“Was that magic?” asked Shel. “Or are you crazy?”
“I am not crazy yet,” Lyra answered as she slid past the woman and returned to the table.
She sat down and grabbed a piece of dried meat from the pile of rations on the table. She ate slowly and was only peripherally aware of Shel sitting opposite her.
“Is there really a ship of food coming into port?” asked Shel.
“There is,” nodded Lyra. “There will be enough food to feed the city for a few days. There will be other ships following it.”
“Who are you?” inquired Shel as she stared at Lyra.
“My name is Lyra,” answered the Star of Sakova. “I grew up not too far to the north of here.”
“At the Academy of Magic?” gasped Shel. “I remember the ruckus when the academy was attacked. There was a young woman named Lyra who escaped. That is you, isn’t it? That is how you know magic.”
“It is me,” conceded Lyra.
Shel’s mouth opened wide and her eyes grew large as she stared at Lyra.
“Rumors say that young Lyra went on to become the leader of the Sakovans,” Shel said softly. “Is that what your problem is? You were supposed to offer food to the city in return for peace? Is that your plan?”
“That was my plan,” admitted Lyra. “The Imperial Guards will no longer allow our caravans to deliver food to Omungan cities, so I arranged to have it sent by ship. I was supposed to get the mayor to pledge to stay out of the war in return for food. I have failed.”
“Posh,” replied Shel. “You have not failed at all. It will still take some time for that ship to dock. I will take you to Mayor Robit myself. I am sure that he will agree to your conditions. The people of Gatong do not care for war in any event. What has he got to lose?”
“Why would he make any agreements when he will get the food anyway?” asked Lyra. “Besides, I cannot negotiate such a thing when I already know that the food is coming regardless of what he says.”
“You did not ask for any conditions when your caravans came here,” stated Shel. “Those caravans saved many people. Your ships will save many more. How can any Omungan want to kill people who are so generous?”
“Omungans will do what the Katana demands,” answered Lyra. “That is how it has always been.”
“Do you believe that we Omungans are evil?” asked Shel.
“Of course not,” frowned Lyra. “Why would I think such a thing? I grew up as an Omungan. The Omungans in the east have welcomed me to their cities, but Gatong is not the east. The Katana’s rule is much stronger here.”
“Do you send food to the eastern cities of Omunga?” asked Shel.
“Every day,” nodded Lyra. “Actually, they are no longer Omungan cities. Zaramilden, Duran, and Alamar have become Sakovan cities.”
“You conquered them?” gasped Shel.
“No,” Lyra replied swiftly. “There have been no battles in this war except with the armies invading the heart of the Sakova. The cities of the east have long felt abandoned by the Katana. There were rather eager to join the Sakova.”
“And you were hoping to do the same here in Gatong?” asked Shel.
“My hopes were not that high,” replied Lyra. “I do not expect the western cities to go against the Katana. My hopes were that the Imperial Guards stationed here would stay out of the war in return for free food. If I could get such guarantees from Fortung and Gatong, my people could focus on the armies of Okata.”
“You would be asking these cities to turn their backs on the Katana,” mused Shel. “That is a hard thing for a general to do. You cannot expect them to remain idle while you attack Okata. They will be called to attack you from behind. Surely you realize this?”
“I suppose you are right,” sighed Lyra. “For generations the Sakovans have hidden in the Sakova and the Omungans have tried to destroy them. This time is different. The current Katana appears to care about nothing other than the complete destruction of the Sakovan people. We have no choice but to fight.”
“And you are eagerly seeking a way that you can win,” nodded Shel. “That is understandable.”
“No,” Lyra shook her head. “We will win this war. What I am trying to accomplish is minimizing the number of Omungans that must die for our victory. We have no quarrel with the people of Omunga. We would be ecstatic if they would merely overthrow their Katana and leave us in peace, but this is not going to happen. The next best solution is to destroy only the main armies of the Katana that seek to destroy us. That is why I want as many cities as possible to stay out of this war.”
“And what will you do with your new Sakovan cities after the war?” asked Shel. “Will you abandon them?”
“No,” Lyra answered. “Those people freely chose to become part of the Sakova. They will be treated as part of the family they have become. Even those cities that we must conquer will be treated with respect and welcomed into the Sakova.”
“Come,” Shel said as she rose from her chair. “We have little time to catch the mayor before your ship arrives.”
“It is too late,” Lyra shook her head. “I cannot put up a false front when I know that the food is coming no matter what the mayor says.”
“Posh,” smiled Shel. “You will come with me and tell the mayor what you just told me. There is no need for deception. Be honest about what you want. He can only say no, but you lose any chance to keep Gatong out of this war if you do not at least ask.”
“Alright,” Lyra sighed as she rose and followed Shel.
The Gatong woman guided the Star of Sakova to the mayor’s building. The walk was short, but Shel said hello to dozens of people before they reached the building. They entered the building, and Shel announced that they wanted to see Mayor Robit. They were directed along a short corridor where two Imperial Guards stood sentry outside a door. Shel led the way through the doorway.
Inside the room a balding man sat at a large desk, and an Imperial Guard general stood before it. The balding mayor looked up with curiosity at the intrusion. The general turned and stared at the two women. His eyes grew large and his jaw dropped as he stared at Lyra.
“The Star of Sakova!” shouted the general. “Seize her.”
Lyra’s heart rose to her throat, as she stood frozen staring at the general. She heard the scuffling of feet behind her, but she could not move. Suddenly, a heavy weight hit the back of her head, and her vision spun into darkness.
Chapter 23
The Blunder
Shel gasped as the two Imperial Guards caught Lyra’s falling body. They quickly dragged the Star of Sakova from the room, and Shel shook her head sadly.
“How did you recognize her?” asked Mayor Robit.
“She was wanted after the attack on the Academy of Magic,” replied General Papper. “A picture of her was distributed at that time. I would never forget her face.”
“I can’t believe that you memorize the pictures of all law-breakers,” scoffed the mayor.
“Of course not,” balked the general, “but this one was different. She managed to slip through our fingers in Gatong. I was severely reprimanded by General Didyk personally for that failure. When it was later learned that she was truly the Star of Sakova, I was forced to give up all of my dreams of ever commanding a major army. Perhaps her capture now will redeem me.”
“You are a fool,” spat Shel as she stared at the general with disgust. “Our people are starving and all you can think of is your personal career?”
“Don’t think I have forgotten who escorted the enemy into this room,” snapped the general as he whirled to face Shel. “It is strange to see the Star of Sakova escorted by a citizen of Gatong. Perhaps you are a Sakovan spy.”
“Nonsense,” the mayor blurted out. “Shel is a fine upstanding citizen of Gatong. I doubt that she even knew who the woman was.”
“Oh, I knew who she was,” asserted Shel. “She didn’t tell me at first, but I figured it out. She wanted to talk to the mayor about peace so I brought her here. I wish I had not.”