Roland Green - Great King_s war

"You formulate our food stocks as if it were a battle plan!"

"It is. As one of the greats once said, 'An army marches on its stomach.' I plan to see the Army of Hos-Hostigos is as well-fed as it is well-trained."

"THE TIME HAS COME TO PUNISH THE FALSE GOD DRALM AND KILL HIS TOOL, WHO GOES BY THE NAME OF KALVAN, HERE AFTER TO BE KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE FIVE KINGDOMS AS THE 'DAEMON KALVAN.' "ALL OF DRALM'S TEMPLES MUST BE PULLED DOWN, BURNED AND SOWN WITH SALT. HIS PRIESTS MUST BE BLINDED, CASTRATED AND STRANGLED. KALVAN, HIS WIFE AND SEED, MUST BE DRAWN AND QUARTERED, THEN SLAKED WITH LIME AND BURNED UNTIL ONLY ASHES REMAIN! THESE ASHES ARE THEN TO BE CAST INTO THE GREAT SEA. ALL THOSE IN HOS-HOSTIGOS WHO DO NOT FORSAKE THEIR FALSE GOD MUST BE HANGED AND THEIR BODIES THROWN TO THE WOLVES AND RAVENS. THOSE WHO ADMIT TO THEIR ERRORS AND FALSE WAYS WILL BE SETTLED IN THE SASTRAGATH TO LIVE AS BARBARIANS.

The great idol of Styphon, which had been moved on a wheeled cart into Temple Plaza, fell silent. From ten thousand voices in the Great Temple of Styphon's House on Earth came the reply:

"Kill the Daemon Kalvan! Kill the Daemon Kalvan! Kill Kalvan! Kill Kalvan! Kill Kalvan!"

Anaxthenes, who had once worked the mechanism that moved the mouth and talked into the speaker tubes that amplified the idol's voice, still felt a chill as the giant iron jaws, with teeth carved from Mammoth tusks, snapped shut. More than fifteen winters had passed since the last public Proclamation from Styphon's Great Image, and that had been nothing more than a short blessing to the underpriests and deacons for their good works in collecting Styphon's offerings. Never in his lifetime had the Great Image spoken to a lay crowd in Temple Plaza. It had to be wheeled on a cart from the Great Temple of Styphon, something done only in times of grave crisis. Times like now, with the Fireseed Mystery revealed and the armies of Styphon in tatters.

All of the Inner Circle's plans for the destruction of Hos-Hostigos gone to ashes because of their great defeats in the field of battle. Even Styphon's greatest champion, Grand Master Soton, had been humbled by the Usurper's sword. The entire world was trembling; Styphon's House Itself was on the edge of a precipice-unimaginable before the sudden appearance of this foreign prince, or renegade priest as some called him.

Some saw him as the avatar of Dralm-sheer nonsense, superstitious babble, as he ought to know. It was his specialty!

No, Kalvan, for all his battle savvy and leadership, was as mortal as himself. Yet, wise enough to use priestly prattle to advance his cause… Kalvan is no more Dralm-sent than one of Thessamona's little vials is Styphon-sent! It was unfortunate he couldn't have a little talk with this Kalvan and discuss a rapprochement with Styphon's House. After all, he'd proven himself a great leader; why not work for the Temple that could afford to make him-and itself-even greater.

He noticed that old Sesklos was getting impatient and stepped down from the dais, holding out his arm to support his elderly patron. Followed by six Temple Guardsmen, the two of them left through the secret trap door into the catacombs. From there it was a short walk to the tunnel that led to the lift tended by ten slaves.

As soon as they were alone in the carriage, Sesklos turned to Anaxthenes. "What are we going to do about Grand Master Soton? Archpriest Dracar and his followers want him stripped of his offices and expelled from the Inner Circle."

"Lickspittles, salivating morons, every one of them," Anaxthenes spat. "As if that temporary setback in Hostigos was all Soton's fault!"

"He lost didn't he?" Sesklos asked.

"Father, Soton almost won, if you read the reports. Which no one in the Inner Circle appears to have done!"

"Soton's propaganda."

"Father, you have lived too long in Balph among duplicitous priests. If you'd taken time to read-really read-Soton's final dispatch, you will see that he was much harder on himself than any of his critics. Only an honest man would impugn himself so. It's not his fault this Hostigos bumpkin-Kalvan as he calls himself-is some sort of military genius. Soton is the best military man we have and if he couldn't defeat Kalvan on almost equal terms, then no one in the Five Kingdoms can-as was proven in Hos-Harphax. Kalvan destroyed the Harphaxi! Next time, we'll have to guarantee that he has enough troops to squash Kalvan for all time."

"Maybe we can get Styphon's Own Image to proclaim Soton innocent of these charges of cowardice and treason."

Anaxthenes laughed. "The people that count know that trick; only peasants and naive fools believe in gods who talk. Soton's only crime is that he cares too much about his soldiers. And even Ormaz turns a blind eye to that vice."

"You believe he is innocent?"

"Innocence has nothing to do with it. Certainly the charge of cowardice is absurd. The only thing Soton is guilty of is being a realist; he knows when it's time to pack up his lances and go home. All reports agree that at the battle's outset Leonnestros acted rashly and fell right into Kalvan's trap. That misstep put Soton on the defensive and the Hostigi gradually wore him down until Soton was forced to retreat to save the entire Host from being destroyed. He saved himself, too, which is a good thing since he's the only commander we have capable of defeating Kalvan and his men on the field of battle. In truth, Styphon's House owes Soton a great deal for proving to the world at Tenabra that Kalvan's men can be defeated."

"I tell you, old son, Dracar is like a wolf on the scent of a blooded lamb. He will not stop until Soton is cast out of office, defrocked and put in chains."

"Then he and his bootlickers are even bigger fools than I'd thought! Excuse me, Father, but with Grand Master Soton they're not dealing with some backwoods Trygathi underpriest. The Grand Master rules more territory than two Great Kings, and with more unquestioned authority! If he gives up his offices, it will only be willingly and for the Temple he just might do it. We can't allow it. It's not in the Temple's-or our own best interest, that he leave in disgrace."

"There is much wisdom in your words. However, I doubt words alone will sway Dracar and his faction. They thirst for a sacrificial victim to slake their fear of Kalvan. Only Soton's blood will do. Even your allies among the Inner Circle blame the defeat on Soton for retiring from the battle. It would not be so had you accepted my Blessing. You alone are the son I never had."

Anaxthenes turned and looked at the old man, his slender fingers trembling with palsy, who had more than once offered him the highest and most exalted office within Styphon's House on Earth. He felt a trace of affection stir and promptly dismissed it. Sesklos' wits were declining, or he would have fallen into apoplexy before admitting such sentimental drivel.

"I declined because there are too many unpleasant things that need to be done and no one else to do them, because I have earned too many enemies, because there is too little time to do all that must be done if the House of Styphon is to triumph over Kalvan and its many enemies now that the Fireseed Mystery has been revealed. As Styphon's Voice there is too much ritual, too many meetings, too many audiences…Why go on? You know the burden much better than I."

Sesklos nodded wearily. "Yes, my son, there is a great weight upon the shoulders of He who is Elected Styphon's Voice. There are times when it seems only death itself will lift the great weight from my shoulders…"

Yes, that's why you've fought its advances lo these many years, you old hypocrite! thought Anaxthenes to himself. He truly did enjoy working behind Styphon's image, or he would have poisoned the old bugger ten winters ago. Although it was becoming increasingly wearisome to play son to Sesklos the father-a man old enough to be his grandfather. His own family was of noble blood and could trace its lineage back to the first kings of Ktemnos; he had no need for a surrogate father-as a youth he could hardly escape his real one fast enough!