“Enough talk,” said Malstisos. “Weneed to leave while we still can.”
“Agreed,” said Millet. “We’llhead west for now.”
“Then what?” asked Maybell. “We can’tbring him back with us. At least not until we know with certainty heis who he says he is.”
“I have no intention of being taken anywhere,”said Jacob. “As soon as I’m able, I’ll be going myown way.”
Millet looked irritably at the boy. “I suggest youaccept our company for the time being. At least until we’reaway from here.”
Jacob looked disgusted and walked to the door. “I’llbe outside when you’re ready.” He slammed the door behindhim.
Chapter Two
Millet, Maybell and Malstisos gathered their gear andleft the house. Jacob sat on the front steps, fiddling with a smallknife. Their horses were ready and waiting. Brandis stood a few feetaway along with two guards.
“Here are your weapons,” said Brandis. Hemotioned to one of the guards who handed them over. “I trustyou will not need them any time soon. And we have provided youngJacob with a sword as well as a mount. If you wish an escort, one canbe provided, but I suspect you do not.”
“No escort is necessary,” replied Millet.“We know the way.”
“In that case I wish you a safe journey,”said Brandis. He nodded to the guards who followed him, and hedisappeared down the street.
Millet led them through the village to the west road.The street was conspicuously empty.
“Do you think they plan to ambush us?” askedMaybell as they mounted their horses.
“I doubt it,” answered Millet. “Theycould have killed us if they wanted. Malstisos was the only one whomight have escaped. No, whatever their plan is, it involves usremoving Jacob from Hazrah.” He looked suspiciously at the boy.
They continued until dusk and made camp along the road.Along the way, they had passed a patrol, but the soldiers ignoredthem.
“It would seem that Brandis intends to let usleave without incident,” said Malstisos.
Millet stared at the fire and rubbed his hands together.“So it would seem.” He watched as Jacob checked his horseand unpacked his gear. “We must find a way to contact Leewithout giving away his location. Until then, I’m afraid wehave no way to trust the lad.”
“I have exceptional hearing,” said Jacob.“From my father’s side of the family, I assume. Contacthim if you must. As for me I’m headed for Baltria once we’resafely away from here.”
“You intend to abandon your mother?” askedMillet.
Jacob glowered. “There’s nothing I can dofor her.” He placed his blanket near the fire. “Theywon’t send for her, I don’t care what they told you. Idoubt she’s even alive.”
“They let you live, didn’t they?” saidMalstisos.
“That may be. But I’m in Hazrah, and mymother is not. The house Nal’Thain still has a good name amongthe people. To kill me without scandal or reprisal, they would needto do it away from the city.”
“We were told that you helped Angraaltake control,” said Maybell huddled close to the fire, sippingelf brandy.
“That’s a lie,” spat Jacob. “Idid everything I could to stop them.”
“That may be,” said Maybell. “But ifthe people believe it, I doubt your death would cause much of ascandal.”
Jacob pulled his blanket close and stared into the fire.
“What didhappen?” asked Malstisos. “From what we have seen itdidn’t take much of an effort for Angraal to seizecontrol.”
Jacob scowled. “It was the King,” hemuttered in disgust. “He sold us out.”
“You’re not making sense,” saidMillet. “Even the King couldn’t simply hand over controlof the land to a foreign power without resistance from the nobles.”
“That’s not what happened,” repliedJacob. “They were far more subtle. A year ago an ambassadorarrived at court with a message of friendship. He said he was from akingdom in the north and desired to establish relations and trade.Naturally, the lords were skeptical. All the old tales of thenorthern kingdoms are of terror and war, but the ambassador assuredus of his good intentions and suggested that we send an envoy to meetwith his lord. After much deliberation, the King agreed. I wanted tobe the one to go, but mother wouldn’t allow it.”
“Wise woman,” said Millet.
“In this case she was.” Jacob nodded inagreement. “The King sent his second cousin to gauge the truthof matters. Sadly, though loved dearly by the King, he has no skillwith diplomacy. He returned two months later accompanied by a fullentourage of representatives from Angraal, enough to occupya proper diplomatic embassy. At first, the King protested, but hiscousin convinced him that relations and trade would be in the bestinterest for the kingdom. Before long they had bought a building nearthe palace and had established themselves as the embassy to the“ Reborn King of Angraal.”
“That didn’t send up warning flags?”asked Millet. “The “Reborn King” can only bereferring to the Demon King, Ratsterfel. Surely the templesintervened when they heard this?” He retrieved a loaf of breadand dried meat from his pack and passed it around.
“I believe the temples had been infiltrated longbefore the arrival of the ambassador,” replied Jacob.
“Why would you think that?” asked Maybell,trying to contain her irritation.
“From the moment they arrived they showed theircontempt for the Gods. They refused to have their embassy blessed,and turned away any offer of friendship the temples made. On thestreets they openly mocked the Gods, and said that anyone thattrusted in them was a fool. A few of the temples were evenvandalized. Everyone knew who did it, but there was no proof. Morethan that, the temples did little to stop it.”
“All this and the King did nothing?” saidMillet.
“There was nothing to do,” said Jacob. “Thetemples made no complaint. Not to the King or anyone else. In fact,it was widely known that many of the high priestesses and seniormonks had dealings with them on a regular basis. I myself saw thechief librarian of the Temple of Gerath riding with the ambassador,talking and laughing as friends.”
“That means nothing,” said Maybell. “Youcan’t know why they were speaking.”
“True,” he answered. “But the next daythe library was robbed and nearly every important text stolen. Theculprits were never found despite the fact that I told the magistratewhat I had seen. Of course, after that life became more difficult formy mother and me. Several of our trade caravans were attacked, andour interests in the copper mine were suddenly audited. I went to themagistrate to complain, but I fear he had already been bought. Thechief finance minister manufactured reasons for our mining assets tobe stripped away. Of course they were sold to an unknown party, andby unknown I mean Angraal.”
“Was anyone else attacked like this?” askedMillet.
“Oh, yes, I was not the only Lord of Hazrah withthe courage to stand up to these interlopers. But our resistance wasshort lived. With the King and the temples against us, we werereduced to simple acts of defiance and petty acts of vandalism.Unfortunately, in my case they found my weakness.”
“And what might that have been?” askedMalstisos.
“My mother. As I became more brazen in myresistance, they threatened to kill her if I didn’t fall inline. My first reaction was to send her away. We have friends inBaltria, and I thought she’d be safe there, but they got to herbefore I could make the arrangements. I was told that she hadvolunteered to attend court in Angraal as the personalrepresentative of the King, but the truth is they are using her asleverage against me. It was a week after she left when the firstAngraal troops arrived. The King announced that there was agrowing threat from the southern kingdoms, and they were only thereto assist in our defense, but it was soon clear that it was anoccupation.”
“It’s difficult to imagine all this,”said Millet. “The people of Hazrah would have risen up andfought in my day.”
“Some tried,” he said. “But any whotook up arms were slaughtered and called a traitor to the throne.Most were arrested before they could organize and be send north.”