Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

“And why is my ship in port?” inquired Emperor Marak. “I thought the plan was to obtain their surrender before delivering the food?”

“I could not do it,” confessed Lyra. “The people here are starving. I cannot use food as a weapon. I just can’t.”

“You must,” asserted Emperor Marak. “While it is hideous to think of denying food to starving people, you do not help them by giving it for free. If the people of Gatong do not become Sakovan, they will all die. The same is true for every other city in Omunga. Your actions will only feed those people for a few days. What will happen when the food runs out again?”

“You can send more,” suggested the Star of Sakova. “Why must I subjugate these people to feed them? They are not my enemy.”

“They are your enemy until Omunga is defeated,” retorted Emperor Marak. “Lyra, I admire your compassion, but it is misplaced. You must begin to look at their long-term welfare, not just their immediate suffering. They can solve their hunger with a simple declaration of allegiance to you. Is that too much to ask of them?”

“No,” Lyra sighed. “Yes. I mean I just don’t know. It is easy for you to say such things in Khadoratung, but I am here gazing upon their emaciated bodies. When I see the condition of the people, I just cry. People are not meant to starve to death.”

“No, they aren’t,” Emperor Marak agreed soothingly. “I understand the strain that is being put upon you, but you must learn to trust me. The Omungans that come under your rule will be treated far better than they have ever been treated before. In a sense, you are right. They are not your enemies, but the government that rules them is. All you are asking them to do is to disavow that government. What is so difficult about that?”

“You know that Larst will not ignore such a rebellion,” replied Lyra. “With Zaramilden and Duran it was easy. The Katana’s armies can hardly march to those cities. Alamar was a little trickier, but I had no choice in that matter. The citizens chose it for themselves. I think Alamar will be all right, though. I have made arrangements for the Omungan siege engines to be destroyed before they get to Alamar. The west coast here is entirely different. There is a fine road leading from here directly to Okata. The Katana can have his armies outside this city’s walls within a week of learning of the defection. Maybe sooner if the armies are closer than Okata.”

“You must meet those armies sometime before you crush Okata,” replied Emperor Marak. “If you can control the timing of the news to Okata, it will aid greatly when it comes time for battle. You have a choice to make, Lyra. The Katana will either learn that Gatong has fallen to the Sakovans, or he will learn that the Star of Sakova has been executed, and the Sakovan people are committing suicide for their failure to protect her. Which message do you want to send?”

“Neither,” Lyra answered as she shut her eyes.

“That is not an option,” retorted Lord Marak. “You must demand the surrender of Gatong and every other Omungan city before they get food. You must trust me that the people will love you for it. Their fond memories of your free food deliveries will die with those people when the evil arrives if you do not demand their surrender. I do not know how else to put this. You really have no options. You must conquer those people. You may not like to do it, but it is what Kaltara requires. If you do not believe me, ask Kaltara.”

“I did,” Lyra replied softly. “I just finished praying about it.”

“And?” prompted Emperor Marak. “What was the answer?”

“He instructed me to contact you,” admitted Lyra. “I am just not up for this task. Why was I chosen to lead the Sakovans?”

“Because Kaltara chose you,” Emperor Marak replied with the hint of a smile in his voice. “You are a wonderfully compassionate person, Lyra. It is a quality that will be required to heal the rift between the Sakovans and the Omungans, but that compassion will be required later. Right now you are being called upon to be victorious. You cannot do that from inside a cell. I would be glad to send my armies down there to do this for you, but that is not what Kaltara wants. He wants you to do it. You have the privilege of hearing his voice and speaking to him. Why do you not listen to what he has to say?”

“I don’t know,” sighed Lyra. “It is not my nature to hurt people. Kaltara has chosen the wrong person.”

“Kaltara is infallible,” replied Emperor Marak. “He did not choose the wrong person. You are resisting his orders because you do not see clearly what the future holds. I have received some intelligence that you might find disturbing.”

“What is it?” inquired Lyra.

“Vand is amassing an army of over a million,” reported Emperor Marak.

“A million?” gasped the Star of Sakova. “That is impossible.”

“Not impossible at all,” responded Emperor Marak. “Vand lost more than that when he defied Kaltara at Vandegar Temple. When that army hits our shores, starvation will be the last thing on the minds of your Omungans. Listen to Kaltara, Lyra. He is trying to guide you wisely. You may not like what he has to say, but believe that it is the truth. He would no more cause unnecessary suffering than you would. Convert those cities to Sakovans and do it quickly.”

“I will,” Lyra promised with a new sense of urgency.

Lyra heard another commotion in the corridor beyond the cell door. Keys jangled in the lock to her door, and Lyra swiftly cast a spell. A blue cylinder shimmered in the dim light as it formed around the Star of Sakova. The door to the cell burst open and the Imperial Guards stood staring at the Sakovan mage. General Papper pushed his way past the soldiers and entered the cell. He stood staring at Lyra and the shimmering blue cylinder around her.

“What is going on in here?” he demanded. “What is that?”

“Who is there?” Emperor Marak asked anxiously.

“It is General Papper,” Lyra replied. “He has come to pay me a personal visit.”

“Are you protected?” asked Emperor Marak.

“I am in good hands,” smiled Lyra. “Kaltara surrounds me now.”

“Drop that blue thing, whatever it is,” demanded the general. “Who are you talking to?”

“You will make no demands of me,” retorted the Star of Sakova. “As to who I am talking to, it is Emperor Marak of Khadora. Would you care to chat with him, or are you prepared to surrender the city?”

“Do not try my patience woman,” snarled the general. “I will not for a minute believe that you are talking to the Emperor of Khadora.”

“You had best believe her,” Emperor Marak said loudly. “I believe that you are wise enough to surrender your city to the Star of Sakova and immediately release my crew. If you do not, I will immediately launch an invasion of Gatong. Unlike Lyra, your starving masses will mean nothing to me. I will crush your city like a ripe grape under the heel of my boot. Do I make myself clear?”

“I think he got the message,” smiled Lyra. “Cut the air tunnel now, Emperor Marak. I do not want to be distracted while I am discussing the future of Gatong with General Papper.”

“Contact me later,” requested Emperor Marak. “I want to know the status of things down there.”

“I will,” promised Lyra as the air tunnel broke.

“That was all some type of magical trick,” scowled the general. “I will not be swayed by such foolish things. Guards, seize her. Destroy that blue thing.”

“Wrong response,” Lyra said as the blue cylinder winked out, and her hand rose swiftly.

General Papper and the two Imperial Guards suddenly flew backwards. Their bodies slammed into the far wall of the corridor and collapsed on the floor. Lyra walked into the corridor and away from the bodies. The general groaned as Lyra’s hand came up again. She pointed a finger at the lock of the next cell. A stream of bright light flared from the tip of her finger, and a hole was blasted through the door, obliterating the locking mechanism. She kicked the door inward and saw two members of the crew from the Khadoran ship.