me?'
Four heads nodded.
'Fortunately for you, I am not an Instruian, and I despise their methods, unworthy of the descendants of the First Men. Also to your good fortune, I am one of the few to whom this story could be told without guaranteeing your untimely deaths. But be assured: you are in greater danger in this city than you ever were on your undoubtedly hazardous journey here.'
He thought for a moment. 'I am inclined to take your story seriously, if not yet wholly give credence to it, because it confirms a number of things I myself have suspected for some time, but have not been willing to believe.
'If you will give me the names of the traitors on the Council of Faltha, I will arrange a hearing for you, so you can accuse them to their face,' the ambassador continued. 'I am in no position to move against them, you understand. My powers here in Instruere are tightly prescribed, and I have only a few personal guards for my protection. I promise to reveal your secret to no one.
But you must understand the danger to you is greater than any danger I face, for whether your story is true or not, those you accuse on the Council will seek your deaths in order to ensure that others do not hear your accusations. With this in mind, do you wish to continue? Or would you perhaps prefer to flee Instruere now, while you still can, and leave me to investigate the story?'
Mahnum turned to the others. 'Can we risk it?' he breathed.
'We're committed now,' Perdu answered. 'If we refuse, he might betray us.'
'And what better chance than this will we be able to manufacture?' Farr said. 'We must risk everything or make a swift escape from Instruere.'
'We'll probably have to do that anyway,' said Kurr. "The Arkhos is right. If we accuse members of the Council, they will seek our deaths whether the Council believes us or not.'
Mahnum stood. 'I'll tell you the names,' he said. 'We'll see the Council.'
*
* *
The door closed on the four northerners, leaving Saraskar, Arkhos of Sarista, alone with his thoughts, and unrelievedly dark ones they were. The little things he had been trying to ignore
- the knotted groups in the hallways, the reluctance of the Instruian Guard to take his orders, the rise and rise of the Arkhos of Nemohaim, the new-found wealth of some of his colleagues
- now added up to betrayal. And within one day the traitors would be unmasked, for the Council would meet tomorrow and he would ensure the northerners gained a hearing for their tale.
But would that serve only to speed up the Bhrudwan plans? Surely deception on this scale must be well planned to remain so completely hidden. In that case, would the traitors not have plans to cope with an untimely exposure? And would they not deal harshly with the ones who accused them?
He was afraid; there was no doubting that. Perhaps if he had been in Instruere on his own .. .
but Sarista was a thousand miles and more to the south, and his wife and his two dear girls would not remain separated from him, insisting that they accompany him to the famed city of Faltha. Now he was in danger, and therefore they were in danger also.
Would there be enough time to spirit them away? He sighed, knowing there would not.
Permission had to be sought, papers signed, guards assigned to them; all this would take time.
Could he delay the northerners until his family was safely out of Instruere?
Then he thought for a moment of the bravery these Firanese farmers had already shown, and he was ashamed. Ashamed, and angry; angry at his supposed friends and colleagues on the Council for betraying him, his countrymen, and all he stood for. He could not run. The Arkhos of Sarista needed to play his part in the defence of Faltha, and he needed to play it now.
That night the basement of Foilzie's tenement was the scene of much excited talk. After weeks of hard work and disappointment, the Council of Faltha would meet with them the next afternoon. Saraskar had specifically requested the attendance
Four heads nodded.
'Fortunately for you, I am not an Instruian, and I despise their methods, unworthy of the descendants of the First Men. Also to your good fortune, I am one of the few to whom this story could be told without guaranteeing your untimely deaths. But be assured: you are in greater danger in this city than you ever were on your undoubtedly hazardous journey here.'
He thought for a moment. 'I am inclined to take your story seriously, if not yet wholly give credence to it, because it confirms a number of things I myself have suspected for some time, but have not been willing to believe.
'If you will give me the names of the traitors on the Council of Faltha, I will arrange a hearing for you, so you can accuse them to their face,' the ambassador continued. 'I am in no position to move against them, you understand. My powers here in Instruere are tightly prescribed, and I have only a few personal guards for my protection. I promise to reveal your secret to no one.
But you must understand the danger to you is greater than any danger I face, for whether your story is true or not, those you accuse on the Council will seek your deaths in order to ensure that others do not hear your accusations. With this in mind, do you wish to continue? Or would you perhaps prefer to flee Instruere now, while you still can, and leave me to investigate the story?'
Mahnum turned to the others. 'Can we risk it?' he breathed.
'We're committed now,' Perdu answered. 'If we refuse, he might betray us.'
'And what better chance than this will we be able to manufacture?' Farr said. 'We must risk everything or make a swift escape from Instruere.'
'We'll probably have to do that anyway,' said Kurr. "The Arkhos is right. If we accuse members of the Council, they will seek our deaths whether the Council believes us or not.'
Mahnum stood. 'I'll tell you the names,' he said. 'We'll see the Council.'
*
* *
The door closed on the four northerners, leaving Saraskar, Arkhos of Sarista, alone with his thoughts, and unrelievedly dark ones they were. The little things he had been trying to ignore
- the knotted groups in the hallways, the reluctance of the Instruian Guard to take his orders, the rise and rise of the Arkhos of Nemohaim, the new-found wealth of some of his colleagues
- now added up to betrayal. And within one day the traitors would be unmasked, for the Council would meet tomorrow and he would ensure the northerners gained a hearing for their tale.
But would that serve only to speed up the Bhrudwan plans? Surely deception on this scale must be well planned to remain so completely hidden. In that case, would the traitors not have plans to cope with an untimely exposure? And would they not deal harshly with the ones who accused them?
He was afraid; there was no doubting that. Perhaps if he had been in Instruere on his own .. .
but Sarista was a thousand miles and more to the south, and his wife and his two dear girls would not remain separated from him, insisting that they accompany him to the famed city of Faltha. Now he was in danger, and therefore they were in danger also.
Would there be enough time to spirit them away? He sighed, knowing there would not.
Permission had to be sought, papers signed, guards assigned to them; all this would take time.
Could he delay the northerners until his family was safely out of Instruere?
Then he thought for a moment of the bravery these Firanese farmers had already shown, and he was ashamed. Ashamed, and angry; angry at his supposed friends and colleagues on the Council for betraying him, his countrymen, and all he stood for. He could not run. The Arkhos of Sarista needed to play his part in the defence of Faltha, and he needed to play it now.
That night the basement of Foilzie's tenement was the scene of much excited talk. After weeks of hard work and disappointment, the Council of Faltha would meet with them the next afternoon. Saraskar had specifically requested the attendance
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