Dark Quest Page 13

  “Well, yes, but what is this leading to, Colonel? It is beginning to sound like an interrogation.”

  “I do not intend to interrogate you, General. That is beyond my station. Allow me two more questions and a favor. Is it treason to order the murder of an officer of the King’s Army?”

  “Yes, unless the execution was ordered by the rightful King of Targa.”

  “You have eighteen thousand men under your command. When you issue an arrest warrant for a soldier and state that he is wanted for the assassination of the King, how many of those men do you suppose would rather kill the culprit than bring him in?”

  “Are you suggesting that Tork was killed by his own men? I should’ve guessed. You’re right. I should never have expected to see Tork brought in alive. Well, no matter. Look, Colonel, I tire of these games you play. You say that you are loyal to the King. I shall be watching to make sure that you are.”

  “General, you are forgetting my favor. You and I have never been bitter rivals. We’ve toyed with each other and always tried to best the other, but I think we have always had respect for one another. I know that I have the utmost respect in your capability for battle strategy. I have seen no finer. I also know that we are heading into a war with Sordoa and it will be your strategy that wins that war. All of this brings me to my request for a favor.”

  “Go on. Out with it,” snapped the General.

  “If in the next few weeks you should feel the need to resign, I would consider it a personal favor if you would delay your resignation until after the war with Sordoa.”

  “What are you about, Colonel?” shouted General Clark. “If you think you are going to force me out of office, you overestimate yourself. I’ll have you cleaning chamber pots if you try to cross me.”

  “General, I mean you no ill. I am quite sincere in my request. I think Targa needs your talent and I know that you are a man of honor. I fear that if situations arose that caused you to consider your actions, you might inadvertently weaken Targa’s strategic capability. In short, General, I don’t want to force you out. I want to make sure that you stay in. I want you in charge of those eighteen thousand men, not somebody else.”

  The Colonel turned and handed the General an envelope. “Oh, by the way, I didn’t have time to turn in my report on the assassination of King Eugene. I am sorry for my tardiness.”

  The general looked fatigued. He took the envelope and returned to his office. The talk with the Colonel had been nonsense. He had planned on making the Colonel squirm so that he might make a mistake. Instead, the General felt like he was being set up for a fall. He opened the envelope and slid out the report.

  What nonsense was this? The King was killed first, then the guards. No tracks in the blood. King Olweg’s sword missing. Bodies cold but blood still flowing. Use of magic Freeze Ball. Murderer had to be known or expected by the King and guards. Ah, now the General understood. Put Gregor’s report together with the fact that Tork’s men killed him because of the warrant and the General was supposed to resign in dishonor. Nice try, Colonel, but it wouldn’t work. The General had acted on the orders of the rightful King and that absolved him of any guilt.

  Chapter 11

  Discovery

  Alex and his ten Rangers were camped out in a small clearing in the dense forest not far from Tagaret. He had used these woods for training exercises in the early days of the Rangers and it was the agreed upon meeting place for the Ranger teams he had spread across the country. All week, teams of the elite force had been checking in with their cargoes of Black Devils. There were not many live murderers among the wagons. His Rangers suffered very few casualties because their attacks on the bandits were sudden and surprising. Many of the bodies bore the same black skull seared into their flesh. Each of the Ranger teams was informed of developments and given new instructions. They were then dismissed and sent to Tagaret to unload their cargoes. Alex and his small band of men were waiting for only a few more teams to arrive before leaving for the city.

  Colonel Gregor stood watching six more wagons enter the Palace. They had been arriving all week and a problem was developing over the disposal of the bodies. Identities were no longer being checked because there were so many of them and not enough people to commit to the task. The Palace cells were also getting loaded with the few survivors who were brought in.

  General Clark strode along side the Colonel. “More wagons? What are we supposed to do with the bodies? Isn’t there any way to stop this, Colonel?”

  “Well, General, there won’t be many more. I’ve been keeping track of the returning Rangers and there are only a couple of groups unaccounted for. You must say this for Tork, General, he trained these lads well. For months these murderers have been harassing the Kingdom, now our major problem is what to do with the bodies.”

  “Have you gotten anything from examining the bodies?”

  “Not much. Many of them sport the black skull insignia, but that is where the commonality ends. We have bodies from every nation on the continent here. Sex and age are varied, but most of them are young males. We have uncovered torn pieces of uniforms from every nation on the bodies, supposedly to plant at the temples after the attacks. Have you had any success with the interrogations of the prisoners?”

  The General led the Colonel farther away from the reek of decomposing bodies. “No, they’re a tight-lipped bunch. Their potential for magic has also made things difficult for us. I wish Lord Habas was available. And don’t start on me about his arrest. I follow orders just as you do. The King has ordered my men away from the prisoners for now. I think he fears our men might get hurt or be tricked into opening the cell doors. Now they sit in the dungeon wasting time.”

  The Colonel frowned as he thought about the real reason for keeping the interrogators away from the prisoners. “I don’t think your men will get much from them, anyway. I’ll arrange to get the rest of these bodies out of here without the identification exercise.”

  “Thank you, Colonel. What are you doing with the Rangers?”

  “I’m giving them a few days off. I think they’ve earned it. We should talk about promotions for Vidson and Jaynes when you have time. I was planning on sending them down to the Sordoan border as a quick response force in case the Sordoans got serious about war.”

  The General gazed again at the pile of bodies. “Your plans are sound, Colonel. I have no problems with the promotions, they are good men. I was thinking we might send the Rangers out after more of the temple attackers, but that is up to you. I would prefer to send a larger contingent south to the border. Let’s discuss this more this afternoon. I have a meeting with King Austin where I hope to have my mobilization plans approved.”

  “Very good, General. I’ll await word from you in my office.”

  The Colonel knew what to do with his spare time. He left the Palace and headed for Sword and Shield. It wasn’t long before Larc joined him.

  “You still have your shadow, Colonel.”

  “I’m surprised there isn’t more than one. I put the General a little on guard earlier this week. What have you got for me?”

  “The wagons the Rangers are bringing in help. The description went out to the Spiders and they will follow any caravans with that type of wagon. We’re also trying to find out who made them and who bought them. It won’t be long before we get a lead on where the books are disappearing to.”

  “What about Nelson?” asked the Colonel.

  “We figure the switch must have been made when he went to his estate in Miram. A team is on its way up there now. They won’t come back until they find him or his body.”

  “That makes sense. The Rangers are almost all here. Alex should be coming in a day or two. Are you ready for him?”

  “We’re ready. We can get him safely hidden and arrange for him to get back out if need be.”

  As the Colonel was returning to the Palace, General Clark was meeting with King Austin.

  “General Clark, has there been any sign of Alexan
der Tork with the other Rangers returning?”

  “No, Your Highness. I’ve had every group checked out. Perhaps the stories of his death in the goblins’ raid are correct.”

  “Perhaps. My people have been successful with their interrogation of the temple attackers. It appears that they are working for Cordonia. We need to strengthen our forces along the Cordonian border. I believe that an attack is imminent!”

  “Cordonia? Your Highness, I find it hard to believe that Cordonia is behind this. Possibly the attackers are lying. The dead attackers appear to be from every country on the continent including Targa.”

  “Nevertheless, you will move troops to the Cordonian border. I believe this whole business of war with Sordoa is a ruse to get us to commit our troops to the south. Once our troops are committed, the Cordonians will attack and claim the Disputed Area. I want you to move ten thousand troops to the border of Cordonia.”

  “Ten thousand, Your Highness? That’s all the troops we have in the Tagaret area. We would leave the capital defenseless. I must protest, King Austin.”

  The King stood and walked towards General Clark. “You will not protest, General Clark. You will obey or I will have you removed from office. I am responsible for the safety of the Kingdom, not you. You dare to question me and the Council of Advisors?”

  King Austin turned his back on General Clark and returned to his throne. “If your men are in short supply, stop wasting them on this foolish business of protecting small temples. In fact, I forbid you to continue wasting Kingdom resources by protecting these priests.”

  “King Austin, if we put ten thousand men on the Cordonian border, war will be inevitable. Just the massing of our army on their border will demand that they mobilize and attack us before we attack them. It will become a self fulfilling prophesy.”

  “Enough! Carry out my orders or you will hang for treason. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. I will get our Army moving.”

  The King snickered. Soon Targa would have a war on each border and their proud Army will not be able to win either one. By the time the blood stops flowing, he will own every book in Targa, Sordoa, and Cordonia. He wondered about Tork. His men had not been able to contact King Guldar, so he had no idea how the attack went. Based on the number of returning Rangers, there either had been no attack, or the goblins faired very poorly. Still, Tork was the objective and he could have been killed. He really didn’t care much whether Tork was alive or dead, as long as the Captain was out of the way.

  General Clark could not believe that the threat to Targa was coming from Cordonia. He left the King’s chambers and decided to check on the prisoners. Perhaps one of them could shed some light on why the King thought as he did. He wound his way down the stairs and through the musty corridors. When he came to the dungeon the guard let him through. He crossed the large room to the corridor that contained the cells. He rounded the corner and looked down the long hallway. No guard was visible. He glanced at the first pair of cells and there were no prisoners. The General quickened his pace as he passed each pair of empty cells. There were no prisoners in the cells and no guard on duty.

  At the last pair of cells, the General stopped and scratched his head. Certainly all of the prisoners could not have escaped. The Palace gates were still manned. The dungeon, itself, still had a guard on duty. He looked closer at the cells and noticed a pile of ashes in each. Quickly he retraced his steps and found that there was a pile of ashes in each cell. The General returned to the dungeon guard. “Soldier, where have the prisoners gone?”

  “General, no one has come or gone since I’ve been on duty.”

  “Where are the cell guards, then?” the General demanded.

  “They were relieved yesterday, Sir.”

  The General did not appreciate having to pry information out of soldier. “Would you mind telling me who relieved them, Private?”

  “That’s Corpor . . . The King’s aide, Sir.” The soldier was less than pleased with his demotion and began to offer everything he knew. “The young one with the long, black hair, Sir. He said there was no need to keep watch on them and it was safer for everyone if the guards helped out with body removal outside, Sir. They thought it was your orders, Sir.”

  The General fumed down the corridor and up the stairs. He stormed into Colonel Gregor’s office and slammed the door. “What the hell is going on in this place? Do you have any knowledge of prisoner removal, Colonel?”

  Colonel Gregor leaned back in his chair and looked up at the General. “Prisoner removal? No, doesn’t sound like a good idea to me, though. Where were they removed to?”

  “That’s what I’m asking you, Colonel. We’ve got some damn King’s aide running around giving my men orders! I’ve just come from the cells and there is no one there. No prisoners. No guards. Nobody. Just a pile of ashes in each cell.”

  Colonel Gregor bolted upright in his chair. “What about Lord Habas?”

  “If you think that is crazy enough, the King has just ordered me to send ten thousand men to the Cordonian border.”

  “What about Lord Habas?” interrupted the Colonel.

  “What? Oh, Lord Habas wasn’t kept in the cells. He wasn’t a criminal, after all. The King just wanted him out of the way so he couldn’t help Tork. He’s confined to one of the bedrooms with a couple of guards outside the room. He’s quite safe. Have you been listening, Colonel?”

  Colonel Gregor relaxed. “Yes, General. The King wants you to send ten thousand men to the Cordonian border. Did he say why?”

  “Look, Colonel, something is not right here. The King told me that they had interrogated the prisoners and he and the Council were convinced that the Sordoan invasion was a hoax. Supposedly, all of the criminals were Cordonian agents and as soon as we committed our troops south, the Cordonians would attack.”

  The General pulled over a chair and slumped into it. “Now I’m not one to play my own fiddle, but the Cordonians couldn’t pull off something like that without me getting wind of it. However, if we shove ten thousand men up their nose, they’re going to sneeze. It’s like asking for a war. Not only that, but we leave the capital undefended.”

  The Colonel had not indulged in his pipe in a long time, but now opened a drawer and retrieved it. He sat absently packing the pipe while he tried to figure out what Mordac was up to. “You said that he had Council approval for this?”

  “Technically, the Council is an advisory body so they don’t have any authority to okay it. But, yes, he said they agreed, which really gives some credence to the whole mess.”

  “So what are you going to do, General?”

  “What can I do? I think it is one of the greatest strategic blunders of our time, but he is the King and I am not. I must send ten thousand men to the border and that will include your Red Swords, I’m afraid.”

  “General, it’s getting on towards dinner time and the troops are not going to leave tonight. What do you say, I blow this month’s salary and take the two of us out to dinner at the Palace Shadow? We can talk over deployment plans there and at least be in a pleasurable atmosphere. Go check out your office and I’ll go get us a table.”

  The General had never eaten at the Palace Shadow. Its pricey menu was not conducive to military pay. “An excellent idea, Colonel. You go ahead. I’ll not be long.”

  The Colonel ran to the inn, hoping that Duke Whitley was in his room. He spoke to the Duke and returned downstairs to get a table. He chose a table in the corner just as General Clark appeared. The Colonel insisted on ordering for the General and requested red wine. The veins in the General’s temples started to disappear as he sat in the plush chair and sipped his wine. By the time the shrimp appetizer arrived, so did the King’s’ Advisor.

  “General, Colonel, I thought I recognized you. Do you mind if I join you?”

  The General was clearly embarrassed being caught in such a lavish surrounding. “Certainly not, Duke Whitley, please sit down.”

  The Duke sa
t and ordered and the conversation was kept on casual topics. The Colonel waited until the General was savoring his baked duck before he asked the question. “Duke Whitley, the General and I were planning to discuss our deployment to Cordonia during this dinner. I hope you don’t mind us discussing a little work during dinner.”

  “Certainly not, Colonel. But what would you be sending troops towards Cordonia for? The war is in the other direction, I thought.”

  The General nearly choked on his duck. “Weren’t you in the Council session where the King discussed the interrogation of the prisoners?”

  “My dear General, the King hasn’t graced the Council with his presence since the coronation. Whatever are you talking about?”

  The color drained out of the General’s face. He sat there for a while expecting the punch line for some joke. Finally, he explained his meeting with the King.

  “That does put us in a tough spot, doesn’t it,” summarized the Duke. “General, I’m not a military man, but I may have some ideas that may help. Are you interested?”

  “Of course, Duke Whitley. I am always receptive to the wisdom of the King’s Advisor.”

  “I think what you should do is take only your six thousand men from Tagaret. Leave the entire Red Sword garrison. Make the difference up by cutting the frontier garrisons in half. This way, if the Sordoans attack, you will have four thousand Red Swords to stem their flow until your forces can reverse course. I say reverse course because your troops are going to take a very long time to get to the Cordonian border. I’d wager that your men will never reach there before Sordoa attacks.”

  “Duke, what you are suggesting is tantamount to treason. I cannot ignore the Crown’s wishes.”

  “You would not be, General. You would be catering to the King’s desire, but also protecting Targa by utilizing your own wisdom. He did not give you a deadline for delivering the troops and he didn’t specify where the troops should come from.”