Saluting me with a concerned look, he left.
Taking up Blandone’s letter, I quickly broke the seal and unwrapped it from the waxed paper cover. Three pages crammed with small writing on both sides fell into my lap. I snatched up the first one and began reading.
Honored Sept Son,
The women that you feared for are here. You were correct about the use of mind control. I was given one of them for a wife, and she is displaying all of the usual signs of one who has been pressed. According to your descriptions, she appears to be the one named Donata. Since they have taken her name from her memories as well as all recall of her time before, I cannot refer to her by her real name. She is a sweet girl and what they have done to her sorrows me. Every time I look on her, I think of my sister.
According to the instruction that I have been given, I am to get her pregnant as soon as I am able. The other two girls were given to men who already have pregnant wives. Since I have no intention of violating her, I can only hope that when she remains unfruitful they will not give me another wife. There is one man, who is in a similar situation, and they don’t speak against him. Instead, they say it is the woman’s fault that she isn’t with child and let him keep her.
My stomach rolled as Blandone continued to tell of how the women were treated and the social arrangements. In the small community of ten men, there were fifteen wives and seven children. The oldest three offspring were a girl and two boys. The girl was ignored, to be tested when she reached childbearing age, but the boys were nurtured and spoiled.
The boys were reaching their fourth year, the year of discovery when some talent first showed. Already, the leadership prepared testing so that the first glimmer of talent among the young would be encouraged and trained. All the women in the settlement of child bearing age were kept pregnant and at least four births were currently expected any day.
Parzifal speaks of rebellion and dominion. He promises his followers a kingdom each, a piece of Pratinus to rule and a whole host of untalented to do their bidding. His followers lap it up like thirsty dogs with lolling tongues. The only contention they have is that they do not have enough women to build their army fast enough.
I can only hope that the breeding doesn’t work and the children are weak. Only time will reveal that. If Parzifal is right and these offspring are powerful talents ready for molding into the warrior force he envisions, we are going to need to act soon, before he permanently scars these children. I shall write when I have more news. Hopefully we can avoid anymore successful raids.
Blandone Ilar
I stared down at Blandone’s scrawl and tried to ease the grip on my stomach. It was worse than I had feared. Parzifal planned total control, not just a partial segregation. The only way he would accomplish that would be by full-fledged war. If I didn’t stop him, it would be a war of talents against Elitists with hapless non-talents caught in the middle.
Closing my eyes against the image, I dropped the letter to the desk. What could I do? I could send others in to join Blandone, but if a number of men began not producing children for the cause, Parzifal would grow suspicious. Rubbing my temples, I struggled to think.
We could decrease the supply of talented women by moving all talented women east and in from the coasts. It would be a temporary measure since they already had quite a beginning and they could always raid over land. Still, it was a measure. I noted to myself to look into the effort such a procedure would require.
“Hadrian?” Renato’s worried voice edged in on my thoughts. I looked up to find him watching me anxiously from the open doorway. “I have been calling your name for a few seconds now. Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes,” I assured him and tried to smile reassuringly. “It is just bad news from Blandone.”
Renato frowned. “The disappearances were connected?”
I nodded. “All three women appeared in the community.” I summarized the contents of Blandone’s missive. “I was just trying to work out our next course of action.”
“Remove the local talented women.”
“I have already thought of that, but it seems like a temporary step to take, very temporary considering their size. I keep asking myself if there is anything more I can do and the answer is always the same. Nothing.” I clenched my fists in frustration. Almighty, please open my eyes to Your plan. I am at a loss for what to do. I can thwart their growth by minimizing any future raids, but beyond that I cannot see a way to stop them short of violence. Please, God, there has to be another way.
“I can keep thinking on it and researching,” Renato offered. I looked up to find him watching my face with concern.
“That seems to be all we can do.”
“Was there anything else in the packet?”
I welcomed the change in topic. Setting aside Blandone’s letter, I gestured toward the stack of requests for advice. “Those need reading and answering. I also received a letter from Errol, which I have yet to open. Why don’t you read those and I will see what Errol’s news is.”
Renato complied. Settling into a nearby chair with the letters on the table before him, he opened the top one and began skimming. Retrieving Errol’s correspondence from my desk drawer, I broke the seal and began to read. I was eager for good news and Zezilia’s progress never failed to fill Errol’s letters with the praise and hope that I longed for after Blandone’s news.
Zezilia
A HUMID HAZE FILLED the air, smothering my ability to breathe. Stale air filled my senses as
