way.'
'I was joking!' protested Sarazin. 'Fight with Alish? When Selzirk holds the death-stone? That's craziness.'
'Then I really have failed,' said Jarl, his voice flat. 'I thought I'd taught you some fighting spirit, but I was wrong. You haven't got what it takes. You never will have. You're a disappointment to me – and, I warrant, to Lord Regan.' Jarl turned to go.
Wait!' cried Sarazin, in anguish. 'How can you say something like that? I tried, didn't I? I won Chenameg, didn't I? If only for a day! Don't go! Don't leave me! I – I-' Wordlessly, he clutched at Jarl. But Jarl shook him off, and left. And was never again seen in Selzirk.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Soon preparations for war began in earnest. And this was like nothing in Sarazin's experience. For it was not a matter of sending away one or two thousand men to fight some- where beyond the horizon. This was the mobilisation of an entire nation for a war to the death.
Morgan Hearst was unlike Thodric Jarl in many ways. For a start, Hearst was very tense – as if he were on the edge of a nervous breakdown. He was labouring under an immense mental burden, and he was very, very bitter. That Sarazin saw easily, though he could not decipher the source of the bitterness.
But, in some ways, Hearst was exactly like Jarl. He had the same habit of command, the same ruthless style, and gave the same impression of being extremely danger- ous. What's more, when Hearst commanded, men obeyed.
Sarazin, knowing he could never hope to command the same obedience himself, was intensely jealous. This was the day of Selzirk's greatest danger. And Sean Sarazin was doing nothing for the city: instead, this foreign adventurer was winning all the glory.
After a lot of hard thought, Sarazin came up with a little scheme which he personally thought brilliant. He proposed that Drake Douay be brought from his dungeon and sent to 'Marphos to offer Alish safe conduct and a massive bribe if he surrendered. This might just work. And, even if it didn't – Sarazin would feel safer with a potential assassin out of the city.
To Sarazin's surprise, Plovey supported this scheme, and it was eventually put into practice. But Alish made no reply to this overture, and Douay did not return to Selzirk. Meanwhile, Hearst carried on organising for war. His performance was impressive indeed.
Until the day when he made a reconnaissance of the plain to the north of Androlmarphos, where he planned to fight Elkor Alish. Despite Jarl's predictions, Farfalla had proved ready to have the death-stone used against Androlmarphos. But Hearst, for inscrutable reasons of his own, had refused to employ that devastating magic. So the two armies would meet without the benefit of magic.
This was ideal cavalry country, and Alish was known to have plenty of horses. But, to Sarazin's dismay, Hearst had no grasp of cavalry tactics whatsoever. Sarazin tried to help the Rovac warrior, but Hearst declined the enlightenment so readily offered, refusing to admit his own ignorance.
Thus, as the day for battle approached, things looked to be shaping up for a regular disaster.
All too soon, the battle-day arrived. Elkor Alish marched forth with his troops. Army engaged army. And, to Sarazin's bewilderment, Hearst smashed the enemy, winning a victory on a field of blood and gore.
A little later, Hearst used just enough of the death-stone's magic to breach the walls of 'Marphos, and drove Alish from the city.
The Rovac warrior had won a great victory for the Harvest Plains, and had made himself a hero. Selzirk rejoiced. And Sarazin, with shock and horror, shortly learnt that his mother planned to make Morgan Hearst ruler of the Harvest Plains in his own right.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Rumours of what was to happen soon brought crowds of supplicants to the door of Morgan Hearst – even though he, for the time being, thought it politic to deny the rumours and play the part of the simple soldier.
Sarazin hears these rumours not, since he was busy brooding over maps of Stokos, and of the Greater and Lesser Teeth. He was hoping to find a way to win power and glory for himself. And, since the pirates had been broken in battle, surely the next logical step was to seize those territories from the sea reavers. Sarazin had no experience of war at sea, but was prepared to learn.
'A power base, that's what I need,' he said. 'Some men loyal to me, a reputation, and… and…' He knew he was dreaming.
Hearst had won what Sarazin had always wanted. Hearst would soon be ruler of the Harvest Plains, and Sarazin would be nothing. Nevertheless, he could still dream. And did.
His daydreams were interrupted by an unexpected and peremptory summons from Morgan Hearst, which he obeyed. To his shock and horror he found Drake Douay closeted with Hearst. 'You!' said Sarazin.
'Nay,' said Drake, 'I died at sea some many days ago. What you see here is none but my ghost.' He would have said more, but Hearst cut him off.
'Business,' said Hearst. 'Elkor Alish is playing a trick with this fellow. A trick he learnt from Selzirk. He holds two of the man's friends as hostage, requiring, for their release, proof of delivery of two letters.' 'How does that concern me?' said Sarazin.
'One of those proofs must come from me,' said Hearst. 'But the other needs come from you.'
'I give no proofs to this thieving whoreson bastard,' said Sarazin.
You will give proofs,' said Hearst, waving a letter, 'or I will give this document to the Regency.' 'What says it?'
'This letter from Alish to you invites you to join with him in making war on the Regency and installing yourself as emperor of the Harvest Plains.'
Sarazin was horrified. This was like one of his worst dreams coming true! What would his mother think if she saw such a letter? Let alone Plovey! He did his best to shrug it off:
That speaks of no crime on my part. It's no crime to be made an offer, no matter how criminal. Crime lies only in the acceptance, which I'd never make – and which none could prove against me.'
But Hearst persisted, and, in the end, Sarazin consented to give Douay a signed and dated piece of parchment saying simply that the petition of Drake Douay had been refused. Then Sarazin was dismissed by Hearst, and retreated to his own quarters to think things through.
Once more – this was the story of his life! – he was embroiled in conspiracy. And, once again, he was the last person to know what was going on. Why had Douay returned to Selzirk? Why had Alish sent letters to Selzirk with Douay? If one letter had been an invitation to con- spiracy directed to Sean Sarazin, what had the other letter said?
Was Douay in league with Hearst? If so, how? Why? Since when? And what would the outcome be? Perhaps Sarazin should denounce Hearst. But for what? And what proof did he have?
The more Sarazin thought about it, the more he was sure of only one thing: his life was in danger. He thrice con- sidered fleeing the city immediately and thrice rejected the notion. This is impossible,' muttered Sarazin.
He wished he could talk it over with someone. But Elkin and Jarl, the tutors of his youth, were no longer with him. Jaluba was long gone – and where she was nobody knew. His father was dead, his mother was scarcely on speaking terms with him, so who was left? Benthorn, whom he did not trust. And Glambrax. 'It's hopeless!' groaned Sarazin.
He was utterly alone and helpless at the most critical juncture of his life. Soon there would be a formal banquet in the Hall of Wine, which had been refurbished especially for the ceremony. At that banquet, Morgan Hearst would be consecrated as one of the Favoured Blood in sacred ceremony.
Then he would be proclaimed ruler of the Harvest Plains.
