Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

“And what will you do with your new Sakovan cities after the war?” asked Shel. “Will you abandon them?”

“No,” Lyra answered. “Those people freely chose to become part of the Sakova. They will be treated as part of the family they have become. Even those cities that we must conquer will be treated with respect and welcomed into the Sakova.”

“Come,” Shel said as she rose from her chair. “We have little time to catch the mayor before your ship arrives.”

“It is too late,” Lyra shook her head. “I cannot put up a false front when I know that the food is coming no matter what the mayor says.”

“Posh,” smiled Shel. “You will come with me and tell the mayor what you just told me. There is no need for deception. Be honest about what you want. He can only say no, but you lose any chance to keep Gatong out of this war if you do not at least ask.”

“Alright,” Lyra sighed as she rose and followed Shel.

The Gatong woman guided the Star of Sakova to the mayor’s building. The walk was short, but Shel said hello to dozens of people before they reached the building. They entered the building, and Shel announced that they wanted to see Mayor Robit. They were directed along a short corridor where two Imperial Guards stood sentry outside a door. Shel led the way through the doorway.

Inside the room a balding man sat at a large desk, and an Imperial Guard general stood before it. The balding mayor looked up with curiosity at the intrusion. The general turned and stared at the two women. His eyes grew large and his jaw dropped as he stared at Lyra.

“The Star of Sakova!” shouted the general. “Seize her.”

Lyra’s heart rose to her throat, as she stood frozen staring at the general. She heard the scuffling of feet behind her, but she could not move. Suddenly, a heavy weight hit the back of her head, and her vision spun into darkness.

Shel gasped as the two Imperial Guards caught Lyra’s falling body. They quickly dragged the Star of Sakova from the room, and Shel shook her head sadly.

“How did you recognize her?” asked Mayor Robit.

“She was wanted after the attack on the Academy of Magic,” replied General Papper. “A picture of her was distributed at that time. I would never forget her face.”

“I can’t believe that you memorize the pictures of all law-breakers,” scoffed the mayor.

“Of course not,” balked the general, “but this one was different. She managed to slip through our fingers in Gatong. I was severely reprimanded by General Didyk personally for that failure. When it was later learned that she was truly the Star of Sakova, I was forced to give up all of my dreams of ever commanding a major army. Perhaps her capture now will redeem me.”

“You are a fool,” spat Shel as she stared at the general with disgust. “Our people are starving and all you can think of is your personal career?”

“Don’t think I have forgotten who escorted the enemy into this room,” snapped the general as he whirled to face Shel. “It is strange to see the Star of Sakova escorted by a citizen of Gatong. Perhaps you are a Sakovan spy.”

“Nonsense,” the mayor blurted out. “Shel is a fine upstanding citizen of Gatong. I doubt that she even knew who the woman was.”

“Oh, I knew who she was,” asserted Shel. “She didn’t tell me at first, but I figured it out. She wanted to talk to the mayor about peace so I brought her here. I wish I had not.”

The general’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Shel. The mayor saw the coming confrontation and swiftly intervened.

“Wait outside, Shel,” ordered Mayor Robit. “I need to speak to the general in private. Do not leave this building. I have questions for you before you will be allowed to leave.”

“As do I,” snapped the general as Shel quietly exited the room.

The general closed the door after Shel left. He returned to stand in front of the mayor’s desk.

“Allowing such attitudes in the citizenry is not healthy,” the general warned Mayor Robit.

“Shel is known to just about every citizen in Gatong,” shrugged the mayor. “She is often outspoken, but she is easily mollified. To stifle her speech would be to invite trouble. Forget about her. What do you plan to do with the Star of Sakova?”

“I am not sure,” answered the general. “She is a prize indeed, but I must be careful. My first instinct is to transport her to Okata and present her to the Katana personally, but there are potential pitfalls in that plan.”

“Pitfalls?” echoed the mayor. “What could possibly go wrong?”

“I want the credit for capturing her,” explained General Papper. “I need the recognition if I am to rejuvenate my career. If Didyk, or any of the other generals, learn that I am bringing her to the Katana, I suspect that they would seize her and claim the credit themselves.”

“What other options are there?” asked Mayor Robit. “I doubt that you could entice the Katana to come to Gatong during a state of war.”

“That would never happen,” agreed the general. “I could execute her here in Gatong and deliver the body to the Katana. That way her capture and execution would be a matter of public record. Didyk would have no chance of stealing the limelight.”

“That would work,” frowned the mayor, “but I sense that you are not entirely happy with that choice. What are the negatives?”

“She is the leader of the Sakovans,” declared the general. “As a military man I know that her mind holds a wealth of strategic information that could potentially shorten the war. She must be interrogated.”

“So you question her before you execute her,” shrugged Mayor Robit. “I do not see the problem.”

“I could attempt to get the knowledge out of her,” conceded the general, “but they have more persuasive ways of extracting information in Okata. They can use magic to force her to divulge everything. I do not quite understand the methods that they use, but they are extremely effective. This is something that I must dwell upon. The wrong step at this point will ruin my career, but the right move may well vault me onto the Katana’s Council. I will be in my office. Do not disturb me unless the matter is crucial.”

“Inform me of your decision before you do anything,” replied the mayor. “My help in this matter may improve your position.”

General Papper nodded and strode out of the room. He left the door open and Shel peeked her head into the doorway.

“Come in, Shel,” waved the mayor. “I will keep this brief.”

Shel shuffled into the room and stood nervously before the mayor’s desk. She had seen the look on the general’s face as he left, and she did not care for it. She was apprehensive about the forthcoming questions from the mayor.

“You came close to being imprisoned,” declared the mayor. “General Papper is not one to toy with. I would advise you not to mention this episode to anyone. Is there anyone else in Gatong who knows that the Star of Sakova is in the city?”

Shel breathed a sigh of relief at the tone of the mayor’s voice. Even as she felt her apprehension diminishing, her anger began to surface.

“She came her in peace,” declared Shel. “You did not even let her talk before you attacked her.”

“I did nothing,” replied the mayor. “The general recognized her as the enemy and had her arrested. I see no fault in his actions. Does anyone else know that she is in Gatong?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Shel. “I found her in the marketplace crying. I took her to my home to feed her, but it was not her hunger that was disturbing her. It was our hunger that made her cry.”

“I don’t care about her crying,” scowled the mayor. “I need to know if anyone else realizes that she is here.”