The Fireseed Wars

Kalvan nodded. A ship from Morthron had arrived yesterday and one of Klestreus' agents had spotted one of the crewmen surreptitiously entering the Prince's domicile.

The Count handed Chartiphon a leather dispatch case.

"Let me see those documents."

"No, Your Maj-"

"I've told you once to shut up. Do not test my patience again." After taking the pouch from the guard, Kalvan didn't need to read much farther than the first page to realize he was holding diplomatic dynamite. He leafed through the rest, which included the dispositions of all his forces, including the breakdowns by troop type of both the Army of the Trygath and his Army of the Saltless Seas. There were also documents in Urgothi runes that had the seal of Greffa; he didn't need to be fluent in Urgothi to understand what that meant.

"You traitorous cur!" He hurled the empty leather pouch at Kestophes. "Halgoth, come here!"

Halgoth flew through the open door like a defensive linemen going for a quarterback sack. He looked disappointed when he found Prince Kestophes still in chains and Vinaldos with his hands up in the air. Vinaldos appeared to be as quick on his feet physically as he was mentally.

"Halgoth, take this traitor down to the dungeon." Kalvan had to pause, his pulse was racing so hard. "I want this animal in the lowest, dankest cell you can find, and he's not to have any visitors but myself and General Klestreus. Put two Bodyguards at the door."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Before you leave, Kestophes, I want to tell you this. First, you are no longer Prince of Ulthor or of anything else but the cell you'll soon find is your new home-that is, if you're lucky. I will send Klestreus to question you shortly. Answer him as you would answer myself. If you do not, your next visitor will be Great Queen Rylla!"

Kestophes' mouth sagged. "Please, Your Majesty…"

"Take this filth out of here, Halgoth, before I run him through." Kalvan still found his hand wrapped tightly around his poignard long after his Bodyguard Captain closed the door. He took a minute to compose himself.

"I want to thank you, Count Vinaldos, for bringing this matter to Our attention. I understood General Klestreus had the mansion under watch. I'm surprised that he missed the former Prince's departure."

"Count, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, I'm restoring your title. Your lands will be of little use as they will shortly be under Lysandros' dominion. We will find new lands to honor those subjects who have proven themselves to the Throne."

"Thank you, Sire. Allow me to say, in General Klestreus' defense, the exit that the Prince took was an underground tunnel and a bolt hole known only to a few friends of the late Duke, whose mansion and mistresses our former Prince quickly grabbed after Your Majesty appropriated his palace. Fortunately, I was a friend of the Duke's, and suspected that our cowardly Prince might find it difficult to reconcile himself to life in exile. So, I set a guard to watch the exit and was not disappointed."

"You will be rewarded for your foresight." Kalvan thought quietly for a few minutes, pleased that the Count did not interrupt him with idle chatter. That was a very good sign. Vinaldos was hard not to like, but he was a con man. Useful, but dangerous too; like Duke Skranga, who might have been this man's physical opposite but twin on the inside. How far can I trust him?

Ever since Duke Skranga had left for Operation Bletha, Prince Pheblon of Nostor had been filling in for Skranga, but his interests were elsewhere; he was already choosing a new Princedom from the various states surrounding Thagnor. Having two chiefs of intelligence, like Skranga and Klestreus, had proved invaluable; the competition had kept them both honest and on their toes. Klestreus was useful and an excellent administrator, but he was a meat and potatoes kind of a guy and did not have Duke Skranga's Machiavellian turn of mind.

General Klestreus' expertise was in his knowledge of the Five Kingdoms' movers and shakers. What Kalvan needed now was a Middle Kingdoms spy ring to keep him abreast of Greffan stratagems and policies. While General Klestreus was in the process of setting up an intelligence network, his efforts were shackled by both his unfamiliarity with the Urgothi tongue and lack of knowledge of the area and its rulers. General Baldour had grown up in Morthron, but had spent the last ten years as a mercenary in Hos-Agrys and was out of touch with current events. Kalvan's greatest need now was for someone in his intelligence operation who was intimately familiar with the present Middle Kingdom players and politics-Vinaldos, with his contacts in Thagnor and Greffa City, might be just the man.

"Answer me one question, Vinaldos?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You could have taken Kestophes' gold for yourself to finance a very comfortable exile in Glarth or even Nythros, so why didn't you?"

Vinaldos forehead was furrowed in concentration. "The truth?"

"Yes, nothing else will do."