“YOU CAN PROPOSE THE SAME THEORY ONE HUNDREDtimes more, but our answer will still be the same,” Wigg said to Tristan. “You idea is sound, I’ll grant you that. But we just can’t find a way to make it work.”
All of the Conclave members sat around a table in the stern meeting room of theTammerland. They had been discussing the taking of the Recluse for the last two hours. They all agreed that Tristan’s idea had promise. But as Wigg said, it seemed impossible to carry out.
Tristan understood that the gravest threat to an attack on the Recluse were the new creatures at Serena’s command, and their unusual ability to camouflage themselves. Traax had agreed. But he had also suggested that unless the beings’ numbers were overwhelming, they might be conquered if only they could be seen. Sadly, an examination of the dead creature Traax brought back to the ship had revealed little about its endowed workings.
Tristan’s idea was simple in concept. If Serena’s flying creatures could be covered with some form of substance, then they could be seen, allowing the Minions and highlanders to attack them on equal terms. The prince had hoped that his mystics could somehow provide a way to do that. But after two hours, they were still searching for an answer.
Worse, even if they could overcome Serena’s servants and get close to the Recluse, they still had to find a way in. Soaring over the walls was probably the only option. But Serena’s consuls would without doubt be stationed atop those walls and would use the craft against them-probably in the form of azure bolts. If any of the mystics empowering the ships were killed, then his or her vessel would crash, and perhaps never rise again.
Faegan placed his hands flat atop the table, thinking. “The first problem with Tristan’s idea is securing enough of some substance to cover all of Serena’s flying beasts,” he said. “And that is further complicated by the fact that we have no real idea how many of them exist. Those that killed the warriors this morning might have been only a smattering of the total number. Worse, getting the stuff close to the Recluse would be impossible without being attacked again. And even then the substance would have to be somehow spread out in a huge, high pattern, because we cannot see the enemy. We could hope that they might fly through it and thereby reveal their forms, but that is highly doubtful. There are simply too many variables that remain unaccounted for.”
Tristan watched Shailiha picked up her wineglass and thoughtfully roll it between her palms. He knew that look-he had seen it all of his life.
“What is it?” he asked. “Do you have an idea?”
“Perhaps,” she answered. She looked at Faegan. “You say that you would need a great deal of some liquid substance to make Tristan’s idea work,” she mused. “Are you saying that you four could never conjure that much-even if the acolytes helped?”
“It’s highly doubtful,” Faegan answered. “And even if we did, Serena would see it as we tried to move it closer to the Recluse. Moving that much so far and so fast would probably be impossible in itself.”
Shailiha thought for a moment. “Would water work?” she asked. “By that I mean, could you use the craft to color it, and make it sticky, somehow?”
“I suppose,” Jessamay answered. “But why do you ask?”
“Because the lake surrounding the Recluse is full of it,” she answered. Realizing that she had seized on something, the princess leaned forward over the table. “If you could add color to it and change its composition, could you four lift it into the air and cause it to spread out?” she asked.
Aeolus’ eyes narrowed. “Perhaps,” he said, rubbing his chin, “if each of us tried to lift only his or her share. But even then it would be a monumental undertaking.”
Shailiha looked at Abbey. “Can you come up with a concoction that would spread quietly if placed into the lake water and would then change its color and consistency only when you ordered it to? And then could you somehow make it explode on command?”
“Perhaps,” Abbey said. “But I would need Faegan’s help. I have most of my herbs and oils aboard. Provided we can come up with a basic formula, your other requirements could then be incorporated with various spells.”
“Good,” Shailiha said. “Then this is what I propose…”
As the princess outlined her plan, Tristan smiled. It was truly ingenious. But even if it allowed his forces to overcome Serena’s flying creatures and the shrews were also dealt with, that still didn’t grant them entry to the Recluse. The fortress walls were several meters thick, and probably impervious to azure bolts. And despite the Recluse’s size, its outer ward wasn’t large enough to accommodate landing even one of the ships behind the fortress walls. Then there remained the problem of Serena’s consuls.
While he glumly thought about the Recluse’s seeming invulnerability, a curious thought struck him. As the idea took shape, he turned it over in his mind. After Shailiha finished explaining her idea, Tristan looked at Wigg.
“Tell me,” he said, “can you, Aeolus, Faegan, and Jessamay empower the Black Ships if you areinside of them?”
Wigg rubbed his chin. “I don’t think it has been tried, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work,” he answered. “Because we needed to see where we were going, we always chose to empower them from abovedecks.”
“And could you use the craft to temporarily provide certain parts of the ships with extra fortification?” Tristan asked.
“I suppose so,” Wigg answered. “But what are you suggesting?”
Tristan started to explain his plan. The more he described it, the more he realized how well it might follow Shailiha’s idea. The strategies would need split-second timing, but they just might work. When he finished speaking he sat back in his chair. To his relief, everyone approved.
One hour later they had a fully formed attack plan, and the Conclave mystics went to work.