Fear's Union

Chapter Thirty-Six

—Xen—

Xen's time had been ill-spent, but things were looking up. She was sailing to Callij, the direction of home, and if there was one thing a boat offered, it was a lack of privacy. Her esteemed patron was in the next room, but his conversation pierced the wooden walls like rays of sunshine in a glade.

Best of all though, she had stayed clear of her duties of companionship. He seemed to view her as some sort of gift that he was not willing to unwrap. Her time would come of course, but she intended to be gone by then. She listened to every word that came her way.

"What exactly is the point of you? I wanted answers, and all you give me is questions. You are supposed to advise, so advise."

"My Lord Governor, I cannot make the decisions for you."

The sea exhaled and the boat swelled towards the heavens. She was not a fan of travel by boat, but at least she was going home. And besides, a bit of seasickness would probably reduce her appeal.

"No, but you can suggest. What do I do? I have been cornered by the damned Delfinians, and I have the Mandari on my back. Which side do I choose?"

The Governor's advisor sighed. The two men were not in agreement, and it was grating between them.

"Your father did not choose, my lord. Your father was crafting a position of value, and that position required a relationship with both parties."

"Yes, I know. He was feigning loyalty to the Mandari but selling services to the Delfinians. He was not under the same scrutiny I am, though. I must tread carefully."

Dearly Departed, this was gold! She drank in the words.

The advisor laughed. "He was not 'selling services', Lord Governor. Your father was a shrewd leader, as you will most certainly also be, and his plans were far more intricate than that. There is no point in selling because demand will eventually dry up. What your father was doing was making the Nadari indispensable."

The Governor settled, and the sound of his pacing ceased. "How?"

"What is the one thing that Delfinia cannot buy?" An intrigued silence. "The answer is that they are not able to buy a neutralising agent for the threat of the Mandahoi. Your father was building that agent."

What neutralising agent? There was surely nothing that the Nadari could do to halt the Mandahoi.

"Ah yes. The deadwoods."

Oh, apart from that. She glanced at her deadwood guard and shivered.

"Indeed. All the gold that your father earned from Delfinia has been invested in the Black Academy. I suggest you pursue the same path."

The deadwoods! They had always been a laughing stock in Mandaria, but they were better than she'd expected. Her mind went to the Mandahoi defector, and a chill went through her. Gold opened many doors, and it sounded like the Delfinians had sent a lot of currency to Saphos.

"And I still need more gold?"

"Yes, I believe you do."

"So I need the Delfinians on side, and I also need the Mandari to trust me."

"Indeed. Without the trust of the Mandari, you will have nothing to sell."

"So, I answer their summons and I go to compete in their petty tournament. In the meantime, we start searching for these damned plans."

"Yes Lord Governor."

A reflective silence, like the vacuum that engulfs the loneliest places in the world. There was a jolt, and the sound of the sailors shouting filtered through the window. Then there was a jerk and a loud scraping noise. Had they arrived?