said, I’m just a lowly member of the ambassadorial corps. I don’t even have access to anything important right now.”
“Ah, but that is not exactly true, my young friend,” Tarmin smiled. “You have access to exactly the most important thing. To me at any rate.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“You did research on both the Star League and the Brentax Empire,” Tarmin shrugged. He moved a forward soldier to match Orin’s opening move.
“I did, yes,” Orin nodded. “I was asked to do a threat assessment on both governments.”
“I have read them,” Tarmin smiled. “Excellent and thorough work.”
“Thank you, sir,” Orin bowed his head slightly. “I was unaware that you would get a copy of the reports.”
“Who do you think asked for the threat assessments in the first place?”
Orin looked stunned, but said nothing. He looked over the game board, finally moving one of his guards, capturing one of the Emperor’s forts. The Emperor nodded in approval at the move.
“If you have read my report, what more do you need from me?” Orin asked.
“Which side will win the war?” the Emperor asked simply.
Orin leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin in thought. He wasn’t sure how to answer, as he did not know who would win the war between the Star League and the Brentax Empire. He had given it a great deal of thought since the original threat assessments, but he had no more idea now which side would prevail than he had before. He had to say something though. The Emperor was expecting an answer.
“I believe that the Brentax Empire currently has the superior military,” Orin said, choosing his words very carefully.
“So you think the Brentax will win, then?” Tarmin pressed.
“We received a report earlier today that the Brentax Empire had brutally attacked one of the Star League homeworlds,” Orin said. “I don’t know how the Star League can stand up to the Brentax. And yet…”
“And yet, what?” Tarmin prodded.
“And yet, I cannot help but think that the Star League will be the last ones standing at the end.”
“I see.” The Emperor got up and walked over to the shelf of books that Orin had looked at earlier. He scanned down the row of books and pulled one from the shelf. “What do you know of Emperor Kyn Cartha?”
“They say the prophecies his star guide gave him made him go mad. Beyond that, I don’t know much, I am afraid.”
“The books on this shelf are the collected journals of past emperors,” Tarmin said softly. “I have read all of them.” He held up the book he pulled off the shelf. “This one was written by Kyn Cartha.”
“Why are you telling me about these diaries?” Orin furrowed his brow. “I would assume that these are not for people like me to know about.”
“Normally, that would be true,” Tarmin nodded. He sat back down at the table. “And if you were to tell anyone about the diaries, I would have no choice but to have you executed. Still, I think I can trust you not to spread this around.”
“I shall take this secret to my grave,” the young ambassador nodded.
“Good.” Tarmin flipped through the book to get to the passage he wanted. “Emperor Cartha did, indeed, get a vision from his star guide. And it disturbed him greatly. I don’t know that it exactly drove him mad, but it did cause him to lose sleep.”
Orin looked uncomfortable at the table. He tried to cover his discomfort by studying the game board. He saw an opening that he wasn’t sure that the Emperor knew was there, and so he took it, moving one of his clerics into a position causing the Emperor’s lord to be in danger.
“What does a vision from a star guide from hundreds of years ago have to do with the war between the Star League and the Brentax Empire?” Orin asked after making the move.
“Because, this war is referenced in the vision,” Tarmin shrugged. “As is one other war to
“Ah, but that is not exactly true, my young friend,” Tarmin smiled. “You have access to exactly the most important thing. To me at any rate.”
“I don’t think I understand.”
“You did research on both the Star League and the Brentax Empire,” Tarmin shrugged. He moved a forward soldier to match Orin’s opening move.
“I did, yes,” Orin nodded. “I was asked to do a threat assessment on both governments.”
“I have read them,” Tarmin smiled. “Excellent and thorough work.”
“Thank you, sir,” Orin bowed his head slightly. “I was unaware that you would get a copy of the reports.”
“Who do you think asked for the threat assessments in the first place?”
Orin looked stunned, but said nothing. He looked over the game board, finally moving one of his guards, capturing one of the Emperor’s forts. The Emperor nodded in approval at the move.
“If you have read my report, what more do you need from me?” Orin asked.
“Which side will win the war?” the Emperor asked simply.
Orin leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin in thought. He wasn’t sure how to answer, as he did not know who would win the war between the Star League and the Brentax Empire. He had given it a great deal of thought since the original threat assessments, but he had no more idea now which side would prevail than he had before. He had to say something though. The Emperor was expecting an answer.
“I believe that the Brentax Empire currently has the superior military,” Orin said, choosing his words very carefully.
“So you think the Brentax will win, then?” Tarmin pressed.
“We received a report earlier today that the Brentax Empire had brutally attacked one of the Star League homeworlds,” Orin said. “I don’t know how the Star League can stand up to the Brentax. And yet…”
“And yet, what?” Tarmin prodded.
“And yet, I cannot help but think that the Star League will be the last ones standing at the end.”
“I see.” The Emperor got up and walked over to the shelf of books that Orin had looked at earlier. He scanned down the row of books and pulled one from the shelf. “What do you know of Emperor Kyn Cartha?”
“They say the prophecies his star guide gave him made him go mad. Beyond that, I don’t know much, I am afraid.”
“The books on this shelf are the collected journals of past emperors,” Tarmin said softly. “I have read all of them.” He held up the book he pulled off the shelf. “This one was written by Kyn Cartha.”
“Why are you telling me about these diaries?” Orin furrowed his brow. “I would assume that these are not for people like me to know about.”
“Normally, that would be true,” Tarmin nodded. He sat back down at the table. “And if you were to tell anyone about the diaries, I would have no choice but to have you executed. Still, I think I can trust you not to spread this around.”
“I shall take this secret to my grave,” the young ambassador nodded.
“Good.” Tarmin flipped through the book to get to the passage he wanted. “Emperor Cartha did, indeed, get a vision from his star guide. And it disturbed him greatly. I don’t know that it exactly drove him mad, but it did cause him to lose sleep.”
Orin looked uncomfortable at the table. He tried to cover his discomfort by studying the game board. He saw an opening that he wasn’t sure that the Emperor knew was there, and so he took it, moving one of his clerics into a position causing the Emperor’s lord to be in danger.
“What does a vision from a star guide from hundreds of years ago have to do with the war between the Star League and the Brentax Empire?” Orin asked after making the move.
“Because, this war is referenced in the vision,” Tarmin shrugged. “As is one other war to
Similar Books
