Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

“Those are offers that I can greatly appreciate,” replied the mayor, “but there is one major guarantee missing. None of this matters if Campanil is forced to receive the wrath of the Katana. While the people may starve to death without food, their deaths are guaranteed if they disavow the Katana. I am not sure how you managed to gain the allegiance of the other cities of Omunga, but Campanil is not remote like the others. We would have little notice before the armies of Okata struck us down.”

“Whose word would you accept for a guarantee that Omunga would not attack you?” asked Lyra.

“Whose word?” echoed the mayor. “What kind of question is that? Are you going to get the Katana not to promise to attack Campanil because you don’t want him to? Let us not play games here.”

“I do not consider the lives of thousands of citizens in Campanil to be a game,” retorted the Star of Sakova. “I earnestly meant what I asked. If you will not accept my guarantee, whose will you accept?”

“I would accept the Katana’s word,” replied the mayor. “Can you tell me that you can deliver it?”

“Certainly not,” answered Lyra, “but then again, I do not think the Katana’s word is worth much. Larst made many promises to me personally. Either his word is worthless, or the Katana is not Larst. Either way his word would mean nothing. Surely there is someone else’s word that you would be willing to accept as a guarantee?”

Mayor Ferde was silent for a while as he contemplated Lyra’s question. He felt confident that Lyra was trying to trap him. She seemed so confident that he would eventually agree to merge his city into the Sakova that the mayor began to wonder what she could know that he did not. Suddenly, StarWind’s words from her previous visit came back to him. He suspected that the Star of Sakova would try to suggest that the Khadorans could guarantee the protection of his city. The mayor knew that was nonsense, and a smile began to spread across his face.

“If you are going to suggest that the Khadorans would guarantee the peace for Campanil,” the mayor began, “I would never accept such a suggestion. There is absolutely no way that you can convince me that Emperor Marak would agree to such a bold move.”

Lyra smiled as she wove the air tunnel to Khadoratung. She did not speak when she felt the mage in Khadora grab the other end. The mage would know where the air tunnel was coming from and would send for Emperor Marak immediately. Lyra waited patiently.

“So you have no reply to my statement,” Mayor Ferde said to fill the awkward silence that had fallen over the room. “Where does that leave us? If you cannot guarantee the safety of my people, you cannot expect me to defect. I am still willing to offer a sort of truce. Deliver the food and I will keep my soldiers inside the city. Unless someone higher up overrules me, we will be at peace with each other. What more could you ask for?”

“She could ask for your surrender,” Emperor Marak said with authority.

The mayor nearly jumped out of his chair. His eyes darted first to Lyra and then StarWind. Lyra merely smiled.

“Emperor Marak,” Lyra said with familiarity, “I am so sorry to disturb you, but Mayor Ferde of Campanil fears that his city will be attacked by the Katana if he defects.”

“The mayor should be more concerned about what will happen if he does not surrender,” replied Emperor Marak. “I understand that my ship is still off the coast outside of Campanil. I am pleased that you have learned to seek peace before distributing the food. The reports from down there have been very heartening. How can I help this mayor make up his mind?”

“This cannot be real,” Mayor Ferde shook his head. “This is a trick, a magical trick.”

“Magic it is,” replied Emperor Marak, “but it is hardly a trick. It is called an air tunnel, and it allows the Khadorans and the Sakovans to speak over great distances. You should think about that for a moment, Mayor Ferde. As an Omungan, you face an enemy that can communicate instantly to all of her armies and cities. Her spies can instantly report troop movements of the Omungans. Were you a military man, I would not have to point out the obvious. The Sakovans are quite capable of surprise attacks, but the Omungans are not. The moment an army left Okata in your direction, I could order my ships to sea. Which do you think would arrive in Campanil first?”

“The answer to that question is not something that I would stake the lives of my people on,” retorted Mayor Ferde. “Are you willing to send troops right now to protect my city?”

“If the Star of Sakova requests Khadoran aid,” replied Emperor Marak, “she will have it, anywhere, anytime, she pleases. Is that what you want, Lyra? Should I send an army to Campanil?”

“That is not necessary at this time, Emperor Marak,” smiled Lyra. “Thank you for receiving my request for a conversation.”

“I always stand ready to assist you, Lyra,” replied Emperor Marak. “Please let me know what decision Mayor Ferde makes when you are done there.”

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

“Why did you refuse his armies?” asked Mayor Ferde. “If that was really Emperor Marak, you could have assured my defection by bringing his troops here.”

“His troops are not needed,” replied Lyra. “While I treasure Emperor Marak’s support, I will not call upon his aid unless I am forced to.”

“Well you are forced to,” argued the mayor. “Campanil cannot defect without his support. What if General Didyk decides to come north? Or General Kapla turns around and heads south? I will not rule over a Sakovan city in the path of those huge armies. That would be sheer lunacy.”

“General Kapla’s army is heading south,” replied Lyra. “In fact, he is coming to Campanil.”

“See?” responded the mayor. “If I had defected, I would be shaking right now.”

“Would you?” posed the Star of Sakova. “Let me ask you this. Would the word of the Minister of Defense be enough to assure you that Omunga would not attack Campanil?”

“General Kapla’s word would be sufficient,” nodded the mayor, “but he would never give it to a Sakovan city.”

“Yes he would,” grinned Lyra. “In fact, his army is returning to Campanil to defend it against Omungan invasion.”

“I don’t understand,” puzzled Mayor Ferde. “Why would he protect Campanil from the Omungans?”

“Because he has seen the truth,” answered Lyra. “General Kapla is Sakovan now. His army was meant to protect Fortung and Gatong, but he is more needed in Campanil now.”

“You can’t be serious,” gasped the mayor. “I cannot imagine such a thing. He controls one fourth of Omunga’s armies.”

“You keep doubting my word,” frowned Lyra, “yet I have never spoken an untruth to you.”

“I mean no disrespect,” apologized the mayor, “but you are saying things that make my head spin. At some point in time, I have to demand verification before I can accept the spoken word.”

“Fair enough,” nodded Lyra. “General Kapla will be here tomorrow. You can ask him yourself. As for Emperor Marak’s involvement, you can speak to the captain of his ship when it arrives to deliver the food.”

“The food is being delivered on a Khadoran ship?” asked the mayor.

“One of Emperor Marak’s own ships,” nodded the Star of Sakova. “StarWind, send the signal to call the ship into port. It is time that the people of Campanil receive some food.”

StarWind nodded and wove an air tunnel and directed it to the ship off the coast. The mayor listened in amazement as he heard a woman answer StarWind’s request.

“There are good winds,” responded the voice. “We should dock within the hour.”