Marak left his office and proceeded to the chambers of the Lords’ Council. An extra chair had been brought to the table in anticipation of his arrival, and the Emperor sat down. Lord Chenowith was chairing the meeting, and he began as soon as the Emperor was seated.
“This is an historic moment for our country,” Lord Chenowith began. “I was notified this morning that Khadora is now completely slave free. For the first time in the history of our country, there is not a single slave within the boundaries of Khadora.”
Murmurs of accomplishment rippled around the table. The lords were pleased.
“Where do we stand on resolution of border agreements?” asked Lord Patel.
“Over ninety percent of clan borders have been officially agreed to,” answered Lord Chenowith. “Most of the remaining disputes are between two rival clans and each clan has agreed to resolution of the problem by the Lords’ Council.”
“What cases will be left unresolved?” asked Lord Kiamesh.
“Cases that involve borders with the Chula,” replied Lord Chenowith. “That is one of the reasons that I have asked the Emperor to join us today. I am hopeful that he can lead a delegation to the Chula to help solve these last problems. Emperor?”
“I will need to review each border dispute before discussing them with the Chula,” answered the Emperor. “As you are all aware, Khadoran seizures of Chula territory have been a problem for centuries. There is no record of the Chula ever seizing Khadoran land. The Chula will be reticent to give up land that they believe is theirs.”
“You can’t just ask each estate to forfeit what they believe to be their land,” frowned Lord Quilo. “That would not sit well with the Assembly of Lords.”
“I am aware of that,” nodded the Emperor. “That is why I want to review each dispute first. I have little doubt that most of those claims will be outright attempts to claim Chula land as the borders are officially set, but I want to look for valid claims first.”
“How will you tell the difference?” asked Lord Quilo.
“I will ask the Chula,” replied Emperor Marak.
“That’s it?” frowned Lord Quilo. “You will just take the side of Chula? What does that say about your Khadoran lords?”
“I think it is clear what it says,” answered the Emperor. “I have first hand experience dealing with Chula boundary disputes. If Khadorans have any type of claim at all to the disputed land, I expect the Chula to honestly tell me so. I wish I could say the same about my Khadoran brothers, but we all know that is not possible. Maybe someday it will be possible, but that day has not yet arrived.”
“So all of the disputed claims will be disallowed?” asked Lord Chenowith.
“I did not say that,” replied the Emperor. “I fully expect the Chula to recognize the situation that I am in. I believe that they will give up some of the disputed land to ensure peace with the Khadorans, especially in cases where any type of validity can be attached to a claim.”
“You have a lot of faith in the honesty of the Chula, don’t you?” asked Lord Patel.
“I do,” nodded the Emperor. “When one considers that this entire country used to belong to them, one can understand their hesitancy to give up more of it, but they are also a practical people. What they desire most is to halt the incursion into their lands. I am confident that some small portions of land will be forfeited to achieve that goal.”
“I want to meet the leaders of the Chula,” declared Lord Chenowith. “I want to speak with the people that you think so highly of. Can you arrange that?”
Emperor Marak remained silent for a long time. He wondered how these high lords would react to being in a Chula village. How would they react to a Chula shaman who had the face of a lion? He remembered his trip with Axor through Fakara, and how the Fakarans received the Chula shaman. Initially there had been fear, but the Fakarans grew to accept the shaman. Slowly, he nodded and smiled.
“I think it is time for all of you to meet the Chula,” smiled Emperor Marak. “Some things about our neighbors will amaze you because they are so different; other things will amaze you particularly because you will find that they have many of the same thoughts as you have. They are like us in many ways, yet very different in others. You should be informed about your new allies. I will see to it.”
The lords looked at Marak suspiciously for a moment, but Lord Chenowith chuckled at the Emperor’s ability to leave things unsaid and continued with the meeting.
“The Emperor’s edict regarding temples to the god Kaltara is well under way,” he continued. “Each major city in Khadora now has a temple to Kaltara, although those temples remain unused. Would the Emperor care to tell us what he has planned for them?”
“This is probably the hardest part of my reforms,” admitted the Emperor, “but it is also one of the most crucial. Whether or not you understand it, Kaltara guides our fate. The great battles that are about to befall us will be a battle between good and evil, between Kaltara and Dobuk.”
“Dobuk is the god that Vand follows?” asked Lord Jamarat.
“Dobuk is the Great Demon,” corrected Marak, “but yes, that is who is driving Vand and his minions. Khadorans must learn that we are fighting for more than just ourselves. We are fighting for Kaltara and all that is good in this world. Our enemies are strong and powerful, but Kaltara will aid us if we ask him to.”
“Can’t you ask Kaltara to aid us?” asked Lord Jamarat. “I heard that he talks to you.”
“He does,” smiled Emperor Marak, “and He does help me. Look at the remarkable path my life has taken, from the son of a slave to the Emperor of this great country. Kaltara has guided me all of the way, but should he aid thousands upon thousands of others who do not even believe in him? I want all of our people to know Kaltara. I want all of our people praying to Kaltara for help with the coming struggle. Can any of you tell me how to accomplish this?”
Most of the lords had blank stares on their faces, but Lord Chenowith was smiling. Emperor Marak looked at the Walkan lord with curiosity.
“To many people in Khadora,” Lord Chenowith volunteered, “this Lords’ Council is the most respected body in the world. To untold thousands of Khadorans our new Emperor is the hero of legends. I think the answer to your problem, Emperor Marak, lies within this room. We set the example for how we want our citizens to behave. If we want them to believe in Kaltara, then we must believe in Kaltara.”
“And if our Emperor believes in Kaltara,” Lord Jamarat quickly added, “then I want to believe in Kaltara. How do we learn?”
Emperor Marak grinned at the simple solution presented to him by the lords. He rose from his chair and addressed the Lords’ Council.
“I suggest that we immediately retire to the newly built temple in this city,” declared Emperor Marak. “There I will introduce you to Kaltara.”
Chapter 5
The Voice of Kaltara
Emperor Marak led the members of the Lords’ Council into the new Temple of Kaltara in Khadoratung. While the temple had been constructed quickly, the workmanship was impeccable. The temple was built from plans provided by the Qubari. The lords gazed around with appreciation as the Emperor led them to the prayer chamber.
“I should have visited sooner,” remarked Lord Patel. “This is an exquisite structure. Is it true that it is modeled after the one in Angragar?”
“It is an exact replica,” nodded the Emperor as he halted outside the prayer chamber and opened the door. “This chamber has no windows. I normally do not bother with a torch, but I think one is appropriate for this visit. Take one in with you, Lord Patel.”
Lord Patel took a torch from a holder outside the chamber and carried it inside. The other lords followed, and the Emperor entered last and closed the door. The chamber was large and circular. Marak walked to Lord Patel and took the torch from his hand. He placed it in a wall sconce and returned to the center of the room.