"Very good, Your Majesty. I'll send them off on the Relentless, one of our largest galleys, as no pirate would be foolish enough to challenge her in open waters."
ELEVEN
Verkan Vail had reserved a private dining room at the Constellation House with a privacy screen for his unexpected meeting with Danthor Dras, Dean of Aryan-Transpacific, Styphon's House Studies. Danthor was currently researching Styphon's House as an Archpriest of the Inner Circle on Kalvan's Time-Line. This was the first time he'd been back to First Level in over a year.
During Verkan's time on force, Danthor Dras and the Paratime Police had been in a blood feud, which was how Kalvan, who had done his share of policing Appalachian hillbillies and moonshiners, might have put it. Danthor had been picked up for a minor Outtime Contamination infraction on one of the Alexandrian-Macedonian timelines, but Chief Zarvan had made a "Federal Case" out of it. Danthor was astute, a master manipulator and string-puller, so it wasn't hard to see why he'd gotten under Zarvan's skin.
After all, Danthor had climbed his way to the top of the Styphon's House hierarchy in less than two years! Danthor was also one of the keenest observers and social realists-at least for someone from out of the Dhergabar University henhouse-that Verkan knew. Once Danthor had realized that Verkan was not going to continue his half of the feud, the Scholar had done an admirable turnaround and was on the way to becoming one of Verkan's friends, if not allies. Who would have guessed?
Verkan watched as Danthor, dressed in a powder-blue shimmersheen tunic and matching breeches, made his way into the Constellation's main dining room. He was trailed by hangers-on and newsies, like the alpha male of a pride of lions on his way to feast on some tasty wildebeest, followed by jackals and hyenas. And there was the head hyena, Yandar Yadd, followed by his sycophant and Tri-Planet legman, Shabron Larv. Word must have slipped out that Verkan and Danthor were going to meet publicly-leaks were happening a lot these days.
The newsies and paparazzi-another useful word from Kalvan's Europo-American Subsector-were probably expecting fireworks. They would have to be disappointed.
Verkan rose to clasp hands and received a brief hug from the Scholar. Verkan thoroughly enjoyed the look of sheer horror that opened up on Yandar's countenance! Then he activated the privacy screen and they both sat down.
"It's good to see you, Verkan," Danthor said, shaking his head. "I knew things were bad in Balph, but the nasty goings on in the Inner Circle make the Dhergabar Faculty Union meetings look like democracy in action."
They both laughed.
"I take it things have gotten worse since Sesklos died?"
"The old fraud didn't die of natural causes, I think the new Styphon's Voice had something to do with it. He was way too self-satisfied about his passing, like that of a cat after eating the family bird. The poison was unfamiliar, but it reminded me of curare, an alkaloid taken from one of the Moonseed plants and used as a poison in certain primitive cultures on the Southern Continent, Minor Land Mass."
Verkan nodded, he was familiar with its uses. In his youth, he'd spent some time on a Fourth Level, Europo-America Alexandrian Subsector where the Aztecs and their allies had created an empire that extended up from the tip of the Southern Continent, Minor Land Mass to the middle of the Northern Continent. Passing as one of the local outtimers had been one of the most dangerous and difficult assignments of his career. In fact, he still had that feather headdress and blood-stained stone knife that he'd pried out of the hands of the Priest he'd killed. Maybe it was time to put it in his display cabinet.
"I'll tell you, Verkan," Danthor said, while making a washing motion with his hands, "I've been in a lot of middens in my centuries of outtime research, but this one in Balph is getting to be the worst."
"What happened?" Verkan asked. It was almost unheard-of to see Danthor nonplussed and Verkan didn't like it.
"It's the new Styphon's Voice, Anaxthenes. Since Roxthar's been out bleeding the Hostigi countryside, Anaxthenes has been consolidating his control over the Inner Circle until he's got them in the palm of his hand."
"I thought Roxthar owned Balph from the buildings down to the cemetery stones."
"Not anymore. The Investigator spent too much of his time and his power out of Balph, harassing and murdering the Hostigi people. His absence gave Anaxthenes the breathing room he needed. First, he consolidated his control over the Inner Circle, killing at least two of his intractable opponents-that I know about. Next he marginalized the opposition, led by Archpriest Dracar. He won't murder Dracar because Anaxthenes learned, by Dracar's reactions to Roxthar, that he's a baseless coward and more useful alive than dead. Dracar's now the unofficial Inner Circle whipping boy.
"He used the other Archpriests' fear of Roxthar-highly understandable, of course-to coerce them into supporting his Election to Styphon's Own Voice and his reforms."
"That's not at all like any of the Anaxthenes we know from the Kalvan Control Time Lines! Are you certain he's not been replaced?"
"No, there's no First Level involvement; I've watched his personality transform myself; it's been enlightening."
Anyone else but the Scholar would have used the word incredible.
"He's also created his own army, the Sephrax Guard, with special uniforms and absolute loyalty to Styphon's Voice. He used the other new Archpriest, Grythos-a former Knight Commander of the Order of Zarthani Knights-to create it for him."
Verkan nodded. "Anaxthenes knows that Roxthar owns the Temple Guard down to the soles of their boots. It makes sense that he'd create his own praetorians to counter Roxthar's ability to coerce the Inner Circle and the priesthood."
"It's understandable, but this crew of his makes the Red Hand look like Boy Scouts. From all evidence, including his 'retirement' from the Order of Zarthani Knights, I believe Grythos is a sadist and misses military life for the opportunities it provided him to indulge his desires for domination and humiliation. A lot of the ex-soldiers he's recruited for the Guard are out-and-out sadists and bullies."
"How did they miss jumping aboard Roxthar's Investigation?" Verkan asked.
"Roxthar is a true believer; he recruits from the lower ranks of Styphon's priesthood. Grythos has gotten the majority of his men from gaols, dungeons and Styphon's debtor houses in Sephrax, which is the most backwards princedom in Hos-Ktemnos. A lot of them are ex-mercenaries that were cashiered for atrocities and exotic tastes that even their commanders couldn't stomach."
Verkan said, "In wartime a plethora of those types emerge and have the opportunity to indulge themselves. 'Like flies to wanton boys.'"
Danthor looked up, surprised. "You're familiar with the Bard's works?"
"Yes, I'm too young to have met him, though."
"That's a shame. I met him as an undergraduate-he died a couple of years later. Queen Bess, too; now, there was a ruler. We had our tiffs, but getting back on track, Anaxthenes' next step was to coerce the Inner Circle into declaring a State of Emergency, granting him full powers."
"I thought the Grand Host just defeated Kalvan, not the other way around."
"No, this has nothing to do with Kalvan, and everything to do with Holy Investigator Roxthar, who is neither holy nor much of an investigator. However, he is an expert at picking up fear and taking advantage of it; he may be a latent precognitive. It's too bad he's not an empath."
Verkan grinned wryly. "These types usually aren't; empathy would blow his mental circuits."