Soton sat in his chair for another quarter candle trying to see the patterns in all that Anaxthenes had laid at his feet. His head felt as if it were in his helm and someone was banging on it with a battleaxe. These impious Inner Circle priests with their plots and counterplots…
There was a knock at the door.
Soton pulled out a pistol from his belt, checked the priming pan, and set the lock. He walked over to the wall on the other side of the door and flung it open, following it with his pistol.
The barrel was set level with the red design, Styphon's Great Wheel, upon Archpriest Roxthar's chest. "My apologies, Your Holiness"
"It is naught. These are trying times for gods and mortals. Please set your pistol aside, Grand Master Soton."
Archpriest Roxthar being diplomatic; had the stars fallen from the sky? It took a moment before Roxthar's request registered full upon his mind and he lowered his pistol.
"Come in, Your Holiness."
"No need for titles, this white robe is enough. Call me Roxthar."
They both sat down and Soton tried to hide the tremble in his hands while he waited for the Archpriest to speak. His talents lay on the battlefield, not in Temple machinations.
"You know why I'm here?"
"I assume that a certain Archpriest has more than one master."
Roxthar's smile was a heart-stopping sight; Soton decided he'd rather shoot his way out of Balph than face an Investigation. Now he knew the walls did have ears.
"My Holy Investigators and I were in the next room listening to your conversation with the First Speaker."
For a moment Soton wondered if Roxthar did have diabolical powers and could read his mind. No. He just had a better intelligence system than Anaxthenes-surely this demonstrated the First Speaker's star was in decline. How many times during an interrogation had he played the same sorts of tricks upon Sastragathi headmen.
"I was not displeased with your handling of the First Speaker. He is losing his grip upon the reins of power, and for the moment his wits as well. But this will pass, Styphon's Will Be Done. He has uncommon sight and soon his vision will clear again; Styphon's House still has need for men of his talents for the battles to come-against the Daemon Kalvan, the vipers in our own nest and the damnable spawn of the False God of Dralm."
For the first time since Roxthar had entered the room Soton felt his pulse return to a beat approaching normal. It appeared he had his place in Roxthar's schemes as well as Anaxthenes. So be it. As long as they left the Knights in his command and did not interfere with his orders, he would leave them to their Temple plots and ambitions.
"There is much work to be done," Roxthar continued, "and Styphon will need his sharpest tools to separate the wheat from its chaff. You and your Knights are one of Styphon's finest blades and we cannot allow your purpose to be dulled. Do you derive my meaning?"
"Yes, you don't want the Knights involved in Temple affairs."
Roxthar grinned, reminding Soton of one of the alligators he'd seen while doing a tour of the forts in the Great Peninsula a few winters back.
"It is a pleasure, unfortunately, all too rare in the Holy City, to parry words with a man of intelligence. Yes, that is exactly what I wish." Roxthar pulled a parchment out of his robe with a flourish. "You might want to look at this."
It was a long list of names of prominent Zarthani Knights, including most of the Commanders and Knight Commanders. His trusted friend and aide's name, Aristocles, topped the list. "What is this?"
"This is a list of men under your command who have taken Styphon's name in vain, or who have not shown proper respect to the True God. I fear that there are many of your companions on that role. The ears of the True God hear everything."
"You've been working on this a long time," Soton replied in a monotone, his pistol inching its way upward.
Roxthar appeared oblivious to the pistol's trajectory and continued to stare into Soton's eyes. "Styphon's work must first begin in the fields."
Soton tapped the parchment with his pistol barrel. "And just how do you propose to walk into our forts and carry out these arrests?"
"In the next room sits Captain-General Xenophes, commander-in-chief of Styphon's Own Guard. They will gladly submit to Styphon's Will."
Xenophes, Styphon's head butcher, was head of the infamous Red Hand of Styphon. He would welcome-nay relish-such a confrontation with the Knights. And, the great forts taken tarr by tarr, with little warning, he might catch the Order unprepared and do his bloody deeds. In the end, all the Zarthani of the Five Kingdoms would pay when the barbarians learned of this infamy and poured through the gaps…
It appeared Roxthar had him by the privy parts. There was a slight possibility he could shoot the Archpriest, fight the inevitable guard outside-and maybe reach and kill Xenophes, but what would be the end result? Surely he would die and who would command the Knights then-to say nothing of Styphon's House. He could feel the tension flow out of him; his pistol dropped into his lap.
"I see you are amenable to reason, Grand Master. I will take back that list. It will stay on my person, hidden from my Investigators for as long as you do your job. Is that understood?"
Soton nodded his head slowly.
"Now let us forget this unpleasantness and talk of things vital to our cause. How fares the Order's war with the nomads?"
"Slow. But we are pushing them back towards the Great River. There are more barbarians on the move than have been seen since the time of Telcides the Terrible. On the other hand, the Holy Warriors of Styphon have swelled our ranks, since the arrival of the Usurper Kalvan, and we are beginning to replace our losses at Chothros Heights and the Battle of Phyrax."
Roxthar nodded his head as though he were actually listening, instead of bobbing his head as most Archpriests did when talk turned to the tools of war and strategy. "Will the Knights be ready to lead another offensive against Kalvan in the spring?"
"No. Too many new recruits, and we dare not strip the tarrs because of the barbarian threat. We might be able to spare a Wedge, but no more."
"This is not good. The Elector Princes of Hos-Harphax are dragging their hind-ends on selecting a new Great King. Instead, they have appointed a Regency Council and it turns in circles chasing its own tail. Yet, in the end, Prince Lysandros will win out, as none of his challengers have his birthright or access to our gold. And the Union of Styphon's Friends is still building its membership."
"Styphon's Friends? What is this Union?"
"A counterweight to the False God's League of Dralm. Already Great King Cleitharses has joined along with most of the Princes of Hos-Ktemnos. In Hos-Harphax the Princes of Hyphax, Syriphlon, and Pindar have joined the Friends and several others in Hos-Agrys as well."
"Hmmm. Can we count on them for troops as well as support for the priesthood?"
"Soon. It will take a few moons for these ideas to be present and accepted."
"Is the League of Dralm openly supporting Kalvan now?" Soton asked.
"No. Our spies report that they yet withhold their support for the Usurper. Their highpriests say let the Usurper use his soldiers and gold to fight Styphon's House." Roxthar grinned.
"Good news indeed! I would not have dared hope for so much. The gods intervene on our behalf."
"The God wills it. Styphon's Will Be Done."
"If I were Kalvan," Soton said, "I would make my move this spring while the Electors are still debating in Harphax City. If he takes Hos-Harphax, we may never defeat him. I'm sure he knows this. We must give Lysandros all our support in Hos-Harphax. He is the only man there who has a prayer's chance of building an army that can defeat the Hostigi."
"Yes, he will make a devout Great King and a fine tool for Styphon. But how can we stop the Daemon before Lysandros is elected and can re-build the Army of Hos-Harphax?"
For the first time that afternoon, Soton smiled. "I know a way."
"Then out with it!"
"The nomads. We will drive the barbarians northeast, up through the Upper Sastragath and into the Trygath and Hos-Hostigos. Those Princes sworn to Kalvan, who live on the Trygathi border, will demand his aid, as they have every right to do. Then let Kalvan dull his blades on the barbarians' shields."
"Most excellent, Grand Master! Styphon will have you by his side in the next life. I will present your plan to the Inner Council myself. Request what victuals and gold you will need to aid your endeavor."
Soton knew he should have felt some triumph at getting everything he wanted from Roxthar, instead there was a cold lump in his stomach. If Kalvan thought he had troubles before Roxthar's ascension, he didn't know the meaning of the word trouble. Soton-as a fellow soldier-could only feel sorry for Kalvan the Usurper, who might well be master of the battlefield, but, when it came to men's souls, had met his match in Roxthar-or worse.