The Fallen World

Contingency plan

     There was a knock on the door, and Lord Rajus Traldia called for the visitor to enter.

     “I came at your command,” said General Patroclus as he closed the door behind him. He crossed the room and stood stiffly at attention behind Lord Rajus, who was standing with his back to the rest of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. Around them, the rest of the large common room was empty. A pair of burly guards were standing outside its only entrance to chase away the family members and senior servants who normally came there to relax. Read a book, enjoy a pleasant game of Klann or just sit and chat about the day’s events. Today, they were sent away grumbling to find somewhere else to spend their spare time. Lord Rajus wanted privacy.

     “Good to see you,” said Lord Rajus, turning to face him. “It is my hope that we can speak here in secrecy.”

     The General nodded. The Konnens had some way of spying on them, it had been obvious for some time. Too many of their plans had somehow become known to the enemy. They anticipated their every move, cut them off at every turn. They knew things that they had no business knowing!

     Patroclus shook his head in bafflement. “I would stake my very soul that we don't have a traitor,” he said. “I would trust every one of them with my life.”

     “As would I,” agreed the nobleman. “And if we start turning on each other, then we are truly doomed.”

     “You still think they have listening tubes, then? We have checked the walls around the briefing room again and again. No secret tunnels have been dug behind them, as if that kind of endeavour could be carried out in perfect silence.”

     “The old wizards were said to be able to disintegrate tunnels through rock in silence,” said the nobleman, “but no. I agree with you that any secret tunnel would have been found. No, they have some other way of listening in on us. Some magical, device, I think.”

     “But you don't think they cannot overhear us here?” asked the General.

     His Lordship shrugged. “It’s possible,” he admitted, “but if they can hear us here, they can hear us anywhere. So, let’s start with an update on the war situation. How’s it going out there?”

     “We are holding the fourth corridor and marshalling our forces for a massive counter offensive. I am confident that by the end of the week...”

     “The truth, Canta,” interrupted Lord Rajus with a fond smile. “Give me the truth. How’s it really going?”

     The General regarded his master carefully for a moment, then nodded. “Badly,” he admitted. “House Leto is preparing to surrender, handing over all its men and territory to the Konnens. House Traldia will then find itself on the front line, with five of the other Houses allied against us. Even without their wizards, they will have no difficulty in gradually wearing us down. I’m afraid that our eventual defeat is inevitable.”

     Lord Rajus looked grave. The General saw that he'd already figured it out for himself and had been hoping desperately that he'd been wrong. "It's those damned wizards of theirs!” he said angrily. “Years of stalemate and then they show up!”

     “Yes, the wizards,” agreed Lord Rajus. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Where do you suppose they came from?”

     “The story is that they’re renegades, captured by a routine Konnen patrol,” replied the General. “Our spies tell us that they're part of a group of six, two of whom are young men of no particular talent and can be ignored. One of them, though, if our information is correct, is a healer.”