Wellspring of Chaos

LXXXIII

For the next day and a half, Kharl and Tarkyn worked on minor repairs to the exterior of the paddle wheel frames. The repairs were not immediately necessary, but there was little point in postponing them, since the damage would only increase over time, especially in winter. They also put another coat of finish on the new weapons locker, taking advantage of the warmer weather in Dykaru.

After completing the locker’s finish work in the late afternoon, Kharl had taken a break and stood on the aft part of the poop, looking to the northwest, out across the harbor and the white walls and tile roofs of the town. Well beyond the keep of Lord Ghrant, he could sense something in the distance. He guessed that if he could have seen farther, he would have seen or sensed a white mist, the kind that surrounded a chaos-wizard-or wizards.

“You feel something?”

Kharl turned to see Hagen standing by the wheel platform.

The carpenter shrugged. “I’m not certain, but I think there’s a white wizard coming toward Dykaru from the northwest. There’ll be more than one, but I don’t know how many.”

“If so, I can’t say I’m surprised,” Hagen replied. “Ghrant’s arms-commander-and most of the regular officers-thought that Ilteron would take Valmurl first. That never made sense to me.”

“Why not?” asked Kharl, in spite of himself. “He’d gain control of the capital and the largest port in Austra.”

“Ilteron’s strength is in the west, and he’s not that well loved in the east. Why fight over a city that Ghrant’s abandoned? All he would do would be to damage what he hopes to gain. If he defeats Ghrant, Valmurl will be that much easier to take. In fact, most would accept his rule as necessary, if not exactly welcome.”

“Even if they don’t care for him?”

“The alternative would be worse. If Ilteron defeats Ghrant, he will either kill him and his family or drive them from Austra. He will try for the first. It makes matters much easier.” Hagen’s tone turned dryly ironic. “Once that happens, what can the landholders do? Support someone else and prolong the war and destruction? Even if someone managed to kill Ilteron, and if one of Ghrant’s sons survived, or Ilteron’s, at best, Austra would be looking at a long regency, at worst another ambitious lord trying to seize power from underage and untried heirs. And that would make it far easier for the Emperor of Hamor.”

“If I happened to be Ilteron,” Kharl suggested, “I’d be looking behind me as well as before. That’d be more true if I won.”

“You’re even more suspicious than I am, mage.”

“As suspicious, perhaps. Not more. You must have considered that long ago.”

Hagen laughed.

“How long will we stay in Dykaru? Until the outcome is certain-one way or the other?”

“Unhappily.”

Kharl understood that. “Is there any way you can help Lord Ghrant?”

“At the moment, I know of nothing else to be done. I have no armsmen, only a handful of unarmed vessels. We’ll have to see what opportunities arise.”

If any do, thought Kharl bleakly.