and it couldn’t have gone better. I’ll go with his men to the
Hall of Sorcery tonight, but I…. The man has two hundred accomplices. All
magicked. There’s precious little I can do on my own. Why didn’t Gratton
assassinate the man? Walk into his shop with a dagger, pretend to need shoe
repairs, and….”
“Because
Linstrom’s nineteen sorcerer supporters, Ingleton. Kill Linstrom and they’re
swarming upon Partsvale in the blink of an eye. We have to take them down at
once, all together. That requires the king’s army. Requires you.”
Vane
swore. “I’m one blasted man. Beyond transporting between here and Podrar to
keep the king informed, what bloody difference can I…?”
“Well,
we sure as hell have to do something. We’ve two weeks.”
“I’m
aware of that. Listen, the king only learned of this mess last night. I’m sure
he’s been consulting with people all day. When I meet with him next, I’m hoping
he has some strategy developed, or at the least developing. He only has three
sorcerers to aid him, though. That’s the problem: me, Zacry Porteg, and my
instructor at the school. Maybe one or two of her past students as well, but
we’ll need the army, like you said. We’ll need the bloody army, and the army
isn’t here. Won’t get here in time. Three people can’t handle transporting
hundreds the distance we’re discussing. It’s impossible. There won’t be a quiet
end to this.”
Howar
let out a dejected breath. “You’re certain, Ingleton?”
“Damn
certain. I wish I weren’t, but we learned of the plot too late. The authorities
here, you, Gratton…. We’re all too late. We can try to contain the damage and
the aftermath to follow, but there’ll be a fair amount of both.”
“But
your magic! There must be….”
“Sorcery
has limitations. Real ones, damn it. I’ll tell the king tonight that as many
women and children as we can quietly move from Partsvale should be moved. We’ll
alert the guard to have armed shelters ready for those who remain, for when the
trouble starts. The Shrine will be safe, at least. People can gather there.”
Howar
nodded. “Linstrom’s got the fear of God in him. About the only thing he fears,
I’d wager.”
“I’ll
take it, if it’ll keep people safe when he attacks the village.”
“He’ll
leave the Shrine alone, I knew that before. Your Grace, the Shrine’s not much.”
“We’ll
make sure it’s enough, though. We’ve time for that.”
Vane’s
turn had come to sigh. He alerted his fellow spy to the rest of the backstory
he’d given Linstrom, and asked if Howar had any guess of what Terrance’s
“surprise” for the evening could be, as it was nothing that boded well for
those loyal to the king.
The
baker said, “Linstrom sent him to the capital, for some kind of diversion. A
small one. Just to make sure the king has no reason to set his attention here.”
“Well,
I left Podrar this morning. After speaking with the king, and he mentioned
nothing that fits what you’re describing. Terrance spoke as though it’s done,
completed, whatever he referred to.”
A small diversion…. That meant Vane’s
family was in the clear, thank the Giver. Assaulting the only sorcerer-duke’s
loved ones would threaten to bring Linstrom, and his men, too much to the
crown’s notice.
Howar
shrugged. “Guess we’ll be surprised with the rest of them, and soon enough. Too
soon, I reckon.”
Vane
asked, “How did you get involved in this? How did the army get involved in the
first place?”
“Now
that’s a story. One of Linstrom’s supporters who lives in Fontferry and
transports in for meetings, his wife heard him mumbling strange things in his
sleep a couple nights in a row. Things about arson and magic, revenge and
Partsvale. A tyrant king. The good woman was spooked, and went to Jonson
Peare.” Fontferry’s mayor. He’d been mayor when Vane was growing up and still
held the post, though he must be ancient now. “He had no
Hall of Sorcery tonight, but I…. The man has two hundred accomplices. All
magicked. There’s precious little I can do on my own. Why didn’t Gratton
assassinate the man? Walk into his shop with a dagger, pretend to need shoe
repairs, and….”
“Because
Linstrom’s nineteen sorcerer supporters, Ingleton. Kill Linstrom and they’re
swarming upon Partsvale in the blink of an eye. We have to take them down at
once, all together. That requires the king’s army. Requires you.”
Vane
swore. “I’m one blasted man. Beyond transporting between here and Podrar to
keep the king informed, what bloody difference can I…?”
“Well,
we sure as hell have to do something. We’ve two weeks.”
“I’m
aware of that. Listen, the king only learned of this mess last night. I’m sure
he’s been consulting with people all day. When I meet with him next, I’m hoping
he has some strategy developed, or at the least developing. He only has three
sorcerers to aid him, though. That’s the problem: me, Zacry Porteg, and my
instructor at the school. Maybe one or two of her past students as well, but
we’ll need the army, like you said. We’ll need the bloody army, and the army
isn’t here. Won’t get here in time. Three people can’t handle transporting
hundreds the distance we’re discussing. It’s impossible. There won’t be a quiet
end to this.”
Howar
let out a dejected breath. “You’re certain, Ingleton?”
“Damn
certain. I wish I weren’t, but we learned of the plot too late. The authorities
here, you, Gratton…. We’re all too late. We can try to contain the damage and
the aftermath to follow, but there’ll be a fair amount of both.”
“But
your magic! There must be….”
“Sorcery
has limitations. Real ones, damn it. I’ll tell the king tonight that as many
women and children as we can quietly move from Partsvale should be moved. We’ll
alert the guard to have armed shelters ready for those who remain, for when the
trouble starts. The Shrine will be safe, at least. People can gather there.”
Howar
nodded. “Linstrom’s got the fear of God in him. About the only thing he fears,
I’d wager.”
“I’ll
take it, if it’ll keep people safe when he attacks the village.”
“He’ll
leave the Shrine alone, I knew that before. Your Grace, the Shrine’s not much.”
“We’ll
make sure it’s enough, though. We’ve time for that.”
Vane’s
turn had come to sigh. He alerted his fellow spy to the rest of the backstory
he’d given Linstrom, and asked if Howar had any guess of what Terrance’s
“surprise” for the evening could be, as it was nothing that boded well for
those loyal to the king.
The
baker said, “Linstrom sent him to the capital, for some kind of diversion. A
small one. Just to make sure the king has no reason to set his attention here.”
“Well,
I left Podrar this morning. After speaking with the king, and he mentioned
nothing that fits what you’re describing. Terrance spoke as though it’s done,
completed, whatever he referred to.”
A small diversion…. That meant Vane’s
family was in the clear, thank the Giver. Assaulting the only sorcerer-duke’s
loved ones would threaten to bring Linstrom, and his men, too much to the
crown’s notice.
Howar
shrugged. “Guess we’ll be surprised with the rest of them, and soon enough. Too
soon, I reckon.”
Vane
asked, “How did you get involved in this? How did the army get involved in the
first place?”
“Now
that’s a story. One of Linstrom’s supporters who lives in Fontferry and
transports in for meetings, his wife heard him mumbling strange things in his
sleep a couple nights in a row. Things about arson and magic, revenge and
Partsvale. A tyrant king. The good woman was spooked, and went to Jonson
Peare.” Fontferry’s mayor. He’d been mayor when Vane was growing up and still
held the post, though he must be ancient now. “He had no
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