Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

“After what I just told you,” balked the general, “you expect me to accept your request to defect?”

“It is not a request, General Smythe. I am demanding your surrender.”

“Do not push me, woman,” scowled the general. “I have been kind to you. I have allowed you to stand here and talk to me. I could have had you imprisoned at any time, but I gave you the courtesy of presenting your position. The sad fact is, you don’t have a saleable position. I will do what is best for my people, and right now that means staying with the Katana.”

“That is not acceptable,” countered Lyra. “There are still factors that you have not weighed. I wish to continue this discussion.”

The general rose, his arms shaking with anger. He glared at Lyra before speaking.

“You are a young woman in a man’s world,” scowled the general. “You do not understand that you are out of your depth. I could kill you right now, and the Sakovans would be leaderless. I have not made a move against you, but you are provoking me now.”

“Nor have I made a move against you, General,” smiled Lyra. “Do you think that I am foolish enough to walk into your office without knowing that I could defend myself? Let us continue talking.”

“Defend yourself?” echoed the general with disbelief. “You are out of touch with the real world. You are standing in the headquarters of the Imperial Guard in the center of the city. Just how do you plan to defend yourself? What weapon do you think you could use to harm me? You are powerless.”

Lyra’s arm rose and pointed at the outside wall next to the general’s desk. A burst of power flashed from her hand and slammed into the wall. Stones flew into the city streets as the wall of the office blew outward. A cloud of dust clogged the air, and people outside the building shouted. Lyra heard the door opening behind her and immediately erected her blue cylinder. The sentries came rushing into the room.

“Stop!” shouted Lyra. “I do not want to harm you.”

The two soldiers slid to a halt and looked to the general for instructions. The general stared with wide eyes at the huge hole in his wall. He turned to look at Lyra and the blue cylinder surrounding her.

“What is that around you?” he asked nervously.

“It is a protective shield,” replied Lyra. “It will destroy anything that tries to pass through it. Please instruct your men to retreat. I do not want them losing an arm through foolishness.”

“Anything?” the general asked.

“Anything,” nodded Lyra. “If you doubt me, as you always seem to do, ask one of your men to gently move his sword into the cylinder, but warn him to stop before his hand reaches it.”

“Do it,” the general ordered the sentries. “I want to see what happens.”

One of the sentries pulled his sword. He hesitantly pushed it towards the blue cylinder and gaped when he saw the tip of the sword disappear. He pulled the sword back and held it up for all to see.

“Amazing,” commented the general. “Wait outside and close the door.”

The sentries retreated as people in the street stopped to gawk at the hole in the side of the building. The general ignored them.

“You are an amazing individual,” the general remarked as he sat down in his chair. “Where did you learn to control such power?”

“Kaltara gave me certain gifts,” Lyra replied, “but that is not what we are discussing.”

“Very well,” nodded the general. “You said there were things that I had not taken into consideration. Were you talking about your powers?”

“No,” replied the Star of Sakova. “We were talking about what is best for the people of Fortung, but you are not even aware of what you are up against. I have withheld some things from you in hopes that I would not have to reveal them, but I will now.”

“Good,” replied the general. “I would like this matter behind us. As you have not tried to kill me, can I assume that you will not try to when you leave?”

“I will not shed unnecessary blood,” declared Lyra. “If I am allowed to leave Fortung unmolested, I will leave peacefully. If you break that bargain, I will destroy this city, and you won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“I think I will believe you this time,” the general replied with the hint of a smile. “Tell me why my people are safer under your protection than the Katana’s.”

“The army coming to your city under General Kapla will not attack Sakovans,” declared Lyra. “In fact, they will stop any Omungan soldiers from reaching Fortung. The Katana is incapable of exacting his wrath on you.”

“Incredible, if true,” remarked the general. “How can I possibly know the truth of that statement?”

“General Kapla will reveal it himself when he arrives,” stated the Star of Sakova. “His first act upon arrival will be to come to your office to determine if you have defected.”

“And if I have?” questioned the general.

“Then General Kapla will as well,” replied Lyra. “His concern is that I would hang the generals after they defected. He was told to enter this city under a flag of truce to see if you were still in power.”

“But I know that you would not hang them,” replied General Smythe. “I have spoken to Manitow so I know that you are not in a hurry to rid yourself of generals. What will he do if I am still allied with the Katana?”

“Then he will camp outside your city and isolate it,” answered Lyra. “I am not going to attempt to explain his reasoning, but I have told you what will happen.”

“Fair enough,” nodded the general, “but you have also told me that General Kapla will not attempt to sack my city no matter what path I take. That hardly speaks in your favor.”

“But it does,” smiled Lyra. “If the Katana cannot take revenge upon Fortung for defecting, then your choice should be easy. Defect and feed your people.”

“That makes sense only if I think that the Sakovans will eventually win this war,” responded the general. “While Kapla may stop the Katana from exacting his revenge right now, that army will eventually go away. What makes you so sure of victory? Give me one clue as to how you positively know that you are going to win this war, and I will defect.”

“Very well,” smiled Lyra. “You asked before if the Sakovans had a navy. I said we did not, but that is not what you should have asked.”

“What should I have asked?” questioned the general.

“You should have asked whose navy is bringing the food to your city and all of the others,” grinned Lyra.

“I will bite,” sighed the general. “Whose ships are delivering the food?”

“The ships are Khadoran,” answered the Star of Sakova. “In fact, they are owned by my good friend and ally, Emperor Marak of Khadora.”

“Friend and ally?” echoed the general. “Are you saying that the Khadorans would send troops on your behalf?”

“Emperor Marak has already offered numerous times,” nodded Lyra. “So far I have not seen the need for Khadorans in this war, but as you already know, I can communicate my desires instantly. Surely you must realize that the Katana cannot possibly win against the combined forces of the Sakova and the Khadorans.”

“That is something that I can agree with,” exhaled the general. “Is this something that you can prove?”

“I can do so in two ways,” nodded Lyra. “I can allow you to speak directly with Emperor Marak, or you can ask the captain of the Khadoran ship when it docks. Which would you prefer?”

“Either would suffice,” replied General Smythe. “If I can verify that the Khadorans are your allies, even if they never enter this war, Fortung will be your city. With such allies, the Katana will not dare to attack us.”