The Fireseed Wars

"It wasn't my idea… believe me. After we invested the City, Kalvan decided I was the best man for the Iron Throne. What could I do, Dalla? Turn him down? 'No. Great King Kalvan, I can't take the job; I'm a former Paratime Police Chief!' I don't think so. I didn't ask for the job, nor did I expect it."

"Well," Dalla said, shaking her head, "that much I believe. You do know this isn't going to help our situation once word reaches Home Time Line. Opposition called for a Vote of Confidence right after you left, and it came within several votes of passing. You know what that would have meant?"

Verkan nodded. "It's a mess, but I'm thinking about staying here in Greffa for the next fifty years so I don't have to worry about it."

'And what about me?"

"Darling, I've got a great idea. Why don't you resign, too? Then we can both stay here and run Greffa."

Dalla shook her head, hair flying. "Someone's got to take care of the mess you left behind, Vail. I know a lot of it isn't your fault, but much of it is. And there are problems you don't even know about. Deputy Bureau Chief Altarn Vor just finished briefing me on his investigation into the missing paratemporal conveyers; it's a lot worse than anyone suspected. It's not just Paratime Police conveyers; a lot of commercial units have vanished, too. To the order of several thousand. A lot of people are involved, possibly some of the Wizard Traders; it's too early too tell yet. But it's trouble, big trouble."

Verkan shrugged. "Dalla, really there's not much I can do from here. Sorry."

"So you refuse to help!"

"That sounds terrible when you put it like that, but no, I'm not going back. Our civilization has flourished for ten thousand years without my help; I suspect it can flourish for another ten thousand if I stay here."

"I'm asking for your help, Verkan, as your wife, not Chief Tharn."

"And I'm telling you I resigned once and I will not work for that outfit again, at least, not during this incarnation."

Dalla sputtered angrily. "If I walk out that door, I'm not coming back!"

"You know me, Dalla. I don't give in to blackmail-emotional or otherwise."

She spun around and slapped him on the cheek, hard enough that it knocked him off balance. "What the Styphon!"

Before he finished speaking, she'd torn out of the room. "Dalla, come back here!"

"Damn her," he cursed, following that with a few more choice words in Second Level Khiftan. If he followed her to First Level, he'd never have a moment's peace. No, this time, he was going to wait her out. And, if she didn't come back, the Styphon with her!

III

Grand Master Soton gave the order to halt the column and turned to Knight-Lieutenant Sarmoth.

Sarmoth had been Soton's aide-de-camp for almost three winters; by now, he could almost read the Grand Master's thoughts.

"Lieutenant Sarmoth, I want you to take two Blades of Knights and find this village of Salis, locate the Duchess and her son and bring them to me."

"Yes, sir. Where will I meet up with you?"

"I do not want the Agrysi to know that the heir has been the object of our expedition so I'm going to make an attack on Glarth Town. According to our intelligencers, now that the Grand Host has abandoned the Siege of Thagnor, the Glarthi merchants have started supplying Kalvan and his people with victuals and other supplies. This attack will show how we deal with those who help our enemies. So join us at Glarth Town. I intend to make a statement that the Agrysi will never forget!"

"Yes, sir. But weren't their merchants helping us, too?"

"As part of your training, I will explain my reasoning. Now that Ulthor Port is in ruins, Glarth Town is the only large Great Kingdom's port remaining in the Sea of Aesklos. Since the Grand Host has been recalled to Tarr-Ceros, we no longer have a need for re-supply."

"Yes, Grand Master."

"However, Kalvan does. He needs all the victuals and armaments he can import. He has a lot of gold and is not miserly in its use. The amount of gold that he removed from Greffa City is almost equal to that of the Great Treasury of Balph."

Sarmoth's jaw dropped.

"Most of the towns along the southern border of the Sea of Aesklos have been destroyed by the war. Only Glarth remains a major shipping center. We intend to deprive Kalvan of this asset. You know the Agrysi, don't you? It is said they would trade with Ormaz himself for a bent phenig."

He nodded, thinking to himself that in that sense the Agrysi were much like merchants everywhere.

"Lieutenant, Styphon's House allowed the Agrysi at Glarth Town their freedom as long as they were of value to the Temple. This is no longer true. Do you see this?"

"Yes, sir. However, we may need their ships and docks when we return to take Thagnor City."