Down Styphon!, page 5
part #8 of Kalvan Series
“How about Prince Phrames?” he asked.
Kalvan shook his head. “I need Phrames here in Thagnor. He is going to rule Nos-Hostigos in my stead while I’m off fighting Styphon’s House. I need someone in command here I can trust implicitly and who understands what I’ve been trying to achieve.”
“Aha,” Hestophes said, nodding. “Phrames is a good choice. But won’t Phidestros be insulted if the head of negotiations is a mere baron?”
“Good point,” he replied. “From now on, you are Duke Hestophes.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I wasn’t fishing for a new title—”
“I know, but you deserve one. And once this war is over, I’ll give you lands here or in Hostigos commensurate with your new title.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“I believe Highpriest Tharses will be of great help as Phidestros is a stalwart worshipper of Galzar. I’ll let you pick the rest of your negotiating party. Just don’t take too many soldiers. I have a feeling I’m going to need every damn one of them.”
Hestophes smiled. “Understood. What kind of terms are we talking about?”
“Since Phidestros has just sacked all the Styphon’s House temples in Hos-Zygros, I don’t think he’ll be looking for gold. Maybe revenge upon Styphon’s House for kidnapping Princess Arminta?”
“Maybe that’ll be enough. However, he may want a share of the spoils when you sack Balph.”
“You can tell Phidestros, I’ll give him half of all the gold, silver and jewels we find, if he joins us. If not, I’ll give him a third. He can even send one of his generals to oversee the disbursement of the spoils.”
Hestophes’ eyebrows shot up. “That’s very generous, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, but it’s still cheaper than a war we could lose.”
Hestophes nodded, as though he couldn’t find anything wrong with the proposition. “However, sire, Great King Phidestros is going to demand some guarantees regarding his holdings and his friend Geblon’s claims upon Old Hos-Hostigos.”
“You can tell him that we have no claim upon his lands in Great Beshta, and welcome him as a neighbor. However, we will want to have suzerainty over the rest of Hos-Hostigos, including the princedoms of Hostigos, Sask, Nostor, Ulthor and Nyklos. We are even willing to pay Great King Geblon for any improvements he has made in those lands.”
Hestophes laughed. “That will cost the treasury only a few phenigs since as far as I know Geblon has made no efforts to reclaim those territories, other than sending a few nobles there he wanted to exile from his court.”
“Great King Geblon may not see it that way. I doubt that his wife or father-in-law, Sthentros the Traitor, will agree. I’d rather pay a reasonable ransom in gold than risk war with Hos-Zygros and Hos-Harphax at this time.”
“Good point, Your Majesty. Although, I doubt Queen Rylla shares your views. At the least, she’ll want the self-proclaimed Prince of Hostigos’ head on a platter!”
Kalvan gnashed his teeth together. “This war was her idea but I won’t brook any interference in the way I run it. The Royal Treasury is fat with gold and I’d rather spend some of it than risk losing more men in a never-ending war.”
“I agree,” Hestophes said. “The war has been good for me, but it has cost Hostigos dearly.”
Kalvan nodded. “This time I want to make sure that the butcher’s bill is mostly paid by Styphon’s House. I want to see the False Temple destroyed and pulled down around Styphon’s Own Voice’s ears in Balph.”
The Captain-General paused to drink from his goblet. “I agree, Your Majesty, but Styphon’s House has more heads than a nest full of serpents.”
“True, but if we can build an alliance with Phidestros, who’s proven his hatred for Styphon’s House by the mass murder of hundreds of their priests, we may have an opportunity to put them out of business for good.”
“I will do my best to see that it happens. What route should I take to Zygros Town?”
As Kalvan recalled, Zygros Town was located on the same site as Quebec City back home. “Bypass the land route through Hos-Agrys. We have some secret supporters in Hos-Agrys, but there are too many Styphoni in that kingdom. I suggest you travel by boat through the Sea of Aesklos to Narth Town, a small Zygrosi trading port west of Port Glarth. From there you can ride over the land bridge to the Skirlos Sea and from there hire a boat and sail to Port Itya. At Itya you should be able to contact the right royal officials who can help you reach Zygros Town.”
“That’s a sound plan, Your Majesty.”
“For communication, we’re going to be using homing pigeons.”
“Pigeons?” Hestophes asked in surprise. “I thought they were only good for eating.”
The Zarthani or Urgothi tribes, during one of their migrations, had brought the homing pigeons with them from Asia or Europe, since squabs were a popular delicacy here-and-now. No one, until Kalvan had arrived, had come up with the idea of using them for carrying messages.
“Yes, homing pigeons were used in my homeland for flying messages to distant places. They’re an unknown tool here and in Hos-Zygros, so no one will be looking for them.”
“How will they know where to go, Your Majesty?” Hestophes asked, frowning.
“I’ve had some students at the University training them for the past couple of years. When you arrive in Zygros Town make sure you rent a townhouse running at least three or four stories. You can set up a pigeon pen on the roof; if anyone asks, you’re a bird fancier. After all, you’re a nobleman; some might find it eccentric, but they’ll accept it. I’ll include several pigeon handlers with your party; they’ll feed and care for the birds, as well as send and receive messages.”
The expression on Hestophes’ face warred between doubt and excitement. “Sire, if this works, it means we can send messages in days that would ordinarily take a moon-half or more!”
Kalvan smiled. “That’s the idea. Communication is as important a part of warfare as are maneuverability and fast movement. Of course, accidents can happen; sometimes birds are intercepted and killed by hawks or other birds of prey. So, we’ll send two pigeons for each message or release them at different times. The messages will be sent in a code that only the handlers will be able to decipher.”
“It will be a great boon, Your Majesty. And much safer than the semaphores we used in Hos-Hostigos.”
Kalvan didn’t want to think about the semaphore line they had used to transmit messages from Hostigos to the border of Beshta. When the traitor Sthentros had sold the secret of their operation to Great King Lysandros, he had sealed the fate of Hos-Hostigos.
“The pigeons are only to be used for important messages. When you meet with Great King Phidestros, it will be your job to talk him into some kind of a working arrangement between our two kingdoms. What I’d really like would be his help in vanquishing Styphon’s House, but the biggest obstacle in our way is Hos-Harphax. I need to know how loyal he is to Great King Geblon, and whether or not he will try to keep us out of Hos-Hostigos.”
Hestophes took out his pipe and knocked out the heel against his boot. “This could be tricky. From everything I’ve heard about Phidestros and the Iron Band, the Great Captain is extremely loyal to his comrades. Geblon used to be his banner captain, and has been with him since the beginning when they formed the original Iron Company in Hos-Zygros.”
He paused to fill this pipe barrel with fresh leaf from his tobacco pouch. “The only other old comrade that he listens to is Captain-General Kyblannos, head of his artillery. If I could meet with Kyblannos on the sly, I might be able to get a better reading of Phidestros’ current state of mind. I understand that Great Queen Arminta plays an important part in his court; she may be in favor of our cause. After all, she was the one kidnapped by Styphon’s House.”
“Where does Captain-General Kyblannos hang his helmet these days?”
After lighting his pipe, Hestophes continued, “Probably in Zygros Town with his wife, children and guns. It’ll take a while to arrange a parley with Phidestros; I’ll do my best to arrange a meet with Kyblannos before I see the Great King.”
“I’ll see to it that you have enough gold for any needed bribes and expenses. The mission you’re conducting is probably more important than the siege ofTarr-Ceros. If Phidestros doesn’t back our claims, we may have to be satisfied with putting Styphon’s House out of business and forget about returning to Hostigos.”
“Great Queen Rylla won’t like that.”
“Don’t I just know it,” Kalvan muttered.
FIVE
I
After Duke Hestophes left, Cleon ushered in Admiral Herad. The Admiral walked in stiffly, his face frozen in a mask of indifference. Kalvan wondered if he thought he was going to get reamed for some slipup. No, there was no reason for him to be unhappy with Herad. Aha! He’s worried that now we are at peace with Grefftscharr, I’m going to make cuts in the Royal Navy.
“Your Majesty,” the Admiral said, bowing stiffly.
“Admiral, I need your advice about the attack on Tarr-Ceros.”
The Admiral’s face brightened. “What can I do to help? Are you worried about the Orders’ galleys?”
“Not directly,” Kalvan replied. “They don’t really threaten the siege since we’ll be attacking above the river banks. However, they might try and having some of our ships outside Kythar Town should keep them from mounting any flanking attacks from the river.”
Herad nodded. He knew full well that the Hostigi guns would keep the galleys on the Lydistros River at bay.
Like the Spanish after the Battle of Lepanto, the Styphoni relied primarily on galleys; the Mississippi galleys were lighter than those of Styphon’s Atlantic fleet, but still the dominant vessel. Galleys were different than strong-sided sailing warships; they could be propelled in any direction, regardless of the wind, or the lack of it. They could be brought to a dead stop, or maneuvered like guardsmen on parade. They were inexpensive; if one were sunk, the loss was not great. Of course, the officers and their soldiers might be lost. And the rowers would go down with the boat, but galley oarsmen were all slaves and of little value. They were worked hard and long and not expected to last long anyway.
Galleys never went far, but they went fast. They had no rigging to be fouled, nor did they need to carry large casks of food, water and fireseed. While they sometimes had platforms for catapults, they were too thin-sided for real guns. True, they could be used for ramming, but their primary purpose was to swiftly—and in concert with its companions, for they always worked in formation—grapple and put a band of soldiers aboard the enemy. Ramming was more of a threat, something to sow panic among the enemy. Primarily, they relied on army tactics, only applied at sea—a smooth sea at that.
Galley warfare was a matter of moving forces here and there, not personal combat. As far as Kalvan was concerned, their time was in the past. He was going to bring modern naval tactics and warfare to the Great Northern Ocean.
He took Admiral Herad into his confidence: “Admiral, my plan—after we take Tarr-Ceros and the other Order fortresses—is to gather our forces in Xiphlon City before we sail to one of the Blethan ports.”
The Admiral nodded.
“We’ll need most of our transports and warships to go downriver, since we don’t know what we might be facing at Xiphlon. Even if we don’t need the warships, we will need them afterwards to make our way to Hos-Bletha.”
Herad nodded again, as if he understood. “I take it, Sire, that you don’t completely trust High King Roldolf.”
“That is correct,” Kalvan replied. “Whatever treasure and loot we take after the sack of Tarr-Ceros, I will have them shipped back to Thagnor Town, so that’s not what I’m worried about. Many of these Middle Kingdom monarchs have a history of treachery and backstabbing. I don’t want to give Roldolf any ideas. Instead, I want to rent some of his merchant ships to help take our army to Hos-Bletha.”
“And you would like to have the Royal Navy along for protection,” Herad surmised. “And the transports for future operations.”
“Exactly. For what I have in mind, I will need at least thirty of our largest gaff-rigged two and three-masted schooners, all of them fully manned and gunned. Plus, all the transports you can pull together.”
“That’s almost all our heavy craft,” Herad said, raising his eyebrows. “That will just leave the Navy with sloops and gunboats.”
“True, but the larger boats won’t be needed here in the Upper Middle Kingdoms now that the Grefftscharri threat has been neutralized. If the schooners need more guns, contact my Chief of Ordnance and he will guarantee that you get them.”
“That will help us greatly, Your Majesty. However, six or seven warships should be enough to quell any traitorous thought Roldolf might harbor.”
“I’m not worried about Roldolf. Once our troops have arrived, we could besiege Xiphlon City quite easily. What I’m worried about are the Styphoni ocean fleets. I plan to guard our fleet with our own warships.”
“What about the hurricanes?” Herad asked.
“They don’t arrive until late in the summer. I hope to have our fleet out of Xiphlon City by early summer.”
“That makes sense, Your Majesty.”
“What I need our warships for is to keep the Styphoni galley fleet at bay. With our cannon and Greek fire, we can destroy the galleys long before they are within boarding or ramming range.”
Herad actually grinned. “Our warships will rip through them like a shark going through a school of tuna.”
Kalvan returned his smile. “My question is, can we get them across the Greffan Canal in time?”
The Admiral stroked his chin whiskers.
Kalvan knew that the Chicago Portage, or the Greffan Canal as it was called here-and-now, had been used by the Indians. The Grefftscharrers had improved it by turning it into a canal, but he wasn’t sure that it was deep enough for the draft of the schooners’ hulls. It was a damn good thing he had an ally sitting on the throne of Greffa.
“A lot of merchant ships have used the Greffan Canal since King’s Verkan’s ascension, Your Majesty. I can send most of our sloops, which have less draft than our schooners, to the Lydistros River to keep the Order Galleys at bay. Meanwhile, I’ll have my engineers survey the canal.”
“The canal can always be dredged and widened if necessary,” Kalvan said.
“It would take a lot of manpower and most of the University’s engineering staff to do so.”
“I don’t care. Have your top engineers do a quick survey of the canal and report back to me. I will write a letter to Prince Kostran of Greffa explaining our predicament; I’m sure he will give us his help and cooperation. If you need workers or money, I can provide both—as much as you need. This is a top priority job. The good news is that you’ll have several moons to do it in. I don’t expect that Tarr-Ceros will fold quickly.”
Admiral Herad nodded. “I will put my best men on it, sire. With your full support, it will be done.”
Kalvan smiled. Now, that's what I like to hear!
II
As Kalvan rode his horse down the paving stone street toward the University, he was surprised by the heavy congestion, lots of wagons, carts, caravans and pedestrians were crowding the road. For one thing, it showed how prosperous Thagnor Town had become since his arrival a few years before. Of course, some of the traffic was the movement of victuals, armaments, troops and supplies for the new campaign against the Zarthani Knights. He couldn’t help but wonder how many of the men preparing to leave their homes would ever return. It was a good thing he didn’t have to explain to their families why they didn’t return.
Both Kalvan and his horse escort were attracting a lot of eyeballs. He wondered if they were directed at him or Vanar Halgoth and his Tymannian Guard, which looked like a band of Vikings out of Kalvan’s own past. He didn’t like traveling with an escort, but Halgoth—who was charged with his security—wouldn’t allow him to leave without at least five members of his bodyguard, although Halgoth preferred a score. Security at the gates was pretty tight, but so far this year three Styphoni agents had made it inside the city and had made two attempts upon his life, indicating that no matter how far away he was from their center of power, Kalvan wasn’t safe until Styphon’s House was torn down and ground into the dirt.
Still, having Halgoth along allowed him the opportunity to talk with his chief bodyguard in private. “Halgoth, I’ve got a mission for you.”
“What for, Your Majesty?” Halgoth asked in a growly, deep voice loud enough to raise the dead.
“As you know, we are going to besiege the Knight’s biggest fortress, Tarr-Ceros.”
The big man smiled openly, showing large teeth in the shape of tombstones. “It’s about time we got into the field again.”
“No, no,” Kalvan replied. “I’ve got something else in mind for you.”
“What?” he asked.
“I want you to find Warlord Ranjar Sargos and give him a message from me.”
“Does that mean I’ll miss all the fighting?” Halgoth asked, his voice ringing with disappointment.
“No, there’ll be plenty of fighting this year. Tarr-Ceros is only our first target. I plan to destroy all the Order forts all the way from Tarr-Ceros down to Tarr-Syklos, the southernmost castle. I don’t know how long it will take, but I expect at a minimum it will be most of this year’s campaign season. Fortunately, the warmer southern weather means we can stay in the south, rather than having to return to Thagnor to winter.”
Happier now that he knew he wouldn’t miss all the fighting, Halgoth asked, “When do I leave, Your Majesty?”
“Today, if possible. Take along as many men as you’ll need for safety. I’ll give you my message verbally, so you can memorize it after we return to the palace.”
“What about your personal bodyguard?” Halgoth asked.
“Who do you suggest?”
