The Fireseed Wars

TEN

Kalvan and Rylla held their strategy meeting before his private audience with Ambassador Dykar of the Nythros City States. The Nythros City States was at the site of Otherwhen Cleveland, Ohio and, like Renaissance Milan or Venice, was only one city-state with several large suburbs, which had probably been important towns in their own right a few hundred years ago. Nythros reminded Kalvan of Venice, with its Council of Oligarchs and Doge, only the Nythrosi called their Council the Family of Five and their Doge was titled Koynig, which meant king in Urgothi.

Ranjar Sargos, the current leader of the Sastragath, called himself Var-Wannax-which meant Great Leader and was the linguistic equivalent of Great King (Hos-Vanax) in Zarthani. The Sastragathi tongue was an interesting analogue to Mycenaean Greek and proto-Germanic tongues. In the Great Lakes Urgothi, Sargos would have been called Grot-Koynig-the title that King (Koynig) Theovacar would embroil his kingdom in civil war to obtain.

"What makes you think we can trust this oily snake, Dykar?" Rylla asked.

Kalvan took a moment to clean out the ash from his pipe barrel. He had to choose his words carefully with Rylla, before she drew the wrong conclusion. Paranoia was a normal state of mind among the Zarthani leadership-Urgothi, too, if Theovacar and Varrack were prime examples-and he didn't want to trip any of her preset mental alarms.

"Dykar is a typical ambassador; just think of Duke Skranga with charm."

Rylla hooted. "You mean Skranga without food stains on his robe and wearing a wig?"

"Exactly. In the right clothes, Skranga could pass as an ambassador; Dralm knows he can speak circles around most of the breed."

Rylla shook her head. "That would be a sight to see. I wonder how the old fraud is doing in Hos-Bletha?"

"Quite well," said Kalvan, "according to the last dispatch we got from Colonel Ranthar. Their pretender king is causing no end of mischief and it's doubtful that the Grand Host will see any reinforcements from Hos-Bletha for several winters. I just wish all of our plans had been so successful."

"Do not blame yourself, my love." She came over and gave him a big hug. Only the interruption of Cleon arriving with more tea stopped it from turning into something far more fun and definitely more interesting than a discussion about upcoming negotiations with the Nythrosi ambassador.

Kalvan took a sip of his boiling hot (he liked his tea and coffee hot) Ginseng tea, which had the highest caffeine content of any of the local brews. He would have mounted an expedition to central Ethiopia (without the Ottoman Turks, it was doubtful that coffee would have been introduced into Europe), if he had an ocean-worthy craft and more than a few stolen moments, to bring back a sampling of coffee trees. He missed his morning and afternoon coffee pick-me-ups more than he missed listening to the Pirates' baseball games on radio, cold beer or a hot shower!

"Phrames told me that the word in Greffa is that the trade war between Grefftscharr and the Nythros City States is about to go from simmer to boil, if the Nythrosi don't back down. Nythros has been encroaching on several areas the Grefftscharri tend to think of as their own turf-Baltor and Morthron. I believe the Nythrosi may need us as much as we need them, with the enmity of Grefftscharr making us both 'friends.' So, there's no charity here, or reason for double-dealing. Not at the moment."

"I'm glad you clarified that," Rylla replied. "The Nythrosi have a reputation for duplicity and back stabbing. Enough so that we'd even heard about it in distant Hostigos."

"Your warning will be taken into consideration. They're also building up their navy so they need gold-and that we've got."

"Be careful with our Treasury, my husband. Once that's gone, it will be hard to replace."

"I know. Thirteen million ounces of gold seems like a lot, until you have half a million mouths to feed. I will wring the best deal from Dykar I can. We are in far more desperate straits than Nythros: we don't have a potential war, we're in the middle of one. Meanwhile, we have to mount a full-blown invasion while being chased by a buffalo herd called the Grand Host that's about to run us over. We can't expect this gift of time to go on for much longer. As soon as Grand Master Soton returns from Balph, the pursuit will begin. And I mean for all of us to be out of here before that happens. You, my love, will be in Rathon City pinning the ears of that traitorous dog Nestros."

"Not pinning, my husband, but cutting! How many temples of Styphon was he ordered to build after his meeting with former First Speaker Anaxthenes?"

"Sixteen rebuilt and fifty new ones, although some are too far away to pursue and others are still being built. You should be able to sack at least half a dozen of them at fifty thousand ounces of gold a temple. Wasn't that the estimate Harmakros came up with for the amount of gold leaf on a typical Styphon's House Temple dome?"

"Yes, and twice that for the Grand Temples, such as the one at Rathon City!"

"Well, a few of those will go a long way to paying the passage money for the Army of the Saltless Seas that I'll be taking to Thagnor."

"Agreed. My Army of the Trygath will pay for its own way and the storehouses of Rathon City will feed our multitudes. We will not be so fastidious in this war, my husband, about 'living off the land' as you so graciously put it. However, we will step more carefully once we enter Rathon."

Kalvan smiled. I'm so glad we're back on the same page, he thought happily. Things had been bleak before for the Kingdom of Hos-Hostigos; now they were absolutely pitch black. It was do or die time and he meant to see that he and his dynasty kept on living. With no Xentos to restrain her, and Prince Phrames with the Army of the Saltless Seas, Rylla would be free to do that which she did best-drive and conquer. Captain-General Hestophes would lead the van with Prince Sarrask commanding the rear guard. Rylla had a lot of responsibility; half a million Hostigi lives depended upon her judgment-as well as the survival of their dynasty.

Earlier they had divided up the Royal Army-he was taking ten thousand men, including most of the Royal Army infantry, all the light mobile guns and Galzar's Teeth, the brass sixteen-pounder, in case they had to do some serious breaking and entering. The Army of the Trygath got two batteries and the huge thirty-two pounder the gunner's had named The Fat Duchess. For cavalry, he was adding what was left of the Mobile Force, about a thousand horse, and his Life Guard and the Hostigi Heavy Horse, about three hundred of what would have been called men-at-arms or knights back on otherwhen. Rylla got most of the cavalry, the Army of Observation (less the Mobile Force) and all the Princely infantry and horse for her Army of the Trygath, some twenty-five thousand strong. He let her keep the First Hostigos Rifles, the only rifle-armed infantry regiment which combined the survivors of the original First and Second Hostigos Rifles regiments.

Rylla had refused his Tymannian Guard, saying that Xykos and his Beefeaters were more than up to the task of guarding her. They now had a new cavalry regiment, Queen Rylla's Own Horse Guard, to protect her during battle. It had taken half a moon to find a horse large enough to seat Grand-Captain Xykos comfortably-for the horse, that is-only a captured destrier from the Zarthani Knights would do!

He'd had one of the Royal Scribes write up a duplicate list of the men, armaments and provisions he was taking with him so that he could present it to the Nythrosi Ambassador. He was just finishing his tea when Cleon entered.

"The Nythrosi Ambassador has arrived, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Cleon. Is he in the audience chamber?"

"Yes, sire. I did as you requested. And, I had two of your Guard placed behind the screen as you requested."

After the last assassination attempt a week ago, he wasn't taking any chances. The two men behind the screen would have rifled pistols with the order to kill if there was any hostile move on the Ambassador's part towards his person. After a supposedly friendly Agrysi nobleman had tried to open his breastplate, using a poignard as a can opener, Kalvan no longer trusted strangers or retainers who hadn't been old hands around Tarr-Hostigos. As Rylla liked to point out, the death of Great King Kalvan was worth more than an entire army to the Styphoni! The bounty on his life was one million ounces of gold. Vanar Halgoth and his Bodyguard now frisked anyone entering his audience chambers, public and private. If they didn't like it, they could argue it out with Halgoth. Wisely, Kalvan thought, few chose that course of action.

The Ambassador was sitting in the chair facing the private throne-the Fireseed Thrones were in the public audience chamber-which formerly held Prince Kestophes' chair-of-office. The Prince was restricted to his current quarters, the mansion of one of his Dukes. Kalvan had enough problems without having to listen to underlings who didn't know when or how to shut their yaps. If his attitude didn't quickly improve, Kestophes might find himself leading a rear guard action against the Grand Host-a suicide post if Kalvan ever heard of one.

Ambassador Dykar made a strong visual statement; he was well over a lance in height (about six-foot two back home) and dressed in the latest Urgothi, or Spanish-style, garments as Kalvan called them-he would have represented the height of fashion under Philip II. He wore a high crowned hat and a peapod doublet with a thick ruff neckpiece that would have been called a St. John's Platter back in otherwhen. Dykar bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, it is good to meet you at last."

"Yes, Ambassador Dykar. Please have a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Ambassador then passed over his credentials, which explained that he had the power to make treaties and agreements in the Name of the Koynig and the Family of Five. It was more of an open portfolio than Kalvan had expected; Ambassador Dykar was highly placed indeed. Unfortunately, he had no one in his own cabinet who could brief him on Nythros politics or the who's who of the City State."

"I would like to speak frankly here, Your Excellency."

"Anything you say to me, Your Majesty, will go no farther than Koynig Harthmann's ears and those of the Family of Five. You have my word of honor."

Kalvan had to accept that or else insult the Ambassador. "Of course, Your Excellency. I desire enough ships to transport thirteen thousand men and two thousand horses from Ulthor Port to Thagnor City."

The Ambassador's pupils widened, but otherwise he remained impassive. "That could be arranged. However, we had been under the understanding that we would be transporting civilians and some guard units."

Kalvan smiled and stretched his arms out, opening his hands. "We did not want other ears to learn of Our plans."

Ambassador Dykar nodded thoughtfully. "Probably wise, in this instance, Your Majesty, as rumors have it that Koynig Theovacar has intelligencers stationed in Ulthor Port. We even recognized one or two at the docks."

"If you would be so kind as to give any names and descriptions to my Chief Intelligencer, General Klestreus, I would be most appreciative."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

Kalvan used his bell pull to alert Cleon. A moment, later his body servant entered and was told to have Klestreus wait outside the Audience Chamber for the Ambassador.

"Thank you. That will be most helpful. We may be able to use one rat to catch the entire nest."

"It is wise, Your Majesty, to take precautions when one has the opportunity," the Ambassador said. "Thirteen thousand men will require the use of a fleet. However, we have some sixty troop transports, each carrying around one hundred-and-fifty men and fifty horses, sitting at our docks in Nythros. Our galleys are as large as Grefftscharri galleys, holding almost a hundred marines. We have almost thirty of them in the Western Fleet. That should be enough to transport the bulk of your forces."

Kalvan shrugged his shoulders. "Now, how much would your superiors regard as fair price for transporting these men and horses to outside Thagnor City?"

The Ambassador hemmed and hawed for a moment. 'Your Majesty does realize that our transporting your Army from Ulthor Port to Thagnor City may be regarded by their overlord, Koynig Theovacar, as an act of war."

Kalvan said, "On the other hand, your current dispute about trade rights with Morthron Town is enough provocation for Theovacar to declare war- were he of such a mind. Is this not true?"

Ambassador Dykar replied, "It is a good summation of the current impasse, Your Majesty. In regards to the cost of passage, our Koynig has declared fair and reasonable value at two ounces of gold per man and twenty per horse."

Kalvan leaned back on his throne, his face a bland mask. This was about twice the going rate for civilians, and about half of what he'd been afraid the Nythrosi might charge. A good deal, since it would only cost him somewhere in the vicinity of sixty thousand ounces of gold. Kalvan held out his hands, both palms open. "We have a deal."

The Ambassador looked disappointed, as if he were really hoping that Kalvan might refuse his terms or had missed a good haggling session. But, he laid his hands atop Kalvan's, sealing the deal by local custom. "Agreed, Your Majesty. I will send word to Nythros to have the galleys and transports come to Ulthor Port. That will take about a moon half."

"That is acceptable, Your Excellency."

"Now that we have closed our negotiations, Your Majesty. May I inquire as to your plans once we land your force outside of Thagnor City?"

Kalvan shook his head. "You may draw your own conclusions, but Our plans are a state secret. However, they will not endanger your City State and We will welcome you as allies if Koynig Theovacar decides to dispute your claims with hostilities."

Dykar looked him over like a card shark looking for a tell. Seeing none, he said, "Your Majesty, I would like to see our states united in purpose against the rapacity of Koynig Theovacar and his dynasty. I will inform our Koynig and the Family of Five of your words."

"Very good," Kalvan said. He suspected that the only way the Nythrosi would press for an alliance was if war were to break out with Grefftscharr; otherwise, thanks but no thanks. You're on your own.

"Now, on a more delicate subject, Your Majesty. How would you like those funds to be transferred? We can take specie or banknotes."

"I have banknotes drawn on the Great Banking House of Styphon. I would prefer to use those." For two reasons, thought Kalvan, it amuses me to finance our getaway with Styphon's Own gold taken from parchment banknotes I found in their temples that we sacked. Secondly, we have to use them soon before Styphon's House realizes that we have them and comes up with a way to cancel them!

If Dykar saw any irony in King Kalvan using Styphon's own funds to escape from Styphon's Grand Host, it didn't show on his face. I'd hate to play poker against this s.o.b.!, Kalvan thought. "I'll have my Treasurer present you banknotes worth around one hundred thousand ounces of gold and your agent can present them to your Koynig. All balance remaining can be credited to Our account."

"Very good, Your Majesty. I'll send them off on the Relentless, one of our largest galleys, as no pirate would be foolish enough to challenge her in open waters."