The Fireseed Wars

II

Kalvan's cabin aboard the Prince Ptosphes was full of tobacco smoke, fire-seed fumes, stale fish odors and the stench that comes from men crowded together for a moon with no bathing. The Hostigi fleet had silenced the Thagnor City guns, all three of them, giant stone-throwing iron bombards that took half an hour to load. Only one of them had time to fire before a broadside from the Prince Ptosphes knocked it and its crew head over heels, taking a good portion of the wall with it. A petty officer using one of the University's primitive telescopes had reported that the other two guns had been unseated and were out of action-at least for this battle.

Kalvan wished he could climb the rigging and watch the battle from the crow's nest himself, but Admiral Herad would have been scandalized. He was the Great King, even if only in name, and had to act the part. Kalvan could have ordered a halt to the bombardment the moment the guns were silenced, but he wanted to create a diversion until the gunboats had time to reach the docks. Once they'd arrived, he'd order his Marines into Thagnor City when the Army of the Saltless Seas entered from the other side.

The only remaining obstacle was the old tarr on Eryn Wolan (Belle Isle), a huge fort with almost a dozen antiquated bombards and some six hundred men. Vart-Burgult had controlled the passage through the Burgult straits for three hundred years, providing Thagnor with tolls and tariffs that had made the Princedom a rich prize. Once the City and outlying areas were under Hostigi colors, Kalvan would ask for Vart-Burgult's surrender.

If the fools inside refused, he'd give them a few months of short rations, then ask again. He didn't want to besiege the fort since it was so well situated that he'd lose hundreds of good men despite his advantage in fireseed. Nor did he want to destroy the walls. Not when he could outwait them through the winter and get the castle for a few bushels of squash and barley cakes.

Captain Mykos, his adjutant, ran into the cabin, "Phrames' troops have entered the City! We got word that the Prince has breached the city walls in three places and has met with minimal resistance. As you predicted, Your Majesty, the Army of Thagnor is a paper panther."

There was another ragged volley of cannon fire and Kalvan had to open his mouth wide to keep his ears from plugging up. "We should control Thagnor City by nightfall," he shouted. "Count Vinaldos, what have you been able to learn about the fort's provisions?"

"Your Majesty, one of the prisoners we took yesterday was a former guard at Vart-Burgult. He claims that they're supposed to keep two seasons' worth of victuals, but they're usually short because the Prince's purchasing agents buy the cheapest bread, beans and salt pork, much of the meat spoiled or worm ridden. The bread is hard as stone and full of weevils. He said there's usually not more than two moons worth of edible rations in the fort."

"That's what I expected. We'll send a herald and offer the castellan terms. If they refuse, by mid-winter they should be down to shoe leather and harness belts. Then they'll be eager to parley."

Vinaldos frowned. "The fort will keep our new fleet tied down to the shorefront, Your Majesty."

Kalvan smiled. "We're not going anywhere this year, Count. Winter is on the way. It'll give us an opportunity to make repairs and refit the Thagnori fleet." He paused while the Ptosphes fired another broadside. The ship shuddered and then, when the last gun went off, slowly rocked back and forth, the rigging creaking and gun crews shouting hoarsely aboveboard.

"That will give us time to put more guns on the ships. Plus, we'll be busy repairing and rebuilding the city walls. I want bastions, palisades and gun emplacements along all of the outer walls, as well as earthworks and bigger and thicker walls-maybe even a third outer wall to protect some of the outlying farms. They probably won't come this winter, but by next spring I expect to find the Grand Host knocking on our gates. I want the walls strong enough that they'll repulse anything the Styphoni can throw at us. I want them to gnaw on trees and chew rocks while we toss them cannon balls and shells from safe behind our walls.

"But first, we have to win over the Thagnori people."

Count Vinaldos smiled. "Former Prince Varrack has made that easy for us, Your Majesty. Varrack is the worst sort of tyrant, one who cares not one whit for his people and parades the wealth and goods he has stolen from them right before their eyes! The Thagnori taxes are so high that the City's population has been in decline for years. The poor and wretched number over half the Princedom's population. Many are free men in name only. Most of the work is done by slaves and indentured servants. Even the nobles and merchants are disgusted with his highhanded ways and misuse of City Treasury funds. It will not be difficult to win their loyalty, even their love.

"However, Your Majesty, the same will not be true of his neighbors."