Sister Brigeda
We mean the Sisterhood no harm. But what is best for the Sea Cities will also be the best for the Sisterhood and in time for Nurn. Fear not. Durkas will not live long or die easily, though he escapes your hands. This money I leave for Sister Clarda, a gift from the Sea Cities.
— Blade
There was much else he could have added, but someone might come along and read the letter before Fturn or any of his men awoke. Blade shoved both letter and purse inside Fturn's tunic, then turned toward the water. Alanyra was gone, and it was high time he joined her and the others.
He ran lightly to the edge of the dock, took one swift look, then plunged into the harbor.
Chapter EIGHTEEN
A war-trained yulon in good condition could easily tow twenty men at a good clip all night. The one waiting in the depths of the harbor had been hard worked, but it could easily tow a dozen men and women and one inert body twenty miles offshore by dawn.
An hour after dawn Blade stuck his head up through the crest of a swell and saw Sea Fox's white-painted mast on the horizon. An hour after that, they were aboard her and pumping stimulants into the unconscious but still-living Durkas. And before nightfall, Durkas was conscious, full of Truth-Finder, and pouring out all he knew of Duke Tymgur's plans.
That was quite a lot. Blade suspected that Krodrus would find his report most interesting.
Krodrus did.
The Autocrat for Finance would have found it even more interesting if he had been able to confront Stipors with the full tale in open council. However, word had apparently reached Stipors that his dealings with Duke Tymgur were about to see the light of day. His choices had then become very simple-try to kill Blade or flee at once. He had chosen to flee. In fact he had fled two days before Sea Fox picked up Blade and his prisoner off the coast of Nurn.
This balked Krodrus of having his colleague tried and executed for treason. But it did solve one problem literally overnight. With Stipors no longer concerned in the matter, the execution of the Conciliators was quietly dropped. In fact, they were all pardoned and released the day after Blade's return. The proclamation of pardon had to be rather weasel-worded, of course. Blade's mission was still a closely guarded secret. But at least there was no more danger of Svera's losing her head.
There was some danger of Captain Foyn's deciding that Blade would make a perfect son-in-law and heir. The fact that Blade was obviously a man who would rise high in the Sea Cities, whatever his origins, didn't help matters. Blade had to find a way to avoid saying yes, no, or maybe without giving any hint of why. He knew that his time in this dimension must be drawing to a close. But there was still one large item of unfinished business before he could go home with a clear mind-Duke Tymgur. So he was as eager to speak to Krodrus as he had been after his return from the Reefs of Clan Gnyr.
This time he didn't have to wait.
Neither Krodrus's officer nor the man himself had changed much. But the little Autocrat's expression was harried. It was obvious that Blade's discovery had brought him no real peace of mind.
«You have done marvels,» he said to Blade. «You and all those who helped you. But I cannot see that you have solved our problem. Duke Tymgur still lives. We have weakened him both here and in Nurn, but a man such as he can always find other trusted stewards, other traitors in the Sea Cities and elsewhere.»
«Not if what we have learned is revealed to-all concerned,» said Blade.
Krodrus shrugged his narrow shoulders. «How can that be? There is still too much hatred built up from centuries of war. And even if such a revelation would cause no trouble among us, it would not weaken Tymgur's power in Nurn. That power is so great that I think he could push the Empire into a war of conquest. We cannot stand against it. Not now. We have-both-lost too many ships, too many fighters in the past few months.»
«Suppose there were no Duke Tymgur?»
«Eh?»
«One kills a yulon most easily by cutting off its head. A conspiracy can be killed the same way.»
«Yulons have only one head, Blade. Conspiracies-«
«Conspiracies differ, I know. But this one has only one head. Duke Tymgur has been careful not to let any of his supporters become over-mighty in their own right. Kill him, and the danger from his faction ceases. There are none among it with the skill and power to rebuild it, at least not before Tymgur's enemies move in. Perhaps even the Emperor himself would take a hand in that case. He is weak, but not fond of over-mighty subjects.»
Krodrus made a vague noise that suggested he was considering the matter. After a short silence he shook his head. «How could you chop off this-head? Tymgur's seat we know is a castle with a garrison of at least a thousand. We could hardly surprise and take it in time to catch the Duke. And even if we could, to raid the coast of Nurn would bring instant war with the Empire. All the nobles would rally around Tymgur. Even the Emperor's hand would be forced.»
«I wasn't thinking of a raid on his castle.»
«No?»
«The. Duke travels from Mestron to his castle and back again by sea. A ship at sea is a much easier prey to a surprise attack than a castle. And a ship at sea can be made to disappear much more easily than a castle, as well. If Duke Tymgur vanishes from the face of the sea as though the Goddess had whisked him away-«
«I see,» said Krodrus. There was an uncertain smile on his face. Then it became firmer. «Very well. How is this to be done?»
Blade pulled out a map of the coast of Nurn and began to explain.
He had the plan well worked out and Krodrus was a good listener. Furthermore, he was a man who did not delay making up his mind when there was a vital decision to be made. When Blade had finished, Krodrus nodded.
«It shall be done as you wish, and you shall have everything you need. I confess I would not have thought of it myself. But one doubt remains. If so many Fishmen-excuse me, so many Sea Masters-are involved with so many of our people, how can we keep the secret of the peace between the two peoples?»
«We can't,» said Blade flatly. «It would be a waste of time to even try. But if Tymgur is dead and gone, it won't matter any more. Even if the Emperor decides on war against the two peoples, he will not plunge Nurn into it the way Tymgur would. There will be several years at least for trust to grow, for plans to be made, for new warriors to be trained.» Several years which I shall not see, Blade added to himself. As much as I would like to.
Krodrus was silent for a very long time. «Then so be it,» he said. «We seem to worship one Goddess, although under different names. Perhaps in truth we are one people or once were. If so, I am sure she will bless this undertaking and all that flows from it.»
The idea that Sea Masters and Talgarans had a common origin was one that had also occurred to Blade. But the reasoning that lay behind that idea was not something he could explain to Krodrus, even if he wanted to.
«Perhaps you are right,» was all he said.
Nineteen days had passed. Again Blade was off the coast of Nurn. In fact he was only a few miles offshore from the cove where he had arrived in this dimension. But instead of fighting a yulon, now he was riding one. In fact, he was sitting astride its neck, just behind the small head. He prodded the base of the skull with a stone-pointed goad, and the creature lifted its head still higher. Blade stared at the southern horizon, toward Mestron.
Coming over that horizon was a ship with a single sail — a green sail with a black bull's head on it.
For once a simple idea had also been simple to carry out. It had involved a good deal of work and planning, of course. But it hadn't been hard to explain it to any of the people involved-Sea Masters or Talgarans.