“Captain Thraxas,” says Lisutaris. “Thanks for arriving promptly. And only drinking two flagons of ale.”
I don’t know if that’s just an accurate guess. Maybe she used some sort of spell.
“Are you ready to take up your duties?”
“Do I have to be in the Sorcerers Auxiliary Regiment?”
“What’s wrong with the Sorcerers Auxiliary Regiment?”
“They’re not renowned as warriors. And they have a foolish rainbow badge.” I glare at my epaulet.
“We have a serious problem,” says Lisutaris. Presumably she doesn’t mean my rainbow badge. “You remember Deeziz?”
“Of course.”
Deeziz the Unseen is the most powerful of the Orcish sorcerers. A few months ago she infiltrated Turai, undetected by either the city’s intelligence services or our Sorcerers Guild. She outsmarted us completely. It was her actions that led to the fall of the city.
“I believe she may be headed this way.”
That does sound like a serious problem. I wouldn’t mind a face-to-face encounter with Deeziz, because there are a lot of things I’d like to pay her back for, preferably with my sword, but it’s not likely to happen that way. If she turns up in Samsarina it’s going to be difficult to spot her. Deeziz moved into the Avenging Axe in Turai, my home tavern, and was so well-disguised that even Lisutaris couldn’t detect her. Her sorcery fooled everyone. She pretended to be a popular singer called Moolifi, and did it so well that poor Captain Rallee fell in love with her. When she turned out to be an Orcish sorcerer, it was quite a shock. We didn’t have much time to dwell on it, as she swiftly brought down the north wall of Turai, allowing the Orcish army to march into the city.
Lisutaris is scowling. When Deeziz did finally reveal herself, she’d mocked Lisutaris for spending too much time at parties, squandering her power, while Deeziz herself had practiced and studied, increasing her own strength. The way things turned out, it was hard to argue with her.
“Deeziz the Unseen has by far the strongest powers of concealment I’ve ever encountered,” continues Lisutaris. “No one had an inkling she was in our midst. Even Horm the Dead was fooled. In the past weeks I’ve made efforts to develop my detection spells. I saw her aura that day in the tavern, and there’s a chance I’d recognise it again. Since we arrived in Samsarina I’ve been looking east for traces of her. Two days ago I thought I sensed something. It was the merest flicker, for a fraction of a second. I could be wrong, but...”
“But she could be riding into town disguised as a tavern girl?”
“Indeed. Her powers of concealment are so strong I’m not even sure she’d have to remain female. She might be able to take on the form of a man and join up with the army, or the mercenaries.”
We fall silent for a moment. There’s no need to stress the damage it could do if the most powerful Orcish sorcerer is allowed to operate undetected in our midst.
“I’ll keep working on detection spells. I can’t devote as much time to that as I’d like, with all my other responsibilities, but I’ve instructed several other sorcerers to work on it as well. Meanwhile I want you to take this in hand, Thraxas. I’ve made you my head of security. If Deeziz the Unseen arrives, find her.”
“That sounds almost impossible.”
“I know. But I need you to do it.”
I nod my head. “I’ll think of something.”
“If Deeziz attempts to infiltrate the army - or to assassinate me, another possibility - she might not be alone. Even for a woman as powerful as her, there has to be a lot of risk involved in straying so far from home, among so many enemies. I wonder if she might have some support. A network of agents, to provide her with shelter, perhaps. At the very least, I’d think she’d require another agent to send messages back to the Orcs. I doubt she’d risk sorcerous transmission herself. Our own sorcerers are checking for that sort of thing constantly.”
“Do you have any means of identifying her? If I find a likely suspect is there some sorcerous test that will expose her?”
Lisutaris shakes her head. “Not so far. My new Sorcerous Detection Unit is trying to develop a more advanced spell that might work.”
“Who’s in this unit?”
“Irith Victorious from Juval, and two of his guild. Do you know him?”
“I knew him a long time ago. I met him again at the Sorcerers Assemblage.”
I’m troubled to hear Irith’s name, though I don’t let it show. I first met him when I was a young soldier, fighting in the south. When he appeared in Turai at the Sorcerers Assemblage, a few years ago, we did a lot of drinking together. Then I robbed him when he was drunk. I was obliged to steal some information that was vital for our city. I didn’t feel very good about it at the time. I don’t know if he ever learned about it. He probably did.
“They’re working in secret so don’t mention them to anyone. They haven’t come up with anything yet but I’m hopeful. Meanwhile you’ll just have to manage without magical assistance.”
“It’s going to involve a lot of trekking round, looking for suspicious characters. I could use some help.”
“I’ll be assigning you staff,” says Lisutaris. “Meanwhile, I’ve asked someone else to assist.”
Lisutaris snaps her fingers, causing an internal door to fly open. A small dark figure walks silently into the room.
“Hanama?” I make no effort to hide my displeasure.
“Captain Hanama. New Chief Intelligence Officer of the Commander’s Personal Security Unit.”
“Captain? Chief Intelligence Officer? You do realise she’s an assassin?”
“Not relevant in the circumstances, Thraxas.”
“Not relevant? She kills people for money.”
“Well, we are soldiers,” says Makri. “You could say that about all of us.”
“It’s not the same! Why are you employing her? Are you sure she’s even on our side?”
I glare at Hanama. She’s quite a small woman, with short dark hair. She looks very young and her skin is very pale. Probably from spending most of her time sneaking round at night, assassinating people.
“Of all the people I’d hoped escaped from the wreck of Turai, you weren’t one of them.”
Hanama doesn’t deign to reply.
“How did you get here?” I demand.
“I walked.”
“You should have kept on walking.”
“Enough!” says Lisutaris. “I trust Hanama and that should be good enough for you. As Chief Security Officer and Chief Intelligence Officer you’ll work together, without argument, or I’ll have something to say about it.”
I wish I’d had another beer. Hanama, number three in the Turanian Assassins Guild - maybe higher these days for all I know - right at the heart of the war effort. I can’t believe it’s a good idea.
“I should get started right away,” I say. Partly because I’m keen to get started right away, and partly because I’m annoyed to find myself in the same room as Hanama.
“Good. I’m assigning Anumaris Thunderbolt to your security staff. You know her, I believe?”