Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

“Lock up the general and his soldiers,” instructed Lyra as she moved to the next cell.

Again Lyra’s hand came up, and again the lock was blown clear from the door. She repeated the spell on each door until the entire crew of the Khadoran ship was free. Lyra watched as the general and the two Imperial Guards were thrown into the cell. The door was slammed and locked. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and motioned for the crew to get behind her. She was ready to strike when the mayor rounded the corner. He was huffing loudly and came to an immediate halt.

“What is going on?” he asked as his eyes swelled to enormous proportions as he gazed past Lyra.

“I have decided that I no longer wish to talk to General Papper,” smiled Lyra. “He was not listening properly. Perhaps I will have better luck with you. If you can guarantee the safety of my friends here, we can talk in the comfort of your office. If not, we will discuss matters right here.”

“Where is General Papper?” asked the mayor. “You did not kill him, did you?”

“Not yet,” replied Lyra. “He is locked in my old cell with two Imperial Guards. He may be a bit sore, but he is unharmed.”

“Come to my office,” said the mayor. “I will guarantee your safety. As for your friends, arresting them was a mistake. I did not realize what I was doing and I sincerely apologize.” The mayor looked past Lyra to the captain of the Khadoran ship. “I truly mean that, Captain. I thought it was a Sakovan ship. Even then I was probably out of line, but I would never serve such an insult to Khadora. You and your crew are free to go. Go shopping in the marketplace. I will pay for whatever you wish to buy and take home.”

“We will accompany the Star of Sakova,” declared the captain.

“As you wish,” agreed Mayor Robit as his baldhead started sweating. “Let me lead the way so that I can make sure that the Imperial Guards do not react improperly.”

“That would be wise,” replied Lyra. “I am loath to take human life when it can be avoided, but I have not been treated well so far in your city.”

The mayor nodded nervously and led the way to the stairway. They proceeded up a flight of stairs, and the mayor stepped out into a corridor. Several Imperial Guards were marching by, and the mayor waited until they had passed before continuing. He led the group along the corridor to his office. Two Imperial Guards were stationed outside his door. They looked strangely at the group of foreigners following the mayor.

“Is everything in order?” one of the Imperial Guards asked the mayor.

“Everything is fine,” responded the mayor. “I am seeking to get to the bottom of this food delivery. I do not want to be disturbed by anyone. Do you understand?”

The mayor stood to one side as the foreigners entered the office. The Imperial Guards watched with suspicion.

“Should one of us be present in the office?” asked one of the soldiers.

“That will not be necessary,” assured the mayor. “Maintain your post outside.”

The soldier nodded but it was clear that he did not like the looks of what was going on. The mayor closed the door as he entered the office and then walked around the desk to his chair and sat down.

“I apologize for the lack of chairs,” opened the mayor. “I must admit that I am rather confused about what is going on today. As I have indicated, the crew of the Khadoran ship is free to leave at any time. I made a terrible mistake in judgment and do apologize for it. I hope that Emperor Marak can understand my mistake.”

“I will notify him of our freedom when our ship is safely at sea,” declared the Khadoran mage.

“Notify him of your freedom?” the mayor asked nervously. “You mean when you return to Khadora, don’t you?”

“She means exactly what she said,” interjected Lyra. “Emperor Marak is already aware of the seizure of his ship.”

“That is not possible,” swallowed the mayor. “The seizure just happened. How could he possibly know.”

Lyra smiled and nodded to the Khadoran mage. The mage walked to the window and opened it. She wove an air tunnel to Khadoratung. Emperor Marak was waiting for it.

“What is the situation down there?” asked Emperor Marak.

“The crew of the ship and the Star of Sakova are in the office of Mayor Robit,” reported the mage. “The mayor has declared the crew of the ship to be free to leave. I told him that I would inform you when our ship was safely at sea.”

“That is wise,” replied Emperor Marak. “Anyone who would seize another country’s ship is not to be trusted too far. Is Lyra safe?”

“I am,” Lyra said loud enough to reach the air tunnel. “We will not trouble you any further, Marak. I merely wanted to convince the mayor that we are capable of contacting you whenever we want to.”

The Khadorans glanced at Lyra when she addressed the Emperor with familiarity, but she merely smiled in return.

“Very well, Lyra,” replied Emperor Marak. “Contact me when the situation in Gatong is stable. I have already given an order to ready an army to send down there, but I do not want to disrupt their training any longer than necessary.”

Lyra nodded and the Khadoran mage broke the air tunnel. She closed the window and returned to stand with the crew.

“That was not a trick, was it?” the mayor asked nervously. “Was that really Emperor Marak of Khadora?”

“It was him,” declared Lyra, “but that is not important for the needs of our discussion.”

“Not important?” gulped the mayor. “How can you say it is not important? He has already been notified that I seized his ship. Can’t you at least tell him it was a mistake?”

“I could,” smiled Lyra, “but I promise you that it is totally unnecessary. He is either going to send his armies, or he is not. The deciding factor will be what I tell him about the outcome of this meeting.”

“I don’t understand,” responded the mayor. “Why is it that you have such a close relationship with the Emperor of Khadora? Why would he send armies on your behalf?”

“Because we are allies,” declared the Star of Sakova. “Emperor Marak has unified the Khadorans and the Chula. I intend to unify the Omungans and the Sakovans. It really is not hard to understand.”

“Does that mean that if we agree to be at peace with the Sakovans in exchange for food, that we will also be at peace with the Khadorans?” asked Mayor Robit.

“That was this morning’s offer,” Lyra shook her head. “That was what I was going to ask for before you imprisoned me and seized Emperor Marak’s ship. Things have changed now.”

“What is your new offer?” asked the mayor.

“Your surrender,” Lyra stated. “Gatong is to become a Sakovan city. In return for your allegiance, food will be shipped in on a regular basis. Mages will arrive to rejuvenate your diseased fields. In short, the people of Gatong will be treated as the rest of the Sakovans are. You will be loved and cared for. You will be well fed and well trained. What is your response?”

The mayor’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. He stared at Lyra as if she had three heads. Finally, he closed his eyes and shook his head. When he reopened his eyes he sighed deeply.

“You can’t be serious?” posed the mayor. “If Gatong defects, the Katana’s armies will march here with a vengeance. It would be a slaughter. General Papper’s troops cannot be expected to stand against the major armies of Okata.”

“You are in a rough position, Mayor Robit,” Lyra replied. “General Papper’s troops cannot stand up to the Katana’s army. They also cannot stand up to the Sakovan armies, and certainly not to the Khadoran armies. No matter what decision you make, you are going to offend a nation whose armies will have little difficulty in destroying your city. All things being equal, which choice guarantees you enough food to be able to survive until the armies arrive?”