asked Fesler. "You really are two loners. The Snakes are the group that is going to overthrow the government."
"Yeah, really," Lucky replied sarcastically. "You should give up thieving and take up storytelling. If this guy was going to overthrow Alcea, why is he down here in Sordoa instead of being up in Tagaret?"
"You don't know anything," scowled Fesler. "The Snakes have organizations in every major city. It's like an underground army. Charlson is the guy in charge of Sordoa, but there are other guys in charge of Lanoir and Cordonia, and one for old Targa, too. Each of the big guys has hundreds of men under him to build organizations in each city of the province, and each of them has hundreds of assassins working for him. The Snakes are a really big organization. You two might even be good enough to get into it."
"Really?" Sinsy said with interest. "Now that is something that might be interesting. Do they have any competitions to see who can do the best and stuff like that?"
"You are always so competitive," laughed Lucky. "You're a thief, not an assassin."
"I've killed more men than you have," retorted Sinsy.
"In their sleep," countered Lucky.
"So?" shrugged Sinsy. "Do they have to be awake to count?"
"Quit arguing," pleaded Fesler. "Can you find out when the king is coming or not?"
"I already know when he is coming," snipped Sinsy.
"You said you didn't know," Fesler said with confusion.
"I said that I didn't ask," corrected Sinsy. "I didn't have to. My cousin always comes down here the day before the king arrives. Soldiers are always punctual."
"I have to go," Fesler said as he stood up. "Where can I find you later if I need to?"
"I think we should check into a fancy inn and have a victory meal on the good sergeant," chuckled Lucky. "What do you think, Sinsy?"
"I don't want to waste a lot of gold," she frowned. "How about we continue staying at the Oasis Inn, and go eat the midday meal at a nicer inn."
"I will look you for you at the Oasis then," Fesler nodded.
Fesler ran off, and the other two thieves rose and walked casually to the Oasis Inn. They climbed the stairs and unlocked the door to their room. They entered the room, and Lucky locked the door while Sinsy went over to the window and gazed out. She saw nothing of interest and closed the window.
The Oasis Inn was not a fancy inn, but it wasn't a dive either. The room had a large comfortable bed, a dresser, desk, chair, and a standing wardrobe. Lucky opened the door of the wardrobe and parted the clothes hanging in it. He knocked twice on the back panel and then knocked again. The panel slid open allowing entry to the adjacent room. Lucky and Sinsy walked through the secret passage. Captain Orteka of the Kadin Claws mercenary company bowed low to the two arrivals.
"Any luck?” he asked.
"I think we are getting close," replied the king. "Have the governor find out what he can about a man named Charlson, but he is to do so with only secure people. I do not want anyone to know that inquiries are even being made."
"You think this Charlson might be involved with the Snakes?" asked the mercenary.
"If Fesler can be believed, he is the head man for all of Sordoa," answered the king.
"I don't even think Fesler realized that he mentioned Charlson's name," commented the queen. "He was so excited about the news that the king was coming to town."
"You said the king was coming to town?" frowned Captain Orteka. "Was that wise? I mean, with you already being here, that can be quite risky."
"It is risky," agreed the queen, "but not in the way you mean. By saying that the king is coming tomorrow, we have left ourselves a very narrow window of time to learn more about the local group of Snakes. If we don't find out something before tomorrow, Fesler will realize that we were wrong, and he will not believe anything else we say."
"So you are not going to appear as the king then?" Captain Orteka asked Lucky.
"No," the king shook his head. "I promised my fathers that I would keep my public exposure to a minimum. Alceans will have to continue to wonder where their king is."
"We either find out more before morning, or we go with what we have and arrest Fesler and Charlson," stated the queen. "But I don't like that option very much. All we have on Charlson right now is a slip of the tongue by Fesler. I want solid proof, and I want to know who Charlson reports to."
"Is there any chance that we can get that?" asked the captain.
"I don't know," sighed the king. "Fesler either knows some high people in the Snakes, or he is just trying to impress us. If he truly knows important people, I expect them to press Sinsy for more information. In fact, have Governor Mobami write up a schedule of events for the king tomorrow. Let's say that King Arik will arrive tomorrow at the south gates around an hour before high sun. He could schedule a talk with the officers late in the afternoon, and maybe a midday meal with the governor and his staff. Have Governor Mobami use his best judgment and actually schedule these events, but with no mention of the king at all. If there are Snakes among Mobami's men, they will be able to verify the copy of the schedule we steal from some officer."
"What officer?" asked the captain.
"It can't be Sergeant Musaraf," replied Tanya. "I used him this morning to impress Fesler with my ability to steal. Thank the sergeant for his cooperation," she added with a chuckle."
"Use Colonel Kinder," suggested the king. "Have the schedule in a small pack. I will send Prince Midge when we need him to leave the palace with it."
"Yes," nodded Sinsy. "When the fairy prince arrives, have Colonel Kinder go to the Sunrise Inn for the evening meal. He is to place the pack on the seat between him and the wall. Have him choose a table in the middle of the wall so that I can sit behind him. If I am not successful in stealing the pack, he is to absentmindedly forget it as he leaves."
"Alright," nodded Captain Orteka. "Everything will be set up as you request. Is there anything else I can do to aid you?"
"Not right now," answered the king. "We are expecting Fesler to seek us out in a little while. Our plans may change depending on how that goes. If you need to leave here for any reason, leave a man to replace you."
* * *
Fesler leaned out the window and gazed at the dark street. When he saw no one moving about, he slid out the window and dropped to the ground. Stealthily he moved into the rear yard and untied his horse. He didn't want to wake the neighbors, so he walked his horse along the alley that ran behind the homes. He got only one house away from his own before Sinsy stepped out of the dark in front of him.
"Going somewhere?" Sinsy asked accusingly.
"Yeah," Fesler replied anxiously. "I have to go speak to some friends."
"You were supposed to get back to us," said Lucky as he came up behind the thief. "Why do I feel as if you are getting out of town before the big event tomorrow?"
"No, no," Fesler shook his head. "You've got me all wrong. I am on my way to a meeting."
"We were supposed to meet someone important tonight," stated Sinsy. "I think you lied to us."
"Tomorrow," pleaded Fesler. "I will take you to meet the big guy tomorrow."
"Not good enough," Lucky shook his head. "Everyone will be running for the hills by this time tomorrow, and you know it. Take us to him now."
"We got you the schedule," added Sinsy. "A deal is a deal. You promised that we would be thanked by a big guy tonight."
"That is impossible," replied Fesler. "I couldn't take you to see him tonight even if
I wanted to. He is at the meeting that I am going to. It will have to wait until tomorrow. I will set it up; I promise."
"Not good enough," Sinsy shook her head. "I got you what the big guy needed. I deserve the credit for it. We are going to the meeting with you."
"You can't do that," Fesler replied. "They kill outsiders."
"Outsiders?" echoed Lucky. "Without us there would be no reason for a meeting tonight. We are going with you."
"And if anyone tries to mess with us, you are going down first," threatened Sinsy. "You keep that in mind."
Fesler chewed on his lower lip and fidgeted with the reins. He swallowed hard and nodded his head.
"Alright," he said, "but you keep your mouths shut. If anyone questions us, I will do the talking. I am serious. These people will kill you without blinking an eye."
"Fine," smiled Sinsy. "Let's go to the meeting."
Fesler blinked as Sinsy turned around and mounted her gray mare. He did not recall seeing the horse behind her before. He turned around and saw that Lucky was already mounted. With a shrug of defeat, Fesler mounted his horse, and the three riders rode through the streets of Trekum. Lucky was surprised when they left the city through the western gates. He casually opened his breast pocket as they passed under the city wall. Without a word of command needed, Prince Midge darted out of the pocket and disappeared. Fesler led the way westward through the forest until a large barn appeared before them. There were scores of horses tied up outside the barn, and Sinsy opened her pocket and released Bantam.
"The meeting is inside the barn," Fesler said softly. "We will tie our horses and then enter together. I will go first. You just follow me and be quiet."
Prince Midge returned as Fesler was securing his horse. Sinsy and Lucky went through the motions of tying their horses, but only the motions. Fesler glanced at his two companions to make sure that they were ready. He then turned and headed towards the barn. Sinsy grabbed a staff from her horse and caught up to Lucky who was following the thief closely. When they got to the door of the barn, two large men stopped them.
"Who are these two?" one of the men asked Fesler. "Are they with you?"
"Yes," Fesler replied nervously. "It's okay. I cleared it with Charlson. They are the ones who got the schedule for tomorrow."
One of the men glanced at the other. The other man shrugged, and the first nodded.
"Alright," he said, "but she's not taking that staff inside."
"The others have swords," Sinsy pointed out.
"I know them," scowled the man. "I don't know you. You can leave the staff here and pick it up when you leave."
"I'll put it back on my horse," glared Sinsy.
She turned and walked away while Fesler sighed heavily and shook his head nervously.
"Your friend has a lot of gumption," the man said to Fesler.
"That is how she was able to get the plans for tomorrow," replied Fesler.
Sinsy stalled for time while putting the staff back on her mount, Bantam arrived and slid into her pocket. Sinsy smiled and returned to the barn. Fesler was swaying anxiously when she got to the door, and he quickly led them inside before anyone else noticed that he brought uninvited guests.
The barn was packed with over a hundred people inside, and the visitors inhaled sharply when they realized what they had walked into. There weren't nearly that many horses outside because many had been brought into the barn. Every stall in the barn was filled. Lucky and Sinsy glanced at each other with concern. The king and queen of Alcea had just walked into a nest of vipers.
As Fesler moved through the crowd of people, some of them nodded to him, but all of them stared at Lucky and Sinsy with curiosity. Fesler acted like he wanted to stop without going too far into the crowd, but every time someone nodded a welcome to him, he veered in the opposite direction. By the time Fesler had found a place where no one knew him well enough to strike up a conversation, they were in the middle of the barn. The noise in the barn was loud as scores of excited conversations took place simultaneously. Eventually a man at the far end of the barn shouted for quiet. He didn't have to shout a second time. All of the conversations immediately died. Fesler whispered that the man was Charlson.
"The big day has finally arrived," Charlson announced. "Tomorrow the Snakes will sink their fangs into the royalty of Alcea. King Arik will definitely be arriving in Trekum tomorrow. We are not sure if the queen will be with him, but my plan will take care of her, too, if she shows. I have managed to get my hands on the governor's schedule of events for tomorrow. We will have men stationed at each location where the king plans to be. Listen closely as I describe the plan."
"He didn't even mention me," Fesler scowled softly. "He acted like he got the schedule."
"Quiet," snapped one of the men nearby.
"The king is due to arrive at the south gate about an hour before high sun," Charlson continued. "This will be the primary target zone. Groups A through D are assigned to the gates. I will lead that attack personally. Should something go wrong at the gates, we will flee away from the city to lure the army into thinking the attack has been foiled. Around high sun the king is scheduled to have the midday meal with the governor and his staff in the gardens behind the Royal Palace. Those of you who serve in the army are being moved into group E. This will be the second attempt at the king. Killing Governor Mobami in the attempt would be appreciated."
Laughter rippled through the crowd, and Charlson allowed it to die before continuing.
"I have not yet chosen who will lead Group E. I want to meet with them after this meeting, and I will make my decision then. The third attempt will be when the king reviews the troops. I don't have to tell you that if it comes to that, the army is going to be expecting an attack. With two failures already during the day, this third attempt will be rough, but we cannot allow it to pass without an attempt. The king has kept himself secluded for months. We must strike when we know where he is, so this third attempt will include all of us. Everyone who has survived the first two attempts will join those of you who have been saved for this third and final attempt. Questions?"
"When is the army review?" asked a man.
"It is scheduled for just before sunset," answered Charlson, "but we need to remain flexible on this. The governor might change the schedule after two attempts on the king. It is even possible that the review will be cancelled entirely, but I doubt it. I think the governor will be a little cocky after crushing two assassination attempts, and he will feel that the king is secure with the army around him. Nevertheless, if there is no review, we will attempt to get the king on his way out of the city. We cannot let him escape Trekum."
"Will our group leaders detail the strategies for the attacks?" asked a man.
"No," answered Charlson. "I am going to do that myself. I will present all three attack plans as soon as the general questions are done and then we will discuss the fallback plan in case the king tries to flee the city. Any other questions?"
There were no further questions, and Charlson started laying out the plan for the attack on the southern gate. Lucky felt something tickle his neck. He thought it was his hair as Prince Midge was safely in his pocket. He subconsciously tried to brush the hair away from his neck. That was when the man behind him shouted in his ear.
"Fairy! There is a fairy in the barn!"
Everyone turned to stare at the man who had shouted. The fairy shot straight up towards the ceiling, but everyone's eyes remained on Sinsy and Lucky.
One man pointed at Lucky and shouted, "It was on that stranger's shoulder."
Fesler stared at Lucky in disbelief. His disbelief turned to anger as he realized he had been suckered. He pulled his sword and shouted.
"Get these two! They are spies!"
Chapter 22
King Persimon
As Fesler pointed at Lucky and Sinsy, the people around them quickly moved away, trying to get enough space in the crowded room to pull their swords. Prince Midge leaped out of Lucky's pocket, a
nd Bantam soared out of Sinsy's pocket. Both fairies shot upward in pursuit of the rogue fairy. The room flared to brilliance as a flaming projectile soared towards the disguised royal couple. Sinsy was facing the speaker's platform and saw the mage launch his attack. Her own hand came up swiftly and a streak of lightning spit from her fingertips. Lucky who had turned to look at Fesler was in the process of drawing the hidden Sword of Heavens that was sheathed on his back.
The fireball glanced off Lucky's back and caromed into the crowd. The king's illusion instantly vanished, and he almost lost his footing from the impact. Sinsy's release of the lightning bolt also destroyed her illusion, and the two-handed sword on her back was revealed for all to see. As the lightning bolt blasted the mage on the platform, Tanya pulled her sword. For just a moment the whole barn full of Snakes froze in surprise.
"It's King Arik!" shouted a voice.
"And Queen Tanya!" cried another.
The only ones not frozen in surprise were the royal couple, and Arik and Tanya used that moment to launch their attacks. Keeping their backs facing one another, the Warrior King and the Warrior Queen started slicing into those men who had moved away to draw their swords. As the stricken Snakes fell to the floor, others surged forward to take their place, each of them wanting the glory of striking the killing blow. Shouts of murder filled the air, but the center of the barn was a world of chaos. Everyone tried to get in close to the action to help with the assassinations, but the pushing from behind forced those facing the royal couple into the circle of death as Arik and Tanya kept slicing back and forth.
Over the shouting in the barn, King Arik heard the distinct snaps of scores of bowstrings coming from both ends of the building. Cries of pain and death soon filled the air, and King Arik smiled inwardly as he realized that the Kadin Claws had arrived.
"Can you erect a physical shield?" Arik shouted to Tanya.
"No time," the queen replied as she sliced into another Snake.
Council of War Page 27