A Magic of Twilight

him would give them little solace.

Even if the Kraljiki could manage to hold the town, a siege would mean the deaths of many who lived there. A victory that costly would be hardly distinguishable from defeat.

From his vantage point, Jan could make out through the mist the parley tents set in the field just across the Clario from Passe a’Fiume: like white flowers set in the grass before the glowering city walls and the dirty brown- green ribbon of the river. The banner of the Kraljiki flew from the central post of the largest tent. There were a few hundred of the Garde Civile there, but the Kraljiki kept the bulk of his soldiers hidden behind the stern, gray, and impassive ramparts of the city walls.

It didn’t matter: Jan’s spies, set out well ahead of the army, had reported their numbers to him.

Perhaps half of the forces that had been at Ville Colhelm under ca’Montmorte, a few thousand straggling in from Chiari and Prajnoli, perhaps five thousand who marched with the Kraljiki and the Archigos from Nessantico. Many of the citizens are fleeing from the eastern gates, desperate to leave the city, but the conscription squads are at work there, not letting the men leave.

The Kraljiki commanded a force smaller than the army at Jan’s back but more than enough to make a siege of Passe a’Fiume difficult. However, there were movements underway that Jan doubted had touched the Kraljiki’s awareness. As in a game of cards, knowing the hand your opponent has been dealt grants an enormous advantage in the bidding process. Jan smiled grimly as he stared down at the parley tents, waiting for the meeting this afternoon.

“The Kraljiki will make his stand here, but he’s not certain of the outcome-that’s why he wants to parley,” Markell’s voice said.

Jan chuckled again as he released his daughter to glance at Markell.

His aide’s stick-thin figure appeared strangely out of place in chain mail.

Markell, too, was gazing out through the thin morning fog at Passe a’Fiume.

“As usual, you know exactly what I’m thinking,” Jan told him. “As does Allesandra. I would seem to be utterly transparent to both of you.”

“It’s my job to anticipate you, my Hirzg,” Markell answered somberly. “I know this isn’t what we’d hoped for- former Starkkapitan

ca’Staunton’s stupidity at Ville Colhelm cost us an easy crossing of the Clario, and many lives if we have to take this city by force. Still, a siege of a week, quite possibly less, and you would have your surrender, I think. The Kraljiki is seeking a diplomatic solution, not a military one. As his matarh would.”

Jan scowled. Markell’s assessment was all too true: had ca’Staunton obeyed his orders at Ville Colhelm, the Kraljiki would still be in Nessantico and the Garde Civile in their garrisons, and the gates of Passe a’Fiume would already be open to Jan-as well as the road to Nessantico. Stupidity would need to be repaid in blood now. Much blood. .

“You sound certain, Markell. I’m afraid I’m not.”

It was Allesandra who answered. “Kraljiki Justi has never met you in battle, Vatarh.”

“I appreciate your confidence,” Justi answered her with a smile, “but Markell’s face is far too solemn. What is it, Markell?”

“U’Teni cu’Kohnle has requested an audience,” Markell told Jan.

“He’s waiting in your tent. He says he is. . concerned about the war-teni, since we know the Archigos is with the Kraljiki in Passe a’Fiume.”

Jan sighed audibly. He rubbed his arms against the morning chill.

“Ah. I was expecting that. Do we have word from ca’Cellibrecca?”

“No, Hirzg. Though in the Archigos’ defense, it would be difficult for him to contact us at the moment.”

Jan sniffed. “Ca’Cellibrecca can’t straddle sides any longer. He’d best realize that. He’d be well-advised not to betray me, or if he does, he should pray to Cenzi that the Kraljiki prevails because I will have worse than his life if he stands in my way.” He took a long breath and let it out abruptly.

“Yes, my Hirzg,” Markell said. “And U’Teni cu’Kohnle?”

“I’ll talk with him. Come, walk with me and Allesandra back to the tent.” Jan put his arm around his daughter again as he took a last glance at the field and the tents waiting outside the walls. .

“Semini,” he said as he entered. “You wanted to see me.”

Cu’Kohnle gave Jan the sign of Cenzi along with a deep bow that displayed the thick growth of gray-flecked, black hair on his skull. His cheeks and chin were stubbled with the same gray as his hair. Muscular arms flexed under the green robes, and Jan saw the steel links of mail underneath. The broken globe of Cenzi hung prominently around his neck. “My Hirzg,” he said. “Thank you for taking the time.”

“I know what concerns you, Semini,” Jan said. “Certainly you knew that it might come to this.”

Cu’Kohnle smiled tight-lipped. “If you’ll forgive me, the entire Strettosei spans the difference between ‘might’ and ‘has,’ my Hirzg. It’s no longer a case of ‘might,’ and because of that, many of the war-teni are troubled. I came to speak for them.”

Jan was certain that there were other motives at work here. He knew cu’Kohnle enough to know that the man was fanatically devout; he also knew him well enough to know that his devotion was to Cenzi and not necessarily to those who claimed to speak for the God. There was raw ambition and ego in the man. . and that meant he could be manipulated. Jan gestured to the table where the pages had placed wine and bread. “Please, help yourself,” he said. “What of you, Semini? Are you troubled?”

“I’m as troubled as any person of faith would be,” he answered. He took a piece of the bread and broke off a hunk from the end of the loaf.

He turned it in his fingers. “The Concenzia Faith is what sustains us, and the Archigos is the person to whom we swear our allegiance. Not to the Kraljiki. Not even, with your pardon, the Hirzg. So yes, I am troubled, because the Archigos is there in Passe a’Fiume and with the Kraljiki, and it’s not a trivial consequence for a teni to be cast out from the Faith.” He glanced down at his wiry hands, holding them up to Jan.

“You know what happens to a teni who has been cast out, should he ever use the Ilmodo again.”

There it is, then. Jan watched as cu’Kohnle tucked the bread carefully into his mouth, chewed a moment, and swallowed. “Continue, Semini. I’m listening.”

“I’m a practical man, as you know, my Hirzg. I was born in Firenzcia. Within the Faith, I served Archigos Orlandi for his entire tenure as A’Teni of Brezno. My loyalty was always more to him than to that dwarf Dhosti, and my loyalty was also always more to the Hirzg than to Kraljica Marguerite, and certainly far more to you than to Kraljiki Justi.

My sympathies are with the new Archigos’ stated goals, as you know. I would gladly help drive the Numetodo from the Holdings and end their heresy. The Ilmodo must remain in the hands of Concenzia, for many reasons. I realize these are sentiments you share as well, and that is why you and the Archigos were so well-suited to each other. I also gave my word to serve you in your position as the leader of the Firenzcian army, as did the other war- teni here. I am Firenzcian. But. .”

He tore another piece from the loaf. “If the Archigos declares that we war-teni who fight with you are in defiance of the Divolonte, then I don’t know. Some will still fight; some will not. The same is true of the chevarittai and the soldiers: there are those who will be afraid to fight if they think doing so endangers their relationship with Cenzi.”

Jan nodded. And you wouldn’t be saying this to me if you didn’t already have your solution in mind, and if you weren’t looking for something.

He poured wine into one of the goblets and held it out to cu’Kohnle, then poured himself a glass. “I appreciate your cautions and thoughts, Semini,” he said. “It strikes me that, since poor Estraven ca’Cellibrecca never reached Brezno, the seat of A’Teni of Brezno lies vacant, and that as the person who leads my war-teni and as the confidant of the Archigos when he was at Brezno, you are now the highest ranking teni in all Firenzcia. I would suspect-and I only speculate here, Semini-that the Archigos could be persuaded, after we have prevailed, to name you as A’Teni of Brezno.”

Jan saw small muscles twitch along cu’Kohnle’s jaw line as the man pondered Jan’s half-promise. Yes. That was it! “For that matter,” Jan continued, “should the Archigos make the terrible mistake of betraying me here, a mistake he might well make, then after our victory I would be in a position to influence all the a’teni of the Faith to name a new Archigos, one whose loyalty was beyond question. I reward well those who stand with me, Semini. I reward them very well, especially if they demonstrate