“Look at me, Eshetu,” the Emperor said.
The kabbar obeyed.
“You are a courageous man,” Gebrem said. “The Empire needs more – many more – like you.”
Eshetu bowed his head again in an expression of humility, then raised it as the Emperor continued.
“Before you told us your story, I promised you that Imbesh would be avenged. I reiterate that promise ... and I also promise that you will play a part in that vengeance. While we make our plans, you will remain here in the Palace as my guest.”
Kyroun spoke then.
“You have my thanks as well. I am pleased to learn that some of my followers have survived the sinking of their ship, even though they are now held by the enemies of the Matile. They, like the survivors from Imbesh, must be rescued.”
The Emperor nodded to the soldier, who had changed neither his stance nor his expression during Eshetu’s recounting.
“Tewolo will take you to your quarters, Eshetu. We will talk again soon.”
When Eshetu stood, his knees could barely support him. With only a few words, the Emperor had transformed him from landless kabbar to a man of position, a man of honor, a man of power. So much had happened to him that was beyond belief ... now, he said the only thing he could say:
“Thank you, Mesfin ... Leba. My life is yours. I will serve you well.”
After Tewolo ushered the kabbar out of the small chamber, Gebrem turned to Kyroun.
“Do you know the people he saw among the Thabas?” he asked.
“I know all my followers,” the Seer replied. “But I was not aware that any of them had survived the sinking of the Swordfish. Almovaar must have spared them for a reason ... a reason he has not seen fit to impart to us.”
“Who are they?” Gebrem asked. In the Oneness, he had seen them as clearly as Kyroun had, but their identities remained a mystery to him.
“The red-haired one is Niall,” the Seer said. “A quiet man and a good fighter, a loyal defender of Almovaar. The drummer is his friend, Diamid. The blue-robed one is Ferroun, who ranks high among the Believers, even though he does not possess the aptitude in sorcery necessary to become an Adept, or even an Acolyte. He was responsible for the organizational work that kept us functioning as we journeyed from Lumaron to Fiadol.”
“And the woman?”
A long moment passed before Kyroun went on. As he spoke again, his tone was less assured.
“Her name is Aeliel. She is of the Elven – a secretive people who live apart from all others in Cym Dinath. Only rarely do the Elven dwell among us ... and to this day, I do not know why Aeliel joined the Almovaads. In the Oneness, she always shields her thoughts. Even I am unable to penetrate them.”
“And now, they are among the Thabas,” Gebrem said. “Our worst enemies, now that the Uloans are no longer a threat to us.”
“It would seem that these Thabas are a more immediate threat than we had originally supposed,” Kyroun said. “Even as we rebuild, they prepare to push across the frontier as a united force under their new chieftain, this Tshakane. We must strike them sooner than we thought.”
“To save your shipwreck survivors?” Gebrem asked.
“To save the Empire,” said Kyroun.
5
Later, in the Beit Almovaar – which had once been the Beit Amiya – Kyroun met with some of the Adepts who had not joined Tiyana on the voyage to the Uloan Islands. They were all Fidi; none of the Matile Adepts were present. When he told the others what he and Gebrem had learned from Eshetu, their eyes widened and their mouths gaped in astonishment.
“How could anyone have survived such a shipwreck?” Eimos asked. “The fury of the storms would have reduced the Swordfish to kindling without your protection.”
“And why those four?” asked Ulrithana. “Why Ferroun?”
Kyroun suppressed a smile. The Shadimish Adept’s dislike of the administrator had continued even after what she had thought to be his elimination from her life.
“More to the point, what are we going to do about it?”
The speaker was Hara, a plain-faced, yellow-haired woman from Fiadol. She had been one of the last converts the Almovaads had acquired before sailing away from the seaport. Although Hara had never so much as dabbled in sorcery in her previous life, about which she said little, she had become an Adept almost as quickly as Byallis. She seldom spoke. But when she did, even Kyroun often listened.
“I could not determine whether or not they were captives,” the Seer said. “Either way, they will be in danger once the Emperor begins his campaign against the Thabas. They will have to trust in Almovaar for their protection until we arrive in Thaba territory. Once we are there, we can decide on how we will bring them back among us.”
“Perhaps they weren’t the only ones who survived the shipwreck,” Eimos mused. “There could be others.”
“Perhaps,” Kyroun agreed. “If there are, Almovaar has not told me. But then, he did not tell me of the survival of those four. And I do not know why. Almovaar does not tell me everything.”
“It is possible he did not want you to be disturbed in your task here,” Ulrithana murmured.
Hara and Eimos exchanged a wry glance. They knew Ferroun was the “disturbance” to which the Shadimish woman was referring.
“Possibly,” Kyroun agreed. “In the meantime, this news will not remain a secret for long. Nor should it. Soon, it will spread throughout Khambawe, and beyond. Many questions will be asked, by Believers and non-Believers alike. For now, our best – and only – answer is: ‘Almovaar will show us the way.’”
The others nodded their agreement.
“For now, we will continue our preparations for the homecoming of Tiyana and the others, who have succeeded beyond our highest expectations.”
“She bears watching, that Tiyana,” said Hara, narrowing her eyes. “She grows very strong, very swiftly.”
Kyroun turned to
