Demonkin (5 page)

“Why train the enemy?” frowned Natia. “Surely you can maintain your cover without helping the enemy?”

“These men are not the enemy,” declared General Forshire. “I will use these troops to battle the Federation when the time comes.”

“Will they actually fight against their brothers?” questioned Tedi. “That sounds unrealistic.”

“They will fight,” vowed the general. “The main requirement for joining my army is personal loyalty to me, and me alone. And I test that loyalty frequently. These men care not a whit for the Federation. Most originally joined the army for the food coupons for their families, and those coupons stopped when they were arrested. Now their benefits have been restored and in a lot of cases increased due to promotions. I have also extended to them the second chance that no one else would give them. I have given them pride and camaraderie and discipline. These men would eagerly sack Giza if I was foolish enough to give such an order.”

“I hope your confidence in them is not misplaced,” worried Tedi. “Men in prison are seldom the most trustworthy of men.”

“What about your work in Despair?” asked Natia. “There is much information we need to get and it seems to me that you are in a good position to get much of it.”

“One would think so,” frowned the general, “but I am not trusted yet. They let me form the army because it costs them nothing, but I have not been taken into confidence on anything. My task is supposed to be tracking down the rebels, but the files they gave me were woefully incomplete. There is no mention of Alcea in the entire folder, and many pages were left out so that I would not see them.”

“You must find a way to gain their trust,” urged Tedi. “We need to know the strength of the enemy and where the Doors are.”

“I have heard talk of three hundred thousand men,” replied the general, “but I have seen no documentation to support that figure.”

Tedi whistled and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“What if you were to capture some of the rebels?” asked Natia.

“Now that would be a trick,” chuckled Clint. “Are you volunteering?”

“Obviously you could not actually catch any of the Alceans,” explained the gypsy princess, “but you could make it look like you did. Captain Gomery has some Alcean coins. You could have a fairy get some and plant them on some corpses. You could claim to have killed some rebels and present the coins as proof.”

“That is not a bad idea,” agreed Tedi. “Maybe burn the corpses so they are not identifiable.”

“If one of them was a mage,” Clint nodded enthusiastically, “we could claim the building they were in caught fire when the mage tried to attack us. I like the idea.”

“You will need a female body then,” interjected Natia. “The only mage they know about is Yolinda.”

“People die every day in the cities of the Federation,” stated the general. “I will have no shortage of bodies, but there is special place I would like this attack to happen.”

“Where is that?” asked Tedi.

“A fair ways up the Blood Highway is a strange military installation,” answered General Forshire. “There is a hidden tunnel carved into the Barrier. I am anxious to discover its secret, but there has been no way to bring it up in conversation. If the attack were to happen near it, I might be able to press for information about it.”

“That sounds like a plan,” smiled Tedi. “We should probably get going before your men begin to wonder why you are spending so much time with merchants.”

“Actually,” grinned General Forshire as he handed each of the gypsies a piece of paper, “I intend for my men to get a good look at you. Those passes will identify you as agents of the A Corps. Use the passes sparingly, but when all else fails, you may use them. They will let any other officer know that you are trusted by me. It might make a difference when you need it to. Also, if any of my men see you in trouble, they will aid you as best they can.”

“Aren't you afraid that our actions might bring harm to your position in the army?” asked Natia.

“Hardly,” chuckled Clint. “I already have a reputation for traveling with known misfits. I can always claim I judged wrong in your case and then set my men to the task of freeing you.”

“You are enjoying this role far too much,” laughed Tedi.

“It is challenging, but I am enjoying it,” replied General Forshire. “Let me walk you out so that my men see how friendly I am with you. It never hurts to have a couple of thousand men looking out for your best interests.”

Tedi and Natia stared at the massive ship being built at the shipyard in Giza. It easily dwarfed any ship they had ever seen.

“What in the world would anyone need a ship that large for?” asked Tedi.

“To move an army?” guessed Natia.

“No.” Tedi shook his head. “They could build several smaller ships much quicker, and that thing will not make much speed at sea. It would also be a sitting duck for a warship. Look at how the masts are arranged. It is designed to carry some large load. It is nothing more than a huge cargo ship, but I can't imagine what cargo would require such a vessel.”

“Perhaps Judge Julius will know something,” suggested the gypsy princess. “Let's go have a talk with him and see what we can find out.”

The two Knights of Alcea moved away from the waterfront and walked through the city streets to meet with the judge. When the it. His step faltered, and he caught Natia by the arm.

“They will not let me enter with my staff,” he said softly. “I will wait out here for you.”

Natia glanced across the street and nodded. “That might be best. I suspect that the guards might remember me. I won't be long.”

Natia left her husband staring at a window display and crossed the street. Her face carried a big smile as she climbed the steps, and the soldiers were whispering before she reached them. One of them opened the door and said something to those inside. Natia smiled at them as she stepped through the open door. A wooden barrier barred the entrance to the building and a score of soldiers stood nearby. The officer in charge sported a broad smile as he saw Natia enter.

“I would like to see Judge Julius,” Natia said to the officer.

“Of course you would,” grinned the officer. “Go on up.”

Natia frowned at the officer. From the amount of snickering going on, it was fairly obvious that the soldier thought she was having an affair with the judge. While there were times when she would like that image to ease entry into places, she was concerned about the judge's reputation. If his reputation was besmirched, he might become useless as a protector.

“I do not think I like the inference you are drawing about my business with Judge Julius,” Natia said sternly. “And I do not think the judge will care for it either. Are you anxious to be reassigned?”

The smile slid from the officer's face, and a frown of concern quickly replaced it. “I do not know what you mean, Lady. I am merely being polite and cordial to one of the judge's business relations.”

“Then I trust you will make that clear to the pack of snickering subordinates behind you,” scowled Natia. “I do not expect Judge Julius or his wife to take a favorable view of anyone spreading vile rumors about him.”

Natia pushed her way through the barrier and moved quickly up the stairs. Before she reached the top of the stairs, she heard the officer berating his men. She smiled inwardly as she knocked on the judge's door. The judge gave permission to enter, and Natia opened the door and walked into the office.

“Natia,” smiled the judge. “Close the door and come in.”

“I think it might be best to leave the door open,” Natia replied. “I believe the soldiers downstairs have taken the wrong meaning for my visits.”

“They have, have they?” scowled the judge. “I will take care of that when you leave. Close the door and come in.”

Natia nodded and closed the door. She moved across the room and sat in a chair before the judge's desk. Without preamble, Natia reached into her pack, pulled out six DeCardia figurines, and placed them on the desk.

“Each of these is unique,” she said proudly.

The judge's eyes widened in appreciation as he picked one up and examined it. For several minutes the room remained silent as the judge examined each figurine closely. Finally, he smiled and sat down.

“I don't suppose these would sell for the same five hundred gold as the others?”

“Absolutely not,” grinned Natia.

“I didn't think so,” sighed the judge. “How much are they?”

“They are a gift,” Natia replied. “Both Garth and I impressed on Sidney how helpful you have been to us. He wants you to have them with his thanks.”

“A gift?” gasped the judge. “But they must be worth a fortune.”

“That might be,” shrugged Natia, “but your help in leaving Giza the last time we visited proved to be beneficial to us. We were able to close a lucrative deal a full day before the competition. Had we been forced to spend another day in Giza, we would have lost the deal. Sidney always takes care of his friends.”

“I don't know what to say,” the judge replied emotionally. “I am extremely touched by your generosity. Is there anything that I can do for you?”

“Not really,” smiled Natia. “I am just on my way through Giza and wanted to stop by and say thank you.”

“Well if anything comes up, just let me know,” replied the judge. “How is that school coming along?”

“Not well,” frowned Natia. “I am sure that you heard about Tyronia joining the Federation. With all the goods being taken out of Ur, there might not be much need for merchants any more. Sidney has put the school idea on hold.”

“I am sorry to hear that. You will not be put out of work, will you? If so, I am sure I can put in a good word for you in Giza.”

“My status is secure,” smiled Natia. “I think there will always be a need for special agents, but that may end up being the bulk of Sidney's business unless something changes.”

“That would be a shame,” stated the judge. “I think traveling merchants have a place in our society and we shouldn't be in a rush to get rid of them.”

“Obviously, I agree,” grinned Natia. “Sidney is looking at starting up a maritime company again. He thinks it might be the only way to stay in business.”

“Most of the freight movement around the Sea of Tears is by ship,” nodded Judge Julius. “Maybe Sidney is wise to look into it.”

“I couldn't help noticing that your shipyards are making a huge ship right now,” replied Natia. “I can't imagine from its size what it is intended to carry.”

“That ship is the talk of the town,” stated the judge. “The funny thing is that no one knows what it is designed for. It is monstrous.”

“That makes no sense,” frowned the gypsy princes. “Someone in town must know what it is to be used for. Why else would a shipyard build it?”

“It is being built on the orders of Emperor Jaar,” explained the judge. “Only he knows what its use will be. No one that I have spoken to has a clue what such a large ship would be used for.”

“Well,” shrugged Natia as she rose from her chair, “he must have a reason for it. I guess we will all find out when it is finished. Thank you for taking the time to see me.”

“Thank you for the wonderful figurines,” the judge smiled warmly. “I do hope you will stop by again when you come through town.”

“I will,” Natia promised as she moved across the room and let herself out of the office.

Natia moved down the stairs and out of the building. She turned and walked towards the nearest corner and as soon as she rounded it, Tedi joined her.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“The judge knew nothing about the ship other than it was ordered by Emperor Jaar. That would indicate a fair amount of secrecy is involved, or everyone would be talking about its purpose. Let's go talk with Headman.”

“And how will we find him?” asked Tedi. “Garth and Morro are the only ones who know how to contact him.”

“That is not entirely accurate,” grinned Natia as she led Tedi through the streets of Giza.

The gypsy princess led her husband into an area of expensive and fashionable shops, her eyes scanning both sides of the streets as they moved along. Abruptly she turned into a small gem shop and Tedi followed.

“Welcome to Aerta Gems,” said a young man as they entered. “How may I serve you?”

“Are you the jeweler?” Natia asked.

“I am the apprentice,” answered the young man. “My name is Mencham.”

“I believe you had dealings with a man called Garth Shado a while ago.” Natia probed. “Do you remember him?”

Mencham suddenly appeared very nervous, though he tried hard not to let it show. “Many people come into this shop,” Mencham replied vaguely. “May I ask what brings you to my shop today?”

“I work for Garth Shado,” declared Natia. “My name is Natia, and I have need to speak to your boss.”

“I am afraid that the jeweler will not be in until late in the day,” Mencham replied.

“I meant your other boss,” Natia smiled thinly. “I need to speak to Headman.”

Mencham started sweating, and his eyes darted around the room.

“Stay calm, Mencham,” urged Natia. “I know that my request is abnormal, but it is sincere. Garth was supposed to introduce me on our last visit, but as you know, we had to leave the city quickly that day. Do what you must to contact him. Tedi and I will go have the midday meal at one of the outside tables along the waterfront. He can have someone contact us there.”

Without waiting for a reply, Natia turned and left the shop with Tedi close behind. They walked swiftly towards the waterfront.

“Was that wise?” asked Tedi. “He might just turn us in to the Federation.”

“No, he won't,” Natia said confidently. “The only threat to us will come from Headman and his men. I am hoping that Morro described our whole group the last time we were in the city. If that is true, Headman will see us.”

“And if that is not true?” asked Tedi.

“They will seek to kill us,” frowned Natia, “but they will not alert the authorities. To do so would risk Mencham's position, and I suspect that he is valuable to the organization.”

“You are quick to risk our lives,” sighed Tedi.

“I do not take Headman for a fool,” replied Natia. “And if he does send men to attack us, they will die. We will not get in trouble for the deaths, because of Judge Julius. If necessary, I will complain to him about the lawlessness of Giza and describe the thieves' attempts at stealing our precious artifacts. Besides, Headman would want to know who we are before he kills us. Relax. We will be safe.”