“How do I end the terrors?” Vespasian asked.
“Use one of the banned forestallments and the terrors will forever vanish,” Gracchus answered. “Once one of them has been employed, your blood signature will sense it, and the spell that brings your long-repressed memories to the surface will be lifted.”
“There is no other way to break the spell aside from using one of the banned forestallments?” Persephone asked.
“No,” Gracchus answered. “Even we of thePon Q’tar cannot otherwise undo it. It was conceived this way for a reason.”
“Indeed,” Vespasian answered skeptically. “It must be done your way, or I die.”
“That is true,” Gracchus answered. “But rather than being enraged by this news, I suggest that you look upon it as the final step in the long process that will bring you supreme mastery in the craft. When it is accomplished, you will thank me, I promise you. You will be known all through history as the Rustannican emperor who finally destroyed Shashida and the Vigors.”
“How does he go about using one of these gifts?” Lucius demanded angrily. His tone said that as always, he still mistrusted the cleric’s motives.
“Vespasian must use one of the banned gifts now-this very day-so that his terrors are forever put to rest,” Gracchus answered. Smiling, he raised one hand and gripped the shoulder folds of his robe. “I suggest that he begin with the town to which we currently lay siege,” he added.
“That means violating the Borderlands Treaty!” Vespasian protested. “We have honored that agreement for untold centuries!”
“That is also true,” Gracchus replied. “But if you do not violate the treaty, you will die, and the Vagaries might be forever defeated here and now. The choice seems clear.”
As Vespasian considered Gracchus’ words, he suddenly remembered the katsugai mosota he had killed only hours before, and the dire warning that the Shashidan had given him. Vespasian and Lucius had dismissed it as a lie, but now the emperor wasn’t so sure.
“There is something that you need to know,” Vespasian told Gracchus. “At first I thought it was nothing more than the desperate ravings of a dying man. But now it seems to have greater importance.”
“Tell me,” Gracchus said.
“A captured katsugai told me that he had recently come from the south,” Vespasian answered, “and that he was privy to secret information. He said that theJin’Sai was trying to cross the Azure Sea. If that is true-”
“Itis true,” Gracchus interrupted. “The Viper Lord tried to kill Tristan at the edges of the Azure Sea, but he failed. We cannot know whether theJin’Sai has reached Shashida, but we must assume that he has. It is all the more reason to take the initiative and be the first to use the banned spells! Think for a moment, Vespasian! There can be only one reason why theChikara Inkai would welcome theJin’Sai into their midst! They wish to imbue his blood with banned forestallments as well! Now there is surely no choice-we must violate the Borderlands Treaty first, before they can give theJin’Sai such powers and order him to do the same! And if theJin’Sai is indeed there, we will finally succeed in killing him! Right now we may still have the upper hand, but if we wait until he reaches Shashida, the moment will be lost forever! But before we completely destroy Shashida, the gold mines must be safely in our possession, for we must first ensure that we can maintain stability at home. Without greatly adding to our treasury, a revolt is an eventual certainty.”
Vespasian tiredly walked to a chair and sat down. The issues that had been put before him were earthshaking. The longer he considered Gracchus’ words, the more difficult his decision became.
He had to agree that thePon Q’tar ’s scheme would likely succeed. If his gifts were in fact as powerful as Gracchus claimed, using them would likely mean taking the gold mines, vanquishing Shashida once and for all, and forever ending Vigors use on this side of the world. TheJin’Sai would be dead, and the only remaining impediment to the world domination of the Vagaries would be theJin’Saiou. Moreover, his terrors would end and his life would be spared.
Despite all these temptations, Vespasian hesitated. As Emperor of Rustannica, he had strictly abided by her laws and agreements-especially the Borderlands Treaty. Vespasian had not been one of those who so long ago devised and ratified that agreement, but like every emperor since then, he had respected it.
Vespasian was a devout Vagaries worshipper, but what Gracchus was asking him to do would clearly violate not only the treaty, but also his personal sense of honor. Millions would die by his hand, and the earth’s devastation might be forever unredeemable. That was the very reason the Borderlands Treaty had been proposed by the Shashidans and later agreed to by both sides. His mind awash with concern, Vespasian looked worriedly at Gracchus.
“Can you guarantee that only Shashida will be destroyed?” Vespasian asked. “I know nothing of these spells. I must have your assurances that they can be controlled!”
“Like these spells, your blood is the most potent known to man,” Gracchus answered. “We believe that they can be controlled, but only by you and theJin’Sai. Despite their immense power, you will find summoning them to be a relatively simple matter. Controlling their use will be more difficult, but not impossible. I will teach you all that you need to know. If Shashida is to be crushed and theJin’Sai killed, these spells must be used. Only they can provide the raw power needed to do so-to say nothing of saving your life.”
“And what of my personal legacy?” Vespasian asked. “Can you guarantee that as well? I desire nothing more than to be known as the emperor who finally accomplishes these wondrous things. But the Borderlands Treaty is well known throughout Rustannica, and I have no wish to be the first emperor to violate it. If I do, history might not be as kind to me as you predict.”
Gracchus smiled. “Werule Rustannica,” he answered, “not the citizens. Our history has always been what we make of it. If we die trying to win this war, it won’t matter. Should we win, just as we censor the meetings of the Suffragat, we can easily explain our victory to the Rustannican citizens in any way that we like. If you do not wish to be known as the emperor who first violated the treaty, we will say that the Shashidans were the aggressors. Always remember that history is written by the victors, not the vanquished.”
Vespasian looked over at Persephone to see worry on her lovely face. Although at first she had been enraged, now more than anything she worried for her husband’s life. If that meant violating the treaty, so be it. After taking a deep breath, she gave Vespasian a nod, indicating her agreement.
Persuading the First Tribune would be another matter. As Vespasian turned to look at him, a dark look overcame Lucius’ face. He hated Gracchus, and he had never tried to hide it. Hearing that the lead cleric had duped them all for the sake of the craft had seemingly angered Lucius more than anyone. Even so, he recognized the need to go forward with Gracchus’ plan, for it seemed that the opportunity was far too tempting to squander. And so he too would consent to Gracchus’ wishes. But in payment for his agreement he would first demand his pound of flesh.
Raising one arm, he quickly pointed it at the lead cleric. At once Gracchus’ throat started to constrict as though someone had slipped a rope around it and was strangling him. Although Gracchus was a powerful craft practitioner, so was Lucius. If Lucius could subdue Gracchus fast enough, the cleric would likely be unable to summon enough power to strike back. As Gracchus choked and struggled, Lucius levitated the cleric off his feet. Then he looked at Vespasian.
The emperor nodded. “Very well,” he said. “Because of his treachery, you may have your fun. Just see that he doesn’t die.”
With Gracchus firmly in his power, Lucius walked over to stand before him. By this time there was nothing that Gracchus could do to break Lucius’ hold over him. Placing his hands on his hips, Lucius looked up into Gracchus’ eyes.
The cleric’s face was growing red and his feet were wildly kicking as if trying to gain a purchase on thin air. Saying nothing, Lucius let him linger a bit longer. As precious seconds ticked by, drool started forming in the corners of the cleric’s mouth, then ran down his chin and onto his white and burgundy robe.
“Should any harm befall the emperor because of your secret spells, or should I learn that you have withheld any part of the truth, I’ll see to it that you and every otherPon Q’tar member dies,” he said quietly. “You are not in Ellistium, Gracchus. Your fawning citizenry is not here to protect you. And unlike them, you do not command my worship. Instead, you are surrounded by hundreds of legions, each of which owes its allegiance first to Vespasian, then to the empress, and then to me. They would as soon see you die as I would. I suggest that you remember that.”
