Birch – who, in turn, was not as large or strong as their
companion Garet – but James was more a mediator and peacemaker than he was a
warrior. He could, however, still handle himself well in a fight.
“It’s not like I’m asking you to sail us around the world,
Captain,” James said reasonably. “The dwarves are relocating, and we’d like to
accompany them for a ways, that’s all. Dwarves are unparalleled masters of the
sea, and I can think of no safer means of continuing our journey than sailing
with you and your people.”
“I know what my people are doing, young paladin,” the dwarf
grumbled, somewhat mollified by James’s sincere flattery, “but this was
supposed to be a quick trip, then I could return to my usual routes of trade.
You’re asking me for a detour of a bloody month or more. It’ll be well into
winter before I can resume regular trade, and that will cost me greatly.”
“Princess Jerissa has already
granted you compensation for your time,” James replied, cutting in before the
dwarf could gain momentum with his arguments. “You’ll lose nothing, but gain
the gratitude of your nation.”
Birch listened for a few moments until James had persuaded
their captain, then he cleared his throat to get the Yellow paladin’s
attention.
“Ah, Birch, there you are,” James said with a pleased smile.
“I was just arranging our passage with the good captain here.”
“So I heard.”
“Walk with me. Captain,” James said, inclining his head
before they left the room. James and Birch walked onto the deck to the stern of
the ship and stood staring out toward the sea.
“Vander and I were talking, and we think we’ve come up with
something,” James said after a moment’s silence. “We compared the observations
of the dwarves and came up with a timetable for the attack here, then we
compared that against our own journey.” He shook his head as though in denial
of his own thoughts. “Birch, the Prismatic Council gave us this mission weeks
before any disturbance here on the island. Nothing happened here at the capital
until we were already on a ship heading this direction.”
“So?” Birch asked, not seeing what James was alarmed about.
“Maybe Sal arrived before the dwarves realized it, but still the reports of his
presence made it back to the Council.”
But James was already shaking his head again. “No, we looked
into that, and it doesn’t work out, because of the information Moreen gave us
about the attack on the Dragoenix Inn. We were already on the road when Sal
attacked, and while demons can move damn fast, it just doesn’t make sense for
him to have come here, flown to Demar to destroy the inn, then returned to
Den-Furral to attack the dwarves. The only way the Council could possibly have
known to send us here is if they had advance knowledge of the demon’s presence.
This place was a trap, apparently laid just for you. Combine that with the
mind-controlling abilities of The Three you were telling us about and some of Wein’s comments, and it points to some pretty disturbing
possibilities.”
“You think one of them has subverted the Council,” Birch
said flatly.
James nodded.
“It’s not unlikely,” Birch said softly, turning the
possibility about in his head and examining the ramifications, which were many
and none of them pleasant. “But if you’ve come to this conclusion, it begs the
question of why we’re taking such a long route home.”
“Because something’s happening in Merishank that I don’t
like,” James said darkly. “The last ship in brought disturbing rumors of a
buildup of military power, and they’re looking north now, not east. Wherever
their destination, Nocka is directly in their path.”
“Nocka is unassailable by universal acclaim, because of its
unique role and the Barrier,” Birch said, already realizing where James was
going, but he argued anyway, hoping he was wrong. “No army in the world would
dare attack that city, nor
companion Garet – but James was more a mediator and peacemaker than he was a
warrior. He could, however, still handle himself well in a fight.
“It’s not like I’m asking you to sail us around the world,
Captain,” James said reasonably. “The dwarves are relocating, and we’d like to
accompany them for a ways, that’s all. Dwarves are unparalleled masters of the
sea, and I can think of no safer means of continuing our journey than sailing
with you and your people.”
“I know what my people are doing, young paladin,” the dwarf
grumbled, somewhat mollified by James’s sincere flattery, “but this was
supposed to be a quick trip, then I could return to my usual routes of trade.
You’re asking me for a detour of a bloody month or more. It’ll be well into
winter before I can resume regular trade, and that will cost me greatly.”
“Princess Jerissa has already
granted you compensation for your time,” James replied, cutting in before the
dwarf could gain momentum with his arguments. “You’ll lose nothing, but gain
the gratitude of your nation.”
Birch listened for a few moments until James had persuaded
their captain, then he cleared his throat to get the Yellow paladin’s
attention.
“Ah, Birch, there you are,” James said with a pleased smile.
“I was just arranging our passage with the good captain here.”
“So I heard.”
“Walk with me. Captain,” James said, inclining his head
before they left the room. James and Birch walked onto the deck to the stern of
the ship and stood staring out toward the sea.
“Vander and I were talking, and we think we’ve come up with
something,” James said after a moment’s silence. “We compared the observations
of the dwarves and came up with a timetable for the attack here, then we
compared that against our own journey.” He shook his head as though in denial
of his own thoughts. “Birch, the Prismatic Council gave us this mission weeks
before any disturbance here on the island. Nothing happened here at the capital
until we were already on a ship heading this direction.”
“So?” Birch asked, not seeing what James was alarmed about.
“Maybe Sal arrived before the dwarves realized it, but still the reports of his
presence made it back to the Council.”
But James was already shaking his head again. “No, we looked
into that, and it doesn’t work out, because of the information Moreen gave us
about the attack on the Dragoenix Inn. We were already on the road when Sal
attacked, and while demons can move damn fast, it just doesn’t make sense for
him to have come here, flown to Demar to destroy the inn, then returned to
Den-Furral to attack the dwarves. The only way the Council could possibly have
known to send us here is if they had advance knowledge of the demon’s presence.
This place was a trap, apparently laid just for you. Combine that with the
mind-controlling abilities of The Three you were telling us about and some of Wein’s comments, and it points to some pretty disturbing
possibilities.”
“You think one of them has subverted the Council,” Birch
said flatly.
James nodded.
“It’s not unlikely,” Birch said softly, turning the
possibility about in his head and examining the ramifications, which were many
and none of them pleasant. “But if you’ve come to this conclusion, it begs the
question of why we’re taking such a long route home.”
“Because something’s happening in Merishank that I don’t
like,” James said darkly. “The last ship in brought disturbing rumors of a
buildup of military power, and they’re looking north now, not east. Wherever
their destination, Nocka is directly in their path.”
“Nocka is unassailable by universal acclaim, because of its
unique role and the Barrier,” Birch said, already realizing where James was
going, but he argued anyway, hoping he was wrong. “No army in the world would
dare attack that city, nor
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