“What should we do while you are in the meeting chamber?” asked Botal.
“Roam around the palace,” suggested Lord Marak. “Keep your ears open at all times. Perhaps we can pick up some tidbits that will prove useful. Have your men mix with the soldiers of other clans as much as possible. Latril, there are many staff members for the other lords that will not be in the meeting chamber. Find out where they congregate and listen in on their conversations. I want to gather as much information on the other clans as possible. This opportunity does not come often.”
Latril nodded and Lord Marak left the quarters of the Torak clan. The Assembly of Lords was not due to start for an hour, but he wanted to be among the first to arrive. He strode down the long corridor and turned into the foyer. There were more than a few Imperial soldiers stationed in the foyer, but no other lords were visible. He opened the door to the Assembly Chamber and walked in.
The room was empty and Lord Marak stood for a moment as his eyes swept over the room. A feeling of apprehension washed over Lord Marak as he realized where he was. The Assembly of Lords was a gathering of the heads of all Khadoran clans. Only the Lords’ Council and the Emperor stood above the group that would soon file into this grand room.
He walked over to the chair that Chard and pointed to the previous day. As promised, Lord Marak’s name was engraved upon the chair. He sat down and examined the desk and small table. Writing instruments were on the desk as well as a candle. The small table held a glass and a pitcher of water.
Lord Marak sat in silence as he tried to gather his thoughts. He had managed to pick up enough information to understand how the meeting would be run, but he still pondered nervously the type of reception his words were likely to bring. The attitudes of the lords were as diverse as their clan colors. Lord Marak realized that he would find a few lords who might be receptive to freeing their slaves, as Lord Chandra had been the night before, but many more would find the thought repugnant and dangerous. While he never heard of a lord being attacked in the Imperial Palace, he was thankful for the large group of Imperial soldiers outside the room.
As the time for the meeting approached, lords began entering the chamber through the multitude of red doors. Lord Mark wove an air tunnel and sat in the back of the room directing the tunnel towards various groups of lords as they entered and greeted one another. To anyone gazing at him, he appeared to be lost in thought, but Lord Marak was rapidly identifying which lords might prove to be enemies and those who could become friendly with the proper persuasion.
“Good morning, Lord Marak,” Lord Shamino said as he took his place next to Lord Marak. “You are here early.”
“I wouldn’t want to miss anything,” Lord Marak smiled. “How are the other lords accepting you as the new lord of the Sorgan clan?”
“Mostly with disinterest,” shrugged Lord Shamino. “I do not think that Lord Quavry had many friends. Some lords who did know him pressed for details of his death.”
“What did you tell them?” asked Lord Marak.
“The truth,” grinned Lord Shamino. “I said that he died during the night in his chambers.”
“You have the qualities of a lord of Khadora,” chuckled Lord Marak. “Who was most interested in his death?”
“There were several,” replied the Sorgan lord. “The most persistent was Lord Patel of the Nordon clan. He is a member of the Lords’ Council.”
“Interesting,” mused Lord Marak. “Which one is he?
“Front row,” answered Lord Shamino. “His clan colors are green and white.”
“I see him,” Lord Marak said softly as he adjusted the air tunnel to listen to the conversation Lord Patel was having.
“Lord Marak,” greeted Lord Sevrin as he entered the Assembly Chamber. “What are you doing sitting here in the back?”
“It is my assigned seat,” replied Lord Marak. “Why do you find that strange?”
“The rear is usually for those lords who only have a single estate,” frowned the Ragatha lord. “You are more powerful than that.”
“Powerful?” questioned Lord Shamino.
“Certainly,” nodded Lord Sevrin. “Seating in the Assembly of Lords is not accidental. There is scheme to it. The most powerful occupy the front row where everyone can see them. The members of the Lords’ Council are always up front. As you move further back in the room, the clans become less powerful. At the very rear are those lords who only have a single estate. There has been a grievous mistake made here. You deserve to be moved forward quite a bit. Your holdings are on a par with mine. I shall speak to someone about this.”
“No,” Lord Marak declared. “Perhaps it is better that I am out of sight of everyone. I actually prefer to be seated back here. Let those who need the limelight to reaffirm their importance sit up front. I am quite content here.”
“Very well,” frowned Lord Sevrin, “but the other lords would pay more heed to your words if you sat further forward.”
Lord Sevrin departed and took his seat a third of the way forward. Lord Marak had just returned his attention to his air tunnel when he was again interrupted.
“So you are Lord Marak,” greeted the Morgar lord. “I am Lord Saycher. I am your neighbor at your Raven’s Point estate.”
“Greetings, Lord Saycher,” Lord Marak said. “I apologize for not coming out and visiting you since we took control at Raven’s Point. It has been on my agenda, but time seems to slip by so quickly.”
“No apology is needed,” smiled Lord Saycher. “I have had perennial problems with the Situ when they controlled Raven’s Point. The Toraks appear to be a much better neighbor. Your lord at Raven’s Point has been over several times, and I have visited Raven’s Point several times. I found your people to be most cordial and willing to discuss things. It is refreshing after dealing with Lord Ridak.”
“I am very pleased to hear that,” smiled Lord Marak. “I, too, found Lord Ridak rather hard to deal with.”
“No doubt you did,” laughed lord Saycher. “The one thing that I have not been able to pry out of your people is how you came into possession of Raven’s Point. Nobody seems to want to discuss it.”
“There is little to discuss,” shrugged Lord Marak. “I defeated Lord Ridak in battle. Raven’s Point was part of my spoils.”
“Yet you let the Situ hold onto some of their other estates,” mused Lord Saycher. “Why?”
“I had no desire to eradicate the Situ clan,” replied Lord Marak. “They have a rich heritage as do most of the clans of Khadora. I think it is important to maintain that heritage.”
“You have odd notions for a lord,” Lord Saycher said. “Still you did take Raven’s Point from them.”
“I had a use for Raven’s Point,” smiled Lord Marak. “I am sure that you have seen my ships off the coast. Fardale is certainly not suited to sailing.”
“Hardly,” nodded the Morgar lord. “I have indeed seen your ships, and they puzzle me. They are rather large ships. It hardly makes sense to ship cargo by water in Khadora. The roads are quite adequate. What do you do with your ships? Surely they are not fishing vessels?”
“I do have fishing vessels at Raven’s Point,” answered Lord Marak, “but I also have larger ships for moving cargo. As for the roads being adequate, I have lost three caravans recently on the roads of Khadora. That alone reinforces my desire to have ships to move my goods.”
“Ah,” nodded Lord Saycher. “I had not heard of your losses. I should think your troops could stop others from stealing your goods.”
“The attacks were not meant to be thefts,” retorted Lord Marak. “The caravans were destroyed, and the traces of the attacks removed. You see, Lord Saycher, I am at war. The problem is, I do not know the name of my enemy.”
“Not thefts?” echoed Lord Saycher. “That is dastardly and cowardly. Such warfare is unheard of in Khadora. I have a very good relationship with Lord Quilo of the Organila clan. He is a member of the Lords’ Council. I will speak to him about this matter.”
“I appreciate that,” Lord Marak smiled thinly, “but I feel that this is something that I must address myself. I cannot impose on the Lords’ Council every time I have a problem.”
“This is not just a problem, Lord Marak,” frowned Lord Saycher. “You must be well aware that there are many lords in Khadora that would wish you dead. I must say that your ideas are radical, and I implore you to reevaluate them, but some of them hold promise. I do not mean the slavery issue of course, but opening up negotiations with your neighbors rather than going to war is something that is long overdue in Khadora. Besides, if some other clan defeats the Toraks, I am apt to have another new neighbor at Raven’s Point, and I am quite happy with the one I have now.”
“I am pleased to hear your words, Lord Saycher,” smiled Lord Marak. “If I cannot come to a settlement with my enemy soon, I shall talk with you again about your friend on the Lords’ Council.”
“Very well,” Lord Saycher nodded. “I had better take my seat now. I think the meeting is about to begin.”
Throughout the large room, lords scurried to hurriedly take their seats. As soon as the room was orderly, horns rent the silence. A large door at the back of the stage opened and Imperial troops flowed onto the stage. The troops fanned out symmetrically and took up positions. A striking figure in white and gold followed the soldiers. He marched regally forward and stood at the edge of the stage. Lord Marak knew the entrance was merely for show, but he admired the effect it had on the assembled lords. The room was totally silent.
“Fellow Lords of Khadora,” the voice of the Emperor boomed naturally, “welcome to this Assembly of Lords. Once again I am happy to report that Khadora is in fine shape. Our borders are secure, our commerce is healthy, and our rivalries are subdued.”
A few lords chuckled over the Emperor’s words, but glares from the other lords soon silenced them.
“There are some new faces among us,” Emperor Bagora continued, “and for the first time in generations, a new clan in Khadora. I am sure that all have already heard of the Torak clan, but I urge all of you to welcome all of the new faces among us. This is a rare opportunity for the lords of Khadora to meet in peace and discuss issues of importance in safety. As always, a member of the Lords’ Council will direct this session of the Assembly of Lords. Lord Woton of Clan Neju will reside over this meeting.”
The Emperor held out his hand invitingly towards Lord Woton. The Neju lord rose from his chair and climbed the steps to the stage. As Lord Woton walked to the center of the stage, the Emperor retreated to a throne at the back of the stage.
Lord Woton began the session by announcing the changes in Khadora since the last assembly. Mostly he centered on improvements to roads, bridges, and waterways. He avoided bringing up details of clan warfare, but he did announce new holdings of clans. When he stated the holdings of the Torak clan, quite a few lords grumbled in surprise.
Lord Marak appreciated the speech by Lord Woton as it informed him of many things he had been unaware of. He had not thought about who maintained the main roads and the waterways. He also had not heard of the massive locust plagues until the night before when Lord Chandra mentioned it.
After Lord Woton completed his speech, he opened the floor to the lords. The format of debate was fairly loose. Any lord could get up and address the assembly, or he could pose a question to another lord. The lord in question could refuse to answer, but most chose to step up to the stage to deliver their answers. Everything was quite orderly. Several hours into the meeting, Lord Faliman rose and posed a question to Lord Marak.
“Lord Marak,” asked Lord Faliman, “prices in Khadora are rising at a furious rate. From what I have been able to determine, you started this horrendous trend. It is no secret that you have freed your slaves, but is that any reason to charge the rest of us more when we are in the middle of the worst plague in recent history?”
Lord Marak rose and made his way to the stage. He felt the eyes of all of the lords upon him as he climbed the steps and turned to face the assemblage. His eyes scanned the faces of the lords as he prepared to speak.
“Let me start by saying that the prices for my goods have nothing to do with the lack of slaves in the Torak clan,” he began. “Since I freed my slaves, the productivity of the Torak estates has risen dramatically. In fact, Fardale was in danger of being abandoned when I took it over. Now it produces more watula than ever before, and it is a finer grade of crop. Those of you who purchase regularly from Fardale know of what I speak. So, Lord Faliman, it is not the lack of slaves that are causing my price increases. Truthfully, we have experienced a great increase in demand for our products. That may well be a result of the locust plague for all I know.”
Lord Marak scanned the faces of the lords to see how his message was being received before he continued.
“I did not learn of the locust plague until last night when Lord Chandra informed me of the troubles on his estate,” Lord Marak continued. “I made an offer to Lord Chandra last night, and I am willing to make it to the rest of the lords here today. I firmly believe that the end of slavery is in the best interests of Khadora.”
Shouts and insults forced Lord Marak to pause. Many lords were on their feet with raised fists as they hollered at the stage. Lord Marak decided to patiently wait out the angry outburst, but the Emperor’s voice rang loudly through the room.
“I will have quiet in this chamber,” demanded the Emperor. “Whether or not you care for what the lord is saying, he must be allowed to say it. Those are the rules of this assembly. I am sure there will be ample time during these meeting days to hear from others with opposing viewpoints.”
The room fell silent again and the lords took their seats. Many faces still carried images of hatred and scorn, but Lord Marak continued.
“As I said,” he continued, “I truly believe that Khadora will be a better country without slavery. To further that end, I am announcing a twenty percent discount off all Torak goods to any clan that renounces slavery and frees their slaves. I also encourage all other clans who are without slaves to offer the same terms on their goods.”
The shouting started again, but it stopped suddenly when an Imperial soldier merely banged his pike upon the stage. Lord Marak turned to leave the stage when another lord stood and shouted a question.
“Before you leave the stage, Lord Marak, I have another question,” shouted the lord.
Lord Marak nodded and returned to face the audience.
“You make a statement that slaves should be freed,” the lord began, “but you do not say why. Even if you do see an increase in productivity, which I find ludicrous, you now have the added cost of paying for your labor. How does all of this benefit Khadora?”
“We are all familiar with the problem of getting an animal to do what we want instead of what it wants,” replied Lord Marak. “It often takes more energy to move a stubborn mule than it does to do the work of the mule. It is not a matter of just telling the slaves that they are free and that we will now pay them for their labors. It is the total change in their attitude. These people are so thrilled to be free that they will break their backs to do their best for you. That enthusiasm is also contagious. You will find that your free laborers will also work harder after you have freed your slaves. Several of the estates in the frontier area where I live have freed their slaves. Each and every one of them has shown a marked increase in productivity. How can the lords of Khadora ignore this evidence of what I am saying? If you doubt my words, try it on one of your estates. Buying back slaves will be easy for you to do. In fact, you will probably be able to buy them back cheaper as other lords will be getting rid of theirs.”
“That still doesn’t address the part about this being good for Khadora,” the lord pressed.
“You are right,” nodded Lord Marak. “I am not sure how to address this, but Khadora needs to unify. We cannot unite as a people when some of us own the rest of us. We heard the glowing report today about the safety of our borders. That speech will be inappropriate soon. Within our lifetimes Khadora will be engaged in a fight for our very survival. If we continue to bicker amongst ourselves, we will be defeated. I do not want to see that happen.”
“How do you know this?” asked the lord. “Who is going to attack us?”
“I cannot answer those questions at this time,” replied Lord Marak as he turned and left the stage.
The audience erupted in conversations again and Lord Woton sighed. He banged a pike on the floor of the stage to get everyone’s attention.
“It is time for the midday meal,” he announced. “We shall meet back here in an hour.”
Lord Marak continued walking beyond his desk and out the door of the Assembly Chamber. He hurried to the Torak quarters and slid into the room.
“How did it go?” asked Latril.
“I am not sure,” answered Lord Marak. “I think I handled the pricing and slavery issues fairly well, but the questions turned towards the invasion. That is a topic I am not prepared to discuss just yet. The meeting broke for the midday meal, but I am not anxious right now to be in the presence of other lords. I would prefer that they discuss my thoughts among themselves before hounding me. It will give me time to prepare for them.”
“Shall we go visit the garden then?” asked Latril. “It might be a good opportunity to find out what is happening at Fardale.”
“An excellent idea,” nodded Lord Marak.
“Make sure the door is locked this time,” urged Latril as she stepped out of the suite. “We don’t want anything else to turn up missing.”
“I am quite sure it was locked yesterday,” frowned Lord Marak. “Why someone would enter and steal one of my Sakovan stars is beyond me. Let’s get to the garden before some lord corners me with questions that I would rather not answer.”
Lord Marak and Latril made their way out the back of the palace and into the Imperial Gardens. The gardens were lush and well cared for. Paths wound their way through tall hedges. Flowers beds dotted the landscape and benches were set under tall shade trees. It was a beautiful and peaceful place.
Latril wove an air tunnel to Fardale as she sat next to Lord Marak on one of the benches. When she made the connection there was a short pause while someone summoned Lord Marshal Yenga.
“Are you safe?” asked the Lord Marshal.
“I am,” answered Lord Marak. “I may be stirring up a hornet’s nest here, but I do not feel in danger yet.”
“Well you are,” replied Yenga. “Our troops successfully turned the tables on the ambushers. Your enemy is Lord Patel of the Nordon clan, and he is a member of the Lords’ Council.”
“Do we have a prisoner who will talk?” questioned Lord Marak.
“We have two,” Yenga responded, “but there is more. When our troops were cleaning up and interrogating the prisoners, they were interrupted by a mediator from the Lords’ Council. It was Katzu, the one who came to Watula Valley over the Sorgan conflict.”
“I remember him,” responded Lord Marak. “So is this knowledge public now?”
“No,” Yenga replied with a suppressed chuckle. “Katzu is a witness and has promised not to divulge the information until he hears from you. I think that might help you in negotiations with the Lords’ Council.”
“There may not be negotiations,” frowned Lord Marak. “What estate did the ambushers come from?”
“They are from the main estate of the Nordon clan,” answered the Lord Marshal, “but they used a small Nordon estate to launch the attack. It is located near Deep Bend.”
“What is the size of the Nordon forces posted there?” inquired the Torak lord.
“Around two cortes,” answered Yenga. “It is a minor Nordon estate. It is primarily an apple orchard although they do grow some other crops. Lord Patel does not bother with large detachments at his smaller estates. Common thinking is nobody would be fool enough to attack a member of the Lords’ Council.”
“Once again I believe we will shatter common thinking,” vowed Lord Marak.
“Think long and hard about this, Lord Marak,” warned Lord Marshal Yenga. “You will be inviting open warfare with a member of the Lords’ Council. His armies are large enough to crush all of your clans. You may temporarily hold one of his small estates, but he will crush you.”
“Have the two cortes that were sent with the caravan regroup near Deep Bend,” ordered Lord Marak. “They are to stay out of sight and keep in contact with you. Their mage is to speak to you twice daily. Is that understood?”
“It is,” Lord Marshal Yenga replied with worry in his voice. “There is more. Fisher reported that several eastern estates are flush with Jiadin warriors. He spotted at least three estates overflowing with Jiadin. He estimates around five thousand per estate. Is there a chance that someone is trying to continue Grulak’s plan?”
“I don’t know,” Lord Marak replied as he heard footsteps approaching. “Try to find out.”
Lord Marak signaled Latril, and she changed the pressure in the air tunnel so that Lord Marshal Yenga could still hear, but his voice would not come through. She didn’t want him to be concerned with an abrupt ending to the conversation.
“Lord Marak,” greeted the Imperial soldier. “I have been sent to notify you that Emperor Bagora would like to see you. You can go up the staircase nearest the entrance to the palace when you get back inside. At the top of the staircase, turn to the left. Do you require an escort?”
“No,” Lord Marak shook his head as he stood. “Your directions should be good enough. Latril, return to our quarters, and I will return there shortly.”
Even though he had not requested an escort, the Imperial soldier accompanied Lord Marak as far as the back entrance to the palace. When Lord Marak went up the stairs, the Imperial soldier went down, presumably to get some food.
Lord Marak wondered what the Emperor would say to him when he arrived. The small amount of talking the Emperor had done during the morning session had revealed little about the man. The Torak lord was quite curious.
As Lord Marak reached the top of the staircase, he heard voices in the distance. He turned to his left and walked along a broad corridor with a number of doorways opening off of it. Lord Marak could see two Imperial soldiers standing halfway down the corridor. They appeared to be standing guard outside a doorway and Lord Marak assumed that is where the Emperor would be found. He strode purposely towards the guards.
Before Lord Marak reached the doorway, Emperor Bagora and Lord Woton stepped out of the room as if they were on their way to a meeting. They were talking to each other in a friendly and jovial manner. Lord Marak frowned at being asked to a meeting and then abandoned. He shook his head in confusion as he gazed at the floor.
Suddenly, the air sang with the twirling of a star. Lord Marak’s head snapped up in time to see the projectile sink into the neck of Lord Woton. Lord Woton screamed briefly before he fell to the floor. Everything happened at once. One Imperial guard dove at the Emperor, knocking his body back out of the corridor and into the room he had been leaving. Lord Marak spun around in search of the assassin, while the second Imperial guard ran and tackled Lord Marak.
Lord Marak wondered what was going on as running footsteps pounded from every direction.
“I’ve caught him,” shouted the Imperial guard. “Get help immediately.”