“Shall we go visit the garden then?” asked Latril. “It might be a good opportunity to find out what is happening at Fardale.”
“An excellent idea,” nodded Lord Marak.
“Make sure the door is locked this time,” urged Latril as she stepped out of the suite. “We don’t want anything else to turn up missing.”
“I am quite sure it was locked yesterday,” frowned Lord Marak. “Why someone would enter and steal one of my Sakovan stars is beyond me. Let’s get to the garden before some lord corners me with questions that I would rather not answer.”
Lord Marak and Latril made their way out the back of the palace and into the Imperial Gardens. The gardens were lush and well cared for. Paths wound their way through tall hedges. Flowers beds dotted the landscape and benches were set under tall shade trees. It was a beautiful and peaceful place.
Latril wove an air tunnel to Fardale as she sat next to Lord Marak on one of the benches. When she made the connection there was a short pause while someone summoned Lord Marshal Yenga.
“Are you safe?” asked the Lord Marshal.
“I am,” answered Lord Marak. “I may be stirring up a hornet’s nest here, but I do not feel in danger yet.”
“Well you are,” replied Yenga. “Our troops successfully turned the tables on the ambushers. Your enemy is Lord Patel of the Nordon clan, and he is a member of the Lords’ Council.”
“Do we have a prisoner who will talk?” questioned Lord Marak.
“We have two,” Yenga responded, “but there is more. When our troops were cleaning up and interrogating the prisoners, they were interrupted by a mediator from the Lords’ Council. It was Katzu, the one who came to Watula Valley over the Sorgan conflict.”
“I remember him,” responded Lord Marak. “So is this knowledge public now?”
“No,” Yenga replied with a suppressed chuckle. “Katzu is a witness and has promised not to divulge the information until he hears from you. I think that might help you in negotiations with the Lords’ Council.”
“There may not be negotiations,” frowned Lord Marak. “What estate did the ambushers come from?”
“They are from the main estate of the Nordon clan,” answered the Lord Marshal, “but they used a small Nordon estate to launch the attack. It is located near Deep Bend.”
“What is the size of the Nordon forces posted there?” inquired the Torak lord.
“Around two cortes,” answered Yenga. “It is a minor Nordon estate. It is primarily an apple orchard although they do grow some other crops. Lord Patel does not bother with large detachments at his smaller estates. Common thinking is nobody would be fool enough to attack a member of the Lords’ Council.”
“Once again I believe we will shatter common thinking,” vowed Lord Marak.
“Think long and hard about this, Lord Marak,” warned Lord Marshal Yenga. “You will be inviting open warfare with a member of the Lords’ Council. His armies are large enough to crush all of your clans. You may temporarily hold one of his small estates, but he will crush you.”
“Have the two cortes that were sent with the caravan regroup near Deep Bend,” ordered Lord Marak. “They are to stay out of sight and keep in contact with you. Their mage is to speak to you twice daily. Is that understood?”
“It is,” Lord Marshal Yenga replied with worry in his voice. “There is more. Fisher reported that several eastern estates are flush with Jiadin warriors. He spotted at least three estates overflowing with Jiadin. He estimates around five thousand per estate. Is there a chance that someone is trying to continue Grulak’s plan?”
“I don’t know,” Lord Marak replied as he heard footsteps approaching. “Try to find out.”
Lord Marak signaled Latril, and she changed the pressure in the air tunnel so that Lord Marshal Yenga could still hear, but his voice would not come through. She didn’t want him to be concerned with an abrupt ending to the conversation.
“Lord Marak,” greeted the Imperial soldier. “I have been sent to notify you that Emperor Bagora would like to see you. You can go up the staircase nearest the entrance to the palace when you get back inside. At the top of the staircase, turn to the left. Do you require an escort?”
“No,” Lord Marak shook his head as he stood. “Your directions should be good enough. Latril, return to our quarters, and I will return there shortly.”
Even though he had not requested an escort, the Imperial soldier accompanied Lord Marak as far as the back entrance to the palace. When Lord Marak went up the stairs, the Imperial soldier went down, presumably to get some food.
Lord Marak wondered what the Emperor would say to him when he arrived. The small amount of talking the Emperor had done during the morning session had revealed little about the man. The Torak lord was quite curious.
As Lord Marak reached the top of the staircase, he heard voices in the distance. He turned to his left and walked along a broad corridor with a number of doorways opening off of it. Lord Marak could see two Imperial soldiers standing halfway down the corridor. They appeared to be standing guard outside a doorway and Lord Marak assumed that is where the Emperor would be found. He strode purposely towards the guards.
Before Lord Marak reached the doorway, Emperor Bagora and Lord Woton stepped out of the room as if they were on their way to a meeting. They were talking to each other in a friendly and jovial manner. Lord Marak frowned at being asked to a meeting and then abandoned. He shook his head in confusion as he gazed at the floor.
Suddenly, the air sang with the twirling of a star. Lord Marak’s head snapped up in time to see the projectile sink into the neck of Lord Woton. Lord Woton screamed briefly before he fell to the floor. Everything happened at once. One Imperial guard dove at the Emperor, knocking his body back out of the corridor and into the room he had been leaving. Lord Marak spun around in search of the assassin, while the second Imperial guard ran and tackled Lord Marak.
Lord Marak wondered what was going on as running footsteps pounded from every direction.
“I’ve caught him,” shouted the Imperial guard. “Get help immediately.”
Chapter 12
To Free the Torak
The door to the Torak quarters in the Imperial Palace burst open, and Imperial soldiers filed in with swords drawn. Botal leaped to his feet, but an Imperial soldier held a sword to his chest.
“Nobody moves,” shouted an Imperial soldier with gold trim on his uniform. “If you move, you die.”
The Torak soldiers remained unmoving as the Imperial soldiers began gathering the Torak weapons and carrying them out of the room.
“Who are you, and why are you here?” asked Squad Leader Botal
“I am Marshal Chack of the Imperial Army,” declared the soldier with gold trim. “My men are removing your weapons so that none of your men do anything foolish.”
“And why would my men disobey the orders that weapons remain in our quarters?” questioned Botal. “None of them have violated any rules so far.”
“That may be so,” shrugged the Imperial Marshal, “but your lord has. He has attempted to assassinate the Emperor.”
“That is preposterous,” frowned Botal. “Lord Marak has no reason to wish harm upon the Emperor. And even if he did, he would never act in a dishonorable fashion. You are wrong.”
“He also wouldn’t miss,” interjected Halman. “You said he attempted to kill the Emperor. The fact that the Emperor lives should be proof enough that Lord Marak is not the one that you seek.”
“Be quiet, Halman,” Botal said sharply. “Marshal Chack, I implore you to investigate this affair thoroughly before condemning Lord Marak. I know my lord well, and I will guarantee that he wishes Emperor Bagora no harm.”