Pramans.'
Else suspected that there was something missing from that explanation.
Consent added, 'But you can't conceal forever that which lashes out unpredictably. Nor that which has to eat, especially in these times.'
Drocker asked, 'What are these men doing here if this sorcerer is so powerful?'
Else got a glimmer of what was bothering Drocker. This could turn deadly in seconds.
Consent understood. 'These two can come and go because they're agents of the Mafti of al-Khazen. The Mafti believes they're gathering information from Devedian communities in Chaldarean Firaldia.' Beads of sweat stood out on the young man's brow.
'Ah,' Drocker said. 'I see.'
Drocker controlled his hatred, perhaps because Consent was so direct.
'I see,' the sorcerer said again. 'And how will you convince me that they're betraying their Mafti to us instead of betraying us to the Mafti?' Everyone understood that lives were at stake.
Titus Consent was little more than a boy but he found the right answer. 'It's a matter of racial interest, sir. A blind man — pardon…'
'Go ahead. I know about my eye.'
'In harsh times Devedians have to make themselves particularly valuable. It's obvious how this war will end. A Chaldarean triumph is coming. We will work to make that happen more quickly and easily in order to lessen the cost to our people.'
Drocker nodded. 'Good answer.' He started to say something else. A coughing spell took hold.
Drocker could not end it. 'Hecht!' he managed to gasp, the remnants of his face ferociously red. 'Deal with these people. Look sharp. Don't let them skin you. They'll be singing the same song in the courts of Calzir. And be ready to march.' He hacked all the while, and continued to cough after he left.
Gledius Stewpo emerged from the shadows. He was pale. He gasped for breath. He wanted to say something but Ghort was still there, not yet finished trying to be too small for a Special Office sorcerer to notice. Stewpo asked, 'Did anyone see any blood? He didn't spit in here, did he?'
'No,' Else replied. 'Why?'
'There's an ugly new disease that starts with coughing up blood. It came west along the Silk Road.'
'Sounded like pneumonia to me,' Ghort said.
'You were awful quiet,' Else observed.
'I didn't have anything to say.'
'That would be a first. You. Dwarf. Drocker got me wondering. Why should I believe that you won't lead me into a trap?'
Titus Consent stepped in. 'You heard. There's only one possible outcome for this war. The Emperor and Patriarch will win. Our plan has always been to save our people as much pain as we can. That means establishing ourselves as reliable members of the winning team.' He made sounds that electrified the Calziran Deves.
They produced maps. Not just one or two but maps by the score. Large-scale maps, small-scale maps, maps reeking intimate detail. Maps that told Else almost everything he wanted to know about the terrain the city regiment had to cross and what it would find as it approached al-Khazen.
'You happy, Pipe?' Ghort asked, surfacing a couple hours later.
'I'm ecstatic. It's my wedding night. Dwarf, this is pure gold. Sorry the paranoia got hold of me, there. Pinkus, we need to get the whole staff onto these. Titus. I understand you have a marching plan for the road south.'
'There's a logistical skeleton in place, Colonel. Our circumstances make it hard to do detailed planning.'
'That's fine. A skeleton is all we need.'
Ghort said, 'A skeleton is more than we usually have. Pipe, this kid is fucking awesome. Just fucking awesome.'
'You're embarrassing him. And tomorrow he'll ask for more money.'
Stewpo interjected, 'You plan to stay up all night fiddling with this? Those of us who aren't well known need to get out of sight. Especially these two. There's no reason to believe there aren't other Calziran spies around.'
'Pinkus, make these guys disappear. And think up a way to explain them if anybody asks.'
'I'll keep track of who asks, too.'
'Good thinking. I'll be here making love to these maps.' What he wanted desperately, though, was to see if Polo had a bed ready.
Titus Consent stayed when Ghort spirited the other Deves away. 'I'm staff. Nobody will wonder about me.'
'You're awfully confident and competent for someone so young.'
'I'm a special case. They've trained me and brought me along since I was five.'
“To be some kind of messiah?'
'Nothing so pretentious. Just somebody who can take charge if Devedian fortunes flop into a cesspool. Which they do with distressing frequency.'
'I should make suspicious noises. But I'm too tired.' Else wanted no one guessing how abidingly suspicious he was already.
Consent observed, 'I'm sure Stewpo explained the fallacy underlying that concept.'
'He did?'
'He didn't tell you that Devedians are so ambitious, jealous, petty, and backbiting that the only Deve conspiracy with any hope of success can't involve more than two people?'
'That would mean that three of the five of you who were just in here will put the screws to the rest.'
'It's more a parable sort of thing.'
'It doesn't matter. I do believe your tribe will help me.'
'You have doubts.'
'Not doubts, exactly. I know what you're doing. And why. I can't condemn you for it. But now I wonder where you fit with the Emperor added to the mix. He's never shown much animosity toward your people. And he's a devoted enemy of Sublime. Who hasn't lost his hope of seeing your race exterminated.'
'That level of policy is beyond a pup like me. My job is to do what I can to make sure the regiment operates successfully.'
Pinkus Ghort returned. 'All taken care of, Pipe. What do you think? Scheme? Or surrender to the soldier's favorite whore and get some sleep?'
'The whore can wait I won't pass out for another hour. Why don't we separate the possible from the impossible and eliminate the wishful thinking of the fools who believe in their God-given right to tell us what to do. Maybe we can amaze the world.'
'You need to calm your ass down. Titus. Tell him. Three sorcerers at al-Khazen, Pipe. One of them a bigger bugfucker than the assholes who kicked the snot out of you in Brothe.'
'Captain Ghort puts it crudely, but he's right. Three Sorcerers. Worth consideration, Colonel.'
'You're right We have to take them into account They'll be waiting for us. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with that sort of thing. Do you, Pinkus?'
'Zip. I make a point of avoiding that kind of shit. Which ain't so hard 'cause it seems like it's mainly a Praman end of problem.'
Else noted a subtle shift in Consent's stance. Titus knew about Sonsa, then. What else had Stewpo passed along? Too many people knew too much about Else Tage. 'The Special Office is a Praman problem?'
Ghort snorted, 'Oh, hell yes! I bet you can't find a bigger carbuncle on Hellalawhosis's ass.'
'Maybe. But that isn't really the point. We need to figure out what to do about the ones at al-Khazen.'
'Not really.'
'What?'
'I just realized, we don't need to worry about shit, Pipe. On account of, Grade Drocker is gonna tell us what to do.”
Titus Consent said, 'A solid point Colonel. We won't be in charge.'
'Wrong. I'll…'
