Again, the prince leaned forward, waving a finger at Kiva and opening his mouth, but once more Kiva drowned him out. “I’m a realist, Ashar. My prime concern now is to help Sarios get these people safely off the island and away from here, as far away as it’s possible to go, and then into hiding somewhere they’ll never be looked for. After that, I may have a score to settle with our friend the future Emperor, but that’s personal. Don’t try and convince me of any other grand schemes, ok?”
Ashar held up both his hands defensively. “Ok, I understand. I don’t agree, but I understand, and yes the island does need to be evacuated first, but bear in mind that this isn’t over for you either. Anyway, I’d best get out of here. Your horde of loud hooligans is on its way like a mobile fish market, regardless of what your doctor recommended and I don’t want to intrude. I shall be busy making plans for the evacuation with Sarios.”
With a bow Ashar turned and made for the door, just as it burst open and Brendan and Marco poured in like a wave, crashing across the furniture of the chamber. Behind them, Athas came ambling in, grinning like a mischievous child, with Tythias and the others after him. Ashar stood patiently, smiling, until the group were in the room howling like a bunch of unruly baboons, bowed again and then left, closing the door.
The tide of people flowed forward and Brendan and Marco rolled onto Sarios’ bed coming finally to a rest as they leaned forward to examine their general.
“Ah, he’s fine!” declared Marco with a grin. Brendan leaned forward and with thumb and forefinger pulled back Kiva’s right eyelids, gazing into the pupil. “’E looks better than ‘e used ter! Bit pale ‘n mis’rable, but that’s pretty normal!”
Kiva jerked his head back out of the man’s reach and growled. “Get off me you big ape. I’m not well.”
Brendan and Marco gave him a startled glance and then collapsed against each other in fits of laughter. Athas escorted a young lady to the remaining place on the bed and then he, Mercurias, Tythias and Jorun brought up chairs and a bench from near the window. The general murmur and hubbub in the room washed over Kiva as he sat bemused. He wasn’t used to noise and activity at the moment, and the chatter was starting to make his head hurt a little. It took him a moment to realise that the young lady was leaning forward and speaking to him.
“What?” he asked as clearly as he could over the buzz.
“I said how do you feel now?”
Kiva looked perplexed. “Erm. Better than I did, and better than I should do by all accounts.” He frowned. The girl was young and pretty and he had the vague feeling he’d seen her before, but couldn’t for the life of him figure out why she was here. He smiled uncertainly at her. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but who are you?”
Tythias leaned across from the chair he’d just placed next to the bed.
“This is Sathina. She saved your life, you old goat.”
Kiva’s frown deepened and Tythias smiled, placing his hand on the young lady’s arm. “She was the one who got into the palace; the one who told us where you were.”
Now the general’s brows rose. “You infiltrated the palace when Ashar’s men couldn’t? I’m impressed. Thank you.”
He turned to Athas. “How the hell have you all remained hidden? There’s a garrison of Velutio’s men here.”
“Not so hard,” the big man chuckled, “when you have the right friends. Minister Sarios knows all sorts of things about this place that I didn’t. I’ve walked past doors and cupboards in this palace on a daily basis twenty years ago, and never even thought to look closely.”
He leaned forward conspiratorially.
“It’s quite possible to get from almost any building on the island to any other without passing through a single open space if you know how.”
Tythias leaned across to Athas’ shoulder and grinned. “Even then it’s tough with this load of conspicuous windbags. How do you try and keep Brendan quiet and hidden; or Jorun even?”
Kiva nodded. “Well we’re going to have to do something about it soon. Sarios and I both thought of drugging the garrison somehow, but I’m not sure how thorough that’ll be.”
Mercurias shuffled forward, his chair legs scraping on the floor. “Athas and I’ve had much the same conversation. I’m damn sure we can come up with something fairly potent considering how bright some of the people here are. Only problem is: what to do about the few that we’ll inevitably miss.”
Now Tythias grinned, his feral features twisting into a face of morbid satisfaction. “Then we deal with the others the best way we know. Anyway, the Wolves owe Velutio now. Let’s even the score a little.” He pulled a knife from his belt and started tapping the flat of the blade on his knee.
Athas shook his head. “The islanders like this sergeant Cialo; and his men. The garrison’s been good to them, you know? They’ve been helping them grow food, rebuilding parts of the palace, repairing the water system. Sarios won’t want them killed and I can’t say I’m fond of the idea either. I saw the sergeant with his men from a window in the Peacock palace and he’s old school; like one of us. We have to take them all at mealtime and give any guards that’re elsewhere the option to surrender before we kill them.”
Mercurias nodded, but Kiva sighed and let his head loll back. “We’re all daft. Best of intentions and noble and honourable and all that shit, but as soon as Velutio finds out the islanders have gone and his men were tricked, Cialo and every man under him’ll be strung up from the trees of the island. We’re not saving their lives, just sending them to a death sentence under Velutio.”
The general hubbub died down now as everyone contemplated the truth of what their general said. He was right. There was no forgiveness in Velutio and perhaps it would be better to die by the sword of a soldier than on a tree naked and beaten. The young girl was the one to break the silence.
“General, what are we going to do?”
Kiva blinked and lifted his head back up to look at her. She appeared so young and innocent and he was finding it hard to reconcile her presence among these others. “We’re going to get these people off the island and into safety” he stated.
The girl nodded. “I know that, general, but I meant after that… in the long run.”
“Not you too?” Kiva groaned. “Why is it everyone I speak to wants to plan for a future. The present’s dangerous and complicated enough; let’s deal with that first.”
The girl leaned forward and stared at him, a very serious look crossing her face. Kiva noted the way Tythias moved with her and tried not to smile. She spoke quietly. “I’m a nobody, general. I’m a serving girl from a small village tavern in the middle of nowhere, but in the last month I’ve been with people my dad used to talk about in wonder. My dad served in the army ‘til he lost an arm you know? Then he left and went into business as an innkeeper. He knew you, general. Oh, you won’t have known him; he was just a standard bearer, but he was proud to serve in your army.”
Kiva’s face took on an equally serious expression. “Your father must have been a good man. Standard bearers were honoured above many of the officers. Important job, that.”
Sathina nodded. “He
She sat back and folded her arms. “And there’s me: a serving girl from an inn.” Her face had taken on a little colour during her diatribe. “I don’t care who you are, you’re not going to tell me I’ve left home, risked my life and helped save yours just so you can all run off with your tail between your legs. No. Not happening!”
Kiva blinked as she leaned forward once more and shook her finger in front of his nose. “The Emperor may be dead, but there’s something else we can do and you bloody well think of it. Everyone says you’re real clever, so show me!”
Tythias leaned forward and whispered something in her ear and she sat back quietly, though still glaring intently into Kiva’s face. He was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable beneath that gaze. He turned to face his second in command, trying to ignore the eyes burning into his temple.
“Athas, we need to discuss this, but when there are fewer people around. I’m finding it kind of hard to think straight with everyone in here at once.”
The burly dark man nodded and stood. “Everyone out. You can all come back later, but now the general needs his rest and I need to talk to him in private.”
