is absolutely no way out. We might be able to do something when they’re brought out for execution, but we don’t even know when that’ll be. It’s likely not to be publicised and it’ll probably be carried out in the palace grounds with no access to outsiders. I really don’t see what we can do. If we had more information from inside we might have other options.”
Sathina’s voice was lost in the general tumult as the eleven men in the room erupted into argument once more. She sat and sighed. All the way from Danis the big sergeant, Athas, had told her the whole story and despite her grogginess from the after-effects of Mercurias’ medication, she’d absorbed every detail and her fear for the so important people at the centre of this was muted only by her sheer excitement at being involved in such earth- shaking events. They’d told her that they couldn’t let her go until the whole thing was over and for obvious reasons, but she’d been insistent on staying by then anyway. To be here with such great men working toward the future of the world she knew, or to be in a dirty tavern in Danis, serving drinks while even dirtier travellers tried to reach up her skirts? Ridiculous!
She tried to be heard over the voices again, but these men were so loud, especially the two they’d met up with this morning, Brendan and Marco. Those two were determined to make themselves heard.
“We need ta get inside then! Gotta do somethin’”
Amid the fresh eruption of voices, Tythias stood and held his hands out. Taking a deep breath, he shouted “Shut up!”
The room fell silent instantly as everyone turned to look at the scarred captain. Sathina smiled as the man gestured to her. He and his associate Jorun had been the biggest surprise of the journey. For such hairy, dirty and scarred men, they’d looked after her during their whole journey and Tythias particularly had proved to be a surprisingly polite and educated man. In her presence anyway. She smiled and stood.
“It seems to me that the only way you gentlemen are ever going to do anything other than argue about what can’t be done is for me to go work at the palace. I can do any servant’s job they give me and I’ll be able to find out a lot more than you can by watching the place.”
Athas shook his head. “Too dangerous. If you got caught, Velutio wouldn’t be kind. And then you’d also put the rest of us in danger.”
Tythias nodded vigorously, but next to him Prince Ashar shook his finger, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“I’m not sure about that” the elegant easterner argued. “We’re in a dire position now. Quintillian could be executed at any time now and if we don’t have any more information, we’ll still be arguing when it happens. I think this young girl may be our only hope.”
Tythias and the others made disagreeing grumbling noises around the table, but in the end Athas sighed and leaned back. “He’s right. We need to know what’s going on and sure as hell none of
Across from him Jorun nodded and made a questioning gesture at the prince.
Yes Jorun, I’ll help her as best I can.” He turned back to the rest of the crowd. “Shahar is my second here. I’ll take the young lady away and we’ll work on getting her safely into the palace. Shahar can help you make any other arrangements.”
One of the Pelasian spies, a man with a neat pointed beard, nodded. “We must to plan next stage anyway; what we do when we manage get them out of palace.”
As Ashar and Sathina made their way out of the room, Mercurias leaned forward. “Isera.” The rest turned to look at him. “It’s what Quintillian was saying before. The place they’re least likely to look for an escaped prisoner is in prison.”
Tythias nodded. “Makes sense to me. If they’ve got a small garrison on the island we can either avoid them or overwhelm them. Either way I like the idea.”
Mercurias nodded. “Ok Shahar. Until we can learn more from the young lady, we need to work something out about the island. What do you know about Isera at the moment?”
The Pelasian shook his head. “Very little. We resume communications there recently, but three nights I get one last cryptic message telling us communications being monitored and would have close down. I not know what do about it.”
Mercurias sighed. “So we’re back to waiting for more information then.”
Sergeant Iasus stomped down the steps to the Dalertine prison, his face contorted with disgust. Holding the oil lamp high, he approached the bars of the cell and saw the four inmates huddled on the wooden pallets.
“General Caerdin?”
Kiva stood slowly with some stiffness and made his way toward the bars.
“Sergeant?” he replied. “Is there a problem?”
The young martinet nodded. Placing the oil lamp on the shelf, he straightened. “Lord Velutio has made his decree I’m afraid.”
The other three now stirred in the rear of the cell. Kiva nodded solemnly.
“Not good news then” he noted.
“No.” The sergeant sighed. “His lordship has ordered that you be taken to the gardens in an hour’s time and that you’re all crucified. I’m personally not happy with this, but it’s my duty to follow the orders.”
Kiva nodded. “I’m surprised that Commander Sabian didn’t come down to give us the tidings personally.”
The sergeant’s face shifted but Kiva couldn’t identify the emotion.
“The commander refused to be involved and I can’t say I disagree with him. He’s left the city less than an hour ago and I’m not sure whether he’ll be back. This isn’t the way for a soldier to go… crucifixion’s for criminals.” Iasus took a deep breath. “You have an hour to make your peace with the Gods and then we have to carry out the sentence.”
After almost two weeks in the dark, damp hole even death lost its sting if it meant seeing the sky again. Kiva nodded. “That’s not necessary for me, but the others will need it. I’ll await your return though sergeant.”
Iasus nodded curtly and went to pick up the oil lamp. He paused for a moment without picking it up and then shook his head before walking off into the dark and toward the stairs.
Quintillian moved forward to join Kiva at the bars as the general mused to himself. “I wonder what Sabian’s up to. Can’t believe he’d quite his position over us, but would Velutio really just let him go for this? I think not.”
“That’s it then” Quintillian said, defeat in his voice. “We’re going to die in an hour.”
“I wish it were that good” replied the general. “It starts in an hour, but crucifixion takes days. You slowly succumb to hunger and thirst. Then there’s exhaustion, the ropes and the spikes in your limbs. Chances are they’ll beat us and cut us as well, but not too much. Velutio won’t want us to die too soon or too easily. In the end the birds will start to peck at us, but hopefully we’ll be dead by then.”
Kiva glanced up and saw the look on the boy’s face.
“I’m sorry Quintillian. I didn’t think. But it helps to be prepared for whatever they have in mind. Velutio doesn’t need to torture us now. He’s won. But he
It was less than an hour, in fact, when Iasus and a small party of men came down the stairs and brought the four prisoners from their dark pit. The morning sun was dazzling as they were taken out into the main courtyard for the first time in two weeks. Their hands were cuffed once more and none could shade their eyes from the glare, causing them to squint as they walked and to tread carefully until their sight adjusted.
The half dozen guards split up and walked to either side of their charges, with Iasus behind, solemn and stony faced. The small group marched through the archway and back into merciful shadow for a few moments before they burst out into the Imperial gardens, with the morning sun halfway up the eastern sky and glaring directly into their faces. The gardens were almost empty. No grand execution for these four; their deaths would remain as unknown as their lives and their ‘crimes’ to the world in general. There were perhaps a score of guards in the gardens on patrol and at stationary posts and a party of four men standing by the few individual trees on the central lawn. Kiva made a quick count. In actual fact, only twenty two guards, but what chance would they have even if they made it to the cliff? He nudged Julian, limping alongside him, and gestured across the gardens with his
