Lord of the Silent Kingdom

Clever members of the Brotherhood of War had done that in the Holy Lands in the early crusades. Praman castles were no longer sited where that would be possible.

Titus Consent entered the room, which was on the second level in an old windmill. The mill had not worked in years. There was no obvious reason for it having been abandoned.

Hecht said, 'Something?'

'Several. All hitting at once.'

'And?'

'Smolens has done his job. Had a little problem with Immaculate's guards, though.'

'They didn't back down?'

'Not soon enough. Smolens got the bad end of the casualty equation.'

'I was afraid of that. But why were they still there if the Empress went over to Sublime?'

'I don't know. But Braunsknechts do take themselves seriously. Which could be a problem.'

'Meaning?'

'We've got one downstairs. He wants to see you.'

'Smolens took prisoners?'

'This one came from Plemenza. He doesn't know what happened in Viscesment. Yet.'

It would not be long before the news reached the ends of the Chaldarean world.

That world now knew that Patriarchal troops had occupied Sonsa. Already there were rumors that Sublime had attacked the city because of a deal he had made with Dateon or Aparion. Or possibly Peter of Navaya, whose Plataduran allies wanted the Sonsan holdings on Artecipea.

This Braunsknecht came from Plemenza? That meant from the Princess Helspeth.

This had to be handled carefully.

'This Braunsknecht say why he's here?'

'Because he wants to talk to you. He thinks you'll want to talk to him.'

'I don't get it.'

'He did say it has to do with the monster in the Jago Mountains.'

'Ah.' That was much less dangerous. 'There was something else?'

'Colonel Ghort is ready to leave Sonsa. The Three Families have sworn allegiance to Sublime. They've promised the use of their fleets come time for a new crusade into the Holy Lands, hoping that comes soon. They have sailors starving and ships rotting at the quayside while Platadura is taking control all over the western Mother Sea.'

Hecht nodded. The real message was that Pinkus had taken prisoners and had dug out all the information he could. 'That's good news. Anything else?'

'One more thing. Colonel Smolens says there were some weird people in Viscesment when he got there. They took off before he could catch them. Into the Connec. Just a creepy feeling, he says, but he wants you to stick close to your lifeguards.'

Hecht shivered. His bodyguards were all down below. He did not like having them so he tended to keep them at a distance. 'All right. Tell Madouc I need to see him, soon as you're done here.'

'Yes, sir. One more thing.'

'You said that already.'

'I almost forgot this.'

'Well?'

'Count Raymone may be more clever than we've credited.'

'What's he done now?'

'It's what it looks like he's ready to do. He's telling all the Connecten Devedians and Dainshaus that they should emigrate somewhere where Sublime and the Society are powerless.'

'Does that make sense? He'd deprive himself of his educated class.'

'It does if he thinks they're spying. Which they've been reluctant to do. The Society has won us no friends. It makes even more sense if he expects to lose his war. We won't have anyone to keep records. Or any records, either, probably.'

'Strategic thinking, not tactical. Interesting. So. Unless you have another one more thing, bring the Braunsknecht, then fill Madouc in on the warning from Smolens.'

Hecht met the Braunsknecht outside the mill. He frowned. 'I should know you, shouldn't I?'

'Algres Drear, sir. I commanded the company that took you prisoner when you were withdrawing from your previous Connecten adventure.'

'Ah. Yes. The Plemenzan captivity. I hope you didn't offend Bronte Doneto too much, back then. He's a member of the Collegium, now. And he's here with us. Again.'

Hecht studied Drear while he talked. The man was in his middle thirties, looking older. Gray speckled his beard and temples. His brown eyes were almost soullessly without motion. This was a hard man used to the hardships of the field. Who found himself in too comfortable circumstances in his current assignment. And who was not troubled in the least by the possibility of enduring the displeasure of a member of the Collegium.

Stupidity? Or ignorance?

Hecht said, 'You asked to see me. I'm giving you time. In deference to the family you serve. But I do have a war to get ready for. So what do you want?' He stifled any hope that Drear had brought some special message from Princess Helspeth.

'The Princess Apparent has a request. I don't know why she thinks you'd grant it. But it isn't my place to think.'

'Anything within reason. And politically feasible.'

'She wants to know how to kill a god.'

Not much could have been a bigger surprise. 'Kill a god?'

'An Instrumentality. A demon, if you will.'

'I don't understand.' How much had Ferris Renfrow told Princess Helspeth?

'You do. You killed the Gray Walker. At al-Khazen. Deliberately and methodically. The Princess needs the know how.'

'I'll bite. Why?'

Drear talked about the monster preying on travelers in the Jago Mountains.

'It's a giant bug?'

'Not many people have survived to describe it. The Grand Duke Omro va Still-Patter is the best known and most reliable. He managed to cut a claw off it. He kept the claw. He describes the monster as a huge praying mantis with a lot of extra legs.'

'I know the thing. It was at al-Khazen. If I understand right, it used to be a man. Now it's an insane Instrumentality. I didn't make the connection then but I think it was active just north of Alicea last year.'

'How do we kill it?'

He did not want to admit that he had an answer. He was not sure why. The secret was spreading, if slowly. But no one understood why it worked.

Captain Drear read him well. 'How do I reassure you?'

'I don't know. I'm not sure why I'm worried.'

'Is it because you don't know how?'

'It's easy. You didn't need to come to me. The Princess saw the Gray Walker destroyed.'

'Not strictly true, sir. Not strictly true.' Drear removed a doeskin wallet from inside his shirt. 'The Princess's personal appeal, sir.'

Hecht accepted the letter. He read. The contents underscored just how much the girl trusted this man. Otherwise, she would never have dared commit such thoughts to paper. 'She trusts you more than I could ever trust anyone. I suspect with reason, because your mission is to protect her. Why should I trust you, though?'

Drear understood him. 'True. I serve the Grail Empire. I can't make you trust me. Maybe you can explain why it's important to you not to let anyone know how to dispatch the Instrumentalities of the Night.'

'But…' Yes. Everyone did know. Iron and silver. The metals that had afforded some protection for thousands