Mauritane's eyes widened. 'I once had an instructor who said the same thing about loyalty and trust.'
'True,' said Vestar, smiling. 'They are not the same. Trust, loyalty, and faith. They are all different. But which is most valuable?'
They were interrupted by a knock on the cell door. 'Enter,' said Vestar.
A pudgy boy with a clubfoot opened the door and bowed toward the abbot. 'The news is not good, abbot. The earthquake has caused a lot of damage in the city below. There are fires in the City Center. Some of the people have begun to riot against the Seelie soldiers and Royal Guardsmen.'
Vestar closed his eyes, his fingers reaching for the prayer beads around his neck. 'Is there a way in which peace may be restored?'
Mauritane stood and paced. 'With Kallmer in charge of the Guardsmen, anything is possible. He's reckless and won't see anything wrong with using excessive force to subdue the populace. Who is the Seelie Army commander here?'
'Prae-Alan,' said Eloquet, spitting the name like a curse.
Mauritane nodded. 'A harsh man but an intelligent one as well. He'll remain calm during this. Kallmer, though, may panic.'
'Mauritane,' said Eloquet, 'there are over thirty rebel cells out there. They are all prepared for aggression. If the soldiers begin firing on the crowd, they will defend Sylvan.'
'How many in each cell?'
'They range from eighty to a hundred men and women.'
Mauritane did the math. 'And the Seelie contingent?'
'The last count was a thousand men, but they are far better armed. New forces seem to arrive with each passing day.'
'This is odd,' said Mauritane. 'When I was arrested, there were no plans to wage an offensive of any kind against the rebels. Such campaigns take months to plan. Why now? What has changed?'
'There have been several visible Arcadian converts within the City Emerald,' said Vestar. 'Would that be enough to provoke this?'
'Arcadianism does not necessarily imply support for the rebels.'
'True.'
'I think there is more to it than that,' said Mauritane finally. 'Something else is going on here.'
'Perhaps we should go above and see for ourselves,' said Eloquet.
'Let's do that,' Vestar said.
They stood in one of the great archways of the temple's open tier. From the archway the entire city was visible, a great bowl of mayhem. Fires had spread in three different places in the city. At the outskirts of the City Center, the Seelie Army waged an unsuccessful attempt to rout a throng of peasants that crowded the streets, hanging from windows and lampposts. Their shouts reached as high as the temple. Elsewhere, once-tall buildings lay in ruins, ant-sized Fae climbing over the wreckage.
'I am touched by a deep sadness,' said Vestar. 'Eloquet, is there nothing that can be done? Will your people work with the Seelie to restore peace to our city?'
Eloquet frowned, lines crossing his forehead. 'I could order my own men to do so, but the cells are decentralized. There is no hierarchy of leadership. They all act independently, as we do.'
As they spoke, a column of mounted men in gray cloaks appeared on a bluff just below the bridge that led to the temple. They were positioned at the flank of the Seelie soldiers who fought to contain the chaos in the City Center.
Eloquet strained to recognize them. 'I can't see who it is. Perhaps Melnan's cell. I can't tell.'
The riders began to descend the bluff; an instant later their battle cries reached the ears of Mauritane, Eloquet, and the abbot. The Seelie were caught utterly unprepared. The rebels swarmed into their ranks, hacking and slashing with a ferocity that was visible even from such a great distance. Within a few moments, most of the Seelie had been slaughtered. The few remaining attempted to retreat into the crowd.
Mauritane was unsure which side he ought to be cheering for. Either way, he was deeply concerned. Something had just begun that could not easily be undone.
'Are you and your people safe here?' asked Mauritane.
'It is difficult to say,' said the abbot. 'Do you think the fighting will come to the temple?'
'Better to plan for rain and remain dry either way,' said Mauritane.
Vestar said, 'I will leave such things to you and to Eloquet. I ask only that you do what you can to prevent a full-scale war; that is more important even than the safety of the temple. As the prophet says, no war is holy.'
'But, Vestar. The temple…' Eloquet began.
'Is only a building. And we are only servants.'
'You are the chief abbot for the entire region. You are irreplaceable!'
'No, it only means that I am chief custodian. It is a job anyone can do. But we have gotten ahead of ourselves. We do not even know if our friend Mauritane will assist us.'
Mauritane was confused. 'Why wouldn't l?'
'You have pressing business elsewhere. Your duty to your Queen.'
'If I can help here, then I am doing my duty to my Queen.'
Vestar nodded. 'Even if your mission fails?'
Mauritane thought back to the Chamberlain's letter. 'Failure is death,' it had read. He had no doubt what would become of him if he were not in the City Emerald on time.
'Many of the men down there were once under my command,' he said. 'I still feel responsible for them. And at the same time, the lives of my three companions are at stake if my mission does not succeed. Which lives are more important? I cannot decide that. All I know is to throw my shoulder where it will do the most work.'
'Well spoken,' said the abbot. 'Do what you can.'
'What if,' said Eloquet, 'you are asked to choose between those men you so love in the Royal Guard and the men under my command? What then?'
Mauritane looked at him. 'We will have to make sure that does not happen.'
'I might argue that it's happening even as we speak.' Eloquet pointed down toward the City Center. Another company of Seelie Army soldiers had advanced toward the location of the rout, finding the rebels there tending to their wounded. The army officer wasted no time with a parlay; the men attacked on sight. Caught off guard, the rebels were unready for the assault. Half of them were slain before a single one of their weapons was drawn. The sounds of battle drifted up toward the temple, the clash of metal on metal and the screams of dying men.
'We must stop this. Eloquet, I must speak to my companions, explain the situation to them.'
'Of course.'
'Then, I suggest you and I ride out to speak with Commander Kallmer of the Royal Guard. Perhaps together we can sway his judgment.'
Before Eloquet could answer, a young woman in the pink robe of the temple appeared in an archway, running toward them. She stopped, her hands on her knees, out of breath from running upstairs. She was also crying, terrified.
'We've just had word,' she managed. 'That… was no earthquake.' She tried to catch her breath, struggling with the words. 'It was… an explosion. The Unseelie have crossed the border. They destroyed Selafae. Messages are pouring in now. A great column of fire, it incinerated the entire city. In seconds, just gone. A column of fire.'
Eloquet led the girl to a stone bench. She sat and collected herself. 'They think… it is the city of Mab herself. And it is now heading directly for us.'
Mauritane looked toward the northern horizon, where nothing unusual could be seen. 'It's true then,' he said. 'The Unseelie have been preparing for a war.'
He turned to Eloquet. 'How far is it to Selafae from here?'
'Two days' ride on horseback,' said Eloquet. 'How long for Mab's city to reach us?'
'Depending on the wind, less than a day. Maybe a bit more. Certainly the army has received the same news and is preparing.' A light flashed on in Mauritane's head. 'Wait! Now I understand,' he said.
'What?' said Eloquet.
'The Seelie Army's presence here. There isn't any offensive brewing against the rebels. They're here because
