„I'll be all right. Go on."
„Yes, Sire."
Rather than return to Habibullah, Bragi poked around the corridor. Curiosity took him to the door of the room he'd seen Gales exit. He stepped inside, looked around. The room appeared as innocent as ever.
What the devil had Gales been doing that day? He started looking around. Minutes tripped past. „Here. What's this?" He fingered a scratch in the wainscotting below hip level on the wall facing the conference chamber. A decorative boar's head was loose. It had been moved often enough to have gouged the paneling. He fiddled with it.
Something clicked. The next panel left eased back an inch. He prodded it with a toe. It swung back. He hunkered down, scrambled through, found himself in one of the innumerable hidden passageways which networked the pal ace. „I thought I knew them all," he muttered.
A moment later he was looking through a peephole at Habibullah, who was waiting patiently, arms folded and eyes halfway closed. He looked older and more tired when he didn't know he was being observed. Trebilcock and Prataxis entered the room. Michael asked, „Where's the King?"
Bragi didn't stay for Habibullah's answer. He returned the way he had come, muttering, „Gales, you belong to Michael now." He couldn't put it off any longer. No matter what Michael uncovered.
A part of him wanted to cry. He had tried hard to convince himself that he was wrong, but his intuition had scored again. He glanced in the direction of his wife's apartment. „I guess blood will tell."
His expression was bland, mild, and friendly when he returned to the conference room. „So. They beat me back. Michael, Habibullah has been telling me some things. I want you and Derel to hear him out, then add anything you can."
Habibullah started over. When he mentioned Hsung's intentions, Michael added, „My contacts say he can't take Mist seriously because she's a woman. He's treating West ern Army's area of operations like it was his own personal empire. He seems to think Mist can't touch him before the Matayangan crisis is settled."
Prataxis said, „Sire, he's one of your worst enemies among the Tervola. Breaking you is an obsession with some of them."
„So Mist kept telling me."
„He respected Lord Kuo's wishes, but I suspect he never intended to honor the commitments we made during our negotiations. He may have been playing me along to keep his superiors happy. Lately, his treatment of our caravan people has been more indicative of his thinking than anything he's said."
Bragi said, „Mist promised to straighten him out."
„What if she doesn't?" Habibullah asked.
Derel replied, „There isn't a thing we could do. Our people are at his mercy. Yours are too." To Bragi, Derel added, „Michael says it's probably only a matter of weeks till he invades the littoral. Apparently the decision to go has been made."
Michael nodded. „That's the word I get out of Throyes."
Habibullah said, „That agrees with what we've heard. And we won't be able to put up much of a fight."
„What have you got?" Bragi asked.
„Maybe ten thousand old, tired, worn-out men led by Invincibles past their primes. We couldn't engage except on the best terms. We expect to get a lot of local guerrilla support, and help from the Faithful who live in Throyen territory, but that's not enough. We've decided our strategy will be wholly partisan. Our main force has to be kept intact in case Megelin hits Sebil el Selib. The Lady Yasmid has ordered increased guerrilla activity west of the mountains, to make it more difficult for Megelin to approach the pass. But he has Beloul, el Senoussi, and Rahman. There isn't much we can do to stop them."
Bragi knew the three Royalist generals. They were smart and tough and unlikely to be deterred by partisans. Espe cially not with Magden Norath backing them.
Varthlokkur, why did you have to be such a pigheaded fool? I need you now.
„Derel, maneuvers are supposed to start next month. Can we move them up? Use them to bluff Hsung?" The planned operation was a rush by regular units to Baxendala, in the Savernake Gap, to see how quickly they could respond to a sudden eastern threat.
„Moving them up would be difficult. Credence isn't well enough to take part. Sir Gjerdrum would have to carry the whole load. And I don't think Lord Hsung would be particularly impressed anyway."
„Once the regiments are assembled, we could move up to Maisak any time he threatened to invade Hammad al Nakir. Make it look like we'll jump on his backside if he goes in. In his shoes I don't think I'd call our bluff."
„Why not?" Michael asked.
„If he gets us stirred up he'll get too far on Mist's bad side. She doesn't want him starting new wars while the Matayangan thing is so iffy. He didn't make army com mander doing stupid things."
Sourly, Prataxis observed, „The only way to run a bluff is not to be bluffing. We can't do that. Our home situation is too precarious. And Lord Hsung knows it."
„Michael?"
„Derel is right. The Captures match polarized everybody. We're not very strong right now. There would be rioting if it looked like most of the army was moving through the Gap."
Ragnarson sighed. „You'll just have to increase your efforts, Michael."
„There are more of them than there are of me. Without the Unborn to ferret them out... ."
„Do your best. Habibullah, I'm sorry you had to hear all our woes. You've got problems of your own."
„We all have troubles, Sire. You and the Lady Yasmid are fighting for the survival of ideals. The struggle has used up most of your resources, but you can't let yourselves betray your beliefs. That's why the Lady is proposing we share resources."
Bragi grunted noncommittally. Yasmid was no more enthusiastic about this than he. His participation, such as it was, was an acquiescence to necessity.
Someone tapped on the door. The guard leaned in. „Sire, Captain Haas wants a word with you."
„Excuse me." Bragi stepped into the corridor. „What is it, Dahl?"
„Trouble in the Thing, Sire. Mundwiller says the Estates are pushing a motion of censure. He says you'd better show up to defend yourself."
„What do you think, Dahl?"
„I think he's right, Sire. They're in a mean mood."
Bragi sighed dramatically. „All right. Give me a minute here." He stepped inside. „I have to go over to the Thing. Derel, you and Michael go ahead and talk to Habibullah. Habibullah, I trust them completely. Hammer out your deal. Michael, I have a job for you. Gales. He's been listening in." He tapped the wall. „Hidden passageway."
Trebilcock looked unhappy. „I'll take care of it." He exchanged glances with Prataxis.
Bragi stepped into the corridor. „Let's go give them hell, Dahl."
Trebilcock stared at Habibullah for half a minute. „Tell me what we can do for you. Really. Other than make gestures, I don't see much myself."
„You could provide weapons. You have a considerable stockpile taken during the Great Eastern Wars. You could share intelligence. You have other assets we don't. Especial ly the wizard."
Michael concealed his surprise. Habibullah hadn't heard about the big split? Interesting. But then, the match was all the talk in the streets these days.
„I do, yes. As to the weapons, the army has those."
Derel said, „The King would let us deal them. Can you deliver them, Michael?"
Trebilcock nodded. Aral's smugglers could handle that end. For a price, of course.
Prataxis went on. „There's no problem, then. Let's say arms for five thousand men. What can you do for us, Habibullah?"
„The Lady Yasmid has suggested a loan of the Harish."
Trebilcock met Derel's eye. Each man wore an expression so blank the other knew it was studied. „The Harish?" Michael asked.
„The cult has dwindled. There are fewer than a hundred left. The survivors are an occasional embarrassment. The Lady would like them used up profitably. Preferably away from home. They could do you a lot of good."