L. Modesitt - Colors of Chaos

“Is it settled?”

Cerryl shrugged. “For all but Anya and a handful. Dealing with her and her followers comes next. Then I will have to alert Redark and the Guild about the dangers of Certis. We will use some of Esaak’s calculations…”

“Do you really think Rystryr will try to take Sligo?”

“If he can get away with it-or thinks he can.” Cerryl rubbed his forehead. “And eventually, that will mean more meetings and efforts to persuade others of the danger.”

Leyladin stood and stretched. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how many meetings I’ll be able to observe. My lips will be bloodied.”

“It’s hard for you not to speak.”

“Only when people are being stupid.”

“All meetings bring out stupidity. So do…It doesn’t matter.” Cerryl shook his head.

“What were you going to say about Certis?” prompted Leyladin.

“Rystryr will try to take Sligo, if he can. The glass has already shown that Disarj has convinced Rystryr that this is the time to act, when the Guild is the weakest. Or maybe Disarj let Rystryr convince him. Rystryr is beginning to mass forces at Rytel. So I’ve already sent a scroll asking Disarj to go to Tyrhavven to confer with Heralt.”

“Will he do that? With Rystryr thinking about invading Sligo? Disarj, I mean?” Leyladin squinted as she glanced out the Tower window into the bright light of the clear winter day.

“Disarj would not come to Fairhaven-not now-he would find an endless well of excuses. Besides, Rystryr has doubtless prevailed upon Disarj to go to Tyrhavven. If Disarj thinks he can overpower Heralt, then…perhaps armsmen would not be needed, except…”

“To help the Sligan Council keep ‘order’?” Leyladin’s tone turned ironic.

“Of course. That way Certis would regain a port to avoid the tariffs and more golds to stand against the Guild.”

“What will stop him?” Leyladin raised her eyebrows.

“I will.” Cerryl laughed, harshly. “Then we will destroy his forces-if we must.”

“You sound like Jeslek.”

“No. I tell you, and only you. Jeslek told the world. I will tell everyone that I’m going to Tyrhavven to review the trade and tariff problems and to confer with Heralt. Everyone will think I’m displeased with him. I will claim that I hope to work out something. As my critics have said, I will speak many, many words.”

“Convincing everyone that you do not intend to act,” predicted the healer.

“I’ve dispatched Kochar and Kiella to Tyrhavven to support Heralt, and also told them to be very polite to Disarj should he arrive earlier than expected.”

“The Guild-some of the older mages will say you’re just using this…Black Order thing…as an excuse not to fight Recluce,” said Leyladin.

“Some will,” Cerryl admitted. “Most of those remaining will say so most quietly. I will listen and talk to them-privately. After I deal with Anya.”

“What will you tell them?”

“What will make them happy. I will not tell them that all prosperous lands are based on a combination of acceptance and force. Fairhaven and Recluce are no different.”

“We’re no different from Recluce? Darkness forbid that the High Wizard of the White City admit such.” A lazy smile crossed her full lips. “Surely you must be jesting.”

Cerryl returned the smile. “Each person wants in his heart for everyone to believe the way he does, but everyone has different beliefs. Some form of force is necessary to ensure lands do not fall apart. Recluce uses the force of order; we use the force of chaos. Both are force.” He shrugged. “They exile those who will not accept their way-unless, as in the case of this Black engineer, the exiles have enough force to change things. We allow people to think as they will, unlike the Blacks. We only force those who do not keep the peace to flee-or we kill them. The Blacks exile those who even think the wrong way and let others do the killing. It’s still death, one way or the other. But we’re more forgiving and more honest about it, I think.”

“What of those who can accept neither your rules nor those of the Blacks?” Leyladin frowned.

“Each man and woman wants rules that are suited for them. Can we have a thousand sets of rules in a town of a thousand? Even fifty sets of rules in a village? It’s better to have a few absolute rules than many that attempt to deal with all that may befall people.”

“A few simple rules?” Her eyebrows arched.

“The Patrol rules are a good start. We need to bring the idea of patrollers elsewhere. More patrollers and fewer lancers, especially in Fairhaven.”

“You don’t intend to keep that many lancers in Fairhaven?” asked Leyladin, eyes twinkling as though she already knew the answer.

“Why?” Cerryl inclined his head. “If we need more than fifty score to defend the city, we will already have lost any war. If we cannot hold together Candar east of the Westhorns, then we cannot hold Fairhaven. Life must get better for the people beyond Fairhaven. They must be our responsibility-”

“Why are they the Guild’s? Some will surely ask that.”

“Because their own rulers will not do what is best. We will.”

“The Guild would not. You will,” said Leyladin. “Just as you will deal with Anya-now that you have undermined much of her support.”

“Not much…but enough.” You hope …Cerryl turned to the window, where, from outside the White Tower, came the faint wail of the late-winter wind.

“Let us hope.” Leyladin took his hand.

Both looked into the clear and cold afternoon.

THERE YOU HAVE the fleet,” said Cerryl, nodding toward the glass in the center of the table. A dozen ships bearing the red thunderbolt banner straggled back into the Great North Bay. Cerryl raised a finger, and the image vanished from the mirror. “Now what do you suggest?”

“You send out another fleet, this time one that will follow orders. That is, if you wish to continue as High Wizard,” Anya said lazily from where she half-reclined in the chair across the table from Leyladin and Cerryl. Anya’s eyes focused not on Cerryl, but past him and on the high gray clouds visible through the Tower window beyond the table. On one side of the table rested a deep basin of cold water.

“Sterol was right,” Cerryl added, his voice conversational as he looked at the box on the small side table, a box containing a gold-painted iron amulet.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to let that nobody on Recluce humiliate us?” Anya’s voice took a harder tone. “After what he did to Fydel…and to Jeslek? You’ll let it pass? And stand up and tell the Guild that?”

“There is a Balance, and we can accept it or fight it. Everyone who has fought it has lost. The trick is to make it work for you.”

“You sound like you’re weaseling out, Cerryl. We can’t have that.” Anya sat up straight in the chair but did not rise to her feet.

“Why don’t you listen, for a moment? It won’t hurt.” You really don’t think she will, do you? She’s convinced that you won’t ever act against her . Cerryl stood and walked to the window, glancing toward the cold gray clouds, then back at the redhead.

“I’m listening.” The words were cold, yet white flames lurked behind her eyes.

“This smith-wizard builds machines. Those machines must contain chaos-fired steam or water. That means they embody great, great order. If he builds many of his machines, he increases the amount of chaos in the world. That would increase our power more greatly than his, because his order would be locked in those machines.”

“So you would encourage him to build those machines? To attack and destroy our ships? That would certainly increase chaos. How much good it would do us is another question.” Anya rose like a pillar of white flame.