'Of course. They're not stupid. They don't understand how much they're disliked, though.'
'Uhm?'
'They're too powerful. But they're powerful only because the situation here is repeated in every city in Firaldia. There's no unifying national nobility. There's just the Church. And the Empire meddling from outside. In Brothe there are five families dancing the power dance, with the Patriarchy itself the big prize. Without the Brotherhood of War behind him, particularly the Special Office, Sublime never would've gotten elected. He's beholden to them. His aggressive policies are their policies. I've kept telling al-Qarn. But al-Qarn won't listen.'
'Gordimer is a great warrior. But as a ruler and planner he has shortcomings. Unfortunately, if Dreanger's fortunes were left to Kaif Karim Kaseem al-Bakr, we'd all do nothing but say prayers while crusaders harvest us like hay. You know Sonsa. How long before the novelty wears off?'
'Most people will forget by tomorrow night. The rest will give up before the weekend. Unless the Brothers offer a big reward. That would bring the sharks out.”
'So I'll just wait them out. Do they have sheep here? Or cattle? Or anything that isn't a pig? I ate salt pork all the way from Runch. Despite an indulgence from the kaif, I feel unclean.'
Stewpo was no fool. 'You think I'm an idiot, Sha-lug? You want to test my loyalty by studying my diet? You've been here twenty-some hours. You're not on a Brotherhood rack yet. In addition, you need to know that you've been badly misled. The Founding Family of al-Prama were self-deluded maniacs addicted to narcotics. But religion isn't the issue. Not for me. For me, it's what the crusaders have done to Suriet.'
Suriet was the Melhaic name for the region everyone else called the Holy Lands.
The early crusader armies plundered the temples and towns of non-Chaldareans. As well as those of those Chaldareans who failed to acknowledge the ascendancy of the Brothen Patriarchy. Those were the times when the Brotherhood made its name and wealth.
In olden times, before the Praman Conquest, the Wells of Ihrian belonged to the Eastern Empire, where a less virulent strain of the Chaldarean faith held sway. It was tolerant. Followers of other religions were not molested as long as they met their legal obligations to the Emperor. That did not change much after the Conquest except that several Chaldarean sub-cults became part of the minority mix.
When westerners arrived to liberate the holy wells they considered even their religious cousins as subhuman resources there to be squeezed for wealth.
Else said, “Trust is the first casualty of our trade. My apologies. Though I'd still love to get next to a leg of lamb.'
'I understand. I'm not entirely comfortable with you, either. Satisfy my curiosity. How did you survive an attack that shredded your companions?'
Else chuckled. 'Now who's testing who?'
Stewpo shared a mutton roast with Else. Afterward, he sipped a dark wine from the coastal vineyards. 'Another interesting day.' His ticks were less prominent tonight.
“Tell me. Anything. They didn't do well when they taught me patience.'
'I found a source of Ambonypsgan beans.'
'Excellent. I assume they reach Sonsa by the same routes and hands that bring the cotton across.'
Ambonypsga was a black highland kingdom south and east of Dreanger, the former separated from the latter by an inhospitable stony waste. Ambonypsga was strongly proto-Arianist Chaldarean with a minor admixture of pagan and Devedian tribes. Ambonypsga produced the finest coffee beans grown.
Else raised his left hand. 'In answer to your question the other night, I'm alive because I wear an amulet that shields me from sorcery and the things of the night. You can't see it. But you can see some burns. It got hot when it turned that killing spell.'
'I see. I do wish you'd try this wine. It's a fine vintage.'
Else shook his head.
A bell tinkled softly. The dwarf jumped. He muttered, 'At this time of night? There aren't any more of you coming over, are there?'
'Not that I know of.'
The bell continued to demand a response.
'Go.' Else presumed there was no danger. The people looking for him would not ring bells, they would kick down doors.
Stewpo returned looking worried.He was all fidget and tick, now.
'What is it?' Else asked.
'There have been developments. They found your friend who fled before the attack. They think they know who they're looking for, now, too. Someone named Sir Aelford daSkees. Because he's the only passenger off Vivia Infanti who hasn't been accounted for. Because you named names before you didn't kill that Brother on the ship.'
'The kid can't help it. He was born stupid.'
'There's more. It's more interesting.'
'I'm listening.'
'Vivia Infanti's master complained publicly about the bad behavior and murderous intentions of the Special Office wizard he was forced to bring over from Runch. Here's an interesting piece of trivia. Your captain is the brother of Don Aleano Durandanti.'
'Who would be a big name in that family. Right?'
'The top dog. And the way the Brotherhood started acting after this sorcerer showed up has everybody pissed off at them.' The dwarf rocked double time. 'Even the Fermi are grumbling.'
'What happened?' Else scarcely noticed Stewpo's ticks, now.
'The Durandanti foreclosed on the Brotherhood barracks. The Brotherhood took a major loan against it a while back. And they weren't making payments.'
'You don't seem disheartened.'
'The Brotherhood of War are the worst predators in Suriet. Their order is built on stolen wealth and the sale of slaves.'
Most Deves outside the Holy Lands, these days, were the descendants of peoples who had been sold around the shores of the Mother Sea.
'I understand,' Else said.
'Can you keep information from those who sent you, Sha-lug?'
'I shouldn't. My reports are supposed to include anything al-Qarn might find interesting.'
'There are things that I'd rather al-Qarn didn't know. Not Gordimer, particularly. But the other one. The wizard.'
'Er-Rashal? Why?'
'He's a sorcerer. And we hear rumors about him. As a Devedian there are things I don't want him to know. If you feel obligated to report everything you observe, then I won't always be willing to help you.'
'I can fail to see those small matters that don't pose any threat to my family, my people, my country, or my God.' This one dwarf could not be a threat to Dreanger.
'Good. Very good. So I'll take a huge risk and assume that a Sha-lug's word is as precious as the Sha-lug want the world to believe.'
Else growled a soft imprecation. Hell. The dwarf was making fun. And the truth was, al-Prama saw nothing wrong with deceiving unbelievers.
'You need to remember that Gledius Stewpo is no Sha-lug. Gledius Stewpo is a Devedian patriot helping his people by assisting the enemies of their enemies.'
'I understand that.'
The Deves of the diaspora kept quiet but those who survived in the Holy Lands professed it publicly. They wanted all invaders evicted from Suriet. Their Suriet.
Their dogma ignored the historical truth that they had been invaders themselves, in their time.
“I want you clear on the point Before I show you what I'm considering showing you.'
The history of the Holy Lands was one of war and invasion again and again as one people after another tried
