"I suggest that you bring it to the Great Queen's attention that the play is still being performed outside the City. She can order the Chancellor to have the Harphaxi secret service take care of shutting it down. You might remind her that she'd better do it before Lysandros returns and finds out what you girls have been up to."
Sirna nodded. "I believe Lavena's afraid of her husband. She'll do whatever I suggest to placate him."
"Good. Now, Sirna, I want to completely debrief you on everything that's happened since the attack on the Royal Foundry. You don't mind, do you?"
"No, I've got nothing to hide," Sirna said, but the little voice in her head declared, except for the little bit of spying I did for Hadron Thorn. At least that's over, she told herself. I hope.
"You don't have a thing to worry about. I'll put a good word in for you with the University Study Team. I can tell them that you were doing undercover work for the Department."
IV
Great King Lysandros was seated at a table in a hastily erected building that was serving as the Grand Host's temporary headquarters reading the latest dispatches and letters. Queen Lavena's letter mentioned riots in Harphax City. He wished she'd been more informative. His Chancellor had blamed the riots on supporters of former Prince Selestros. How could that be? There was some nonsense about visions of Dralm. On top of that, Duke Kaphros, who should have been handling such matters, for all intents and purposes was on his deathbed.
What's been going on in Harphax City during my absence? he wondered.
Captain-General Demnos rushed into his room. "Grand Commander Aristocles just rode up in a rage, Your Majesty."
"Bid him enter."
The Grand Commander came in, still removing his silvered burgonet helmet. "Your Majesty, King Theovacar is evacuating with his Army!"
Now, more than ever, Lysandros regretted taking co-command of the Great Host. I should have returned to Harphax City with my bride and left all these headaches to Captain-General' Phidestros. "Says who?"
"That's what our scouts report," Aristocles said. "The Grefftscharr Army took a good drubbing from the Hostigi at the West Gate, but not bad enough to cause Theovacar to retire from the field."
Captain-General Demnos stuck his head through the door. "We've got a small party of Grefftscharrers approaching."
"Have them brought to me as soon as they arrive," Lysandros ordered. "Maybe they can tell us what's going on."
About a quarter candle later, Captain Demnos brought in the Greffan Captain-General Petrus, whom Lysandros had met once before after the disastrous Battle of the West Gate. Petrus was still wearing his battle armor, with lead splotches on the breastplate; the red and white plumes had been sliced off his helmet display. He had the grace to look thoroughly dejected.
"Your Majesty and Grand Commander, I would like to apologize for King Theovacar's sudden change in plans. However, the King has had a grave setback, and his actions must be viewed in that light. He has asked me to implore your understanding and to tell you that the alliance between Grefftscharr and the Grand Host of Styphon is still in force-"
"Then where in Regwarn is he?" Lysandros interrupted. "Theovacar's left us without a by-your-leave or explanation!"
"We have suffered a terrible reverse, Your Majesty. The Usurper Kalvan has taken Greffa City!"
"What? Wasn't it the Usurper's personal banner we saw flying on the Thagnor battlements? How can he be in two places at once?"
"That, Your Majesty, is what we were wondering. It appears that the Usurper left with his Army before our armies arrived to besiege Greffa City. The City has been taken and Kalvan has claimed suzerainty over the Princedom of Greffa!"
No wonder Theovacar flew out of here like a carrion bird after fresh kill! I would do likewise were I to learn that Phidestros had decamped his army into Harphax City.
"Is your King off to fight the Usurper?"
"No, Your Majesty. Kalvan and his army are holed up in Greffa City. It would take an Army the size of the Grand Host to crack it open and remove him. King Theovacar plans to retreat to Ult-Greffa to rebuild his army so that he can re-take that which was his."
"Then, by Galzar's Mace, how did the Usurper sieze his City?"
Captain-General Petrus winced. "We did not expect such a nefarious move by the Usurper Kalvan. None of the King's counselors or myself ever considered the thought that he might strike us in Greffa while we attacked Thagnor City! No warlord or prince has ever taken Greffa City. To us, it was unthinkable. Thus, the King left only a small garrison to hold it."
"Will the King, at the very least, maintain the northern blockade of Thagnor?" Aristocles asked.
Petrus shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think we have enough ships left in the North Fleet. The Hostigi Navy damn near destroyed every ship! The King is afraid that if he commits the South Fleet, and we suffer another reverse, there won't be enough ships left afloat to protect our own merchant fleets. If this were to happen, we would have to concede dominion of the Saltless Seas to King Kalvan. Still, he will do his best to keep the Hostigi Navy bottled up in Thagnor Harbor."
"This just keeps getting worse," Lysandros said to no one in particular. "The gods have truly cursed us!"
"It is up to the Grand Host now," Petrus said. "We will give you what limited support we can, but you will have to take Thagnor City by yourselves."
FORTY-SIX
As the last gun was seated on the South Tower, Rylla pondered the. revelations that had arrived with her husband's latest dispatch. At first she'd been shocked to learn that Kalvan had made Verkan the Trader the new King of Greffa, but on further reflection it appeared to be an inspired choice. Verkan knew the City and was respected there. He was a brilliant general and of proven loyalty to Hostigos, something even gold couldn't buy. Maybe she'd see more of her friend Dalla, too.
Of course, absorbing Greffa meant that the war with Grefftscharr would not be over until King Theovacar was killed or deposed, as he would never rest until the jewel of Greffa was restored to his Kingdom. Still, Theovacar was a wretched ruler and completely untrustworthy. In cases like this, it was better to pull out the rotten tooth immediately rather than let it sit and fester. At long last, it appeared that the gods were looking down with favor on her subjects. Once the wars were over, she would raise the greatest temple to Allfather Dralm in the known world.
The entire population of the City of Thagnor had gone wild with joy when she had publicly announced that her husband had conquered Greffa City and annexed the Princedom of Greffa to Nos-Hostigos. Many in the crowd had reacted as if the wars were over; she knew better. The wars would only end with the destruction of Styphon's House and the death of King Tneovacar, or the complete annexation of Grefftscharr.
Rylla watched as General Alkides had the middle gun elevated less than a finger joint. Now that the Grefftscharrer Fleet no longer threatened the harbor, the artillery commander had moved three of the four rifled eighteen-pounders from the North Tower to the South Tower. With these additions, there were seven big guns to rain death and destruction upon the Host's heads. They had waited almost a moon, until the Grand Host had settled into its new camp, to fire the rifled cannon, lulling the Styphoni into a false sense of security. She wouldn't want to be in Lysandros' shoes when the first shells dropped out of the sky.
The range of the rifled guns was good for a distance up to nine or ten marches, more than twice the usual range for Zarthani cannon, which would put the shells right into the middle of Grand Host's encampment. They would cause Hadron's Own Lot of death and destruction when they landed.