The Jongurian Mission

by Greg Strandberg

  Trouble in Jonguria Preview

  Jossen leaned heavily on his cane as he moved away from the window. The muscles of his left arm flexed and tightened as he firmly gripped the cane’s ivory handle. The arm had grown larger than his right over the past ten years as he was forced to rely on the wooden implement to help him move around. Ever since the second day at Baden when he had been wounded in his fight with Halam Fiske he had been forced to use the thing, and he inwardly smiled when he thought of the man’s death somewhere in Jonguria. It had been three weeks since the end of the trade conference and his brief encounter with the man, who he had not seen since that day on the battlefield all those many years ago. Not for the first time since he had been informed that the men whose trade plan had been approved by the conference had left Dockside did he wonder how many of them still lived.

  He made his slow shuffle over to the large table and took his seat at its head. Four of the men that had supported his plan at the conference sat around the table, each of them having arrived in Atros over the previous day or two.

  “So why exactly have you called us here?” Jocko More asked, his oiled black hair shining in the lamplight of the room. “There are matters I could be attending to in Shefflin right now, but here I find myself in Regidia. Our plan at the conference failed, I see little more that we have to discuss.”

  “I agree,” Andor Flin said from his spot at the table. His large jowls moved when he spoke and Jossen was filled with a brief moment of disgust as he looked over at the large man from Oschem.

  “I’ve called you here not to discuss trade, those matters are concluded, but something infinitely more important: the future of Adjuria,” Jossen said to the four men seated around the table.

  “Since it was agreed that we would begin trading again, I think that the future of Adjuria looks quite bright,” Klyne Surin said. The Allidian sat up straight in his chair, his still muscular frame noticeable under his tight-fitting brown clothing.

  “Even though our plan didn’t pass the conference, trade will resume nonetheless,” Dolth Hane added, his loud voice echoing about the room. “I’m not so uncertain about Equinia’s fortunes, now that the promise of trade once again assures a steady market for our excess goods.”

  Jossen reached his chair and gingerly lowered himself down into it, his actions slow and deliberate so that he would in no way inflame the pain he constantly felt in his left leg any further. He looked about the four men seated at the small table, pausing a minute to meet each of their eyes before he spoke.

  “Gentlemen,” he began, a slight smile coming to his face, “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think that Adjuria and Jonguria will be trading anytime soon.”

  “What do you mean,” Jocko scoffed. “You saw the same things at the conference as we did. Halam and the rest of the men that came up with the trade plan have already left for Jonguria. Most likely they’ve reached Weiling by now and have already spread the news up through the proper channels that we wish to trade again.”

  “No doubt the emperor is considering the best course to ensure a speedy resumption of commerce as we speak,” Dolth added, smiling and returning the nods from the other men around the table.

  “I don’t think that the men’s trade plan will ever reach the emperor’s ears,” Jossen said.

  “What are you getting at Fray,” Klyne said, sitting up even straighter in his chair. “Do you know something that we don’t? If so, please, let us know.”

  “Very well,” Jossen said, shifting in his chair, the Allidian’s posture encouraging him to correct his own. “I received word more than a week ago that Halam and the rest of the men that accompanied him left Weiling soon after they arrived. Two Jongurian ships left the harbor a short time later heading in the same direction. A couple of days after that, ship debris began to float up on shore around southern Jonguria.”

  “Are you implying that the Jongurians sent two ships out to sink Edgyn’s vessel?” Jocko asked, looking around the table at the other men. “I myself find that notion absurd.”

  “I agree,” Andor said. “Why would the Jongurians want to cause trouble with Adjuria at this point? Most likely if any debris is washing ashore it is from those two ships. Most likely Halam and the rest of the men will be coming into Dockside any day now.”

  “They probably headed to a city on the Jongurian mainland,” Dolth added. “Perhaps after finding a cold reception in Weiling they tried for Bindao.”

  “If they would have headed to Bindao I would have been informed of it,” Jossen said. “No, the men sailed from Weiling after their offer of trade was refused and headed back toward Adjuria. That being the case, they should have arrived back at Dockside more than a week ago.” He looked around at the men. “As it stands, there has been no sign of them.”

  “How are you getting this information?” Klyne asked, his small eyes bunching up as they peered at Jossen.

  “Let’s just say that I have my sources,” Jossen replied with the same slight smile that so resembled a sneer.

  “I think that we are entitled to hear of these sources,” Jocko said, “seeing as how you dragged us all here in the first place.”

  All eyes went to Jossen at that. He thought for a moment. If he indeed wanted these men to support his plans to take the throne from the young king then he would have to tell them all eventually. The question was how much to tell them and when to tell it. To give them all of the information at once, and when they hadn’t even been informed of his ultimate intentions, would be too much too soon, he realized. It was a fine line to tell them just enough to pique their interest and have them stay to learn more. Doth and Andor seemed willing to live off of the hospitality that the palace in Atros had to offer, but Jocko and Klyne seemed much more inclined to get back on their horses and return to their own provinces as fast as they could. He had to make it worth their while, and the next few moments would thus be critical to his overall long-term plans.

  “For the past several months I’ve been communicating with the rebel leader who controls most of southern Jonguria,” Jossen began. He raised his arm up to silence the men who were obviously shocked at what he had just revealed. “Let me continue, please, I will answer all of your questions in a moment.” He cleared his throat then continued. “This man, Zhou Lao, is in the process of expanding his power to further areas of Jonguria in the hopes of eventually overthrowing the emperor and assuming power over the whole country, and I think that he will succeed in his plans. Jonguria has been very fragmented since the war. Rebel leaders cropped up like weeds once the fighting stopped and we brought our troops home. The emperor proved incapable of suppressing them, but they spent most of their time fighting each other at first so that they were not a real threat to him. Now, however, the strongest have prevailed and they pose much more of a threat. After following the situation for many years I’ve realized that Zhou has the best chance of bringing the others together to challenge the emperor, and I’ve agreed to help him in his endeavor.”

  Jossen stopped and folded his hands on the table. The men looked at each other but said nothing, each of them digesting what had just been revealed to them. Finally Klyne spoke.

  “So you are planning to embroil Adjuria in Jonguria’s civil war, is that it?”

  “Not at all, Klyne,” Jossen answered. “In fact, I don’t think Adjuria will be pulled into the conflict in Jonguria at all.”

  “But you just said that you’ve agreed to support this man Zhou,” Andor said. “How can you do that without sending an army to Jonguria?”

  “How could you even send an army?” Klyne quickly added. “Only the king has that power now, and I don’t see Rowan Waldon lending any support to either side in a civil war in Jonguria.”

  “But what if Rowan Waldon wasn’t the king anymore?” Jossen said.

  The question hung in the air for several moments.

  “You of all people should know where that talk leads to,” Klyne said quietly.

&nbs
p; “Desolatia Island,” Jocko said. “Replacing a king didn’t work out too well for him, Jossen.”

  “That’s because my uncle went about it the wrong way,” Jossen said. “I don’t plan to make the same mistakes as he did.”

  “So you’re serious about this,” Dolth said. “You really think that you can overthrow Rowan?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Jossen said. “The country is not in a very good place right now. Most people are suffering as the economy continues to falter. Many cannot find enough to put on their tables each day, and there is nothing like hunger to drive the masses to rise up.”

  “The whole intent and purpose of the trade council was to alleviate those problems,” Andor said. “And it looked like we had a good chance of succeeding, that is unless what you told us about Edgyn’s ship tonight is true.”

  “Oh, I’m quite sure that it is,” Jossen said. He did not bother to tell them that he also had received word that the Adjurians had been seen on the beach east of Bindao, and had even managed to kill some of Zhou’s men. There was no need for them to question him now.

  “I don’t know if I can be a party to another campaign to usurp the king,” Klyne said. “The last one did not go so well, as most of you will remember.” He looked over at Jossen then at the cane that leaned against the table. “None more so than you Jossen; you have a daily reminder never more than a foot away.”

  Jossen moved his left hand to the handle of his cane. “Oh, believe me, Klyne, I have not forgotten.” He gave his slight smile once again. “This time, however, I will not fall on the battlefield.”

  “So you want to embroil all of Adjuria into another civil war,” Jocko said. “If you do that I don’t think that any who follow you will be treated so leniently this time. The consequences will be more severe than lost seats on the governing councils. Most likely it will be the splitting of provinces much like occurred following the first civil war nearly one hundred years ago.”

  “If we lose,” Jossen said. “If we win, then there will be nothing to worry about.”

  “If we win,” Klyne repeated. “You think that the rest of us will go along with your plan? Just because we supported your trade policy at the conference doesn’t mean that we’ll risk our lives and the lives of thousands of our countrymen so that you can avenge your family’s honor.”

  “I think you are making a mistake by being so hasty in your decision,” Jossen said as he looked over at the Allidian. “I wish that you would stay and listen to my plan first before you commit one way or the other.”

  “I have no intention of listening to any plan that would involve moving against the king of Adjuria,” Klyne said, rising from his chair.

  “Are you sure that you want to do that, Klyne?” Jossen said. “After everything that I’ve told you here tonight, I’m not sure it would be wise for you to return to Allidia without pledging your support. How could I be sure you would not report what I’ve said here to the king?”

  “Are you threatening me?” Klyne asked in a hard voice, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

  “Not at all,” Jossen said in a calm voice, moving his hand up as if to flip away the silly comment.

  “What harm could it do to listen to what Jossen has to say?” Andor said.

  “I think it would be better to listen than to spill blood,” Dolth added.

  Klyne looked at the two of them then back at Jossen before slowly returning to his seat.

  “Very good,” Jossen said, sitting up and leaning his arms on the table and drawing the others in with his actions. “This is what I have planned.”

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