John Carr - Kalvan Kingmaker

"Have you ever tried hiding a hundred-foot conveyer loaded with barley, brass ingots and wrought iron? Sorry, I know you have. Just remember that our ability to operate in parallel Styphon's House time-lines depends on not strewing portents and demonical visitations all over the place. As for Kalvan's Time-Line, find me a place that you can be sure won't be overrun by somebody's army in the next year, and I'll move Paracop HQ there!"

"I admit that would be a search for Queen Griselda's Breechguard," Danthor said, with a more genuine grin. "But I remind you that the Assembly Hall is more than a place for talkfests among professors. We use it to publicize all activities on Kalvan's Time-Line, yours included. You have an interest as great as ours in keeping such a facility open."

"We do. We also have an interest in keeping everyone out there on Kalvan's Time-Line alive. What about letting the University use the Police Briefing Room? It has the same facilities as your Assembly Hall, and probably a bigger computer."

"And a lot of even bigger Paratime Policemen to intimidate our discussions!" the engineer ahead of Sirna growled.

Verkan Vail stared with elaborate care at the gray-sprayed ceiling. And why that particular shade of gray, wondered Sirna? It reminded her of a day-old corpse. Danthor Dras glared at the engineer. Sirna had heard the Scholar had once outstared a Sastragathi berserker. Looking at him now, she could believe the tale.

"I think the Paratime Police would hardly stoop to intimidation of First Level Citizens," the Scholar said. "I have a higher opinion of their competence and integrity than that."

Danthor Dras bowed in Verkan's direction. "Chief Verkan, I would prefer to keep our Assembly Hall if possible. I will accept your offer if necessary. Alternatively, could University funds make it possible to expand the depot's habitable space all around? Perhaps this is not a zero-sum game."

"Perhaps not, although it is Police property. I would have to check with our Legal Section on what we can accept. I'll do that as soon as I get back to First Level. My thanks, Scholar, and best wishes for success in your projects."

The Paratime Police kept strict control over outtime facilities, even on the Fifth Sector, where land was free for the taking. It made sense, thought Sirna, if the Paratime Police kept outtime bases small and few in number, they were easier to keep secure and under surveillance.

More scholarly mutterings using unscholarly language followed the Chief's retreating back, but he showed no signs of hearing any of it. Danthor Dras wore a genuine grin as he turned back to his followers.

"Sometimes it's necessary to concede on a small point to win a larger one. But I will never concede that the Paratime Police have the right to interfere with our operations on Kalvan's Time-Line. Their Chief's friendship with Great King Kalvan gives them nothing of the kind. We will defend ourselves against the Police as we would against Styphon's House itself!"

The cheering must have been heard all over the depot, let alone by the departing Paracop Chief. Fortunately everyone else was cheering so loudly that nobody noticed Sirna wasn't joining in.

"Then there is nothing more we can do against those fatherless Knights?" Warlord Sargos glared around Kalvan's tent as if ready to challenge any king or captain present to personal combat.

Maybe he was. Kalvan began to think that breaking a barrel of wine hadn't been the best idea. Sargos had grown increasingly belligerent instead of mellow.

"Not nothing," Harmakros talked with the air of a man trying for the twentieth time to persuade a stubborn child to go to bed. "We can't knock down the walls of Tarr-Ceros or besiege it for long enough to do any good. What else is there?"

Sargos emptied the last of a jug into his cup and looked into the ruddy depths. He seemed to find wisdom or at least a better-guarded tongue there.

"Nothing that will end the Knights for all time, I suppose. But is there anything else worth doing?"

"Yes," King Nestros said. He hadn't yet been officially proclaimed Great King, that would have to wait until his return to Rathon City, but he wore a gold-circled crown set with turquoise picked up from the Knights' baggage and hastily set into place by an armorer. "Anything that will keep them quiet for a year or two will be almost as good. United, with no enemies at our backs, we're their match. We proved it: now we know it, they know it, and neither of us is going to forget it soon. Let us do something to make them remember it as long as possible."

Several faces around the tent wore, "Yes, but what?" expressions. It was time for the god-sent Great King Kalvan to take a hand. The rest had wrangled themselves into being ready to listen.

"Now, a lot of what we can do depends on how long we can keep the boats and barges in range of Tarr-Ceros," Kalvan said.

"Oh, demons fly away with those boats and barges!" Sargos growled. "If they won't let us destroy the Knights, what good are they?"

"If we have most of a moon, before the Knights' fleet returns from Xiphlon, we can destroy the Knights' lands," Kalvan snapped. "Alkides, do you think we have that much time?"

"With guns mounted in the right places, I suspect we can keep off anything short of all the galleys at once," the artillery office answered. "That's using mostly the Trygathi heavy pieces, that wouldn't be much good in the field anyway."

Sargos looked ready to curse the boats and barges again, but Kalvan fixed him with a sharp look. "Warlord Sargos, those watercraft are like herds or chosen warriors to the Princes of Kyblos and Ulthor. Would one of your chiefs thank you if you lost all his horses or a thousand of his best warriors including two or three of his sons?"

Sargos appeared to ponder the question and came up with an answer that at least kept him quiet. Kalvan signaled to Harmakros, who handed him a map of the area around Tarr-Ceros. It was a rough map, but it was a historical document-the first map here-and-now ever drawn on paper. There was also a second copy, on the more usual, not to say durable, deerskin.

"The Knights have left a belt of forest around Tarr-Ceros, between them and the lands that raise their food and horses. They've always relied on the forest to let their light-armed troops delay an enemy while the heavies move out.

"Now suppose we throw two forces around Tarr-Ceros. One is infantry, with light artillery support. They'll hold the forest belt, keeping the Knights in instead of enemies out. I'll wager half the Treasure of Balph it'll take even Soton a while to figure out what to do about that."

"Yes, yes," Sargos exclaimed. Eagerness crackled in his voice. "Our archers are without peer. Given time to hide themselves, they can hold the forest-"

"Boast about your archers when they've proved themselves!" Nestor snapped. "We of the Trygath are no children with the bow, as you yourself know-" Kalvan allowed them to go round about like that for a few minutes. By then, they'd mostly sobered up and were growing hoarse, at least, Nestros was; Sargos could bellow until the cows came home!

"Hold!" Kalvan shouted. "There will be enough Knights to go around, I am sure. To the archer who takes the most, I will personally give ten Hosti-gos gold Crowns and a weapon of his choice. General Alkides, can you move your four-pounders in that kind of wooded country?"

"With a little help from Galzar and a lot of help from men who aren't afraid to drag a gun." The two allied rulers couldn't promise their help fast enough.

Kalvan was starting his explanation of what the second force would do, when shouts of "Way, way, for a royal messenger!" and galloping hooves broke in on the meeting. Kalvan decided that royal dignity would be better served by going on with the briefing, even if the council hall were a wooded glen.