Wellspring of Chaos

LXV

Hagen had not been aboard the Seastag when Kharl had returned the night before, but immediately after eating the next morning, the carpenter made his way to the master’s cabin, where he knocked gingerly on the door. “Ser…it’s Kharl. I’d just heard something…thought you ought to know…”

“Come on in, carpenter.” Hagen’s voice was polite.

Kharl eased through the hatch door into the captain’s cabin. The space was large, but somehow not so large as Kharl would have guessed, with a double bunk built into the rear bulkhead, and a small closet, half-open, set into the left bulkhead. In the middle of the cabin was a circular white oak table, anchored to the deck, and behind that sat the captain. A stack of papers and parchment was at his left, and he still held a pen.

“What is it?”

“Captain…last night, I was eating at a place well away from the harbor, and there were two traders, outlanders…” Kharl went on to recount what the two had said, word for word.

When Kharl finished, Hagen nodded. He did not seem surprised. “I’d heard about the brimstone and saltpeter…but I didn’t know they could sell in Bruel.” A darkness dropped across his countenance, before he forced a smile. “I hadn’t heard about the grain because we don’t usually carry it, but it’s not surprising. Hamor’s been looking at invading Austra for years, and every so often they embargo goods, usually military equipment. They’ve had an embargo on gunpowder and cammabark for two years, but they decided on expanding that about a season ago to include brimstone and saltpeter and a few other goods.”

Kharl tried to keep his own surprise to himself. The two traders he had overheard had clearly been talking about an edict recently issued, and Hagen had known about it for nearly a season. “Is that why we’re carrying brimstone back, ser?”

Hagen grinned. “You noted that, did you?”

“I noted that it wasn’t all off-loaded at Dellash,” Kharl replied. “Why is Hamor going after Austra? Aren’t some of the lands in Candar better targets?”

“Some are weaker, but Candar lies close to Recluce. Also, it’s a long voyage from Swartheld, and under steam power, a costly one, with nowhere to stop for coal. Austra is much closer, and considerably smaller.”

“And Lord Estloch does not have many warships?”

“He does not.”

Kharl frowned. “But Austra is united under a single ruler, while Nordla has the four Lords of the Quadrant, and they agree on little, and have even fewer warships.”

“Nordla is far less prosperous, is it not?” Hagen laughed ironically. “What would be the point of spending thousands of golds, hundreds of thousands of golds perhaps, if one could not plunder the land to recover it, then tariff it heavily? Why does one seek to conquer anything?” After the briefest of pauses, Hagen went on. “Some think rulers seek fame and glory in war, but both are fleeting. No…most wars are fought for gain, either to keep another land from gaining an advantage in power and wealth or to extend one’s own power and wealth.”

“That’s not true if your land is attacked.”

“No…but you can wager-with heavy odds-that the one attacking has planned on great gain. Unless the ruler is mad, and few mad rulers survive to make war, and fewer still survive their wars. Of course, such madness is the ruin of their land and their people.”

“The Emperor of Hamor is not mad. He controls his own lands too well for that,” suggested Kharl.

“Who would know?” questioned Hagen. “In a land as vast as Hamor, the governing is done by the emperor’s minions. Good minions can conceal much about a ruler.” The captain snorted. “But you are right. The emperor is most astute, and all the world may suffer for that.”

Kharl could see that, and, despite the safety of the streets of Swartheld, he was less than certain that he would wish such a rule in either Nordla or Austra. He almost frowned, thinking that Lord West’s son Egen would-if he had the chance-govern with the power of the emperor and even less wisdom.

“That troubles you? Well it should.”

Kharl did not correct the captain. “That was all I heard, but I thought you should hear about it.” He smiled. “I thought you might already know, but I was not sure.”

“You see more than you let on, Kharl. That is a good trait.” Hagen smiled in return. “You’re welcome to remain as crew so long as you desire.”

“I thank you, ser. I’m still thinking of going ashore in Austra, but I will consider your offer, and I do thank you.”

“It’s my gain as well.” Hagen laughed, then looked down at the sheets of paper on the table before him.

Kharl stepped back and eased the hatch door closed as he left. The captain had known about the embargoes, and he remained worried about them. Despite Hagen’s laughter, the worry had shown through.

As he walked back across the main deck, Kharl realized once more that there was far more to Hagen than merely a trading captain. Kharl had heard the references to other ships, but would even a merchant factor with a number of ships have known what the Emperor of Hamor was planning a season in advance? Kharl didn’t think so, and that left the question of what exactly Hagen might be, honorable as he appeared to Kharl and to the other crew members on Hagen’s vessels.