John Carr - Kalvan Kingmaker

"How many troops could you muster if Kalvan and his army were at the city walls tomorrow at sunrise?"

"A little more than four thousand Royal troops and another five thousand mercenaries. I'm supposed to have about twelve thousand city militia, but they are next to worthless-even though I've made them spend at least two days a moon-quarter in training. Most of them would take off-as they did at Chothros Heights-at the first sound of cannon fire. At least, I've managed to get them uniforms and handguns that fire.

"You wouldn't believe the ordnance I had to replace-musket locks that were rusted shut, stocks half-rotted away and barrels fouled beyond belief!"

"I believe it," Soton said. "Kaiphranos the Timid was more a tightpurse than a coward. I was aghast when his son asked to meet Kalvan on the field man to man; well, he paid for his stupidity. What you're telling me is that I'd better not depend upon the Harphaxi Royal Army for any duty more pressing than staying behind the city walls."

Phidestros looked crestfallen. "If Kalvan invades Hos-Harphax next spring, only the gods will be able to stop him from taking the entire Kingdom, not just Harphax City! The only bright news is that I don't believe Kalvan has any idea just how bad our situation really is."

"I take it you have told no one else this."

"Only Prince Lysandros. Kalvan has his intelligencers everywhere, even here in Harphax City. We almost caught a big one posing as an exiled Nostori baron a moon-quarter ago. We've made a big show of parading the militia, half of them in Royal Army colors, up and down the city streets in their new uniforms and arms. To anyone other than a grizzled veteran, they look like real soldiers, but those whoresons couldn't be counted upon to stand up before a strong sneeze!"

"What are your plans to revitalize the Army?"

Phidestros took out a highly polished walnut pipe and began to fill it with tobacco. "I'd like to get your opinion on this before I act upon it."

Soton nodded. "Yes."

"One of our big problems is that Styphon's Best is unfit for use in combat, when up against Hostigos fireseed." Phidestros held himself still as though waiting for one of Kalvan's exploding cannon balls to go off.

Soton nodded. "You are right, it's not."

Phidestros smiled and lit his pipe. "I know you are an Archpriest-"

"And you thought I might be angered by the very idea that Kalvan's fire-seed is superior to Styphon's Best. Yes, I am-as Grand Master of the Order of Zarthani Knights-an Archpriest of Styphon's House. But I am a soldier, first. And, I do agree. I have already discussed this with several of the Archpriests and they have formulated a new fireseed that is almost the equal of Kalvan's mixture."

"Good! I wasn't sure how my request might go over. I've already appointed a system of Inspector-Generals to evaluate the Harphaxi Army, its armament, supplies and fireseed. My Chief Inspector tells me we should condemn all supplies of Styphon's fireseed and only use it for practice."

Soton shook his head in disbelief. Phidestros was a bold one all right! If some of the more hidebound archpriests had heard these words, they'd of had Phidestros stripped of his rank and burned alive. "I will do my best to see that you obtain sufficient supplies of the new formula fireseed for next spring."

"Thank you," Phidestros said, as if he meant it. He then went on to tell Soton the other reforms that he had undertaken. He wanted a big stockpile of supplies for next year, useful for both a siege or for a campaign. Phidestros had also set up a Retiring Board to prune away the deadwood, starting with former Captain-General Aesthes's cronies, in the Harphaxi Army. Aesthes himself had disappeared shortly after the disastrous Battle of Phyrax and was rumored to have fled to Hos-Zygros, where he had a summer mansion. Meanwhile, Phidestros had begun a program to promote competent officers for when Lysandros started hiring more mercenaries in the spring.

"I have watched with envy," Phidestros continued, "at how the Usurper has been able to integrate mercenary units into the Hostigi Army. I don't have the power to make the kind of land grants that Kalvan does, but I am promoting the better Free Companion captains to grand-captains in the Harphaxi Army."

"How much gold is it costing?" Soton asked.

"I'm only offering a half-pay raise. The captain like the promotions and the raise in pay is good, but what they really like is that as part of the Royal Army of Hos-Harphax they get paid all year round. This is a trick I learned from Kalvan." He looked warily at Soton to see if he would object and when he didn't continued. "After their captains leave, I then put the mercenary companies under the command of Harphaxi Army officers. Also all Free Companions are placed under Harphaxi military justice, with the sole provision that any court-martial panel judging a Free Companion will itself consist of one-half Free Companions and one priest of Galzar Wolf's Head."

"You've done well," Soton replied, "now it is up to the gods and I believe they have done well by us. I have come up with a plan that will keep Kalvan busy all next year. And, with Galzar's Grace, it may even cost him his throne."

"By the Wargod's Beard, tell me! What miracle is this?"

"I plan to let the nomads fight the war against Kalvan for us. The Mexi-cotal in their strike against Xiphlon have driven the fierce southern pony warriors into the Sea of Grass, driving the tribes from their traditional hunting grounds into the Middle Kingdoms, where they have received a harsh reception. Many have been forced to cross the Great River in their desire to find a safe haven. Only fifty hundred thousand have crossed the River so far, but already the entire lower Sastragath is a boil as new tribes move in and others use the disorder to settle old scores or build great clans. The Order has had to fight battles against barbarians trying to move into Hos-Ktemnos and Hos-Bletha.

"Now things are beginning to settle down as the tribes search for shelter and forage for the winter. The Order has seen these migrations from the Plains many times before and events should come to a head next year. The nomads are caught between the anvil of the Middle Kingdoms; and the Ruthani hammer in the south. The only place they have to go is across the Great River and into the Sastragath, or north into Grefftscharr. Next year will see ten times as many tribes crossing the river, which will kick loose all the tribes of the Lower Sastragath and push them either east into our forts or north into the Upper Sastragath and Trygath.

"Instead of fortifying the border and holding our forts, my plan is to move half the Order Lances into the Lower Sastragath and drive the nomads up the Pathagaros Valley, into the Lydistros Valley and from there into Kalvan's backyard. With a nomad invasion threatening the Trygath and Kalvan's own western-most princedoms, Kalvan will be forced to go on the offensive and have to call a halt to his buildup on the Harphaxi border."

"It's a brilliant plan, Grand Master. But, surely things are not so bad that we are forced to allow the barbarians to enter the Five Kingdoms through our own backdoor?"

"In words only for your ears, our situation is that desperate. If Kalvan invades Hos-Harphax, he will conquer it before the end of the first moon of summer. With Hos-Harphax defeated, Great King Demistophon of Hos-Agrys will quickly sue for terms; especially after the beating his mercenaries took from Prince Ptosphes last summer. Great King Cleitharses of Hos-Ktemnos is still in shock over the losses his Sacred Squares took at the Battle of Phyrax; he won't go to battle again unless ordered to by the assembled Inner Circle of Styphon's House. Hos-Bletha is too far away to be of any consequence and Great King Sopharar of Hos-Zygros is flirting with the League of Dralm. So, without the Great Kingdom of Hos-Harphax as an anchor, the war against Kalvan is doomed."