Shel gasped as the two Imperial Guards caught Lyra’s falling body. They quickly dragged the Star of Sakova from the room, and Shel shook her head sadly.
“How did you recognize her?” asked Mayor Robit.
“She was wanted after the attack on the Academy of Magic,” replied General Papper. “A picture of her was distributed at that time. I would never forget her face.”
“I can’t believe that you memorize the pictures of all law-breakers,” scoffed the mayor.
“Of course not,” balked the general, “but this one was different. She managed to slip through our fingers in Gatong. I was severely reprimanded by General Didyk personally for that failure. When it was later learned that she was truly the Star of Sakova, I was forced to give up all of my dreams of ever commanding a major army. Perhaps her capture now will redeem me.”
“You are a fool,” spat Shel as she stared at the general with disgust. “Our people are starving and all you can think of is your personal career?”
“Don’t think I have forgotten who escorted the enemy into this room,” snapped the general as he whirled to face Shel. “It is strange to see the Star of Sakova escorted by a citizen of Gatong. Perhaps you are a Sakovan spy.”
“Nonsense,” the mayor blurted out. “Shel is a fine upstanding citizen of Gatong. I doubt that she even knew who the woman was.”
“Oh, I knew who she was,” asserted Shel. “She didn’t tell me at first, but I figured it out. She wanted to talk to the mayor about peace so I brought her here. I wish I had not.”
The general’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Shel. The mayor saw the coming confrontation and swiftly intervened.
“Wait outside, Shel,” ordered Mayor Robit. “I need to speak to the general in private. Do not leave this building. I have questions for you before you will be allowed to leave.”
“As do I,” snapped the general as Shel quietly exited the room.
The general closed the door after Shel left. He returned to stand in front of the mayor’s desk.
“Allowing such attitudes in the citizenry is not healthy,” the general warned Mayor Robit.
“Shel is known to just about every citizen in Gatong,” shrugged the mayor. “She is often outspoken, but she is easily mollified. To stifle her speech would be to invite trouble. Forget about her. What do you plan to do with the Star of Sakova?”
“I am not sure,” answered the general. “She is a prize indeed, but I must be careful. My first instinct is to transport her to Okata and present her to the Katana personally, but there are potential pitfalls in that plan.”
“Pitfalls?” echoed the mayor. “What could possibly go wrong?”
“I want the credit for capturing her,” explained General Papper. “I need the recognition if I am to rejuvenate my career. If Didyk, or any of the other generals, learn that I am bringing her to the Katana, I suspect that they would seize her and claim the credit themselves.”
“What other options are there?” asked Mayor Robit. “I doubt that you could entice the Katana to come to Gatong during a state of war.”
“That would never happen,” agreed the general. “I could execute her here in Gatong and deliver the body to the Katana. That way her capture and execution would be a matter of public record. Didyk would have no chance of stealing the limelight.”
“That would work,” frowned the mayor, “but I sense that you are not entirely happy with that choice. What are the negatives?”
“She is the leader of the Sakovans,” declared the general. “As a military man I know that her mind holds a wealth of strategic information that could potentially shorten the war. She must be interrogated.”
“So you question her before you execute her,” shrugged Mayor Robit. “I do not see the problem.”
“I could attempt to get the knowledge out of her,” conceded the general, “but they have more persuasive ways of extracting information in Okata. They can use magic to force her to divulge everything. I do not quite understand the methods that they use, but they are extremely effective. This is something that I must dwell upon. The wrong step at this point will ruin my career, but the right move may well vault me onto the Katana’s Council. I will be in my office. Do not disturb me unless the matter is crucial.”
“Inform me of your decision before you do anything,” replied the mayor. “My help in this matter may improve your position.”
General Papper nodded and strode out of the room. He left the door open and Shel peeked her head into the doorway.
“Come in, Shel,” waved the mayor. “I will keep this brief.”
Shel shuffled into the room and stood nervously before the mayor’s desk. She had seen the look on the general’s face as he left, and she did not care for it. She was apprehensive about the forthcoming questions from the mayor.
“You came close to being imprisoned,” declared the mayor. “General Papper is not one to toy with. I would advise you not to mention this episode to anyone. Is there anyone else in Gatong who knows that the Star of Sakova is in the city?”
Shel breathed a sigh of relief at the tone of the mayor’s voice. Even as she felt her apprehension diminishing, her anger began to surface.
“She came her in peace,” declared Shel. “You did not even let her talk before you attacked her.”
“I did nothing,” replied the mayor. “The general recognized her as the enemy and had her arrested. I see no fault in his actions. Does anyone else know that she is in Gatong?”
“I don’t know,” admitted Shel. “I found her in the marketplace crying. I took her to my home to feed her, but it was not her hunger that was disturbing her. It was our hunger that made her cry.”
“I don’t care about her crying,” scowled the mayor. “I need to know if anyone else realizes that she is here.”
“There are others who know she is here,” answered Shel as she recalled the magical conversation Lyra had with the ship at sea. “I do not know of any other citizens of Gatong that know that she is here, but a ship will soon dock in the port. Someone on that ship knows where she is.”
“A ship?” frowned the mayor. “Is it coming to attack us? How do you know this?”
“It is not coming to attack us,” replied Shel. “It is coming to deliver food. It should be here soon.”
“Food?” echoed the mayor as he swiftly rose from his chair. “How much food?”
“Enough to feed the city for several days,” answered Shel.
The mayor raced around his desk and into the corridor. Shel raced after him. Mayor Robit ran through the entry foyer calling for soldiers to follow him. He dashed out the door of the building before Shel could catch up.
Shel moved as quickly as she could, but the mayor continually called for more troops as he ran towards the docks. A large contingent of Imperial Guards followed the mayor and Shel had to slow down as they pushed past her. By the time she reached the docks, she saw that a new ship was already tied up. The pier was crowded with Imperial Guards, and Mayor Robit stood alongside the ship. Shel pushed her way through the gathering crowd until she was close enough to hear what was going on.
Mayor Robit shouted for the captain of the ship to come forward. Shel watched as the captain left the helm and moved towards the mayor. The captain wore a black uniform with a silver lining and the image of sinuous sword on his large belt.
“I understand that you have food onboard,” declared the mayor. “I want to supervise the unloading so that riots do not break out.”
A woman who had been standing on the deck and scanning the faces in the crowd stepped close to the captain and whispered in his ear. The captain nodded.
“This shipment of food is consigned to an individual,” the captain stated warily as he searched the crowd for Lyra. “I must wait for her to arrive before the food can be unloaded. I am sure that the delay will be short.”
The mayor frowned and gazed at the standard flown from the mast. The black flag with a silver sinuous sword on it was unknown to him, but he understood that the captain was expecting to meet the Star of Sakova. The people on the quay were beginning to rejoice that a shipment of food had arrived, and Mayor Robit knew that any delay could well end with riots breaking out. He thought briefly of sending for General Papper, but quickly dismissed the thought. The crowd would not wait for long. He turned and whispered in the ear of the nearest Imperial Guard.
The mayor waited impatiently as the Imperial Guard spread the word. When he was sure that the soldiers were ready. He turned to face the captain again. He raised his right arm high over his head as he did so.
“I am Mayor Robit of Gatong,” declared the mayor as the Imperial Guards raised their bows and trained them on the crew. “I am exercising my authority to seize this ship. You and your crew will kindly leave the ship now. If you do not move quickly, you will be shot.”
Not a single member of the crew moved.
“Am I under arrest then?” snarled the captain. “Are we to be imprisoned for bringing food to this city?”
“You are all under arrest,” replied the mayor. “Evacuate the ship immediately or die.”
The captain gazed past the mayor at the Imperial Guards. Several dozen arrows were aimed at him and his crew. He slowly raised one hand, his fingers contorting in a signal to his crew. Slowly the crewmembers dropped whatever they were holding and began marching off the ship. The crowd on the quay instantly parted as Imperial Guards began escorting the crewmembers off the pier. The captain stood firm until all of the crew had left the ship. He waited until the mage had also left before glaring at the mayor.
“Mayor Robit,” the captain said with obvious disdain, “I trust that you understand what you are doing. By seizing this ship, you committing an act of war. I ask you to reconsider before I step ashore under these conditions.”
“War has already been declared,” retorted the mayor. “Leave the ship now or die. The choice is yours.”
The captain shook his head in disgust and stepped ashore. Imperial Guards swiftly led him through the crowd. The mayor shouted orders, and the remaining Imperial Guards formed a human corridor. Dozens of dockworkers streamed onto the ship and began unloading the food. The mayor strode off the dock with a smile on his face.
“Citizens of Gatong,” he shouted loudly when he reached the quay, “a shipment of food has arrived. There is enough for everyone so I will not stand for rioting. The ship will be unloaded before any food is distributed. Spread the word to others and then form a line at the marketplace. Everyone will get their share.”
The mayor strode jubilantly back to his office. Shel shook her head in disbelief while she listened to the comments of her fellow citizens. She debated with herself as to whether or not she should explain where the food had come from. She felt that the citizens had a right to know, but she was concerned with the mayor’s preoccupation with secrecy. She didn’t want to start a riot. She tried to put the decision off as she turned and walked towards the marketplace, but then she heard questions asked that made the decision for her.
“Where did the food come from?” shouted a citizen. “Did the Katana send it?”
“When will the next ship be arriving?” asked another citizen.
Shel suddenly stopped walking as she realized that no other ships would arrive now. She turned in a circle slowly and gazed at the happy faces of the citizens. A tear welled up in her eye as she realized the travesty of what Gatong’s leaders were doing to the people. She hurried to the marketplace and climbed up on one of the tables. The ship was still being unloaded so the Imperial Guards had not arrived yet. Shel gazed at the mob of people gathering for the food distribution and wondered what the result would be of her forthcoming speech. She did not want her friends and neighbors clashing with the Imperial Guards because the citizens would surely die, but neither did she want them to die of starvation. Either way the future of Gatong was bleak indeed.
“Get off the table, Shel,” shouted a man. “The food will arrive when it arrives. Watching for it will do no good.”
Shel turned and faced the man. She recognized him as an old friend and realized that he was toying with her. She smiled thinly at him and spoke loudly.
“I am not standing up here to watch for the food,” Shel declared. “I am up here so that more of my fellow citizens can hear me and see who is talking. I have some important information to tell you about this ship of food.”
The crowd instantly quieted down as they crowded around the table that Shel was standing on. She waited patiently for everyone to settle down.
“Earlier today I stumbled across a young woman in the marketplace,” Shel began. “She was crying so I took her home to feed her.”
“That sounds like you, Shel,” a citizen shouted. “You would give your last morsel to someone who hungers for it.”
“That’s not the point,” frowned Shel as she struggled with herself about what she should say. “This woman was not crying because she was hungry. In fact, she emptied her pack on my table and left her trail rations for me. This woman was crying because WE are hungry.”
“What does this have to do with the ship?” yelled a woman.
“The ship is hers,” explained Shel. “She ordered it into port to feed us.”
“Well bless her soul,” smiled a woman. “Where is this woman that we may thank her?”
“She is imprisoned,” Shel replied. “I took her to see the mayor, and General Papper arrested her.”
“That is outrageous,” scowled a man. “Why would he arrest her?”
“He arrested her because she is the Star of Sakova,” answered Shel. “He said that she is our enemy.”
“Enemy?” shouted a man. “No one who sends me food is my enemy. My little girls are wasting away because there is not enough food to eat. This woman deserves to be praised, not arrested.”
Shouts of agreement rippled through the audience. Shel chewed on her lower lip, as the crowd grew boisterous. She looked nervously around the marketplace and saw several Imperial Guards trying to push through the crowd. She knew now that she would surely be arrested.
“There is more,” Shel shouted hurriedly before the soldiers could reach her. “She said that more ships would be coming in the future, but I do not think that will be true after what our leaders have done. Not only have they arrested the Star of Sakova, but also seized her ship. They will not send more food now.”
Shel saw the mayor arrive in the marketplace. He quickly followed the Imperial Guards who were trying to part the crowd to reach the table that Shel was standing on.
“That is not her ship,” shouted a well-dressed merchant. “The Sakovans have no ships. They are landlocked.”
“Not any more,” replied Shel. “Lyra told me that all of eastern Omunga is now Sakovan. Zaramilden, Duran, and Alamar are now Sakovan cities.”
Gasps ripped through the crowd as the Imperial Guards finally reached the table. Two of them jumped up on the table and grabbed Shel while the mayor quickly followed. He raised his hands high over his head for silence, and the crowd instantly obeyed.
“Fellow citizens,” shouted Mayor Robit. “Do not listen to this nonsense. You shall disperse from this table and form an orderly line to receive the food. Those who disobey will be dealt with harshly.”
“We have a right to know what is going on,” shouted the merchant. “If you will not let Shel speak to us then you should.”
“Nothing is going on that concerns the citizens,” replied the mayor. “We have captured the Star of Sakova and seized her ship loaded with food. There is nothing else to say. Form a line or go home.”
“That was not a Sakovan ship that you seized,” retorted the merchant. “Have you no knowledge of banners?”
The mayor frowned at the merchant, who was well known and highly respected. He was not the type of citizen who could be easily dismissed.
“What do you mean?” asked Mayor Robit. “I was told that the Star of Sakova ordered that ship into port. If it is not hers, whose can it be?”
“That ship is Khadoran,” replied the merchant. “The banner belongs to the Torak clan which just happens to be led by Emperor Marak. I know because I journeyed to Khadora not long ago in search of food. The election of Lord Marak to Emperor was talked about everywhere.”
Mayor Robit’s speechless jaw dropped. His eyes opened wide as he stared at the merchant with confusion.
“I heard the captain of that ship declare that seizing it was an act of war,” shouted a citizen. “Are we going to be invaded by Khadorans now?”
The mayor ignored the question and focused on the merchant.
“You went to buy food from the Khadorans,” declared the mayor. “I remember hearing that they refused you. Is it possible that they changed their minds and sent food anyway?”
“Hardly likely,” replied the merchant. “Lord Sevrin was quite exact with his refusal. He stated that Emperor Marak had decreed that no food would be sold to Omungans as long as we were at war with the Sakovans. I find it most confusing that it is the emperor’s ship that has arrived here. It does not make sense that he would defy his own edict.”
Mayor Robit whirled to face Shel. He glared at her and shook his head.
“You said that ship was Sakovan,” accused the mayor. “How dare you deceive me?”
“I never said any such thing,” Shel replied tartly. “I said that the Star of Sakova ordered it into port to give the food to the citizens of Gatong. I never said it was a Sakovan ship. I never saw it before it docked.”
“Then how could you possibly know it was hers?” questioned the mayor.
“I heard her talking to the woman on the ship,” answered Shel. “She was using some kind of magic, but I overheard her plainly enough. She did it from my front door.”
“How could you possibly know if she was talking to someone on the ship?” interrogated the mayor. “She could have been just mumbling to herself. Perhaps she knew that this ship would arrive today and set us up to make a blunder.”
“Like seizing a Khadoran ship?” Shel shot back angrily. “I know she was talking to the ship because I heard the other woman answer her. I also heard the clanging of the rigging in the background and the sound of the sea. I know what I heard.”
The mayor stared hard at Shel for several moments before he lowered his eyes to the table. He closed his eyes as he tried to evaluate the position he was in. Finally, he realized that Gatong was in great trouble. He looked over the crowd and raised his arms high to get everyone’s attention.
“I will discuss this matter with General Papper,” the mayor declared. “When I fully understand what is happening, I will let everyone know. In the meantime, queue up for the food distribution. I expect everyone to be orderly. I will have no riots in Gatong.”
Mayor Robit faced Shel once again and waved a hand dismissively at the Imperial Guards holding her.
“I will not arrest you, Shel,” stated the mayor, “because I think you were only acting for the good of all citizens, but I warn you now. Do not stir this crowd into a frenzy. I will discover exactly how the Star of Sakova and this Khadoran ship are tied together, but I do not need discontent in Gatong while I am doing it. Do you understand?”
“I hear your words,” replied Shel. “I have not tried to incite a riot, but I felt the people need to know about the food. If we do not appease the Star of Sakova, there will be no more ships coming.”
“More ships?” asked the mayor. “Why would more ships be coming?”
“That is what she said,” shrugged Shel. “She said this was only the first ship and that more would come in the future.”
“That is hard to believe,” scowled the mayor. “It makes no sense to feed your enemy.”
“I don’t think she sees us as her enemy,” replied Shel. “I think she wanted to trade peace for food. That is what she wanted to talk to you about. It is why I brought her to your office. Remember those caravans earlier? Those were Sakovan, too. Many of us would have died without those caravans. I wonder why they stopped sending them?”
Mayor Robit gritted his teeth as he turned and jumped off the table. He knew why the caravans no longer arrived, but he dared not to speak of it. They stopped when the Imperial Guards started following them back into the Sakova. The enemy was smart enough to understand the risks of continuing the caravans, so why had the Star of Sakova decided to personally come to Gatong? Mayor Robit decided that he needed to have that question answered. He strode briskly towards the office of General Papper to get his answer.
Mayor Robit paused between the two Imperial Guards stationed outside the door to the office of the general. He did not bother to knock as he opened the door. He found the general sitting at his desk staring at a wall map of Omunga.
“Most people are polite enough to knock before entering,” scowled the general as he looked up at the mayor. “I heard you seized a ship in the harbor. I think you have just given me the perfect avenue to transport the Star of Sakova to Okata. I will have her there before Didyk or anyone else realizes what is happening.”
“You plan to sail to Okata in a Khadoran ship?” questioned the mayor as he sat in a chair before the general’s desk.
“Khadoran?” gasped the general. “Please tell me that you are playing a cruel joke on me.”
“I wish I was,” sighed the mayor. “I did not recognize the banner and neither did any of the Imperial Guards. We have problems, General.”
“We?” balked General Papper. “Do not try to connect me with your mistakes. My career is about to blossom. I will not associate myself with your foolishness.”
“You are involved deeper than you realize,” retorted the mayor. “The Khadoran ship belongs to Emperor Marak. He is the one who declared that no food would be sold to Omungans as long as we were at war with the Sakovans. Now how do you suppose that ship came to our fair city?”
“Perhaps he changed his mind?” shrugged the general. “The ship arriving is not a problem. Seizing it was. Whatever prompted you to do such a thing? We could have easily paid for the cargo.”
“The cargo was not for sale,” replied the mayor. “It was being delivered to an individual. That said individual is the Star of Sakova that you arrested. Are you beginning to see the picture yet?”
“No,” General Papper replied while shaking his head. “You are making no sense at all. Why would the Khadoran emperor send a ship loaded with food to the leader of the Sakovans and have it dock in an Omungan city? It makes no sense at all.”
“It does if you believe what Shel says,” answered the mayor. “She claims that the Star of Sakova came to my office to offer food for peace. She said that this ship was the first of many.”
“She can’t do that,” scowled the general. “Does she think that she can make peace with individual Omungan cities? She must be a fool.”
“Perhaps,” murmured the mayor, “but she claims to have gained the allegiance of three Omungan cities already. According to her, Zaramilden, Duran, and Alamar are now parts of the Sakova.”
“Inconceivable,” retorted the general.
“Is it?” questioned the mayor. “There was almost a riot in the marketplace a few minutes ago. The people found out where the food came from. You should have been there, General. I have no doubt whatsoever that the people of Gatong would gladly exchange their allegiance for food. They are starving. If the Sakovan army showed up here, our citizen would run out of this city to embrace them with open arms. I suspect that they will do the same when the Khadorans invade.”
“That is not going to happen,” vowed the general.
“The captain of the ship stated quite clearly that he considered the seizure to be an act of war,” the mayor pointed out. “We may try to look at it otherwise, but it takes only one side to declare a war.”
“That is not a problem,” the general smiled thinly. “I will arrange for the crew to be executed. When the ship is unloaded, I will have it taken out to sea and sunk. No one in Khadora will be the wiser. It will be as if the ship sunk at sea with all hands aboard. You worry too much.”
“You worry too little,” retorted the mayor. “The Sakovans and the Khadorans have a method of speaking over long distances. There was a mage onboard the ship. Shel overheard the Star of Sakova speaking to the mage before the ship was even in sight. She also heard the mage answer. I fear that Khadora may already know about the incident.”
“Mages?” murmured the general as his eyes lowered and he exhaled deeply. “Why didn’t I think about that? I remembered that she was from the Academy of Magic. I should have realized that she was a mage.”
The general suddenly became very agitated. He pushed his chair away from the desk and leaped to his feet.
“What is the matter?” Mayor Robit asked with concern. “Where are you going?”
“To the cells,” replied the general as he sped towards the door. “We have no mage cells in Gatong. If we have two mages imprisoned there, they will get free. We must not let them escape.”