“Thank you, Abbot. I’ll do as you suggest.” Well, that should cover me for a while.
The abbot’s expression was pensive. “Yozef, I continue to sense no evil in you, although some have wondered when you appeared on our beach so mysteriously and looking half dead. Also, though I have a sense of excitement whenever I talk with you, I can’t say exactly why this is. However, I also wonder if your coming is going to disturb our culture in ways I can’t imagine or know whether it’s good or bad. Change is good if it helps the people, yet it can lead to losing contact with the good aspects of the traditional. The Word says that God can put opportunity in front of us and won’t give us what we don’t work for. In such cases, it is up to us to seize those opportunities as part of our responsibilities to exercise free will. Time will tell.”
Yozef smiled. “Our people have a saying that perhaps is another way to express the same thing. ‘God helps those who help themselves.’”
Sistian laughed. “Nicely worded. I may use this one also in one of the coming Godsdays. Perhaps I should ask you for help in finding the right words for my messages.”
He leaned forward in his chair, placing both hands on the arms as if he was about to stand. Yozef discerned the interrogation was about to end.
“So, Yozef, let us say that you will continue to stay with us for the time being until you can find a place for yourself here with our people. In addition, we can talk further on these topics and perhaps discuss some of your ‘pieces’ of exotic knowledge before they are loosed on the people of Caedellium.”
Signaling the end to the interview, the abbot rose from his chair. He reached out a hand Yozef clasped with his own.
“Thank you for your advice, Abbot. I appreciate the care you’ve given me, and I’ll look forward to further discussions.”
Yozef walked out of a side door of the cathedral with a spring in his steps.
He thought the meeting went well. He didn’t think he’d said anything he was liable to contradict in the future, and now he had the abbot primed in case he wanted to introduce new ideas. Now the questions were, what to introduce and when?
Chapter 10: Buldorian Mercenaries
Musfar Adalan feigned patience as he waited for his meeting with the Narthani commander. He would have preferred to pace, though it was best to not give any indication of weakness, certainly not when dealing with Narthani. He often wondered if the day would come when the Narthani bothered to bite off the tiny, rugged, and isolated piece of Anyar where Buldor sat.
May the Gods grant that day come well past my lifetime or someone takes them down before then. I’m at least thankful Buldor is on the Ganolar continent, instead of Melosia with the Narthani, so we have the ocean separating us.
In any event, today was today, and there were spoils to be had, if he played the game properly.
Adalan was also irked that the cursed Narthani required him to come to Caedellium to finalize their agreement for his and his men’s services. His seven ships had trolled waters off the Landolin continent, watching for stray merchant ships, when a Narthani sloop appeared flying parley flags. Adalan could have avoided a meeting, his ships being at least as swift as the Narthani vessel, but curiosity and his outnumbering the single Narthani led him to hear what the sloop’s captain had to say. Since Adalan spoke the Narthani tongue but didn’t read it, the Narthani captain read a letter from a Narthani commander, a General Akuyun, on the island of Caedellium. It was an invitation to raid the island under Narthani protection, but only after Adalan himself came to meet with General Akuyun, and with only one ship. A small chest holding 500 gold Narthani coins and the offer of leaving the sloop and crew as hostages persuaded Adalan to go to Caedellium. Six of Adalan’s ships now sat idle in a remote cove off the northern Landolin coast, awaiting their commander’s return. As for his flagship, Warrior’s Pride, a Narthani cutter met them as they neared Preddi City and directed them to a deserted fishing village. Once anchored, Adalan rowed ashore and rode thirty miles by horse to meet with this General Akuyun. Developing saddle sores did nothing to improve a sailor’s mood.
A Narthani junior officer interrupted his reflections. “Captain, please come this way. General Akuyun is ready to meet with you.”
Adalan followed the young officer into a medium-sized room with a rectangular table and twelve chairs, four occupied by men. At first glance, the room gave the impression of being plain, though it took only a moment for a sharp eye to see that although the room lacked adornments on the walls and the furniture was simple in design, all of the woodwork was of the highest quality. Some imported woods he recognized, others he didn’t and assumed were from the island’s trees. He could sell this room itself back on mainland realms for enough to keep a Buldorian village well supplied for a year.
“Please sit here beside me, Captain,” said a friendly voice from a lean man in his fifties, whom Adalan took to be Akuyun. Lean in both frame and manner, if Adalan was any judge of men.
Adalan sat at the indicated empty chair. He wondered whether the man’s acting friendly was supposed to put him at ease. While he assumed it was deliberate, it wasn’t convincing. He suspected being at ease around this one was comfortable until you crossed him, and then it would become exceedingly “uncomfortable.”
Adalan’s assessment of the Narthani general’s initial demeanor was accurate. Akuyun had early in his career incorporated politeness into his dealings with non-Narthani. He understood and used on occasion the tried-and-true method of playing on fears, but he believed it never hurt to start off polite. He would never fully realize the tactic sometimes worked, though often had the opposite effect, with the object of his politeness waiting for the dagger or poison from a too-polite Narthani.
Akuyun introduced the other three men at the table. The Narthani troop commander was of little relevance to Adalan, but the other two men more notable: their naval admiral, and a man they titled Assessor, who ran their intelligence service. The former was important because Adalan and his men would be sailing in Narthani-controlled waters, and the latter because Adalan knew little about this isolated island.
“Welcome to Caedellium, Captain Adalan. I hear from Admiral Kalcan that your ship arrived in good shape, and he has arranged for your re-provisioning.”
“Yes, thank you, General Akuyun. The Admiral’s aides have been most efficient, and we should be ready to sail again in three days after some minor repairs.”
“You don’t feel your men need any more time ashore after the voyage here?”
“No,” answered Adalan. “We’re sailors, and being on land or at sea is all the same to us. Besides, I need to get back to my other ships off Landolin. I’ve already been gone from them for several sixdays. Plus, you would have us restricted to that fishing village. There’s not much to do ashore, and I’d like to move quickly to bring the rest of my ships here and begin in accord with your proposal.”
Akuyun consulted his notes. “Ah, yes, the village of Rocklyn. The original inhabitants are gone, but we’ll provide support there for your ships and men. You’re not to be seen anywhere else on Caedellium, except for the raids.” The Narthani commander looked back at Musfar. “And you’re aware of the reason for this restriction?”
“Of course. You want to minimize the knowledge you’re supporting a Buldorian raiding party,” Adalan answered.
Akuyun grinned, although there was no humor in it. “Correct, Captain. This is a case where we’re helping each other. There’s no need for you to know any more details of why we’ve invited you, only that you follow instructions. In return, we’ll provide information on likely lucrative targets along the Caedellium coasts and assure that no other naval force interferes with your . . . activities. Whatever booty you get from these raids is yours to keep. You’re to cause maximum damage, and you’re not to let any of your people get captured or indicate Narthani involvement.”