“There was something strange about the swamp and the causeway. I didn’t want to put it in a message. I couldn’t order-sense anything beyond a hundred cubits there, and nothing like that has happened to me recently.”
“That’s because swamps are high in life force, and that provides a high level of background chaos of the type that’s hard to sense. Also, that swamp had quite a number of stun-lizards, and they inhibit either order-or chaos-sensing. That’s how they get close to prey. We’re fortunate it’s winter. They’re not so active in the cooler weather.”
Rahl had to wonder if he would ever be able to learn everything Taryl wanted—or to meet all of Taryl’s expectations. He could meet any one, or even two or three, at a time, but Taryl seemed to expect that Rahl could handle a score of them, all at once, even after almost being killed.
For a moment, he just closed his eyes. Then he took another swallow of the lager.
LII
At midday on fiveday, Third Company rode into the small square west and south of the barge piers. The troopers lined up in formation with the statue of one of the earlier emperors at their backs. Then Taryl and a squad of the headquarters company followed and took position at right angles to Third Company. A good hundred townspeople had already gathered—the result of passing the word through the inns and elsewhere that justice was to be meted out upon the former town administrator. All the women were fully covered, and a number wore black head scarves, something he had not seen before.
Once the troopers were in place, Quelsyn and four troopers marched Esryk into the open space before the company. His hands were bound behind his back, and a white blindfold was across his eyes. Rahl then stepped forward, carrying his battle truncheon.
“Esryk, you have betrayed your post as town administrator. You have supported the enemies of the Emperor. You have sent the tariffs rightfully due the Emperor to the rebels, and you have attacked a mage-guard with a poisoned dagger. Each of these is an offense against the Codex, and for each the sentence is death.”
Rahl looked at the troopers. “On his knees.”
“I won’t kneel to anyone, not to…”
The troopers backed away at Rahl’s gesture.
Rahl had already determined what to do, even before he struck. He used his order-skills to move order from Esryk’s neck, just below the base of his skull, then struck there with the order-boosted truncheon. The man’s neck snapped, and he pitched forward onto the pavement in a heap.
“The fate of all traitors.”
A refuse cart, pulled by a bony swaybacked mare, creaked toward the dead body. Rahl turned and remounted, but waited, extending his senses, despite his continuing headache, and trying to gather reactions from those around the square.
“…didn’t do anything a good merchant wouldn’t…“
“…can’t risk family and business for a weakling thousands of kays away…”
“…uppity bastard…always thought he was above everyone…”
“…like to see ’em apply the laws to them with golds…doesn’t happen much…”
“…killed him with a truncheon…and going to throw him away like rubbish…insult to everyone here…”
“…like the trash he was under those fine clothes…”
Rahl said nothing until the two troopers picked up the body and tossed it onto the cart, and until they had remounted. “Third Company, to quarters!”
“To quarters!”
The troopers rode silently from the square. Even the murmurs from the townspeople remained low.
Rahl turned in the saddle and addressed Drakeyt. “I have to meet with the overcommander now.”
“Best of fortune.”
Rahl nodded acknowledgment and guided the gelding toward the headquarters squad. By the time he was a half block away from the square he was riding beside Taryl.
The overcommander glanced at Rahl. “We’ll talk once we’re not in public.”
“Yes, ser.” Rahl tried to pick up more reactions on the ride back to Esryk’s mansion, but the locals either just looked or drew back.
Once they reached the temporary headquarters and dismounted, Rahl tied the gelding to a post outside the stable and followed Taryl inside, to a study off the south side porch.
The study in the mansion was small and surprisingly plain, with white-plaster walls, blue-velvet hangings framing the windows, and but a single bookcase, and that to one side of the large pillared desk with its rows of drawers.
Taryl sank into one of the armchairs flanking the hearth, cold, but filled with ashes. “Pardon me, but I’m still weary.” He gestured to the other chair.
Rahl sat, his body and head forward slightly, waiting.
“Rather impressive, the way you dispatched him,” Taryl said.
“I thought it had to be quick and decisive.” Rahl wasn’t about to mention that the effort had intensified his headache.
“What did you learn?” asked Taryl. “You did try to observe the crowd, did you not?”
“Yes, ser.” Rahl cleared his throat, then continued. “No one was satisfied. Not for the right reasons. Those with golds were angry because they see Esryk as a man just trying to protect what he had. Those with less were glad he was killed just because he had more.”
“Do you think it created more respect for the Emperor or the mage-guards?”
“No, ser. Fear, but not respect,” Rahl admitted.
“Aren’t they the same?”
Rahl pursed his lips. “I don’t think so. I can’t explain why, though.” He paused. “Except that fear can create respect, but I think that respect disappears when the fear does.”
Taryl nodded slowly. “Those are some of the reasons why public executions usually create more problems than they solve, and why we empower mage-guards to execute sentences upon the spot. Almost the only public executions are those of mage-guards who abuse their power.”
Rahl could see the reason for that.
“How do you feel about your duties with Third Company?”
“It doesn’t feel like I’m helping much, not for a mage-guard.”
“That sounds more like a request for a pat on the back,” replied Taryl. “Very well. I can do that. Just how many of these ambushes and traps do you think most of the mage-guards assigned to the army would find? And what would it have been like without you—or without any mage-guard accompanying Third Company?”
Rahl considered. “They might find some, if they knew there were traps.”
“Would it not take much longer? Would we not have higher casualties? Far higher casualties without any mage-guard?”
“Yes, ser. I suppose so.”
“Now…does that make you feel more useful?”
Rahl smiled crookedly. “Not really, ser.”
“Why not?”
“I still feel I should be better at what I do.”
“Good. When you lose that feeling, you’re on the road to the worst side of chaos.” Taryl coughed. “I have a few more questions for you.”
“Yes, ser.” Rahl was getting wary of Taryl’s questions. They always seemed to reveal what he didn’t know as opposed to what he did.
“Are you still thinking about that healer in Nylan?”
Rahl just looked at Taryl for a moment. That was the last question he would have expected. “Yes, ser. I’m still writing her, but I haven’t had any way to send what I’ve written.”
“I’ll be sending dispatches tomorrow, and we can include a letter with that. Now…what else have you discovered, beyond what you’ve reported?”
“The rebels have created a fair amount of trouble for Third Company, but they’ve lost very few real troopers.”
“What does that tell you?”
“They’ve thought out what they’re doing and what territory they’ll defend?”
Taryl nodded, then went on. “Esryk was sending the tariffs to someone in Nubyat, yet there are few true rebels here in Helstyra. What does that suggest?”
“Someone had been planning this
revolt for a long time, and they cultivated the town administrators—or some of them?”
“Good. What else?”
“We should check every administrator from here to Nubyat. Their records—or those that are missing—will tell more than questioning them?”
“That’s true. I’m glad to see that your mind is recovering. What does it tell you about the rebels?”
“The revolt was carefully planned, all the way down to how to obtain golds?”
Taryl nodded. “Let me ask you another question. Assume that we find most of the town administrators from here on have done the same—or disappeared—what does that point toward?”
“Someone knew who they were. But wouldn’t Golyat know that as regional administrator?”
“No. Golyat is the kind who gives orders and expects them to be carried out.”
“So he’s being supported by other lower administrators. That would mean that they weren’t happy with the way things were going—or they weren’t being recognized, or they were greedy.”
“Or some combination of all of the above.” Taryl smiled wryly. “Now…we need to go over what Third Company will be doing in the next phase of the operation—and what I expect from you.”
Rahl had the feeling that the afternoon was going to be long—very long.
LIII
Before morning muster on sixday, Rahl and Drakeyt stood among a group of close to a hundred officers, all gathered around the south porch at the temporary headquarters provided by Esryk’s mansion for a meeting of all officers. Most of the officers standing waiting were captains, and almost all of the remainder were majers.
“Do you know what this is all about?” Drakeyt asked Rahl in a low voice. “You met with him yesterday.”
“All he talked about was what he wanted from me and from Third Company. I told you all that last night. He avoided saying anything about the submarshal except that Dettyr was not here and that the overcommander found himself in command.”
“Found himself in command? Strange way of putting it.”
How else could Taryl have put it, Rahl wondered.
A lanky commander stepped forward. His voice boomed out into the gray morning. “I’m Commander Muyr, acting chief of staff for Second Army. As some of you know, when Submarshal Dettyr was relieved of command, he killed Overcommander Haskyl and attempted to attack the Mage-Guard Overcommander. As a result, he is…no longer with us, and by a conditional order signed and sealed by the Emperor, Mage-Guard Overcommander Taryl is now in command of Second Army until relieved by the Emperor.” He turned.
Taryl stepped forward.
“Some of you may be wondering what a conditional order signed by the Emperor is. Before we left Cigoerne, the Emperor signed an order modifying the normal chain of command. This order placed me as fourth in command, behind the submarshal and the overcommander. I do regret the unfortunate circumstances that have led to this situation, but Marshal Byrna, of course, remains in overall command, and I am only in command of Second Army until relieved by the Emperor. All other procedures remain in effect.” Taryl cleared his throat before continuing. “Our task is to take Nubyat, if possible, and, if not, to make it possible for both First and Second Army to do so once Marshal Byrna arrives. I will, of course, be relying heavily on you and upon Commander Muyr…”
As he listened Rahl was conscious that Taryl was projecting an order-feeling—not a compulsion or anything requiring obedience, but more a feeling of openness, of suggesting receptiveness to what he said.
“…each company will be receiving orders later today. Most of you will have today and tomorrow to rest and ready your mounts and men for the advance on Nubyat…Majers and captains are dismissed to your companies and commands. I’d like all the commanders and senior officers to join me in the conference room.” Taryl stepped back.
“Nothing indecisive about him,” murmured Drakeyt.
“No,” replied Rahl.
“Well…we’d better head back to the company,” suggested Drakeyt. “It might be easier to walk this way.” He gestured to his left.
Rahl had his doubts, but smiled absently and joined Drakeyt.
As they neared the west end of the temporary tie-line for officers’ mounts, Rahl realized that one of the older mage-guards was looking at him—or more precisely at his new insignia. The other mage-guard was not a senior mage-guard, not from his insignia, and Rahl could sense anger and resentment behind the man’s shields. He almost frowned. Since when had he been able to do that? Or was it just that the other mage-guard’s shields were not that good? He tried to strengthen his shields so that they were as impermeable as possible while projecting friendliness and walking toward the other mage-guard.
“I noticed you looking over here. Is there something I can help you with?” Rahl kept his voice pleasant.
The other mage-guard’s face remained neutral. “Ah, no, ser.” Behind the words was apprehension, if not mild fear.
Rahl could sense a probe at his shields, and he deflected it, then added just a slight order-push, slipping his probe through the other’s shields and pressing ever so slightly on the other mage-guard’s shoulder.
“Ah, Drakeyt.” A majer turned and addressed the captain, who had stopped beside Rahl. The majer’s eyes avoided Rahl entirely.
Rahl could sense caution, but not fear, as well as purpose, behind the majer’s salutation, and he just waited and continued smiling.
“Yes, ser?” replied Drakeyt.
“Is it true that a senior mage-guard executed a corrupt town administrator with a truncheon, and that he took only one blow to kill him?”
“Yes, ser. He’s also saved the company several times, as well as managing to kill more rebels than anyone else.”
“Tough, is he?”
Drakeyt shrugged, almost in an exaggerated fashion. “Tough as anyone who survived being a loader in Luba could be, ser. Doesn’t much go for jealousy and arrogance. Completely loyal to the Emperor and the overcommander, I mean, the acting marshal. He was the one who killed that mage-guard traitor, and two others, and the mage-guard was a chaos type.”
The majer nodded. “Don’t think I’d want to get in his way. Good thing he’s assigned to the recon force.”
“Yes, ser.”
Rahl managed to keep from smiling, but he did nod to the other mage-guard. “If you need any help I can provide, please let me know.”
“Yes, ser.” The fear behind the other’s shields was far stronger and had largely replaced the resentment.
Rahl turned to Drakeyt. “We’d probably better get back to the company.”
Once Rahl and Drakeyt had mounted and were riding back eastward toward the inn, well away from the other officers, Rahl looked to the captain. “The majer was having trouble with his mage-guard, and you two set that up, I take it?”
“Yes, ser.” Drakeyt grinned. “Stanyl’s not the brightest mage-guard, but he’ll know it was a setup and a warning. The majer overheard him talking to one of the other mage-guards, complaining about how you were too young to be a senior mage-guard and how you couldn’t possibly stand up to someone like him or his friend. The majer was afraid he’d do something stupid, and then the battalion would be without a mage-guard. Stupid as Stanyl is, he can still throw a good firebolt or two.” Drakeyt frowned. “What did you do to him? When he left, he looked like he’d been whipped.”
“Just shielded everything from his being able to sense it. Oh…and I gave him the slightest push, right through his shields.”
Drakeyt nodded.
Rahl could sense that the captain didn’t fully understand, but there wasn’t any point in explaining. He’d just sound like he was boasting. He just hoped that Stanyl conveyed what had happened to his friend. Rahl didn’t need to defend himself against another jealous mage-guard, and Taryl certainly didn’t need to lose any more mage-guards.
After several moments, Drakeyt cleared his throat and turned in the saddle toward Rahl. “The overcommander knew Dettyr would be
relieved, didn’t he? That’s what he was hinting at in the dispatch he sent you.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he had been sent to make certain that the marshal and submarshal followed the Emperor’s orders,” Rahl replied.
“The Emperor must trust him, then.”
“I don’t know anyone more trustworthy.” Even if I don’t know exactly what he’s doing, or why. Rahl did know that Taryl was doing what he thought was best for the Emperor and Hamor, but he had not yet been able to figure out even what Taryl’s overall strategy might be.
From Taryl’s briefing on fiveday, Rahl also had the feeling that he was supposed to be doing everything he had done before, as well as succeed where he had failed, then use his knowledge of trade and commerce and his order-skills to deduce some aspects of the rebel strategy from the isolated bits of information that he discovered in the course of more reconnaissance in force with Third Company.
The overcommander didn’t expect much at all from him, did he?
LIV
Sevenday dawned bright and clear, and a warmer wind blew out of the southeast. Not until well past noon did Rahl see clouds, but they were not approaching quickly, not from what he could tell. Once more, he was riding forward of the main body of Third Company with the outriders, this time with Shanyr. All day long he had not seen or sensed anything suggestive of rebel forces. The lands bordering the main road had become more rugged, and the vegetation more varied, in places sparse, and elsewhere lush and almost impenetrable.
Obviously, this part of Hamor was close enough to the coast that it never felt winter, because there were no winter gray leaves, and almost no firs or evergreens. The air felt moist, and there were more small lakes and marshes and the steads and dwellings were more widely separated and set in small hamlets at irregular intervals, with almost no dwellings standing alone. Although he sensed nothing out of the ordinary and did not lose any of his order-sensing strength and range, Rahl could only surmise that there were giant cats or stun-lizards or some other predators lurking in the areas of denser vegetation.
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