Journey To Light: Part I of the High Duties of Pacia Page 22
CHAPTER 17
Men in Gray
The room was lit only by the red light coming from some sort of flameless lantern. Two men sat waiting when the door opened and a third entered. All three looked similar with the same pale skin, black hair, beards, and thin lips although the new arrival seemed younger than the others. Black bands circled the sleeves of the two who waited, showing their status as Overlords; other than that, the gray garments of all three were identical.
“Sit down, Aztok,” said one of the waiting men. “Our brother Rezma and I want to hear about your inspection trip. We desire an impartial report, which is why we asked one of our unaligned brethren to make this trip.” By unaligned, he referred to the fact that Aztok remained independent and not allied with the supporters of any of the three Overlords of the Triad, Zulla, Rezma, and Zetak.
“What do you wish to know, High Komrada?” Aztok asked the two of those three who were present and he looked around and noticed who was missing but made no comment. If Komraden Zulla, Overlord of the first triskaidek, chose to be absent then a question by someone of Aztok’s standing was inappropriate.
“No need for titles and honorifics. All Zafiri Komrada are equal,” said the one named Rezma without regard for the falseness of the statement. “Is the Hibbrian foreman causing trouble?”
“Not trouble, but he wants to give more food to those natives who labor. To make them stronger in our service, he says. He has already increased the ration to the maximum allowed within his authority.”
“Impertinent bastard,” mumbled Zetak.
“Yes, but he may have a point,” replied Aztok. “The komminerons you sent to be construction-masters complain about the quality of the workforce. They blame the Hibbrian, of course.”
“They always blame someone else. Even though they’re commoners, they’re still Zafiri and should be more assertive,” Zetak said. “Aztok, are you saying we should allow this Hibbrian to have his way?”
“Absolutely not. His wishes are irrelevant, but it may benefit us to keep the laborers fit for work until the construction is complete. After that, we can decide if there is any benefit in allowing them to live longer. I refer only to those adults able to labor, of course, and not the useless old ones and children. The Hibbrian says those will not survive the coming winter anyway, which is convenient.”
“Not totally, I think. We should keep the children alive for a time,” replied Rezma. “And don’t look at me that way, Zetak. I have not lost my mind and become soft; I think only of their value to us. The natives are oddly sentimental about their offspring. I suggest you have your Yuzoi captain round them up and hold them hostage. Make it clear we will stop feeding them if their parents do not perform to our satisfaction.”
“Actually, that’s a good idea. I’ll send the order,” agreed Zetak.
“Speaking of our Yuzoi, does the captain report any difficulty in controlling the natives?” Rezma asked Aztok.
“No, they’re still the same docile weaklings as always,” Aztok replied. “But there is one more problem with the Hibbrian. He reports that the crops previously grown by the natives are better suited to the weather at that altitude and thus produce a larger harvest than the new varieties. I suppose that’s true, but he came close to implying that someone made a mistake when seeds for the spring planting were shipped.”
“Then he must be executed!” snapped Zetak.
“Naturally, but I suggest not immediately,” Aztok said. “I told him to report further with answers to the problem. We should let him determine the details about what crops to plant and where to grow them before we replace him. After all, that’s what Hibbrians are for.”
“Sensible,” commented Rezma. “Squeeze out every last drop of usefulness before disposing of him.”
“I was thinking of the future,” said Aztok. “None of the food grown there will ever be good enough for us, but it will be sufficient for those who we will send to finish colonizing the area.”
“Ah yes, our émigrés will need to eat when the time comes. I agree with this suggestion also,” said Zetak.
“Is there anything else you wish to know?” Aztok asked.
“Yes, how did the sauriers perform?”
“With mixed success. When they run, they’re faster than any creature in the world but stamina is another matter. Three died on the return trip. The trip took less time than usual but it’s still a long journey. I’ll report the details to the breeding technicians, of course, as soon as I visit the Succor for replenishment. Is it true that something faster than sauriers is . . .”
“Don’t discuss it yet,” said Rezma. “Things coming from the Nameless should be awaited patiently.”
“I understand,” Aztok said. “May I ask how our other plans have developed while I was gone?”
“You may, and the answer is mostly positive,” answered Rezma. “A squad of our hybrid-creatures is en route to the destination for our opening ploy, and enough of the breedings have matured sufficiently for use so we’re moving them into place. On the other hand, Zulla’s Yuzoi are still training the new levies from the steppes so the army is behind schedule.”
“That Yuzoi general will suffer greatly if he fails us,” said Zetak with a snarl. Zulla’s prestige would be diminished as well, but Zetak said nothing of that. Not out loud. “Even so, the enemy will never expect us to strike first so far west. By the time the city-dwellers raise enough forces to overcome brother Rezma’s creatures and open the highway, Anglio will have fallen and Iteneris will be under siege.”
“Excellent,” Aztok replied. Having nothing else to say, he rose and left the room.
After Aztok left, Rezma watched Zetak’s eyes closely for signs of resentment but the other Komraden kept his feelings hidden. Rezma devised a stratagem and remarked, “I disagreed with Zulla that sending an unaligned brother to inspect progress in Abbelôn was necessary. Especially one of Aztok’s strength. One of your thanes could have done the job since the building project is within your province of responsibility.”
For a brief instant, Zetak’s control of his temper slipped and Rezma identified the Komraden’s anger against Zulla. Strengthening the status of Aztok was a threat to the third Overlord of the Triad, not the first or second, and that meant Zetak. Regaining his composure, Zetak said, “I understand our first brother’s reasons and it’s best for us to cooperate always. It’s ironic, however, that High Komraden Zulla was unable to attend and hear Aztok’s report.”
Rezma showed the faint trace of a smirking smile, perfectly calculated to let Zetak know he agreed the joke was on Zulla but not so much as to indicate any happiness that one of his fellow Overlords was angry at the other. Having discovered what he wanted to know, Rezma changed the subject. “This Hibbrian Aztok mentioned must be courageous to have said such a thing to one of us.”
“All the more reason to get rid of him,” said Zetak. “But Zulla’s absence is more important. What do you make of it?” This time, Rezma’s smile was internal and his face remained passive.
“He’s cleaning up a mess – his own mess. You knew that one of his thanes scheduled an empowerment ritual this morning?”
“Yes, Nerez said his son was ready.”
“Nerez was wrong. The ritual failed. The boy was euthanized, of course.”
“But Nerez wasn’t just any thane. He’s Zulla’s own get and he would have been next in line for a position on the triskaidek,” Zetak pointed out.
“You state the obvious, Komraden. Failure of the ritual proves Nerez must be purged but the sign of weakness reflects poorly on Zulla as well.”
Zetak pondered for a long moment before deciding what to say next. The implications were serious. What if Urzon, the second rank in Zulla’s triskaidek, chose this moment to challenge for leadership? Zulla had been instrumental in planning their operation. His removal at this point began would be detrimental to their chances of success in the coming war, but a purge would create an opportunity for Zetak to further his own ambitions. He
decided to risk a brief comment and was careful about his choice of words.
“My brother Komraden, I am the junior member of the Triad, merely the Overlord of our third band of thirteen, and I would never criticize our senior brother.”
“As I said, all Komrada are equal. If two members of the Triad cannot speak openly in private, what would become of us?”
A complex and dangerous thought, Zetak thought to himself. Cautiously, he said, “The value of having three triskaideks in the Triad is that two will always be able to work together if needed in a time of difficulty.”
“I agree.”
They said nothing else out loud but sat and watched each other for several minutes. Whatever communication passed between them during the silence could not have been discerned by any observer.