Chapter 32

From the center of the tower, Q'yros' form rose sedately on the lifter dais, until it had come level with the observation room at the top. The trip gave him a chance to recover his breath. It was a two-staircase walk to the floor with the lift, and he was continuing to feel the drain of his magical energies.

Q'yros had hoped that being relieved of his duty as Z'haas' adviser would mean less of this foolishness of tracking down the Emperor. As head of security, however, it was becoming even more of a demand on his time, as the Emperor grew increasingly paranoid the longer the Noble Lords lingered.

Q'yros found the Emperor facing the crystal facet overlooking the courtyard, even though there was nothing to be seen at this time of the morning. The Mage inwardly sighed and stepped forward, resting his hands on his staff until he was recognized. The Emperor had been quick to point out to him that, now that he no longer held his previous high title, he was to wait until recognized before speaking.

Z'haas turned, hands clasped behind his back. "Well?"

"Approximately a third of the Lords have vacated the palace, my Emperor," Q'yros said respectfully. "I expect another good amount will leave today."

"They are not leaving fast enough to suit me."

"I understand. But there is no rushing the Nobility."

"I am sure they would be motivated to leave if I declared that anyone left after dusk was to be arrested for suspected conspiracy against the throne."

Q'yros said nothing in reply. He was no longer the Emperor's adviser and thus had no obligation to correct Z'haas' thinking.

"Do you not think that the longer they remain, the more of a danger there is?" Z'haas asked.

Now that he was asked a direct question, he could respond. "As their numbers thin, the remaining ones grow easier to guard and monitor. I would say that the threat would grow less over time."

Q'yros' logic was impeccable. It made perfect sense. Yet it would not be enough for Z'haas.

"Do not let up one bit on guarding my inner chambers, not even as they grow less in number."

"I would not even think of it, my Emperor," Q'yros said dryly.

Z'haas folded his arms. "My original deadline stands. They have two more days."

The Mage nodded. "Understood. I will remind Lord Uras of this."

The Emperor frowned. "Uras? Is he still here?"

"Indeed he is."

"I trust him the least of all."

"I am monitoring all of them, my Emperor," Q'yros said with forced patience. "I believe any threat from within is contained. You need not concern yourself with it. I would rather you concern yourself with external threats."

"Yes, yes, yes, I have taken care of that!" Z'haas said, waving a hand of dismissal. "I hope I have not jeopardized the campaign because of it."

"Begging your pardon, my Emperor, but I do not believe that one legion constitutes a severe depletion of your offensive forces." Especially against an enemy has virtually no defenses! he added in his own mind.

"Two legions, Q'yros."

The Mage stared. "Did... did you say two, my Emperor?"

"Yes, two! Or are to tell me that you changed your mind and now that is not enough?"

Q'yros was elated. Two legions! That should be more than a match for anything Duric could have possibly assembled in less than a moon's time!

"No, my Emperor!" Q'yros called out. "Two is perfect. The safety of the Imperium is assured now."

Z'haas nodded. "I am so glad that I have finally done something that meets with your approval."

"If I may ask, my Emperor, who is the commander of the legions, so that I might coordinate interior defenses with him in the unlikely event of an assault?"

"Rithas V'honna."

The Mage paused. "V'honna? But... was he not in charge of the two legions with the Urisi contingents?"

"Yes, that is him. Those are the two legions that I chose to defend the palace."

Q'yros would realize only later how close he came to striking the Emperor dead at that moment. In a voice of utterly forced calm, he said, "My Emperor... forgive my boldness... but did not the Urisi diplomat state that Urisi forces would engage only an enemy hostile to the Oceanus realm?"

"Yes, that is exactly what he said. And if this supposed army from Duric does attack the palace, this will be an obviously hostile act. I do not see the issue here."

The Mage had to take a deep breath to prevent himself from lashing out at the Emperor.

Z'haas' eyes narrowed. "Is there a problem, Q'yros?"

After a long pause and a few more deep breaths, the Mage shook his head. "Not at all, my Emperor. I am sure they will serve with distinction for your cause. I must go now, I have much work to do."

The Emperor gave him a single nod.

The Mage turned and stepped back onto the dais, which automatically began to lower him through the tower.

Q'yros closed his eyes tightly. Stupid... incompetent... idiotic...

He forced himself to open his eyes as the dais reached the bottom.

There was simply not enough invective that he could think or say to cover what he was feeling. It was obvious to him now how little experience Z'haas has had in Narlassi politics. It explained so much about his disregard for protocol in his own nation. He had failed to pick up on what the diplomat had really meant.

The Urisi were looking at this simply as a means of obtaining spoils of war, perhaps even a small colony. Either way, it would get them closer to markets in which they were most interested. They were not interested in interfering in the internal affairs of Oceanus.

The reason was simple: if a civil war or revolution broke out, and they were committing forces to one side or the other, there was the risk of choosing the losing side. If this happened, it could lead to a regime that was hostile to the Urisi Nation, a regime that also commanded the most powerful navy in all of Narlass.

Their statement concerning "forces hostile to Oceanus" meant they would fight only against external foes. An attack from another part of Oceanus itself fell outside this venue. Q'yros had picked up on this meaning immediately. Why had not Z'haas?

Q'yros stepped off the dais. There was no railing against this now. The damage had been done. Now it was up to the Mage to practice damage control and salvage something manageable.

Again.

When Amanda was hurriedly awoken just before dawn, she briefly panicked that Duric had discovered the Farviewing pearl. As it turned out, Lord Duric simply needed an early start to the day.

Bath and breakfast were taken care of in short order. Amanda barely had time to give Tanyee a final hug goodbye before Duric whisked her away through the Portal. It was at the brief stop at Weton's Manor that she saw the very haggard form of Annas, who looked close to collapse.

The base camp was atop a plateau overlooking a shallow valley. Huts had been set up similar to the ones that housed the Overlords at the Conclave, though with thicker walls and weatherproof shutters for the cooler climate. Lord Duric's was larger than the others, but only to accommodate the presence of Amanda. She had her own small bed on the far side of the room, such that she would have to pass around the foot of Duric's bed to come in and out.

Duric kept her at his side at all times, so she got to hear everything concerning the plan for the campaign. There was a certain excitement to it. She felt like she was witnessing history being made. She understood the significance of it much better now after having read both her scrolls and the research she had done at the library.

He took her to the edge of the plateau, where a man in light armor and a helmet with bright plumage was looking over the valley. Amanda's eyes widened at the sight. There in the valley was Duric's army. The final regiments were forming up as she watched.

"General Yollon," Duric said.

Yollon V'ojo turned and nodded once. "Good day to you, Lord Duric." His eyes shifted to Amanda, and he smiled. "Well, now, while I am flattered at the gift, you could have come before I put all this armor on."

Amanda actually smiled. Despite the man's intimidating appearance, his voice was smooth and almost gentle, though deep. And she remembered how attentive he had been when she gave the dissertation on Selemas Keep.

Duric chuckled and clapped the man on the shoulder. "Would that I could let you have the pleasure of her company, Yollon. Perhaps that can be arranged afterward as a reward for bringing this crisis to an end."

"I will hold you to that, my Lord," said Yollon, raising a finger in reproach, though there was a smile on his face.

Duric glanced towards the valley. "Your troops are ready, Yollon?"

"The marching order is being worked out now. Once that is done, they await only your order to move out, my Lord."

"How long until you are in sight of the Imperium?"

"Four days, assuming we are not forced into a circuitous path."

"That will depend entirely on what Janna gets for us, Yollon," said Duric. "I cannot promise you anything in that regard."

There was Janna's name again. Amanda had been hearing it mentioned for the past few days.

"I will work with whatever she gives me, my Lord," said Yollon. "Here, I have already plotted out some possible advances."

Yollon led them into one of the huts. Inside, several large parchments were spread out over a large table. The General sifted through them and brought one to the top, showing the Imperial palace and its surrounding lands.

Just before Duric drew close to the table and cut off her view, Amanda had spied something that had made her curious, something that had looked familiar.

As Yollon and Duric pored over the chart, Amanda stepped to one side and craned her neck so that she could catch a glimpse. She had been right. If she were reading the map and remembering her American geography correctly, then the Emperor's palace and surrounding lands sat rather close to where Washington D.C. stood on Earth.

Amanda thought it a curious bit of parallelism between the two worlds. It made her also wonder about the events that had brought Oceanus into being: a battle between Monarchists and Republicans that had ended in a Monarchist victory. It was almost the reverse of what had happened on Earth.

The two men straightened. "It seems the first day of travel is already laid out for you, Yollon."

"Yes, there is only one way out of the valley, and we do not reach the edge of Imperial lands before dusk."

Duric slowly smiled. "Before dusk? It sounds like you are already planning on moving out this morning."

"I would like to, my Lord. The men are ready. I've found that forcing them to wait will make them impatient and dampen their enthusiasm."

"Mind you, Janna will likely wait until dark to obtain the information on the patrols."

"Yes, but as you can see, I will not need the information until daybreak tomorrow."

Duric considered for a moment, and then nodded. "The word is given, General. Move your troops out as soon as they are ready."

Yollon smiled. "Yes, my Lord."

"Good luck to you, General." Duric turned to Amanda and gestured towards the door. "Come along, Amanda."

Once they were outside, Amanda looked up at Duric. "Master, may I ask a question?"

Duric waited until they were away from the hut and looking over the valley again. "Yes, Amanda, what is it?"

"Is Mistress Janna working for you at the Imperial Palace?"

Duric smiled tightly. "Yes, she is, Amanda. She is doing something vitally important to this effort."

Amanda nodded. She had gleaned as much from the conversation. "It sounds like something very dangerous as well, Master," she said in a subdued voice.

Duric's own voice grew a bit somber as he responded. "Yes, it is. But with luck, it will be the only thing I will need to call on her to do before she heads home. By the time Yollon's army arrives, she will be safely away from Imperial lands."

He paused, his eyes growing a bit cloudy. He reached into his tunic and pulled out a blue pearl, which he rolled around in his fingers. "If something should happen to her, I will know."

Amanda eyed the pearl. "Is that a Farviewing pearl, Master?"

Duric smiled. "I should not be at all surprised you know about such things. Yes, it is. It is bound to Lady Janna."

"But if you try to summon her, she can ignore the summons. So if she doesn't reply, that does not necessarily mean something had happened to her, does it?"

"Hmm. It seems your knowledge falls a little flat in this area."

"Sorry, Master."

"When a Farviewing pearl is bound to someone long enough, Amanda, it will react if that person dies." He held the pearl between thumb and forefinger, where the rising sun glinted off its surface, making it look vaguely purplish in color. "It will fracture or break. Or shatter completely if the death were violent enough."

Amanda had no idea that a Farviewing pearl could act in this manner. She thought it a neat idea. It meant that she could at least tell that Sirinna were still alive and well, and Jollis could tell Amanda was safe. She wondered now if it were common for Narlassi families to acquire Farviewing pearls for loved ones just for this feature.

Duric put the pearl away. "Janna is a very clever woman and very much about getting what she wants. She will pull through for me."

"Yes, Master, of course," Amanda said as brightly as she could.

But she was able to hear the hint of doubt and worry in his voice. Now she was going to be on edge herself until she learned whether or not Janna was successful.

Jollis did not get into the Manor until close to midday. He had awoken at dawn and had to spend much of the morning in deep meditation. It was the only thing that would keep him calm and focused on the present.

More and more variables now. Word had come to him late the night before that the Emperor was keeping two of his legions behind. Yet they were the ones fleshed out with Urisi soldiers. He had no idea how this affected the equation. Would Duric see two legions outmatching his forces and turn back? Would the Urisi put down their weapons and leave it more evenly matched? Would they see political gain in staying and annihilate Duric's army? Or did the Emperor have a different strategy in mind? Or was he still blind to the danger?

There was only so much his cohorts could tell him. He had no one inside the Imperial Palace, for one thing. He knew which Lords had already left simply by having his cohorts take up watch outside the palace and note the crest imprinted upon the carriages as they left. He knew that Lady Janna was still within, but had no idea if she were planning anything.

Jollis headed quickly to the Overlord's quarters. There was no time now to concern himself with these things. He could not affect the outcome with his brooding.

"Good day to you, Overlord," Jollis said with a bow as he entered.

"Good day to you, Jollis," replied Roquan.

Jollis immediately noted the tension in the Overlord's voice and eyes. He did not think anything of it at the moment. Roquan had been under a great deal of stress, and he let his normally calm demeanor slip more often.

If it were something meant for Jollis' ears, he would hear it soon enough.

"My merchant partners will be approaching the Manor today, if you wish to convey your needs to me so that I might hasten your goods along."

"Yes, Jollis, I have quite a list for you today."

Jollis listened as the Overlord recited the list. He thought some of the requested items were a bit odd. A few had already been recently procured, thus leaving him wondering why they were again needed so soon.

"Do you believe you can handle that, Jollis?" Roquan asked.

Jollis detected a hint of challenge in his voice. "I believe I can, though it may take a little longer, as the list is a bit large this time around."

"I have complete faith that you will obtain those goods unnaturally fast for me."

Jollis hesitated. Yes, there was something definitely amiss. Not just the Overlord's tone, but his choice of words. "I always entreat my partners to be fleet of foot and wheel, your Lordship."

"I have no doubt of that. You are perhaps the fastest procurer of goods I have ever seen."

Jollis smiled and bowed his head, accepting the compliment at face value.

"Someday, I hope you will regale me with some details of how you accomplish it," said Roquan.

"Ah, but a good craftsman will often wish to keep some of his better skills secret."

"I agree, when speaking of the competition. As an Overlord, I have no interest in becoming a merchant, so I would hope you would see your way clear to revealing some of your 'secrets'."

Jollis realized that Roquan probably thought he was being subtle. It was not the Overlord's forte. It was obvious to Jollis that Roquan knew something. "I will consider it, your Lordship," Jollis said carefully.

There was a moment of dead silence between the two of them.

"Generally, your business is your own, Jollis," said Roquan. "And if you have exotic means of moving goods, I would not necessarily be averse to them. You would not need to hide them."

Jollis considered these words carefully. It indicated to him that Roquan was making an educated guess that he was using Portals. And on the surface, the Overlord might have been right. He may not have seriously objected to Jollis using Portals.

Yet if Roquan were told from the start, eventually there would be questions about how he was able to open them so precisely and so often. The energy expenditure in opening a Portal was large, even with the new techniques of the Inonni. It would become clear that Jollis would be on the losing side financially. Roquan would suspect ulterior motives.

No, this had been the correct way to go. It was unfortunate that the arrangement was coming to an end, but it had lasted long enough to see his plan through to completion. In less than a quarter moon it would bear fruit.

Jollis gave Roquan a respectful bow. "I will give your words serious consideration, your Lordship. May I have the day to think on it?"

Roquan paused a long moment before nodding once. "You may."

"Thank you, you are most generous. I shall get started on your latest list of goods at once. If there is nothing else?"

Roquan shook his head.

"Then I shall depart. Good day to you, Overlord."

Jollis did not wait for a response from Roquan, and heard none as he left the Overlord's quarters for the last time.

Janna could do little but wait and try hard not to worry.

More Lords had left that day than they had anticipated. Janna was one of only ten left. It seemed to her now that there were more guards than ever about the Palace, though Tarras assured her this was not the case. "It is an illusion," Tarras had explained to her. "You see fewer Lords than you see guards, so it appears as if there are more of the latter."

Yet this hardly assuaged her fears.

Just as the sun began to set, Janna arrived at Tarras' quarters and let herself in.

"Tarras, we need to do this, now."

Tarras rose from his chair and set aside the book he had been reading. "It is only just the dinner hour now. I thought we might dine with the others and have a light meal before..."

Janna shook her head. "No, I need to get this done now. I told Duric to start Farview-summoning me at dusk. This is hanging over my head and I need to get it done."

"I do not want us to move rashly. We will get only one shot at this."

"I've had all afternoon to think about this," she said adamantly. "I want to do it."

"You will be missed at dinner. We both will."

"Yes, but I thought of something else, too. At dinner, the guards will know everyone is in the cafe. They always seem to congregate in that area during mealtimes, leaving all other areas sparsely guarded."

Tarras nodded slowly. "This is true."

"Look, it's not dinner yet, not quite. If I can claim I'm going for a stroll in the gardens, then I can come to dinner late from there and just say I lost track of time. And to be honest, I have no appetite at the moment."

Tarras could see that there would be no deterring her. "All right, you are likely correct that your strategy is our best bet. But be very careful in the gardens, Janna. Don't do anything that will make a guard want to follow you too closely."

"They haven't done so yet. I took a long stroll out there last night so they got used to me being there."