The Hope of Vitality, page 23
“Fetch Shulkahr,” he told one of his men imperiously.
The bosun was nearby. “Arrange for a longboat to be launched immediately,” Kahrlin said. “I’ll need an extra anchor.” After a moment’s reflection, he added, “Make that two. I’ll provide the crew.”
By the time Shulkahr arrived, his crew were climbing down to the longboat.
“Come with me,” he told Shulkahr.
“Where are we going? I need to see Bolnyk. And the chief minister.”
“You’ll have to see them later. We have work to do for the chief minister.”
Shulkahr glowered, but subsided. He followed Kahrlin down to the boat.
Kahrlin sat at the back of the boat, facing the rowers. He positioned Shulkahr in the bow.
As they rowed away from the chief minister’s ship, Kahrlin stole an occasional glance toward the other man. He looked anxious and distracted. He had every reason to be.
The chief minister’s ship disappeared from sight as the longboat rounded a head. Kahrlin glanced down into the water. It was too deep for the bottom to be visible.
He nodded to the two rowers closest to the bow. Turning swiftly, they each wound an anchor rope around the startled Shulkahr. Then they threw him overboard, tossing the anchors in after him.
It was done in a moment.
The doomed man managed to shout, “Wait! There’s something you don’t—”
Then he was gone.
Kahrlin nodded again, and the longboat came about, heading back to the ship.
Having enjoyed unprecedented access to the chief minister for so long, it was a major adjustment for Bolnyk to find himself waiting. It had become a consistent experience of late. He tried to remind himself that his master juggled many priorities and had every reason to be preoccupied.
He had positioned himself near Rheibas’s cabin, ready to seize an opportunity as soon as one emerged.
The door opened and Kahrlin emerged. If the look on his face offered any indication, he was currently basking in the favor of his master.
“I imagine he will see you now,” Kahrlin offered indifferently as he breezed past.
Bolnyk ignored him. His rival might think he was very clever, but he was not aware that some of his most trusted men were loyal to Bolnyk.
Consequently, Bolnyk already knew what had happened to Shulkahr. The fool had deserved his fate. He had not repaid Bolnyk’s faith in him.
Nevertheless, it was galling that Rheibas had given the task to another person. Perhaps it was his way of showing consideration to the man who had appointed Shulkahr, but somehow Bolnyk doubted it.
Approaching the chief minister’s door, he knocked, willing himself to remain calm. He couldn’t afford the luxury of dwelling on Kahrlin. He was bearing news that would not please his master. More than ever he needed to steer a careful course.
“Enter,” growled the voice of Rheibas.
Bowing low, he pushed his way into the cabin.
“Bolnyk,” intoned his master indifferently. “What bad tidings are you bringing this time?”
Had Rheibas caught wind of what he was about to say?
“Our agents at Rog report that a Rogandan squadron just sailed into the harbor, Your Eminence. The squadron consisted of five ships. Three were of Ahran design, all of them with three masts.”
“Impossible!” spat Rheibas.
“That is not all. Three other Rogandan vessels have docked in recent days bearing prisoners. Our agents are certain the prisoners were Ahran.”
He had Rheibas’s full attention now. “Is there more?”
Bolnyk nodded soberly. “Three ships bearing our agents appear to have gone missing. No reports have been received of their whereabouts, and there have been no sightings for many days.”
The chief minister was scowling. “What is your conclusion from all this?”
“That the Rogandans are attacking and seizing our ships. Any survivors are taken prisoner. The ships are then repurposed for use in their own navy.”
“Utterly detestable, if clever. Three ships, you say.”
Bolnyk nodded.
“Who is responsible for the dispatch of our ships?”
“I am, Your Eminence.”
The chief minister’s voice became a growl. “Then how have you allowed this to happen?”
The question was monstrously unfair. Bolnyk offered no response.
Rheibas seemed uninterested in a reply. “I want to know which ships are missing. Exactly—get me details. And find out if more have gone missing since. While you’re at it, confirm that the prisoners are Ahran. Don’t keep me waiting!”
Bolnyk stooped low in acknowledgment.
“And circulate an order for all ships in the region to maintain high alert at all times. You are dismissed!”
The chief minister’s next summons to Kahrlin was not long in coming. The agent entered the cabin and bowed low.
“I have a task for you, Kahrlin. An extremely sensitive one. I am relying on your utmost discretion. And I need you to carry it out quickly and effectively.”
Kahrlin bowed once more. “I am at your disposal, Your Eminence.”
“I need you to hire enough competent sailors to man three ships. Make sure all of your sailors know how to fight. The ships need teeth—fill them with mercenaries. A high proportion of your mercenaries need to be capable archers. Hire only Rogandans. Is that clear?”
“Perfectly, Your Eminence. Are there limits on the funding?”
“Money is no object.”
“Should I hire captains for these ships?”
The chief minister shook his head firmly. “I will identify people of our own to carry out that role.” He bared his teeth. “Our enemies think they are very clever. They will discover they are nowhere near clever enough.”
The agent stood waiting to be dismissed.
“You have one week. I have high hopes for you, Kahrlin. Do not disappoint me! You are dismissed.”
After bowing low, Kahrlin hurried away. A monumental task lay ahead of him, but he couldn’t have been more jubilant.
As he entered Rheibas’s cabin, Bolnyk’s heart was pounding uncomfortably. Never had he felt more uncertain in the presence of his master.
A few days previously, Kahrlin had disappeared with the most capable of the agents. It was whispered that he was engaged in a highly sensitive and critically important mission on behalf of the chief minister. The situation was unusually galling, not least because most of the agents now assisting Kahrlin had originally been selected and trained by Bolnyk.
A lifetime must surely have passed since his master led Bolnyk into the emperor’s throne room. Such honors were faded memories. People looked away now when he approached. He had not been summoned by Rheibas for days, and everyone knew it. Once more in the chief minister’s cabin, he felt only apprehension.
His master seemed to notice him at last. “Ah. Bolnyk.”
He stood awkwardly at attention, restless under the cold scrutiny of the chief minister.
For years he had drawn from a seemingly boundless reserve of confidence, never doubting his ability to achieve whatever his master demanded of him. In recent days that self-assurance had deserted him completely. He understood why—his master had lost faith in him. Nevertheless, the suddenness and completeness of the change remained as mystifying as it was alarming.
His entire adult life had been consumed in a tireless effort to further the interests of the man before him. That same man had become a stranger. Every night Bolnyk lay awake, desperate for the numbing oblivion of sleep. But its release was denied him. His mind, constantly churning with the injustice of his plight, refused to set him free.
A simmering anger had begun to bubble, close to the surface. Difficult as it was to ignore, he forced it down. He could not afford for Rheibas to sense it.
“You have served me faithfully for many years, Bolnyk.”
His brows drew together. Whatever he might have been expecting, it wasn’t that.
“You deserve a chance. A proper chance. An opportunity to demonstrate again the capabilities that made you so valuable to me.”
The ice in his heart began to thaw. His master had his full attention.
“I have been planning an operation. A highly sensitive and very special operation. I assigned the legwork to Kahrlin, but he is not the right person to lead it. I need someone who is dependable beyond doubt. Someone whose loyalty goes beyond self-interest.”
He stared at Bolnyk forthrightly. “Are you that man, Bolnyk?”
“I am, Your Eminence.” He tried not to sound too desperate.
“Excellent.” Rheibas was actually smiling. “Then here is what I need you to do…”
26
General Vholahr peered distastefully across the endless succession of rolling waves. He had participated in many amphibious operations, but this operation was different. Never before had he spent so many days stranded on a ship with nothing to do.
He was there to provide bargaining support to the chief minister, yet there had been no contact from him since arriving in the region.
The emperor had also charged Vholahr with making contact with the Rogandans, but the situation harbored enough uncertainty that he was unwilling to risk any kind of connection before the chief minister briefed him on the current state of negotiations.
Much as his men needed time on dry land, it was out of the question. Any landing would only risk inflaming tensions with the Rogandans. All they could do was circle endlessly outside of Rogandan territorial waters.
That left them at the mercy of wind and wave. Thankfully conditions had improved over the previous couple of days. Prior to that, storms had battered them relentlessly, tossing them about on mountainous seas. Sea sickness had incapacitated many of his soldiers, and at times he himself had barely been able to stand.
None of it would have mattered if he was making forward progress on the emperor’s mission. He shook his head in frustration.
As if in mockery of his thoughts, he looked up to see the ship’s captain hurrying toward him, a grave look on his face. “We have just received a signal, General! Two of our ships are under attack.”
“What?! We will move to their support immediately.” He pointed to the other ships in sight. “Signal them to join us!”
The captain hurried to the helm, shouting orders as he went.
As the ship slowly began to come about, the general called for his captains. “Get the men armed and on deck. It appears we will see action at last!”
Men began scurrying about, heading for their assigned stations. Everyone was in place long before they saw any sign of fighting. The men were becoming restless when five ships came into sight. Their design showed that the vessels were all Ahran.
As they drew closer he saw two ships on either side of a third ship, attacking it from both directions. Two other ships nearby were engaged in close fighting. It made no sense. Why would Ahrans be attacking Ahrans?
As they approached, the three attackers disengaged. Setting full sail, they were soon disappearing in the direction of Rog.
The captain approached. “Should we pursue them, General?”
The general shook his head. “We can’t know where they might lead us. No, this attack needs to be investigated, and it needs to be done immediately. We can’t afford to be caught unprepared a second time.”
A couple of hours passed before men from every ship had gathered in response to his orders. In the absence of a large enough room, and with the weather moderate, they clustered on the forecastle.
“I want to know what happened,” the general began. “In order.”
An army captain, heavily bandaged from multiple wounds, responded first. “Two of our ships were in the same vicinity when three other ships appeared. They were clearly Ahran, so we did nothing to prevent them coming alongside. As soon as they were close enough, bowmen appeared and opened fire. We were not expecting an attack, and they caught us unprepared. As you know, we have few archers among our ranks. We could not prevent them from sweeping the decks with arrows before they boarded.”
“How many men did you lose?”
“Fifty at least. They pulled us close with grappling hooks, then they boarded from both sides. Most of our men had sheltered below decks. Once hand-to-hand fighting started, they poured out of the hatch, and it turned into a real fight. We were outnumbered, but we gave a good account of ourselves. When they saw you approaching, they took their wounded and jumped back onto their own ships.”
Another captain reported in. “We had a similar experience, although we were only facing one attacker. Their archers also took out a lot of our men. They lost plenty of men themselves when they boarded. If they hadn’t withdrawn when they did, we might have been able to board them. When they saw you coming, they ran like rabbits. They only left their dead behind.”
“Who were they?”
“It’s hard to be certain, but they weren’t speaking Ahran,” the first captain said. “One of the crew recognized a few Rogandan words.”
“Rogandan navy or pirates?”
The captain shrugged. “It’s impossible to say. They showed discipline in removing their wounded, but they didn’t fight like regular soldiers.”
The second captain nodded. “I agree. The real mystery is how they came to be sailing Ahran ships. Those ships were definitely Ahran-built.”
The general frowned. “There are too many unanswered questions for my liking. Nevertheless, you’ve acquitted yourselves well under difficult circumstances. Convey my appreciation to your men.” He eyed them grimly. “As of now, all of our ships will stay in formation. And we clearly need archers. If we’re lacking bows, find a way to manufacture some.”
He dismissed them, and they returned to their ships.
“What do you make of all that?” the general asked his aide. “Who were the attackers, and what was their purpose? And how did they gain possession of three of our ships?”
“I can only guess, General,” the aide replied. “I’m wondering if they knew they were attacking army transports. It’s possible they thought we were merchants.”
“They know nothing about Ahran ship design if they think we’re merchants.”
“But why would they attack army ships, General? Is it in retaliation for us having supposedly abducted their princess?”
The general snorted. “They could begin by explaining why they abducted our princess!” He shook his head. “If they want a war, they’ll get one.”
He glared out across the water. “It’s past time we heard from the chief minister. His negotiations appear to have achieved nothing. I am planning to ask the emperor to assemble a serious force, and the chief minister will not find it easy to dissuade me.”
After abandoning the attack, Bolnyk led his little squadron back to the island where they had first taken on board the Rogandan fighters.
The mercenaries had been transported to the island as they were hired by Kahrlin. After a few days, when a sufficient number had assembled, three of the chief minister’s newest ships arrived and disembarked their crews. The ships had been turned over to the mercenaries under the command of Bolnyk.
Two other trusted agents joined him—one to captain each of the vessels. Once they were all aboard, the ships set sail and departed. Surrounded by men of dubious character, Bolnyk had made it clear that none of them would receive payment unless all of them promptly carried out his every command.
The original Ahran crews had settled down on the island to wait for the return of their ships.
When the fighting was over, Bolnyk returned the mercenaries to the island and ferried them ashore. As the original crews boarded the ships once more, he gathered the mercenaries and addressed them.
“You have fulfilled the terms of your agreement,” he told them. “You will shortly be collected and returned to Rogand. In the meantime, supplies have been laid out for you. Eat and drink your fill!”
“What about our pay?” a rough voice demanded.
“A worthy question!” he replied. “Your payment has been buried for safekeeping. You will find the full amount over there, beneath those spades.” He pointed. “Dig it up at your leisure.” He surveyed them with a humorless smile. “I am sure you will make every effort to share it fairly.”
A group of mercenaries gathered threateningly around him and his men. “Don’t think you’re going anywhere! Not until we see our payment.”
He folded his arms indifferently.
None of the mercenaries showed any interest in feasting. All eyes were on the digging. The first of the treasure was exposed within a few minutes. It was clearly a sizable hoard. Every one of the mercenaries abandoned Bolnyk, racing to claim their share.
A single longboat remained for Bolnyk’s use. Climbing aboard with his men, he set off for one of the ships. As they climbed onto the deck, they saw that fighting had broken out between the mercenaries at the diggings.
Bolnyk had no interest in waiting around for the outcome. He gave the order, and the three ships weighed anchor and sailed away. He didn’t even spare a backward glance at the island.
As soon as they were underway, he was joined by the agents who had captained the other two ships during the attack. Their faces were strained.
“What happened?” one of them asked, not trying to hide his consternation. “We were supposed to be taking ships back from Rogandans! Rogandans who’d captured them from our own people!”
The other was nodding vigorously. “We were attacking Ahran navy ships! I only realized it when we boarded them, and I found myself fighting men in imperial uniforms! I called off the attack immediately.”
“You did the right thing,” grunted Bolnyk, his brows furrowed.
Nothing about the operation had been as he expected. “I have no idea what went wrong. We were in the location where the ships were supposedly last seen.”
Both men began speaking animatedly. “If anyone finds out we led an attack on the emperor’s soldiers, we’ll be dead men!”
