The captain bowed before voicing his doubts, diminishing the boldness of his words. "After the first attempt, the King will know our plan and be alerted. It will be suicide."
Chiana thought that the Queen was remarkably patient with Redgard. People never argued with her, and if they tried, not for long. The captain, she was convinced, had just set a record for the longest such argument ever attempted.
Minna smiled. "Then let them be volunteers, Captain. Tell them that they will earn great honour, the highest awards, and my favour. The men who achieve this will become nobles of my court and own vast estates. Their riches shall exceed all others. But send no fools who long only for glory. These men must be qualified for the task."
The captain sighed, shaking his head. "Of course. It shall be as you order, My Queen. Many will come forward without any promise of reward, merely for the honour of serving you."
"Send them here to me before they leave, I would wish them luck."
Redgard bowed. "As you command, Majesty."
Chiana gazed after him as he left the room, impressed by his courage and honourable demeanour. She swung back to face the Queen as the doors closed behind him.
Minna eyed her. "Have we any other business, you and I?"
Chiana hesitated. "I must report, I have ordered Mendal and Symion to go in search of consorts, My Queen."
"No. I shall receive no consorts now."
"But -"
Minna made an impatient gesture. "I have made the decision. Much of my future rests upon the success of the men who go to King Shandor's camp. If I require consorts, I shall inform you. Anything else?"
Chiana bowed. "Nothing of import, Majesty."
"Just palace politics, I suppose?"
"Yes."
Minna sighed. "So, are all my advisors ranked against me in this?"
"No, indeed. Many side with you, but they grow fearful for their lives. Karshon of the bears was slain last night, and an attempt was made upon the life of Dermon of the wolves."
"Who replaces Karshon?"
"Emial."
The Queen rose and wandered over to the windows to stare out across the grounds. "How did Karshon die?"
"Snakebite."
Minna swung around. "Mendal!"
"No, My Queen. He was not to blame, for the bite was inflicted by a brown rock adder, and Mendal's familiar is a tree adder, as you know. The guilty party, I believe, is Asmol, a junior advisor whose familiar is a brown rock adder. The killing was sloppy, ill planned."
"And ill advised." Minna frowned. "Does he think that I allow my advisors to be slain without reprisal? What of the attempt on Dermon?"
"An assassin, so we know not who hired him. Dermon was lucky that he had four wolves with him at the time, and escaped with only a few wounds."
"The assassin escaped?"
"Yes, My Queen."
Minna turned back to the window. "The assassin will try again. Failure is not acceptable to them. If the killing has been paid for, he will not stop until one of them is dead. Send Dermon to the armies. Tell him to find consorts for me, but let him take his time. Send Asmol to the armies as well, but let him be stripped of his post and made a common soldier. If he wishes the war to continue, then let him fight in it. That will be his punishment."
Chiana smiled at the Queen's cleverness. "That is a fitting punishment, My Queen."
"Yes. Tell the others that any who are found guilty of plotting to murder my loyal advisors shall suffer an identical fate. From now on, all those who wish that the war continue will fight in it themselves." The Queen faced Chiana again. "For too long, the high-born have profited from this constant slaughter and grown fat off the death of so many innocents. If they love this war so much, they should enjoy the privilege of partaking in it."
"Your mother, praise her name, always let her advisors fight their battles amongst themselves," Chiana pointed out.
"My mother," Minna retorted, "was a snake."
Chiana prostrated herself and left, still smiling.
That night, Shamsara dined with Minna-Satu, and she experienced the unique pleasure of sharing her table with all of his companions. The wolf remained under the table, awaiting the meat that Shamsara passed him, and the hawk perched on the back of an empty chair. Two mice shared his plate of vegetables and sweetmeats, for the Idol of the Beasts ate no flesh. A ferret helped himself to meat on the table, and a small tortoise shared the salad bowl with a tiny leaf-eating monkey. Minna listened as the old man detailed the events that had brought each of his special companions to him, while Shista watched disdainfully from her cushions.
The next day, Captain Redgard brought before her five volunteers, all seasoned warriors, as she had ordered. Each had served at the front and distinguished himself, earning the right to become part of the palace guard. Their leader was a man of foxes, like the captain, who displayed the sly intelligence of his kind in his alert glances and quick movements. Two claimed kin with bulls, great, muscled men who towered over their companions. One was a man of the deer, and possessed his kindred's shy demeanour and swift gentle ways, while the last was of the ravens, with sharp black eyes and a vigilant nature. He had a familiar perched upon his shoulder, an airborne spy that would aid them greatly in their quest. Minna gave them her blessing and sent them on their way.
Even on horseback, the journey to the desert would take at least three tendays, and Minna settled down to the task of sorting out the wrangles amongst her advisors. Asmol was taken away in chains to serve his sentence at the front, and Dermon went with him, on the pretext of finding consorts for the Queen, an honourable task. After the example of Asmol, the intrigues became more subtle, and assassination attempts were disguised as accidents. Ishtan of the wolves was run down by a cart and severely injured, and the horses were later found to have been burnt. Dalreesh of the eagles discovered a scorpion in his bed, and a tenday later was found dead in a palace corridor with a knife in his back.
Shamsara returned to his mountain cave, and Minna missed his lively conversations and the tales of his long and fascinating life. For a tenday after his departure, the palace was quiet, then a gang of street thugs attacked Symion in the city and almost killed him, but a for Moret's timely rescue. One of the thugs, wounded by Moret's dogs, admitted the name of his employer under torture, and Yassin of the bats was sent to fight at the front. Minna employed seven new spies to find those disloyal to her, adding two more advisors to her army.
After two tendays of relative peace, a message arrived from the front, informing the Queen of the five soldiers’ failure. Minna dispatched another five men with a heavy heart, this time a wolf, a cat, a horse and two bears. A further four tendays elapsed, with only a botched assassination attempt on Mendal, which made the Queen laugh. The news that the second quintet had failed plunged her into a deep depression that not even her best jesters could alleviate, and she despatched a third group of six. The inclusion in this group of a man of snakes gave her fresh hope, but four tendays later the news was bad once more. Four more volunteered, a deadly quartet of snake, scorpion, dog and shark, the first three with familiars.
Three tendays after they left, when Minna was growing impatient for news of them, Chiana gave her some other, startling news during their daily discussion of events.
"My Queen, a man arrived at the palace yesterday, requesting an audience."
"Indeed? What sort of man? One of My Lords?"
"No." Chiana looked a little puzzled. "He would tell me nothing of himself, saying that he would speak only to you. He seemed proud, and would not bend his knee to me, your chief advisor."
Minna smiled at Chiana's indignant air. "How very uncivil of him. But do not let your little ego bloat too much, or I shall have to deflate it somewhat."