L. Modesitt - Mage-Guard of Hamor

The other troopers edged away.

"Just who are you? What are you doing here? These are my men."

Rahl glanced sideways at the stocky captain who had appeared from around the corner of the headquarters building. "Mage-Guard and Captain Rahl. And you?"

"Captain Helyrt to you. What business did you have attacking my trooper?"

Rahl could feel white-hot anger seething through him, but he managed to reply. "Captain, if you had watched what happened, your trooper fired a crossbow at the overcommander." He gestured at the weapon on the packed clay. "That crossbow. I was trying to restrain him when he pulled his blade. He attacked two officers. I merely broke his arm to keep him from injuring me."

"A likely story."

Rahl offered a cold smile. "Mage-guards don't lie, and they don't ignore evidence in front of their eyes, and they don't immediately offer disrespect to other officers, apparently unlike army officers, who apparently do all three, and who don't seem able to control or restrain their men."

Helyrt's face began to turn red.

At that point, an overcaptain made his way through the squad of troopers and walked up to Rahl. "Enough of this disrespect. You may be a high-and-mighty mage-guard to the civilians, but here you're just a captain like scores of other officers. You're even less than them because you're just an ordermage, and ordermages aren't all that useful in killing rebels. And… you're subordinate to overcaptains, and I expect an apology for the way you addressed Captain Helyrt. I expect it now."

Rahl had sensed the presence of chaos even before another mage-guard stepped forward, beside the overcaptain, and he had strengthened his own shields. "One of Captain Helyrt's men used a crossbow against a superior officer-"

"Mage-guards aren't superior officers. They're not in the chain of command," snapped the overcaptain.

Rahl was both angry and amazed. "It's attempted assault in any case, and mage-guards are in the line of command if the officers with whom they work are disabled." He probed with his order-senses, only to discover that the other mage-guard was shielding the overcaptain. As he probed, the other troopers slipped away, leaving Rahl facing a captain, an overcaptain, and an unfamiliar and clearly unfriendly mage-guard. Exactly what was he supposed to do?

"An apology now, mage-guard, or a court-martial tomorrow."

Rahl knew something was wrong. Why did he always end up in such situations? Anything he did would be wrong, if for differing reasons. He channeled as much order as he could into the truncheon and moved-not toward either army officer, but toward the mage-guard.

Chaos flared around his shields, harmlessly, and Rahl could sense the concern and fear in the other mage-guard, even as he jab-feinted toward the other's gut, then slammed upward into his throat and chin, before coming back across his temple. The mage-guard pitched to one side, dead.

The captain looked stunned, but the overcaptain had his sabre half-out when Rahl's truncheon slammed into his skull. Although Rahl's blow should only have stunned him, Rahl could sense his death instantly.

The captain started to run, then froze in place.

Rahl could sense the shields holding the captain and turned.

Taryl appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and Rahl realized that the overcommander had used a sight shield to see at least some of what had happened.

The color drained from the immobilized Helyrt's face as he looked from Rahl to Taryl.

"I'd be within my purview as head of all mage-guards in Merowey to execute you on the spot, Captain." Taryl smiled. "Or… I could have Mage-Guard Rahl take you apart with his truncheon. I won't. I'll be merciful."

Before Rahl could say a word, something like a bolt of concentrated order flashed from Taryl to the captain. Helyrt started to open his mouth, then pitched forward onto the ground, dead.

Rahl swallowed. Finally, he spoke. "You were watching the whole time, weren't you?"

Taryl nodded.

"You wanted me to handle it."

"Yes. Everyone has to know that you can handle difficult situations without my being around. They also have to know that you have my backing to act independently without asking my permission. That will be very important."

"There's more," Rahl suggested.

"There is, indeed. What would be the reaction if the overcommander of mage-guards killed three troopers as soon as he arrived?"

"Not very good."

"And if his assistant killed three who had actually fired on him?"

"People still won't be happy, but they'll be asking questions about the officers as well." Rahl paused. " I killed all three?"

"It's better that way." Taryl's smile was grim. Then he laughed. "Besides, it doesn't matter. If I dropped dead right now, there wouldn't be any difference. You can only be executed once." After the slightest pause, he added, "Now… we'll have to explain to Submarshal Dettyr that his command is riddled with traitors, and he will claim that it's not possible, that we're mistaken, and that if we're not, it's all our fault, or the fault of that traitorous mage-guard who influenced the poor overcaptain and captain."

Rahl bent and picked up the crossbow. "What do we do with him?" He pointed to the unconscious trooper still lying on the stone.

"I'll take the crossbow. You're younger and stronger. Drag him in. He won't have much left in the way of brains anyway."

Fortunately for Rahl, the trooper was not all that heavy. Rahl did stagger on one step, because his boot caught on something, but he recovered. Taryl held the headquarters door for him, and they walked toward the table desk and the orderly seated behind it.

"Mage-Guard Overcommander Taryl to see the submarshal."

The duty orderly looked from Rahl and the unconscious trooper he had stretched on the floor to Taryl and then to the closed study door behind him.

"Yes… ser." The orderly turned, opened the door, and slipped into the study. He returned almost immediately. "The submarshal has just received… some disturbing news, Overcommander. He will see you in just a few moments."

"Aren't you his superior, in a way?" murmured Rahl, as they stood at one side of the outer study.

"His superior in rank, but I'm not in direct command," Taryl replied in a low voice. "He can't order either of us to do anything, but I can't order him, either."

After a time, the study door opened, and Submarshal Dettyr stood there. He was a shade taller than Rahl and broader in both the shoulders and the midsection, considerable broader in the middle, reflected Rahl. Although his expression was noncommittal, his entire being radiated displeasure and outrage, from the top of his thinning brown hair down to the toes of his shimmering black boots. "Mage-Guards…" He gestured for them to enter, then turned and walked into his study.

Once inside, Rahl closed the door.

"Overcommander." Dettyr did not incline his head.

"Submarshal."

Taryl's glance would have frozen boiling water, Rahl thought.

"I've just heard what happened in the courtyard, Overcommander, and I cannot say that I am pleased. In fact, that would be an understatement. I would call it an outrage. I understand your duties and brief, Over-commander, but I must protest. You have just arrived, and not even reported, when you and… your assistant-"

"Mage-Guard and Captain Rahl," Taryl replied coolly. "Mage-Guard Rahl was protecting my back, Submarshal. It is indeed an outrage. When an overcommander of the mage-guards is attacked by your troops, and when a mage-guard who is protecting the overcommander is belittled and attacked by your officers-that is the outrage. Were the Emperor to hear of this, I have my doubts that you would long remain as the marshal's second-in-command, regardless of any other factors."