

The Mullinix

Book 2: Redemption

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2003 by Rodney Mountain

Reedit © 2017 by Rodney Mountain

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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## Other Titles by Rodney Mountain

Immortal Universe Novels

The Healy Murders

The Accidental Immortal

Undercover

The Killer Strikes

Anoki's Revenge

The Immortal Progression

Corporate Immortality

Not With a Whisper

The Mullinix: Redemption

The Mullinix: Resolution

Other Works

Durell's Insurrection

Night Strike (Short Story Anthology)

The Black Fossil

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## Dedication

Dedications... Who do you dedicate a book to when you've written a number of them? Your wife? Your friends? All of them have gotten at least a mention by now... Your readers? Them too. I think this one is going to be dedicated to me and the demented mindset that allows me to create these characters and situations that make these books interesting to read.

Failing that, I guess I'll dedicate this book to a good nap, which is what I needed after finishing it...
Chapter 1 - Prologue

The Mullinix Empire was an anomaly on the continent, a nation of misfits, malcontents and refugees. Despite this, they were also one of the happiest groups on the continent, much to the credit of the unique system of government that had brought them through over two millennia of growth and turmoil.

This system was one that generated responsible rulers and stable ones. Instead of only one person, three people directly held the reins of power in the Empire, usually three generations of men or women who were chosen by many criteria, the most important of which was a desire to avoid ruling at all costs.

These leaders, given the respected title of Mullinix after the name of the founder of the empire, were chosen from the young men and women in the nation's service schools. These service schools, the bedrock of learning in the Empire, were a requirement of all Mullinix Citizens. The centers were places that every man and woman fulfilled a service requirement and learned about the nation in which they lived.

This system had kept the empire intact and relevant as their neighbors changed over to the centuries. They survived by accepting those exiled by the others and watched as those societies fell by the wayside. More than a dozen nations had risen and fallen outside the borders of the Mullinix Empire, some of which had joined the vibrant land they once looked at with envy.

The way of life in the empire is simple, provided you follow the basic rules. The people are largely self-reliant and they tend to frown upon people who won't pull their own weight. This self reliance goes through all manner of life, as the fiercely independent Mullinix citizenry frown on excessive government interference in their lives after they leave citizenship school.

Much of this happened because the environment of the planet was altered by a massive war, one that had nearly destroyed humankind over two thousand years before. Humans had built weapons that could take down entire cities in a millisecond, but in doing so changed the nature of the world in which the survivors would live.

The magnetic field of the planet had been highly warped to where it would not allow most uses of electricity. Firearms and electronics are unusable without being shielded with tons of lead, an expensive and usually unreliable solution. Technology still survives from the old days, but most of it has been adapted to mechanical solutions that can work in the enhanced magnetic field. Therefore, the people have learned to live without such conveniences to the point that very few people on the planet knew that they had ever existed and fewer still knew how to use that sort of power.

The massive electromagnetic field also had another effect on the people, creating a strong interaction between them and their environments. Some people, usually those with a special talent, could manipulate those fields to their benefit.

Most of these people usually just either have a second sight with it, or a minor ability to use that power to augment their own abilities. Some people in rare cases can use it for offensive and defensive purposes.

These people are generally referred to as power users and are often either revered as gods or reviled as agents of the devil. In the Mullinix Empire, such power users are rare but not unknown as the current Mullinix is one of these power users. An old teacher awakened his abilities during the first few months of his apprenticeship.

Medoferro was a quick study, aided by a massive talent for power use and a situation that required him to learn quickly. His quick ascension to the main Mullinix spot upon the death of Massimaferro put him in the position of having to use his abilities to get a handle on the job, not to mention having to use them to stop a war.

The month of the ascension was a chaotic one, starting with a simple Mullinix tour and ending with a Mavelan invasion of the Cirrus region. Medoferro was forced to use his power to change the course of the battle, making him the first Mullinix in centuries to reveal publicly their ability as a power user.

Ten years had passed since Medoferro's ascension to power and he had grown up quickly. He enjoyed the respect of his people and there had been real peace in the empire for that whole time. Medoferro's accomplishments in the past were many, but his true tests were yet to come.

Chapter 2 - Good Morning

Medoferro sat up in the bed and looked over at the sunrise. He reached over for the cup of morning coffee that Marianna had left for him before he woke up. He had been living with it for ten years, but it still amazed him that the house staff could come in and out of the room without him noticing.

He shook his head and pushed his hair back. He had grown it out in an attempt to look older, as it had become the style for businessmen in the empire to wear it that way. He had been a Mullinix for all his adult life, and in so doing became one of the youngest reigning Mullinix ever, but he still felt like a child when dealing with the nation's business people.

He shook off the thought and drank a little, trying not to spill any on Trinaferro, his long time lover and apprentice Mullinix, who was sleeping curled up against him.

Medo, as the inner circle called him, stroked Trina's dark hair as he drank and watched her stir with a smile on her face. She finally awoke as well and sat up a little to steal his coffee, just as she did most mornings.

"Morning sleepyhead," Medo told her, "I've been awake for thirty minutes."

Trina took a deep drink of the coffee and tried not to make a face. It was the usual brew, strong enough to wake Medoferro up and enough to send a normal person into shock.

"I still don't get how you drink this," Trinaferro said to him, "Why are you awake this time?"

"I don't sleep well. You know that," Medo reminded her, "Comes with being a power user."

"I think I'll remain glad I'm not one," Trinaferro chuckled and sipped again, "You know this really is terrible."

"You've said that for years," Medo reminded her, "Marianna would make you your own brew for the mornings, you know?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Trina grinned, "I'd rather steal yours and complain."

"You would," Medo said, smiling at her, "Too bad we have to work today."

"You got to play with me last night," Trina grinned, "Besides, I get to do session with Iggy today instead of you, remember?"

"Yeah," Medo nodded, "I'd rather do session than deal with this."

"You usually love seeing Simon again," Trina said, "What are you worried about?"

"Siraq is getting worse," Medoferro said, "Simon was just up on the border. I really don't want to deal with that mess up there."

"Better to deal with it now than let it fester as it did in Cirrus," Trina said, "It's been a decade and we're still feeling aftershocks of LaPorte's treason."

"I know," Medoferro said, sticking his tongue out at her, "I'll deal with it. Tactics are my area anyway."

"We'd probably better get up," Trina sighed, "Marina and Sascha will be in to hurry us up otherwise."

"Not as though they have much else to do with us going all monogamous on them," Medo said, "They'll probably be thrilled to have Simon back as a playmate for a bit."

"I heard Roland is spending some nights here now," Trina said, "Sounds like Marina and he are starting to get close."

"He and Sueta have been on the outs for years," Medo shrugged as he got up and started to get dressed, "I think the last of his kids is finishing up schooling. He's due some playtime."

Trinaferro nodded and started putting on her robes. She was going to be giving official session, so she had to dress in the ceremonial robes. The robes had not been designed with the female form in mind, so it did absolutely nothing for her figure.

"I hate the way I look in these," Trina frowned, looking at herself in the mirror, "I swear someday I will just wear a formal dress for these damned sessions."

"You look fine, Trin," Medo said as he went over and kissed her, "Trust me."

"I do," Trinaferro said, "Though you've got as much fashion sense as the average alley cat."

"Yeah, yeah," Medo chuckled, "Let's go get the day started, shall we?"

"I guess we need to," Trina agreed as she kissed him back, "Good luck with Simon."

"I'll need it," Medo agreed, "I just hope he hasn't brought me more bad news."

Chapter 3 - Worries on the Border

Insegniferro, ten years into being the Mullinix-Elder, still came down early into his office each morning. He was reading the first reports of the morning when Medoferro and Trinaferro walked into the room.

"Anything major overnight?" Medo asked him as he took his usual chair, "Since I know you've read that thing twice by now."

"The usual pleas by your uncle for more people," Insegniferro said as he looked over the rim of his reading glasses at Medo, "An update from Stacy on the flood regions outside Connoer. Nothing earth shattering."

"Simon should be in today," Trina reminded him, "Medo's going to have to deal with it."

"Beats session by a long shot," Medo grinned, "Speaking of that... Trin, you ready for session?"

"As much as I ever am," Trina said, "No messy ones today though, if I remember what they said about the docket."

"I'll sit with you, Trina," Insegniferro said, "I'm beginning to enjoy them a bit more now that I don't have to do it so often."

"You would," Trina chuckled, "That's ok. Most of them are child disputes. I'll save the Murder cases for Medo tomorrow."

"Thanks," Medo sighed, "You know how much I enjoy those."

One of Medoferro's first cases was a Murder case and he had held a special dislike for them ever since. Unfortunately, his ability as a power user made him more sensitive to truth, so he usually took them if possible.

"We need to get moving," Insegniferro told them, "Trina needs to get into the garb before she goes out there."

"Simon should be here soon," Medoferro nodded, "I'll talk with him for a bit. If he doesn't show up for a bit, I'll come out and watch session for a while."

"Thanks," Trina chuckled, "Just like old times, eh? Only then Iggy was the one on the throne and I was getting to watch."

"You got it," Medo smiled, "Have fun."

"Let's go," Insegniferro said, "No need to keep people waiting."

"Have fun with Simon," Trina smiled and kissed him on her way out, "Let's hope his news isn't too bad."

Medoferro nodded and watched them go into the antechamber to put on the ceremonial garb. Medo shook his head and walked to the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee.

"Morning," Marianna said as she saw him, "Not doing session today?"

"Simon is due in," Medo said, "I get out of the horror. How goes the kitchen?"

"Boring," Marianna chuckled, "But with you and Trina going all saintly on us it leaves me with little else to do."

"Eh," Medo shrugged, "It all works out. You cook better than the last girl did."

"I'll take that," Marianna agreed, "Here for your morning mud?"

"Yep, I'd like another cup of Massimaferro's blend," Medo nodded, "Who knew that would be the most lasting thing for me from Massimaferro's rule?"

"You and he shared the same love of bad coffee," Marianna agreed, "Not that I don't love you and Trina to death..."

"I know," Medo nodded, "I miss him too. But, we still have to go on."

"I guess so," Marianna sighed, "I miss being the younger temptress I was to him instead of the motherly cook I am to you and Trina."

"We all change," Medo said, "I'm no longer the young naïve kid I was when I got this job. I long for that sometimes as well."

"True," Marianna smiled, "At least I'm still useful."

"Don't ever think otherwise," Medo smiled as he took the coffee, "Good thoughts now. I'll hear enough bad news when Simon comes in."

"Don't you ever expect me to bring you good news?" Simon Sutcliffe, Medo's long time representative, asked his friend as he walked into the kitchen, "I should have figured you would be waiting for me here."

"You always come here first," Medo chuckled, "And I know where I sent you, remember? I'm not expecting good news because there isn't much to be had up there."

"You're right about that," Simon said, "Can I have a cup of real coffee, Marianna? Not the crap that Medo drinks?"

"Coming right up," Marianna smiled, "See, someone has taste."

"That's what Sascha thinks at any rate," Medo grinned, teasing Simon about his usual playmate, "So how bad is it?"

"Get your coffee," Simon said, "I've been traveling on horseback for two days. I need to walk around for a bit."

"Right," Medo nodded, grabbing his cup, "Let's go."

Marianna handed Simon a cup of java the way he liked it and the two men walked out the back door into the garden area. It was a protected area that the Mullinix could walk and enjoy nature without a retinue of guards.

"Ok," Medo said, "I take it you didn't want to talk in front of Marianna?"

"She's a great lady," Simon said, "But she isn't good at keeping her mouth shut, never was."

"None of the house staff are," Medo agreed, "So what is going on?"

"The problems are getting worse," Simon said as he stretched out, "Siraq is disintegrating from the inside."

"So Travis wasn't bellyaching for no reason for once?" Medo asked him, "My uncle has been cabling us daily for more resources up there."

"Toria has had to expand to three medicos," Simon said, "That little border village isn't what it once was. It is teeming with people now, most of them Siraqis who have escaped the skirmishing inside the border."

"Civil war?" Medo asked, not liking the sound of that, "I thought that the king up there was smarter than that."

"He's always been a selfish bastard," Simon agreed, "But it has gotten worse over the past two years. It sounds like he's leaving most of the south to their own devices and diverting resources to a project up north."

"What type of project?" Medo wondered, "Whenever he gets crafty there is usually something wrong."

"I didn't go over the border very long," Simon said, "We'll need to hire someone to do that. Too risky for an official Mullinix representative to do it."

"Especially since you are known there," Medo agreed, "We can handle that later. Do we need to close the border?"

"Close the border and there will be a civil war," Simon warned him, "Siraq is a powder keg and we've got a lot of people who want to see them join us."

"Just what I need," Medo said, "A Siraqi liberation movement."

"It's a common sentiment up there right now," Simon told him, "Skolnik, Massimaferro Village, Ralton and to a lesser extent Hulkensuxor."

Medo nodded and leaned against a tree to sip on his coffee and take a good look at his representative. Simon had gained nearly six inches since they first met, putting him to a strapping six-foot two inches tall. It still disconcerted Medo to have to look up instead of down at that smile. Medo had stalled at five feet nine shortly before he was chosen as apprentice.

"So do you have any good news from that area?" Medo asked him, "Is anything going right?"

"Yes," Simon nodded, "A few things are."

"What?" Medo wondered.

"The system is working," Simon said, "The citizenship classes are overflowing, but the Siraqis who cross want a good life here in Mullinix."

"So you think that if we throw more people to the education system up there it will be ok?" Medo wondered, "Somehow I doubt that."

"Not so much ok," Simon said, "But it will be a start. Those northern areas weren't our most populous anyway. There's not much we can do directly anyway without taking on the King of Siraq and his army."

"It's nearly time for trade talks with him," Medo said, "I may have to bring it up then."

"I figured as much," Simon agreed, "Is Roland going with me or are you going to send him because he's better at this?"

"I don't feel like insulting them right now," Medoferro said, "It is enough of a powder keg without that. I do want to know who is on the other side, though. If there's a rival power opening up, we need to know who it is."

"Fair enough," Simon agreed, "When are we going to look into it?"

"They haven't made overtures yet," Medo said, "I will need to do so soon if they don't."

"Give me a few days here first, eh?" Simon asked, "I need rest, relaxation and a good back rub."

"Sascha's been pining for you anyway," Medo grinned, "She's been lonely."

"I hear that Roland has actually been keeping company here," Simon grinned, "He finally leave Sueta?"

"The last kid is in service school," Medo shrugged, "Since he can't stand going home, he rarely does anymore."

"About time," Simon nodded, "So have you had your fill of bad news for today?"

"Enough for now," Medo said, "I need to digest it anyway. I'm supposed to conference over the line with Paulus down in Cirrus later too."

"Who would have thought that area would become one of the quietest?" Simon said, shaking his head, "You think Facie actually learned from the last time?"

"I doubt it," Medo sighed, "Taking those mountains did wonders for calming down the area, but as long as Facie lives he won't forgive us for routing his troops like that."

"Forgive the two of us, you mean," Simon said, "It was that fireball that we did that turned the tide."

"If he ever makes us do that again I swear I'm dropping the fireball right into his palace in Mavelan City," Medo scowled, "I still have nightmares about that damned crater."

"Me too," Simon agreed, "But not tonight. I don't plan to sleep."

"Go on to Sascha," Medo chuckled, "I know you've been waiting for her for weeks."

"Well, not faithfully," Simon said, "But she's definitely worth pining for..."

"Get moving, you hedonist," Medo chuckled, "I'm sure Iggy and Trina will have questions for you tonight, but I've got enough to chew on for now."

"Right," Simon said, "See you later, buddy."

Medo just shook his head and watched his friend bounce off. Some things never change and Simon was one of them.

Chapter 4 - Cirrus City

Paulus Tally, former representative to Massimaferro and Mullinix Colonel of the Cirrus district of the Mullinix Empire, walked up to the foot of the mountain.

Cirrus City was a much different place than it was when he first moved there full time. It was a beaten area, ravaged by years of Mavelan attacks and mismanagement by his predecessor in the job, the traitorous Colonel Ellis LaPorte.

Cirrus was now a vibrant part of the Mullinix Empire. The city and surrounding areas were finally integrated into the empire. During the Mavelan invasion that coincided with Medoferro's ascension they had taken the high ground that the Mavelan army had used for twenty years to disrupt the area. With the stop of the attacks, everything had changed in Cirrus.

Tally walked through the town, looked at the new empire stone buildings, and smiled with pride. He felt that he had made a difference for those people, and it was routinely said in Cirrus that Paulus was every bit the man that LaPorte had not been.

The only building that remained from the years of siege was the old wooden inn, which remained a shrine to the battle that the Mullinix had to fight for freedom. The roof of that Inn was where Medoferro and Simon created the power construct that won them the battle.

Paulus waved to a few of the locals as he walked past the old Inn. The new Inn was a mile away to be closer to the base, though the old one still stood. It had been turned into a museum by Mullinix decree so that no one would ever forget what it meant to be a Mullinix citizen.

He walked up the foot of the mountain as his body let him feel every one of his fifty-eight years. He hated making this trip, but Cholt had requested his presence directly.

When he made it to the front gate he met two austere Mullinix veterans, both of which looked him over carefully.

"Good morning," Paulus said, "General Cholt asked for my presence up here."

"Yes sir," one of them said, "You are expected. I assume you know the way?"

"I should by now," Paulus agreed, "Thank you."

The guard signaled inside for the gate to open. Paulus walked in and followed the dark tunnel until some light finally came up. The fortress was an extensive one, as the Mullinix had found out after routing the Mavelans from it.

Paulus hated the entombed feeling he got in this place, but Cholt had been insistent. He kept going and found the main office. Cholt's secretary, a young woman in the second year of her Mullinix service, looked up and smiled.

"Colonel Tally?" she asked, "General Cholt asked me to have you go in when you came."

"Thanks," Paulus said and walked in the door.

Cholt was sitting in his chair, feet up on the desk as they usually were. He was reading reports and didn't particularly notice Paulus. Paulus noticed that Cholt's uniform was as rumpled as always, one of the reasons he liked the man.

"Why did you drag me up here, Cholt?" Paulus asked him, "You know my knees are getting worse."

"I need you to report something to Medoferro," Cholt said, looking up, "In order for him to believe it you will need to as well."

"Believe what?" Paulus asked him, "Did you find something in the Labyrinth? I thought you finished exploring it years ago?"

"It's nothing on our side," Cholt said, standing up and putting the reports down, "Come on with me. You won't believe this."

Paulus was intrigued. Cholt usually didn't beat around the bush about anything. That was one of the reasons Medoferro put him in charge of the Cirrus military district. Cholt didn't give or take any bullshit.

"I'm following you," Paulus said.

Cholt ambled on to the back of the fortress, which had originally been the Mavelan entrance to it. Cut into solid rock, the door had been reinforced since the Mullinix force had moved in, but they had left open a window area so they could watch the Mavelan side of the border down below. From this vantage point with a spyglass you could see for miles into the Mavelans.

"I've seen this view before," Paulus protested, "Don't tell me they are massing again?"

"Look," Cholt told Paulus, handing him the spyglass, "You tell me."

Paulus took the spyglass and looked out into the neighboring country. Shortly after the failed invasion ten years earlier, King Facie had the remains of that army, or at least those of them that survived the purge, form a large encampment.

They had been largely dormant ever since, mainly a self-defense measure from a country they feared would do the same thing they would have done in the Mullinix position. The Mullinix, however, were perfectly content with just keeping the war in the past.

Paulus looked around, expecting to see what he usually did, a large encampment of Mavelan troops. This area had become their training ground, mainly because they had no other real rivals for power. Sotanberg to the northeast was too big and there was nothing in Damascas to take.

What he saw this time, however, was a group rapidly packing up for deployment. The whole encampment, now half the size it had been when Paulus had seen it a year earlier, was getting ready to go somewhere.

"What the hell?" Paulus asked Cholt, "They're leaving in one hell of a hurry, aren't they?"

"Yeah," Cholt nodded, "I have a source on the other side of the border, gives me information in trade for goods that he can sell over there. Evidently, something is brewing in the south and Facie needs the troops there."

"You mean Facie is leaving this border undefended?" Paulus asked, surprised, "He trusts us as far as I could throw this fortress."

"He is furious at us," Cholt said, "But evidently whatever is happening in the south is scaring the hell out of him. Did you notice how fast those people are moving?"

"When did this start?" Paulus asked him.

"Two days ago," Cholt replied, "Half that camp has packed up and left in less than 48 hours. At this rate that camp will be a ghost town by the end of the week."

"Gods," Paulus said, looking out a bit more, "It usually takes Facie longer than that to figure out how to get his thumb out of his ass."

"I think it would behoove us to find out just what the hell is going on in the South Mavelans," Cholt said, "I have a few Mavelan speakers I trust for the job, but I'm betting that Medoferro would prefer to have Rav Suvorov run the mission."

"You're probably right, Suvorov is better suited to run a job like this," Paulus said, handing the glass back, "Medoferro will want to know this as soon as possible. I'm due for a conference with Trina this afternoon. I'll get her to pull him in."

"Make sure you get either him or Trinaferro," Cholt said, "You know Insegniferro will never set Suvorov loose."

"Medoferro makes the decisions," Paulus said, "And I agree with you. If it is important enough for Facie to move troops that quick, we need to know what it is."

"Something has spooked them, that's for sure," Cholt agreed, "You would have thought I was overreacting without seeing this, that's why I got you up here."

"You did the right thing," Paulus agreed, "I need to get back. I'm sure Medoferro will set things in motion."

"If Suvorov needs people let me know," Cholt promised, "I usually use them for quick information jaunts, but some may be suited for his longer missions."

"Fair enough," Paulus smiled, "And they thought separating the guard from the civilian would never work."

"Only works cause we do," Cholt reminded him, "Get moving, Tally. We've both got work to do."

Paulus nodded and headed off. He just wondered where this was going to lead.

Chapter 5 - Domestic Discourse

Trinaferro put the large headdress on the rack and pulled back her dark hair. Tying it off with a string she did the usual neck stretches that she usually did after wearing that gaudy thing.

"I hate that thing," Trina told Iggy, "Who on earth decided on it?"

"I think it dates from the fourth century," Insegniferro told her, "The people were demanding a show and they established that costume. We've been using it ever since."

"Far be it for me to clash with tradition," Trina said, making a face, "At least I don't have to wear it all the time like Medo does."

"Your boyfriend got a raw deal," Insegniferro admitted, "Worse than I did, even. I at least had six years to get used to the idea. He had less than six months."

"I remember," Trina said, "Unlike most Mullinix I had an idea of what was going on when I came in."

"And you chose to do it anyway," Iggy grinned, "Now who's got a raw deal?"

"I think that would be me," Medo said, walking into the room, "What's going on?"

"Just talking about Tradition," Trina said, rushing over to him and giving him a light kiss, "How's Simon doing?"

"Tired of riding," Medo said, "Pretty much confirmed what we've been thinking and given me some other things to think about."

"What?" Insegniferro asked, "More problems."

"Things are getting worse in Siraq," Medo confirmed, "There is minor skirmishing between the King's troops and rebels. Not sure where the hell they are based."

"Wouldn't surprise me if they're being at least egged on by the radical elements in Skolnik and Ralton," Iggy said, "We need to watch that and make sure we don't appear to be cooperating with it."

"Right," Medo agreed, "I will send a representative to see whether we can get the trade talks going. I want the opportunity to ask him what the hell is going on up there."

"We need more than his word," Trina said, "I've never met him, but from what everyone said he's a lying cheating bastard."

"His parentage is known," Iggy said, "That's what got him the job. He's the only male child that wasn't a bastard in the literal sense."

"Simon wants us to hire someone to check out Siraq proper," Medo said, "I think it might not be a bad idea."

"Has to be someone not affiliated with us," Iggy said, "If they get caught asking too many questions it won't be pretty."

"Might be able to get one of the travelers to do it," Trina suggested, "They go up to Massimaferro Village all the time to trade. The King allows it because it brings commerce but knows they won't answer to Siraqi law."

"It is an idea," Medo agreed, "Suvorov would probably know where to find someone to do that as well. He's pretty good at the underside of the security business."

"At least now that he's off the sauce," Trina said, "Wait a minute, doesn't he speak Siraqi?"

"Either that or Mavelan," Medo said, "Wouldn't that be a bit close though?"

"Only if he got caught," Iggy said, "Couldn't hurt to ask him. He'll know someone if he doesn't want to do it."

"I hate this part of the job," Medo said, "But we need to know so we know what to expect."

"You're learning," Iggy said, "We can invite Suvorov up tonight."

"Trina is due for a call with Paulus in a few minutes," Medo said, "Want me to join in?"

"I'm tired," Trina said, "Think you can take it?"

"I'm in for this one," Iggy said, "Medo and I can handle it."

"I'm going to go stretch and do a workout," Trinaferro said, glad to get out of it, "You boys can handle this. I've also got a new letter from my sister."

"Very well," Medo said, "You can handle the report sifting afterwards."

"Very nice," Trina said, making a face, "I'll think about it."

"Just so long as thoughts turn into action all is well," Medo grinned, "Right, Iggy?"

"Perception is reality," Iggy agreed, "So they say. I'm getting less and less entangled in that."

"Well perceive me telling you where to get off," Trina said sweetly as she headed off, "See you at dinner, guys."

Medo and Iggy just chuckled and headed off to talk to Paulus Tally over the circuit system.

Chapter 6 - A Minor Quake

"I don't know what to make of it," Medo said to Iggy as they left the communications room, "What the hell is Facie up to this time?"

"I don't know," Insegniferro admitted, "Maybe he has a new threat to the south that we don't know about?"

"I personally know nothing of the nations down there," Medo admitted, "I never really thought about what was south of the Mavelans. I know intellectually there has to be something, because Facie isn't strong enough to wipe the floor with us and the continent is too big for them to go that far south, but I didn't think there was anything organized."

"There never has been," Iggy admitted, "South of the Mavelans was a polyglot of small fiefdoms, none of whom really answered to anyone else."

"I'm amazed no one tried to build anything bigger?" Medo said, "What is it like down there?"

"I've never been, the furthest I've been is the imperial city of Sotanberg," Iggy said, "That was forty years ago, when Tali and I made the trip. I was in my second year of apprenticeship."

"Why do I get the feeling we need to know more about what is going on down there?" Medo said, "Facie hates our guts, he's just been waiting for a chance to send his troops back over the border again. Something big has to be going on."

"I still have informal contacts with our counterparts in Sotanberg," Insegniferro said, thinking, "He mentioned that they had been in a battle to the south a few years back. We're overdue for correspondence, anyway, so I'll send a message asking what they know about to the south of the Mavelans."

"Sounds like a good plan," Medo agreed, "I want to know before it gets out of hand."

They walked together and headed to the common area, figuring that Trinaferro probably was there working on her paperwork after her workout. She needed to know what they had found out as well.

Suddenly, a shaking visibly made the stone building move. Medoferro looked around and saw that the magnetic fields that he was used to seeing in a stable formation were going in directions that he wasn't used to.

"Get to a doorway!" Medo yelled, "It's the most stable part!"

Insegniferro, knowing Medo's abilities, followed his advice and made for the doorway. Medo tried to stabilize the waves around him, but the disruption was too massive, all he could do was hold on like Insegniferro did.

The two men held on as the palace shook. Medoferro felt powerless as he heard cracking in some areas and thought he heard a building collapse in another part of the capitol.

Nearly two minutes after it had begun the waves started righting themselves and the shaking stopped, leaving the capital at rest, finally. Medoferro watched in wonder as things went back to normal.

"What the hell was that?" someone yelled, "Is everyone all right?"

"It was an earthquake," Insegniferro said, "You all right, Medo?"

"Yeah," Medo nodded, shaking his head a little, "Just a bit shook up. I think I heard a building collapse."

"I didn't notice anything," Iggy said, "I'll check on the house staff. If a building did collapse go find Simon."

"Yeah," Medo agreed, "He and I can try to pull people out. Good thinking, Iggy."

"Glad I'm good for something," Iggy mumbled, "Now go!"

Chapter 7 - Rescue

"Simon!" Medoferro yelled as he headed to the front, "Where are you?"

"What the hell was that?" Simon exclaimed, climbing down the stairs and pulling a shirt on, "I promised Sascha that I'd make the earth move, but I didn't mean that literally!"

"Earthquake," Medo said unnecessarily, "Something collapsed, I'm not sure what but we'd best find out and damned quick."

"Yeah," Simon nodded, "Where's Trin?"

"Hell if I know," Medo said, "She was supposed to be doing paperwork."

They ran to the office and found Trinaferro sitting on the floor shaking her head a little. Part of the decorative ceiling tile had come off and she looked as though she had been hit.

"You ok, Trin?" Medo asked her, getting down there, "Looks like you caught some of that tile."

"I'm ok," Trinaferro assured him, "I've never been through a quake like this."

"Neither have I," Medo admitted, "Something collapsed out there though. We need to find out what."

"Go," Trina told him, "If there's a collapse they will need you and Simon."

"Find your sister's power user formula, ok?" Medo said, "I have a feeling we'll need some."

"Yep," Trina agreed, "Right after I get someone to patch this gash on my head."

Medo took a good look at her to make sure that she wasn't underestimating her injury. She smiled at him and he knew she was fine. He grabbed Simon and they headed out into the courtyard.

"Mullinix," a young guard said, saluting Medoferro, "Are you all right, sir?"

"I'm fine," Medo said, "What collapsed?"

"It came from the school area," the young guard said, "I was going to go there, but the captain said to stay here."

"Good," Medo nodded, "Grab four others and follow me."

"Yes sir!" the guard exclaimed.

The guard found four others and they followed Medoferro and Simon as they made their way to the service center grounds. They were familiar with the area as it was where they first met.

"That's not good," Simon exclaimed, "There was a building there a couple hours ago!"

Medoferro muttered an expletive and ran full out for the collapsed building. Several dozen people were there already, most of them trying to pull out the students.

"How many people were in there?" Medo asked.

"It came down too quick," one dust covered boy said between coughs, "I barely made it out."

"We need more power users," Simon muttered, "This is a disaster of the first magnitude."

"No kidding," Medo said, "Could be up to five hundred people in there."

"Medoferro!" a familiar voice said, "A word?"

Medoferro turned around and saw a familiar face. The old man he had trained with ten years earlier was standing there with his usual serious look. He had not changed much, looking as strong and as old as he had ten years earlier.

"I should ask why you've come," Medoferro said, "But it is obvious."

"You need power users," the old man said, "I have friends with me that are power users as well."

The old man indicated the three people that were standing behind him. They were all young, looking a bit younger than Medoferro and Simon, but neither one would look a gift horse in the mouth at this point.

"We'll take all the help we can get," Medo said, "How good are they?"

A smile formed on the tallest of the group, one that mixed a little bemusement with mirth. Medoferro and Simon recognized the look as they had seen it among very capable people in the past.

"We know what we're doing," the tall man said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mullinix."

"I didn't mean to be condescending," Medo said, "It's been a long day."

"It's all right," he said, "Let's get these kids out of here, shall we?"

"They may know what they're doing," Simon said, "But I sure as hell don't."

"Probably the best thing to do is to scan for life waves," the tall man said, "Can you do that?"

"I can," Medo said, "Simon probably can't, but I can use him to boost me through a thicker area."

"You can augment each other?" the young blonde woman asked impressed, "I didn't realize the old man taught that."

"I don't," he said, "They puzzled it out on their own."

The girl nodded and looked very impressed by that piece of information.

"There will be time for that later," Medoferro said, "Let's get these kids out of here."

It worked that way for the next two hours. The power users worked in teams to find any living victims. They were all dead tired when Trinaferro showed up with the potions. Medoferro and the tall man were sitting silently fighting the effects of reaction headaches by this point.

"Here," Trina said as she handed a bottle of horrible tasting liquid to Medoferro, "How is it going?"

"We've saved fifty or more," Medo said, "Thank gods we have the old man's friends here."

"I'm just glad we were around," the tall man said, "Is that what I think it is?"

"It's a brew my sister passed on to me for power users," Trina nodded, "Do you need one?"

"Yes," the tall man nodded, "It's been a while since I've worked myself this hard."

"Those reaction headaches are a bitch," Medoferro agreed, "I never did catch your name?"

"Mason," he said, "I guess I don't have to ask yours."

"I try to forget about that," Medo said, taking a drink of the foul liquid, "Right now I'm just another power user trying to get kids out of this mess."

"Where is Simon?" Trina asked him, "He'll need some of this too."

"He was assisting Karen," Mason said, "Last I saw them they were assisting Jim with a lift and push."

"I almost think I need to take lessons from you," Medo said, "You know things that I've never even read about."

"We have had more time to practice and experiment than you have," Mason said, "You've got enough problems."

"Right," Medo nodded, "Probably should bring some of these to them, Trin."

"Medo!" Simon yelled, "We need you over here! Quick!"

Medo and Mason stood up and ran over to Simon's voice. The young blonde girl was straining as she pushed power towards a piece of stone that was teetering.

"There are three of them under there," Simon explained, "But if that stone goes they are dead."

"We can move it," one of the workers said, getting waved off by the old man.

"You go under that you'll die too," the old man said, "Let the power users handle it."

"I can't hold it for much longer," the girl said, "Jim, can you get in?"

"I can't penetrate your force without you releasing it," Jim said, "Mase, we need some help here."

"Let me try something," Medoferro said, "I'm going to create a construct. Simon, when I light up the entrance, start throwing power, but carefully. I don't want you to drain."

Simon nodded and waited for Medoferro to do his work. Medoferro made what was essentially a magnetic power jack, one that could feed off the power supply given to it. When he had it working underneath the rock, he lit the entrance for Simon. Simon started pushing power slowly, increasing until he could take over.

"I'm letting go," Medo said, "Karen, slowly release and let Simon take the weight. He's better positioned for it than you are."

Karen nodded and slowly released. The slab dropped a little, but the power jack that Simon was funneling into kept it in place.

"Good job," Mason said, "Now we need to get that thing out of there."

"Can either of you feed?" Medo asked, "We need to know where those kids are."

"I can," Jim said, "Just show me where. Light it up for me like you did Simon."

Medo nodded and looked at the young man that was going to feed him. It was the first time in a decade of power use that he'd used anyone's stream but Simon's. Jim had long, stringy and very unkempt hair, but his eyes also had a look of experience. He readied the construct and lit it up.

"Let's go," Medo said, "Feed me so I can find them."

Jim did so, pushing slowly and more gently than Simon ever could. Simon's touch was like a battle axe compared to Jim's katana. Medo went deeply, finding a clear picture. This area was a stairwell that went to a basement. There were ten kids in various states of consciousness.

Medo tried to break the contact, but he wasn't used to the touch of Jim's power and got pulled in to him a little. He started seeing many things he knew he shouldn't have been, but was powerless to pull himself out.

"Damn," Mason said, "Jim, push him out!"

Jim pushed back against Medoferro, sending him falling over as he roughly came out of Jim's power stream. Trinaferro went over to him and had him sip out of the bottle.

"You ok?" Trina asked him.

"Not used to his power stream," Medo coughed, "Sorry."

"Power sharing is a pain in the ass," Mason said, "Don't sweat it. How many were there?"

"Ten," Medo said, "All still alive. Looks like the base of a stairwell."

"How deep?" the old man asked.

"A good bit," Medo said, "Not sure I would have seen it with just Simon."

"I don't care," Simon grumbled, "Hurry up, will ya?"

"We need to create a power slide," Mason said, "Karen and Jim will feed me. Medo, try to do a guide to help the slab fall out of the way."

"Right," Medo said, glad for the lighter role, "Let's see how you do."

Mason created the power slide, using the power in a way that was alien to Medoferro. Medo watched in wonder as he created two separate entry points for the power. Jim and Karen pushed their power in, to create a near solid barrier for the piece.

"Medo," Mason said, "We've got the guides, give it a push and dissolve the construct you created with Simon."

Medoferro nodded and went over to the side where Simon was sweating. Simon pushed the power and looked at Medo. Medo watched the construct and made sure it would dissolve as he needed.

"Simon," Medo said, "I'm going to start pushing on the rock. When I say let go, withdraw power and let it fall."

"Do it quick or you won't be able to control it," Simon grunted, "I'm about to pass out here!"

Medoferro nodded and took a deep breath. He pushed the slab with a concerted push of power and found it moving a bit with him. He told Simon to let go and gave a full power push to get it started.

When the construct collapsed, so did Simon and so did the slab. Mason's construct held it, however and it slid along the track that he intended. The old man went over as it fell and when it stuck he used power blows to crack the slab so it would fall apart and let the rest of it fall.

When the large slab was out of the way the building was stabilized using wood by the workers and the power users all retreated and collapsed until Trinaferro brought them the awful liquid that made them feel better.

"Ok," Medoferro said, "You guys are good."

"We've had more time to practice," Jim said, "You rule a nation. We're nobodies who have time to play with this stuff."

"I wouldn't go that far," Karen said, "But we've had more time."

"Thanks for being here," Simon said in between sips, "Any advice for us?"

"Not that we could implement without more training than you would have time for," Mason said, "For what you use it for you are probably better than we are. I've never been all that good at truth telling and word is you're as good as Taliaferro was."

"I try," Medoferro said, "Look over there!"

The workers finally cleared a passage and got the first of the kids out. This brought a cheer from the crowd as they were taken out one by one. Two hours later and a lot of scanning later they ran out of live ones.

"This isn't going to be pretty," Medo said, "At least a hundred kids died in there."

"It would have been more if it hadn't been for you and the old man's people," Simon told him, "We saved the lion's share of them. All told it wasn't too bad."

"I want all the buildings checked," Medoferro said, "Until they are judged sound and we know what happened to cause the quake the students can stay in tents in the main yard."

"I'll set that up," Trinaferro promised, "You and Simon need to go sleep. That potion only helps so much and if you don't sleep soon you'll have a reaction headache for a week."

"I can do that," Medo said, "I want people to look into this. I want to know why the building came down and what started the quake."

"Iggy and I can do that," Trina said, "You go to bed now. I'll have Marina strap you in if you don't go willingly."

"Now that's a game I haven't played in years," Medo grinned, "Rather play it with you later though."

"We'll talk about it," Trina said dryly, "Where's the old man?"

"He and his people departed to get out of the way," Simon said, "Told me to tell you that you could come see him later."

"After I sleep," Medo nodded, "Ok. It's nearly midnight. Session is cancelled tomorrow. We'll deal with the rest of it later."

Chapter 8 - The Ancient Ones

The old man reclined on his chair, stretching out for a bit of comfort. He sipped on a bit of the liquid that Trinaferro had insisted he take with him and was amazed that it worked so well.

"If only I'd had this years ago," the old man said, "I could have avoided many headaches."

"I'd like to meet the woman who made it," Mason agreed, "The kid is every bit as good as you said he was, by the way."

"Easily as good as Taliaferro," the old man agreed, "Maybe better because he's practiced it more. I may be biased though because I taught Medo."

"He has more of the talent than Taliaferro did," Mason said, shaking his head, "Tali couldn't master the art of making constructs like Medo did today."

"I was impressed," Karen said, "Worth the trip, that's for sure."

"Why the hell are you here anyway?" the old man said, "Nice dancing around your identities, by the way."

"There are very few people still living in Mullinix who have seen us in person," Mason reminded him, "You and a few of your contemporaries. Most of them are so senile they don't remember us at all."

"That doesn't answer the main question," the old man said, "Why are you here, Mason?"

"Bolantine," Mason said, "I'm sure Medoferro has heard by now that the Mavelan troops have packed up in one hell of a hurry."

"I've heard of him," the old man said, "You mentioned him when you were here when I was young."

"Son of a bitch is older than I am," Mason said, the dislike apparent, "Just like me he doesn't know how to stay dead."

"Neither does Nikki," Karen said, "She made it through the cataclysm too."

"Who is Nikki?" the old man asked, "Or do I want to know?"

"Nikki is the one person who loves Bolantine," Karen said, "She's just as rotten as he is too. A real cowgirl that one."

"Cowgirl?" the old man asked.

"Pre-cataclysmic expression," Mason explained, "Means that she's the type that does the hands on and goes at it with a vengeance."

"So what no good are they up to? The old man asked, "I mean you usually don't show yourselves without a reason."

"He's building in the south," Mason said, "He's actually managed to build a nice little empire down there. I knew he had a small area, but he's grown pretty damn quick over the last two centuries. In the last decade he's managed to consolidate most of the unsettled areas in the south."

"You think he's got designs on Mullinix?" the old man asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"He wants the world," Mason said, "Always has. That's the only reason he worked with me to try to stop the cataclysm. If it had succeeded completely there wouldn't have been a world to rule."

"Why didn't you stop him before," the old man asked, "Before he had an empire behind him?"

"We've tried for years," Mason explained, "Unfortunately he's had as much experience as we have. He's also a power user, damned if I know where he picked it up though."

"He was lucky enough to have the talent too?" the old man asked, "So how soon do we have to worry about him?"

"Depends on how fast he powers through the Mavelans," Jim said, "That's why we're here."

"The Mullinix are one of the few nations out here that are generally good," Mason said, "That's why Bolantine will end up here eventually. Better to prepare now."

"Great," the old man sighed, "So how long do we have?"

"It's not immediate," Mason assured him, "Bolantine has time. So do we. The bigger problem is that earthquake."

"It was manmade, wasn't it?" Jim said, "You saw it when it was happening."

"Just like the one Bolantine caused by accident a thousand years ago," Mason said, "I don't think it was him this time though. He's too far south."

"Besides," Karen reminded him, "Word is he's got his hands full consolidating the western military district and making feints at the Mavelans."

"This came from the north somewhere," Mason said, "What is up there nowadays?"

"Serenia, Siraq and Gottgol," the old man said, "Been that way for centuries."

"Last time I was here I didn't care about that area," Mason reminded him, "I usually don't come up here unless I need to. Between the Mullinix and the Sotanberg emperors this area is usually calm."

"If you had your guess," Karen asked the old man, "Which of the three is going to be the problem area?"

"Gottgol is a Democracy," the old man said, "Calm usually, probably not them. They usually can't decide on a sandwich without a dozen committee meetings."

"I've lived in a Democratic government before," Mason said, "They are often ineffectual. How bad are the special interests?"

"I've never been there personally," the old man shrugged, "I haven't left Mullinix since I was a teenager. I haven't heard anything about it though and there are few problems with emigration."

"That leaves the other two," Jim said, showing his keen grasp of the obvious, "Serenia and Siraq."

"Serenia is a nation of religious fanatics," the old man said, "Siraq is a hereditary monarchy. They are ruled by an idiot who has been sucking his people dry. The papers are full of him since Medoferro cleaned up the Cirrus region ten years ago."

"Bad guy?" Mason asked.

"Slime," the old man confirmed, "Pure slime. We're at peace mainly because they know we won't take any crap from them. That and we fund half their economy now."

"Lovely," Karen said, "Why do you do that?"

"River access," the old man shrugged, "The river is the easiest way to ship things to Sotanberg."

"Also beats a war," Mason nodded, "The Mullinix are expedient. Sounds like the way they are going the Siraqis will be able to rise up."

"Do you have a map?" Jim asked, "We should be able to track what is going on."

"Sure," the old man nodded, "On the bookshelf."

Jim went over and grabbed the map. He and Mason took a good look at it, checking out the map for a direction where the quake might have originated.

"Looks like Siraq," Mason said, "Serenia is too far west."

"Think they did it on purpose?" Karen asked, "I mean even Bolantine did it by accident, meddling with something he didn't understand."

"Probably not," Mason said, thinking about it a little, "I think I need to make a trip up there."

"What do I tell Medoferro?" the old man asked, "I mean, he needs to know about this, right?"

"He needs to know about both threats," Mason said, "But I need a handle on it. How much does he trust you?"

"I trained him," the old man said, "Other than that..."

"He's got a good heart," Karen said, "What is the plan?"

"I don't have one yet," Mason admitted, "I think we need to split forces."

"I don't speak any of the languages up there," Jim said, "Hell, I need to work on my Mullinix still."

"Mullinix is nothing more than a descendant of pre-cataclysmic English," Karen said, "What language do they speak up there?"

"Southern Siraq is more Mullinix than anything," the old man told them, "Northern Siraq is their own language, generally called Siraqi around here. Rarely heard inside our borders."

"We'll figure it out when we head up there," Mason said, "We've forgotten more languages than you've heard of. We'll figure it out while we travel."

"Jim," Karen said, "Why don't you stick around here and help Medoferro out? You can work on your Mullinix and teach him some control techniques."

"I'll arrange it if you're willing," the old man said, "If this is as nasty as you think it is going to be, Medo could use the extra training."

"Sounds like we have a plan," Mason agreed, "Now I'm going to sleep so I don't have to drink anymore of that vile brew."

"My house is your house," the old man said, "Unlike you I actually feel my age, so I will do the same."

Chapter 9 - Taking Stock

Medoferro woke up and shook his head a little. He knew something was off kilter, but he couldn't figure it out immediately. It was somewhat familiar, but not.

"Medo," Marina said, "You've finally woken up?"

"Yeah," Medo nodded, "Why are you here?"

"You were shivering," Marina said, "Trina had to take session for you today. There was a nasty custody dispute that was about to send Shanxie into a major feud."

"How long have I been out?" Medo asked her.

"About a day and a half," Marina told him, "That's why Trina told me to get in here with you. She was afraid you'd gone into reaction shock and she didn't want someone unfamiliar in here if you woke up in delirium."

"Good thinking," Medo nodded, "I'm fine. Just overdid it."

"I figured," Marina nodded, "You went into REM sleep a few hours ago. Reaction shock shuts the brain down."

"I guess I just needed sleep," Medo said, "I need some coffee and I need to get back up to speed. How bad was the damage?"

"A few collapsed buildings," Marina said, "Nothing else on the scale of the school."

"Thank the gods for that," Medo nodded, "Have everyone who's here meet in the ante-chamber in 20 minutes."

"You sure you're up for this?" Marina asked him, "Simon isn't much better than you are. He woke up this morning."

"I need to get a handle on this and I'm going to go stir crazy now that I'm awake," Medo told her, "Get everyone together, ok?"

"All right," Marina smiled, "Brings back old memories, doesn't it?"

"A few," Medo smiled at her, "Though you seem to spend a good bit of time with Roland when he's here now though."

"I guess my emotional black hole is a relief for him," Marina said, "Considering the emotional vampire he's married to."

"I see you've met Sueta," Medoferro chuckled, "That's ok, I think you're nicer than she is anyway."

"Glad you think so," Marina chuckled, pushing her red hair back, "I like him, despite the age difference."

"Age isn't everything, Marina," Medo reminded her, "You're good for each other."

"He's here this morning, by the way," Marina said, "You want him too?"

"If you didn't wear him out too much," Medo grinned, "I want the whole crew."

"I'm sure they'll be there by the time you are," Marina promised him, "See you in a few."

Marina bounded out the door, still the bundle of energy that she had always been. In some ways, Medo still loved the girl, especially since she was a big reason he'd survived in the job before Trinaferro was sucked in.

He smiled a little at the memories while he got up and got dressed. He pushed his hair back, getting annoyed with it again. He knew he needed to have it cut off again. Once he had it pushed back the way he liked he headed out of the room and down the stone stairs.

"We're in the kitchen, Medo," Simon yelled when he saw Medo pass.

Medoferro turned around and walked in to find everyone sitting around a table. Marianna and Marina were passing out food to the assembled group, all of whom looked tired.

"You look like hell, Medo," Stacy Cossy said, "And I rode all night to get here."

Stacy Cossy had been a guard before being chosen as Trinaferro's personal representative and this guard experience brought a tendency for her to speak her mind freely. Medoferro chuckled and shook his head.

"What do you want to drink, Medo?" Marianna asked him, "Your usual mud?"

"Yes," Medo nodded, "So what do we know?"

Everyone started to talk at once, causing Medoferro's headache to return. He took stock of who was there and talking. Stacy, Trinaferro, Simon, Insegniferro and Roland.

"Hold it," Medo said forcefully, "One at a time, please."

"What do you want first, Medo?" Simon asked him, "If your head is anywhere near as screwed as mine is then you'll need it in small doses."

"Damage and casualties," Medo said, getting to what he was most worried about.

"Only a handful of casualties in the city," Roland said, as he'd been the contact on that, "A few heart attacks, one or two people struck by falling debris. That part could have been worse."

"I know more than that died at the school," Medo said, "Do we have a count on that?"

"A hundred and four," Simon sighed, "I found out from the foreman of the recovery project. We saved seventy-three from the rubble. A few dozen more weren't present at the time and lucked out."

"Has anyone spoken with the public yet?" Medo asked, "Or do I need to do that today?"

"I addressed a crowd yesterday," Trinaferro said, "The newshounds got the word that you were sapped from helping with the recovery."

"Ok," Medo said, "Now do we have any idea what caused this?"

"There are no known faults up here," Stacy said, "I had the registrar do a records check and there has never been a quake like that in this area. Quakes like this usually only happen out near Connoer."

"Were there any rumbles anywhere else?" Insegniferro asked, "I never did get that information."

"Nothing that was reported," Stacy said, "I was in Connoer and we didn't have so much as a minor shake where I was. I didn't know you'd had one until I got the news dispatch."

"Was it a power disturbance?" Roland asked Medo, "You're our best power user, Medo. Did you see anything?"

"I've never studied that part," Medo said, "I need to thank the old man and his friends anyway. He'd be the best one to ask about that."

"I'll let you do that," Iggy said, "You know he and I get along like fire and water."

"I never did understand that," Medo said, "What happened between you two?"

"Long story," Iggy said, "It was some history dating back from my first years as Mullinix. We never got along well."

"So how did he end up training Massimaferro?" Medo said, "I'd think you'd have gone somewhere else."

"He is related to Taliaferro," Iggy explained, "Maybe someday I'll go into the story. It's a long one."

"I will need to make a public address soon," Medoferro said, "You don't need me to tell you what to do, so I'm going to go over to the old man's place and see what he knows."

"What about the other issues?" Insegniferro asked, "Siraq and the Mavelans."

"I already called Suvorov back," Simon said, "Not much we can do about either until he gets here."

"Suvorov should be here this afternoon," Trinaferro said, "Why don't we go over to the old man's place and find out what he has to say?"

"You have the rest of that custody case," Iggy reminded her, "Medo and Simon can go alone."

"You're not going?" Trina asked Iggy, "What are you going to do?"

"What I do best my dear girl," Insegniferro smiled, "I will read. Specifically, I will read whatever files they send up. I'll see you all later."

Medo and Trina watched him and grinned. Simon shook his head and looked at Stacy. Roland had known Insegniferro for years and wasn't surprised by this.

"Even after all these years he'd rather read than deal with people," Roland said, "I'll talk to him later."

"Come on, Simon," Medo said, "Let's go talk to the old man and take our beating."

"Right," Simon shuddered, "I'm right behind you."

Chapter 10 - Resonations

Medoferro and Simon walked down the street in Mullinix Centre, taking a less crowded route to the old man's house. It served a double duty, this trip, they got to see how the city fared the quake while they made their way.

"Looks like most of the city held up well," Medo said, "I'm still wondering how that place fell."

"It's a centuries old building, Medo," Simon shrugged, "Could have been anything."

"Something isn't right," Medo said, "I'm hoping the old man can give me something to hold on to with it."

They walked up to the old building that they had spent quite a bit of time in when they were younger, one that gave Simon a backache just looking at. They walked inside and looked for the attack they were expecting to come.

"Don't worry," the old man said, "I'm too old and you two have worked too hard these past days to make it worth the exertion."

"You really are mellowing," Simon grinned, "You used to greet us with a flurry of blows when we walked in the door."

"Don't misunderstand me," the old man said, "I could still wipe the floor with you; it just isn't worth the effort right now."

"I for one," Medo chuckled, "Am not going to challenge that statement in the slightest."

"I take it you two are here for a reason," the old man said, "Come on in, have a drink."

The old man poured two cups of a strong tea that he drank regularly. Simon sipped gingerly while Medo drank it down, loving the strong taste of it.

"No riddles today old man," Medo said, "I'm really not in the mood."

"Of course not," the old man nodded, "I imagine that you've got a horrible reaction headache still."

"It's getting better," Medo said, "But I still have a couple questions."

"How did we know where to go?" the old man asked.

"You got it," Medo said, "You were there before we were and we were much closer to it. How did you know?"

"We felt it," Jim said as he walked into the room, "Mason saw where it was coming from and we made tracks."

"How did he know?" Simon asked, "I felt something, but didn't know what."

"He's highly tuned to earth magnetics," Jim told them, "He's had a lot of practice and we ran into one of these before."

"What was it?" Medo asked.

"It was a power surge," Jim said, "I can't describe the mechanics, but it was basically a release of a supermagnetic force that traveled through iron deposits in the ground."

"Terminating just under the student barracks," Medo said, "I saw the surge, but didn't recognize it."

"If we hadn't seen one before we wouldn't have known it either," Jim said, "We saw one in Sotanberg many years before."

"Is it a natural phenomenon?" Medo wondered, "Or did someone trigger it on purpose?"

"It was triggered," the old man told them, "Most likely not on purpose."

"From where?" Medo said, "Someone in the capital playing with power?"

"The last time was from an excavation," Jim said, "An artifact from before the cataclysm that was found by some people who didn't know what it was."

"You think it was something here?" Simon asked, "I find that unlikely, I mean I've lived here all my life..."

"It wasn't here," Medo said, looking at Jim, "There would have been more of a crater if it had been."

"If it had all gone off at once there would be nothing but a crater where the city was," Jim agreed, "Instead of merely causing a single building to collapse and a small quake."

"Over a hundred people died in that building," Medo said, "You call that small?"

"Compared to what the power would have done had it not gone through the iron ore?" Jim said, "Yes. It lost most of its power over several hundred miles of travel. It wouldn't surprise me if several towns on the travel path felt small shakes as well."

"Hundreds of miles?" Simon asked, "That means..."

"It didn't start in Mullinix," Medo said, "Where did it start?"

"Northeast," Jim said, "Care to render a guess?"

"Siraq," Medoferro seethed, "That tears it..."

"Hold on," the old man said, "Don't do anything rash, Medo."

"Did they do it on purpose?" Simon asked, putting a hand on Medo's shoulder to calm him.

"Probably not," Jim said, "Mason and Karen have gone up in that direction to find out."

"I want Mullinix up there," Medoferro said, "So help me if that idiot up there..."

"What is so important?" Simon wondered, "Why would they do this?"

"You've met him," Medo said, "What do you think, Simon?"

"He probably didn't know," Simon said, "He wouldn't care about our people, but he would care about how much this is going to piss you off."

"If he's working on something this hard," the old man said, "There has to be a reason."

"Mason and Karen have gone up there?" Medo asked, "Who the hell are you guys?"

"Friends," Jim assured him, "We have similar interests."

"I'm sure," Medo said, looking at him, "Except you look younger than me, but speak in a manner that hasn't been common in the empire for centuries."

"I noticed that," Simon exclaimed, "You sound a little like my grandfather, but younger..."

"I learned Mullinix as a second language," Jim explained, "Many years ago..."

"Might as well not hide it, Jim," the old man said, "You can trust them more than anyone else in the empire."

"In other words," Medo said, "Might as well confirm that you're the ancient ones that the old man referred to when he first trained us in power use."

"Ancient ones, eh?" Jim chuckled, "Yeah, I guess that's one way to put it. Immortality is a bitch, you know it?"

"I'm not going to ask how," Medo said, "But the fact that you're here gives me the chills. I remember when I was first training the old man told me that you only show up when bad things are going to happen."

"That seems to be our luck," Jim agreed, "Mason has been a do-gooder ever since I met him. He has a knack for getting us into trouble."

"So what brings you up here?" Simon wondered, "This quake?"

"Incidental," Jim shrugged, "We figured we'd best get to know the current generation of Mullinix, as we'll probably need to work together soon."

"Soon?" Medo wondered, "What is happening that requires that?"

"The Bolantines are heading north," Jim said, "I'll let Mason explain it later. It isn't a pressing issue yet. This quake is a bigger problem."

"So is the refugee influx in Siraq," Simon reminded them, "That may be bigger than all of it."

"We need to bring Iggy and Trina in on this," Medo said, "I take it you stayed behind for a reason, Jim?"

"Yeah," Jim chuckled, "My language skills are terrible. I have a hard enough time with Mullinix and I've been speaking it for centuries. Mason and Karen can pick languages up quick, so they went to check things out."

"Plus they thought that Jim might be useful in training you a bit better," the old man said, "I'm getting too old to train worth a damn and Iggy won't listen to me anyway."

"I also have centuries of experience that you could use," Jim said, "We figured you would be here sooner or later."

"I wouldn't mind some pointers on how to do some things," Medo agreed, "Let's go talk to the full crew about this. You are welcome to join us if you like, Old man."

"I'll pass," the old man smiled, "I'm past caring about that sort of thing. Besides, it will make life easier if I don't have to see Insegniferro again."

"Ok," Medo nodded, "Let's go."

Chapter 11 - A State Trip

Medoferro sat in his usual spot at the head of the table, looking at the usual suspects. It was the first time in months that they'd all sat down together, and the first time in years they were dealing with something this serious.

"You're telling me this originated in Siraq," Insegniferro said, "I find that hard to believe."

"It's the same principle that delivers sound over your lines," Jim told him, "The ground acts as an insulator and the iron ore works just like the cabling you use."

"Like concentrating a lightning strike," Medo finished, putting it into a way he felt Iggy would understand it, "It terminated right under the student building, which is why it collapsed so quickly."

"I don't pretend to understand it," Trina said, shaking her head, "But what do you propose we do about it?"

"Mason and Karen are heading up there to poke around right now," Jim said, "They left last night."

"I know those names from somewhere," Insegniferro said, looking at Jim, "A secret meeting that Taliaferro had when I was a first-year apprentice. He and Crianferro were tightlipped as hell about it, but mentioned your names."

"That was our last trip through here," Jim nodded, "We headed south to keep an eye on the Bolantines."

"Bolantines?" Simon asked, having never heard the name before, "Who are they?"

"I'm betting the reason the Mavelan army went south in a hurry," Medo said, putting two and two together, "Right?"

"Probably," Jim admitted, "Not a big problem yet. Mason will be better able to explain it when he gets back."

"If he gets back," Roland grunted, "Siraq is dangerous as hell right now."

"Somehow I doubt that will be a problem," Medo said, "Think about what Jim said about the last time they came here..."

"That was forty years ago," Roland said, it finally striking him, "You aren't what you seem."

"He gets it," Jim grinned, "I figured you'd be skeptics. Insegniferro, I'm betting that Taliaferro gave you a letter with instructions to open it if asked to do so by a young man with frizzy hair, probably decades ago."

"How did you know about that?" Iggy asked, "No one other than Massy and I knew about that. I hadn't told Medo or Trina about it because I thought it was silly."

"Get it," Jim suggested, "It will explain a bit."

Insegniferro, intrigued by this, decided that he should actually read the letter that Taliaferro had given him over forty years before. He left the group to find it in his room upstairs.

"Who Jim is doesn't matter right now," Medo said, "His explanation makes sense to me as a power user, especially since it didn't come from any known fault lines."

"That means if it came from Siraq there's a problem," Stacy reminded them, "We've never fully rebuilt from the mess down in Cirrus. We've been ramping up a little, but with the Mavelans quiet we haven't needed the expenditure."

"That's about to change," Medo said, "We need to ramp up the military a bit more. I don't like it, but I'll be damned if I'm getting caught with my pants down with this."

"Taliaferro had a way with words," Insegniferro said, coming back into the room and looking at Jim in wonder, "He described you to a T, which is odd because you look like you should have been a child when he died. I take it you are James Entragian. He also described Mason and Karen Stone perfectly as well."

"You are correct, Insegniferro, but please call me Jim," Jim assured them, "As for how Taliaferro knew, I long predate him or you. I'm an immortal, have been since before the empire was formed and this world was formed from the ashes of my old one. I'm here to help, nothing more."

"Why do you care about a nation that you will likely live long past and long predate?" Simon asked him, "Why are you here?"

"We helped found the empire," Jim said, "We were in that bunker where Marcus Mullinix was born after the world changed and we were the first ones out to make sure it was safe."

"So why didn't you run it?" Trinaferro wondered, "I mean, why put us through the pain?"

"Marcus suggested it too," Jim said, "The sad fact is that we're woefully unqualified. Mason is too headstrong, Karen is too shy and I... Well, let's just say I have a past that indicates that I wouldn't be the best person to run a country."

"They also have one major fault," Insegniferro said, grasping it immediately, "They're not mortal. They wouldn't understand well enough to rule over mortals."

"You get it," Jim agreed, "That's the fatal flaw with Bolantine's empire. He doesn't understand human nature anymore. Neither do we, but we are closer to it than Bolantine ever was."

"I agree," Medo said, "But we still have more issues to deal with. We need to find out what Siraq has to do with this. The Bolantines sound nice and horrible, but they are too far south to be a direct threat yet. I'll worry about them later."

"I can see why you are the Mullinix," Jim grinned, "You are to the point. The Bolantines will become a problem for you eventually, but they're too far away for it to matter right now."

"I still think we should send someone into the Mavelans to find out," Stacy said, "I mean waiting until they swallow Facie..."

"Suvorov can set that up," Medo said, "I have an idea on how to handle Siraq too."

"How?" Insegniferro asked, "I'd like to know."

"A massive invasion?" Roland said sarcastically.

"No," Medoferro said, "A small one, in the form of a state visit."

"A state visit?" Trina asked him, "Are you out of your mind?"

"That's playing with fire," Roland said, "Siraq wasn't pleasant at the best of times, it's damn near a war zone now."

"We need to do the trade talks anyway," Simon said, backing up his Mullinix and silently hoping that Medo knew what he was doing.

"We make them come to the border like we've always done," Insegniferro said, "They should accept that."

"It wouldn't serve my purpose," Medo smiled, "You see, I want to put them off guard and I want to see just what the hell they are up to."

"It would also probably get you killed," Stacy said, "Who would that benefit?"

"I don't know," Simon said, "LaPorte tried like hell to kill us when we were younger. We're better at power use now. With a good contingent of guards we could hold off a small army."

"If nothing else," Roland said, warming to the idea slightly, "Maybe Medo can talk some sense into that fool and convince him to take care of his people before he is in a full civil war."

"It's too dangerous," Trina said, "I mean, risking one of us is bad enough..."

"I'd be going alone," Medo said, "You and Iggy would be staying in Mullinix to keep continuity if something goes wrong."

"That only makes me feel marginally better," Insegniferro said, "What do we do if they decide to get a case of stupid?"

"That's where you guys come in," Medo told them, "The Mavelans will probably be quiet for a while. Cholt or Hardin could hold it with his current force, that's evident from his reports. We have a class graduating in two weeks. We deploy them and a group of Cirrus veterans up to the Siraqi border."

"Better Hardin," Trina said, "He's a better organizer. Cholt is better on the fly, and if anything happens with Facie we'll need him there."

"Agreed," Iggy nodded, "We'll handle that when you two have eyeballed it."

"We should do that simply to deal with the influx," Simon told them, "I was there and we've got more people coming in than they know what to do with. Even in Massimaferro Village, probably the best prepared place in the empire to deal with new people, they are being overrun faster than Travis can deal with them."

"And if they do something against me while I'm up there we'll do what the exiles want," Medo said, "We'll do something about Siraq."

"So who would be in the travel party?" Stacy wondered, "I don't like it, but I don't know what else to do either."

"Mostly power users," Medo said, "Me, Simon and Jim if he's willing to go with us."

"Sure," Jim nodded, "I'll go."

"Gotta be more than three," Trina said, "I think I should..."

"Don't even think it, Trin," Medo said, "One Mullinix is bad enough. Two would be suicidal. Besides, you'll have a more important job."

"Which is?" she asked him.

"Get the northern military district together," Medo told her, "If things go badly I want to be able to get back and take control of an organized unit. You can do this better than anyone but Simon and me."

"Where does that leave me?" Insegniferro wondered, "Sitting here twiddling my thumbs?"

"Someone has to take session," Medo grinned, "The Empire won't shut down for this."

"I can do that," Iggy nodded, "I'll stay here and we'll continue to confer through the lines."

"I take it that I'm staying at the government house up there?" Trina said, "Getting to suffer your uncle?"

"I think it is time that Massimaferro village gets its own district," Medo said, "Skolnik and Hulkensuxor are overtaxed as it is and they are screaming for relief."

"So I get the job of kicking him out?" Trina smiled, "I can live with that. Toria has been asking us to replace him for years."

"I'll leave that to you," Medo said, "We'll perform a tour of the northeast while we're waiting for the permissions to come through. I want to see what I'm dealing with on our side before we go there."

"Translation," Jim chuckled, "I'm sick of being cooped up here and want to get out and around."

"Exactly," Medo chuckled, "And I'm sick of this meeting room. Anyone have any other suggestions?"

"Talk to Suvorov before you go," Insegniferro said, "I'm not going to try to talk you out of it. Just make sure that I don't have to go through the damned ascension ceremony a fifth time, ok?"

"You got it," Medo nodded, "Let's get to work."

Chapter 12 - Worries

"You really do like to live dangerously," Rav Suvorov said, frowning a little, "I've had agents up there the last few months. It is a virtual war zone."

"I know," Medo said, "That's why I'm going with a small group. As many power users as I can manage, combined with an elite contingent of guards."

"How many power users?" Suvorov asked him, "I know you and Simon."

"One of the old man's people," Medo said, "That's three."

"Find more," Suvorov suggested, "I'll lead the guard contingent. My agents know me, so they'll know to approach."

"That works," Medo nodded, "So you enjoy the spy game?"

"I still hate it," Suvorov said, "But you're right, I'm damned good at it. I'm hearing rumbles out of the Mavelans too, but my time is limited."

"I want people sent to South Mavelans too," Medo said, "But I don't think that's the important one right now. Siraq is going to fall apart first, and they will be worse to deal with because half their population is all but Mullinix now. They'll be looking to us."

"That figures," Suvorov said, "Though if the Mavelans moved troops that quick we need to know why. I think I know the right kid for that."

"Who?" Medo asked him.

"His name is Lister Black," Suvorov said, "One of the recruits I pulled out of the Cirrus area after we cleaned up the mess down there. He was in and out of the Mavelans until he decided to take a local militia job here to make things right with his wife."

"How good is he?" Medo wondered, "And why do you suggest him?"

"He's smart," Suvorov said, "His family carries the distinctive skin color indicative of the Mavelans. He can blend in."

"What about the wife?" Medo asked, "Do you think he'll want to go back?"

"Word is he's spending most of his time drunk right now," Suvorov said, "I'm betting that the family restoration attempt fizzled and that if I send him back to the Mavelans he'll straighten out."

"Send him," Medo decided, "No major espionage this time. Just find out what the hell is going on down there."

"I can do that," Suvorov nodded, "Back to the more dangerous mission... Do you have candidates for the guard contingent for Siraq?"

"I figured I'd see you on that," Medo grinned, "You know it better than I do."

"Do they have to be active guard?" Suvorov asked.

"I want the best," Medo told him, "I'll leave it to you to find it."

"Right," Suvorov nodded, "This is the payback I get for saving your ass in Cirrus."

"Sure," Medo grinned, "Don't forget. We helped."

"True," Suvorov chuckled, "All right. I'll have a group put together in three days."

"Make sure they're not scared by power users," Medo warned him, "There will be three of us, at least."

"Right," Suvorov nodded, "I can do that. I think I know the right people for the job. How many is the limit?"

"Ten to fifteen," Medo said, "As few as you can manage."

"I'll see what I can do," Suvorov nodded, "See what you can do about another power user, eh?"

"Right," Medo said, "We'll see. Plan on three."

"I can do that," Suvorov agreed, "How soon?"

"Next week," Medo said, "Two at the outside."

"Right," Suvorov agreed, "Time for the fun to begin."

Chapter 13 - Power Users

"What's going on?" Marina asked as she saw the house staff getting into a line, "Something I should know about Medo?"

"We're testing all of you under thirty for power ability," Medo explained, "We need power users we can trust and you guys are the safest we have right now."

"Do you need me to test?" Marina asked, "I'm thirty, but..."

"You qualify," Medo agreed, "Thirty is a guideline. Much older and it gets difficult to push the learning even if you have the innate ability."

"Who is doing the testing?" Marina wondered, "The old man?"

"Jim," Medo said, "He's better at it. Don't worry, Marina. The test is painless."

"Ok," Marina said, "I'll go."

Medo nodded and walked into the small room that Jim was using to test the house staff. He looked up and waved for Medo to come over so he could learn a little.

"You want to learn how to do this test?" Jim asked him, "So you can do it if I'm not around?"

"Sure," Medo nodded, "For what little good it will do."

"I'll show you how to train too," Jim promised, "Call in the next candidate. This girl is dry."

"Thanks," she said, "Sascha, you're up!"

Sascha came into the room and sat down, looking a bit nervous as Jim moved over behind her. Despite his stumbling on the language a little, he managed to make the process a bit easier by injecting some humor into it.

"Don't worry kid," Jim said, "I've been doing this for a long time. It'll be no worse than a simple shampoo."

"What do I look for?" Medo asked him, "Or is it something you do by feel?"

"A bit of both, really," Jim said and put his hands on Sascha's head, "Look at the waves that emanate from my hand."

"I can't see anything," Sascha said.

"You won't," Medo told her, "Requires power sight."

"Exactly," Jim said, "Watch around my fingers as I test."

Medo watched closely and saw that Jim was just pushing a bit of power into her head. Not enough to cause any problems, not even enough to cause any heat. It was enough to interact with the natural flow, however and Medo tried to see what was different.

"Watch the way it interacts," Jim told him, "Nothing special, right?"

"Right," Medo agreed.

"Simon," Jim said, "Mind sitting down for a minute and letting me run the test on you so I can show Medo the difference he's looking for?"

"Sure," Simon nodded, taking the seat, "Have mercy on me, Jim."

"No problem," Jim chuckled, "Watch the waves this time."

Medo watched the way they interacted with Simon's head. It was much different from the way that they had done with Sascha's waves, more light was showing to his sight and it was much more ordered. Medo then realized what was happening. The brain showed its affinity for the waves when pushed like that and reacted as such.

"That's all there is to it?" Medo said, "Push a little and look for reaction?"

"Yep," Jim nodded, "That's all there is to it. Training is more difficult and I'll show you if we find a suitable candidate. But detecting is simple, just takes a good power sight and the ability to push waves lightly."

"Which is why I'll never be able to do it," Simon said, "My sight is near nonexistent and the old man kept telling me I have a touch like a sledge hammer."

"Good way of putting it," Jim nodded, "Medo, do you want to give it a try?"

"Sure," Medo nodded, "I can do this."

"Thanks Sascha," Simon said, "I'll see you later, hon. Can you send in the next one?"

"Sure," Sascha nodded, "Unless you want to go, Marina?"

"I'll do it," Marina said, "I'll be Medo's guinea pig."

Roland walked into the room and sat down, deciding to watch the process that he had just heard about. Jim watched the older man for the first time, seeing something about him that he did not see before. Roland watched the proceedings with a detached curiosity.

"All right," Medo said, "Watch me closely, Jim, I don't want to screw this up."

Jim nodded and shook his head a little bit. He watched as Medo put his hands on top of Marina's head. Medo sighed and started pushing a little bit, hoping he knew what he was doing.

It was not much power he pushed, but something happened. Marina's eyes started glowing and a heavy glow started around Medo's fingertips. Marina did not even notice it, but everyone else in the room was up quickly.

"Shit," Jim said, "Let her go, Medo!"

"I can't," Medo grunted, "She's locked me!"

"Simon," Jim said, "Power ground yourself and grab an arm. Pull him off her!"

"I'll help!" Roland said, but was rebuffed by Jim.

"He'll fry you!" Jim shouted, "Simon, Now!"

"Grounded!" Simon yelled, "3...2...1... Pull!"

They pulled simultaneously and Medo was able to drop the connection. Marina went unconscious and Roland ran over to her, checking to make sure she was still breathing. Medo violently shook his head trying to get his own senses back.

"What the hell was that?" Medo asked Jim, "You said nothing about a reaction like that!"

"I haven't seen one of these in years," Jim said, going over to Marina, "Back off, Roland. I need to drain her properly or she will hurt someone when she wakes up."

"If you did..." Roland started.

"She'll be fine," Jim assured him, "She just needs to be drained a little."

Jim went over and touched her, sending a power line over to the ground, leaving a nice large scorch mark. Marina's body went further limp, but no more sign of light emanated from her. Jim breathed a sigh of relief and nodded at Roland, who took her close to him.

"The question still stands, Jim," Medo said, "What happened?"

"She's an abnormally strong talent," Jim told him, "She's also a power sink."

"Power sink?" Simon said, "What?"

"She is one of those rare folks that don't need grounding," Jim told them, "I haven't run into one of these in better than three hundred years. Power users are rare, but she's exceptional."

"Is she going to be all right?" Medo asked, "Did I hurt her?"

"No," Jim said, "She'll be fine. Once we properly train her, she'll be a formidable power user in fact."

"I'm taking her to her room," Roland said, "She needs rest now."

"Yes she does," Jim agreed, "I'll do the rest of the tests, Medo. I doubt we'll find another power sink, but just in case..."

"I agree," Medo said, "How do you deal with that?"

"Just like we did," Jim shrugged, "Mason is the only one I know with control enough to break away from it. Usually, when it happens to me or Karen the other two have to break the physical connection."

"You could have warned me, you know?" Medo said, "That wasn't pleasant."

"Like I said," Jim told him, "I haven't seen one in three hundred years."

"Well," Simon grinned, "At least we found one."

"Let's check the others," Jim said, "Then when Marina wakes up we can talk to her about what we found."

"That works for me," Medo agreed, "Get the next one, Simon?"

Simon nodded and went out for the next member of the house staff.

Chapter 14 - Lister Black

Rav Suvorov went into Cholt's bar and saw a much different environment than he did the last time he had been in there, a good ten years before. What had once been a hotbed of anti-Mullinix sentiment had turned into a veteran's watering hole, complete with photos and souvenirs belonging to the famous general who once owned it.

He smiled at the change and looked around for familiar faces. He knew who he wanted, but did not know whether Lister would be here or if he would have to search the young man out. Suvorov got lucky, however, and saw the distinctive face of his agent sitting in the corner hovering over a bottle of the cheapest rotgut the bar had to offer.

He walked over to the bartender and put some money on the table. The bartender recognized him and walked over. He looked curiously at the man known to be the Mullinix spymaster. Suvorov smiled and remembered what he liked about the bar and why he had quit drinking in the first place.

"Haven't seen you here in years, Suvorov," the bartender said, "I thought you quit drinking when the Mullinix made you the spymaster."

"I did," Suvorov said, "I need information."

"Lister?" the bartender asked.

"Good call," Suvorov nodded, "How did you guess?"

"Came over the wire this morning," the bartender shrugged, "Facie's army is heading south. Figures the Mullinix wants to know why. Lister is obviously of Mavelan descent. Doesn't take much to do the math."

"Has he talked to you at all?" Suvorov asked, knowing people tended to talk to bartenders.

"His wife and kid told him to sod off," the bartender shrugged, "They went back to Cirrus for good."

"Ouch," Suvorov said, "Ok, I will go talk to him. No more booze for him tonight. Bring us some coffee after I've had some time to talk to him."

"Right," the bartender nodded, "Strong, I take it?"

"As strong as you can," Suvorov nodded, "Thanks."

The bartender nodded and took the money off the table. Suvorov walked over to the booth that Lister Black was leaning against the back of. He looked tired and drunk, but he had not lost his professional eye. He looked up at his former boss and scowled a little.

"Come to join me in the gutter?" Lister asked him, "What do you want, Suvorov?"

"I heard about your wife," Suvorov said, "She went back to Cirrus?"

"She hates the capital," Lister shrugged, "Hates the stares she gets because of my skin and the kids yellowish tint."

"Yeah," Suvorov nodded, "I could never understand that. Especially with how butt ugly some of the people with so-called normal skin are."

"It isn't everywhere," Lister shrugged, "And truthfully, people up here are a lot nicer about it than anyone in the Mavelans ever were. In some areas kids who don't have a healthy shade of yellow are put to death because they 'aren't natural'. They'd have to raze entire cities up here for that."

"It's nothing but pigment, according to the medicos," Suvorov agreed, "Mutated from the magnetic fields down there."

"You didn't come here to discuss skin or my family," Lister said, "What do you want, Rav?"

"Always cut to the chase," Suvorov chuckled, "That's why you were one of our best field agents."

"I'm retired, you know that," Lister said, almost believing it, "The guard has me busy."

"Not too busy to drink," Suvorov noted, "You've been in here every night since Talia left you."

"Heh," Lister shrugged, "Not like I'm doing anything useful anyway. I'm another paper pusher."

"I know," Suvorov smiled, "How would you like to go back to the field?"

"I thought they stopped sending people south?" Lister said, "Or at least not as much."

"Times change," Suvorov reminded him, "The Mavelan Army has gone south. We need to know why."

"Probably decided we were too big," Lister told him, "There are plenty of places on the southern border Facie can beat on without getting his ass handed to him."

"That's what we need to know for sure," Suvorov agreed, "We're hearing rumors of a large group solidifying in the south. If this is a malevolent force, we need to know before they end up on our border."

"No real spy work?" Lister asked him, "Just go down and find out what is going on in the south?"

"That's it," Suvorov agreed and motioned for the bartender, "You go in alone, do what you need to do. I'm not going to tell you how to do it since you know that area better than I do."

"I will need money," Lister said, taking the fresh cup of coffee, "It will be a costly operation."

"Your grandfather is still running the inn down in Cirrus, right?" Suvorov suggested, "Ask him before you go. I can supply you with Mullinix currency to reimburse him with. We don't have a ready supply of Mavelan cash."

"I take it that this is low priority," Lister frowned, "Seeing as you're just sending me."

"It's not low, but it's not immediate," Suvorov assured him, "The immediate problem is Siraq and Medoferro is going to handle that one ."

"Ok," Lister sighed and drank some coffee, "You've got your goat. When do I leave?"

"Take a day and get sobered up," Suvorov instructed him, "You're off the sauce until this mission is over. Report to me when you're cleaned up and we'll go over the details."

"Yep," Lister nodded, "Where at?"

"The palace," Suvorov said, "The Mullinix will want to meet with you before you go."

"Maybe this is important after all," Lister chuckled, "The Mullinix himself, eh?"

"Medoferro has a lot on his plate," Suvorov said, "Be sharp. He'll notice if you're not."

"I will be," Lister smiled, "I actually have something useful to do again. See you tomorrow, Rav."

"Later Lister," Suvorov said and stood up, "Keep drinking coffee."

Lister nodded and took another sip of the brew. Suvorov walked off, leaving Lister to contemplate in peace.

Chapter 15 - Roland and Marina

Medoferro and Trinaferro went to perform session, leaving the others with little to do but wait for them to get out. Jim sat down on a couch and sipped on some of the very black coffee that had been brewed for Medoferro that morning. Roland looked around the room and waited for Marina to wake up.

"How long will she be out?" Roland asked him, "And will there be any injury?"

"She'll be fine," Jim assured him, "Is this room private?"

"As private as we have," Roland shrugged, "Why?"

"I need to talk to you alone, Roland," Jim said, "You're leaking like a sieve."

"What are you talking about?" Roland said, "Leaking?"

"Your shields are breaking down, Roland," Jim said, his eyes driving into him, "You're from the south along with Insegniferro. Grew up with the same prejudices he did about it I'm guessing?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Roland said, though he shifted nervously, "I have no problem with power users."

"Sure you do," Jim smiled, having dealt with this before, "It shows every time the subject comes up. You've been hiding it successfully for years, but your shields are falling apart."

"I don't have shields," Roland protested again, "I'm not a power user."

"You may not be active," Jim said, looking around to make sure nobody could hear them, "But you have the talent and it was trained at some point by someone, otherwise you wouldn't have been able to hide it this long."

"What makes you think..." Roland started, but was interrupted.

"I don't care about your secret," Jim said, "But you're leaking like a sieve, Roland. Medoferro either can't see it yet or hasn't noticed it because of how much he has going on. Simon couldn't see a leak if it occurred in front of him. Marina will be able to see it when she's trained. Not to mention you're going to start projecting emotion before long."

"I'm not a power user," Roland repeated, hoping the subject would go away.

"I don't care," Jim said, "At least let me teach you how to fix those goddamned shields before you fall apart and send all the other power users into spasms."

"But..." Roland said, looking blankly at him.

"That quake would have knocked anyone off their rocker," Jim explained, "You were obviously given rudimentary training to hide yourself and shield it, but the quake unhinged your tenuous hold."

"How long..." Roland asked, his voice not quite holding.

"I knew it when I first saw you," Jim said, "Be glad it was me and not Mason. Mason would have chewed you up and down for not getting yourself trained properly. You've been having headaches since the quake, haven't you?"

"Yes," Roland sighed, "I have."

"That's because your shields don't do squat to protect you from what came up through that iron deposit," Jim told him, "If you want those headaches to stop then you'll let me teach you properly. Even if we have to do it at night when everyone else is asleep."

"I'll think about it," Roland said, "It looks like Marina is starting to wake up."

"I'll get Simon," Jim said, "He can let Medo know. Remember what we talked about."

Roland nodded. He was still a bit disturbed by the fact that Jim could see his secret, but he did his best to focus his attention to the younger woman who was waking up on the bed near him. He stroked her red hair lightly and let her wake up.

"What happened?" Marina asked as she woke up.

"You've got a rare power use talent," Roland said, "Jim or Medo will have to explain it better. I can't."

"Great," Marina frowned, "Did anyone else test positive?"

"Not to my knowledge," Roland said, shaking his head, "I've been with you since you went out. Jim did the rest of the testing."

"I don't know if I'm right for this," Marina sighed, "I mean, Medo is a power user, but I'm not like Medo. I lack a few things inside."

"You don't lack as much as you think you do," Roland told her, "You've always shown your warmth with me."

"Are we interrupting?" Medo said as he knocked on the door.

"Come on in, Medo," Marina said, smiling at Roland and whispering, "We'll finish that conversation later."

Medoferro walked in to the room and was pleased to see that Marina had woken and was looking as well as she was. Jim reentered the room and sat down silently on a chair. Marina perked up a little and looked at them.

"How many did you find?" Marina asked him.

"You were it, kiddo," Jim told her, "Everyone else came up zilch."

"He's right," Medoferro nodded, "You're the only one."

"I don't know about this," Marina said, "I mean, you know what I have missing Medo. I'm the wrong person to have this power."

"You only have what you think you have," Medo told her, "But I'm not going to force you. Unless I miss my guess, the power will remain dormant unless trained. It is your choice, Marina. Hell, I don't know if we can train you."

"I can," Jim said, "And if I can't, Mason can when he returns."

"I need time to think about this, ok?" Marina asked them, "This is a major life change."

"Take your time," Medo said, "Roland, you going to stay with her for a bit?"

"Yeah," Roland nodded, "I think she will need someone to talk to, someone who doesn't have a vested interest in it."

"I do," Marina agreed, "Can we go for a walk, Roland? I need some sun."

"Don't take too long," Jim said, "You've got a few days of training ahead of you if you decide to do it. Don't go to sleep until you decide either. I will need you tired if we go ahead."

"I know the drill," Marina said, "I remember what Medo went through."

"It'll be a bit tougher for you," Jim said, "Your type of talent takes a different training than Medo's did."

"This should be interesting," Medo said, "Ok, I need to go back to Session. Let me know what you decide and if you need my help when it comes time to train."

"Roland," Jim said, "Don't forget what we talked about earlier."

"Right," Roland nodded, though he would have preferred to.

"Let's go," Marina said, "I'll talk to you all later."

The group broke up and left Roland and Marina together. They headed outside and started walking the fields together quietly. Neither one wanted to speak as it was just too nice and too much was going on. Marina had many misgivings over the power she knew had just been dropped in her lap.

"I don't know if I'm ready for this," Marina told Roland, "This scares the hell out of me."

"Me too," Roland admitted, "I don't know what to tell you."

"I know that where you're from the practice of this is forbidden," Marina sighed, "Will this change your opinion of me?"

"Of course not," Roland said, "I don't think badly of power users."

"They need me?" Marina asked, "But I don't know jack about politics..."

"We need you, Marina," Roland told her, "The more power users Medo has available, the better off we'll be."

"I'm afraid of the training though," Marina sighed, "I'm good at some things, but I am terrible with book smarts."

"You're plenty smart when it counts," Roland reminded her, "You can do it."

"I still don't know if I want to," Marina told him, "I'm scared."

Roland walked silently for a moment and thought about it. He remembered the admonishment he received from his uncle many years before. 'Having the power of demons' was something that most people in his community would have been shunned for. It was sheer luck on his part that an uncle who the same 'problem'.

"You are never to tell anyone about this," Roland's uncle had said, "I'll show you how to hide it, but you are never to use this again!"

It had been a point of shame for him, one that he had never even told his best friend about despite working with him for over forty years. Even after Medoferro had been showed to have the same thing and used it to the benefit of the empire he had never budged on it. It had become second nature to deny that it existed in his being.

He knew that Medoferro needed Marina's talents and that she wouldn't agree to do it on her own. He looked at her and let his eyes well up a little bit. She looked at him and knew that something was wrong, but she didn't fathom just how deep mistrust of that power was in his home region.

"They need you, Marina," Roland said, "I'll make you a deal."

"What?" Marina said.

"If you go through the training, I'll go with you," Roland told her.

"But you'd need the talent?" Marina said, "Wouldn't you?"

Roland sighed and did something he hadn't done since he was a child. He held out his hand and let a little ball of light form, surprising Marina greatly. He didn't have the skills to do more than hold it for a few seconds, but it was enough to prove his point. She looked at him in amazement.

"I was always taught it was a sign of the devil," Roland explained, "My uncle taught me how to hide it."

"Why now?" Marina asked him, "Because of me?"

"That's part of it," Roland said, "My shielding is evidently breaking down, probably because of that damned quake. Jim Entragian saw it and started questioning me on it."

"I bet he didn't buy the bullshit did he?" Marina chuckled, "He looks too experienced for that."

"He understood, surprisingly," Roland sighed, "Told me he'd keep my secret if I would just let him teach me better shielding. I guess I might as well own up to it and become useful."

"If you're going, I'll go," Marina said, "We can go through this together."

"You got it," Roland sighed, "Let's go give them the news."

"In the morning," Marina smiled, "Let's go spend some fun time first before we let Jim beat on us."

"That works," Roland grinned, "I feel like a kid again."

"If you feel like one now," Marina smiled demurely, "Imagine how you'll feel when I get done with you."

Roland smiled at that one. He just hoped he made the right decision.

Chapter 16 - Mullinix Instructions

"How are we doing?" Medo asked the people around him, "Any news?"

"The messenger left Skolnik," Simon told him, "They should be in the palace city in a day or two. We're still preparing for that trip. Marina and Roland are starting their classes today. Entragian is teaching them so it should be quick."

"He still makes me nervous," Medoferro grinned, "But you can't help but like him."

"I'm still more shocked about Roland," Insegniferro said, "Having to live with that all these years."

"I'm beginning to think my plan may work," Medoferro said, "Especially with two more power users to bolster the ranks."

"I agree," Insegniferro sighed, "But I still don't like it."

"We have no choice," Medoferro shrugged, "I'm hoping this kid Black is as good as Suvorov thinks he is. I don't like sending people in foreign lands alone."

"Lister Black is the best I ever trained," Suvorov said, "In the five years he worked for me he got more information than any two other agents I had down there."

"I do not doubt you," Medoferro told him, "I dislike the spy business anyway. Unfortunately, it beats the alternative by a long shot."

"Black isn't an active agent, is he?" Insegniferro asked, "I thought we stopped sending anything more than basic inquiry agents down south."

"His wife hated his job," Suvorov explained, "He took a desk job up here two years ago."

"And he's willing to go back again?" Medoferro said, "I'd think he'd be past that."

"I found him drinking down at Cholt's old bar," Suvorov chuckled, "His wife, Talia, left weeks ago. He was falling apart being stuck in that miserable desk job and she hated the stares her yellowed Mavelan pigment got her up here. I tell you, I ever get desk duty like that I'll be eating my sword."

"No worries there," Medoferro grinned, "I'd sooner put you behind a desk as I would have Insegniferro plan a major military invasion."

"You know," Insegniferro pointed out, "I should take offense to that."

"You should," Medoferro agreed, "But you won't because you know it is the absolute truth."

"No denying that one, Iggy," Simon chuckled, "I've played strategy with you before."

"So do you think he'll sober up enough to be of use?" Insegniferro asked, pointedly ignoring the jibes, "We don't need a drunken sot down there to make things worse."

"He'll be sober," Suvorov promised, "If he isn't I'll kill him myself."

"Some things never change," Medo said, "You were that way yourself once."

"That's why," Suvorov agreed, "I know what it's like and how much harm it can cause. I know Lister though. He'll be back into fine form before he crosses the border. He's one of the best and he looks the part."

"How so?" Medo asked, "I thought it was best to be inconspicuous."

"He is," Suvorov said, "He carries the distinctive skin pigment of the capital area. He can blend in as few Mullinix can."

"How about language skills?" Medo asked him, "How good are they?"

"He grew up in Cirrus speaking Mavelan," Suvorov said, "Knows it as well as we know Mullinix. He also knows people on the other side of the border, though he's a bit out of contact."

"When do we get to meet him?" Iggy asked, "I want to see the man we're dooming before we do it."

"He should be here at any time," Suvorov said, "He was going to clean himself up before he came here."

"Not a word about the impending trip while he's here," Medoferro cautioned, "I don't want him to be able to spill that to the Mavelans should he screw up."

"You got it," Simon said, "Not a word."

Medoferro pulled his hair back and leaned in his chair. His head hurt, but he wouldn't let that hold him back. He knew this was too important, especially if what Jim Entragian had told them was true. He needed to know if the Bolantines were planning on taking on the Mavelans.

"You're worried about the Bolantines, aren't you?" Simon asked him, "Entragian does make a good case about them."

"I don't want to deal with another war," Medoferro said, "If Entragian is right then we won't be able to avoid it forever."

"It may take centuries for Bolantine to come this far north," Insegniferro said, "If he's immortal he probably has patience."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare," Medoferro said, "If we have a threat, I damn sure don't want to leave us unprotected. I'm not going through this hellish job to leave this nation unprotected."

"Point taken," Insegniferro smiled, "You've learned your lessons well."

"I had no choice," Medoferro said, "When Massy died I had to learn on the fly. If I had failed we'd still be fighting the Mavelans."

"There's truth in that," Insegniferro admitted, "But you can't do everything, Medo. Remember that too."

"Yeah," Medo nodded, "After this I will go spend some time with Trina. Hopefully apologize a bit for setting up this state trip."

"I'd imagine that she isn't too happy about that," Suvorov agreed, "I've got six people chosen for the mission. I need to do some work on that too."

"You have time," Medoferro said, "I'll take a standard guard contingent in country. That will give you some time to train and also will let you do recon."

"Should I stay here with him?" Simon asked, "Or do you want me along?"

"I want your charming ways to help me with the colonels," Medo grinned, "I will have to do the usual bullshit. I remember what Massy went through way too well. Now, it is my turn."

"Better you than me," Iggy smiled, "I hate doing those things, and I got stuck with it after Massy died."

There was a general murmur of agreement until Sascha walked into the room. Medoferro looked up and stifled a yawn as he waited for her to announce the reason for her entrance. He still had not caught up on his sleep after the quake.

"Lister Black is here," she told them, "I was told to let you know when he arrived."

"Send him in," Iggy said, "We're ready for him."

Lister Black walked into the room and caused everyone but Rav Suvorov a bit of surprise. Medoferro had dealt with some assassins of Mavelan descent during the first few months of his time as a Mullinix and Lister Black looked very similar to them. His long golden hair was pulled back and showed his skin, which was a pale yellow that would have been mistaken for Jaundice among the fairer skinned natives of Mullinix proper.

"You look surprised," Lister said, "Suvorov did warn you, did he not?"

"I do apologize," Medoferro said to Lister Black, "You are the spitting image of an assassin that tried to kill me ten years ago. I knew that you were of Mavelan descent. I just wasn't expecting those memories to flood back."

"I understand," Lister nodded, "I'm used to these looks. I get them all the time up here."

"I know," Medoferro frowned, "You didn't need it from me, however."

"Anyway," Insegniferro said, trying to recover a bit, "You are the bright spark that Suvorov has been telling us about."

"I fear Suvorov has said too much," Black said, his now clear eyes said, "I've been far out of practice stuck behind a desk up here."

"You're the best, Lister," Suvorov said, "I doubt a couple years up here would have changed that."

"I don't know," Lister said, "But I'm willing to listen. What would you have of me, Mullinix?"

"Don't go formal on me," Medoferro said, "I'm only a couple years older than you are, Lister. Medo will do for now. We're not in public."

Lister Black was surprised by this, but the rest of them expected it. Medoferro hated the trappings of power with a passion and refused to let people go all reverent on him. He much preferred to deal with people as equals. They tended to work better that way.

"The question still stands," Lister said, not sure how to proceed.

"We need information," Medoferro said, standing up and walking over to Black, "Our sources in the Mavelans are slim at best, useless at worst. We have no formal relations, nor any trade to pass rumors."

Medoferro paused a moment and looked up at the much taller Lister Black. Medoferro was barely five feet ten and that was only in thick shoes. Lister Black was a solid six-foot six inches tall, which was something that was not far out of the average south of the border. The severe magnetic field down there had warped the height genes in many people.

"A few days ago the Mavelan Army started packing up," Medoferro told him, "Within two days a ten thousand troop strong Mavelan force had dwindled down to a few long-range artillery units, all of which were in the process of dismantling their artillery."

"In less than a week?" Black asked, whistling with surprise, "It usually takes Facie a week to get orders out to a unit, let alone care if one moves that fast. Something must be going on."

"We would like to know what," Medoferro told him as the others remained silent, "We've heard there is a new group massed down south of the Mavelans. They are run by an immortal named Bolantine and they're starting to expand."

"You think that the Mavelans are next on their list?" Black asked, putting two and two together, "If you know this, why do you need me?"

"Because we have a lot of supposition and rumor," Medoferro said, "We are short on the one thing we need to make decent decisions. Facts."

"You want me to go and confirm this," Black said, "Is that all?"

"I want to know what life is like down there," Medoferro told him, "Who the powers are and how stable Facie is. If there are renegade movements, I want to know who and where. I also want to know as much as you can find out about the Bolantines. If you need to go south into their region to find out, do so? Just get back here in one piece and don't get caught."

"How long do I have to do this?" Black asked him.

"It's not priority number one," Medoferro said, "But I would like to know before I have either the Mavelans or the Bolantines pounding on our borders. I'm not going to tell you how to do it or give you unreasonable deadlines. Just try to get back in the next two months. Quicker if it is important."

"No micromanagement?" Black asked them.

"None," Medoferro promised, "I've got other problems to deal with as well, some of them more pressing. This is important, but a field I know nothing about. Suvorov trusts you, so I will as well."

"This is going to be dangerous," Black said, "I mean..."

"I was wondering when you were going to get to that," Medoferro smiled, "I wouldn't ask you to do this without significant remuneration..."

"I don't care about that," Black said, "I just want to make sure that my kids are taken care of. Talia can take care of herself."

"I know Talia," Suvorov said, "I'll see to it that your kids receive support. Both while you're gone and if anything bad happens."

"Do this well and you'll be rewarded when you get home as well," Medoferro promised, "I think being made a Hero of the Mullinix Empire will do a bit to alleviate those looks you receive and do a lot to bring Cirrus in line with the rest of the Empire."

"One thing at a time," Black said, "I need to get back alive first."

"I know that feeling," Medoferro mumbled and then went back to Black, "Do you think you can do the job as stated?"

"I should be able to," Black nodded, "When do I begin?"

"As soon as you can," Medoferro told him, "I think the sooner the better."

"I can head south tonight," Black said, "I'll need to see my Grandfather to see if he has access to Mavelan funds. I should be able to slip down the mountain from Cirrus the next day."

"It can wait until morning," Medoferro told him, "Get some sleep before doing this. Rav, issue him some funds from treasury."

"No problem," Suvorov said, "I think we're dismissed, Lister."

"Thank you," Medoferro told him, "We'll look forward to your return."

"I think this is enough for today," Insegniferro said, "It's getting late and you need to spend some time with Trina."

"I'll see you guys tomorrow," Simon told them, "I have a date with Sascha."

Lister Black walked out, wondering if he would see these people again. He knew he was about to start the maddest mission of his life. He just hoped he would live to tell about it.

Chapter 17 - Trinaferro's Wish

Medoferro had stopped by the kitchen for a bottle of sweet ale to share with Trinaferro that night. He was walking with a bit of a bounce as he approached the suite that he and Trinaferro had shared since she had become the official apprentice, ten years before.

Medoferro thought at first that the room was empty, as Trinaferro was not in her usual spot on the ottoman where she usually read for pleasure. It took him a moment to notice a soft sob coming from the recessed bedroom.

"What the hell..." Medoferro said slowly, going back and finding Trina with her head buried in a pillow, "What's wrong, Trin?"

Trinaferro looked up, saw Medo standing there, and pushed the letter she was holding under the pillow. She tried to pull herself together, but Medoferro was not buying it. He had known her way too long for that to fly with him.

"Come on," Medoferro said to her, sitting down, "Something is bothering you, hon. What is it?"

She was trying to pull herself together still, but Medoferro knew that she needed to let it out. He said nothing else and sat next to her, pulling her close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and let him pull her tightly against him. It took her a full five minutes before she finally spoke.

"I promised myself it wouldn't matter," Trinaferro sighed, "I didn't mean for you to see me like this."

"Whatever it is," Medoferro told her, "You can tell me. Anything."

"I know," Trinaferro sighed, "But it's something I can't have and shouldn't even be thinking about..."

She cried again a little and Medoferro let her finish before taking another track with it.

"Let's start at the beginning," Medo suggested, "What is in the letter?"

"It's my sister," Trina sighed, knowing she would not get out of it, "She's getting married."

"That's great!" Medoferro said, smiling a little, "What is so bad about that?"

"Nothing," Trina said, sighing, "I mean I'm happy for her. She's finally getting the husband she always wanted. She's also getting a family too. He has two kids from his late wife and she's pregnant with another one already."

"A rushed wedding, eh?" Medo chuckled, "So long as she's happy though..."

"She is," Trinaferro said, "I know that, it's just that I thought it would be the other way around."

Medoferro suddenly understood. Her sister was getting to move on and build a family, something that Trina and Medo could not do because of the requirements of being Mullinix. They had each other, but could not even marry because of the legal requirements.

"I just never saw myself ending up like this," Trinaferro sighed, "I usually don't mind, especially since I love you dearly, but this letter just hit me, you know?"

"I can understand that," Medo told her and handed her the sweet ale, "Have a drink, I guess we should talk about this more."

"I don't want to depress you," Trina sighed, drinking a little and handing it back, "I've depressed myself enough."

"If this is something that's bothering you, we need to talk about it," Medoferro told her, drinking a little himself, "I love you, Trin. I want you to be happy."

"I know," Trina smiled and pushed against him, "I do have you, and for that I'm grateful. Even if you do decide to do dumb things."

"I will come back to you," Medoferro promised her, "Don't worry about that."

"I do worry about that," Trina sighed, "But that's not even the biggest part. I know what we do is important, but it is as if it consumes us. We don't get to be human and grow up to have families. It is just depressing at times."

"Why can't we have a family?" Medo asked her, "In a lot of ways we already have one, but I'm assuming you'd like flesh and blood."

"Don't be silly," Trina told him, "We can't marry. What kind of future would any child we have get?"

"Plenty," Medo said, "The law forbids us a legal marriage. It does not forbid us from being human. There isn't a damn thing anyone can do if we decide to have children of our own."

"You're talking crazy, Medo," Trina said, "I mean, would you? Why?"

"Because," Medo smiled at her, "It would make you happy and it would give us a connection that nobody can ever take away."

"I never thought," Trina said, her eyes lighting up, "I never dared..."

"All you had to do is ask," Medo told her, looking into her eyes, "Everything I am and everything I've done... It would mean nothing if not for you."

"But shouldn't we ask Iggy?" Trina wondered, "This will affect him too..."

"To hell with that," Medoferro told her, smiling wickedly, "He's had a say in everything we've done since we were eighteen years old. I think he can live with reacting to us for once."

Trinaferro hugged him tightly, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had wanted this for a while, but had been afraid to ask him. He kissed her deeply and smiled at her, knowing that he had been able to make her really happy, something that brought a glow to his heart as well.

"How long do you want to wait?" Trina asked him, "I mean you're leaving soon..."

"No time like the present to start trying," Medo grinned, "You'll be traveling with me to the border anyway. We'll have plenty of chances before I cross."

"I'm all for that," Trina grinned, "You just want to avoid the morning sickness and grouchy Trina stage."

"That doesn't hurt," Medoferro smiled with a twinge of mischief, "But I want to enjoy you before I go as well."

"I am yours," Trina told him, "Let me prove it..."

Chapter 18 - Lister's Preparation

Lister Black took the late train back to Cirrus, arriving very early in the morning. As was the norm with when he returned he noticed that things were different. It had been two years since he had been home, much too long in his opinion. He missed the people of Cirrus, especially when things had gone badly with his wife.

He walked to the new commercial district. It was nearly four in the morning, but he knew that his grandfather would still be cleaning up after the night's drinking and brawling. The candlelight still shone brightly into the street, so he went over to the back entrance as he usually did. A solid set of knocks in the usual code brought a response from behind the door.

"Who is it?" a gruff voice asked.

"Lister," he said, "Let me in, Granddad."

The door flew open and an old grizzled man looked out at Lister Black. A large grin opened up on his heavily bearded face as he saw his grandson. He invited Lister inside and went over to the bar, sitting down on one of the stools and offering one to the younger man. Despite his own 6'6" frame, his grandfather still dwarfed him, standing at 6'10" and being about twice as wide.

"Something soft please," Lister told him, "I'm off the sauce for a bit."

"I figured you'd be back here soon," Grandpa Black said, "I saw Talia last week, looks like she's working for the bank down here now. She didn't want to talk to me, though. Something wrong between you two?"

"She moved out," Lister sighed, "Took the kids with her and left me behind. Told me that she didn't want to deal with me anymore. That was a two weeks ago."

"Decide to come get her back?" Grandpa wondered, "Maybe time will help."

"She doesn't want me," Lister said, "I'm back for another reason anyway."

"Why's that?" Grandpa asked, "And why are you getting here so early in the morning."

"No one else is to know this," Lister told him, "But I'm working for Rav Suvorov again."

"Shit," Grandpa sighed, "You're going back across the border to find out why the Mavelans are pulling out."

"You got it," Lister nodded, "It's a direct mission from the Mullinix himself."

"Medoferro is behind it, huh?" Grandpa asked, "Makes sense. He's the one who saved our ass down here ten years ago. Why you?"

"Despite the fact I'm rusty, I'm the best Suvorov could come up with," Lister told him in flawless Mavelan, "People that fit in down there are hard to find. Most of the agents they have speak the language, but would be spotted as an outsider immediately should they set foot in the capital."

"True," Grandpa agreed, "You're fortunate to have a full blood line. Probably the last one in our family that will."

"The traits die hard," Lister said, "Randy is already five feet tall and he's only five. He's going to be as tall as I am."

"Possible," Grandpa admitted, "So when are you going over the wall?"

"Tomorrow night," Lister told him, "At least I will be if you still dabble in the black market."

"Shit," Grandpa said, "That's why you're here. You need money."

"Just an exchange," Lister grinned, "The Mullinix don't care about the trade over the border. The risks are on the other side. I need some actual Mavelan currency to operate down there. As much as you have to spare."

"Not asking for much, are you?" Grandpa asked him, "Do you know how hard Mavelan cash is to get? Especially since you can't use Mullinix currency down there."

"Of course I do," Lister told him, "That's why I'm coming to you. I'll give you plenty of Mullinix cash to trade for it. At least that will be useful here."

"I have eight thousand," Grandpa told him, "My next shipment is all in goods anyway. I'll make it back then. It is for a good cause, after all."

"I'll take it all," Lister said, "I think I have enough Mullinix cash to cover you. If not, I'll have Suvorov send some down to you."

"Just give me what you have," Grandpa said, "The Mullinix cash is worth more anyway. I'll make out on the deal regardless."

"True enough," Lister told him, "Just one last request."

"Oh shit," Grandpa said, "What now?"

"This one won't cost you anything," Lister grinned, "Mind if I crash in your extra room? I don't want to mess with the motel, and would prefer to not have Talia find out I'm here."

"Sure," Grandpa said, "You know where it is. I take it you'll probably be gone before I wake up?"

"Depends on how long I sleep," Lister said honestly, "I may stay here and get dinner before heading down after dark. It'll be easier to find Pirotase in the evening."

"She'll probably love to see you," Grandpa said, "Considering how you left her in the lurch last time."

"She'll do it for enough money if nothing else," Lister said, "I'm too far removed to do it alone. I can talk it, but I have never lived it. I'll need help."

"That's if she doesn't kill you first," Grandpa pointed out, "There has to be others down there. I know a couple..."

"I want to see her anyway," Lister sighed, "I made a mistake not bringing her back last time. I thought I was being loyal to Talia. Look where that got me. Alone, in a job I hated, and well on my way to becoming a drunk on top of it. Maybe I can turn myself around if I can somehow make things right with her."

"Keep dreaming," Grandpa said, "It will still do some good to see her though. If nothing else it will get her out of your system for good."

"Eh," Lister said, "I should get some sleep. Let's do the money exchange so I can go without getting in your way when you wake up."

"All right," Grandpa said, "It's this way..."

Chapter 19 - The Message

"Good," Jim Entragian told them, "Keep it up. Marina, just take the power internally. It'll dissipate on its own. Roland, you need to ground yourself or you're going to get cooked."

"Why did I agree to do this again?" Roland wondered, "This is worse than learning martial arts."

"It's just another form of it," Entragian assured them, "If you'd been trained younger it would have been easier."

"I am younger and this isn't easy," Marina groaned, "Oh the days of being just another member of the house staff..."

"Whine, whine, whine," Medoferro said as he came out into the work area, "How are they doing, Jim?"

"Not bad," Jim admitted, "Especially considering they've only had a few days of training. Give me another week with them and they'll be almost as good as you and Simon."

"You should have that long unless something comes up," Medoferro told them, "Trin and I are going to head north tomorrow so that we can hit a couple of the larger cities before going to her sister's wedding next week. Our messenger hasn't made it back yet, so we don't know when we're heading north."

"Not looking forward to that one," Jim grinned then looked over at Marina and Roland, "Try that again, with more power this time."

"How hard a taskmaster is he, guys?" Medoferro asked them, "How is the training going?"

"Did the old man put you through this much hell?" Marina asked him, "I think I realize now why you had me slow down on you back then. Your body must have been exhausted."

"You're lucky," Medoferro told her, "I was taking martial arts on top of the power use. I had to slow down otherwise I would have been as dead as Simon was during that time period."

"That answers some things," Marina chuckled, "So did you come to torment us as well?"

"Hell no," Medoferro said, "I went through training like this years ago. I'm actually working today. Just figured I'd check on you two before I went down to do session."

"We're breathing," Roland said, "I'm not so sure about alive, but moving none the less."

"Iggy will be glad to hear it," Medo said, "We'll need you soon, so be sure to get good and ready."

"Can't wait," Marina said, "That's the one thing I will enjoy, the chance to do some traveling."

"It gets old quickly," Roland assured her, "I've been doing it for nearly forty years now."

"Let's just hope you don't have to use your new abilities," Medoferro said, "I would prefer to not have a repeat of what Simon and I had to do in Cirrus ten years ago."

"I could live without doing that myself," Roland agreed, "Paulus told me what happened."

"That's the truth," Jim said, "I've been in that situation. I saw the crater afterwards as well. The sad part is that Medo did the right thing."

"It would have been worse if we didn't end it there," Medoferro agreed, "Greater good and all that."

"I'm still getting used to this," Marina told them, "I don't think I like the fact that I can do that."

"It's like anything else," Roland told her, "It is a tool that can be used for good or ill. You have to watch your internal compass."

There was a general murmur of agreement around the room when Sascha came running into the practice area. They all looked at her, wondering what was important enough to get her running around like that. It took a few moments for her to catch her breath, but she finally did.

"What's up, Sascha?" Medo asked her, "Why are you running?"

"Trina sent me," she said, still panting a little, "An official messenger is an hour out from the palace. Sotanberg's ambassador."

"So why the hurry?" Roland asked, "Plenty of time to walk."

"Iggy got a letter first and you need a full council before he gets here," Sascha explained, "They'll tell you more when you get there."

"Ok," Medo nodded, "I guess you guys are on your own."

"Need me to come along?" Roland asked hopefully.

"No," Medo said, "You need to get trained. I'll handle it. They're all yours Jim."

"Ok," Entragian grinned as he made a fireball, "Time to learn your defenses..."

Medoferro jogged down to the main palace building, heading for the office space behind the formal chamber. He knew that if something was going on that required a formal session the initial meeting would be taking place there.

His thoughts were confirmed when he found Iggy sitting in his usual spot. Trina smiled when he entered the room. He returned the smile and sat down next to her.

"What's the emergency?" Medo wondered, "Were we expecting an ambassador?"

"No," Iggy said, "It came out of the blue. The messenger with the prince's letter had to make some serious time to get here before the official ambassador. They are running hard. The ambassador just crossed the border an hour ago, the messenger right behind them. The only reason that the messenger got here so much faster is that they took a train from the border while the official contingent is running on horseback."

"Something must be going on," Trinaferro said, "I've studied the Sotanberg emperors. They don't tend to run off half cocked."

"Not at all," Insegniferro agreed, "I've known Harmon for forty years. Correspond with him regularly and meet him at the border every couple years for a vacation. That's why I wanted you here. You know the tactical angles as well as I know the diplomacy."

"Harmon?" Trina asked, "His name is Harmon?"

"No worse than Copeland," Medo shrugged, referring to his pre-Mullinix first name, "How did you get to know him?"

"State trip with Tali when I was an apprentice," Iggy explained, "Crian was too sick to travel, so Tali and I went. I didn't have much to do, being a new apprentice, so I got to know Harmon, forming a friendship that still endures."

"That's nice," Medo agreed, "So what does he say, Iggy?"

"They are having problems with the Bolantines," Iggy told them, "The Bolantines have made a few feints at their border, but have backed off because Sotanberg has a better army and better defenses than they do. Harmon has heard rumors of Bolantine attacks on the Mavelans."

"In other words," Medo translated, "His intelligence is as bad as ours down there."

"Pretty much," Insegniferro admitted, "Evidently the Bolantines are every bit as bad as Entragian claims. Rapes, murders and the like are commonplace down there. Nobody can topple the ruler because he is immortal."

"So why has this become a hot button issue all of a sudden?" Trina wondered, "Surely the Bolantines have been a problem for a while?"

"There was a good size battle a few years ago," Insegniferro said, referring to the letter, "It scared the hell out of the nation. They don't like fighting, would prefer to avoid it at all costs. They have a pacifist movement like you wouldn't believe."

"Pacifism is good," Medoferro said, "But impractical. When the barbarians are attacking you don't be polite and hope they go away. You kick their ass and make sure they can't hurt you again."

"Much as I dislike war," Trina said, "I have to agree."

"Harmon is afraid of what the pacifists will do," Iggy told them, "He has many realists on his side, but the king is old and isn't sure which route to take."

"So what does this have to do with us?" Medo asked, "It doesn't explain the urgency."

"The ambassador is officially here to talk about the problems south of the Mavelans," Iggy told them, "Both sides of their government want to establish permanent relations, and quickly in case something does happen."

"I'm all for that," Medo agreed, "They are probably the most solid allies we could have, not that that is saying a whole lot."

"They are also worried about Siraq," Iggy said, "No surprise there. Harmon knows about the quake and said they'll stand behind whatever we do there."

"Sounds like they expect us to go in and fight a war over it," Medo said, "Not that we won't consider it if they don't clean up that mess in the south soon."

"I think they'd rather see us take control over the southern half of Siraq so that problem gets off their border," Trina said, "If we encourage it that would remove the land border between them and use us as a buffer. Sotanberg could use that bit of security if they've been sparring with Bolantine."

"That's pretty much the gist of what Harmon said," Iggy nodded, "I don't think I like it, but it may happen anyway."

"Especially if the rebel movements based out of Skolnik have their way," Medo said, "I have a suspicion they're funding the insurgents. I'll have to deal with that too when I go up north."

"The last one is a doozie," Iggy told them, "Harmon wants us to propose an alliance."

"Excuse me?" Medo said, "Why doesn't he do it himself?"

"Because the Pacifists won't let them," Iggy said simply, "Harmon thinks he can get one ratified if it is suggested by us, but he can't get the suggestion through the pacifists to make the official overture."

"I can see that," Trina said, "They have a hybrid government. Representative Monarchy I think they call it. Makes a mess out of everything."

"Right," Medo said, "But they came across it for stability's sake. It works almost as well as our system does. They've been around for almost a thousand years now."

"Do we want to offer them an alliance?" Iggy asked them, "I like Sotanberg, but I don't know..."

"I think it could be useful," Trina said, "If you think they'll honor it."

"If we worked together we could have a good shot of keeping Bolantine in check," Medo agreed, "I think we should go for it."

"What if the pacifists defeat it?" Trina wondered, "How would that make us look?"

"Who cares?" Medo shrugged, "People here will love it either way. A good alliance will help should Facie get anymore delusions of grandeur."

"Good point," Iggy said, "I'll go along with Medo's judgment. Trina?"

"I have no objection," Trina shrugged, "Let's see what the ambassador says, though."

"Very well," Medo said, "I guess I'm taking the lead?"

"You are the Mullinix," Iggy grinned, "We're just window dressing..."

"Lovely," Medo frowned, "Let's get this over with."

Chapter 20 - The Plan

"That was painless," Medoferro said as he removed the oversized getup, "Mainly an official acknowledgement of what we've already figured out."

"It allowed us to make the offer to send our own ambassador to make a more formal plea for permanent relations," Insegniferro said, "Did you notice how his eyes lit up when we offered to send someone?"

"He's probably part of your friend's faction," Trina said, "Now we just need to figure out who to send."

"Should it be one of us?" Medo wondered, "Or would it work better to be one of the representatives?"

"That leaves out Stacy," Trina said, "She's a great rep, but she's got the diplomatic sense of the average rock."

"Simon is charming," Medo said, "But he doesn't have the experience to pull this off."

"That leaves either one of us or Roland," Iggy agreed, "We need to do this quickly, and that leaves out Medo because of the state trip."

"I'm young and female," Trina reminded them, "I wouldn't go over well over there."

"And I'm not going," Iggy said, "Roland is better at this than I am, more prepared to travel, and can take Marina with him for protection. They have nothing against power users on that side of the border, so they can practice in relatively safe territory."

"I won't argue," Medo agreed, "I'd prefer you two not leave the country while I'm in Siraq. If something happens to me there, you need to be here to choose a replacement or to get me out."

"Can you do Siraq without them, Medo?" Iggy asked, "You were looking for power users."

"Yes," Medo said, "They're too new at it anyway. Best not to put them in a high stress situation. Simon and I work well together and Entragian can take care of himself."

"That just leaves what we will do," Trina said, "Just how much ass do you want me to kick in Massimaferro Village?"

"Start over and break it to the ground," Medoferro told her, "We need qualified leadership and someone that can handle how fast that area is growing."

"I know you don't like your uncle," Iggy told Medo, "But it's best not to put him out of a job."

"The Colonel in Connoer is about to retire," Trina suggested, "Stacy suggested promoting his lieutenant. We could send Travis there. It would technically be a promotion since he's not eligible to be a Colonel in Massimaferro anyway."

"I hate to do that to a new Colonel," Medo said, "But Travis would probably not be able to screw anything up there."

"That means we need to find someone to take Massimaferro Village," Iggy sighed, "I don't know if I want to put someone new in a situation that fluid."

"Ballfur in MacManite is a good administrator," Medo said, "He has been keeping MacManite in good standing for fifteen years, even saved my ass a couple times with cases that he had to send on. I think he's got a good lieutenant that can take over MacManite if he's willing to move up to Massimaferro Village."

"You two can ask him when you make your tour," Iggy grinned, "The tour should give you something to do and put us in the public eye in case something happens when Medo takes his insane trip across the border."

"Works for me," Medo agreed, "Let's tell Roland and Marina the good news and we'll get planning. We've got a lot to do in a short amount of time."

"Let's do it," Trina agreed.

Chapter 21 - Pirotase

Lister Black took his first two days in the Mavelans slowly, getting used to the language again. He had not practiced much during the preceding years and had to regain his normal fluency. He did this by going to inns and talking to the locals. No one said much because the business had slacked off considerably since the departure of the main battle contingents.

As his command of the language returned he obtained local clothing, discarding the old Mullinix manufactured garments he had brought with him. It didn't take him long to begin to fit in again and as soon as he managed to get decent papers he felt he was ready to move a bit further south.

Despite the raging paranoia that ran rampant in the Mavelans moving around was rather easy, especially if you knew the culture. Having an imposing physique that matched what people expected didn't hurt either, for as far out of place Lister Black looked in Mullinix Centre, he blended in beautifully in the Mavelans. This became easier as he moved south towards Mavelan City as the bloodlines were purer and the magnetic fields that created the mutations were stronger.

The hardest part about traveling in the Mavelans was the actual methods of travel. There were no trains in the nation and the only people who actually owned horses were the nobility or the army. Both groups were eyed with suspicion by average Mavelan Citizens, so impersonating either one was a certain way to ensure that you learned nothing.

Lister walked slowly, resting as needed and stretching his long legs. He had been too used to life in Mullinix, where it was unnecessary to walk for long distances. It was a bit relaxing for him, though he was slightly sore from his lack of activity.

The weeks of hard drinking had not helped much either, so the walking in the bright sunshine was actually good for him. By the time he reached the outskirts of Mavelan City he was feeling better than he had since Talia left him. He just hoped the meeting with Pirotase turned out as well.

Mavelan City was a depressing place at the best of times. Thirty years of trade embargo with the Mullinix had ensured that these were not the best of times. The implosion of the Mavelan economy had ensured that most of the citizens lived in abject poverty unless they were connected to the royal family. Most of the citizens never even saw the royal family, let alone had ties to it.

Lister sighed as he maneuvered through the crowded streets. The houses, if you could actually call them houses, were little but flimsy shacks, held together with mud, twine and the natural reeds that grew outside the city. Interspersed with them were the remains of pre-embargo housing, buildings that were built with Mullinix cut lumber.

It was one of these older buildings that he sought out. He remembered it vividly and it had not changed much. He had spent many nights there during his younger days when he was still trolling around Mavelan City looking for information on what Facie was planning to do in retaliation for the Mullinix routing his troops out of Cirrus.

Lister Black made sure that no one was watching him as he knocked on the door, using the code that he'd had used with her so often before. It was a few minutes before he heard any movement, but finally he saw an eye in the crack by the side of the door, a bright yellow one that went wide with recognition.

"Lister Black," Pirotase said, opening the door, "Back from the dead, I guess."

"Something like that, Pirotase," Lister said, looking at her, "How have you been?"

Pirotase, now showing in the doorway of the dilapidated house, was just as Lister had last seen her. She, like most Mavelan women, was tall, standing only an inch or so below Lister's own 6'6". Her light blonde hair was pulled back into a utilitarian pony tail that fell back on her thin, slightly threadbare white shirt.

Lister sighed as he looked at her. The past years had obviously not been kind to her. She was still as beautiful as ever, but she had not been eating well at all. She was dreadfully thin, and her eyes, while still bright and lively, had sunken in a little. Her legs were thin as well, though the taut muscles showed that she still worked regularly to keep in shape, despite the poor diet. Before he could let his mind wander on the subject too far, however, she brought him back to the real world.

"How am I?" Pirotase said coldly, "You can ask that with a straight face, Black?"

"What else am I supposed to say?" Lister asked her, "You don't look so good, Pirotase."

"I'm eating on average once or twice a day," Pirotase spat at him, "And you have the gall to ask me how I'm doing. That's rich."

"I'm sorry," Lister told her, meaning it, "What happened?"

"You don't give a shit," Pirotase said, "Get out of here, Lister. Let me starve in peace."

"I want to help," Lister said, "I needed to see you again."

"Not this shit," Pirotase said, "You had your chance to help me two years ago, Lister. I can't trust you."

"Can we discuss this inside, Pirotase?" Lister asked her, "We're attracting a crowd."

"Get in here," Pirotase hissed, realizing that attracting attention was a bad thing with Lister Black around, "I don't know why you bothered to come back. Did you come to see your handy work, Black?"

Lister Black walked inside and saw that the place looked much different than he remembered. There had been some furniture, including a bed he remembered spending many good nights in. Most of it was gone now, sold off for food money or burned for heat. There was little but an old metal table, a cot and a few trinkets that were either too dear to sell or too useless to find a buyer for.

It was at this point that Lister realized just what he had done to Pirotase when he left for the last time, some years before. He felt at the time that he had no choice, but with 20/20 hindsight working for him, he knew that he had done her very wrong. He went back to a family and a life he thought he wanted, leaving Pirotase behind to starve and slowly waste away.

He just hoped that he had come back in time to make some things right. She had no reason to trust him again and he knew it. He just hoped it was not too late. He sighed and looked at her.

"I came back because I needed to see you," Lister told her, "I didn't know how bad it had gotten."

"Now you know," Pirotase growled, "You can feel free to leave now, Lister. I don't need to be targeted because of your presence."

"Why don't you believe that I am here to help?" Lister asked her, grabbing her arm, "I never lied to you, Tassy. I told you I wouldn't be back."

"That doesn't make it any easier, Lister," Pirotase told him, looking into his eyes, "You led me on, you know. It was all bullshit, I know that now."

"Not all," Lister said quietly, meeting her look, "I did fall for you, Tassy. But I had a wife and kids and a job that made it impossible to act on how I felt. That's why I wouldn't let myself get in deeper, despite those nights I spent here that I wanted to do more."

"You are a smooth liar, Lister," Pirotase said, "Why should I believe you now?"

"Because you have nothing to lose," Lister said simply, "You have a choice right now, Pirotase. You can stay here and slowly waste away or you can give me a chance."

"How do I know you won't get me killed?" Pirotase wondered, "So I eat well for a bit. What happens when you leave again?"

"You come with me," Lister told her, "You come to Mullinix where you won't starve."

Pirotase let out a deep breath. She wanted to believe him. She desperately needed to believe him. She had managed well for a while, but it was a struggle to get anything in that area as more and more resources were diverted from the masses. She had not eaten that day at all and the day before her meal had been very skimpy, so she knew he had her by her empty stomach.

"What is the job that brought you out of retirement?" Pirotase asked him finally, "I'll think about it."

"Later," Lister told her, "First you need some food. I take it you know where we can purchase some?"

"Black market," Pirotase said, "They are very expensive, but it is the only reliable source."

"Let's go get some food," Lister told her, "The job can wait. I want you healthy first."

"Ok," Pirotase sighed, "Follow me."

Her stomach gave her no choice.

Chapter 22 - Marina's Doubt

"I can't say I'm disappointed," Roland grinned, shaking Medoferro's hand as they all got ready to go, "I wasn't looking forward to Siraq."

"Just keep things quiet," Medoferro warned, "We don't need this to be a public offer until we're more ready to sign an alliance."

"Right," Roland agreed, "I doubt I'll have to worry about it."

"I'm sure Medo and I will keep the spotlight off you," Trina said, "We plan on making a fuss all the way up until we get up north."

"Small comfort," Marina sighed, "I think I would rather go with you guys."

"I think you should have your head examined," Trina told her, "They're going into the uncivil reaches of Siraq. I've never been to Sotanberg, but I've heard they are the most civil people around."

"That's what I'm scared of," Marina sighed, "I will go grab my stuff... Excuse me."

Marina jogged off, leaving everyone to look at each other. Medoferro and Trina exchanged glances and wondered what that was about. Roland did not look like he knew either. Simon and Rav Suvorov merely shrugged their shoulders.

"I'll go talk to her," Trina said, "You guys make final plans."

Trina followed the direction that Marina had run off to, finally finding her crouching alone in a dark corner alone, tears streaming down her eyes and her long red hair mussed up. Trinaferro sat down on a rock next to her and waited for her to calm down a little.

"What's wrong, Marina?" Trinaferro asked her, "You disappointed at not going north with us?"

"No," Marina said, wiping her eyes, "That's not it at all."

"So what's going on?" Trina wondered, "Medoferro isn't sending you with Roland as punishment, he just wants you to have time to learn when not under pressure."

"That's not it either," Marina sighed, "You're going to think it is silly..."

"Of course not," Trina said, "What is it?"

"I haven't left this building since I was a teenager," Marina said, chuckling a little, "I've gone outside, of course, but I haven't left Mullinix Centre by any stretch."

"You're afraid of leaving," Trina said, "Why?"

"Because it means responsibility," Marina told her, "Real power. I don't know if I'm ready for it."

"You'll be fine," Trina assured her, "You're already almost running the house staff."

"But that's just a few people," Marina sighed, "And something I know well. I know nothing about the world. All that it has ever done is hurt me."

"You aren't a child anymore, Marina," Trina tried to reassure her, "You are a strong woman and believe me they need more of us to keep them on the straight and narrow."

"Right," Marina sighed, "But there's something else wrong... With power comes responsibility. A Responsibility that I don't think I have the right stuff to carry."

"Why not?" Trina wondered, surprised by this.

"Did Medoferro ever tell you why he and I could never have a relationship like you and he share?" Trina asked her, "Or did he just leave that subject alone?"

"He told me a bit," Trina said, "About how the feelings weren't there."

"It was more than that," Marina said, looking at her, "I'm empty inside, Trina. What I went through as a child killed my ability to feel anything. I like what I do, but I cannot really care."

"That can't be killed, Marina," Trina said, touching her hand, "You will be fine. If you have doubts then look inside. You'll find your center there."

"I guess I can't get out of it, can I?" Marina asked her, "I can't hide in the palace forever."

"That's the spirit," Trina smiled, "Besides, this is easy duty. You go with Roland, act pretty, and keep an eye open for the things he can't see. A second opinion, in other words."

"That's easy enough," Marina smiled, "I'll do the best I can."

"We can't ask for anything more," Trina told her, "Come on. Let's get your things. If you have doubts, talk to Roland. He'll help you."

"Thanks Trina," Marina told her, hugging the other woman, "I'll do that."

They took their things and headed back to everyone else. Medoferro and Suvorov were making final plans with Roland, who was finishing loading the tow pack on his bike.

"We'll meet in Medoferro Village in two weeks," Medoferro told Suvorov, "Get your people together and train them what to expect."

"Do I go with you or Suvorov?" Simon asked.

"Me," Medoferro said, "I need you to help me deal with the local Colonels. Jim can go with Suvorov to train them how to handle power users."

"Your job is decoy," Jim said, "Keep the public focused on you while the rest of us do our jobs."

"Exactly," Medoferro said, "Trin and I will make as much public noise as we can. If you need Mullinix approval for anything, Iggy will stay at the palace to do it."

"And he can come to Eastern Pass to make a treaty if necessary," Roland agreed, "Since he's better at that than you are anyway."

"I like it when a plan comes together," Medoferro nodded, "You ready for this, Marina?"

"As much as I am ever going to be," Marina sighed, "I'm following you."

"Be careful," Roland told Medoferro, "I want to come back and find you alive and kicking and back in Mullinix."

"You and me both," Medoferro grinned, "Have fun, guys."

Everyone went in their own direction, looking towards the future not knowing what it would bring. Had they known, they would have turned around and not gone at all...

Chapter 23 - The Job

Pirotase ate quickly when they got back to the little hut. It was not expensive food, but it was more than she'd had once for several months. Her mood improved markedly as her stomach began to feel full. Lister joined her in the food, but ate slowly to make sure she got what she needed.

"So what are we doing?" Pirotase asked him, "Why did you come back? What is so all fired important?"

"What do you know about current events?" Lister replied, answering with a question, "What have the papers said down here?"

"Nothing," Pirotase said, "I can't afford newspapers, and they're all controlled by Facie anyway so they print nothing but lies."

"Point," Lister said, "It started a couple weeks ago. Our scouts at the mountain noticed something funny with the army."

"Oh no," Pirotase sighed, "That idiot we call a king isn't trying to invade Mullinix again, is he?"

"Far from it," Lister told her, "They started packing up."

"For where?" Pirotase wondered, "That's so unlike Facie. His hatred of Mullinix borders on obsession. Maybe they're moving to another camp?"

"They moved too quickly for that," Lister said, "When I got into the country the northern army was gone. I checked it out before coming down here."

"You mean that entire army has moved in less than two weeks?" Pirotase asked incredulously, "You've got to be kidding. It usually takes Facie two weeks just to figure out what type of toilet paper to order for his palace."

"Now, you see why the Mullinix are worried," Lister smiled, "We know this. We've heard rumors about a group in the south that has gotten bigger. We're wondering if they're invading."

"Or if Facie is joining forces with them," Pirotase said, realizing what her king was capable of, "So they pulled you out of retirement and sent you back."

"Suvorov pulled me out of the bottle," Lister told her, "I made some bad choices two years ago. The first one was giving in and taking the job in the capital."

"I'm glad it wasn't all peaches for you," Pirotase said, a bit of bitterness still apparent, "Are you still married or did you abandon her too?"

"She left me," Lister said, taking the deserved rebuke, "That's why I'd fallen into the bottle."

"So why did they trust you with this if you are a drunk?" Pirotase wondered, "You seem normal enough."

"Suvorov knew I needed to get back to what I'm good at," Lister shrugged, "I'm also one of the few people he knows of who can blend in more than 10 miles from the border."

"I don't know why I'm agreeing to this," Pirotase sighed, "I can't trust you and you are probably going to get me killed."

"It is fun," Lister grinned, "It's adventure. Not to mention it is more food than you've had since I've left."

"Don't remind me," Pirotase said, "I'm trying to forget about that."

"I'm trying to atone, Tassy," Lister told her, "I don't expect you to forgive me, but I'm hoping that I can somehow make it right."

"So when do we head south?" Pirotase asked him, "Are we making straight for it?"

"We'll wait a few days," Lister told her, "You need to get a few days worth of food into you and I need to practice my Mavelan. We have time yet. No need to go until we've gotten better."

"I hope you don't have any ulterior motives, Lister," Pirotase said, "Because I swear to you, I'll kill you before I let you abandon me again."

"I would deserve it," Lister agreed, "But it won't happen. Not that I expect you to believe me now. That will come in time I hope."

"So what now?" Pirotase asked him, "I have only the one bed."

"No reason you shouldn't use it," Lister said, "I slept on the ground last night. Your floor shouldn't be any worse. We'll talk again in the morning."

Lister found a relatively clean place in the corner. He used his blanket from his kit to give him something relatively soft to lay on. He laid back and forced himself to close his eyes. He was nervous, but he knew the only way he could engender trust with Pirotase was to give it first, as she had no reason to trust him now.

Pirotase was surprised by this, as they had shared the bed numerous times when they were working together before. They had never gone farther than sleeping, seeing as Lister refused to betray his wife, but it would not have been out of turn for him to suggest it.

She sat down on the bed and looked at Lister as he went to sleep, thinking about the way she used to feel about him. She had let herself fall too deeply for him, although he never minced any words about the fact that he intended to go back to his family.

His final departure had been a nasty blow, as had the governmental crackdown on anyone who had consorted with the Mullinix. She had narrowly missed being branded a traitor during those purges, but she had been placed on a watch list that kept her out of any lucrative jobs. She'd had nothing but scraps to live on since his departure.

It was a mixed feeling, but she still could not let herself just slide back to feeling the way she did about him before he left. She sighed and let herself slide down onto her bare mattress. She was still confused, but she was full for the first time in ages. That counted more than anything else and she easily fell asleep amid the wonders and worries.

Chapter 24 - Macmanite

"And remember that without all of you, there would be nothing worth keeping going!" Medoferro exclaimed, finishing off one of his usual speeches, "Thank you and have a good night!"

Medoferro and Trinaferro walked off the stage, smiling and waving at the crowd and trying not to look insincere or stupid while they did so. It was a public life they had led for many years, one that either one of them would have loved to miss out on.

"You'd think someone would notice by now that you give the same speech everywhere," Trina grinned, "Just change the name of the city."

"I change enough," Medo grinned, "Another legacy of Massimaferro. I learned a lot from him."

"I see you survived," Colonel Ballfur said, shaking hands with the young Mullinix, "You look much better than you did the last time you spent time here."

"To my credit," Medoferro told him, "I was dealing with a dying Mullinix at the time."

"I know," Ballfur agreed, "Well, you've done your penance for today. Come on into the back and we'll get you a drink."

"Now you're talking," Medoferro said, "You ok, Trin?"

Trinaferro had gotten a little green for a moment, but she recovered quickly. She shook her head and followed along quietly. Medoferro had a quick flashback to what happened the last time he was in Macmanite. Something about collapsing inside the door with a half-dead Mullinix had left an indelible impression in his mind.

"Much better than your last entrance," Ballfur noticed, "Both of you are walking under your own power."

"Where's the bathroom?" Trinaferro asked quietly, "I need to freshen up a bit."

"To the left," Ballfur said and then turned to Medoferro, "You look more confident as well."

"I've had time to grow into the job," Medoferro shrugged, "It's been a long few days, however."

"I bet," Ballfur agreed, "Freak quakes make for long days. I hear that you came through for some of those kids. A situation that is also much better than the last time you were here."

"Cirrus was a blemish on all of us," Medoferro shrugged, "Though Siraq is starting to get that bad. We're still trying to figure out what the hell is going on up there."

"Rest assured," Ballfur said, offering seats to both Mullinix, "Things are going fine here. We don't even have any demands for the trade talks because we don't want to screw up the good deal our farmers are getting."

"I've heard that all over," Medoferro nodded, "Siraq has more important things to answer for."

"You've heard about the atrocities over there as well?" Ballfur asked, "I mean it is just rumor isn't it?"

"The atrocities are rumor," Medoferro agreed, "The quake, however, Is not."

"I thought the quake was a freak of nature," Ballfur said, surprised by this, "Siraq caused it?"

"Indirectly, most likely," Medoferro said, "Something caused a power release that traveled through ferrite deposits. It is one thing I plan on finding out about when I go over the border."

"Wait a minute," Ballfur said, "You're going over the border? Are you mad?"

"Exactly the question I asked him when I first found out," Trinaferro said as she entered the room and sat down, "Sorry about that, just a bit of the usual post-entrance jitters."

"It's ok," Medoferro said, kissing her cheek quickly, "We're just talking a bit of business."

"He's in too good a mood," Trina grinned, "You haven't gotten to the nastier stuff yet."

"Nastier stuff?" Ballfur wondered, "Why do I not like the sound of this?"

"We've got a problem on the Siraqi Border," Medoferro sighed, "I'm sure you know what we mean."

"A pile of immigrants, not enough guards to handle them," Ballfur nodded, "I'm sure Arthur in Skolnik is not having a fun time of it. Murray in Hulkensuxor either."

"They're overloaded," Medoferro agreed, "For years it was fine, but with this mass influx of refugees we're stretched too thin up there. We need a new seat up there."

"Massimaferro Village?" Ballfur asked, knowing the general layout up there, "It's the most logical place."

"That was our plan," Medoferro said, "We need to get some order up there. There are some villages with no official Mullinix presence any closer than Skolnik. Art is a good man, but he is too old and too set in his ways to handle this new reality."

"I take it you have someone in mind for this post," Ballfur said, being no slouch, "You wouldn't be telling me this without a reason."

"I want you to take the spot in Massimaferro Village," Medoferro said simply, "I've had enough of bad administration and I can't afford any more of it."

"Travis Steele is doing little but going with the flow," Trinaferro said, "My sister is the Medico up there. She's about ready to kill him if we don't get him taken care of."

"I was in guard training with Travis," Ballfur sighed, "He had so much ambition and so little talent. I guess he's risen to his level of incompetence."

"I'm not looking forward to firing him," Medoferro said, "Though my father is probably going to have a good laugh at Travis's expense because of it."

"That's right," Ballfur said, "You're related to Travis Steele. I'd forgotten that."

"I'm trying to," Medoferro said sourly, "My family is dysfunctional as all hell. That's one good thing about being chosen for this. I don't have to deal with them anymore."

"I still want to meet them," Trina told him, "Maybe we can go do that this time?"

"Do I have to?" Medoferro asked her.

"It might make you glad to be going over the border," Ballfur grinned, "Especially if it means you don't have to deal with the feud between your father and Travis."

"It sounds interesting," Trinaferro grinned, "So yes, you have to."

"We may go in a couple days," Medoferro acquiesced, "But the question is still yours, Rick. We want you to take the position in Massimaferro village. We need a good administrator up there, someone who can handle a large area in an emergency situation."

"You think Siraq is going to get worse," Ballfur said, not bothering to question, "You don't think Art can handle wartime."

"Not alone," Medoferro said, "I'm hoping it doesn't go that badly, but I'm preparing in case the mess on the border tries to spill over on to our side. We're moving a group of Cirrus veterans up here and reinforcing it with rookies from the class that graduates in a few weeks."

"They'll be good to have around if only for civil works," Trina added, "But we need a solid colonel, someone loyal to us and someone who is willing to kick someone if they deserve it."

"Just like they needed when Massimaferro talked me into taking this job fifteen years ago," Ballfur sighed, "I must have sucker written on my forehead."

"You're qualified," Medoferro grinned, "That's in short supply. I've got enough problems. I'd like a solution for once."

"You've got quite a history of that," Ballfur said, "I wouldn't bet against you coming up with a few solutions."

"Will you take the job?" Trinaferro asked him, "That's the big question right now."

"My wife will probably leave me for it," Ballfur chuckled, "But I'll do it. I've been bored here for a while. I could use some excitement."

"Be careful what you wish for," Medoferro cautioned him, "You just might get it."

"True words," Trina said, "Last time I thought things couldn't get worse the Mavelans invaded."

"You have your goat," Ballfur said, "Don't try to scare me out of it."

"Right," Medo grinned, "So how about the latest Mullinix Ball scores? How's Macmanite doing this year?"

"Oh please," Trina said, rolling her eyes, "You know that Connoer is going to run away with it this year."

"I think we have a chance," Ballfur said, "We got a new cornerback..."

Chapter 25 - The Long Road

"I haven't ridden this long in years," Marina said as they pedaled towards the Sotanberg Border, "How do you take it?"

"Practice," Roland chuckled, "You must do something to keep in as good of shape as you are."

"Yes," Marina grinned, "It is a form of riding, I admit, but it has nothing to do with bicycles."

"Touché," Roland agreed, "It is good exercise though."

It was getting dark as they approached the border. It was their third day of riding. Marina was still getting used to it, so they had been stopping every few hours in lightly populated areas to do the power drills that Jim Entragian had taught them before bedding down for the night. The guards did as they were trained to do and stayed 100 feet away from the principals, giving them privacy together.

"This is going to be my first time out of Mullinix," Marina sighed, "It scares me a little."

"I've been out a number of times," Roland said, "Once you get past the language differences it's fine."

"Have you ever gone there?" Marina asked him, "To Sotanberg?"

"Once," Roland shrugged, "Many years ago. Iggy and I did a state visit. A few hours of business, easy agreements with each other over trade and then four days of relaxation at the Prince's palace."

"Must have been nice," Marina said, "Lounging around all day."

"Got boring after a while," Roland shrugged, "I prefer Mullinix. We get to relax, we get to play, but we also are usually doing something. Much more fulfilling."

"True," Marina said, "Idleness is sometimes overrated."

"Looks like border control is up ahead," Roland pointed out, "Get your papers ready."

"Ok," Marina said, fishing them out, "I've got it."

Passing through the border was relatively easy, as Mullinix and Sotanberg had been friendly for centuries. Neither side had much reason to fight the other, as the large mountains made for an agreeable natural divider. It also helped that most of the populations lived closer to the coasts.

"Welcome to Sotanberg," the guard said, "Do you need directions?"

"If I remember correctly I just follow the main road and it takes us right to the capital," Roland said, "Anything changed in the last ten years?"

"A number of things," the guard said, "But not that. Just keep going east on this road and you'll get there in a couple days."

"I'll probably take it slow," Roland said, "I'm not as young as I once was."

"None of us are," the guard chuckled, "Have a good trip, sir."

"Thank you," Roland said.

He and Marina rode for about an hour further before deciding to stop for the night. The signs said that it was a good distance before the next city, so they found a clear area off the road that appeared to be uninhabited. It had also been used for camping frequently before because there were signs of tent posts and a near permanent fire hole.

"It'll get dark soon," Roland said, "We'll stop here."

The guards approached and took their instructions from Roland, looking for ways to secure the area so they could start their sleep shifts while Roland and Marina practiced. Marina pulled out one of the texts that Entragian had supplied while the guards pitched the tent.

"Since I've proved my uselessness at this," Marina said, referring to the badly botched tent pitching job of the first night, "I'll get started reading on the next lesson."

"Ok," Roland chuckled, "I'll get the fire. The weather is good. I don't think we'll need to weatherproof all that much."

Marina sat down and started reading. Before heading off to Skolnik with Rav Suvorov (to train the protective force for the Siraq trip) Jim Entragian had drilled them the basics and gave them books with practice exercises on how to do various things with their power.

"Lovely," Marina sighed, "Tonight's exercises are on how to read people."

"I was hoping we'd get to this before we got to the capital," Roland said, putting together a decent fire, "That will come in handy during negotiations."

"I'm going to have a hard time with this one," Marina said, "You know this, right?"

"You'll be fine," Roland assured her, "Just read the basics and then we'll play with it a bit."

She did so and was particularly disturbed by what she read. The language was slightly archaic, but had been updated with handwritten notes in very literate Mullinix. It described what she was afraid of, the way that people's emotions interacted with the natural magnetic power around them.

"Ok," Roland said, sitting down, "What have we got?"

"A lot of hooey," Marina said, passing the book over, "Something I don't think I'll do very well."

"Practice on me and the guards while I read," Roland suggested, "Medoferro swears by this, and the way he reads murder cases I can see why."

"I guess," Marina sighed, not really wanting to think about that.

She and Medoferro had been a hot item together when he first had been chosen to be a Mullinix. The relationship had fizzled as he had grown into the job and as his ability as a power user grew. She couldn't feel emotion deep enough to satisfy a power user, something that pushed him away. Finally, Marina had seen how Miranda (soon to be Trinaferro) felt about him and released him to go with her.

She understood the instructions and looked at the guards, seeing the basic emotions as they had been described in the book. She saw one of them cursing at the malfunctioning tent pole and saw the waves moving rapidly out of him, to the point of seeing them hit the tent pole he was angry with.

Roland had similar waves coming out of him, though they were more ordered. The book had told her that was a result of being a power user. It was easy for one power user to recognize another in this way, though only if they were trained. She watched him for a while as he read, wondering if she could get an inkling about how he really felt about her.

"How are you doing?" Roland asked her, "seeing plenty?"

"Not sure how it relates," Marina shrugged, "How about you?"

"I think so," Roland said, "Adam is really annoyed at that tent pole, isn't he?"

"I noticed that," Marina smiled, "Maybe this won't be so bad."

"Just need to keep working on it," Roland told her, "I'm going to take a walk around and see what I can see."

Roland watched Marina as he walked around. Given that he'd been a representative for Insegniferro for decades he had little trouble grasping what was in the book. The others matched what he expected, but Marina was different. He didn't know whether it was caused by her power use or if there was nothing there at all.

He knew Marina's history as well as the rest of the palace did. As a teenager she had been horribly beaten and raped by her father, something that had left a massive mental scar on her. This was, of course, before her father was sentenced to death for murdering her brother. It was something that Roland knew academically, but the reality of what the damage was something that he was unprepared for.

When he looked for emotions coming out of Marina, he saw nothing. It was not that he was looking incorrectly, for he could see what the book described coming from the guards. Marina was a complete emotional black hole, not pushing anything out at all. It was a bit disconcerting, really, especially for someone who was not used to reading people.

Marina sensed his looks and wondered what was catching his eye. They had been sleeping together for months, so she knew it was not just her body that was attracting glances. She flashed a smile that she did not feel and looked at him. Where she had seen waves flowing towards her before, she was now seeing them move away rapidly as he figured out how to use the sight.

"What's wrong, Roland?" Marina asked him, not knowing what he was seeing, "You look a little green."

"I'm all right," Roland said, hedging a little, "A little more overwhelming than I expected, that's all. The book warned us against overdoing it too soon."

"Right," Marina said, not buying it for a moment, "Are you sure?"

"It's been a long ride," Roland said, "The guards are set up and I think I need some sleep more than I need food."

"Ok," Marina nodded, "I'll save you some in case you wake up hungry."

Roland nodded and retreated quickly to the tent. Marina sighed and looked around, wondering what caused the quick change in him. The guards did not notice anything and were already eating and sleeping in shifts so that they would be refreshed in the morning as well. She pulled out a small mirror so she could fix her hair a little while she contemplated what to do next.

While she was fixing her hair, she saw one of the guards go behind her. She hadn't quite figured out how to block out the wave sight yet, so she saw his emotive waves passing as he looked at her. As she noticed that, she looked at herself wondering if it was possible to see her own waves. She pushed some power from her hand and saw it in the mirror, so she used the mirror to get a view of herself.

What she saw confirmed what she had known for years. She was empty inside, unable to push anything emotively. She instinctively knew that this was what Roland had seen and had made him ill. Medoferro had a much more controlled reaction coupled with a healthy dose of male hormones to calm it down. She now knew why nothing lasting had been possible with Medoferro.

"Oh my," Marina said softly, "It's true..."

She decided against eating and unrolled her blanket. She sat and looked into the fire and tried to feel emotion about what she saw, but she could not. She wanted to cry but did not have it in her. She felt alone and knew now that she would never feel anything else.

Chapter 26 - Travel, Pirotase Style

"This is the farthest I've traveled from my house since you left," Pirotase told Lister Black as they walked around the outer walls of Mavelan City, "Place looks even more run down than I remembered."

"Thirty years of Facie's rule is taking its toll," Lister nodded, "Somehow I wonder if the Bolantines could be any worse than what you have now."

"You never know," Pirotase said, "Why are you worried about them?"

"I don't know enough about them to be worried yet," Lister admitted, "But the Mullinix has some information. He looked worried about them."

"So how much time do you want to stay here?" Pirotase asked him, "I'm probably not too popular around these parts. I get recognized by a government agent we will be on the run."

"We won't learn anything here," Lister told her, "We both know that. I would like to find better transportation, however."

"Horse thieves are hung," Pirotase said, "There are so few left nowadays that we'd stick out like a sore thumb."

"Bicycles?" Lister wondered, "They're common and cheap in Mullinix."

"They are common," Pirotase said, "Usually belong to wealthier people now, because of a lack of Mullinix parts. Though I do have an idea..."

Pirotase smiled and looked around. Lister wondered what was going through her head as she lapsed into thought. Having a few days worth of decent food in her body had brought new life to her. She giggled a little and darted off into an alleyway.

"What are you up to?" Lister asked quietly.

"Shhh," Pirotase said, grinning, "I know where to get us transportation. Just follow me."

Lister wasn't sure what to make of it, but followed along. He knew that she knew this area better than anyone else, despite being out of practice. They walked over to a storefront that looked very run down. Pirotase walked over and peeked towards the front were some very rowdy looking men were standing in several groups.

"What no good are you up to?" Lister wondered, "I don't think either of us will survive a fight with all of them."

"They're cretins," Pirotase explained, "Some are government thugs, some are wannabes and some are just shiftless idiots. The only thing they have in common are the gear bikes."

"Gear bikes?" Lister wondered, "Bicycles?"

"Sort of," Pirotase said, "These are relatively new, originally came out of Sotanberg. They're sturdier than standard bikes. They have an intricate gear system inside that makes them move faster. Most of these guys have sold their souls for those Gear Bikes. For a while it was the government signing bonus for joining the most dangerous teams."

"So there's a few of them out now," Lister said, "Why didn't I see more up north?"

"They use draftees up north," Pirotase said, "Mullinix duty is light. There hasn't been a movement up there since Facie got routed the last time. Most of these guys served in the south for a year to get these."

"So how do you expect to get them if they are so prized?" Lister wondered, "I mean theft may be noticed."

"They are common enough that nobody looks at them twice except to admire them," Pirotase said, "And if the owner isn't looking for it, nobody will know it's gone."

"And you expect to do what with the owner?" Lister asked, "Kill them?"

"I won't have to," Pirotase told him, "Watch me and make a distraction when I give you the signal."

Pirotase looked at where the government boys were. She flashed Lister a smile and silently told him to stay put. She pulled down the shoulders of her shirt and hiked up her pants a little, making sure that she was showing some skin. She then sauntered out and winked at the government boys.

"She's crazy," Lister mumbled, "Hunger must have driven her out of her mind..."

She went over and talked to a few of the larger ones as Lister watched from out of earshot. He saw her lift something expertly out of one of the government boys' pockets while they were busy staring at her cleavage. She slid it into her pants as she flashed her bright eyes at the man.

Lister watched wondering just what she was up to. She then looked at Lister with a smile, indicating with her eyes just what she wanted. He knew that she wanted some distraction. He looked around for something to do and then saw what he needed. A pair of metal trash cans were in the edge of the alley, so he went and let off a solid kick to one of them, causing a clattering.

Lister darted back to his hiding place just in time to see everyone turn and Pirotase wing a knife at one of the opposing groups. Lister jumped, not expecting that, but kept his place as Pirotase slowly backed off. The group of men she had thrown the knife at had turned around and noticed the injury to one of their own.

The fight began quickly as Pirotase made her way back to Lister, who was still sitting there with his jaw open. She sat down next to him and watched what she had started, a full scale brawl between two of the separate groups.

"I thought you said you weren't going to kill anyone," Lister frowned.

"I didn't," Pirotase grinned, "The guy I hit is still alive. They're going to kill each other, not us."

"How does this get us gear bikes?" Lister asked her, "It just gets a few people killed."

"When they kill each other off enough the survivors will depart quickly," Pirotase told him, "We take two of the gear bikes that belong to the corpses. Nobody will think to look for them until we're long gone."

Lister just shook his head and chuckled. They watched the fight and sure enough several people were either beaten to death or stabbed. It didn't take too long for people to start leaving. Neither side wanted to be around when the bodies were found.

"Let's go," Pirotase said, "The two blue ones over by the tree. Looks as though they belong to some of the dead people."

"I feel like a ghoul," Lister said, shaking his head as he followed Pirotase, "How do you ride these?"

"Pedal them," Pirotase said, "These should be easy. Internal gears are automatic. Just hold on tightly. It'll move much faster than a bicycle."

Pirotase picked up one and started pedaling. She started slow, but was starting to move when Lister had managed to get one and get it moving. It took Lister a few moments to get used to the differences between that and a standard bicycle, but once he started it moving he managed to catch up easily to Pirotase.

"Which way from here?" Lister asked her, "Since you're playing guide."

"Let's head south," Pirotase said, "We'll go far enough so that they won't trace these to us."

"How fast do these things go?" Lister asked her, "Or do you know?"

"Fast enough," Pirotase told him, "Pedal faster and hold on! I'll race you for a bit!"

They raced for a while, letting both of them get used to riding the bikes. They covered more territory that way in just a few hours than they would have doing a full day of walking. When they were finally a good thirty miles from the city they stopped, finding a relatively private clearing a good bit off the road.

"Ok," Lister agreed, breathing a bit hard after all the exercise, "That was much better than walking. I don't know what they did inside those things, but they really move."

"That they do," Pirotase agreed, "I guess this will be a good place to stay for tonight."

"Yeah," Lister agreed, "It's been a long day, Tassy."

They worked together to put together a decent camp site. Pirotase, being much better at it, built the shelter while Lister built a fire and set up intruder alarms. It took them nearly an hour to set up camp properly.

Lister had deliberately left most of his gear in Mullinix, figuring it would be more difficult to trace him as an enemy agent without any physical proof. This meant that the two of them had to live off what little Lister had collected in the Mavelans and the cash he'd brought with him.

"It's going to be a cold one tonight," Pirotase told him, "There's a storm coming from the south."

"Ok," Lister agreed, "Let's eat something and then bed down for the night."

"Works for me," Pirotase agreed, "It's going to be a long one."

Chapter 27 - Going Home

"I can't believe I've let you talk me into this," Medoferro said, "I've been avoiding coming back to Skolnik for a reason, Trin."

"I know," Trinaferro said, "And you have to do it. You haven't visited here since you've been Mullinix."

"Too many memories," Medoferro grumbled, "I'd prefer to let anyone else handle this city."

"I'm here with you," Trinaferro said, "Just give your usual speech. You'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about that part," Medoferro sighed, "It's what comes after that."

The Mullinix Land Barge stopped outside the Skolnik Government House. Despite being one of the furthest cities out in the empire Skolnik was one of the oldest Mullinix cities. It had grand architecture and was an imposing place to speak. Medoferro hated speaking at the best of times, and being in Skolnik did not help much.

He walked up onto the stage and looked out, suppressing a groan as he recognized no less than two-dozen people that he had grown up with. He took a deep breath and tried to forget they were there as he began his usual speech, a tried and true one that had been spit out by Mullinix for centuries and had been taught to him by Insegniferro as it had been taught to him by Taliaferro before him.

Medoferro finished it with a flourish and gracefully made his way off the stage and into the government house. Unlike all the faceless government houses he had seen during the decade he'd spent as Mullinix he actually knew this one. He had registered for his schooling there, not to mention visiting it to bear witness on his father's assault many years before.

"Welcome back to Skolnik, Medoferro," Colonel Arthur Talgal said, "Rick Ballfur warned me you were coming, but I almost didn't believe him. You've avoided this place like the plague since you were chosen."

"Wouldn't you?" Medoferro asked him, "Given my familial ties up here?"

"Ok," Trinaferro said, "Just what the hell is with you and your family? You've avoided this subject for years on your side."

"Perhaps I should explain a bit for him," Colonel Talgal said, "I'm sure it isn't a pleasant subject for young Medoferro."

"You can probably do it without spitting," Medoferro said, "I probably can't even now."

"Come on," Trina said, "Your parents couldn't have been that bad or they wouldn't have chosen you."

"Mine weren't too bad," Medoferro said, "It's the family itself that is a mess."

"The Steele family is notorious in these parts," Arthur told her, "You name something shady going on and most likely the Steele's were part of it."

"How did you get chosen?" Trina wondered, "You didn't turn out that way."

"Let me start from the beginning," Arthur said, "It'll be easier that way."

"You probably know the story better than I do," Medoferro admitted, "My father never wanted to discuss it."

"I will start at the beginning," Arthur said, "I learned most of it when I first became Joelic Burn's lieutenant some fifty years ago. I've been dealing with it ever since."

"This is interesting," Trina grinned, "Who would have thought you had anything but an angelic history."

"Funny," Medoferro said, "Let him tell it, will you?"

"It started with Mike Steele," Arthur told them, "Medoferro's Great-Grandfather. He crossed the king in Siraq at the time and got caught; so he made tracks across the border. He was all of thirty then, but he followed the rules and became a full Mullinix Citizen."

"Sounds good so far," Trina said.

"Mike Steele had a lack of scruples," Arthur said, "There were few better con men out there. Joelic tried for years to get Mike, but never managed to prove anything well enough to get it past him. He even managed to get past two Mullinix sessions without a scratch."

"He probably removed the witnesses," Medoferro mumbled, knowing this part of it.

"Most likely," Arthur agreed, "He had a single child, Medo's grandfather Adam Steele. A real chip off the old block that one. He took over his father's dirty businesses and built new ones. He became adept at smuggling and became rather rich as well, even more so when his father finally got caught for something major.

"This was before I was born," Medo said, "But I heard stories."

"Old Mike killed a man who wouldn't pay money owed," Arthur said, "Unfortunately he did it about ten years too late. Taliaferro was the active Mullinix, just as Medo is now. Evidently, Taliaferro had many of the same abilities Medo does, so he didn't buy it. He knew Mike was guilty as hell, so Medo's great-grandfather got the grand choice. He was too cowardly to do it himself, however, and he was shot by the parents of his victim."

"Good," Medoferro muttered.

"Bitter about this?" Trina grinned at her lover, "Go on, Arthur."

"Adam was slime, just like his dad," Arthur said, "He was smarter than his father too. He put the business further underground and went mostly legit. Didn't get caught for anything, though Joelic and I tried. Joelic finally retired years ago, just as the kids were starting to grow up and go out on their own."

"How many were there?" Trina wondered.

"Four," Medoferro said, "Unless there's more Dad never mentioned."

"Four is right," Arthur agreed, "This is where the story gets weird."

"You aren't kidding," Medoferro agreed, "Very weird."

"Ok," Trina said, "Lay it on me."

"The kids all knew what their father was," Arthur said, "Some of them didn't mind, and others rebelled against it. Medoferro's father was one of the ones that rebelled against his father's lifestyle."

"I'm betting Travis is the other one," Trinaferro said, remembering Medo's uncle in Medoferro Village.

"Travis was the traitor," Medo said, "At least that's the way my father put it."

"Let me tell you about the brothers," Arthur said, "Since I was here for this part. The oldest was Robert, a small scheming little shit that had all the salesmanship and shiftiness of his father. Cygnal was the next one down. He was light on the brains and heavy on the brawn. Everyone knew he'd end up being Robert's heavy lifter. Travis was next and Erick, Medoferro's father, was the baby of the group."

"I didn't know it was that big a family," Trina said, "Almost putting me to shame, Medo."

"It's not so big anymore," Medo said, "Listen."

"Robert and Cygnal moved quickly into the family business," Arthur continued, "They had a good thing going on until Travis and Erick went to Citizenship school. All the kids went to their mandated classes, but it took more with the younger ones. There are a number of theories on that, but the most likely one is that since Adam had Rob and Cyg, he didn't need to train the other two as much."

"Something must have happened," Trina said, "Otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here."

"Travis went into the guard for his duty," Arthur said, "The classes actually got to him. He knew what his brothers were doing and decided to be the good guy. The white knight, if you will. Unfortunately, Travis was as ham handed about it then as he is with things up in Massimaferro Village."

"We all know about that," Trinaferro frowned.

"We'll talk about that later," Medoferro said, "Go ahead and finish this story, Arthur."

"This happened about 25 years ago," Arthur told them, "Medoferro was about three when it started, probably about seven when it ended. It was a long operation. Robert and Cyg started a new round of smuggling, but this time they were smuggling non-citizens in. Slavery, pretty much."

"Did your father know this?" Trina asked Medo, horrified.

"He shut it out," Medoferro said, "He didn't actively take part that I know of."

"Erick kept his family loyalty, but couldn't bring himself to join the schemes," Arthur nodded, "He was content to not know. He's been working in the auditing section of the Medico offices since he got out of citizenship school. Travis, on the other hand, committed the biggest sin he could have done. He joined the guard, the same guard that had gotten the evidence that had killed their grandfather."

"That wasn't the end of it," Medoferro said, "He was still around when I was a kid, at least enough for me to alienate him when I was seven."

"Not by a long shot," Arthur said, "Travis pretended to be a tame guard, mainly to keep his father off his back. He was anything but, as he was helping me keep tabs of what Rob and Cyg were doing. I knew they were up to something, but I'd never caught either one on anything more than simple assault.

"Just about twenty some odd years ago now, however, Travis found out about the smuggling ring. That just snapped something in him and he came to me about it. I went up the line with it and soon we found ourselves going after the whole family. Rob and Cyg were the ones that were directly in our sights, but we also went after their father.

"Adam didn't go quietly. He wasn't about to go down like his father did, so he started fighting it heavily. It took four of us to get him into confinement until we could get the trial together. We did worse with Rob and Cyg. They holed up in a warehouse with a dozen young victims of their smuggling ring. It wasn't pretty when the guards surrounded them.

"Travis wasn't content with that, however, he wanted to make sure that his family knew what he had done. He went in with the invading force and was the one that took his brother Cygnal down with a crossbow bolt straight in the forehead."

"This almost makes me respect Travis," Trina said, "What happened after that?"

"Cygnal's death infuriated Robert," Arthur told her, "Travis didn't have to kill him either. He did it because he could, because he hated the fact that his father considered that imbecilic brute to be a better son than he was. Robert tried to attack Travis for it, but got little more than a beating for his trouble. Travis knew he didn't have to do anything to Robert, because the Mullinix trial would do it for him.

"Erick managed to escape unscathed, but never forgave Travis for that act of betrayal. Both Adam and Robert went to Mullinix Centre for a trial, just as Mike had many years before. I think that was one of Insegniferro's cases, probably a few years after Crianferro's death. The criminal element of the Steele family was sentenced to death."

"I remember that," Medoferro shuddered, "Dad was a pain to be around for months. I think that's what changed him for good. He didn't seem to notice me much after that."

"He couldn't bring himself to trust you, most likely," Arthur said, "Travis got the promotion he wanted, but he proved his incompetence quickly. He was my lieutenant for a couple years before I finally talked Insegniferro to let me send him up to what is now Massimaferro Village. Until now, he wasn't exactly much of a problem up there."

"I'm also guessing that the fact you were chosen didn't help matters much," Trinaferro said to Medo, "Your father sounds like he has a nice dislike for the Mullinix system."

"He has no real reason to love it," Medoferro agreed, "Though I don't think he held the Mullinix himself responsible. I mean all of them deserved what they got, even though the way it happened wasn't particularly pleasant. I think he blamed Travis more than anything."

"Too bad Travis isn't more competent," Arthur said, "But you haven't given me orders to replace him, so I've let him sit."

"I'm going to send him to Connoer when I go up there," Medoferro said, "The Colonel there is retiring and we're promoting his Lieutenant. Connoer is a quiet and established area so Travis shouldn't be able to screw it up too much."

"And I'm hoping you have a plan for his replacement," Arthur said, "But if you've figured out where to put Travis I'm guessing you do."

"Skolnik has grown and so has Massimaferro Village," Medoferro said, "We're going to install a full Colonel in Massimaferro. You will keep Skolnik and surrounding areas, but from Massimaferro Village north until about two-thirds of the way up to Hulkensuxor will go to the new Colonel."

"I'm in total agreement," Arthur said, "I won't argue. I've done the best I could, but I'm too damn old to handle all this area, especially with Travis's incompetence. If that mess over the border spills over onto our side I'll welcome competent help."

"Rick Ballfur will be taking the position," Trinaferro told him, "I'll be spending some time up there to get things settled while Medoferro tries to handle that 'mess over the border'."

"Good choice," Arthur agreed, "I'd like to know how you intend to fix that mess, however."

"You don't want to know," Medoferro said, "Let's leave it at that."

"Very well," Arthur said, "What else do you want to know?"

"Let's go over what has been happening around here," Medoferro said, "I want to know what you know..."

Chapter 29 - A Late Night Visit

Marina sighed and found sleep elusive. She considered seducing one of the guards, but knew it would only be a temporary fix for the way she felt. She played with power blasts a little bit, throwing them at a target as a way to get the anger out of her.

She knew that she would never be able to have anything real with Roland again. The look on his face when he looked at her with that sight spoke more than every kind word he had ever said. Her aim was good, but the rage she put into it exhausted her quickly.

When she finally sat down she heard a pleasant voice in her head. It took her a moment to start deciphering it, as the Mullinix was a rather archaic and accented form.

"Marina," the voice said, "I know what you need..."

Marina looked at the guard sitting nearby, but he gave no indication that he had heard the voice. She shook her head and closed her eyes, figuring that she was just hearing things.

"He can't hear me," The voice said, "Only you can..."

"What?" Marina said out loud, "I don't get it?"

"Don't get what?" the guard asked, looking over at her, "Are you ok?"

"Fine," Marina said, shaking her head again, "I'm ok."

"Don't respond," The voice said, "Tell the guard you're going to relieve yourself and leave the lighted camp area."

Marina sat up bolt upright, but did as she was told. She was intrigued by the voice and the way it appeared in her head. She made her excuses and walked out of the campsite into the dark. She considered making herself a light but then remembered she could use power sight.

"Come on out," the voice said, "You're heading in the right direction."

Marina knew this was crazy, but the voice sounded so welcoming. It was the first warm words she had heard since Roland went so cold. She kept on going until she finally saw a dark outline of a woman. As she got closer the woman's face focused more, but it was a face of a type she had never seen before.

The young woman was actually pretty small, no more than five feet tall. Her black hair was flowing free, reaching most of the way down her back. Her skin was slightly dark, as if she'd been tanned heavily in the sun. Her eyes were also slanted in a way that Marina had never seen anymore. The young woman was far from ugly, in fact, she was beautiful in a very exotic fashion.

"Don't be scared," she said, "I realize you most likely haven't seen anyone of my racial background before."

"I'm not," Marina said, looking at the young woman, "How did you talk to me like that?"

"I've got a lot of practice with power use," she shrugged, "It's not that difficult, really. Besides, it wasn't difficult to see your feelings."

"What feelings?" Marina asked, almost crossly, "I wasn't aware I actually had any."

"Sure you do," she said, "Just not the way they expect you to."

"What is your name, anyway?" Marina asked, realizing she didn't know who she was talking to.

"Nikki," she said, smiling, "Sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier. I just wanted to get you out of there before you exploded."

"Was it that obvious?" Marina asked.

"I caught it from several miles away," Nikki told her, "If you had an experienced power user with you they would have caught it too. That type of anger will do you no good."

"I'm sick of feeling different," Marina sighed, talking to Nikki as if they'd known each other forever, "I can't help what happened when I was a child..."

"Tell me about it," Nikki said, "I'm here, maybe I can help a little."

"I don't know..." Marina said, but then Nikki touched her shoulder, "It's a long story..."

Nikki's touch had more warmth in it than anything Marina had ever experienced in the past. She didn't know whether it was that the young woman was a power user or if it was because she wanted it, but the feeling was real enough for her at that point.

"Tell me everything," Nikki said, sitting down, "Sit with me, Marina, I bet you have a lot to say."

Marina sat down with Nikki and just started talking. It was the most comfortable she had been with anyone in years, probably since she first started with Medoferro. She told Nikki everything, from the childhood abuse to the latest problems with the power use.

"I don't know what to do, Nikki," Marina sighed, "The way he cringes when he looks at me..."

"They don't deserve you," Nikki said, "You know that."

"They're all I have," Marina sighed, "I'm empty inside, Nikki, I'll never know what it feels like..."

"Yes you will," Nikki told her, putting her hand on her chest, "Emptiness isn't permanent It just is something that you let yourself feel."

Marina felt the touch and felt something that she did not know what it was until it finally took hold. It was a sort of healing, but something she still had no idea how to deal with. She thought it was what caring felt like, but since she did not know it to begin with Marina mistook what Nikki was offering for the real thing.

"You will never feel empty again," Nikki told her, looking straight into her eyes, "I promise you that."

"Do I have to go back?" Marina asked her, not wanting to break this connection, "Can I stay with you forever?"

"It isn't just me," Nikki said, "There are more like me. We will never take what is yours."

"Let's go there," Marina said, "Now..."

"Not yet," Nikki told her, "We need you here first."

"Why?" Marina asked her, "Why should I go back?"

"I don't know if he told you," Nikki said, "But the one you're with is carrying an offer for an alliance with Sotanberg."

"How do you know this?" Marina asked, "I didn't ask what he was carrying..."

"We've been at odds with that king," Nikki shrugged, "It makes sense. We're not the ogres that he makes us out to be."

If Marina had been in her right mind, she would have realized that the "We" meant the Bolantines, but the feeling that Nikki was pushing into her... It caused her not to care. She was at the point of selling her soul for more of that feeling, which was what Nikki intended for her to do.

"Lie down," Nikki told her, "I will teach you how to do the power speaking. We need to know what they do so we can avoid another war. Once we know all that we need to know, you will get to return with me to our capital, where you will be respected and revered for the person you are."

Marina did as she was told and the deal was sealed. Marina's emptiness had left her open for this, something that Nikki had seen in the past. She caressed Marina's hair and waited for her to wake up again after the mind push she had done.

"Go on back," Nikki told her, "I will contact you again when you get closer. If anyone asks you just fell asleep out here."

"Right," Marina agreed, "See you soon?"

"Absolutely," Nikki smiled, "Count on it."

Marina did not want to go, but a little push from Nikki got her moving. She went back into the camp with a smile on her face, determined to do what was needed to get that feeling back again. The guards had not even noticed how long she had been gone, so she just curled up in her blanket and dreamed about the feeling she got at Nikki's touch.

Chapter 30 - The Late Night Cold

Pirotase shivered on her side of the tent, trying to deal with the extreme cold that had come over the area. The weather was odd in that region, going from extreme highs to extreme lows despite what the season was. This was turning into one of the coldest nights of the year.

Lister Black tried to sleep, but could not force himself to do so when Pirotase was so cold. She was still too thin to handle the cold as she used to be able to. A few days of food were not enough to give her any fortification against it.

"You're freezing," Lister said, "Come on over here."

"Sure," Pirotase said mockingly, "Just what you want."

"I don't want you to freeze to death," Lister told her, sighing, "I never stopped caring about you, Tassy. Come on. It's too cold for more than sharing body heat."

"No funny stuff, Lister," Pirotase said as she slid over, "It's mind numbing cold that is putting me in your arms. Nothing else."

"I know," Lister smiled, opening up his blanket, "You're no use to me frozen anyway."

Pirotase slid underneath the covers and Lister added her blanket to cover the both of them. She was not putting out much heat at all, so he pulled her close and tried to pass some heat to her. She did not want to at first, but she found herself curling up into his warmth.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Tassy," Lister assured her, "I just want to get you warm again."

"You already did hurt me, Lister," Pirotase sighed, "When you left."

"I told you that I had commitments," Lister told her, "I had a family to get back to."

"I had nothing," Pirotase said, "No one else to turn to. You were the only one who ever even tried to believe in me."

"I still do believe in you," Lister smiled, "Would I be here if I didn't?"

"If you did you would have stayed," Pirotase said, "What was I supposed to think?"

"I was getting too close," Lister told her, "I couldn't stay here. I don't belong here. I wouldn't last long under this oppressive government."

"I know that," she sighed, "But I thought that maybe, just maybe, you might feel a portion of what I felt for you. The nights we laid together, the times we eluded Facie's guards, the kisses of joy..."

"I did feel that," Lister told her, "I still do. I made a promise though. I had to go home. My word still means something to me, Tassy. If I had stayed..."

Lister remembered just how close they had come to sleeping together during that last mission before he had gone home. Every fiber of his being had wanted her, a longing that had never extinguished even after he had gone home to his wife and kids.

"Yes?" Pirotase asked him, "If you had stayed..."

"If I had stayed I might never have gone home," Lister told her, looking into her eyes, "I made a mistake back then, but it was one I had to make or I would never have been free from her."

"So you waltz back and say you still want me," Pirotase said, trying to reconcile her feelings for this man, "But how can I believe you won't leave again..."

"Words won't cut it," Lister said, "Remember, I used to tell you the things I wouldn't do because I wanted to remain faithful..."

"Yes," Pirotase chuckled, "I remember that. It was a game. I used to try to push you over that edge."

"I know," Lister smiled, "But I never crumbled. Do you remember that I refused to kiss more than a bit of happiness?"

"It was maddening," Pirotase agreed, "You always gave me a little but left me wanting much more..."

Lister leaned over a little and kissed her deeply, putting more into it than he had ever let himself before. He had to prove to her that he was serious and he realized that he did not want to lose her again. She fought momentarily, but realized that he was giving something she had wanted ever since she had fallen for him. It was a long kiss, but when it was done they looked at each other.

"I won't leave you again," Lister promised, "I never lied to you. I will not lie to you. When we leave this hellish nation the next time you will go over the border with me."

"I want to believe you," Pirotase said, "I do..."

"Then let me show you," Lister said, "I don't mean physically. It's too cold and you haven't built your reserves up enough yet. Just let me hold on to you and give me a chance."

"I don't have a choice now," Pirotase told him, "Do I?"

"You always did," Lister smiled, "I would have left you with a good bit of Mavelan cash had you told me to go to hell. I would have deserved that too."

"I still don't know what to think about this," Pirotase said, "I'm sometimes wondering if I died of hunger and am still dreaming about you."

"I never stopped dreaming about you," Lister told her, "I think Talia figured that out too. She couldn't live up to the vision of you I had in my head."

"So where do we go from here?" Pirotase asked him.

"One step at a time," Lister said and kissed her forehead, "For now, let's just stay warm and get some sleep. We'll worry about the rest of it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow never comes," Pirotase reminded him.

"Then we live for today," Lister said, "Let's get some sleep, Tassy."

It was the best sleep either of them had had in years.

Chapter 31 - Dad

"Think he'll be awake?" Trinaferro asked him, "I mean it is nearly ten."

"He'll be awake," Medoferro said, "He's a night owl. It was the only time he could get free from my mother."

"Do I get to meet her too?" Trina asked him, "Not that I'm anxious or anything..."

"If she's still here," Medoferro said, "Remember, I haven't had contact with either one of them for nearly a decade. They broke contact when I was drafted into this job."

"I take it all wasn't harmony here," Trina said, "Considering you've never wanted to come back."

"My father is a curmudgeon," Medoferro said sourly, "Has been ever since that mess with Travis and the rest of the family. I generally kept a low profile."

Medoferro knocked on the door and wondered if he would get lucky and no one would answer. Luck was not with him that night because a pair of eyes that he recognized showed up at the door. There was a slight delay as Erick Steele made his way to the door.

Medoferro signaled to the guards to stay back, leaving Trina and him alone at the door. The door finally opened and Erick Steele stood in front of the open door and looked at his son.

"The prodigal son decides to return home," Erick said, his lined face said almost in a scowl, "What brings you here, Copeland?"

"Miranda wanted to meet you," Medoferro said, deliberately using Trinaferro's birth name instead of her Mullinix name, "We were coming into town anyway, and I figured it might have been enough time that we could heal some old wounds."

"Miranda?" Erick said, looking through his dirty glasses at her, "I guess you're the one referred to as Trinaferro?"

"Only in public," she smiled, not sure what to make of Medoferro's father, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Steele."

"I'm sure," Erick frowned, "Well you are here, you may as well come in."

Trina looked at Medo, who could only shrug and motion into the home. It was reasonably well kept, but there was no sign of his mother anywhere. Erick Steele led them into the sitting room and motioned to the couch that had been in there since the house had been purchased, some thirty years before.

"Where's mother?" Medoferro asked, "She was usually the one who got the door."

"She died two years ago," Erick grunted, "Damned wasting sickness took her. By the time we knew she had it there was nothing the medicos could do."

"Why didn't you send a message?" Medoferro asked, "I would have come..."

"I wasn't looking for Mullinix sympathy," Erick said, "You joined them. I don't need anything from you."

"I didn't exactly join," Medoferro said, "I was drafted. You don't say no to a job like this."

"I've lost three generations of family to your predecessor," Erick said, "You really don't expect me to be happy that you're one of them do you?"

"I was hoping you would at least acknowledge I still existed," Medoferro said, "I sent you letters. I bet you never read them."

"Your mother did," Erick shrugged, "I didn't care."

"And you had her so cowed that she didn't respond," Medoferro sighed, "I didn't want to cause problems here."

Trinaferro wanted to say something, but she knew they had to have it out. She intently watched the two of them, learning a lot about her love and the man who raised him.

"I didn't want to raise a Mullinix," Erick said, "But that's exactly what I did. I should have named you after Travis. It would have fit."

"I'm not like Travis," Medoferro said, "I'm actually competent."

"Yes," Erick admitted grudgingly, "It looks like you do know a bit about what you're doing. But how does it feel knowing how many men you've sent to the grave?"

"I've done what I had to do," Medoferro said, "I don't condemn men. They condemn themselves when they commit their acts."

"Just like my father and my brothers," Erick muttered, "Just like my grandfather!"

"I heard about why your father and grandfather died," Medoferro said, "They were murderers. They deserved what they got."

Trinaferro cringed a little, but she knew Medoferro was right. He had been living with his family's stigma all his life and had to get it out. She was glad to be there for it, but not sure either one of them were going to like the results.

"They were doing bad things," Erick said, "But that doesn't excuse what Travis did. You were not there. You didn't see what he did."

"I know what he did," Medoferro said, "I'm not excusing it. I have nothing to do with that. But you can't blame the system that punishes people who have done something wrong."

"Yet Travis still enjoys a cushy job," Erick said, "While I sit here rotting away."

"You pushed me away," Medoferro said, "Not the other way around. I tried."

"I can't abide by having a son who has become what I can't stand," Erick said, looking his son in the eye, "You don't use my name. You don't use my values. You do not represent me."

"After seeing what your family was capable of," Medoferro said, "I'm not sure I want to."

"You've seen what you came to see," Erick said, "Why don't you take your little girl there and get out of here?"

"I think that's a good idea," Trinaferro said, realizing that it was a good chance to cut bait, "We need to rest before we go to the village tomorrow."

"I think I've seen enough," Medoferro agreed, "Have a nice life. I don't think I'll be returning."

"I can live with that," Erick said, "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."

Medoferro and Trinaferro walked out and walked to the government house with their guards trailing a safe distance. She waited until Medoferro calmed down a bit before talking.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, "You're quiet."

"I'm fine," Medo said, though his voice didn't sound it, "I should have known better than to take you there."

"I asked you to, remember?" Trina said, stopping and looking at him, "It doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Yeah," Medoferro said, sighing a little as he said it, "But I knew he'd react this way. Back when we were students and I feared that I'd be chosen... I wasn't upset because of the job. I was upset because of this. I've just been putting off dealing with it for ten years now."

"You did the right thing back then," Trinaferro assured him, "Because if you didn't..."

"You would be Mullinix right now," Medoferro said, "Instead of my apprentice."

"Better you than me, my love," Trina grinned and offered her hand, "Come on. Let's go back to the government house. I swear I'll make you forget about this experience. We will never have to talk about it again."

"I can live with that," Medoferro smiled, "Let's go. The faster I get away from this quarter the happier I will be. This is a life I no longer am a part of. My life is with you and in the palace."

"Amen to that," Trina grinned, "Let's go."

Chapter 32 - Massimaferro Village

"At least my homecoming should go smoother than yours," Trinaferro told Medo as the land barge approached the outskirts, "Though this place has bittersweet memories as well."

"Many good ones too," Medo reminded her, "This is where I first told you I love you."

"It's a different place now," Trina said, "Toria has three full time Medicos working now. That place is jumping around the clock."

"Think we can get the hot bath for a few hours?" Medo grinned, remembering that fondly, "Hopefully we won't get greeted with such bad news this time."

The last time they'd spent the night in that hot bath room they'd gone back to find out that Mullinix Massimaferro had died of Mellemaic poisoning. That was the night that Medoferro had to tell her that she was the new apprentice, something that neither one of them had wanted.

"Where first?" Trina asked him, "Government house or Toria's?"

"Toria," Medoferro said without hesitation, "I don't want to deal with Travis yet."

"Still worried about how he'll take it?" Trina wondered.

"Yep," Medo agreed, "I'll be glad when it's done."

Massimaferro Village had not yet achieved full city status yet, so they were spared the usual pomp and circumstance. Any day Medoferro got away with not making a speech was a good one as far as he was concerned.

"It's running on evening," Trina said, "Things should be winding down."

"Simon and Rav should be here tomorrow," Medo said, "When I talked to them from MacManite they said they were staying outside the city so they could practice power techniques with Entragian."

"I can imagine that would be hard to hide here now," Trina said, "Look at this..."

They both looked around and saw people everywhere. Trinaferro had grown up in this town, though when she left for citizenship school there had been less than four hundred permanent residents. It had swelled in the past two years to more than ten thousand and refugees poured over the border every day.

"Good gods," Medo said, looking around, "I knew it was growing, but it doesn't hit you until you see it."

"No kidding," Trina said, "I was here two years ago and it wasn't anything like this."

"I'm not sure we can secure this sir," the head guard of the convoy said, "We didn't bring enough people."

"There will be additional guards at the Medico," Trinaferro told them, "They will supplement you."

"Ok," the guard said, "Let's stop it outside."

Medoferro and Trinaferro hopped down from the land barge and walked into the medico house. The new additions had added about two-dozen new beds and made it a much more spacious place. A young man in white walked up and looked at the two of them.

"You injured or visiting?" he asked them.

"I'm looking for Toria," Trina said, "Is she here?"

"She's working on a patient," the overworked medico said, "You get me or no one right now."

"She's my sister," Trina said, smiling, "Nobody is hurt, just want to say hello."

"Oh my..." the young medico said, "You're Trinaferro... I'm sorry... I didn't... it's busy..."

"It's ok," Trinaferro said, "Toria warned me how busy it was. Which room?"

"Six," the young man said, "In the back. Nasty burn case."

"Thanks," Trina said.

Medo stayed quiet and let Trinaferro do the talking. She had grown up with the medico trade because her sister was so much older and had started so young. Trina led Medo to the back where she knocked on the door.

"We're busy!" Toria yelled.

"Need help?" Trina asked, "I've handled burns before."

Toria recognized her sister's voice. She went over and opened the door, looked at her sister and smiled. She then handed Trina a bucket of slop and some bandages.

"Finally!" Toria exclaimed, "Someone who can handle a bandage."

"Some welcome," Medo chuckled, "Some things never change."

They all laughed and Trina started applying the bandages. Medo watched and was surprised at seeing just how young the patient was. The boy was no older than ten and was burned over at least 70% of his body.

"What happened?" Medo asked, "He's so young."

"Another one of those damned hut fires," Toria said, "This is the third one this month. The refugees build cheap clapboard huts that don't have proper fireplaces. We're getting a lot of smoke inhalation cases as well."

"Why isn't Travis having his men do anything?" Trina wondered as she continued laying bandages, "He is supposed to be watching over public safety issues."

"Travis is useless," Toria spat, "He rarely even comes down to the town anymore. Why do you think I've been pushing for a replacement for so long? He was fine for when we had 400 people. He isn't competent enough for ten thousand."

"He won't be a problem much longer," Medo assured her, "We've already decided on a replacement. Rick Ballfur will be here in a week or so."

"And I'll be staying here for a while," Trina said, "To help organize this mess while Medo makes his insane trip across the border."

"What insane trip across the border?" Toria asked suspiciously, "You aren't seriously considering going over there are you?"

"Someone has to try to fix this mess," Medo shrugged, "It will get worse if I don't deal with it now. Besides, I need to do the trade deal anyway."

"You're a brave man," Toria said, "All reports are that it's getting pretty bad over there. I'm constantly treating refugees that have been injured just trying to get out of the way."

"I'll have a sizable guard contingent," Medo assured her, "I have no intention of being easily ambushed. The contingent is being led by Rav Suvorov and will have three power users."

"I'll make some more power use formulas," Toria promised, "When are you guys leaving?"

"We got the messenger back in Skolnik," Medo said, "We'll be crossing the border in two days to be received as soon as we can actually traverse the region."

"Avoid the main roads," Toria suggested, "I've heard many reports of bandits on them."

"We'll probably go most of the way with an armed river shipment," Medoferro said, "They've been getting through reliably. The palace is only twenty miles or so north of the river."

"Be careful," Toria told him, "Nobody is in a hurry to make Miranda the new Mullinix."

"Least of all me," Medoferro agreed, "I don't want to do that to Iggy either. He's already had to sit through four of those ascensions. He doesn't need to do a fifth."

"I bet that would be a record," Trina said, "Not that it is one I want to break."

"Rotoferro III went through six," Medoferro said, "He lost two apprentices to plague and outlived two full Mullinix as well. That rugged bastard lived to be 102."

"Nice history lesson," Trina said, "Been talking to Iggy too much again?"

"No more than usual," Medo grinned, "Doesn't change the fact that someone has to find out what the hell is going on over there before it spills over our borders anymore than it already has."

"True," Toria agreed, "I hope you've got some plans on that because Travis hasn't done anything."

"I'm bringing a group of regulars in," Trinaferro said, "I wanted to see how many we needed first."

"She'll be making some major changes here," Medoferro promised, "Simon told us how bad it's been getting and we're now seeing it for ourselves."

"Just wait until you see the government house," Toria told them, "It's an armed camp. You can't get near it."

"You're kidding me?" Medoferro said, "Under whose order?"

"Travis," Toria said, "He has gotten more paranoid since Simon was here a few weeks ago."

"I think I will go take a look," Medoferro said, "Connoer may get lucky. If Travis has gone that far over the edge I'll be firing his ass."

"Be careful," Trina said, "Bring some of the guards with you."

"I intend to," Medoferro said, "I take it you're going to stay here and help Toria?"

"Yeah," Trina nodded, "She's short staffed and it'll get me out of having to watch you fire Travis."

"Right," Medo grinned, "Ok. See you in a bit."

Medoferro walked out and found the guard leader who had finally managed to secure the area as best he could. He looked nervous as there were a lot of people and very few guards around.

"Trina is staying here," Medo told him, "I'm going up to the Government House."

"I don't have enough people," the guard protested, "But you're not going to listen to me are you?"

"Of course not," Medo told him, "You stay here with Trinaferro. I'll take two of your big guys with me. The government house is at the top of the hill. If anything happens in that quarter mile you'll be able to get there quick and I can hold them off with power use until you do get there."

"Ok," he said, "Take Taulty and Lawrence. They'll be able to cover you well."

Medoferro nodded and waited for the two men to get over there. He led the way and the three of them walked up the hill to the government house. The city's small government house had changed since he had last been there. Instead of the open airy building that had been there before there were barricades blocking easy entrance.

"What the hell?" Medo said aloud, "That defeats the purpose of a government house."

Every major (or minor for that matter) settlement in the Mullinix Empire that was large enough for a permanent post had a government house. The highest ranking empire official (Colonels for larger cities, Majors for larger settlements) lived in the upper floor and the government's business was conducted on the lower floor. The houses ranged from small to extravagantly large.

Massimaferro Village had a small one that had been built because of the use of the trading village for regular talks with the Siraqi king. The expensive voice link system, a monstrously large device that required a two-foot diameter shielded cable to operate had been installed there mainly because of the talks.

Medoferro walked up and was stopped by a Mullinix guard at the front gate. The guard looked serious and blocked the doorway with large spear. Medoferro looked the guard in the eyes and tried to hold back his anger.

"What are you doing here?" Medoferro asked.

"Guarding the gate, sir," the guard said, "As I was ordered to."

"Who gave that order?" Medoferro asked incredulously, "And why are you following a patently illegal order?"

"Major Steele did," the guard said, "He told me that no one was to be let into the government house without his express approval."

"He has gone over the deep end," Medoferro muttered and then decided to go in anyway, "You know who I am, right?"

"Yes Mullinix," the guard said, recognizing Medoferro, "I'm just following orders sir."

"How many men are being wasted on this idiotic duty?" Medoferro asked him, "And were you warned we were coming?"

"There are four of us," the guard said, "The others are patrolling around the house."

"Collect them so they don't accidentally skewer me," Medoferro instructed, "Then I want you to pull down those damned gates. I'm going inside to find that moron who ordered this."

"Yes sir!" the guard said, obviously pleased by this, "I take it that things are going to change?"

"Yes," Medoferro said, "Who is Travis' second in command right now?"

"He never chose one," the guard shrugged, "It's a loose outfit here."

"Not anymore," Medoferro said, "Get moving. Once those gates are down join my guards for reinforcement."

"Yes sir," the guard said and ran off to carry out his orders.

"Be on your guard," Medo ordered his men, "If Travis is half as insane as I think he might be I want you to take him down quickly."

No one questioned that. Government houses were among the few sacred cows in Mullinix. They were meant to be open places where any full citizen could have access to their government. To close one up and put guards to keep people out was sacrilege.

Medoferro walked up to the house and tried to open the door and was surprised to find that it was locked. He bared his teeth and looked fit to kill. He looked over at the guards and motioned to them to kick open the door. They both took an attempt at it, but the frame was too well built to break through.

"Back off," Medoferro said, his anger evident, "Cover your eyes."

Medoferro took a deep breath and concentrated some power in his hands. He let it warm up and then pushed a full power blast into the locking mechanism. The sturdy metal could not take the heat and melted into slag while burning the wood around it. He then let off a solid kick that broke what was left and sent the door inside.

"Put out the flames," Medoferro ordered, "I'll find Travis."

Medoferro scanned the house looking for signs of life. He was angrier than he'd been in years and was ready to throttle his uncle. Connoer was safe as Medoferro had already decided to fire Travis. He was still trying to keep himself from putting him on trial for treason.

The downstairs was empty, but there was some noise coming from the upstairs. Medoferro followed it, figuring that where there was noise there would be life. The noise intrigued him, however, because it sounded like a cross between sex and murder. He knew something was instinctively wrong so he ran down the hallway towards the source of the noise.

When he got there he found that the door was locked. The noise was getting louder, so he forced power into his muscles and kicked the door, sending it flying off its hinges. The sight he saw was enough to sicken anyone, however, as he saw his uncle forcing himself on a girl who could not have been older than ten.

"You son of a bitch," Medoferro said, looking at this, "Stop that and get away from the girl!"

Travis looked up and realized that he was caught. He pulled out of the girl and reached for the crossbow to his right, trying instinctively to kill Medoferro before anyone else came in.

Medoferro was highly alert and saw the move before it happened. He dodged the poorly aimed crossbow bolt and let off a power strike at the crossbow, rendering it useless by singeing the string. Travis dropped the weapon and pulled himself up, pulling up his pants as he did so.

The guards had heard the commotion and ran up to the room as Medoferro and Travis faced off. They were about to jump in and take Travis out, but he was still too close to the little girl that he had just raped.

"Back off," Medoferro said, "He's mine. Get the girl out of the way."

"Your father would love this," Travis said, "Having you be the instrument of the moment of my disgrace."

"He still hates your guts," Medoferro said, "With good reason, it looks like."

Medo and Travis squared off, looking at each other and sizing each other up. It really wasn't a fair match, with Medoferro being younger and quicker, but Travis was hyped up enough to not care. The guards watched, following orders and not knowing what to do. Their Mullinix was about to fight someone.

"Go get Trina," Taulty said, "Quickly!"

Lawrence nodded and ran out of the door, heading to the medico hut while Medoferro and Travis continued staring each other down. Taulty dodged behind Travis and pulled the little girl out as the two men showed their family hatred.

"I won't go down without a fight," Travis said, "You will have to kill me."

"No problem," Medoferro said without flinching, "It will be a pleasure. You will be known forever as Travis Steele, the baby raper."

"We share the same blood," Travis said, an evil smile on his lips, "It's only a matter of time. I tried to deny it for years. I even tried to become a good guard. It never got me anywhere. It just got me here."

"Then it's the place to end it," Medoferro said, "You want to go out fighting. I'll oblige."

Travis, who was in surprisingly decent shape for his age, let go with a flurry of kicks and punches at the Mullinix. Medoferro had agility and practice at this, so he managed to block all of them, letting off two right hooks to Travis' midsection as well.

Medoferro then let off a solid jump kick, knocking Travis against the wall. Travis wiped a bit of blood off his lip and got back up, not willing to lose against the younger man. He let off a few solid kicks, feinting and managing to get a few in. Travis knew that the guard would interfere if he started to win too much, so he wanted to get in what he could.

"Mullinix!" Taulty said, "This is insane."

"Stay where you are!" Medoferro yelled, "This is between Travis and me!"

They fought quickly for a few minutes, unleashing a flurry of martial arts moves that both had been studying for years. Neither one laid much of a blow on the other until Medoferro managed to get a hold on Travis' right arm, pulling him off balance and slamming him in the nose.

This merely enraged Travis, however, so he went after Medoferro with a new intensity. Medoferro took a few shots to his ribs and a strong left in his eye that sent him reeling back. Taulty was about to jump in, but was shot a nasty look by Medoferro as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"You did the right thing once," Medoferro said, "But you always were so ham handed you never knew how to do it correctly. You should have left the arrest to others, but you had to be there and see the look on your brothers' face as they realized who had sold them out. They deserved what they got, but so do you."

"I should have been promoted!" Travis exclaimed, "Instead they throw me off to this little shithole! I've been here over twenty years! It cost me my wife, it cost me any chance of promotion!"

"They never trusted you," Medoferro agreed, remembering the file, "They figured you couldn't screw this up and they were right until the mass influx of refugees. Now you're going down."

Medoferro started the attack again, knocking Travis against the wall and pounding his ribs until the older man collapsed in a heap. Medoferro backed off a little bit and massaged his sore knuckles until Travis managed to pull himself up and spit a large quantity of blood over on to the bed.

"You never asked why," Travis said through his blood stained teeth, "I'd have thought that would have been one of your first questions."

"I know the answer," Medoferro told him, "You did it because you could. Because you had power and wanted to know what control really felt like. The thing is... you will never know. Men like you are incapable of ever really knowing."

"I was the good one," Travis said, "I could have been anything. I should have been something. But who gets the Mullinix slot? Erick's snot nosed kid! Where's the justice in that?"

"You would never have been chosen," Medoferro said, "You will never understand the reasons why, either."

"Neither will the one they choose to replace you," Travis said through a blood stained grin, "Prepare to die!"

Taulty tensed as Travis attacked again, this time reaching in a drawer to pull out a knife. Medoferro saw it coming, knew that Travis had little left to lose, so he let off a well-aimed kick at the drawer and crushed Travis' hand in the drawer.

"You bastard!" Travis yelled.

"You should know," Medoferro said coldly, "My parentage is well known."

Medoferro was tired of the battle and launched into a final assault, pounding on Travis until the older man collapsed on the floor and Medoferro got in position to end it. Travis looked up at Medoferro and waited for the younger man to end it. It was death he wanted at this point, as it would be more pleasant than any life he had left.

"Go ahead," Travis spat out, "Kill me! You'll just prove my point!"

"Medoferro!" Trinaferro yelled at him, "Don't do it!"

Medoferro looked at her and then back down at Travis. His foot was on Travis' neck and it would have been so easy to put his weight on it and simply break his uncle's neck. Trinaferro knew this and pleaded silently with him not to.

"Not this way, Medo," Trina said, "Send him to Iggy. Let Iggy pass final judgment. You're too close."

"Kill me!" Travis mumbled, "You know you want to! You feel it... You're just like the rest of our family, myself included!"

Medoferro thought about this for a moment and let out a deep breath. He knew that it was the easy way out. He also knew that he owed it to Trinaferro and to everyone who believed in him to not do it. He growled and removed his foot from Travis' neck.

"Take this slime to a cell, Taulty," Medoferro said, "Get him out of my sight."

Trinaferro breathed a sigh of relief and looked at her lover, offering him her arms. She knew very little about what happened but knew that the worst of it was over. Now, it was time to heal from it.

Chapter 33 - The Imperial Seat

Both Roland and Marina were glad to see the outer gates of Sotanberg's Imperial City. The long days of riding and practice were taking their toll, and the incident from a few days before was still weighing heavily on their minds.

"I wasn't expecting anything this large," Marina said, "Those brick walls must go up 200 feet!"

"250 actually," Roland told her, "They date back to a war that they were involved in 600 years ago. They built the walls to withstand bombardment and prevent the city from having fire catapults rain destruction on the citizens."

"Too bad we didn't have this in Cirrus," Marina said, "Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad."

"We still had LaPorte to deal with," Roland reminded her, "He was the cause of the entire mess."

Ellis LaPorte was the traitor who had tried to give the Cirrus City region of the Mullinix Empire back to the Mavelan King, in return for being made a Mavelan governor. The Mavelan governors have life or death power over their citizens, mainly because King Facie had no concern for his people so long as the taxes kept rolling in.

"True," Marina agreed, saying nothing else and looking around for Nikki.

"I guess I should warn you," Roland said, "I should have done this before, but we haven't run into many full blooded Sotanberg citizens on the roads. That will change once we get to the gates."

"What's different?" Marina asked him.

"Skin color mainly," Roland told her, "A full blooded Sotanbergan is very dark skinned, almost to the point of being completely black. The facial features are slightly different too, as is the hair."

"Any other differences?" Marina asked him, "Like a ten-foot long dick or something?"

"I wouldn't know," Roland said, stifling a chuckle, "Not my department. They're a great people. The skin color is just a physical difference. Not a big deal."

"Ok," Marina nodded, "Thanks for the warning."

The group stopped outside the gates and got off the bicycles. Roland took the lead, ordering everyone to secure their weapons at their sides and to stay put as he approached the gate. A guard captain walked over to meet them, looked at the group and stuck out a large black hand.

"Good afternoon," Captain Chaseran said in flawless Mullinix as he shook hands with Roland, "I take it that you are the contingent we've been expecting from Mullinix?"

"Yes sir," Roland said, smiling, "I am Roland Hoffs, personal representative of Mullinix-Elder Insegniferro. I am here to meet with your king on behalf of Mullinix."

"The king will see you this afternoon," Captain Chaseran said, "I've been instructed to bring you to Prince Harmon's personal residence to rest and refresh yourselves before going to court this afternoon."

"I appreciate that," Roland said, expecting this development, "Just direct us on where to go and where to stow our gear."

"There is a government run guest house next to Prince Harmon's," the captain told him, "At his request it has been dedicated for your use while you are here. There should be ample facilities there to park your cycles and put your belongings."

"We'll get things set up," the head guard told Roland, "You and Marina can go see Prince Harmon."

"I think things will work out nicely," Captain Chaseran smiled, "Do you require escort?"

"Not so much escort as a guide," Roland told him, "I haven't been to the capital city in nearly fifteen years. I'm sure some things have changed since I've been here last and my memory isn't as good as it was."

"In that case I shall send one of my men with you," Chaseran told him, "Is that satisfactory?"

"Perfectly," Roland agreed, "Thank you, Captain."

A young guard led the way for the contingent to get to the place they were looking for. A group of light skinned faces walking through the city together got a few stares, but most people went along with their usual day. A few minutes after getting into the town they were standing in front of a pair of nearly identical houses.

"Prince Harmon is on the left," the young guide said, "The house on the left is where you will be staying."

"Thank you," Roland said, "Shall we go see the prince, Marina?"

"Yes," Marina said, a bit distracted as she looked around, "Fine."

They walked up the walkway and went into the front parlor, knocking on the door frame as they went in. A young woman came into the room and bowed to them. She looked at them and knew from the light skin that they were the ones she had been told to expect.

"Roland and Marina?" she asked them in halting Mullinix.

"Yes," Roland replied in Sotan, the native tongue, "I speak your language if that is easier."

"Much," she said, a relieved smile forming on her face and continuing in Sotan, "The prince is waiting in the library. I think he's brushing up on your language."

"We'll probably have to continue that way," Roland agreed, "Marina still doesn't speak any Sotan."

Roland was correct. Marina had no idea what they were saying. This did not go over well with her, as she did not like being left out of things. She had never thought about not speaking the local language, but it was one of the things that would become an inconvenience for her as time went on.

"This way," the young girl said, "Follow me."

They followed her into the library where Prince Harmon was lounging in a chair reading a refresher book on Mullinix Language. He looked up and smiled at them, standing up from his chair. He wasn't a large man, only about five feet six and a little portly. His black skin was accented with a few age lines and his hair was graying out from the temples.

"It has been a long time, Roland," Prince Harmon said in Mullinix, "Welcome back."

"It's been a long time," Roland said, "How are you doing?"

"I've had better years," Harmon said, "Who is your companion here, Roland?"

"This is Marina," Roland said, "She's my partner on this trip. They figured that I needed someone to look after me since I'm getting older."

"Someone has to," Marina said sweetly, "Nice to meet you, Prince Harmon."

"Come on, have a seat," Harmon said, "I take it Iggy got my message before the King's messenger got there?"

"The poor kid was out of breath," Roland said, "But yes. We got the message."

"Good," Harmon said, "I've been pushing to get the offer made for years, but I can't hammer some of the more belligerent nobles to agree to it. They don't realize what is going on down south or don't care."

"We've taken note of the Bolantines too," Roland told him, "The Mavelan army packed up and headed south in an awful hurry. I don't know if that lunatic Facie has been anymore forthcoming with you about what is happening or not."

"Our relations have been icy since we sided with you in the original Cirrus dispute," Harmon said, "It's pure luck and sheer size that have kept us out of a physical fight with them."

"Trade as well," Roland said, "Since they refuse to trade with us they have to get their goods from somewhere."

"I'm sure that has something to do with it," Harmon said, "I have enough of the nobles converted that if the offer were to come from your side I think I can push it through."

"I hope you're right," Roland said, "Because the world is becoming a dangerous place."

"What are you doing about Siraq?" Harmon asked him, "Anything but watching?"

"Medoferro is working on that while I'm here," Roland said, not wanting to let a foreign power know that Medo was leaving Mullinix, "That's high on our list right now as well."

"Tell me what you know," Harmon said, "I'll fill in blanks. The Siraqi king is going as crazy as Facie..."

Marina watched as the two men talked for hours about the various items of interest in both nations. She listened as best she could but found that she could not hold her attention on it. All she could think about was Nikki. She wanted to see the small girl again, to feel what had to be the most pleasant feeling she had ever had.

"Focus!" Nikki's voice said in her head, "Listen to what they're saying. This could be important later..."

Marina didn't know if that was real or imagined, but it was enough to get her listening again. She didn't find it any more interesting, but knew that it was important. The fact that Nikki was near enough to talk to her made her feel warm inside. She just hoped that Nikki would come see her soon.

Chapter 34 - Faciegrad

"I've never been this far south," Lister said as they walked the cycles towards the gates, "So this is Faciegrad, is it?"

"It's supposed to be Facie's living monument," Pirotase said, having to fight hard to keep from spitting as she did so, "Facie's queen comes from this area and he built it up as a tribute to his love for her."

"At the cost of many existing cities I'd bet," Lister frowned, "Are things any different here?"

"I haven't been here for years," Pirotase told him, "Last time I was here it was cleaner than Mavelan City and they were planning on moving the center of government down here. I don't know what happened."

"Bolantine," Lister said, voicing his suspicion, "That's my guess."

"Faciegrad actually has a newspaper," Pirotase said, "We might be able to get some insight from that, although it's all government approved garbage."

"Sometimes it isn't so much what they print but what they don't print," Lister told her, "Are we going to have trouble getting in?"

"We shouldn't," Pirotase said, "We're reasonably clean and looking for an inn."

"Very well," Lister said, "You lead. I'm still a bit rusty on my Mavelan. Better not to risk it if we don't have to."

Going through the gates was relatively painless as the guards only asked their business and whether they had weapons. They declared the knives they carried as tools and diplomatically left out the hidden mini-crossbow that Lister had brought from Mullinix.

They walked into the city (cycles were not allowed to be ridden inside the gates) and looked around, surprised at just how nice it was compared to everywhere else in the drab confines of Mavelan society. It was the first time either one of them had seen a color other than brown on a Mavelan house.

"I don't believe this," Lister said, "How can he have made a city like this and let the rest of the country fall into ruin?"

"It wasn't like this last time I was here," Pirotase said, "This is insane. People are starving outside this city."

"Let's get a newspaper," Lister said, "Something isn't right about this."

The two of them walked to a newsstand and paid a copper Mavelan coin for a freshly printed sheet of newsprint. Lister put it under his arm and looked at Pirotase, wondering where they should go next. Pirotase noticed a park that was sparsely populated by relaxing Mavelans and pointed him to it.

"Notice that everyone here is a shade of yellow," Pirotase said, "Not a lighter skinned person in the city."

"Something I'm definitely not used to," Lister agreed, "Come to think of it there isn't anyone shorter than six feet either, even the women."

"Let's sit down and read," Pirotase suggested, "We won't be too out of place, other than the fact that our clothes are a little dirtier than the average citizen here."

Lister nodded and sat down, opening the paper and found himself looking at script that was nearly illegible to him. Pirotase looked at the bemused expression on Lister's face and almost burst out laughing.

"You never learned Mavelan script did you?" Pirotase asked him, "I'm surprised your grandfather never taught you."

"I don't think he can read Mullinix, let alone Mavelan," Lister explained, "I've never had to read anything other than cursory Mavelan, which is usually spelled out quite similar to Mullinix."

"This script is mainly the southern dialects," Pirotase told him, "Up north there was so much intermixing with Mullinix that they shared the same printing. Facie put a stop to that ten years ago when the army was routed from Cirrus."

"So all official documents are done in southern script," Lister nodded, shaking his head, "Well, since I can't read it then you'd better."

"Right," Pirotase said, "Care to play chair so we can blend in with the young couples here?"

"Sure," Lister grinned, "I could go for that."

Lister leaned against a tree and made himself comfortable. Pirotase leaned against him and pulled the paper out. She was getting used to being around him again, the pain of the last few years slowly being forgotten. She read slowly, as it had been a while since she had read southern Mavelan script herself.

"Anything good?" Lister asked her, wrapping an arm around her overly slender waist, "Even the pictures are lousy."

"Most of it is praising Facie's efforts in this city," Pirotase said, "A few articles mention problems in the south, but they don't give any details. Typical. The people don't know how much danger they're actually in."

"If they are in danger," Lister reminded her, "We still don't know what the Bolantines are up to. Too much third hand information."

"They're calling for recruits though," Pirotase said, "They're giving bonuses to any healthy males willing to serve."

"Is that significant?" Lister asked, "I'd have thought that Facie would have been more of a tax and draft guy."

"He usually is," Pirotase said, "But you can't build an elite force out of all draftees. Most of them don't want anything other than to go home. Just before the last Mullinix invasion he did much the same thing. He pulled people indiscriminately from the poorer areas and recruited using bonuses in areas like this."

"It's like pulling nails to get information in this area," Lister said, "Any bright ideas?"

"I used to know a guy from this area," Pirotase said, "He worked for government forces, but he was a decent guy. He was also sweet on me, so would tell me anything. That's where I got the initial information that attracted your people to me in the first place."

"Do you know where he is?" Lister asked her, "It's been a while."

"Last time I talked to him was a few months before you left for good," Pirotase said, thinking about it a little, "He'd been discharged and was heading back here to run his father's store. If that store still exists it would be in the commercial district."

"I hope you can read the signs," Lister said, "I might as well be illiterate here. That script doesn't make any sense to me."

"There's an ad here for his store," Pirotase said, "Shouldn't be too difficult to find. Let's go see whether we can find him."

"Guards," Lister quietly told her, "Coming this way and not looking the friendliest."

"Smile," Pirotase said, "We're supposed to be a young couple enjoying the day."

Lister did what he was told and wrapped his arm tighter around Pirotase's waist. He kissed her on top of the head and pretended to read the paper along with her. The guards came over and looked them over. Lister looked up and nodded a greeting.

"Greetings," Pirotase said, "How can I help you today?"

"Where are you from?" the guard asked them, "Your clothing looks as though you've been traveling."

"Mavelan City," Pirotase said, "We're looking for work down here."

"We don't tolerate vagrancy here," the guard said, "You will be staying at an inn?"

"Yes sir," Lister said, "We just stopped to read the paper and enjoy this beautiful day."

"Get yourselves cleaned up," the guard said, "You will get less hassle from us."

Lister and Pirotase nodded at the guard and packed up their paper and their stuff. They headed off away from the guards. They let off a deep breath of relief when they were away from there.

"I wasn't expecting that," Pirotase said, "We don't look that bad, do we?"

"We should go see your friend and get out of Faciegrad," Lister said, "I'm not going to be able to polish up enough for a long term stay here."

"Right," Pirotase agreed, "If you have enough cash, though, we can get a clean set of clothes from him too."

"We'll consider it," Lister nodded, "Let's go."

Chapter 35 - Travis's Fate

"I can't believe you did that," Trinaferro exclaimed at Medo while Toria cleaned his split lip, "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Medo shrugged, wincing at the salve application, "I wanted to kill the son of a bitch."

"You should have let Taulty and Lawrence handle it," Trina said, "That's what they are there for."

"This was personal," Medoferro said, "I deal with murderers and child molesters all the time. I wasn't about to take it from a member of my own family."

"I hate to bring this up," Toria said, "But this may add another complication."

"What?" Medoferro asked.

"I thought that Travis would have reported it," Toria said, sighing, "But given the recent revelations, it seems probable he did not."

"Spit it out, sis," Trinaferro said.

"We've had a rash of missing children," Toria said, "Six in the last three months. All from the Siraqi refugee camps, where it was less likely that they'd be noticed."

"You are kidding me, right?" Medoferro said, "That son of a bitch..."

"That means someone needs to interrogate him," Trina sighed, "The government house should be searched as well."

"I'll have to do it," Trina said, "You're too involved."

"You can't detect truth like I can," Medo reminded her, "Let's search the house first, though. We need to talk to Iggy before we proceed further."

"We also need to get Rick Ballfur up here quickly," Trina said, "This place is a mess."

"I've been trying to tell you," Toria said, "Unfortunately I don't think any of us thought it was this bad. The securing of the government house is a new touch."

"A bad one," Medoferro grumbled, "Let's go and check out the house. I want all the guards assembled within the hour. There's going to be a bit of cleanup happening and I swear if any one of them knew about what Travis was doing I'll have their heads too!"

"Is he usually like this?" Toria asked her sister.

"I've never seen him this angry," Trina confided, "He has reason to be, though. I met his father yesterday. Medo actually defended Travis to him a bit. He's probably madder at himself than anything else right now."

"If he has to question Travis," Toria said quietly, "Make sure you're there to calm him down."

"I will be," Trina assured her, "Tell Mom and Dad not to keep dinner waiting. I have a feeling we'll be dealing with the aftershocks of this for a while."

Toria nodded and went back to work. Medo and Trina walked out to the government house. Trina sighed as she looked at the angry expression on Medo's face.

"Are you going to stay like this?" Trina asked him as they walked, "Pissed at yourself?"

"I can't believe we let Travis get this far," Medo said, his face softening a bit, "If he murdered those kids..."

"Then you will let Iggy deal with him," Trina said quickly, "You and I are too close to Travis to see past the anger."

"I guess so," Medoferro agreed, "We still need to find out. I'm the only one who can do the interrogation, except maybe Jim Entragian."

"Much as I hate to admit it," Trina sighed, "You're the only one. Jim claims you're better at that end of power use than he is."

They walked up the hill and found a group of Mullinix Guards nearby. The news had spread through the group and most of them were looking for instructions. Medoferro knew that he would have to deal with this first.

"Is this everybody?" Medoferro asked the guard he had chewed out earlier.

"Yes Mullinix," the guard said, "Everyone is accounted for, including the off duty people."

"Good," Medoferro said and faced the group, "Ok, come on over here guys and listen up."

The thirty or so people crowded around Medoferro and Trinaferro and wondered just how bad the fallout would be. Medoferro looked around and knew he was to blame for much of it. He should have removed Travis at the first sign of incompetence instead of letting it build up as it did.

"Ok," Medoferro said to them, "I take it you all know what happened here tonight."

There was a murmur of agreement in the crowd. Medoferro watched them for any signs of dissent. He was unhappy that guards that should have known better let Travis get this bad.

"Here is what we will do," Medoferro told them, "First things first, I want these barricades gone and the government house put back to normal."

"Who is replacing Travis, Sir?" one of them asked.

"Colonel Rick Ballfur will be taking over here as soon as I can get him here," Medoferro told them, "He's already agreed to take the job. We're just going to have to speed up the timing. That's my problem, not yours. Did Travis make the duty rosters for this week?"

"He hasn't made a duty roster in four months," another one said, "We've been winging it as best we can."

"That will change," Medoferro said, "Sooner instead of later. We have some things to do first. First off we will find out whether Travis is responsible for those kids. Then, we will try to create some sort of duty roster. Who has been on duty today?"

A few hands raised and Medoferro nodded. He decided to let them off and have the others pull duty for that night if possible. He also knew that he had to make sure they were all clean before subjecting the public to them again anyway.

"Those of you who have been on today for more than six hours will get to go home soon," Medoferro assured them, "But I want to do something first. We all know what Travis was doing. I don't think any of you are involved, but I can't in good conscience put you on the street without knowing for sure. I have ways of checking. I just need to talk to you individually. We'll do that over the next hour or so. While I'm checking on you Trina will try to get Ballfur moving and the rest of you will search the grounds to see whether we can find out if he is responsible for the kids."

There was a bit of grumbling, but all of them were wondering about each other as well. None of them wanted to admit they were partially responsible for what happened because they did not go around the chain of command, as protocol said they should in situations like this. Medoferro had some ideas on how to fix that as well, but that was something he intended to take care of later on.

"I'll go get the line started," Trina said, "This time of night it will be hard to get people moving. Do what you need to do, I'll come get you when I get Iggy."

Medoferro nodded and started people on their tasks. He brought each of them into a private room in turn and questioned them about what they knew. He did it just as he did during session and could tell how much they were telling the truth. Luckily for him, all the guards passed with flying colors. No one knew until that night what Travis had been up to.

"All right," Medoferro said as he walked out, "Anyone find anything?"

"We might need to get dogs from Skolnik," Taulty said, "We've found a whole lot of nothing in Travis' quarters."

"I found a cache of disgusting pornography," one of the guards said, "Nothing to indicate the kids."

"Go to Toria and get me a power use elixir," Medo instructed the guard, "I will do a quick scan around the grounds. I will need it after this."

Medoferro started pushing power around as he had when he was searching the collapsed building for bodies. This was a bit more difficult, however, because he knew that if he found these children they would most likely not be breathing after all this time. The guards all watched as Medoferro did his work.

"If they were in here," Taulty said, "We'd have smelled it by now..."

Medoferro was about ready to give up when he detected something that surprised him. For a moment he thought he'd picked up Trinaferro in the voice room, but knew that the lead lining of that room would be impervious to power sight. His eyes went wide as he picked up a bit of life signs from underneath the floor.

"There's life down there," Medoferro said, "Quickly! Look for a hidden door!"

They all tore into the area, moving anything they could do. It was the youngest guard who found the hidden trap door underneath a bookcase in the corner of the room. The guards tore it open and moved back, letting Medoferro take the lead.

"I'll go," Taulty said, "Trina will kill me if I let you go down there."

Medoferro nodded and waited with the guards as Taulty took a lantern and went in the trapdoor. He came up and passed the first of the living kids to a surprised guard. In all four kids came up alive, while two corpses were passed to solemn guard members.

"Get those kids to Toria," Medoferro said, "Make sure that Travis stays locked up. I want to kill him myself later."

"What's going on?" Trinaferro asked as she walked out, "Iggy is on the line."

"We found the kids," Medoferro said solemnly, "Four are still alive, though hurt and starved. Two didn't make it. They're on their way to Toria now."

"Oh my," Trina said, closing her eyes tightly, "I should have let you kill him."

"Let's go talk to Iggy," Medo said, "Anyone who isn't on duty, go home. Anyone who is, go do what you're supposed to do. Taulty, keep an eye on everything out here."

Everyone went off to do what they were supposed to do while Medo and Trina locked themselves into the communications room. Medo stretched a little while he waited for Iggy to chew him out.

"You don't have to say it," Medo said, "I should have let Taulty or Lawrence handle it."

"I'm not going to argue," Iggy told him, "I would have wanted to kill him too."

"We have another complication," Trina said, "Medo just found the missing kids underneath the government house."

"Just what we need," Iggy sighed, "All dead?"

"Thankfully no," Medo said and then told him the story, "Two dead is bad enough."

"True," Iggy agreed, "So what is next?"

"Rick Ballfur will be here tomorrow," Trina said, "He should be able to clean up the duty schedules and start repairing our credibility here."

"That leaves Travis," Iggy said, "We still need to deal with him."

"I want him out of town quick," Medo said, "I am too close to do this objectively."

"So am I," Trina said, "You're the only one who isn't from this area, Iggy."

"It's an open and shut," Iggy said, "Send him here. I'll give him the choice. How bad is morale?"

"Bad," Medo said, "They're probably not far off from where the rank and file was in Cirrus ten years ago. Luckily Travis wasn't as effective as LaPorte was in this regard."

"Did you check the other guards?" Insegniferro asked, "Or are you planning on doing that later?"

"Did it already," Medo told him, "I don't think Travis managed to corrupt any of them. I'll talk to him before I go to Siraq. I should be able to find out some of it."

"I want Trina in there with you," Iggy said, "She may not be able to detect truth, but she'll be able to keep you from killing him outright."

"I may not have to," Trina said, "When this gets out they will want to lynch him. We might have to do something quick."

"We'll get him out tonight," Medo said, "I'll go talk to him and then send Lawrence down to the centre with him. I'll do a public address with Rick Ballfur when he gets here."

"We're still understaffed," Trina said, "I think that we need to get the group up here. How far from graduation is this group? I can't remember."

"Three days," Medo said, "It'll take that long for Hardin's force to get here."

"I'll call Cholt and Hardin and tell them what the plan is," Iggy said, "See if you can get a group of regulars out of Art in Skolnik to back you up until Hardin gets there."

"I'll do that before we drop the line," Trina said, "They should be able to get here by midnight."

"I'm going to check the kids," Medo said, "I'll go talk to Travis when you get there, Trin."

"I think we have a plan," Insegniferro said, "Let me know if anything changes. When are you heading into Siraq?"

"I need to see Simon and Jim first," Medo said, "They're outside town. Probably a day or two. There's a barge group getting ready to leave. We'll probably hitch with them."

"We protect those well," Iggy agreed, "Best bet. Just be careful."

"I will," Medo said, "Count on it."

"Go talk to Toria," Trina said, "I'll talk to Art."

"Talk to you later," Medo said, "Time to go face the music."

Chapter 36 - An Old Friend

Lister and Pirotase managed to avoid getting lost too badly in the city as they searched for the store run by her old friend. It was one of the more upscale shops in the area and there was a bit of traffic. They watched and waited for the rush to subside before going into the store.

"Think he'll remember you?" Lister asked her, "Though I can't imagine anyone forgetting..."

"He'll remember," Pirotase smiled, "He wanted me in the worst way. He never got anywhere, but I got a lot of information from him. He'll probably still have a nose in."

"I do like a girl with a past," Lister grinned, "Let's go find him."

"You'd be disappointed," Pirotase said, "There's been no one since I fell for you so long ago."

"Flatterer," Lister said, "Which one is he?"

"Charlie's in the corner," Pirotase said, "Let's see how surprised he is."

"And hope he doesn't try to turn us in," Lister said, "Let's go."

They walked to the back of the store and waited for Charlie to notice Pirotase. Once he did it was not the look that they expected. The look went from surprise to horror as Charlie recognized Pirotase. He rushed over to the two of them and started babbling in frantic hushed tones.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Charlie exclaimed, grabbing Pirotase's elbow, "You shouldn't even be in this city!"

"Why not?" Pirotase asked him, "You always wanted to see me again."

"Not here!" Charlie hissed, "You could get me killed just being seen with you!"

"Then I suggest we go in the back," Lister said, "Because we're not leaving until we talk a bit."

"Come on," Charlie said, "In the back here!"

Pirotase smiled at Lister and shrugged her shoulders. It was not the reaction she had expected, but she decided that she would take it. Lister just shook his head and followed them into the back, making sure they did not get any nasty looks from the customers.

"Why did you come here?" Charlie asked him, "You're on the government list! You shouldn't even have been let into the damned city!"

"Government list?" Lister asked, "What's that?"

"A list of persona non grata," Pirotase explained, "Instead of throwing us all in jail or killing us they just make sure we don't get anything."

"I could lose my business license just for talking to you!" Charlie exclaimed, "So why are you here?"

"Information," Pirotase said, "The papers are full of bullshit. I want the truth."

"About what?" Charlie said, "You're PNG'd, you can't even buy a bottle of milk!"

"What is going on down south?" Lister asked him, "The papers don't breathe a word of it, but they're buying soldiers and dragging troops from the Mullinix border, a place that Facie wants to take down after having his ass handed to him. Why?"

"I run a clothing store!" Charlie exclaimed, "How the hell..."

"Don't give me that," Pirotase said sharply, "I know you. You know more. You wouldn't live anywhere that you didn't know what was going on."

"I can't tell you," Charlie said, "My business..."

"How good is your life going to go if I go out in front of your wife out there and tell her how hard you tried to fuck me?" Pirotase said, "You aren't a good enough liar to get out of it."

"Spit it out," Lister said, backing Pirotase up, "We won't wait all day."

"All right," Charlie said, "You leave once I tell you what I know?"

"Once we believe you," Pirotase agreed, "We'll even buy some clothing to cover for your wife."

"Ok," Charlie said, "What do you want to know?"

"The Bolantines," Lister said, "I want to know what is happening down south."

"They've been building up for months," Charlie said, "We don't know how much territory they have behind them. Facie is shortsighted, but he realizes that Bolantine is more likely to invade than Mullinix. Medoferro had us on the run ten years ago and didn't come in. Bolantine has a reputation for crushing his competition."

"Why?" Pirotase asked, "Why would they want this shit hole?"

"Sotanberg and Mullinix," Charlie said, "Bolantine is bent on domination. Word is that he's been working on this for centuries."

"That's impossible," Pirotase said, "He's not immortal."

"He's been down there a long time," Lister said, "It's possible."

"Nobody has seen him," Charlie said, "The enemy is nameless and faceless. I think Facie is trying to build up in the south to discourage Bolantine."

"How solid is the border down there?" Lister asked, "Is there any knowledge about languages?"

"They speak a language that sounds similar to Mullinix," Charlie told them, "I don't speak Mullinix, so I couldn't tell you for sure. I don't know anything else."

"Yes you do," Pirotase said, "Start talking."

The question and answer period lasted a good 45 minutes before both Lister and Pirotase figured they got more than enough from him. They purchased some clothing and left quickly, making their way out of the city before Charlie even had a chance to report them.

"What do we do now?" Pirotase said, "I mean... That's what you needed, right?"

"Too easy," Lister said, "Not to mention that left us with more questions than it did answers."

"You want to go further south, don't you?" Pirotase asked him.

"Yes," Lister said, looking straight into her eyes, "Do you want to come with me?"

"Do I get to stay with you?" she asked him, "Or do you leave again?"

"I'm not leaving you again," Lister said, "We go south together then we go north together."

"Let's try it," Pirotase agreed, "I just hope we can actually understand the language down there."

"We listen and learn," Lister said, "It will be instructive on just who the Bolantines are. Right?"

"It could be," Pirotase sighed, "All right, the best way will probably be to head to East Facie. That's a two-day trip right there. The border is a couple more days southeast of East Facie."

"Sounds like a start," Lister agreed, "Let's get out of range of Faciegrad and then stop and get some sleep."

"Works for me," Pirotase said, "Do I get to take advantage of your body heat again?"

"Absolutely," Lister smiled, "That's a date."

Chapter 37 - Nikki

"This is driving me crazy," Marina told Roland, "I don't understand a word either of you say!"

"You knew that coming in," Roland reminded her, "Unfortunately my Sotan is better than his Mullinix. We're trying to get them to commit to an alliance here."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Marina asked, "Sit here and twiddle my thumbs?"

"That and practice power use," Roland agreed, "I can't teach you years of practice with the Sotan language in a few hours. Especially since we're supposed to have dinner with the King tonight."

"I'll pass," Marina said, "I don't want to deal with that. It's lonely enough without being isolated in a room with royalty that I don't understand."

"I'll get a book of Sotan to Mullinix," Roland told her, "That way you can start learning and practicing with the guards."

"Fine," Marina sighed, "I'll catch dinner in town. I should be able to pick up enough to get by there and not make an ass of myself in front of royalty."

"That's dangerous," Roland said, "Take a guard with you, preferably one of ours that speaks both languages."

"Very well," Marina said, "Fine."

"I've got to go see Harmon before dinner," Roland said, "Don't forget about that guard."

"I will," Marina said, almost annoyed, "Get moving before you're late."

Marina flopped down into a chair. She was more frustrated than anything. Things had been souring between her and Roland ever since he'd rejected her that night after seeing how empty her soul actually was. The only thing she could think of was getting out to see Nikki again. She hoped that Nikki would realize how futile it was to leave her here and let her leave for good.

"Are you alone?" Nikki asked into Marina's mind.

"Yes," Marina thought back.

"Good," Nikki said, "Are you going with Roland to meet the King tonight?"

"No," Marina said, "I've got to get out of here... I can't understand any of them... It's driving me crazy... I've got to..."

"Shhh," Nikki's voice said in her head soothingly, "I understand. Come to me in the town. We'll talk for a while."

"I planned on that," Marina said, "Roland is making me take a guard."

"I'll deal with the guard," Nikki told her, "Come to the Red Corvette Inn. It is about four blocks south of where you are staying. Follow the main road and look for a building with a shining red car sitting out front."

"What is a car?" Marina asked her.

"A shiny metal thing," Nikki said, "Don't worry about what it is, just look for it. It's a metal box with wheels."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Marina promised, "What do I tell the guard?"

"Nothing," Nikki said, "I'll handle him."

"I'll see you soon," Marina said, a smile forming.

Marina felt Nikki break off the connection and felt alone again. She took her instructions well and got dressed for going out. She knew better than to pack her stuff and did not care about the physical items anyway. She just hoped she would not have to come back to this place.

She got the guard and just started walking. She did her best to look like a tourist as she meandered south on the street. She finally saw the Red Corvette inn and saw what Nikki had been talking about. The proprietors of the Inn had unearthed a pre-cataclysmic automobile and managed to restore it to a shiny state that looked almost as it would have centuries before.

"Amusing," Marina said to herself.

Marina walked in to the inn and went up to the bar. She had the guard order her something and paid for it with a little of the Sotanberg Script that Roland had issued her at the border. She sipped on it and waited for Nikki to contact her. The guard kept an eye on things and ordered some food for the both of them.

"Come upstairs," Nikki said in her mind, "I'm in room six. Let the guard follow you."

Marina waited for the food to be brought and took it and the drink upstairs. The guard followed her, wondering what the young woman was up to. Marina went up to the door and knocked as she would normally. The guard looked at her and asked the obvious question.

"What are you doing up here?" the guard asked.

"Visiting and old friend," Marina told him, "Just follow along."

Nikki opened the door and silently motioned for both of them to come in. Marina and the guard did so. Nikki closed the door behind them and did a solid karate chop to the guard's neck that sent him crumpling down on the floor.

"Whoa," Marina said, "Good hit."

Nikki merely nodded and put her hands on the guard's head, using a power push to put him into a deep sleep that he'd stay in until she was done with Marina for the night.

"He'll be out as long as we need him to be," Nikki said, "I'll push a false memory in his head before I wake him up. He'll think he had too much to drink."

"Nice," Marina nodded, "I'm glad to see you."

"You sound like you're a bit out of sorts," Nikki said, "What's going on?"

"I don't know what you expect me to accomplish there," Marina told her, "I don't understand a word they say."

"They're speaking Sotan?" Nikki asked, "I should have thought of that. I would have thought they would be speaking Mullinix for Roland's sake."

"Prince Harmon's Mullinix is worse than Roland's Sotan," Marina explained, "Roland has offered to get me a book, but he doesn't seem all that disappointed that I can't understand what is being discussed."

"He wouldn't be," Nikki said, "He won't consider you an equal partner after what he saw."

"Can't we just leave now?" Marina asked hopefully, "I just want out of this awful place."

"I need to know what they're doing first," Nikki explained, touching her and pushing a bit of energy, "We need to make sure that Sotanberg and Mullinix don't unite to destroy us."

"Medoferro wouldn't do that," Marina said, defending him out of reflex, "He's seen war and hates it."

"Everyone hates it," Nikki said, "But they are jealous of us. The Sotans hate us and will try to drag Mullinix into it. Sotanberg can't take us alone, but if the two of you join together..."

"I understand," Marina said, "But I still don't understand the language."

"I can remedy that," Nikki smiled, "It will be slightly painful, but if you're willing I can push basic comprehension skills into your head."

"You can do that?" Marina asked, her eyes opening wide, "How?"

"A trick I learned years ago," Nikki told her, "Similar to how they taught you basic power use. You won't be able to speak it from this, but you'll start to be able to translate what they say. This will make it so that you don't give yourself away."

"Let's do it," Marina said, excitedly, "I just want to be useful again."

"Just keep acting clueless," Nikki warned her, "That will be the best thing you can do."

Over the next two hours Nikki pushed the knowledge into Marina's brain. It was a painful process, especially since Nikki didn't have the time to tire Marina out before doing the pushes. Nikki had experience that no one in Mullinix had, however, and managed to perform the job efficiently. She also pushed some more thoughts of loyalty in there since she was messing with the way the brain worked to begin with.

"Wake up, Marina," Nikki said, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a train," Marina grumbled, "You weren't kidding about painful."

"You'll be sore for a day or so," Nikki agreed, "Take some headache teas when you get back to the castle."

"Right before I go to sleep," Marina nodded, "Roland won't touch me now, so I shouldn't have any problem."

"If he asks what the problem is blame drinking too much," Nikki told her in Sotan to test her new skills, "The guard will corroborate it."

"Good," Marina said in Mullinix, "Wait a minute... That wasn't Mullinix."

"That was Sotan," Nikki grinned, "Looks as though it worked. Now that you know the difference your brain will be able to translate, but you won't be able to respond in Sotan."

"Works for me," Marina said, "Will you teach me the language of Bolantine someday?"

"You already know it," Nikki said, "Our language is a variant of pre-cataclysmic English, just like Mullinix is. The reason Sotan is so different is that it's a variant of another pre-cataclysmic language, as is Mavelan."

"Neat," Marina smiled, "Do I really have to go back?"

"For now," Nikki promised and hugged Marina tightly, "We have big plans for you in Bolantine, Marina. We'll go there someday, I promise."

"Let's hope it's soon," Marina said wistfully, "I can't wait to see it."

"It will be," Nikki said, "I'm sure of it."

"I guess I should head back," Marina sighed, "Right?"

"Right," Nikki told her, "It will be fine. Do what you have to do."

"You going to wake him up?" Marina wondered.

"Yep," Nikki nodded, "Give me a moment."

Nikki did a rough mind push to make the guard think he'd had too much to drink. She put a command in his mind to wake him out of the semi-trance once they were out of the inn. Nikki hugged Marina again and sent the younger girl out.

Marina and the guard walked out of the Inn and the guard slowly started to wake up as they continued walking. The guard was groggy and indeed felt as though he'd had much too much to drink. Marina giggled at him to make him think he'd made an ass out of himself.

They walked in to the palace just as Roland was returning from the dinner. The guard slinked off to bed and left Marina and Roland standing together in the room. Roland looked at Marina and handed her a book that was quite thick and dull looking.

"Here's the book you wanted," Roland said, "Feeling better?"

"Yes," Marina smiled, "A few drinks and a bit of fun was what I needed. I should be ready to join you again tomorrow."

"Good," Roland said, "I'll try to help you understand where I can."

"It'll be fine," Marina said, "I'll do some reading tonight."

"I'll leave you to it," Roland nodded, "Good night, Marina."

"Good night," she said, watching as he left, "It certainly is..."

Chapter 38 - The Interrogation

Medoferro rubbed his eyes and sipped on the horrid tasting drink that Toria had handed to him a few minutes before. The anger had kept him going for a bit, but now the fatigue and pain resulting from the fight were starting to get to him.

"Was it worth it?" Toria asked him as he sipped, "You're going to be sore for a few days."

"Yes," Medoferro nodded, "In some ways I'm sorry I didn't kill him myself."

"Better to let it be done by the law," Toria said, "You got your blows. It'll be more embarrassing for him to have to commit suicide or let himself be executed by the families."

"Do the families know yet?" Medo wondered, "It's not going to be pretty when they find out."

"We haven't found all of them yet," Toria said, "It's late and addresses around here aren't the best. We may not find them until morning."

"How are they holding up?" Medo asked her, "Not that it's going to be good..."

"You couldn't have known anymore than we did," Toria reminded him, "We all knew he was an asshole. None of us figured him for a murderer, pedophile and rapist."

"Yeah," Medo sighed, "We just figured him as an incompetent."

"That's not a crime," Toria smiled, "If it were, there would be a lot of people breaking the law."

"Art Talgal is sending up thirty regulars and a dozen Mullinix Guards," Trinaferro said as she walked into the room, "The regulars are ours for a week and the guards were set to rotate to another area anyway."

"We'll put them under Ballfur's command," Medoferro nodded, "That solves that problem. If Ballfur doesn't want to command Mullinix guards long term then we'll attach them to Hardin's group when they get here."

"That just leaves Travis to deal with," Toria said, "They still have him at the guard shack."

"Let's go talk to him," Trinaferro suggested, "That way we can get him out of here before the word starts to leak."

"Right," Medoferro nodded, "Thanks for the elixir, Toria."

"Anytime Medo," Toria smiled, "Just don't try to skip town without coming to dinner. You still need to meet my fiancé."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Medo grinned, "Besides, I want you to make up a dozen of those little dream potions of yours."

"No problem," Toria agreed, "I'll be up for a bit as the families straggle in. I guess I'm in nominal charge tonight."

"Better you than me," Trina smiled, slapping her sister on the back as they walked out, "Later sis."

Medoferro shook his head and walked with Trinaferro outside. The area was full of memories for him, as this was where he'd officially become Mullinix ten years earlier. He'd been an apprentice for only six months when Massimaferro had died, throwing him into the seat of power. Trinaferro had been chosen here as well.

"Lot of memories, eh?" Trina asked him.

"Yeah Trin," Medo nodded, "It's like nothing good ever happens when I come up here."

"That's because little good does happen," Trina confirmed, "But that's ok. Let's go deal with Travis and then we'll go rest."

"Maybe in the bath house?" Medo asked hopefully.

"We'll see how the interrogation goes," Trina smiled, kissing his cheek as they approached the holding block, "If you don't kill him outright I'll consider it."

"Sounds like a plan," Medo said, "Though can I wound him?"

"You already did," Trina reminded him, "That's enough for one night, killer."

"Funny," Medo said, "All right, let's go in there before I lose my will to keep him living."

The two of them walked into the cell and looked at the depressing grey brick. They also had experience here, as it was where they had to keep the Medico who'd murdered Massimaferro with Mellemaic poisoning from committing suicide before they could question him. Medo had steeled himself for this by telling himself that he wouldn't stop Travis if he was dumb enough to try.

"Come to gloat?" Travis asked them, "Or to take a few more shots."

"Just to talk," Medoferro said, "To try to make some sense of this."

"Go away," Travis said, "I'm not talking to you."

"You can do it easy or do it hard," Medoferro said, "I guarantee you that you will talk to me."

"Screw you," Travis said, "You can beat me silly. I won't tell you anything else."

"Open the door," Medoferro instructed Trinaferro, "We're going to have a chat with him."

"Medo," Trina said softly, "Don't..."

"Just open the door," Medo said, "I know what I'm doing."

"Come on," Travis said, "I'm rested for round two."

"No fighting," Medoferro said, "Just conversation."

Medoferro entered the cell and gripped on to Travis' shoulder. Trina tensed up a bit until she saw a glow and then knew what Medo was doing. He was using power to force Travis to relax and become cooperative.

"Sit down," Medoferro told him, "Don't fight it, it will make it hurt."

"Whatever you say," Travis said, his demeanor changing a bit, "What do you want to know?"

"Why," Medoferro said simply, pushing power behind it to make sure that Travis answered, "Why did you do it?"

"Because I could," Travis sneered, "Those little wretches don't matter."

"What gave you the right?" Medo asked him.

"Power," Travis said with an evil smile, "Might makes right. You should know that."

Medoferro continued the questioning for the better part of two hours. Trinaferro served as a scribe, writing down every sordid detail. Both of them felt excessively dirty when the questioning was done. It was a trip down the thought processes of a deviant mind gone terribly wrong.

"So let me get this straight," Medoferro said, "You think we owed you."

"Everyone owes me," Travis said, his voice a bit drowsy now, "I was the good one, but no one cared. They just shuffled me off to this rat hole where everyone forgot about me. My wife forgot about me. My kids forgot about me. Then to top it off the son of my no-good brother gets promoted to Mullinix above me."

"You were a bit too old for the job," Medoferro said, "So when did you start abusing kids like this?"

"Soon after you ascended," Travis said with a defiant smile, "You think those were the first?"

"So why did you pick it up?" Trina asked, "You can't have been going this quick for this long."

"I knew it was ending," Travis said, "So I decided to have some fun."

"Now's the time to tell me every child you abused," Medoferro said, "Trin, go ahead and play scribe on this. I want his confession on record."

Trinaferro nodded and they went through the list. It was more lives ruined than Medoferro had ever wanted to hear. Travis spelled out his crimes, evils that would send ten men to their grave.

"Congratulations," Medoferro said when Travis finished, "I hope you had your fun, because you're going to be joining the rest of your family in being condemned by a Mullinix."

"That's an irony," Travis agreed, "Your father will just love that. His own son condemning his straight laced brother."

"Not me," Medoferro said, "I'm too close. Insegniferro will be handling your sentencing. We're shipping you off as soon as we're done here."

"Have you got all the sordid details you wanted?" Travis asked him.

"More than I ever needed to know," Medoferro said, "This will go back with you for Insegniferro to use to let some parents know what happened to their children."

"Fuck you, Medoferro," Travis said, "You enjoy this too much."

"That's where you're wrong," Medoferro said, "It gives me no joy to see you like this Travis. I'd give a lot to not have to deal with this."

"Let's go," Trina said, "I've had more than enough of this."

The two of them left Travis in the cell and walked away from it. Neither one of them were particularly happy about the way things had gone. Lawrence and Taulty were sitting outside playing dice by lamplight while they waited for the Mullinix to come out.

"Did you get what you needed?" Taulty asked.

"More than we ever wanted to know," Medoferro said, "Who's winning with Dice?"

"I am," Lawrence smiled, "I'm up ten bucks."

"Good," Medoferro grinned, "Then you get to spend some of that cash on a snack on your way back to the Centre."

"Prisoner detail?" Lawrence sighed, "I should have let you win, Taulty."

"You'll be back soon enough," Taulty said, "How hard can it be?"

"He should be docile," Medoferro said, "Keep him locked during the whole trip and he'll be fine."

"Do I take the transcripts?" Lawrence asked.

"No," Trina said, "I'll send those down tomorrow after I clean up my shorthand. Those aren't as high a priority as getting him out of town."

"Afraid of a lynching?" Taulty asked, "Not that he doesn't deserve it..."

"Yes," Trinaferro said, "Better to get him out now and get the wheels of justice turning before anyone can say different. Think you can manage without sleep for a few hours, Lawrence?"

"I napped while you were taking it easy earlier," Lawrence said, "Since we're shorthanded here anyway we can take two of the mounts and a cart for a speed run."

"I'll keep an eye on them," Taulty said, "Collect your prisoner."

"Up yours Taulty," Lawrence said, "I'm going to get moving."

"Where are you sleeping?" Taulty asked, "Government house?"

"No," Medoferro said, "We'll do some cleanup there before we stay there. We will stay at Toria's tonight."

"All right," Taulty said, "I'll take up residence outside your room there."

"No," Medoferro said, "No need. I want you to wait up at Government House for Art Talgal's group. Get them patrolling for now and explain the situation."

"You don't want protection tonight?" Taulty asked, "I don't know if I like that."

"We will lock ourselves in our room," Medoferro assured him, "Right after we take a long relaxing bath in Toria's bathhouse."

"I like the sound of that," Trinaferro smiled, knowing exactly what Medoferro had in mind, "I'd like privacy for that too."

"I know when I'm not wanted," Taulty said, "Very well, I'll go wait for Art's boys."

"Eh," Lawrence said, "I've got a prisoner to deal with."

Medo and Trina walked together arm and arm over to the bathhouse. They went inside and closed the door, locking it behind them and putting a chair up against the doorknob to make sure that no one could walk in without them knowing it.

"It's been a long day," Medoferro smiled at her, "Sure you still want to do this?"

"Here?" Trina grinned, "Anytime, my love. Besides... It may be our last chance before you go over the border."

"Then by all means," Medoferro smiled and kissed her, "Let us make haste for the water."

"Haste my ass," Trina giggled, "You'd better take it nice and easy. I want to enjoy this for a while..."

Chapter 39 - Negotiation

"You weren't kidding," Roland said to Harmon in Sotan, "That court is absolutely crazy."

Marina sat in the chair next to Roland, pretending to be immersed in the book on the Sotan language while she listened. Nikki had done a good job at pushing the language skills as she could understand every word the two men said.

"They're all worried about the Bolantines," Harmon agreed, "Those lunatics are getting stronger every day. We're just lucky they started as far south as they did."

"We're only hearing rumors at this point," Roland said, "But they worry us as well. Look at it this way, you've only got problems with the Bolantines. We've got them on two sides."

"The Mavelans aren't friendly with us either," Harmon reminded him, "They just aren't dumb enough to take us on directly."

"I think they have someone else to worry about," Roland said, "Bolantine. Hopefully that will keep him off our border."

"If Bolantine invades it won't be pretty," Harmon said, "That's why I want to get in an alliance now. I don't like Facie, but at least he's predictably crazy."

"That's not a good thing either," Roland agreed, "But substituting Bolantine won't help much. Why are you so worried about them now though?"

"What has me worried is what Bolantine did before we pushed him back," Harmon said, "The city he took was irrevocably changed."

"How so?" Roland wondered, "Other than being occupied."

"Most of the population was dead," Harmon said, "They make Facie's removal of dissidents look warm in fuzzy in comparison."

"What about the rest of them?" Roland wondered.

"Evidently a large portion of the male population was conscripted," Harmon said, "The rest were worked to death and left behind when we made a push and got them out. There were, all told, maybe two hundred survivors out of a population of maybe four thousand."

"Good gods," Roland said, "That's insane."

"There are even those that claim he's immortal," Harmon said, "I don't personally put stock in it, but he's been down there a long time building."

"It's possible," Roland said, "There have been immortals rumored to live in this world. He may be one of them."

"If that's the case he will be hard to defeat," Harmon said, "I just wonder if we should go for him before he comes for us."

"Medoferro will never go for that," Roland said, "Neither would your people."

"I know," Harmon said, "Someone that brutal on our border though..."

"It boggles the mind," Roland agreed, "What can we do?"

"Nothing for now," Harmon said, "You need to be seen and heard for a few days so they can start to trust you. Then we'll make the defensive alliance proposition."

"At least I get to practice my Sotan," Roland grinned, "We're worried about Bolantine but we have other problems first."

"That mess in Siraq," Harmon sighed, "I take it you're getting a pile of refugees too?"

"More than you are," Roland nodded, "Most of them speak Mullinix. We're flooded. Medoferro is about to meet with the King up there to try to straighten this mess out."

"I wish him luck," Harmon said, "We've been keeping hands off, but that's because our relations with him are as bad as yours have been with Facie."

"They need us," Roland reminded him, "We prop up their economy for use of that damned river exit."

"That's not going to hold up if it keeps getting worse," Harmon said, "Though I hope we can work it out somehow. Gaines is surviving mostly on the Trade with Mullinix."

"Something will work out," Roland said, "One question I do have that I'd like to get the answer to Medoferro before he goes to Siraq."

"Wait a minute," Harmon said, doing a double take, "He's going there?"

"We couldn't get him out of the country," Roland shrugged, "Medo is taking an armed force and going to see him in his home court."

"That's insane," Harmon muttered, "What do you want to know?"

"Will Sotanberg interfere if we have to do something to contain that mess?" Roland asked, "Medo could use that as a bargaining chip."

"We want nothing to do with Siraq," Harmon said, "I speak for the government on that one. We don't care if you invade or if you wall it off. We'd like to see it settled as much as you would."

"Good," Roland said, "That will give Medo some leverage. I will get that message sent."

"I'm going to retire for the night," Harmon nodded, "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Good night," Roland said, "I'll see you in the morning."

He stood up and Marina looked at him, trying to make as though she didn't understand a bit of what had been talked about. He offered her a hand and she took it, waving at Prince Harmon as they left the room.

"Anything new?" Marina asked, like she figured she was supposed to.

"Same old bullshit," Roland grumbled, "At least they won't interfere with whatever Medo does in Siraq."

"Is that a good thing?" Marina asked.

"Let's just say it means that it won't interfere with discussions here," Roland said, "There's nothing that we need to worry about tonight."

"Hmmm," Marina said, almost smiling, "Do I detect an indecent proposition?"

"Only if you're up for one," Roland smiled.

"I don't know..." Marina said, "I guess..."

"Keep on his good side," Nikki said into her head, "Just do what you've done all your life..."

"Ok," Marina said, the mere feeling of Nikki in her head giving her the good feeling to go ahead, "Let's go."

The one thing that kept going through her mind however was feelings for Nikki. Usually she felt nothing but idle physical pleasure during lovemaking sessions like this. This time, however, she felt less than that. It was only the thoughts of Nikki that kept her going. She hoped she would not have to endure it much longer. Marina did not know how she would take it.

Chapter 40 - Insegniferro

"I hate this," Insegniferro said as he paced around, "Too much is going on in too many places."

"It will be fine, Iggy," Marianna said, "Medoferro knows what he is doing."

"I know," he agreed, "But it doesn't make me like it any more."

"Could be worse," she shrugged, "Trina could be going with him."

"She's not that nuts," Iggy told her, "Besides, she will have her hands full calming down that area after news of what our man did up there gets out."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Marianna said, "There was no indication he was that bad. You know full well that you would have pulled him had you known."

"I know," Iggy sighed, "Still pisses me off."

"That doesn't take much as of late," Stacy Cossy said as she walked into the room, "You've been as jumpy as a cat on a stove since the earthquake."

"I'm worried about what could cause something like that," Iggy said, "And what are you doing back here?"

"They'd cleaned up most of the mess," Stacy said, "I figured I'd be more use here with Medo going on his insane trip. Looks like I'll be more use here than I thought. Travis Steele a pedophilic rapist. Now that is one I didn't see coming."

"Nobody did," Iggy told her, "We'll get to face him when he gets here for trial."

"Anything else I need to know about?" Stacy asked, "Or is it quiet otherwise?"

"We sent someone down south," Iggy said, "To see if they can find anything out. Roland and Marina are in Sotanberg trying to set up an alliance in case those lunatics to the south decide to attack."

"Sounds like fun," Stacy said, taking a drink that Marianna handed over, "How are you holding up through all this?"

"I'm bored actually," Iggy chuckled, "Everyone else gets to do the fun stuff and I stay here with the usual crap."

"Running a nation isn't glamorous," Stacy grinned, "You were the one that told us all that when we started."

"I know," Iggy said, "And all in all I'm glad that I'm handling the mundane stuff. I don't have the ability or sense of adventure that those two do."

"Nor the ability," Stacy said, "Medoferro can do some amazing things. Who else do you know that can turn back an entire army on his own?"

"That's true," Iggy said, "Just worries me, you know."

"Why don't you take the night off and spend it with Marianna," Stacy said, "There's nothing that needs to be watched tonight."

"Someone needs to be here for emergencies," Iggy reminded her, "That someone is me with them gone."

"I'm here," Stacy shot back, "It has to be a Mullinix or an advisor. I'm Trina's advisor, remember?"

"I'll let you have it," Iggy agreed, "I could use a good night of sleep."

"Yes you could," Marianna said, "And I'll make sure you get it."

"I'll stay up for a bit," Stacy smiled, "Just let them know downstairs that I'm here and will be taking any emergency situations."

"I'll do that as I get the massage oil," Marianna said with a knowing smile, "Get ready, Iggy, time for you to relax..."

"I don't know whether you're doing me a favor or not," Iggy chuckled, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Stacy said, "Get some rest."

Insegniferro nodded and went off with Marianna. Stacy smiled and sat down on the couch, stretching out and relaxing. It was the first real bed she'd known since dealing with the flood refugee camps outside Connoer. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

Chapter 41 - Preparing for Siraq

"I hope that shiner heals up by the time we make it to the palace," Simon said to Medoferro as he looked at his old friend, "That looks painful."

"It was worth it," Medoferro said, "If you'd seen what I did..."

"I heard," Simon said and shuddered, "I don't want a description."

"So how long do we have before we cross the border?" Jim Entragian asked, "Not that I'm particularly eager to go."

"The barge crew will be here anytime," Medoferro said, "We'll hitch an unadvertised ride with it. We protect those well enough that it will get us two-thirds of the way there."

"Slipping in on the sly through the worst of it," Trina nodded, "That makes me feel a little better."

"I still think this whole thing is insane," Rav Suvorov said, "But my men are as ready as they can be. Do you want them uniformed or not?"

"Uniformed," Simon said, "He'll respect that more."

"I agree," Medoferro said, "But make sure they have civilian clothes as well. If we need to disappear, I want to make sure that we don't stick out like sore thumbs."

"I see you took the old man's lessons to heart," Rav chuckled, "I'll have them ready to go soon."

"I will go with him," Jim said, "You guys need to talk for a while."

Medoferro, Trinaferro and Simon sat down together underneath a tree near Toria's house. There was a nervous tension, although the three of them had been friends for years. Trina was scared for her lover and for her friend. They were going into a hostile zone that was not at all a sure thing.

"You two had better be careful," Trinaferro told them, "I won't forgive you if you don't come back."

"We'll be fine," Simon said, "Between the two of us we can hold off a small army."

"I'm rather hoping we won't have to," Medoferro said, "I'd prefer to go quick, get there, find out what the hell is going on and get the hell out."

"Let's hope it is that simple," Trina said, "I hear the reports and I don't like it."

"If you haven't heard an authoritative word from me in three weeks," Medoferro told her, "You send Hardin in looking for me."

"I need to send those orders down," Trina sighed, "This mess with Travis..."

"I know," Medoferro said, "You have time. You can do it when I leave. Get his crew up here and have him take control."

"Rick Ballfur is kicking some ass among the guards up here," Simon said, "I saw him earlier directing the cleanup of the government house. I think that he will be an inspired choice for this area."

"Simon," Medoferro said, "Why don't you go check on our stuff?"

"Yeah," Simon said, realizing Medo wanted time with Trina before he left, "I'll see you later."

"And Simon..." Trinaferro said.

"Yes Trina?" Simon asked her.

"Bring him back safely for me, ok?" Trina said seriously.

"You got it," Simon grinned, "I'll be with Jim and Rav."

They watched as Simon jogged over to where the convoy group was getting things together. Trinaferro turned and looked directly in Medoferro's eyes for a bit as he took her hand in his.

"You will be coming back," Trinaferro told him, "You hear me, Copeland?"

"As long as there's life in my body," Medoferro, nee Copeland Steele, told her, "You can count on that, Miranda."

"That's good," Trina smiled, "Because I hope to be showing by the time you get back. I want our child to know you."

"You think we were successful?" Medo wondered, "I mean, we just started trying..."

"I think so," Trina said, "I'll have Toria test me in a few days to be sure."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Medoferro promised her, "Keep the home fires burning."

"Count on it," Trina agreed, "If you haven't gotten word to me that I trust in three weeks I'll be sending Hardin's troops in. Sovereignty be damned."

"That's what I love about you," Medoferro grinned, "You don't take any shit."

"I don't want to let you go," Trina said, "But it looks like they're almost ready to go."

"Take care of yourself," Medoferro told her, "I don't want you to worry yourself to pieces."

"Then get back here as soon as you can," Trina said as she got up, "Because I will worry until you make it back."

"I won't be far behind," Medoferro said, "Now put on a brave face. I don't want you to break down while I can see it."

"I'll cry on my pillow tonight," Trinaferro chuckled, "How's that?"

"I'll join you," Medoferro grinned, "Let's go."

They walked together to the staging area where the rest of the travel contingent was waiting for them. Most of them looked grim but determined. No one was under the impression that this was going to be a cakewalk of a job.

"Are we all ready for this?" Medoferro asked them.

"In and out," Suvorov said, "If anyone decides on a fight, they won't win it."

"Let's hope it doesn't get that far, shall we?" Medoferro asked and then turned to the guard group, "You have all been warned about what we're doing, correct?"

Everyone in the group nodded and looked solemnly at Medoferro. All of them had served in the Cirrus conflict ten years before, so they all knew and respected this Mullinix. They all knew that this mission was important and were prepared to give their lives to protect Medoferro if necessary.

"All right," Medoferro said, "Load up your equipment on the barge. I'll be there in a minute."

"You heard him," Suvorov said, "Let's move it!"

Medoferro went over to where Trina, Simon, Jim Entragian and Rick Ballfur were standing. They all looked at him and said nothing, waiting for him to speak first.

"I guess this is it," Medoferro said, "We all have our jobs to do."

"This place will be cleaned up when you get back," Ballfur said, "Just make sure you get back soon."

"We'll be fine," Medoferro said, "Right guys?"

"I don't intend to die here," Simon said, "I want a nice solid coronary in one of the house staff beds sometime far in the future."

"Now that sounds like a pleasant way to go," Jim laughed, "I don't intend to die out there either."

"Be careful," Trina told Medoferro, trying to hide the sadness in her eyes, "I'll see you in a couple weeks."

"Count on it," Medoferro said and turned to the others, "We need to get moving. The barge is getting ready to take off."

"They'll wait," Jim said, "You're more important."

"No," Medoferro said, "That's not true. I'm no more important than anyone else is. I just have more power."

"Regardless," Jim said, not wanting to get into this fight, "We have time."

"The longer we wait the more dangerous it is," Simon told them, coming to Medoferro's aid, "We want to move in daylight as much as possible."

"He's right," Ballfur agreed, "I've heard reports of bandits up there."

"The barge crew won't want to stay up there long either," Trinaferro sighed, "We've had some near misses already."

"Ok," Medoferro said, "Let's move."

Medoferro kissed Trinaferro and grabbed his pack. They joined Suvorov and his guard troops on the barge and watched as they pulled away from the shore. Jim Entragian, Rav Suvorov, Medoferro and Simon stood together and looked at each other as the people on the shore got smaller and smaller as they moved away.

"Here we go again," Medoferro said, "Are you guys ready for this?"

"We'll get the job done," Suvorov said, "Let's just hope it is as easy as we hope."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Jim said, "If it's too easy..."

"It means something is wrong," Medoferro finished, "I know."

"All we can do is wait," Simon shrugged, "What else can we do?"

"Not much," Jim agreed, "Maybe we'll get lucky and Mason and Karen will come up with something."

"Needle in a haystack," Suvorov said, "That's what this whole thing is."

"Welcome to the wonderful world of government," Medoferro said, "What is it that Iggy is fond of saying, Simon?"

"The art of government isn't in knowing what to do," Simon repeated, having heard it dozens of times, "It's knowing how to clean up the mess."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Entragian laughed, "I'll have to tell Mason that later."

"Yeah," Medoferro said, "Well, I will rest for a bit while I still can."

"Good idea," Suvorov said, "We should be hitting our stopping point in twelve hours, provided we don't get attacked by bandits first."

"I'll keep my weapon at my side," Medoferro promised, "Wake me up if I'm needed."

Chapter 42 - The Southern Border

Lister and Pirotase had been riding for nearly two solid days when they got to the border. They had bypassed East Facie entirely because of the reports they had heard of it being a heavily militarized zone. Even going ten miles north of the city they were constantly dodging groups of Mavelan regulars patrolling the roads.

"If my bearings are right," Pirotase said, "We should be getting to the border in the next couple miles."

"Think it will be militarized?" Lister asked her, "You know Facie's thought processes better than I do."

"There will be a presence," Pirotase said, "But the terrain around here is lousy for an invasion. Too many hills and too close to the Sotanberg border. The Sotans have that border closely watched and despite the fact they hate Facie as much as your rulers do they would warn him if the Bolantines were mounting an invasion."

"I'm sure Facie has people in those mountains too," Lister nodded, "Good, that means it will be watched, but it will be easier than heading directly south."

"Just a lot of hills," Pirotase told him, "That's according to the one map I've actually seen of this area."

"Know where we could find another?" Lister asked her, "Because I'd like to have a clue where we're going."

"Any of these military units," Pirotase said, "Getting them to part with it is going to be the hard part."

"Let's do a little recon," Lister said, "I don't think the way you got us the cycles will work here."

"I'm up for suggestions," Pirotase smiled, "I've got no problem killing soldiers if necessary..."

"Let's take a look," Lister said, "I don't need the entire army looking for us yet, you know?"

They parked their cycles and packs in a small cave nearby and climbed up a hill to survey the area. The military groups were small, generally 3-5 people doing patrols around the hills. They watched from a spot on top of the hill.

"Look," Pirotase said, "The leader of that one is carrying a map case."

"We need those maps," Lister said, "I wonder where they're going. There are no cities out here. East Facie is forty miles back."

"Thinking of grabbing their maps while they sleep?" Pirotase wondered, "I'd think they'd be more alert then looking for problems."

"They're turning around," Lister said, "Do you still have that slingshot?"

"Sure," Pirotase said, handing him the device, "What are you going to do?"

"They're riding cycles like ours," Lister said, "I used to be really good at this..."

Lister took a sharp pebble and loaded the slingshot. He took aim on the front tire of the map holder's tire and waited for him to get to an unstable area. Pirotase tensed up as Lister let the slingshot go. The projectile hit the tire broadside, blowing it out spectacularly.

"I haven't heard cursing like that since you left the first time," Pirotase chuckled, "He must have flown thirty feet when that tire went out."

"Ok," Lister said, "I will stay here and cover. I want you to make your way down around him. His equipment went flying. Take the map case while they're trying to get him stable."

"Why me?" Pirotase asked.

"Because you're pretty," Lister told her, "They're less likely to kill you on sight. That gives me time to kill them with slingshot bullets."

"Right," Pirotase nodded, "I'm going."

Lister got some projectiles ready and kept loaded in case it became necessary to start shooting. Pirotase was light on her feet, so she slipped around and made it to the area. Lister could see her fairly well, but that was only because he knew she was there. The three military guys were busy looking over their officer's crash site.

"Man," one of them said, "What happened?"

"Tire blew," the officer groaned, "I went flying."

Pirotase looked around quickly and saw her target sitting only ten feet away from the officer. She listened to the words and sat back, hoping they wouldn't see her. It was nearly dusk, so she thought she might get lucky and they'd forget the maps.

"Don't forget my maps," the officer groaned, "We'll need them to get home."

"I'll find them," one of them said and started scanning around.

Lister saw where the maps were as well and hoped that she would be able to get them first. When he saw that soldier heading for them he knew that it wouldn't be that easy. He loaded the slingshot and took aim at the soldier's left boot. He drew a bead and held his breath as he let the shot go. The rock hit the heel of the boot just as it was about to set down on the ground, kicking the soldier's balance out of kilter.

Pirotase saw her chance and rushed over to get the map case. The soldier who had fallen opened his eyes and started looking straight up at Pirotase. Pirotase did not hesitate. She grabbed his head and smacked it into the rocks so he would lose consciousness again. She just hoped that he would not remember enough to identify her.

She then quickly made her way through the woods and back up to where Lister was waiting for her. They didn't wait for the unit to figure out what had happened and made their way back to the cave.

"Good work," Lister told her, "Quick thinking."

"Good shot," Pirotase told him, "We work well together."

"We'll have to try more peaceful pursuits sometime," Lister grinned, "Now let's get the hell out of here."

The two of them made tracks out of the area and made sure they were a good five miles away before they found an out of the way place to make camp for the night. They knew that no one would commit much of a search at night.

"We need to skip the fire tonight," Lister said, "If anyone does search we don't want to make it easy."

"I guess we won't look at these until morning," Pirotase said, "I forgot how much fun running with you is."

"When you don't have much to lose," Lister said, "The only place to go is up."

"True," Pirotase said, "Or as an ancient song said... Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose..."

"I guess that is appropriate here," Lister nodded, "It's going to get cold again tonight."

"Mind if we skip the polite bullshit and just curl up together then?" Pirotase asked him, "I know that you like to 'preserve my honor' and that stuff..."

"Sure," Lister said, "It won't rain tonight, so let's just curl up together in the blankets."

She smiled at that and pulled her blankets out. They cleared off enough of an area for them to sleep comfortably in and slid underneath the blankets. She curled up close to him, silently cursing herself for falling so hard for him again.

She knew that he'd always been honest but she wanted him to just forget the honor and follow his heart. She had wanted him, nothing more. It didn't matter to her what he'd have to leave behind, something she had always known would get her in trouble.

"Can I ask you something?" Pirotase asked him finally after laying with him for a while.

"Sure," Lister said, his arms holding on to her, "Anything you want, Tassy."

"Back then..." she started, "Before..."

"Yes?" he wondered.

"Did you ever want to..." she sighed, "Do more than just share warmth?"

"Always," he said, "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met, Pirotase. And that doesn't just include the outside."

"I always thought that there was something wrong with me," she told him, "You could have had me anytime you wanted... I made it clear enough times..."

"That wasn't why I was with you," Lister said, "I didn't want to take advantage of you."

"It wouldn't have been taking advantage," Pirotase said, "I wanted you to."

"Yes," Lister said, "But if I broke those vows... I wouldn't have been worthy of you. I wouldn't have been worth that gift."

"You still consider it a gift?" Pirotase asked him, "I mean I haven't been celibate or virtuous... In the last few years I've even had to stoop to..."

"Shhh," Lister told her, kissing her forehead, "That's the past. I'm as much to blame for that as you are."

"You don't care?" Pirotase asked him.

"You did what you had to do to survive," Lister said simply, "I'm glad you are here with me now. I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"You could have made it this far with a good guide," Pirotase said, "That's not what I'm looking for..."

"What do you want from me?" Lister asked her simply, "I mean... I'm not all that good with double meanings."

"How much more plain can I get, Lister?" Pirotase asked him, "I want to know how you feel..."

Lister Black was a bit taken aback by this. He knew that she'd had an attachment to him, as he'd had for her, but he did not know how deep she had felt. He had tried to hide it, but there was no denying the way just seeing her had always made him feel. Despite the fact that they were in hostile territory doing a mission that could get them both killed he wanted nothing more than to hold her forever.

"I guess I hid it better than I thought I did," Lister said after a moment of thought, "I've wanted you since the first day I met you, Tassy. That's part of why I co-opted you into this life."

"But you didn't even flinch when you found out I sold myself," Pirotase said, "I mean..."

"I don't blame you for it," Lister told her, "If I were looking for someone to blame, it would be me. I put you in that situation. I was the one who left you behind."

"I came with you willingly," Pirotase sighed, "I don't blame you."

"Then why should I blame you?" Lister said, "It sounds more as though you blame yourself."

"I just want..." Pirotase told him, "I want to feel loved... Wanted... needed..."

"How can I show you?" Lister asked her, "Really show you... I will do anything I can..."

"I want you to make love to me," she told him, "Not like what those men paid for... That wasn't love... That was..."

"Survival," Lister said knowingly, "I understand that."

"I need this, Lister," she said, "I need to know..."

"Then let's find out," Lister said as he kissed her deeply, "Let's see where we lead and what we can do... Together..."

Chapter 43 - Travis and the Guard

"Settle down Steele," Lawrence said as the horse pulled to a stop, "You aren't going to break those bonds."

"Heh," Travis scoffed, "So are you going to let me starve all the way to the capitol?"

"The thought occurred," Lawrence said, "You were a member of the Mullinix Guard and you could do that... You're lucky we're taking you in for Mullinix Justice at all."

"Spare me the drivel," Travis said, "And get me some food."

"You'll get your slop when I get ready," Lawrence said, "Now shut up and sit down in the cart before you tip yourself over."

"Like I have much to lose at this point," Travis smiled, "What are you going to do? Kill me? Insegniferro will order that anyway."

"It's not my place to do it," Lawrence said, "But if you end up riding upside down in that cart it won't be a comfortable ride."

"You try riding bound up with several broken ribs," Travis grumbled, "Courtesy of your lovely young Mullinix."

"You're lucky that Trinaferro didn't let him kill you," Lawrence reminded him, "He should have beaten you to death and called it justice served as far as I'm concerned."

"Yes, lucky," Travis laughed, "I'm lucky right to the suicide chamber."

"You brought it on yourself," Lawrence shrugged, "No one made you rape and murder those children."

Travis did not even bother to respond. He thought his father and brothers would be laughing at his predicament if they were still around to do so. He had always thought that he was better than them because he did what he thought was right. Unfortunately, his better nature had been warped by the cruel upbringing.

He thought about the strange turn of events that had brought him to this point in life. Before long only Erick Steele would remain and the only line left in his family would be the one that was known only for rearing the Mullinix, not for the evil deeds perpetrated by the earlier ancestors.

This knowledge infuriated Travis as he thought about it. Erick had been complicit in his father's and brothers' crimes through his silence. The fact that he had reared a son that was pure and righteous enough not only to become Mullinix, but to be successful at it had been too much for him to bear.

For years when he was young he had aspired to be a Mullinix. He did his best never to say anything in public about it. He read books on the subject voraciously, hoping and praying that someone would see he was right for the job. He figured it would be the only way to avoid the criminal mindset of his family.

He had himself set for when he went to the service school so that he would not say a word about his desires. He made sure he stopped reading the Mullinix biographies that he so loved. He tried to appear humble and righteous, but it did not help. No Mullinix change was needed that year and he made it through his initial six-month term without even being looked at that he could tell.

His work that term did not go unnoticed, however, as he made it into the guard to be on track for being an officer. He put himself into his work knowing that if he couldn't be Mullinix then he could serve the Mullinix cause. He figured that his first job should be ending the crimes of his family.

He arranged to have himself assigned to Skolnik, knowing that his family would be up to no good. He chuckled as he remembered this, knowing that it was what began to be his downfall. He began his investigations early and kept them quiet for years as he learned everything he could about his father and brother's enterprises.

He spent several years riding the line between his family and his job. Sucking up to Art Talgal all the time and taking Robert and Cygnal's bullshit just wore on him. The only real friend he had at the time was his brother Erick. He remembered many a day staying at Erick's place while he pumped his brother for information.

Finally, Erick told him about the smuggling ring. Erick personally had no part in it as he was happy enough being an auditor and made enough so he was content to play it safe. But he'd found out about it and made the mistake of telling Travis. Travis couldn't believe his luck. He had finally found out something that he could use.

He did some checking around and found corroborating information and brought it to Art Talgal, who had been much more of a take charge personality at the time. He saw the fire that Travis had for this, so he let Travis take charge of the investigation. Travis smiled as he remembered the pride he felt at the time. A part of him missed that feeling.

He sometimes wondered where it went wrong. It was a silly question though, considering he knew as well as everyone else what went wrong. He'd handled the end of the investigation badly. He got impatient and sloppy and they had to go in hard to salvage it.

Every guard that had gone in there knew that he had blown it. It had gotten worse when they entered the building in force. Cygnal saw his brother and knew they were done for, so he decided to give his brother a piece of his mind. It turned out to be the last thing Cygnal ever did, as Travis fired a bolt into his brain.

That bolt pretty well ended the advance of his career. Erick had found out the truth about how Cygnal had died and despite his distaste for his family's business found what Travis did abhorrent. The fact that he himself had provided Travis so much of the information made the rift between the remaining brothers complete.

Fast forward some years later. Travis had been the head guard of a small trading village, a position he had been issued as a backhanded reward for bringing his family business to an end. Art Talgal had reported on his behavior with Cygnal's death and it had been decided to ship him to an area where he could do little harm.

Travis knew that he wasn't going anywhere. Some people liked being head guard in a small village, but Travis knew that he would never advance there. He was ambitious and wanted to take the colonelcy of a small city. He knew he would never get Skolnik, but he aspired to at least a place like Hulkensuxor or Taliaferro Village.

That hope, slim as it was, came to a crashing halt when the most improbable thing happened. A new Mullinix was chosen for the first time since Travis had been a full guard. Not only that, but the dumb luck of it was that this Mullinix was related to him by blood. Unfortunately, because his wife had left him his children were too old, the new Mullinix was the son of his brother Erick.

Medoferro, as the new Mullinix was called, had seen him at his worst and a mildly stalled career came to a crashing halt. He had been nearby when Medoferro ascended to the top spot, as Massimaferro had died in the local Medico's house. Travis knew after his performance in front of his nephew that he would be lucky to keep his job, let alone advance.

More years passed. The town grew and for some reason Medoferro let him be. But, the anger was growing in Travis. So was the perversion taught by his family. It was a chance viewing of a child swimming in a local pond that awakened the feelings in him.

Travis knew that he had little time left, so he had done what he wanted to do. He felt no remorse over his crimes and felt that the children were nothing more than objects. In reality, they were something he could control in a world that didn't go the way he wanted it to.

Travis' thought processes were broken as Lawrence splashed him with some water. He looked up at the guard with contempt as he slid a plate of lousy food into the wagon with him. The food was day old leftovers that Lawrence had obtained from a saloon. The professional in Lawrence wouldn't let him let Travis starve, but the professional in him had no problem making him eat slop.

"You wanted food," Lawrence said, "I will untie you, but I'll have a bolt gun pointed at your head the whole time. Try anything and you won't make it to Mullinix Centre."

"Right," Travis said, "I think I'll pass."

"Uh uh," Lawrence said, "You will eat now."

Travis felt the bolt gun at the back of his head as the bonds came untied. He looked at the food with distaste and picked it up. He sniffed it and it smelled terrible. He was not about to eat this swill, even with a bolt gun at the back of his head.

"I don't think so," Travis said, "You can have it."

"Eat," Lawrence said, a sadistic smile coming, "Or you get a bolt to the head."

"You eat it!" Travis yelled as he ducked, turned around and slammed the plate into Lawrence's face.

Lawrence fired the bolt gun, but his reflexes hadn't been fast enough. The bolt flew out and stuck into the back of the transport wagon. Travis was faster and had the initiative, so he let off a few blows to Lawrence's stomach, pushing the guard backwards.

He was sore from the fight with Medoferro, but knew enough about guard tactics to counter the initial moves. Lawrence was half-blind from the slop in his eyes as well, so the fight was pretty well one sided. Travis beat on Lawrence until the younger guard was in submission.

"I guess you ate it," Travis said with a smile as he retrieved the bolt gun, "Now eat this."

Travis fired two bolts from the gun, both of which penetrated Lawrence's skull. Travis smiled as he removed what was left of the restraints. He was free and had nothing left to lose. He walked away from the guard's body and started walking north. He wondered how far he would get before someone caught him.

It took him only a few minutes to realize he did not care.

Chapter 44 - The River

"The weather is not making this easy," Medoferro growled as he sat underneath a canvas cover, "Is it usually this bad through here?"

"At times," Simon said, "Last time I rode along on this it was a nicer trip."

"The captain says we'll be two days behind on this," Suvorov said, "They can't see where they're going half the time right now."

"Great," Medo sighed, "At least the bandits should have the same problem we are."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Jim told them, "They'll know the area better and will have cover. If they attack they'll have the upper hand."

"At least we've got more people than they expect," Suvorov said, "And we aren't going down without a fight."

"That won't help with our mission," Simon said, "And it might make them fight harder than they normally would."

"Looks like we will find out soon," Medoferro told them, "There's a group of about three-dozen raiders on the shore about 300 yards down the river."

"How can you tell?" Suvorov asked, "The fog is too thick to see ten feet, let alone 300 yards."

"He's right," Jim said, using his power sight, "He's using power sight. I'd say we'd better get ready for a fight."

"Lovely," Simon said, "What do you want me to do?"

"Pull power," Jim instructed him, "You can feed us."

"Attack!" someone yelled on the shore, "There's the barge!"

"Catapult!" Medoferro yelled, "Take cover!"

The first catapult barrage hit the barge like a ton of bricks, taking out three of Suvorov's men without any warning. Medoferro growled and looked over at Simon. They had never been on the receiving end of a shelling before. The captain took a few shards in the second round, falling backwards onto the deck.

"Does anyone know how to steer this damned thing?" Medoferro shouted.

"We need to keep going!" the captain groaned, "We need to outrun them..."

"Not going to happen," Suvorov said, "We're sitting ducks out here. This barge is going to hit the bottom soon."

"Ram the bastards!" Simon exclaimed, "That's the only thing we can do."

"I would if I knew how to run this," Medoferro exclaimed, "I have never seen one of these machines in my life!"

"I can run it," Jim said, "You guys will have to lead the attack."

"They've got the drop on us," Simon said, "What do we do?"

"Ram them," Medoferro said, "I want all your men to close their eyes. I'll blind them."

"Fry them!" the captain said, "They're sinking my baby!"

"You do that and you'll kill us all," Medoferro said, "I'll flash them, then we attack. I'll push energy on you, so give it all you have."

"What do I do?" Simon asked.

"Once I blind them," Medoferro said, "Light up the area so we can smack them down."

"All right," Jim said, "I'm going up... Stay down while I maneuver this tub!"

Jim Entragian stood up and pushed his way over the bodies up to the steering area. The group on shore saw him and started firing bolts at him, hitting him nearly two-dozen times. Medoferro and company shuddered, but Entragian himself didn't even take notice of it. He shoved the throttle up and the steam engine pushed the barge ahead faster.

"Turn it right!" Medoferro yelled, being the only other one with clear vision.

Entragian turned the wheel so that the barge headed right towards the shore. Medoferro looked at the others and readied himself to send out a barrage of flashes. Simon pulled power as much as he could and waited for Medoferro's cue.

"About to hit shore!" Jim yelled.

"Close your eyes!" Medoferro yelled.

Medoferro let off several directed flares that made a blinding flash in the direction of the attackers. Taken one at a time they weren't much, but the cumulative effect blinded everyone on shore and kept them from being able to do anything.

"Attack!" Medoferro yelled, "They're blinded!"

Simon let a bright flare off into the sky. This broke up the fog and allowed the Mullinix group to attack in near full daylight. The survivors of the initial barrage ran across the deck and jumped onto the shore. It was an intense 20 minute battle, with Medoferro pushing power into the men and Simon pushing power into Medoferro to keep things going.

The Mullinix crew won, but not without taking serious losses. Rav Suvorov managed to finally crumble the last bit of the resistance, taking the rebel leader captive as the last straggling survivors of the Mullinix crew finished off the last of his men.

"You lose," Suvorov said, glaring at the leader, "Why did you do it?"

"Your load is lost," the leader chuckled, coughing up blood, "Every load that doesn't get sent is one less load that supports those corrupt bastards in the palace."

"I should..." Suvorov said, but was stopped by Medoferro.

"You should what," Medoferro said, "He's right. Every load that passes this river keeps the king in power."

"But our men..." Suvorov said, looking at Medoferro, "They're all dead..."

"Will more killing bring them back?" Medoferro asked him, "He's wounded and dying. Let him go. He won't attack again. He accomplished his mission."

"You're the Mullinix," the leader said, "The leader of Mullinix?"

"Yes," Medoferro said, "I am on my way to the palace to try to figure out what the hell is happening here."

"We wouldn't have attacked had we known you were there," the rebel leader said, "We don't want Mullinix as an enemy."

"Tell your people not to attack us again," Medoferro said, "We seek to end this. Nothing more."

"I don't know what you did," the man coughed, "But I wouldn't want to fight you again."

"Get out of here," Medoferro told him, "We won't be here when you return."

"Good," he said, "Thank you."

Medoferro watched as the former rebel leader hobbled away from the scene of the massacre. Simon and Suvorov watched; both a bit surprised by the exchange. The few surviving guards cleaned themselves up as best they could.

"What do we do now?" Simon asked, "This didn't go anywhere near plan."

"Could you guys kindly unpin me from this deckhouse?" Jim asked them, "I'm a bit stuck here..."

The three men looked and saw that Jim was in the half submerged deckhouse of the barge. They went in and pulled the bolts out from his arms and managed to free him and get him on the shore.

"I'd given you up for dead," Suvorov said, "Man..."

"I'll be fine," Entragian said, "I need your help though."

"What do you need?" Medoferro asked.

"Pull the damned bolts out of my back," Jim grumbled, "I can't reach back there and one of them is keeping my spinal column from regenerating."

"I'll do it," Medoferro said, "Turn him over guys..."

Medoferro performed the necessary operation, pulling no less than a dozen bolts out of Entragian's back. They were all surprised that Entragian didn't betray any pain as Medoferro did the work. They were even more surprised at the speed with which the wounds healed when the bolts were pulled out.

"Good gods," Suvorov said, "What are you?"

"An immortal," Entragian said as he sat up and pulled a few more shards out of his arms and legs, "It's going to take more than a few crossbow bolts to put me out of commission."

"What do we do now?" Simon asked them, "How many survived?"

"Looks like about six guards," Suvorov said, "All of them wounded. Are you guys all right?"

"A few shards," Medoferro said, "Nothing major."

"I'm ok," Simon said, "Looks like Jim is fine."

"I feel like Swiss cheese," Jim said, "But that will pass."

"Which is more than I can say about the barge," Medo said, "That thing is a wreck. I don't even know whether the lifeboats will float."

"Two of them will," one of the less wounded guards said, "Final count is three of us that can walk, two that may survive the night and three that probably won't. I think one or two of the barge crew may still be technically alive."

"How many can the boats hold?" Medoferro asked him.

"Five each," the guard said, "We can send the wounded back with one boat and one healthy person. The rest of us will continue with you."

"That's suicide," Medoferro said, "All of you guards go in the boats and head back to Massimaferro Village. Toria will patch you up."

"What about us?" Simon asked Medo.

"We go on," Medoferro said simply, "Four of us can keep out of sight easier than a contingent of wounded guards. We'll go on land and head northeast until we hit the road to the capital."

"My maps survived," one guard said, "We'll follow the river back. You can take them."

"That works," Medoferro said, "Looks like we depend on foot power for a while."

"Let's get away from here," Suvorov said, "We need to make tracks before someone comes back."

"Jim," Medoferro said, "Get a guard kit from one of the dead guards, including spare uniforms. That way you're easier to explain."

"Good idea," Suvorov said, "You and I will be the ceremonial guards."

"You don't want some of us to stay with you?" a guard asked, "Trinaferro will have our asses..."

"It's my decision," Medoferro said, "Tell her that we'll be back soon."

"You heard him," Suvorov said, "Get moving and get back before any of the wounded die."

"Yes sir!" the guard said, "Any messages you want to send home?"

"Tell Trinaferro not to worry," Medoferro said, "We'll be home before she realizes it."

"You got it, Mullinix," he said as he headed for the boat, "Good luck."

"We'll need it," Simon muttered and turned to Medoferro, "What now?"

"Now we walk," Medoferro said, "Let's get a few miles from here before daylight. Then we'll sleep for a bit."

"Don't forget Toria's potions," Jim suggested, "When we do rest you'll want them."

"I have them in my pack," Simon said, "I wasn't about to forget those."

"Let's go," Rav said, "We don't get to rest until we put at least five miles between us and this wreck site."

There was a collective groan, but they all started hiking along as the rest of the guards loaded up on the lifeboats and made their way back along the river. It was the first day of the Siraq trip and it was already a disaster. Medoferro just hoped that it wasn't an omen of things to come.

Chapter 45 - Border Crossing

"We need to make some tracks," Lister said as he packed up the blankets, "If those guards remember what happened they'll be looking for us."

"I'm all for that," Pirotase said, "I can't believe I'm actually going to leave this damned country."

"I don't know how long we're staying," Lister cautioned her, "Neither of us knows for sure what language they speak down there. We may end up doing an end run back into the Mavelans."

"Who knows?" Pirotase said, "Maybe Bolantine isn't as bad as we've heard."

"We'll find out," Lister said, "As soon as we can get across that border."

"I'm ready," she said, "The bread should hold us until we get out of the country."

"Yeah," Lister nodded, "If nothing else I'm betting that a variant of Mavelan will be used over there near the borders."

"We'll find out," Pirotase agreed, "Let's just go, ok?"

Lister nodded and finished his packing. He went over the maps quickly and saw what the patrol map said should be a reasonably un-patrolled area. He folded them back up and put them in his backpack before starting to wind up the power cycle.

"Let's roll," Lister said, "I'll race you!"

"You're on!" Pirotase giggled, "See you in Bolantine!"

They rode quickly, perhaps even recklessly, through the hills. They had a good time riding, though Lister had to keep adjusting their direction. After nearly three hours of straight riding they decided to stop for a few minutes and get their bearings.

"If these maps are right we should be across the border," Lister said, "There's the great mountain listed."

"So here we go," Pirotase said, "Into the great unknown."

"Black Village is about two hundred miles southeast," Lister said, "That's a day and a half on these puppies."

"Less if we go through," Pirotase said, "We're bound to find civilization before the town on the map."

"Speed run?" Lister asked her, "That could be risky."

"Beats waiting around here," Pirotase said, "So long as we avoid major troops we should be fine."

"Let's do it," Lister agreed, "If you see something fishy, let me know."

"You got it," Pirotase said, "Let's ride."

Chapter 46 - An Inauspicious Return

Rick Ballfur jogged over to the Medico shack where he found Trinaferro and her sister bandaging a child's ankle. They were surprised to see him jogging. Ballfur was not the most athletic man in the guard service.

"What's the rush, Rick?" Trina asked him, "Running usually isn't your game."

"Report from one of Art's men," he said, "I figured you should know. Two boats from the barge just hit the dock at the river."

"That's not good," Toria said, "Lifeboats?"

"They need a medico and may not survive to get here," Ballfur said, "I sent the kid back to help, figured I'd better tell you myself."

"Medoferro," Trinaferro said, her face going white, "Is he there?"

"The kid didn't say anything about Medo," Ballfur told her, "Maybe we should all go check."

The three of them ran up to the dock and found several guards helping out men that Trinaferro recognized as members of Suvorov's elite force. Toria ran over and started performing triage as best she could.

"What do you want me to do?" Trinaferro asked Toria.

"Stay out of my way," Toria said, "You're too rusty at this."

"Trinaferro?" one of them said, "Medoferro told me to deliver you a message."

"Where is he?" Trinaferro asked him, "Is he here?"

"No ma'am," the guard said, "He's in Siraq."

"What is his status, son?" Rick Ballfur asked him, "Is he still alive?"

"Yes sir," the guard said, "There was a battle. Rebel unit trying to destroy the barge to keep the king from getting his money."

"We should have thought of that," Trinaferro sighed, "Is he all right?"

"He stayed in the back and blinded the rebels," the guard said, "Between that and Simon lighting up the area we managed to kill them all."

"So the rest of you went with them?" Trina asked, "Right?"

"What you see is all the survivors," the guard said, "Except for Medoferro, Simon, Colonel Suvorov and that man with the strange accent."

"Entragian," Trina said, "They kept going in the barge?"

"The barge sank," the guard said, "They kept going on foot. We wanted to go with him, but the Mullinix ordered us all in the boats."

"That's Medo all right," Toria agreed as she checked people, "Good gods..."

"Suvorov is still with him," Ballfur said, "They'll be fine."

"Alone in Siraq is not fine," Trinaferro said, "I don't like this."

"Nothing you can do now, Trina," Ballfur told her, "Let's help your sister with these casualties. We'll deal with the rest of it later."

"Right," Trinaferro sighed, "One day at a time."

Chapter 47 - Meeting the King

Roland stretched out a bit and put on his formal clothing. Prince Harmon had told him that he was scheduled to see the king. It was a private audience to talk about the proposals before they were brought up officially in the court. Marina was looking at him intently, wondering if she would be allowed to go.

"How long is it going to be?" Marina asked him, natural curiosity taking over, "I mean do we need to dress super nice or is this not formal?"

"Just me," Roland said, "The king prefers one on one meetings. No entourage, despite the fact that you're my partner in this."

"Great," Marina sighed, "More boredom."

"I warned you of that before you came," Roland said, "Nothing is duller than endless rounds of diplomacy."

"I thought it would be more interesting than watching paint dry," Marina said, "How does anything get done like this?"

"It's a dance," Roland shrugged, "This is actually progress. Not just tagging along with Harmon, but actually speaking with the king on the subject."

"While I get ignored again," Marina said, pouting, "So what do I do now?"

"That's what the books are for," Roland said, "I'll be there most of the day, so you can take a guard and go out for a while too."

"Ok," Marina told him, "Go on and have your fun."

"Yeah," Roland said, "I'll try."

Marina watched as he left the premises and headed towards the castle. She was angry that she was being left behind again and more upset that she would not be able to feed information to Nikki. She sat down and fumed, hoping that Nikki would contact her soon.

Roland went to the palace and met Harmon in the front lobby. He was surrounded by a set of guards and smiled when he saw Roland come in. He went over and shook hands with the Mullinix representative.

"The King will be with us shortly, Roland," he told him, "You left Marina behind, correct?"

"As requested," Roland nodded, "She's getting antsy, but she'll be all right. Let's get to work."

While Roland was going through the protocols for being introduced to the King of Sotanberg Nikki stood in a corner of the lobby. She had long ago managed to insert herself into the servant staff so all the nobles that milled around the palace every day had stopped noticing her. Special makeup that she applied darkened her skin and made her slanted eyes a lot less noticeable.

Nikki knew that she had Marina trained well, but it was showing that Roland either did not trust her completely or could not accept her as a full partner. After his gut reaction upon seeing her emptiness she would have been surprised if Marina were let in to the King's chamber.

She started cleaning nearby and managed to get to an area where she could hear the meeting as it progressed through the usual introductory garbage. One thing she hated about Sotanberg was the pompous formality they brought to the business of government. It was nearly thirty minutes before they even began getting to business.

"How is young Medoferro doing in his position?" the king asked Roland, "I hear he's grown well into it?"

"I had my doubts at the beginning," Roland said, "But he's good at it and wants to do well."

"Much like Taliaferro was," the king nodded, "He was a good man. I met him when I was a young prince and kept in contact until his death. I never had much chance to meet Massimaferro, but his death was a shock as well."

"You have no idea," Roland said, "Medoferro proved his mettle in the hardest way possible. Without his speech and without his leadership in Cirrus we probably would still be fighting a Mavelan invasion."

"Facie is a lunatic," the king said, his disdain for Facie showing, "Someday someone will do the same thing to him that he did to his father. Let's just hope that when it happens the person is not half as insane as Facie himself."

"Amen to that," Roland agreed, "But as crazy as Facie is he isn't our real problem right now."

"Bolantine," the king said without being prompted, "They've consolidated their control down south."

"Prince Harmon told me a bit about them," Roland said, "That's one of the reasons that I'm here."

"We've fought several battles with them," the king said, nodding knowingly at Harmon, "They are ruthless, but they are cunning. We've sent some people down there and they come back telling us that it is a land of tyranny laced with benefits. To someone who didn't know better it could be almost considered freedom."

"We need more information to know how to deal with them," Roland agreed, "We're not interested in them so much for territorial reasons as we are for security. If Facie and Bolantine fight a war and Facie loses, we might have a strengthened Bolantine Empire on our doorstep. I don't know who would be worse, all told."

"We had a large battle with them about three years ago," the king said, "They lost and withdrew back across the steep hills. We raised a larger army and they haven't been back since."

"Facie is moving troops south," Roland told him, "Something he's never done since he invaded us."

"That's odd, even for Facie," the king said, "So what do you propose?"

"I have been entreated by Mullinix Medoferro, Mullinix-Elder Insegniferro and Mullinix-Apprentice Trinaferro to make this offer," Roland said, lapsing into formality mode again, "We would like to propose a formal defensive alliance to discourage either Facie or Bolantine from attacking either one of us."

"Defensive only?" the king asked.

"We're a peaceful people," Roland told him, "We have no interest beyond our own borders. We do want to make sure that we are not caught unprepared should Bolantine decide he wants more than he's entitled to."

"And Siraq?" the king asked, "There have been some rumbles, many of them from powerful people on your side of the border, calling for a Mullinix annexation of lower Siraq."

"We are not actively seeking that," Roland said, "Mullinix Medoferro is working to bring peace back to that troubled area. We do not want to force an annexation, though if they secede and ask to join Mullinix we may have to assist them."

"It is a touchy position," The king admitted, "Have you spoken to my counterpart in Siraq?"

"Medoferro is working on that now," Roland said honestly, "He was working on final plans for a trip when I left."

"I wish him luck," the king said, "I welcome your offer. It will, of course, have to be debated in the council of nobles. They can be a harsh group, but they mean well."

"I will submit to their questions and we can talk about terms of a possible alliance," Roland promised, "There is nothing to be lost by talking."

"Good," the king smiled, "Perhaps you should join me for lunch?"

"I would be delighted," Roland said, knowing this was a good sign, "Thank you, your highness."

While Roland left the room with the king, Nikki scurried out and headed over to Prince Harmon's residence. She knew her original plans for Marina were not going to work the way she had hoped, but she had ideas that might salvage the situation.

"Nikki!" Marina exclaimed when she saw the smaller girl, "What are you doing here? You look different!"

"I need to blend in," Nikki said, "We need to talk."

"I tried to get him to take me," Marina said, "I even satisfied him well last night... He..."

"Shhh," Nikki said, an understanding smile forming, "It's ok. He doesn't trust you like I do. We can work around that, however."

"How?" Marina asked, "I mean without me being there..."

"He'll be spending a few more days talking with Prince Harmon," Nikki said, "You will be around for that and can still give useful information."

"But that alliance will go through," Marina said, "Isn't that a bad thing?"

"It could be," Nikki told her, "But we'll worry about that later. There are ways of stopping an alliance cold. You're a part of the Mullinix entourage, so you could do something to stop it."

"Like what?" Marina asked, "No one listens to me."

"Assassinating Prince Harmon in public," Nikki smiled, "But not yet... Not until we've learned all we can."

"I can do that," Marina said, proving again how empty her soul was, "But how?"

"I'm thinking about that," Nikki said, "We have time yet. I need to teach you some more things."

"Anytime," Marina said, "Should I lie down?"

"Not here," Nikki said, not knowing how much time she had, "When he comes back satisfy him again, twice if you can do it."

"Why?" Marina asked, "I can do it, but why?"

"Two reasons," Nikki smiled, "One, to tire him out so he won't notice your absence for a few hours and two, to tire yourself out so I can teach you easier. This sort of push works better when you're dead tired."

"Ok," Marina nodded, "I'll be there. Same place?"

"No," Nikki said, "Lie down for a moment. I'll push the directions in."

Marina did so and felt a flash. Suddenly, she knew how to get somewhere she had never been before. Nikki smiled and caressed Marina's head for a moment before departing. She let off a final mental push of serenity at Marina so that she would be happy and sure to show up.

Nikki need not have worried. Marina was so hooked by this point she would have given her life just for another minute of that feeling.

Chapter 48 - They Speak What?

"I see something ahead," Pirotase said, "Looks like a road, but not like any road I've ever seen."

"It's paved," Lister said, "They do that in Mullinix, makes it faster and safer to travel."

"Evidently Facie doesn't care," Pirotase said, "Bolantine is putting money into internal improvements?"

"Probably makes it easier to move troops," Lister said, "Steam engines run well on flat smooth roads. Let's go take a closer look."

"Sure," Pirotase nodded, "Let's just hope we don't stand out as Mavelan too much."

"If we do we may have to make haste back over the border," Lister said, "Or head north into Sotanberg."

"Another place I don't speak the language," Pirotase sighed, "This is insane, you know that?"

"What's life without a little adventure?" Lister grinned, "If the maps are right there should be a village southeast of here, probably along that road."

"Let's hope we can find something out about the language first," Pirotase said, "I hate running blind."

"Me too," Lister said, "Let's go to the road. If it is anything like Mullinix there will be signs."

"For what?" she asked him.

"Directions," Lister said, "Mullinix is a hard place to get lost in."

"Can't wait to go there," Pirotase smiled, "Just remember your promise."

"I'm not losing you again," Lister vowed, "Now let's get moving."

They rode the power cycles over to the road and started heading south until they saw a metal sign in the distance. Lister instinctively knew that it was what he needed to see. They stopped the power cycles in front of it as Lister's jaw almost hit the ground.

"What is it?" Pirotase said, "Do you recognize it?"

"I should recognize it," Lister said, "I grew up learning it in school. It's Mullinix."

"They speak Mullinix down here?" Pirotase asked incredulously, "You're kidding, right?"

"The spelling is slightly different," Lister said, "But that sign would read nearly the same thing right outside Mullinix Centre."

"We didn't somehow go north instead of south did we?" Pirotase wondered, "I mean... No..."

"Someone is coming down the road," Lister said, "We'll find out in a few minutes."

Lister took a drink of water from the canteen and waited for the people to approach. They were riding standard bicycles and as any curious group would stopped to see the power cycles that Lister and Pirotase were riding.

"Good day," one of them said, "Where did you come across those puppies?"

"From a former Mavelan Soldier," Lister said, hoping his accent wouldn't hurt him too much, "They deserted and needed money to set up somewhere their king couldn't find them."

"Nice," he said offering a hand, "My name is Leno. You are?"

"My name is Lister and my friend is Pirotase," he replied, taking it and praying he didn't break local protocol, "We're heading into the village."

"It's about ten clicks down the way," Leno said, "You been there before?"

"No," Lister said, "I'm from the west."

"That explains the accent," Leno grinned, "Black Village is small, but has some good facilities. A few good jobs as well. What do you do?"

"Anything that needs to be done," Lister smiled sheepishly, "I figured I'd find out when I got there."

"Just watch out for the local constable," Leno said, "He's a rough ass. Stay on his good side, 'kay?"

"Sure," Lister said, "We've been riding for a while, so we'd best get to the village and find a place to stay."

"Try the Instable," Leno said, "Good on the zods and easy on the lights."

"Right," Lister nodded, "Thank you."

"Take it easy, Lister," Leno told them, "You too, Pirotase. Hail Bolantine!"

Leno made a salute that both Lister and Pirotase mimicked. She merely mouthed it, as her Mullinix was horribly accented, which would have marked her as a Mavelan for sure. Leno and his group headed off on their way, leaving Lister and Pirotase to stare at each other.

"I don't believe this," Lister said, "They speak a variant of Mullinix."

"I understood it," Pirotase said, "But my Mullinix isn't good enough to pass muster."

"Notice that none of Leno's group said anything," Lister said as he got back on the bike, "He didn't even introduce them."

"Maybe that's the protocol down here," Pirotase said, "Which could work to our benefit if it holds. I won't be expected to talk."

"This is strange," Lister said, "I don't believe it's gone this easily."

"That means it won't last," Pirotase said, "We'll have some problems later on."

"We usually do," Lister agreed, "We're going to hide the cycles outside the village. I don't want them to call attention to us."

"Let's go," Pirotase said.

They rode down the road quickly and made it to within sight of the village. It was a wooded area, so they veered off the road and found a place to hide the cycles along with their extra gear.

"This is insane," Pirotase said, "You know this right?"

"Yes," Lister agreed, "But what do we do? We can learn so much here..."

"I know," Pirotase said, "Let's just hope that we survive it."

They walked the rest of the way into the village and saw a bustling town. It was an average sized town, probably no more than a thousand people. The first thing that both Lister and Pirotase noticed was that it was exceedingly clean.

"Where are we going?" Pirotase asked, "We don't have any local money..."

"Let's look around," Lister suggested, "We'll learn more as we walk around."

Walking through the streets was instructive. It seemed that there was a picture of Bolantine on every street corner, his deep blue eyes looking out over everyone as if he was watching you. No one looked them directly in the eyes. It was a standoffish society, much like the Mavelans were.

"We might as well be in Mavelan City," Pirotase whispered, "The people act the same."

"I know," Lister said, "This isn't that big of a town, but there's at least a dozen policemen walking around."

"The people have been beaten down," Pirotase said, "Look at how they act around the police."

"Speaking of," Lister said, "There's one coming at us."

"Names and Papers!" the officer barked, "Right now!"

"Lister Black," he said, "This is Pirotase."

"Papers!" he again barked, "No more stalling."

"We were beset by bandits," Lister lied, "They took our papers and our money."

"We'll see about that," the officer said, "Come with me now."

Lister and Pirotase looked at each other and knew that this was not a good development.

"Now!" the officer barked.

"Coming," Lister said, "Let's go, Pirotase."

They followed the guard, knowing that resistance was futile on the streets. The guard pushed them into a large, ornate building that had what Lister imagined was the official symbol of the Bolantine Empire. They followed in and were brought to a somber looking man.

"Yes?" the man said in a deep voice.

"No papers," the officer said, "They claim they were robbed."

"Put them in the cage next to the rebel," deep voice said, "I'll check the numbers on those insignificant kids when I get a chance."

"Very well," the officer said, "Move."

Lister and Pirotase had no choice. The officer was wielding a rather nasty looking pistol type crossbow with an automatic reload. It could easily kill them both. The two of them were locked into the cell and looked at each other.

"A fine mess you got me into this time," Pirotase said to Lister, "What do we do now?"

"Wait," Lister shrugged, "Relax, for there is little we can do now but wait."

With that Lister reclined against the wall and let his body rest, much to Pirotase's consternation. If nothing else, however, the display gave her a bit of confidence. She slid down on the floor next to him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"It'll be all right," Lister said, hoping he wasn't lying, "Just trust me..."

Chapter 49 - On the Road

"My feet haven't hurt this much in years," Jim Entragian said as they walked, "And that's saying a lot for someone who has spent centuries roaming this continent."

"Never made it anywhere else?" Medo asked him as they walked, "No other landmasses out there?"

"There may be," Jim said, "We've never made it off this rock. There's a little thing called sea acidity that eats every boat we've ever tried to take more than ten miles from shore."

"What could have caused that?" Simon asked, "I mean it's like the planet was methodically destroyed."

"Not far off," Entragian said, "Those weapons they used were horrendous. Tore apart the planet, flipped a few land masses. We spent five years digging ourselves back up to the surface. I'm still amazed that it has righted itself as much as it has. Mother nature is a resilient bitch."

"Everything has a way of working out," Suvorov said, "I've read about pre-cataclysmic history. Much of what happened was a natural reaction for the planet to keep us from being able to destroy ourselves again."

"You're more right than you know," Entragian said, "The laws of nature changed somewhat when the planet was nearly burned to pieces so our knowledge was no good anymore. The laws of nature that we'd known before... They were gone. What is here now is all we have."

"Think there are other landmasses out there?" Medo wondered, "I mean... This can't be the only place with survivors."

"We'll never know," Entragian shrugged, "We haven't come up with a steam engine that will power something fast enough to run an airfoil more than ten miles."

"Plus the skies are poisonous," Suvorov said, "Go more than five thousand feet up..."

"Which makes it difficult to get something going," Medoferro said, "I've heard that the hardest metal there is dissolves in the waters out there."

"It's true," Entragian said, "We found that out about a thousand years ago, under the reign of Medoferro II in fact. Medoferro II had a penchant for exploration. He wanted nothing more than to explore the world."

"Sounds like an interesting guy," Medo grinned, "Go on."

"Since he couldn't go himself," Entragian said, "He dreamed up exploration projects. North was a wasteland still, but it was starting to form up. South was desert and southeast was a nation that would eventually become the Mavelans. Sotanberg had already reached the mountains and that border was established."

"So there was little new to explore," Simon said, "Right?"

"You got it," Entragian nodded, "So we came up with an idea to explore the sea and find other lands."

"Sounds like fun," Suvorov said, "Wish I could have gone. I never made it more than a half mile from shore when I was on fishing boats as a kid."

"No you don't," Entragian said, "Ten of us went on this trip. We built a large ship out of the hardest metals we could come up with. Ran tests with every form of acid we could come up with. Nothing we had made more than a pock mark on that ship."

"That's good," Simon said, "Why do I think it wasn't simple?"

"It wasn't," Entragian said, "Mason, Karen and I volunteered because we were durable. Acid has no effect on our skin."

"Does anything affect you?" Suvorov asked, "I mean, shit, nothing fazes you."

"If there is something," Entragian said, "I don't know it."

"So what happened?" Medo wondered, "It couldn't have been good."

"It wasn't," Entragian nodded, "We made it ten miles out before we started noticing leaks. We did the best we could to cope and kept going. The water got really dark, disgustingly dark."

"So what happened?" Simon asked, hanging on every word.

"It got worse," Entragian said, "Once we hit fifteen miles the corrosion started breaking things down. By the time we hit twenty..."

"It fell apart?" Medo asked.

"Completely," Entragian sighed, "The water was black, could hardly be called water anymore. We tried to turn back, but the ship was too far gone. It disintegrated completely before we got three miles back."

"That could not have been pretty," Suvorov said solemnly, "Acid was a favored Mavelan attack. I could only imagine what it did."

"The other seven died within five minutes," Entragian said, "Mason, Karen and I spent two days swimming back. We were totally naked when we waded onto the shore just outside Connoer."

"Man," Simon said, "That must have been hell."

"Yeah," Entragian nodded, shuddering at the thought, "I still occasionally have nightmares on that one."

"It looks like there's a town ahead," Medoferro said, "Hopefully it's one on our maps."

"Keep your weapons at ready," Suvorov said, "I don't like being a contingent this small."

"We're nothing but travelers," Entragian said, "Unless they recognize Medoferro, which in this surroundings isn't likely."

"Right," Medoferro said, "Until we hit the palace refer to me as Copeland, the name I was born with. The Mullinix has left the building."

"You got it," Simon agreed, "Let's just hope that they speak Mullinix here. I never got the hang of Siraqi."

"They don't even speak Siraqi in the palace anymore," Medoferro said, "Their economy is so tied to ours now that Siraqi is becoming an endangered language, mostly spoken in the northern reaches."

"Serenian is making inroads up there," Suvorov said, "Their crackpot religion is following the language as well."

"I don't even want to contemplate that," Medoferro said, "Thankfully they don't tend to spread south."

"That's because we're a convenient dumping ground," Simon shrugged, "Serenik has been a haven for Serenian refugees for two hundred years."

"And they know that if they try anything we'll crush them," Medoferro said, "They know us well enough to know that we'll leave them alone unless they try something."

"There's the town," Simon said, "I see smoke though..."

"Let's get there," Suvorov said, "I want to see what's going on. That doesn't look like cooking fire smoke."

"It's smoldering building smoke," Entragian said, "We need to go look. Now."

The four of them jogged to the village and were shocked by what they saw. Every building was either burning or smoldering. A few survivors managed to move around, but there were dozens of bodies laying motionless on the ground."

"What happened here," Medoferro said, his eyes bulging, "This is like total destruction."

"A battle," Suvorov said, "Much like one of the Mavelan raids before the war."

A group of adults came out with weapons. They were malnourished and weak, but ready to fight for their homes. Suvorov, knowing the customs up here raised his hands and made eye contact with the men.

"We mean no harm," Suvorov said, "We saw the smoke..."

"There's nothing you can do," one of the men, obviously the leader, said, "The dead are dead. The soldiers killed them all."

"Who did it?" Medoferro asked.

"Who cares?" Jim Entragian asked, "They're just as dead."

"It matters," Medoferro said, "The rebels are doing this?"

"Our own government," the leader spat, "A wounded rebel rested here. The King's soldiers razed the place because of it."

"I don't believe this," Medoferro said quietly, "How could he..."

"We're pawns to him," the leader said, "Who are you?"

"I am..." Medoferro said before Simon elbowed him.

"We're travelers," Simon said, "My name is Simon and my friends are Jim, Rav and Copeland."

"My name is Sigmo," he said, "Be careful out there. Neither side cares who they kill now."

"Where are we?" Suvorov asked, "We're a bit lost."

"Stradmore Village," Sigmo told them, "The river is about twenty miles south. River Fortress is about eighty miles northeast. The palace is about seventy miles north."

"I know where we are now," Suvorov said, "Thank you."

"May the gods be with you," Sigmo said, looking around, "For we know they have forsaken us."

"Here," Medoferro said, writing on a slip of paper in Mullinix Code, "Take your survivors and head to Mullinix. Present that to the Colonel there. They will treat anyone who is injured and get you back on your feet on that side of the border. You've suffered enough."

"Thank you," Sigmo said, "We had thought about it, but this was our home."

"No time like the present to make a new one," Medoferro said, "Good luck, Sigmo."

The man nodded and put the paper in his pocket. Medoferro and company started heading on the road north, with Medoferro obviously steaming for the first two miles. It was finally Jim Entragian that broke the ice.

"Spit it out, Medo," Entragian said, "You're going to explode."

"How the hell am I supposed to deal with a man who can order that?" Medoferro asked, "I see that and I think I should order us to go back and to come in here in force."

"That's an option," Entragian said, "But there are evil people everywhere. Are you going to take them all on, Medo?"

Medoferro thought about that for a few moments as they continued walking. He knew intellectually that Entragian was right. The emotions that stirred within him told him to do something entirely different.

"How can you remain calm?" Medoferro asked him, "Seeing that?"

"I've seen it before," Entragian said, "Many times. It still disgusts me."

"But you still think I need to talk to that king?" Medoferro asked him.

"Don't you?" Entragian asked him.

"Why the hell didn't you three take the leadership job?" Medoferro asked, "You know better... You obviously have more of a stomach for it."

"Because we know better," Entragian said, "I've been alive too long. I can't feel for this the way you do. It's good that it angers you. That is a useful emotion. Death is too removed from me. I've seen it many times, yet I know it will not find me anytime soon. I can't feel the same way you can for people."

Medoferro thought about that a moment and then Jim Entragian continued.

"That's the fatal flaw in Bolantine's system," Entragian said, "He wants that power over life and death. But he's long since forgotten the fear of it. You can't rule wisely without the fear of death. If you have nothing but power and no chance of death you become a tyrant. People deserve better than that."

"This is too much for me," Simon said, "I'm not a philosopher."

"Medo has to be for his job," Jim said, "Think about it, Medo. Would your country be better off with us ruling you?"

"I probably would be," Medo grumbled, "But you're right."

"I don't think you will be able to reason with him," Entragian said, "Neither do you. But you will learn more if we remain calm and talk to him. You may find out that you will have to lead an army here."

"And you'll disappear before I do," Medoferro said, "Right?"

"I don't know," Entragian said truthfully, "It's been too long. But, you are on the side of right. That's why I'm still here."

"So we keep going," Medoferro said, "Hopefully I lose the urge to kill him before I get there."

"I think that would be prudent," Entragian agreed, "Now let's put some miles behind us. Maybe we'll make it there in the next couple days."

There was a general murmur of agreement and the men walked in silence. The enormity of what they were doing had hit all of them. There were more than just a few refugees affected by this. There were also the fates of those who were left behind. It was an awesome thing to think about, but something they had no choice but to deal with.

Chapter 50 - Escape

"What do we do now?" Pirotase asked Lister, "We're stuck in this cell."

"First thing to do is not panic," Lister said, "So calm down and sit down while I think."

This caught the attention of the man in the cell across the hallway. He looked over and listened to the accent that both of them spoke with. He was surprised to hear the language spoken that way, as it was something he had not heard since his youth when a Mullinix trader had visited the southern Sotanberg village he grew up in.

"Are you from Mullinix?" the man asked hopefully, "You don't sound like one of these cretins..."

"Who are you?" Lister asked him, skeptical, "And what do you mean?"

"My name is Shabaru," the dark skinned man said, "I lived in Sotanberg until the Bolantines took over my village."

"How do you know of Mullinix?" Lister asked, looking at him carefully, "I'd think few Mullinix would make it to southern Sotanberg."

"There was one trader," Shabaru said, "He taught me your language. That was how I survived the initial purges. The Bolantines used me as a translator. Your accent sounds like his."

"Don't say that too loud," Pirotase said in Mavelan accented Mullinix, "You'll get us in more trouble."

"This room is soundproofed," Shabaru told them, "It has to be to hide the screams of the damned."

"Why are you here?" Lister asked him, "I thought you were a translator?"

"The Bolantines have no more use for me," Shabaru said, "The Sotanberg army pushed them back to a solid line and made a rough peace with them. It won't last forever, but it will probably last until the Bolantines are strong enough to take some other small patch of land."

"Nice to know that you're needed," Lister said, "Grateful society this is."

"This is a society of sociopaths," Shabaru told them quietly, "They do not value life nor do they respect it."

"Why is that?" Lister wondered, "No society can exist without some form of reverence for law and order."

"They have stringent laws," Shabaru said, "They also have order. But the individual is lost to the crowd. There is no permissiveness. There is no joy. A life in Bolantine is a life that is led for the 'greater good'."

"They must fight for something," Pirotase said, "For someone."

"Bolantine himself," Shabaru said, "He is immense and immortal. He has always been. He always will be. They know nothing else."

"No one is immortal," Lister said, not having met any immortals in his life, "No man can do that."

"This one has," Shabaru said, "They worship him like a God. No one can fail to be taken in by his power."

"You obviously have not been," Lister said, "Otherwise you'd not be talking like this."

"You have not been here long," Shabaru said, "That shows. What I see here, I have to speak out against. I cannot live in this land any longer."

"So why didn't you try to go back to Sotanberg?" Lister wondered.

"I tried," Shabaru said, "But Bolantine law has made northern migration past the armistice line illegal. I was caught as I tried to slip into the Empire north of Genesis."

"Why are you here then?" Lister wondered, "Are we that close to the border?"

"The trains don't run from Genesis to Bolantinople," Shabaru explained, "I will be executed in the public square of Bolantinople as an example to other Sotan expatriates."

"I wonder if that is what they plan for us," Pirotase sighed, "Or if we'll just get carted off and disposed of."

"What did you get picked up for?" Shabaru asked them, "Maybe I can give you some help."

"No papers," Lister said, "We claimed they were stolen."

"Are you legit anywhere?" Shabaru asked them.

"No," Lister said, "How well can they check?"

"Very well," Shabaru said, "If they determine you are lying about your origin then you will be disposed of."

"What do we do?" Pirotase asked Lister, "We know nothing about this land."

"How often does this happen?" Lister asked him, "Surely kids run around the nation exploring. They can't execute everyone who loses their papers."

"Most of the time they authenticate them and reissue papers," Shabaru said, "But the town of origin won't authenticate you without correct identities. Nor will they do so without branding numbers."

"Branding numbers?" Pirotase said, "They brand you?"

"Yes," Shabaru said, holding up his arm, "You are tattooed at birth here. Each number is unique to an area. The code is simple, but if it isn't authenticated by the other end you are done for."

"We can't fake those," Lister said, "We're lucky they didn't check us for those numbers before they locked us up."

"What do those numbers look like on lighter skinned people?" Pirotase asked him.

"They use black on white," Shabaru said, "They can be faked for a short time on your skin by using the deep black ink that they use for ledgers here."

"Doesn't help us here," Lister said, "We're stuck in the cell. I mean if we could... Well..."

"What are you thinking?" Pirotase asked him, "You have that look in your eye..."

"It would be a little work," Lister said, "And you would have to help, Shabaru."

"I will do what I can," Shabaru said, "I have nothing left to lose."

"They don't expect much from us," Lister said, "They called us insignificant kids, mainly because the yellow skin makes us look younger to them. Think they'll bother with a guard contingent for us?"

"He rarely bothers with one for me," Shabaru told them, "I've been here three days. I'm not a priority. They'll send me with the next guard contingent transferred to Bolantinople."

"You said this room is soundproof," Lister said, "How about the rest of this building?"

"Not soundproof," Shabaru said, "But lightly populated. This is a building most Bolantine Subjects never wish to enter. Even the guards are housed in a separate facility."

"Then maybe we'll get lucky and get the guy alone," Lister said, "Kill him and get out."

"You'll never get away," Shabaru said, "One may make it, but three..."

"Only one will go," Lister smiled, "You, Shabaru."

"What?" Pirotase said, "That makes no sense!"

"To me either sir," Shabaru said, "Why me?"

"To cover us," Lister said, "We're two kids that lost their papers. They'll find our papers on the corpse. You're a criminal that is running for your life. That means we're covered for the rest of our investigation and you get a running shot at freedom."

"This is insane," Pirotase said, "How can we do it?"

"I think it is insane," Shabaru said, "But if you can pull it off, I will do my part."

"He got caught last time," Pirotase reminded Lister, "What makes you think he can do it this time?"

"He can take the power cycle," Lister said, "They won't be expecting it. He can be out of the area in an hour and over the border into the Mavelans in less than 24."

"And he can use the cash that is useless to us," Pirotase said, "What you hid with the cycles?"

"Bingo," Lister grinned, "If we go back into the Mavelans it will be on a speed trip to make it back to Mullinix."

"How do we get him to open the cage?" Pirotase asked him, "I mean he won't be that solicitous..."

"Use your charms," Lister grinned, "Just enough to distract him."

"I can do that," Pirotase smiled, "So long as I can use them on you later?"

"I'm all for that," Lister agreed, "For now I'm going to lie down. Shabaru, take it easy and let Pirotase and I do the work."

Shabaru nodded and retreated into the corner of his cell. Lister reclined in the cell and caught a short nap while Pirotase paced. It took several hours and sundown before the tired Captain remembered the two troublemaking kids and walked into the room.

"Wake up," the captain growled, "It's been a long enough day. Now I have to deal with you two."

"He'll wake up soon," Pirotase said helpfully, "He can sleep through anything."

"If he doesn't wake up soon he won't wake up at all," the captain grunted, "I don't want to take too long with this. Show me your numbers and I'll go start the identification transfer."

"Sure," Pirotase said, "But how can you read it in this light?"

"Just get over here," the captain said, "I'm too tired for this..."

Pirotase then did something she hadn't done in a long time. She remembered the ways of the streets and started using her feminine charms on him. She slid her shirt back and waved him inside. It worked eventually and he unlocked the door. Lister, not actually asleep but listening for the cue, waited for the door to open.

"You don't have a number, do you?" the captain asked, "That's the only reason you kids play up to me... Well... This time you're going to get more than you bargained for..."

Lister didn't like the sound of that. He opened one eye and saw the captain withdraw his knife and open the door. Pirotase took a step back as she had seen that look in the eyes of a man before. The last time she'd seen that look the girl that went with him died.

The captain lifted the knife just as Lister let off a kick to his balls. The captain reared back and tried to go for the door of the cell, but Pirotase was faster, using her body to increase his backwards velocity.

Lister got up did a low crouching tackle on the captain, slamming his body against Shabaru's cell. The captain grunted, but didn't go down. The only indication of pain was a grunt and the clatter of the knife on the concrete floor. He knew he was outnumbered and that he had made a mistake, but he also knew that if he could get out of the cellblock he would be able to survive it.

"Don't let him go out the door!" Shabaru yelled.

Pirotase didn't need to be told twice. She scurried over and scooped up the knife, earning a nice kick in the chest for her effort. Lister let off a solid punch to the captain's left kidney and pulled him down on the floor. Pirotase kicked the captain in the ribs a couple times as she tried to start breathing properly again.

"Pull him this way!" Shabaru exclaimed, "You want him to bleed near my cell, not yours!"

Lister didn't pull his punches as he dragged the unwilling captain over near Shabaru's cell. The captain tried to fight some more, but the constant stream of blows from Lister's right hand into his stomach stopped most of it.

"Finish him, Tassy!" Lister grumbled, "I'm barely holding him."

Pirotase went over and used the captain's own knife to slit his throat. She dodged the arterial spray as best she could as the captain collapsed and died on the floor. Lister and Pirotase looked at each other as she dropped the knife.

"What now?" Pirotase asked, "I mean... How do we cover this up?"

"Let him bleed," Lister said as he unlocked the cage, "Give the knife to Shabaru. Shabaru, obliterate her prints and drop the knife on the floor by the body."

"Right," Shabaru nodded and did as he was told, "The office is in the back. There's a door in the back."

Pirotase took the keys and unlocked the door to the office, looking inside to make sure that it was indeed empty. She and Lister walked in, looking around at the meager bit of luxury afforded to the local captains.

"At least he has his own bathroom," Lister said, "Clean up, Tassy."

"Won't they think this looks suspicious?" Pirotase wondered, "I mean we can't clean it that well..."

"We don't have to," Lister said, "They'll be looking for Shabaru. If we were part of it, we would have left with him."

"Right," Pirotase said, "All right."

They cleaned themselves up and then took some of the cleaning implements and washed up any blood that had sprayed onto their cell when the first fight had broken out. There was no room or tolerance for error. They had to make a believable crime scene and make it look like Shabaru was the killer.

"So far so good," Lister said, "Now we just need to find the papers and the books."

"They'll be in the office," Shabaru said, "They're called the red books because of their binders. It will have listings of everyone who has been brought in and what their status was. Many of them never left this building alive."

"Let's find it," Lister said, "Do you know the codes they use?"

"Yes," Shabaru nodded, "I helped them with the translation when they were making a station in my former town."

"I hope you can read these," Pirotase said as she looked inside, "It's just as bad to me as the Mavelan script was to you."

"Some," Lister said, "They use a different script than the Mullinix do."

"You two are already in here," Shabaru said, looking at the book, "He entered you, but hadn't done the resolution as he hadn't checked for nonexistent tattoos."

"Can they tell if we forge it?" Lister asked, "Or what?"

"No," Shabaru said, "The numbers are absurdly easy to check. Bolantine knew his minions were not the sharpest tacks in the pile. What he does is match the numbers in the positions to the regions. He chooses the region volume and finds your registry. The hard part is finding it without numbers to work from, unless you're familiar with the registry. There's no index for that purpose."

"I take it you know it?" Lister asked him, thanking his luck.

"Yes," Shabaru grinned, "Here are two people around your age from just south of the Mavelan border. We put those numbers on you and you're good as gold, so long as you keep your new papers."

"Then let's do it," Lister said, "How do we do the numbers?"

"With the pen," Shabaru said, "This will darken it. The hard part is making it look right. Give me a minute."

Shabaru put the numbers on Lister's arm and it looked like a black version of the ones on his own black arm. Pirotase's went on just as easily and they were both legit sets of numbers.

"Ok," Lister said, "Now write down a second set of matching numbers for us, preferably something just barely off what we have now. Can you make the papers for that one?"

"Yes," Shabaru said, "Why?"

"I don't expect this to hold," Lister explained, "I'd be surprised if it lasts longer than it takes for us to walk out the door."

"So you want a backup," Shabaru nodded, "Give me a couple minutes."

Lister nodded and spent some time searching the captain's office. Most of what he found was useless to him, except the wad of Bolantine currency that he found in the bottom drawer. It looked like an awful lot of cash for a simple captain to have unless there was skyrocketing inflation that he didn't know about.

"Where did he get the money?" Pirotase wondered, "Think he was scamming?"

"It is a time honored practice here," Shabaru said as he worked on the phony documents, "Captains take money from people. They use it as a retirement fund."

"What do their bosses think of that?" Lister asked him, wondering how corrupt the Bolantine system was.

"Depends on the case," Shabaru shrugged, "I wouldn't make a habit of it."

"So how do we hide these new identities?" Pirotase said, "You know damn well they will search us."

"Shabaru can take them outside and hide them," Lister said, "In the bushes right next to the inn. You take half the money and leave the rest of it with the identities."

"Sure," Shabaru nodded, "I can drop them on my way out."

"So how far do we take it?" Pirotase asked, "You know this area best, Shabaru?"

"Let them discover you in there," Shabaru said, "Someone will realize eventually that he's not there and check in the cages. Then, they'll authenticate you and find the papers on the dead captain. They'll depose you and let you go. There will be no trial if they catch me."

"Be careful," Lister told him, "The power cycles are just north of town in a wooded hollow. Take everything that you need and destroy the rest. Northeast will get you into the Mavelans. Once you make it past that border you can head north and get either to Mullinix or Sotanberg."

"May the gods be with you," Shabaru said, "You are giving me a chance at life."

"If you make it to Mullinix," Lister told him, "Go to the palace and let them know that Lister Black sent you. Explain your story to them and they will help you. Let them know what you know about the Bolantine Empire. They need this information."

"I may do that," Shabaru said, "Now we need to get this moving. The shifts may change at any time and I need to get to that power cycle before it happens."

"Good luck, Shabaru," Pirotase said, "Hopefully we'll see you in Mullinix."

"Don't look too shocked," Shabaru warned, "They'll know you're foreigners then."

"Why?" Lister asked.

"Bolantines are brought up with death," Shabaru said, "The immortal one has the power over them. They all live according to his will and they know it. Public executions are common and no one is excused from them. No Bolantine citizen would be shocked at a brutal murder of a stranger. They would simply report it to the nearest guard with a straight face."

"We'll keep that in mind while we get our story straight," Lister said, "Now get moving."

Shabaru nodded and locked them back into their cell. He walked out the door and slipped into the evening air. Lister and Pirotase sat together in their cell and looked at the body laying on the floor in his own congealing blood.

"So we wait," Pirotase sighed, "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," Lister said, "But it's our best chance."

"I hope you're right," Pirotase said, "Because it's our asses if you aren't."

Lister smiled and wrapped an arm around her. They sat together and watched the blood congeal as they waited for someone, anyone, to come in and find them.

Chapter 51 - Listening

Marina walked around the courtyard outside the palace. Roland was in with members of the council of nobles and it infuriated her not to be included in that. She was going through the new skills that Nikki had taught her. She also listened to the men walking around talking Sotan. They all knew that she did not speak the language so she was roundly ignored other than a polite nod.

None of them knew of the comprehension skills that Nikki had pushed into her head, however. She listened to their conversations and had Roland been smart enough to use her that way she would have been able to make his negotiations much easier. Alas, he had no idea and she knew a number of things she should not have.

She walked around some more and took stock of what she knew from the days of these walks. The council of nobles was divided pretty evenly on this one. Most of the nobles from the southern regions, especially the ones who had seen Bolantine's armies were for it. Most of the northern regions wanted nothing to do with it. They thought it was unnecessary.

Marina sat down and watched two very intent looking men. They were both older and wearing the livery of their respective houses. It amused Marina to watch men like this, as the nobility class was something that Mullinix's social structure had managed to avoid. She decided to listen to them for a while because they were having the liveliest debate.

"This is madness," Scallon de Lyon said, "We do not need to ally ourselves with the Mullinix."

"The Mullinix are stable," Mann der Solter said reasonably, "They've never made any attempts to expand their borders, nor have they ever contested us on what was ours. We've been trading partners for nearly a millennium. There are new threats out there that we both have to fear."

"So we should trust our security to them?" Scallon scowled, "We do not need them!"

"We won't be beholden to them," Mann said, "But their armies are good and if Bolantine invades again, we may need the help. We are still licking our wounds from the last time down south."

"So we need more troops!" Scallon exclaimed, "Not another nation!"

"We need both," Mann said, "The Bolantines control the entire southern coast now. Their flag flies from the ports of Genesis all the way to the sands of Damascas. Even that lunatic Facie is starting to mass his forces down there. If the Bolantines take over even half of the Mavelans, they become a bigger threat to us."

"So why are the Mullinix worried?" Scallon said, "Bolantine doesn't threaten them yet."

"Their leader is a pragmatist," Mann shrugged, "He may be young, but he's smart. He's also not power hungry. He could have punished Facie and his armies severely for their invasion ten years ago. He chose to take only the high ground that Facie had been using to rain destruction on them for years."

"We've never done anything like this before," Scallon grumbled, "I don't like it."

"Change comes hard," Mann said, "But this is the right thing to do. My vote will be going with Prince Harmon and the alliance."

"I'm not convinced yet," Scallon said, "I will think about what you said. I shouldn't be surprised about you. You've been on Harmon's side for years."

"He makes sense," Mann told him, "He's also known the leaders over there for decades. They are so stable that it should make us sick."

"We'll talk later," Scallon told him, "I'll think about it. I promise nothing else."

Marina grumbled as she watched them break apart. Most of the conversations she was hearing were going along these lines. It was good news for Roland, but she didn't consider that a good thing anymore. She thought of Nikki and pushed a little, hoping that Nikki would be able to hear her. No luck, however, as Nikki was in listening to Roland's conversations, having found that she was having better luck than Marina was.

Marina was annoyed at the fact that she was feeling so useless. She followed the backer of the treaty and decided that she would put some of her new found skills to work. She stuck to the shadows, following Mann der Solter as he made his way back towards the council building.

The palace was by definition a safe area, so the individual council members generally dispensed with personal guards when inside the grounds. This lax security worked for Marina's purposes, as she could go unnoticed by the older man who was not used to worrying about his physical security.

She had pretty well memorized the layout of the palace area since she had been there and knew that this stairwell would be empty. She briefly wondered if she had it in her to take a life as Nikki had suggested would have to be done. She decided that she would try it in a way that she'd have an exit if she couldn't do it.

Marina watched from the shadows as Mann der Solter walked into the stairwell. She knew her chance would not be better so she rushed to the stairwell and before Mann der Solter had a chance to realize what was happening she had let off a solid kick to the back of his left knee.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed as he lost his balance.

Marina used the momentum to her advantage and pulled him backwards. Mann der Solter tried to break his own fall, but Marina's extra pull forced his back to smash on the bottom stair and the floor, effectively paralyzing him but not killing him. Mann der Solter's body was convulsing, but he managed to get out a garbled "why".

"Because I can," Marina said in Mullinix with an evil smile, "That's why."

Mann der Solter didn't comprehend what she said before she raised her foot and stomped down on his neck, breaking it and ending his life. Marina quickly departed the area, stopping to check herself for blood before she made it to a public area. Finding herself clean she made her way slowly to the prince's quarters that she shared with Roland.

The last shreds of her connection to Mullinix had died with Mann der Solter. She had felt real power for the first time, power to take another human being's life. Unlike the revulsion that both Medoferro and Lister Black had felt about it Marina had felt something really different. She found that she actually liked the feeling and could not wait to do it again.

Aside from that she felt something else that she had never felt. She felt the actual desire for sexual intercourse. For her it had never been more than a necessary physical activity, something that brought more joy to her partner than it did to her. Now, she craved it and couldn't wait for it. She eagerly awaited Roland's return. She had a surprise for him...

Chapter 52 - Outside the Palace

Medoferro looked around as they saw the first shadows of the palace. Emaciated people scurried around, surprised at the appearance of well-fed uniformed men. Dirty and tired as they were, the Mullinix delegation was in a lot better shape than the average citizen in the area.

"Look at these people," Medoferro said quietly, "Where the hell are all the food shipments we've sent? The king buys enough food from us to feed everyone in this city."

"The goods are going north," Suvorov said, "My agents say that nothing has come out other than feeding the troops up there."

"Something is very odd about this," Entragian said, "I've got a bad feeling about this."

"Me too," Suvorov agreed, "It's called experience."

"This is new," Simon told them, "I was here ten years ago with Roland. The people were just as fearful, but nowhere near as bad as it is now."

"Ok," Medoferro said, "Jim, Rav... I want both of you in full uniform so they can't see your faces. I'm seeing some ordered power lines coming from the palace."

"I see it too," Entragian nodded, "Someone has pulled some serious power in there."

"I see it a bit too," Simon told them, "This wasn't there when I came last time, though I don't know if it was because I wasn't as good with power use."

"Taliaferro would have known had it been common here," Medoferro said, "His journals made no mention of it, despite several trips here. He had the sight like we do. He made mention of power sites before, and this is big enough that he would have noticed."

"Why do you want us in uniform?" Suvorov wondered, "That won't protect us."

"It will protect me," Jim said, "The metal helmet will make it nearly impossible to see me radiating."

"Exactly," Medoferro said, "They know I'm a power user and that Simon is. They'll figure that I had enhanced you during a fight. It will also make them think you are less important than you are."

"Of course, they could do the usual," Simon told them, "Roland said they usually make you wait a while."

"I doubt it," Suvorov put in, "Medoferro ranks higher than you two did."

"We'll know soon," Jim said, "We can't be far now."

"You nervous?" Simon asked Medoferro.

"Terrified, more like," Medoferro admitted, "This is without a doubt the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life."

"Other than take your job in the first place," Suvorov reminded him.

"I chose to do this," Medoferro said, "The job chose me."

"Either way we're just as screwed," Jim said, "Whatever happens in there, play it cool. We're outnumbered."

They stopped talking because they were starting to pass a number of soldiers. The soldiers were all much better shape than the peasants. Most of them were staring blankly as they followed their circuits. It was an attitude that none of them had ever seen before.

"This is weird," Simon whispered, "Their soldiers weren't like this before."

"I've never seen anything like this either," Suvorov said, "What the hell?"

"I have," Jim said, "But not in centuries."

"What does it mean?" Medoferro asked, "This is not good."

"It means we need to be careful," Jim said, "Until we see more I can't begin to explain it."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Suvorov said, "Your orders, Medo?"

"Keep going," Medoferro said, "We have no choice now that they've seen us."

They walked together in silence until they made it to the front gate of the palace. Two very severe looking soldiers were standing in front of the gate, looking straight forward almost blankly. Only the occasional blink showed life in their eyes.

"Excuse me," Medoferro said to them, "I am Mullinix Medoferro and I have traveled here to see your king."

"You are expected," a dry emotionless voice said, "You may enter."

Medoferro looked over at Simon, who was flabbergasted. The soldiers opened the gate and allowed them to pass. It was definitely different from when Simon had been there before. They walked inside and started heading to the building ahead.

"This is bizarre," Simon said, "Really bizarre. Totally different vibe. The extravagance is gone. It's so somber..."

"Shhh," Medoferro said softly.

They walked up to the building and were met by a young servant who opened the door for them. The young man bowed to them in a sign of respect as they passed into the gilded hall. The lights, however, were dimmed severely, adding to the ominous atmosphere.

"The king is waiting for you," the servant said, "He and his chief aide are waiting in the throne room. Follow me."

None of the Mullinix contingent could speak. The palace was in poor repair, no longer the shining place that had been fabled about. Some serious neglect had set in since any Mullinix citizen had been there last.

They followed the young man into the great hall. The last time Simon had been here the throne was a giant shining golden edifice that was difficult to look at. The king was sitting in it as he had last time, but he looked different from the last time Simon had seen him. His eyes were not focusing cleanly on any of them.

More interesting was the young man sitting on a chair to his side, this one clear eyed and looking at them intently with dark eyes. His blonde hair was tied behind his head, which was healthy and much more in tune with the location than the King's was. He was not large, but he held himself in an aristocratic manner.

None of them expected this man, but Jim Entragian was downright shocked to see him. He was thankful for the helmet that Medoferro had made him wear. He was also glad that the hall had lousy acoustics and that they were far too far away to be heard by the men in the thrones.

"Holy shit," Jim mumbled, "I don't believe it..."

"What?" Suvorov muttered, "What is it?"

"I know what has gone wrong up here," Jim said, "And it's big..."

"What is it?" Medoferro hissed, "I need to know before I talk to the king..."

"The man sitting next to him," Jim said, still unable to believe it, "I don't know how the hell..."

"Spit it out," Simon said, "We're out of time."

"It's Bolantine," Jim said evenly, "His infernal majesty in the flesh..."

Chapter 53 - Cori and Mark

Lister and Pirotase waited for about four hours for someone to show up in the cellblock looking for the missing captain. By this point, they had synchronized their stories completely and hoped that Shabaru made it far away. A young man came in looking a bit bewildered. Lister decided they needed to play the part.

"About time," Lister said, feigning exasperation, "I thought we were going to have to sit with that corpse all night!"

"What happened?" he asked, "How?"

"The black guy in the cell across the way," Lister said, "The captain had just come back from his office and was going to give us our new papers. I don't know exactly what happened, but somehow they started fighting. Next thing we saw was the captain hit the floor and the blood pool start forming."

"That little bastard," the young man said, "Cochrane! We have an escape!"

Lister and Pirotase looked at each other and shook their heads. Their lack of reaction at death seemed to be a common thing in the Bolantine Empire. Shabaru had come through for them on this point. This reaction would be as good as pleading guilty in Mullinix, but in Bolantine death was taken much lighter.

It took nearly twenty more minutes for a group of guards to show up led by someone Lister took to be the equivalent of a Mullinix Colonel. He looked at Lister and Pirotase and then at the body. He grunted and then picked up the knife.

"Shabaru is the inmate's name," the man said, "I told this idiot not to wear that knife in the cellblock, especially when we are housing an inmate that's on his way to certain death in Bolantinople."

Lister and Pirotase said nothing, as this seemed to be the best course of action for them. They hoped to be let out before long; something that looked better as the leader pulled the blood soaked papers out of the dead captain's pocket.

"Cori and Mark Wollens?" he said, looking at the papers, "I take it that you are they?"

"Yes," Lister said, "I'm Mark, this is Cori."

"I'm Mayor Roeder," he said, "This sorry sack of shit," he paused to kick the body, "Was my guard captain, Severens."

"Greetings," Lister said, "All this because we were robbed outside town."

"Figures," Roeder grunted, "Joe, go in Severens' office and make out a new set of papers for these two and get them out of here. Then join everyone else looking for that son of a bitch Shabaru."

"Yes sir," one of the young men said, "May I have the bloody documents so I don't have to look it all up."

"By all means," Roeder said, handing them over, "Get it done quick."

Pirotase was smart enough to remain mute, as her accent would have branded her as a Mavelan national. Her Mullinix was barely passable at the best of times, and this certainly didn't qualify. Lister stayed to the front and made eye contact as everyone else in the room had.

"I suggest you not lollygag around here," Roeder said to them, "Don't lose your papers here again. If someone tries to steal those they had better end up dead. Understand me?"

"Clearly," Lister said, using all his courage not to flinch.

"Good," Roeder said as Joe came back in, "They are in the book, right?"

"Yes sir," Joe nodded, "I checked that. Severens probably made the papers and bought it when he was coming in to release these two."

"Dumb luck," Roeder grunted, "Give them the papers and let them out. Shabaru is from Sotanberg so he'll probably end up heading north."

Lister and Pirotase were surprised that they got out as easily as they did. The guards in the town were in an uproar, however and evidently didn't want to deal with a couple in their jail when the people guarding it could search for Shabaru.

"That was too easy," Pirotase whispered, "Way too easy."

"Let's get the papers and get out of here," Lister said, "Before they change their minds."

Shabaru had put them right where Lister had told him to. They put the second identity in their pants and headed east through town. There were signs for a train station and they decided to check it out.

"What are you thinking?" Pirotase asked him, "We're on foot, aren't we?"

"Let's check train prices," Lister said, "If you can think of a faster way to put some serious miles between us and here, I'm all for it."

"I could deal with some rest that is not in a prison cell," Pirotase said, "Traveling like human beings for a change instead of vagrants? Sign me up!"

"Let's go," Lister said, "I'll race you."

They jogged the mile and a half to the train station. It was a large one, easily the equal to anything they had in Mullinix. The schedule gave listings for Genesis, Bolantinople and Cradam. They knew how much cash they had and it was easily enough for any of the destinations.

"Cradam is west," Pirotase said, "Genesis is Northeast. Bolantinople is the capitol and it is somewhat southeast of here."

"Well," Lister said, "Genesis is going to take us to the border with Sotanberg which from the sounds is guarded heavily from both sides. Cradam is deeper in. Bolantinople is where we will learn the most and is probably a larger city. We'll travel there on the Cori and Mark ID's and do the change when we get to Bolantinople."

"Let's do it," Pirotase nodded, "You do the talking. I can understand well enough but my Mullinix isn't good enough to pass for a native here."

"Very well," Lister said, "Follow me."

It turned out to be a rather simple thing to do. Lister paid for the tickets and they waited until the train was called for boarding. They showed their papers at the window and again as they got onto the train. It wasn't until they sat down and the train started moving that they started to relax.

"Here we go again," Pirotase said, "Why do we do this?"

"The adventure, my dear," Lister grinned while kissing Pirotase on the nose, "Why else?"

Chapter 54 - What Now?

"You are kidding me, right?" Trinaferro exclaimed, "Travis Steele is on the loose again?"

"Looks that way," Taulty sighed, "They found Lawrence's body along side of the road. He had two bolts in the head, probably from his own bolt gun."

"Great," Trinaferro sighed, "Not only is Medoferro roaming around alone in a war zone but the worst serial killer we've had in years is roaming around the countryside. Brilliant! Just... Brilliant!"

"I'm just delivering the news, Ma'am," Taulty said, "I figured you should know."

"Might as well calm down, Trina," Rick Ballfur said from his position on a bench nearby, "Getting angry won't help."

"I'm just sick of feeling helpless," Trinaferro sighed, "That's all. Where was the body found?"

"Just outside Polonion," Taulty said, "Colonel Serim has a full alert going on. His picture from the guard listing is being passed around. They'll find him."

"Probably," Ballfur added, just to get a reaction.

"Funny," Trina said, "Anything else I need to know?"

"One of my men just spotted a large contingent of troops on a controlled march," Ballfur said, "The regulars you were expecting?"

"Probably Hardin and his crew from Cirrus," Trina said, "Ok, there isn't a hell of a lot I can do here so I'm going to go meet Hardin. I also need to figure out where to have them set up camp."

"I'll go talk to the leader of the refugees," Ballfur said, "Better that they hear about Travis' escape from me than through the grapevine."

"Right," Trina nodded, "Ok, Taulty. Let's go see my sister before Hardin shows up. She'll know the best place to house a couple thousand troops."

Trinaferro seethed as she walked down the hill. She was not thrilled with anything that had been happening as of late. Her daily conversations with Insegniferro were not much help, as he was busy dealing with the daily business of government. She almost regretted not staying with him, as session would have at least given her something to do to get her mind off Medo.

"You going to be all right, ma'am?" Taulty asked her.

"Fine," Trina said, "Just not happy right now."

"They'll find Travis," Taulty said, "And Medoferro knows how to take care of himself. He won't be taken easily."

"True," Trina nodded, "That's one thing my man knows is how to take care of himself."

Toria was waiting outside her house for Trina to come down. Her fiancée, Warren, was sitting next to her. Trina couldn't help but smile as she saw them together. She had met Warren for the first time a few days before, but it was obvious how they felt about each other. It was nice to see that someone got to have a normal relationship.

"You don't look happy, sis," Toria said, "Something wrong?"

"Travis escaped," Trina said, sitting on another chair nearby, "No word from Medo either."

"Sounds like you've had a fun night," Toria said, "Mine has been a bit better. One of those kids that came back from the fight is going to make it. It was touch and go for a bit, but I think we pulled him through."

"Gotta love her spirit," Warren grinned, "Though you need to take care of yourself a bit better. You're already showing. You will need to slow down soon."

"I'd just about let myself forget about that," Trina chuckled, "How far along are you?"

"I'm running towards three months," Toria said, "Who would have thought it at my age?"

"You aren't that old," Trina said, "You're going to make me feel like an old maid."

"You have Medo," Toria reminded her, "And what you do is vitally important."

"I still want the family thing," Trina sighed, "We're going to do it too."

"Good," Toria said, "What is Iggy going to say about that?"

"We figure we'll tell him when I'm pregnant," Trina told her, "That way he can't do anything about it but watch."

"Nice," Warren laughed, "My old man would have a bit to say about that."

"Why's that?" Toria asked him, "He seemed nice enough to me."

"He's a bit on the religious side still," Warren explained, "He grew up in Serenik and still believes in some of it. He doesn't approve of kids without marriage."

"I'd marry him if I could," Trina sighed, "But that's forbidden for us because of our position."

"At least you are equals," Toria said, "There is a lot to be said for just that."

"That's true," Trina agreed, "Much as I would like a traditional ceremony, I am happy just to have him."

"So what else is going on?" Toria said, "And has Colonel Ballfur let the refugees know that Travis is on the loose?"

"He went to do that while I came down here," Trina said, "Tom Hardin is nearing the area with about 1500 Mullinix Regulars. Another five hundred to a thousand are due from the academy in a few days."

"Whoa," Warren said, "Where do you intend to put all those people?"

"That's why I'm here," Trina grinned, "Since your future wife is the closest thing to a long term leader that Massimaferro Village has. I was hoping you might have an idea on where I could put them."

"Sure," Toria said, "I thought you were going to ask something hard. About a mile north of town there is a rolling field. It is a straight march to the border and near the river. Should be plenty of room for the troops to set up camp."

"Who owns that now?" Trina wondered, "I've been too far removed from local politics."

"It was supposed to be parceled out in land grants," Toria said, "Travis never got around to it though, so it's mainly been used for herding. Even that has somewhat stopped as things have gotten bad on the other side of the border."

"Good," Trina said, "Thanks for an easy answer. I needed one of those."

"When you finish with Hardin come on down and have dinner with us," Warren said, "You look as though you could use some friendly people around."

"I may do that," Trina said, "Thanks. I'd better go talk to Hardin, though."

Warren nodded and wrapped his arm around Toria as Trinaferro walked away from them. Trinaferro was happy for her sister, but knew that real happiness would have to wait until Medoferro returned from that idiotic trip into Siraq. She just hoped that he would live long enough to come back and share a family with her.

She put the thoughts aside as she met Tom Hardin, looking like his usual rumpled self as he rode a horse sidesaddle, trying to get comfortable riding one of those beasts. It was something he never enjoyed doing and only did to fit in everyone's image of a General.

"Greetings, Mullinix," Hardin said as he managed a bow, "I didn't expect to be met by you personally."

"I'm the authority out here right now," Trinaferro explained, "Let's get your men directed on where to pitch camp and then we will talk about why you are here."

"Sounds good to me," Hardin said as he jumped off the horse and turned to a young man walking nearby, "Eddie, go ahead and take this awful beast. Where are we going, Mullinix?"

"There is a former grazing ground a bit north of the town," Trinaferro said, "It's been mostly unused because of fears of what's going on over the border. Nothing has happened there, but since the rotten failure of the last Guard leader to do the parceling out he was supposed to it has sat unused."

"Sounds good enough," Hardin said, "I'll go check it out with my men and meet you in town."

"I'll follow along," Trina said, "We need to talk anyway."

"Sure," Hardin said, "Let's move on up ahead so we can talk without so many ears listening."

"Fair enough," Trinaferro said, "Just have your men follow us so we can lead them to the right place."

Hardin did so and they began walking. The soldiers slowed their pace slightly so Hardin and Trinaferro could pull a good fifty yards ahead of them. Hardin looked back and nodded, his people starting to pull a normal pace after that.

"So why are we here?" Tom Hardin asked Trinaferro, "That was a quick order for movement."

"Medoferro is on the other side of the border," Trinaferro explained, "You have heard of the problems over there?"

"You think it's getting ready to spill over, don't you?" Hardin asked her.

"Yes," Trina said simply, "Something is very wrong over there and Medo is trying to find out what. So they went to the Palace."

"That takes a certain type of guts," Hardin chuckled, "A bit of insanity too."

"He has plenty of both," Trina agreed, "If he doesn't come back or get credible word to us in three weeks we enter in force. His instructions were to bring order to the south and find him. If that requires fighting a full out war to do it, then we do it."

"I hope you don't mean to fight a war with just 1500 of us," Hardin said, "You're talking about a lot of land."

"No," Trina said, "I don't intend to fight a war at all. If we go in we will be concentrating on the capitol. I'll give the word to Art Talgal to let the known rebel sympathizers the word to fight them all out."

"So we'll do a head strike while the rebels keep the rest of the army busy," Hardin said, "Sound plan I guess. I hope this is just contingency planning."

"So do I," Trinaferro said, "This is a last resort. Nothing more."

"1500 is still a bit on the light side," Hardin said, "If I'd known this I would have pulled another thousand from Cholt's troop."

"We're pouring the combined classes of the three military schools into your group," Trina told him, "Just like we did ten years ago in the Cirrus mess."

"That will work," Cholt agreed, "When do we get them?"

"The first group should be here in the next two or three days. They should come in groups after that," Trina informed him, "We figured it would be easier to work them in a few at a time."

"Yep," Hardin agreed, "I'll talk to my squad commanders on that tonight."

"I just hope that we don't have to go into that God forsaken land," Trinaferro said, "I still think Medo needs to have his head examined for doing it."

"You won't be going with me," Hardin said, "No offense, ma'am, but it is bad enough to have one Mullinix in danger. We will operate more efficiently with you either staying here or going back to the palace. I won't have to waste a squad just protecting you that way."

"Of course," Trina sighed, "You're right. I'm getting ahead of myself anyway."

"Let's hope so," Hardin said, "But I will train my boys as if you're not. That way we have the edge. Do you have anyone that has spent a long time on the Siraqi side?"

"Yes," Trina said, "There are many refugees in town, all of whom hate the King over there. I'll have Colonel Ballfur arrange interviews with your intelligence men."

"We will not be providing town security will we?" Hardin asked, "Do I need to worry about the village?"

"Unless we come under direct attack, no," Trinaferro said, "We just installed a full colonel up here and we should have him fully staffed soon. If we have an emergency we may call upon some of your boys temporarily, but barring invasion you should be able to train."

"Good," Hardin said, "War preparation beats the hell out of general security any day."

"So you say," Trinaferro said, "This is where I turn off. Keep following this road until you see the river. That's where you can set camp. The town is down this road about four hundred yards."

"Be safe, Mullinix," Hardin said, "And don't worry. My boys will be prepared if we have to go in and get him. A lot of these boys served under me in the Cirrus battle ten years ago and remember what Medoferro did for them. I tell them that we are looking for him they will find him no matter what rock that bastard in Siraq hides him under. Count on it."

"I am," Trinaferro said, "Thank you, General Hardin."

She smiled a bit as she walked back towards the town, followed closely by Taulty. Tom Hardin shook his head and went to his men. He had known there would be problems, but he was not expecting a mission like this. He just hoped that he could make good on his promise. Medoferro meant as much to him as he did to the rest of the troops. Good commanders in chief were hard to find. Hardin just hoped that Trina would not wait too long.

Chapter 55 - Endicott

Medoferro took nearly a full minute to recover from that little bit of information. It explained so much about what was going on. He was also torn between going to meet the king and running out and heading straight to Mullinix to begin the invasion.

"We have to go on," Simon said, "We're goners for sure if we run."

"Bolantine has no reason to think you'd recognize him," Entragian said, "As long as I stay in this helmet he won't recognize me either. Play dumb."

"Not hard," Medoferro mumbled, "Let's do it and hope for the best. If nothing else maybe we'll learn why he's here."

The four of them walked to the front of the room in formation. It was not something they usually did, but they rightly guessed that neither the Siraqi King nor Bolantine himself would know that it was out of place for them. The Siraqi king had never received a Mullinix in his own palace, having done the last negotiations in a cottage near Massimaferro village.

The King himself was a bit of a surprise. He had been large the last time Simon had seen him, but he looked as though he weighed a good quarter of a ton by this point. His girth was exceeded only by his ego, something that was apparent right from the first.

"Mullinix Medoferro!" the king exclaimed, making an exaggerated motion but not standing up, "Welcome to my Palace! I don't believe we had the chance to meet before!"

"I was tied up with the Cirrus invasion during the last negotiation," Medoferro said, "Insegniferro handled it due to the fact he had more experience with it."

"I was saddened to hear of Massimaferro's death," the king said, "He died far too young."

"That he did," Medoferro said, and decided to change the subject, "I'd like to introduce my personal representative, Simon Sutcliffe."

"Nice to meet you, Simon," the king nodded, raising his left hand in a salute, "My advisor here will be joining us for the meetings as well. Go ahead and introduce yourself, Endicott."

"Greetings," Bolantine said, nodding at Medoferro and Simon, "I am Lord Endicott, lead advisor to the king. It is a pleasure to meet an esteemed personage such as yourself."

"Endicott?" Suvorov mouthed to himself.

Bolantine looked at the men in the room, shifting a little bit. He didn't look anything like what Medoferro expected. He was only moderately tall with a thick mane of blonde hair. His eyes looked alert and experienced but did not have the evil twinge that any of the Mullinix crew expected. He looked every bit the part of a Siraqi advisor, right down to the livery of a Siraqi noble house.

"The palace looks a bit different," Simon said, fishing for a response, "I was with Roland when he set up the meeting ten years ago. It was a lot shinier then."

"A lot has happened in the past few years," the king said, waving it off emphatically with his left hand, "Right Endicott?"

"That is certainly true," Bolantine said, "We've made some changes to try to bring people to the side of law and order."

"Right," Medoferro said, "That is part of why we wanted to make the trip."

"This can wait until later," the king said, as if deliberately avoiding the subject, "You've been traveling for a while and you must be hungry. I think we should start the discussions lightly over dinner, don't you Endicott?"

A smell permeated the room and a telltale wet spot began forming on the King's leg. The Mullinix group wisely ignored it, but looked at each other and realized that it was not a good sign when a king could not control his bodily functions during a simple meeting.

"I think that would be wise," Bolantine nodded, noticing the smell himself, "Give the Mullinix a chance to relax from his grueling journey."

"That being said would you care to join us for a royal dinner?" the king asked him, "We heard you were coming and shall have a feast!"

"Yes," Medoferro said, "That would be fine."

"Very well," the king said, "Endicott... Would you see to their comfort?"

"Of course," Bolantine said, "Right away."

Bolantine led them to a grand guest room. It was nowhere near as grand as it was, with much of the old artwork and gold removed, but it was good enough. Medoferro and Simon made small talk for a few minutes while Suvorov and Entragian made sure that the room was clean and that they could not be overheard easily.

"What the hell is going on here?" Simon asked quietly, "I mean this isn't really happening, is it?"

"Jim," Medoferro said, "Are you sure that this Endicott is Bolantine?"

"Bolantine's birth name was Endicott Bolantine III," Jim explained, "Didn't you see the power radiating from him?"

"I did notice that," Medoferro agreed, "Did you notice that the king was not altogether there?"

"He was like that last time," Simon said, "I mean the kings up here have never been particularly stable."

"It's more than that," Suvorov said, "I don't have power sight, but I know people enough to know something is wrong. Kings do not wet their pants in public normally."

"I think he had a stroke," Jim said, "Did you notice how his motions were all left handed? The bowel problems would come with it."

"What's a stroke?" Medoferro asked, "I've never heard that used as a medico term before?"

"You call it a brain seizure," Jim said, "Sorry, Stroke was what it was called in Pre-cataclysmic times. Essentially a blood vessel went bad in his brain, killing part of it. It usually results in partial paralysis and sometimes in dementia."

"He had an excuse for one," Simon said, "I mean look at his size. He was big before, but good gods he must weigh at least three hundred Kilos now!"

"At least," Jim agreed, "The King thinks he is in control but Bolantine is the power now."

"How did he do it?" Medoferro wondered, "I mean it is like he subverted the whole government."

"He probably spent years moving up the ladder," Jim said, "Being immortal gives him the capacity for great patience. He can spend years building up a persona just for a small operation."

"So if he is here, who is running his Empire?" Simon asked, "I mean if he's what we're worried about down south how can he have time to be here and there?"

"The Bolantine Empire largely runs itself," Jim explained, "He has built a cult of personality. Unlike most of that type of cult, however, there won't be a death to end it. Therefore, he probably puts in a few appearances a year to put the fear of Bolantine into his top people. The rest of the time he can do jobs like this."

"A self-propagating empire," Medoferro said, "With stability that makes us look like amateurs."

"You have one major advantage," Jim said, "You are human and still think that way. His people don't have that advantage anymore. Bolantine has likely beaten the humanity out of his population."

"So what do we do?" Simon wondered, "I mean we found out what we came for."

"Not all of it," Medoferro said, "We now know one of the things... Why Siraq went to hell in just a few years."

"Yeah," Simon said, "Bolantine."

"Don't forget the quakes," Jim said, "I have a feeling that I know what caused them now."

"What?" Medoferro asked.

"Bolantine has probably found another pre-cataclysmic bomb repository," Jim told them, "He found one about a thousand years ago or so. He never was good on the science. He didn't figure out what it was that caused the bomb to go off."

"And you know?" Simon asked him.

"Sure," Jim said, "The same magnetic field that gives you and me power use abilities. Pre-cataclysmic technology cannot survive up here. It will either simply not work or cause detonation."

"So maybe Bolantine found it and screwed up again?" Suvorov said, "But in that case, why is he still here?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Medoferro said, "Well, the only way to find out is to play the game for a while."

"Dinner should be interesting," Suvorov said, "Though I worry about poison."

"Is Bolantine that stupid?" Medoferro asked, "That's just asking for an invasion."

"No," Jim said, "I don't think so."

"He's probably got another motive for being up here," Simon said, "It doesn't figure that he's just out for the bomb."

"True," Jim said, "And the only way we will find out is to have dinner with them."

"Ok," Medoferro said, "I suggest we rest a bit while we can."

"I second that," Suvorov said, "We're all tired. More speculation won't help that."

"Works for me," Simon said, "Jim?"

"I'm going to work on changing my features a bit," Jim said, "Be sure to warn me if someone comes in. The work is going to be bloody."

"Need help?" Medoferro asked him.

"I doubt you have the stomach for it," Jim grinned, "I'll be slicing myself open like a holiday turkey. Best if I do it alone."

"I hope you heal quick," Suvorov said, "It could be less than an hour."

"I heal immediately," Entragian reminded them, "Perk of being immortal."

With that he disappeared into the bathroom with a wink and a combat knife. Medoferro shuddered and let himself lay down on the bed. Simon and Suvorov played cards to relieve the tension. They knew they were in a den of wolves and they had just come upon the pack leader.

Chapter 56 - The Dead Don't Talk

Marina had made it back to her room by the time the uproar from the murdered council member started. Nikki knew as soon as she heard about the death that it had been Marina. Part of her was proud of the young woman, but the more rational part was annoyed at the blatant breach of plan.

Nikki walked up to the Prince's quarters to listen to what was going on in there. She was good at making herself nearly invisible, so she waited outside to hear what Harmon and Roland would say in reaction. Marina was there as well, but they ignored her in the exchange.

"What the hell is happening here?" Roland asked the prince, "Der Solter was one of the biggest proponents of the alliance. How could an assassin have made it through your security?"

"I'd like to know that myself," Prince Harmon assured him, "No one has been let into the building since the conferences started."

"Think Bolantine has agents this far north?" Roland wondered.

"Probably," Harmon agreed, "I don't know if they did themselves any favors though."

"Fear is a good motivator," Roland agreed, "Maybe it will make our life easier convincing the rest of them."

"Unless someone tries to blame you two," Harmon said, "Luckily you were with me so they can't stick it on you."

"Where were you, Marina?" Roland asked, "About an hour ago?"

"Reading language and listening," Marina said, "Outside."

"She wouldn't be suspected anyway," Harmon said, making a big mistake, "Mann der Solter was a large man. Marina is too frail to take him on bare handed."

"I prefer my fights at a distance, thanks," Marina said, inwardly glowing at knowing she got away with it, "They taught me with a bolt gun, not with a knife."

Marina said that to deflect suspicion away from herself. Nikki was impressed with that, as she had heard the true way der Solter had died from a Sotan Inspector that was working on the case.

"His neck was broken," Harmon said, thereby completing Marina's exoneration, "No knife."

"I can't believe this," Roland said, "I swear these bring out the worst in a people."

"They usually do," Harmon said, "I will go to the palace to find out if there is anything new."

"I should probably go to pay respect to the widow," Roland said, "You going to be ok here alone for a bit, Marina?"

"Sure," she nodded, "Probably safer than you will be there."

"Stay in here for tonight," Roland said, "Just in case there is still an assassin out there. I don't need to lose you too."

"Right," Marina said, "No problem."

Marina watched as the two men walked away from the building and hoped that Nikki was nearby. She was feeling pretty good with herself, which was not the feeling she expected to have after killing someone. It was a power she'd never felt before, one that she found enticing.

"Nice dodging," Nikki said as she slipped inside, "Why did you kill him?"

"He was a treaty proponent," Marina shrugged, "I wanted to see if I could go through with it before I had to burn any bridges."

"Sensible," Nikki said, "But you should have chosen the other one. They'll blame this on the Bolantine government."

"Let them look," Marina smiled, "I was going more for making sure they didn't blame me. Political motives were secondary."

"True," Nikki agreed, "You are turning into a sensible girl. You are just lucky that the dead don't talk."

"I try," Marina said, "So what is the next step?"

"Keep low for a bit," Nikki said, "This council is a slow one. Let them come to a decision. If it is against the alliance then we slink away into the night."

"I like the sound of that," Marina smiled, "I get to go with you, right?"

"Certainly," Nikki said, actually meaning it this time, "Your skills are too rare and too valuable to lose to the Mullinix, who don't know how to use them."

Nikki knew now that she had a genuine psychopathic personality on her hands. People like that were very useful in that they were willing to take on missions that even the bravest of generals would not even contemplate. The Bolantines had spent centuries grooming their people for cold conquest, but most of them retained a smattering of scruples.

"I have plans for you," Nikki told her new protégé, "Big plans. No matter which way this goes, you will join me in Bolantine."

"I can live with that," Marina said, "Especially if it means I get to be more than a servant girl."

"That I can promise you," Nikki smiled, "No more servant girl for you. It will be you that commands the servants..."

Chapter 57 - Bolantinople

"Would you look at that," Lister said, referring to a monster building that towered over the Bolantinople skyline, "That has to be at least ninety stories tall."

"I've never seen anything that tall," Pirotase said as they walked down the street, "How does it stand up?"

"No idea," Lister said, "But it's a sight to see. Too bad they can't put all their efforts into stuff like that instead of world domination."

"Why are people looking at us?" Pirotase asked, "I mean we aren't that different, are we?"

"Not in height," Lister said, "But our clothes are shabby compared to theirs."

"Let's find a store," Pirotase suggested, "Anything to get ourselves less conspicuous."

"Good idea," Lister agreed, "Looks like the shops are down the street here."

They walked down the well-kept street and found the first clothing store that appeared to be open. They walked in and caught the eyes of several clerks. Obviously, they were not the type of customers that the shop was used to.

"Can I help you?" one clerk asked in a snooty voice.

"Yes," Lister said, looking at the prices and making a mental inventory of their cash, "We'd like to purchase some new clothes."

"Well you could certainly use them," the clerk said, "But can you afford our prices?"

"We aren't what we seem," Lister said, pulling out a little cash, "We've been traveling too long. We require some new clothes... Let's say four good outfits each. Tailored to fit, of course."

"Of course," the clerk said, his demeanor changing a bit, "I think we can accommodate you, Mr..."

"Carmody," Lister lied, using the name on their current identification, "Joe will do. Let's get us fitted, shall we?"

They went through several stylistic choices, letting the clerks have their say as they knew Bolantine fashion much better than Lister or Pirotase did. Pirotase had not had any clothes bought for her in years, not since Lister had bought her a few outfits five years earlier.

"Beautiful," Lister said as he saw Pirotase come out in a dress, "That is a definite winner."

"You like it?" Pirotase asked him, "Really?"

"Yes," Lister told her, smiling as he did so, "Let's get that one."

Two hours later they had spent a good portion of their money and left with several bags of clothing. At another nearby store, Lister purchased a couple suitcases and they packed the clothing in them. It was late afternoon when they had finished shopping and found a reasonably nice hotel to stay in.

"Isn't this dangerous?" Pirotase asked him quietly, "I mean..."

"Shhh," Lister said, "We hit it lucky with the money. Let's enjoy it for a bit. The identity should be safe for a few days unless they catch Shabaru, and even then they'll have to figure out where we went."

"True," Pirotase said, "So what now?"

"Dinner," Lister said, "Let's find out how people eat around here. We're here to learn what we can about this culture. Food is a big part of it."

Pirotase smiled and was glad to hear that. She had been hungry for a while, but was worried about what they were going to do in the place. They were in the heart of enemy territory and she was afraid to do anything. For all the things she had done against her own government she had always been in home turf. Bolantine was an alien land, something she had never even heard of before.

"So where do we eat?" Pirotase asked him, "I'm clueless here."

"The hotel has a restaurant," Lister said, "Let's go get some food and see if they know how to cook in this country."

"Should I change first?" Pirotase asked him, "I mean we have nice new clothes and all..."

"Yeah," Lister said, "We both probably should."

After the previous days they had no need for modesty, so they changed in front of each other. Lister smiled as he watched Pirotase change. He always knew that he cared about her deeply, but before Talia had left he could never let himself admit it.

"Why are you watching me?" Pirotase asked him.

"Because I like watching you," Lister said honestly, "It feels good to admit what I always felt, and I've always enjoyed watching you."

"Really?" Pirotase said, smiling herself, "Why me?"

"Just something about you," Lister said, "Do I really need a reason?"

"No," she said and went over to him, "No reason needed."

She slid onto his lap and kissed him deeply. She still remembered how he had left before, but she could feel how much he regretted it. Although she had tried to hate him while he was gone, she had never quite managed to do it. Some feelings can live through most anything. Love is one of them.

"So should we have a bit of fun before dinner?" Lister asked her, "Or is the stomach overriding the other parts?"

"Mmmm," Pirotase smiled, "Sure you want this scrawny girl?"

"That part is getting better as you get food," Lister said, "You're beginning to look healthy again."

"Well," Pirotase said, "When is dinner time in this place?"

"We've got a few hours," Lister said, looking at a piece of paper on the bedside table..."

Chapter 58 - Contingency Situation

"How is planning going up there, Trina?" Stacy asked her longtime friend through the vocal link to Massimaferro Village, "Things calm down yet?"

"The immigrants are still pissed," Trinaferro sighed, "They want to cut Travis Steele's balls off."

"Should let them catch him," Stacy chuckled, "Sounds appropriate to me."

"It's like the earth swallowed him up," Trinaferro said, "Every guard between here and Polonion is searching for him. We've even taken the step of publicizing it."

"I'm sure Iggy loves that," Stacy said, "This is a black eye for the guard."

"It would be worse if I covered it up," Trina said, "Better to admit we screwed up and make sure that he has no safe places. We're lucky in that regard."

"How so?" Stacy asked.

"Travis has no family that will talk to him," Trina said, "His only living relatives are an ex-wife and kids who hate him, a brother who would love to see him face Mullinix Justice and Medoferro, who is going to go apeshit if we haven't found him by the time he gets back."

"Any word from him?" Stacy asked hopefully, "I know this has got to be hard on you."

"Nothing since the rest of the guard crew showed up a few days ago," Trina said, "I don't like it, but until I hit that three week mark..."

"Without solid information you'd be jumping the gun," Stacy admitted, "Will you be ready to invade if you need to?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to Insegniferro about," Trinaferro said, "I need to know how much authority I have to work here if we find out that we need to go."

"He should be here any minute," Stacy said, "I figured I'd come check on you first."

"I'm ok," Trinaferro said, "Just a bit of nausea, but I think I may have an idea why that is."

"Missing Medo?" Stacy asked.

"No..." Trina hesitated, "There may be another reason..."

"Oh," Stacy said, "You think... Now?"

"Medo and I have talked about it," Trinaferro said, "I stopped with the control herbs a few weeks ago."

"More power to you," Stacy chuckled, "Let's hope this mess clears up before that becomes a factor."

"Yeah," Trinaferro said, "No kidding."

"I'll be back in a moment," Stacy said, "The light turned on, looks like Iggy wants in."

The connection light disappeared for a few moments as the elder Mullinix entered the room. Trinaferro stretched a little as she waited for the light to turn back on. It took less than two minutes for Stacy and Insegniferro to get settled in the small both on the other end of the line.

"Stacy already told me there's no word," Insegniferro said, "What is the situation up there?"

"Rick Ballfur has brought some order to this mess," Trina said, "I see why you chose him for the position in Macmanite. He's got a good head on his shoulders and knows how to command respect."

"We'd had an ineffective colonel up there for several years," Insegniferro remembered, "Tali let it go too long. The colonel was an old friend of his. We finally had to pull him into a palace job to pacify Tali and get the problem fixed. Ballfur is from Riverrayne. Those people don't take crap from anyone. He served as a lieutenant in Connoer for a few years and did really well."

"He's doing well here too," Trina said, "The refugees trust him because he's been honest with them. He made sure to visit all the injured kids and told them the bad news about Travis's escape himself."

"He won't send anyone to do something he won't do himself," Insegniferro agreed, "One of the things I like about him. I'm much the same way, which is why I'm a lousy military tactician. I hate that end of the business."

"I'm better at it than you are," Trina said, "But Medo continually trounces me at it, as does Simon. Stacy too."

"Do you want me to come up there?" Stacy asked her, "If you think this is going to go bad you could use another set of experienced eyes."

"I'd love to have you," Trinaferro said honestly, "But I'm in waiting mode right now. I have little to do but watch as other people put things back together. Toria handles the bodies, Hardin handles the troops, Ballfur handles the local problems. I'm bored out of my skull."

"Listen to cases," Insegniferro suggested, "It may help and it will make you look good to the refugees."

"Yeah," Trina said, "I will do that, but I think Ballfur is a few days away from being at the point where he can handle the ceremonial aspect of it. He's spending most of his day overseeing the cleanup of local services. Travis completely screwed the pooch in local services. Everything is either broken down or in lousy shape."

"I'll head up there on the train," Stacy said, "Unless you need me here, Iggy."

"I've got the house staff," Iggy said, "I've been handling standard cases. No murder cases, thankfully, though I think one is on the way from Immortal Park. Nothing I can't handle. I think Stacy will do more good up there keeping you sane than she will with me being bored out of her skull."

"If nothing else I can relieve Taulty," Stacy said, "He's got to be tired of being the only protective guard on site."

"He's not," Trina said, "The guards who survived the river massacre have spelled him. They feel bad because they are safe here instead of protecting their Mullinix."

"Good," Stacy said, "Will give me a chance to relax. I spent too long dealing with the Connoer floods and the disputes that arose from them. As long as the river up there stays in its banks, I'll be happy."

"Not to mention get another chance at Toria Studebaker," Iggy said, "I remember how you grumbled as you lost last time."

"I'm sure a card game will be called for," Trina grinned, "Toria said Warren likes to play too, so we will have enough for a game."

"I think we have a plan on this," Insegniferro said, "I'll feel better when we hear from Medo though."

"Me too," Trina said, "That's the other thing I wanted to ask. How much authority do I have with this?"

"With Medo out of contact you are acting Mullinix," Insegniferro said, "Follow Medo's instructions, but if something happens use your judgment. I trust it and so does Medo. He wouldn't have wanted you there otherwise."

"True," Trina sighed, "I'm just nervous about having this much power."

"Let's hope he comes back in a week or so," Stacy said, "Then we don't need to worry about it."

"I'm giving him his three weeks," Trina said, "If I don't hear from him by then..."

"If you go in for any reason," Insegniferro said, "Be sure to send word to Art Talgal. He's pretty close to the resistance that's based in Skolnik. He keeps relations to help keep it from crossing the border. Those resistance groups may be able to use your excursion as a shield to bring freedom to southern Siraq."

"I'll remember that," Trina said, "It will also distract the royal army."

"That too," Insegniferro agreed, "I hope this doesn't become necessary."

"We'd be stupid not to plan for it," Stacy said, "I'll work on those plans with Trina when I get up there."

"The class graduated today," Insegniferro said, "I directed them to send the troops up there to integrate with Hardin's force. Let Hardin know they are on their way."

"Who is leading them?" Stacy asked, "Anyone I know?"

"Lieutenant Barnes," Insegniferro said, "He's been part of the palace guard, finally passed a lieutenant test. He's a good man. Hardin will be able to make use of him."

"I'll leave the organization to the professionals," Trinaferro said, "I don't want to know them too well."

"I can understand that," Iggy agreed, "I've got session starting in a bit. Anything else you need?"

"Just Medo," Trina sighed, "Here safe and sound."

"Soon," Stacy said, "He'll be there before you know it."

"Right," Trina said as the line connection broke, "I hope so..."

Chapter 59 - The Execution Bell

"They certainly know how to do a meal here," Pirotase said quietly, "I wonder if all Bolantines eat like this."

"Not at these prices," Lister said, "I think we're in the higher class area right now. We'll probably need to go into the lower class neighborhoods to get more of a feeling of what is going on here."

"Right," Pirotase nodded, "This is a nice change though."

"Eat hearty," Lister said, "I don't know how much longer we'll be able to do this, and you still need to regain some weight."

"I did all right earlier," Pirotase grinned, "You didn't seem to mind my slim form."

"I still think you'll look better if your ribs don't show as much," Lister reminded her, "But a few more weeks of a healthy diet will fix that."

"Sounds good to me," Pirotase agreed, "I'm all for eating regularly."

The meal went well, though they noticed that there was no alcohol around at all. Everyone in the restaurant was stone cold sober. They listened to conversations and it sounded like conversations that you would hear in Mullinix, though you never heard anyone talk about politics. They had no say in how the country was run and acted as if it did not matter.

"Is it like this in Mullinix?" Pirotase asked Lister quietly, "No one talks about what they can't control?"

"No," Lister said, "People always discuss it. Mullinix law is the same for everyone and they're an open people. They feel the only way to address injustice is to discuss it."

"Must be nice," Pirotase said, "Because I sense that the people here are very guarded."

"I agree," Lister said, "We need to find a place where alcohol is served. Might find some looser tongues there."

"True," Pirotase said as she finished her food, "This is very good, but I still don't know what it is."

"Probably better that way," Lister said, "It tastes good but has a weird texture."

Before they could discuss the food any further they heard a loud bell. Everyone in the restaurant looked up and waited for further rings, which came quickly. Lister and Pirotase looked at each other and wondered what the ringing meant. It was clear that it was something that almost all the residents knew about and either dreaded or looked forward to. Both emotions were apparent in the crowd.

"What do we do?" Pirotase asked, "Could that be for us?"

"They'd be looking at us," Lister said, "Looks like everyone is starting to get up. We'd best follow along."

The head waiter stood up on a platform and rang a bell of his own to get the crowd's attention. Lister and Pirotase looked up at him and wondered what was coming next.

"The execution bell has rung," the waiter said, "If you have finished your dinner we will have the checks available as you exit. If you have not, please let your waiter know and they will mark it with your information. We will serve you further when the ceremony is over."

"Execution bell?" Pirotase said, "What the hell?"

"Follow along," Lister said, "I don't like the sound of it, but we can't afford to call attention to ourselves. We'll pay on the way out."

Pirotase was concerned, but followed along. They were simply a part of the crowd and nothing was said as they paid the bill and followed the rest of the people out into the streets. Lister and Pirotase were concerned and stayed close to each other. Several couples were holding hands, so they did the same to make it easier to keep together.

It was not just their restaurant that was like this. Buildings were emptying out all over Bolantinople. The bell was loud enough to carry through the streets like a cathedral bell did in most Serenian cities. Unlike up there, however, it appeared that every Bolantine citizen in Bolantinople came out onto the streets and migrated towards a coliseum in the center of the town.

"That's where the bell comes from," Lister said under his breath to Pirotase, "Looks like everyone in the city is filing in."

"No one was surprised," Pirotase said, "But there was no warning that I heard."

"Probably happens regularly down here," Lister said, "Doesn't look like there's any special seating arrangements though."

"I'm following you," Pirotase said, "This looks like a very paternal society."

"Right," Lister agreed, "Let's find a place up in the top near the back."

They climbed the stairs and found a darker area where some of the poorer citizens in the city seemed to congregate. It took nearly an hour for everyone to get into the stadium, but it filled up and looked like people from all walks of life. There was a stage down at the bottom but from their viewpoint Lister and Pirotase could not figure out what was on it.

"What is going on here?" Pirotase asked, "This looks like an entertainment venue, but the attitude..."

"I don't know," Lister said honestly, "But this is strange."

It got stranger as time went on. A number of people were led out onto the stage as a band played solemn music. The crowd looked down at them dispassionately. The only thing that separated this from an entertainment event was the complete lack of cheering. No one looked particularly upset, but everyone looked calm. It took a few minutes for a large man to take the stage. Lister and Pirotase did not know how they did the amplification, but his words were intelligible anywhere in the stadium.

"Citizens!" the large man said, "I have been appointed to bring you here tonight on matters of gravest concern to our lord and master, the great immortal who protects us all, Emperor Bolantine!"

"Laying it on thick," Pirotase said under her breath.

"Shh," Lister said, "Listen."

"First we have a new edict!" the large man said loudly, "All young men between the ages of fifteen and twenty-nine years of age must be registered in the Foreign Service Registrars and graded for possible military service. This must be completed no later than one week from today!"

Lister had expected a large crowd murmur or a groan, but the crowd was silent as if this had been expected. No one moved or said a word. Lister and Pirotase picked up on this quickly, keeping their own faces stone cold.

"All travel has been suspended between the Bolantine Empire and the Imperialistic Empire of Sotanberg," he continued, "The penalty for attempting to cross this border will be death. All trade between these nations will now cease upon direct order of the Immortal Emperor himself.

"We are also now in a de facto state of war with the Mavelan Government. No further travel or trade will be allowed to occur between the outlaw government of King Facie and any Bolantine citizen. To deal with them will be considered treason and the punishment will be death. Any agents of the corrupt monarch Facie must be reported immediately."

"They are going after Facie," Pirotase said, "That explains the troop movement."

"Right," Lister said, "I don't know whether this is a good or bad thing."

They watched as the big man went through another half hour of announcements and a litany of regulations. Evidently, the execution bell was an excuse for the emperor's representatives to talk directly to the public.

"Those are the announcements," the large man said, "Now we must take care of other business. We have here people who have broken the Emperor's laws. The same Emperor who keeps us safe and allows us the lives that we all live. Without him we would be nowhere, living in huts without all the pleasant modern conveniences we now enjoy."

There was a collective cheer for the Emperor. Lister and Pirotase went through the motions to keep from looking out of place. They both recognized propaganda when they heard it, however. After another ten minutes of the propagandistic bullshit, they came to the meat and potatoes of why they were there.

"This is Jessie Mauger!" the large man said, "He has been found guilty of trying to extort money from the Empire..."

Lister had a bad feeling about this. He remembered what one of those devices on the stage was and hoped he was wrong. He wasn't, however, as Mauger was strapped on to the device and was slowly pulled apart by the straps. It was a slow, painful way for a criminal to die, but the crowd watched intently as the man's bones broke and he screamed for mercy. Mercy, however, was something that this crowd was incapable of.

"I can't watch this," Pirotase said quietly, "I need..."

"Shh," Lister said, "Stare above them, but keep your eyes down there and keep your face straight. Do not cry!"

Lister was watching the other people and even the children were not crying at this. Evidently, this was a regular occurrence in the Bolantine Empire, with cruel punishments far above the status of the crime being the norm. Four more men were led out, all of whom had committed crimes that would be either minor or civil in nature. They all died in similarly horrible ways.

The real shock for Lister and Pirotase came as the first woman was brought out on to the stage. Pirotase looked at Lister, who was fighting his emotions as well. He put his arm on her shoulder and directed her head towards the front. It was like a train wreck, something that was disgusting but you could not afford to turn away from.

"This woman, Kathrine Manske," the large man said, almost spitting her name, "Committed an unspeakable crime. She seduced a good Bolantine fearing man only to steal what was rightfully his. For this, she will have to endure a fitting end. Bring out the Adulterer's Paradise!"

This machine was no less horrific than the one that they used on the men, with a large iron spike in the shape of a piece of the male anatomy. Manske's death went slowly, as it looked like she bled out onto the stage.

Thankfully, no other women were brought out and the torture machine was wheeled off the stage. Lister and Pirotase were hoping and praying that it was over, but the next machine brought out proved that it wasn't. They brought out several couples who all looked scared out of their minds.

"These people are all traitors to the empire!" the large man yelled, "They tried to go to the forbidden land of Sotanberg. For this, they shall perish together!"

They were put into a large machine that basically beat them together. It was mechanical in nature, but the death was slow and agonizing. What little was left when they came out was scooped into a plastic bag and disposed of off the edge of the stage.

The last bit of the 'show' was the most horrific, for it was a father and son. Pirotase and Lister had to hold on to each other to keep from a futile run out into the crowd to try to save the child.

"Darryl Betton," the large man said, "You have committed the worst crime possible. Not only did you murder your wife, but you coerced your child to assist you with the crime."

"He did nothing," Betton exclaimed, "He had nothing to do with it! Execute me! I did it all..."

"Enough!" the large man said, "You will suffer for your crimes more than he will with his!"

"That kid can't be older than twelve," Pirotase said, "I can't watch..."

"We have to," Lister said, "No choice..."

The child was strapped to a chair, as none of the machines fit someone of his size. A masked man came out and started carving on the child with a knife as his father was forced to watch. The process took an hour until the child mercifully breathed his last. The father was then strapped to a chair across from the dead child.

"Your punishment will be to starve to death while you are forced to look at the body of your child!" the large man said, "Have him brought out to the square for his end of life punishment."

Lister and Pirotase could not believe it. Even Facie, one of the cruelest rulers they had seen before this, had not come to this level of depravity. There was a silence, but everyone looked down. Not even the children saw anything wrong with what they were watching. It was as if the entire population was made of emotionless psychopaths.

"I was originally expecting to end this here," the large man said, "But we have an unexpected addition. A man who has attacked the empire directly."

Lister and Pirotase were scared because they had a feeling they knew who it was. A tall black man was brought out, though he looked a lot worse than he did when they had seen him in the Black Village jail. Shabaru had been beaten badly and looked it. He looked surprised to have made it far enough to be executed on stage.

"This man murdered the captain in Black Village!" the large man on the stage yelled, "He left the captain lying on the cement floor in his own blood in front of two young citizens who were awaiting paper verification. He tried to run, but he did not make it. Now, he will receive his final due!"

The crowd cheered at that. Lister was relieved that they announced it that way, meaning that Shabaru had not spilled the fact that he'd had accomplices in his escape. He looked up at the crowd, a recognizable mask of hate on his beaten face.

"You are all Evil!" he shouted, "I killed him! I hope that someday someone kills all of you!"

This earned Shabaru a heavy smack from the large man who was running the show. Two guards pulled Shabaru back up and tied his arms to a rope that was hanging from a pulley over the stage. A large vat of boiling liquid was wheeled out by three large guards.

"There is no atonement for sins such as yours," the large man said to Shabaru, "There is only pain and death."

"Death beats living in this nation any longer," Shabaru said loud enough for the whole stadium to hear, "Do your worst!"

"I shall," the large man said, "Lower him in, slowly! I want him to know pain before he meets his end!"

It started with Shabaru's feet. He was tied and weighted so he could not avoid his fate. He bore his pain stoically at first, not wanting to give the Bolantines the satisfaction. He was in the boiling liquid up to his knees before it really started showing.

Lister and Pirotase watched in horror. They hoped that Shabaru had not talked, but were sorry he was going through such horror over them. By the time Shabaru was waist deep the pain centers in his brain had overloaded. He regained some of the defiance he had shown as he looked up in the crowd.

"I didn't tell them about you!" Shabaru shouted, hoping that Lister and Pirotase would see the display, "Let them know! Let them all know what happened here!"

"Tell us about who?" the big man asked Shabaru, "Who!"

"That I had sex with your mother before I was caught!" Shabaru hissed loudly, "Go fuck yourself!"

Shabaru took a deep breath and plunged his head down into the boiling liquid, knowing that it would destroy his voice and they would never know what he was talking about. The large man looked a bit disturbed, but wrote it off to the ravings of a dying man in pain. Lister and Pirotase knew better.

"What do we do?" Pirotase asked Lister quietly.

"Go to the hotel and get our stuff," Lister said as they watched people start to file out, "We'll talk about it there."

It was quiet as people filed out of the stadium, heading to their homes and businesses. Lister and Pirotase said nothing until they were safely alone in their hotel room, where Pirotase ran straight over to Lister and he took her in his arms.

"These aren't people," Pirotase said, finally letting some tears out, "These are monsters!"

"I agree," Lister said, "I think we've seen enough here."

"Too much," Pirotase sobbed, "What do we do now?"

"I don't think this ID is burned," Lister said, "They would have to connect us to this new identity, which I don't think they can do right now. So as far as anyone knows, we are simply Bolantine citizens."

"I shudder thinking about that," Pirotase said, "These are evil people."

"They make Facie look sane," Lister admitted, "We need to get back to Mullinix."

"We can't go back the way we came," Pirotase said, "It's too dangerous."

"They have trains going to the Western Military District," Lister said, "I'm betting that it is just south of the Mavelans. If we can figure out a way over the border, or even how to get on a ship going to Mullinix or Damascas, we will be able to get home."

"Let's just get out of here," Pirotase said, "I want to have you in my bed, but I don't want to have that bed be here..."

"I'm in agreement," Lister said, "Let's see if we can catch a train out."

"The sooner the better," Pirotase said, "I want to be as far away from this place as possible."

"I couldn't agree more," Lister said, "Get your clothes together. We need to go now, before the last train leaves for the night."

Chapter 60 - Dinner with Bolantine

Jim Entragian walked out of the room looking like a different man. His face was another shape entirely and his nose looked as though it had been broken several dozen times. Unless you had actually traveled with him recently you would not have recognized him.

"That looks painful," Medoferro said, "What did you do?"

"Broke a few bones," Jim said, "Put in a few hasty pieces of plastic to remold my face. Nothing I'd suggest doing to someone who couldn't heal immediately."

"Think it will be enough to keep Bolantine from recognizing you?" Suvorov asked him.

"If he sees me full on, no," Jim shrugged, "But it should keep his watchers content if they see me. Bolantine isn't stupid. He knows that we're still out here and he will be having them keep an eye out for us."

"Ok," Simon said, "So we're going out and playing footsie with them?"

"That's the plan," Medoferro nodded, "I want to know what the hell they think they're doing up there. Unless you have other suggestions, I'm going to push the subject."

"None here," Suvorov said, "Diplomacy is not my strong suit."

"It won't matter," Jim said, "Bolantine won't care about the piddly shit. He doesn't have a power base up here, otherwise he'd be pulling his immortal emperor routine like he does down south."

"Great," Simon sighed, "But why is he doing this? I mean putting us off guard or what?"

"Most likely that's part of it," Jim said, "He has to know that you've heard of him down south. He turned Sotanberg into an implacable enemy without trying too hard. If he harasses both you and them from here, it gives him breathing room."

"Not to mention it lets him deal with the Mavelans," Medo said, "Looks like Lister's mission may be more important than we thought."

"One thing at a time," Suvorov said, "Lister is a persistent son of a bitch. He'll come back with information, probably things we were not expecting."

"They're waiting for us," Simon reminded them, "Perhaps we should go and make a show of this?"

There was a murmur of agreement as Medoferro put on the formal trappings for dinner. It was a pain to eat in those garments, but it would have been considered an insult for him not to do so. Simon was left with normal looking formal clothes, while Jim and Rav got to continue with their uniforms.

"Medoferro!" the king exclaimed, again favoring his left hand for his exaggerated motions, "Welcome again. I've had my chefs cook a large feast of epic proportions to honor your arrival. We have not had a state visit in a long time, something that must be remedied in the future."

"Quite so, your majesty," Medoferro nodded, managing to keep a straight face, "When was the last time you entertained?"

"We had a representative from Serenia here a year ago," Bolantine said, "A most disagreeable fellow he was."

"Accused us of making feints over his border," the king remembered, "We weren't, of course. Those buggers are fanatical about their land and they don't have anything I want anyway."

"Right," Medoferro nodded, "I've heard of some strange things going on up north. I'm trying to reconcile the rumors I've been hearing with the reality on our borders."

"Those damned rebels have gotten worse," the king said, "We've been trying to burn them out for over a year now, but they are getting momentum from somewhere."

"They are causing me a headache as well," Medoferro told them, "I'm very concerned with the fact that we're having an influx of hundreds of people a day across my border."

"Your own people have been encouraging it," Bolantine said, deciding to bait Medoferro a bit, "Those rebellious elements are not getting funding from this side of the border. There is nothing here for them to use."

"I hope you're not accusing me of supporting them," Medoferro said, not rising to it, "We've done the best we can to keep our rowdier elements out of your way. You must do something about the food distribution though. You're buying enough from us to feed an army."

"And we are," the king said, "We are feeding our army. We are feeding the population as we can as well."

"We're here for the trade deals," Medoferro said, "If you need to purchase more food I'm sure we can work out a deal. Our farmers are producing well. We can subsidize some if you're having financial problems because of the rebellion."

"We are managing," the King said, "I don't see why you bothered to come all this way, really. We're really quite satisfied with the current trade deal. We don't want to change a thing."

This caught everyone at the table by surprise. It was no secret that the previous set of trade negotiations were weighted heavily in favor of the Mullinix. Medoferro and Simon expected that it was something that should have still chafed at the king. The King had worked discreetly with the Mavelans to create a diversion from the Cirrus invasion, something that backfired when Insegniferro used this knowledge to wrangle a better deal out for his people.

"I thought you would want to make some adjustments," Medoferro said, "This is quite surprising."

"We have more than enough on our hands right now," Bolantine told them, "We have more battle plans to work out as well."

"I saw the results of one of your battles," Medoferro said, "Burning down homes and killing civilians will not stem a rebellion. It's not going to win you any friends on my side of the border either."

"You need to crack eggs to make an omelet," the king said, "This is none of your concern, Medoferro."

"On the contrary," Medoferro said, "It is very much my concern, your majesty. When you have people with this little losing that much it breeds resentment and rebellion. This type of rebellion doesn't stop at borders. I have people demanding that I do something."

"We will take care of our own country," Bolantine said, "If you don't want the refugees you are welcome to stop them at the border. We will not complain."

"Our system does not work like that," Medoferro said, "We do not prevent people from becoming free."

"Your people do not know what freedom is," Bolantine said, "It is not your place to challenge our king's policies."

"You don't care, do you?" Medoferro said directly to the king, purposefully ignoring Bolantine, "You have people dying of starvation, not to mention the ones being massacred by your own soldiers. You have the power to prevent this from going on. Use it."

"Would you like some of this delicious pie?" the king asked, showing his lack of mental acuity, "It's made of the best berries out of the eastern regions of Siraq..."

Everyone in the room knew then and there that this whole trip had become pointless. There would be no talking sense into the Siraqi king, especially with his strings being pulled by Bolantine. Medoferro and Simon looked at each other and bit their tongues, trying to avoid a further diplomatic incident.

"I think we can consider this meeting adjourned," Bolantine said finally, "If you would like to discuss some things later on I am sure I will be available."

"I'll consider it," Medoferro said dryly, "Thank you, Lord Endicott."

They went into their assigned room and knew that things were not going well. Medoferro especially was having bad feelings about the whole thing. Bolantine had thrown a massive boulder into this operation, one that was going to have to be dealt with.

"What are we going to do?" Simon asked, "I mean, we can't stay around here knowing what we do."

"We need to get word back," Jim told them, "The rest of your people need to know Bolantine is playing games up here."

"We head back now they'll have the army looking for us," Suvorov said quietly, "I think Bolantine is realizing that you know who or what he is."

"I agree," Medoferro nodded, "Trina needs to get things together. We can't stall this for three weeks now."

"You are actually thinking about an invasion," Simon said, knowing Medo's mindset, "Aren't you?"

"We can't leave Bolantine in control of this area," Medo said firmly, "You saw the king. He can't decide what to eat, let alone how to run this country. Bolantine is the only close adviser left."

"He's likely eliminated the others," Jim said, "That's his way. He's done it before. I don't think he's aiming for complete control yet. You have too many forces up here."

"That leaves that project in the north," Simon reminded them, "They didn't want to talk about it. The Serenians are worried about it too, it sounds like."

"Jim," Medo said, "You are a better power user than I am. How good are you at manipulating people?"

"If you want me to manipulate Bolantine you're out of your mind," Jim said, "I know some techniques, some that I hesitate to use on anyone, but not enough to counter someone as powerful at it as he is."

"Not Bolantine," Medo said, "Some guard that won't be missed for a while."

"Find one stupid enough and I can control them until the moon is blue," Jim shrugged, "Why?"

"Someone needs to go back to warn Trina," Medo said, "If I leave now without protocol we cause an incident and they go hunting."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm that someone?" Suvorov said.

"You've worked alone before," Medo said, "You know the language and you have contacts. Jim doesn't have those advantages. We can stick a guard in your uniform and have Jim make him dance until we get out of here."

"What am I supposed to tell Trina?" Suvorov asked, "That I left you here?"

"That you followed my orders," Medo said, "This isn't a game anymore. I may be able to learn more here, but I do know that if I leave now we're all going to be hunted. They won't know to look for you yet."

"Besides," Jim said, "If all else fails, we can go north and look for this project. I have a suspicion that most of what Bolantine is trying to accomplish up here has to do with that."

"So why is he hanging out here?" Simon wondered, "I mean this is nowheresville."

"Me," Medoferro said, "Any bets that he came in for our conference?"

"None from me," Jim said, "Bolantine wouldn't leave this to chance. If it wasn't for the fact that I know Bolantine's face you would still be assuming you were dealing with a young upstart usurping power from beneath."

"Well we do know," Medo said, "And that makes it worse. I can't leave these people under that man's power. Not while I have the authority to do something about it."

"I'm not going to argue that," Jim said, "I don't have the right to make a decision of that nature anymore. I've been fighting Bolantine for too long."

"You want Trina to start the invasion?" Suvorov said.

"Capital strike," Medo nodded, "The plan I envisioned should still work, probably will work better than I expected it to. Let the leash on our sympathizers loose while our army does a strike at the capital. Put Bolantine on the run."

"If you can capture him, even better," Jim said, "Though I don't expect that. Bolantine will run before it gets that far. This is too far removed from his power base for him to make a fight over."

"This could be what he wants you know," Simon said, "I mean, it would get our forces up here instead of down where they can help counter him."

"That's part two," Medo said, "Tell Trina and Iggy to ramp up forces under Cholt in the south. I want them back to what they were during the Cirrus invasion. If Bolantine comes north, he will have a fight on his hands."

"When do I go?" Suvorov said, "I don't like it, but that's because I have to face Trina without you being there."

"Find me a guard," Jim said, "I'll do the extreme makeover."

Chapter 61 - Bolantine's Plan

"Something is not right about this," Bolantine said as he went into the back room, "You are sure that the Mullinix have had no reason to suspect I am anything other than Lord Endicott?"

"My agent in Mullinix has been watching them for years, though he disappeared a few days ago," Lord Corie said, "They had never heard of you, Lord Bolantine. The Bolantines aren't even really known there."

"Then why did they pause like that?" Bolantine wondered, "You saw it when they entered the room the first time."

"I think one of the guards recognized you," Corie said, "I don't know how. No one north of the empire should know what you look like."

"Most of the Empire does not know what I look like in person," Bolantine said, pacing a bit, "There are three people that know for sure what I look like."

"The other immortals?" he said, "But they haven't been seen in years."

"They are good," Bolantine said, "Corie, you are one of the best I've ever trained. I want you to look in on the Mullinix contingent. See if the guards match Mason Stone."

"They don't," Corie said, "I memorized those pictures, just as you instructed me to. I've had them memorized for years. It did not match any of them."

"Not even in build?" Bolantine asked, "They are cagy, and even better with power use than I am."

"It is definitely not Stone," Corie said, "Nor the girl. They are all male."

"Did you notice anything about the guards?" Bolantine said, "You saw them without their helmets?"

"One of them is their spymaster Suvorov," Corie said, "The other one was younger, but definitely a power user."

"Entragian," Bolantine said, "Power users are rare. Slight build, frizzy hair?"

"That's him," Corie said, "Picture does not match, though."

"Knowing him he did a face change," Bolantine said, "Easy enough to do if you're willing to put up with the pain. Entragian is probably used to it like I am."

"So what do we do?" Corie asked, "I mean the point of this was to delay the Mullinix for a while."

"They are getting closer to figuring things out up north," Bolantine said, "Since we can't delay the Mullinix, we can use them another way."

"What is that?" Corie wondered.

"Start them on a war up here," Bolantine said, "I've been letting the Serenians make inroads. They should start fighting like dogs once the Mullinix invade."

"If the Mullinix invade," Corie said, "They don't usually go for territorial expansion. Despite a clear victory they stopped the war with the Mavelans at the top of the Mountains."

A timid house servant poked his head in to be ignored by Bolantine and waved in by Corie. He slowly made his way around the room while Bolantine began his next idea.

"They will for this," Bolantine said, "When we send Medoferro's head back to them on one of that fool king's golden platters."

"You're going to abandon Siraq?" Corie said, taking the note from the house servant.

"Siraq is a wasteland," Bolantine said, "Not fit for dogs. It also does not border my empire. The Mullinix and the Sotans would not stand for it being assimilated nor would I be able to keep them from kicking me out. Better to use it to cover my invasion of the Mavelans."

"The Mavelans will give you a base for both Sotan and Mullinix," Corie nodded, "Not to mention those bauxite fields would be useful."

"Exactly," Bolantine said, "Let the Mullinix sleep their last. We'll order them taken in the morning."

"That's fine," Corie nodded, reading the note, "It appears that my agent from Mullinix has had to make a hasty escape. He is here in the palace."

"Talk to him," Bolantine said, "Find out if he is any further use to us and eliminate him if he isn't. Either way, make sure that the Mullinix contingent does not see him. No need to complicate matters any further."

"Certainly, Lord Bolantine," Corie smiled. He did enjoy his job.

Chapter 62 - The Waiting

"I hate this," Trinaferro sighed, picking at a salad at the dinner table, "Too much waiting. We should have heard something by now."

"We don't know anything," Stacy said, "Acting before we get any actual intelligence is going to get people killed."

"I know," Trinaferro sighed, "I don't want to have to be the one to order a war."

"If it helps," Hardin said, "We are following Medoferro's instructions. Provided we wait the three weeks he instructed, you won't be ordering it."

"If it takes that long the war is going to be the least of our problems," Trinaferro said, "I'm sorry sis, I can't eat anymore."

"Ok," Toria said, "Something else is eating at you other than Medoferro. I can understand your worry about him, but he can take care of himself far too well to account for this."

Trinaferro sighed as she looked around the room. The only one she considered outsiders were Tom Hardin and Rick Ballfur, but that was only because she had not known them as long. She knew they were completely trustworthy in their official capacities. She just did not want to deal with the personal end.

"It's nothing," Trina said, "Really. I'll just feel better if we can fix at least some of the problems."

"I'd settle for having Travis's head on a stick," Rick Ballfur said, "I mean at its core this place isn't that hard to run. He just did such a piss poor job of it that I have to do three times the work just to make everyone trust me."

"Sounds like Cirrus ten years ago," Hardin said, "Paulus is still having to build Mullinix trust back to people who were betrayed so handily by Ellis LaPorte."

"How is the local patrol going?" Trina asked them, trying to deflect from the more personal issues.

"Better," Ballfur said, "We've weeded out the worst of the problems. Lucky for us that Travis did not trust anyone. He seems to have pocketed most of the graft himself."

"Graft?" Toria asked, "Travis was on the take too?"

"Yeah," Ballfur nodded, "We've spent days going through that garbage pile he called a government house. We've found artworks and valuable trinkets that he could never have purchased on his own."

"That's odd," Hardin said, "I've not had any indication the locals are used to graft."

"I've lived here for all of my forty-one years," Toria said, "I've had many problems with Travis, but no one ever accused him of breaking rules for money. He screwed up everything equally."

"Then where did he get the stuff?" Trina asked, "Do you still have it, Rick?"

"I had it locked in the safe for evidence," Ballfur told her, "I don't know gold from copper, but one of the kids working for me apprenticed with the jeweler. Kid said it was worth a fortune."

"Joey," Toria said, "He worked with Dad for a couple years. Since neither of us will want the business and Warren is a medico, Dad is considering taking Joey on as a partner so he can at least partially retire."

"Joey may have an eye," Trina said, "No one is going to beat Dad at identifying the origin of the work. That might give us a clue who was paying off Travis."

"Dad is probably finishing up at the shop," Toria said, "Since it looks like you won't eat anymore we can't lose anything by going to see him."

"I've heard about Mr. Studebaker," Ballfur said, "I want to meet him anyway."

"This has little to do with me," Tom Hardin chuckled, "I kick asses of people who do things like that, not search for them. I will go do an inspection."

"Tomorrow you and I will do something," Trinaferro said to Hardin, "We're going to make a trip to see Art Talgal in Skolnik."

"I can work that," Hardin nodded, "Why?"

"If we have to go in," Trina said seriously, "I want to go in right on the three-week mark. To do that we need to have the rebels ready to go."

"Art is the tamest one to contact for that," Hardin nodded, "Why do you need me?"

"You know the military end better," Trina admitted, "You also know what you have and how the rebels will compliment or detriment it."

"So long as you don't mind my mouth," Hardin grinned, "Diplomacy is not my strong suit."

"I want you to be yourself," Trina assured him, "Don't hold back. If someone says something stupid, let us know so we can fix it."

"I will rest tonight then," Hardin said, "I'd planned on doing some late night patrol checks, but they can be done later this week."

"Run your checks," Trina said, "We can go later in the day if need be."

Hardin nodded and snapped off a smart salute to Trinaferro, with which she promptly responded. Most people found it odd that a battle hardened veteran like Tom Hardin would be willing and able to take orders from a woman young enough to be his daughter, but Hardin had the utmost respect for both of the young Mullinix. Trinaferro knew enough to ask when she did not know about something. That counted for a lot in his book.

"Let's go show that stuff," Toria said, "Stacy, you know where Dad's place is, right?"

"I'll walk with Colonel Ballfur," Stacy said, "And help carry it. You two can take a walk there together alone."

Before Trinaferro could protest Stacy and Rick were gone and heading up the hill to the government house. She and Toria walked along in silence until Toria was certain there was no one around to hear her dressing down her sister.

"Ok," Toria said, "Something has you on edge other than Medoferro's absence. It's physical as well. I've been treating sick people long enough to know when someone isn't feeling well."

"His absence isn't helping," Trina said, "But telling you may make me feel better."

"What is it, hon?" Toria said, "Are there problems between you and him?"

"Far from it," Trinaferro said, her eyes going bright, "He is everything I ever wanted and needed. But I've been selfish, and it is about to come home to roost."

"How have you been selfish?" Toria asked, "Not that you don't deserve a bit of selfishness with all they ask you two to give."

"I want what you and Warren are going to get," Trinaferro said, "I know he's mine, in my heart and soul. But, I can't get married like you are."

"Oh honey," Toria said, "I understand that."

"It's not even the legal part," Trinaferro said, "But I want a family. Medo and Iggy are my family in a lot of ways, but I want that link..."

"You want a baby," Toria said and a lot clicked into place, "You stopped taking your herbs."

"Yeah," Trina sighed, "I'm two weeks late now."

"That's wonderful!" Toria exclaimed, "It means we'll have kids around the same age. What are you worried about? How Medo will take it?"

"Medo agreed to this," Trina said, "But he didn't know I'd already stopped taking them. I'm afraid..."

"Miranda," Toria said, switching to her birth name, "If he loves you then he already knew or would happily forgive you if he didn't. Besides, he smiles when you enter the room just like you do when he does."

"I know," Trina smiled, "I'm just worried, that's all. I mean, what if something happens... This child..."

"Can't think about that," Toria reminded her, "Let's just go see daddy and find out about Travis's stuff. And tomorrow I'll test you to make sure one way or the other so we can take care of that gift."

"Thanks for understanding," Trina smiled, "I was afraid you'd think I was nuts."

"I knew you were the moment you took the Mullinix job," Toria grinned, "Right?"

"Right," Trina laughed, "There's Rick and Stacy."

"We'll tell them after we test you," Toria said, "Let's find out how big a scumbag Travis really was."

The four of them walked the rest of the way to the shop to find Jeff Studebaker finishing off a piece he'd been working on most of the day. He stood up straight and let his gray hair fall back around his face. He smiled when he saw his two daughters walk in together.

"Does my old heart good to see you, girls," Jeff beamed, "Who are your friends here?"

"I'm Rick Ballfur," he said, "The poor sucker who got stuck cleaning up Travis' mess. This pretty lady carrying that large bag is Stacy Cossy."

"You're the man who's come to fix things," Jeff nodded, "Welcome to the village, Colonel."

"Rick is fine," Ballfur said, shaking hands with the man, "Colonel is only for the ceremonial bullshit."

"I think I like you already," Jeff laughed, "What brings you to my shop this time of the evening? Am I late for dinner again?"

"Like that would rate a walk," Toria said, mocking her father, "No, we need you to identify something."

"I'll see what I can do," Jeff said, "What is it?"

Rick and Stacy put the bag on the table and peeled it down to reveal an exquisite piece of artistic beauty. Bright and shiny gold, it was a work of art stunned Jeff no end to see brought out around here.

"Where the hell did you find that?" Jeff asked.

"I'd rather not say," Trina said, "I want your opinion without any prejudice."

"That wouldn't matter," Jeff said, "It's Siraqi. When I was younger and traveled more I made a trip to the Siraqi royal palace. They have thousands of pieces like this. If you flip it you should find a Siraqi royal seal and the name of the craftsman."

"I didn't even think of that," Ballfur said, "Is that a Siraqi crest?"

"Yes," Trina said, recognizing it from the map in her office back in Mullinix Centre, "I can't read the writing, but it is Siraqi script. Insegniferro insisted that we be able to at least recognize script types if we had to get something translated quickly."

"I can read it," Jeff said, "It was created about two hundred years ago for a Siraqi king."

"How the hell did Travis get that?" Ballfur said, in shock, "How much is it worth, Jeff?"

"Let's put it this way," Jeff said, "Sell that thing within fifty miles of the Siraqi border you would be dead before you got the cash. If you brought it southeast, say in Connoer, it could be worth enough to build a mansion, with enough to live on for the rest of your life."

"The Siraqis are cash poor," Toria said, "Maybe they tried to sell it off?"

"Or maybe they used it to bribe Travis," Trinaferro said, "Now that we know where it's from it's another thing we need to figure out."

"Another reason to look for him," Rick Ballfur nodded, "Another thing for him to answer for."

"I agree," Jeff said, "Put that somewhere safe, Rick. That should really be in a museum. It's a beautiful piece of work."

"We'll have it sent to the Mullinix art Museum in the Centre," Trina promised, "It will serve Travis right."

"Works for me," Jeff said, "Now shall we have a more enjoyable visit? I've got a new bottle of Brandy at the house and would love some company."

"I'll pass on that Dad," Toria said, "Baby coming and all."

"Me too," Trinaferro said, "I'm tired and have to travel to Skolnik tomorrow."

"I'll take you up on that," Rick said, smiling, "Care to join two old men and cheer us up with your beauty, Stacy?"

"Why not," Stacy laughed, "Night guys."

They all headed off in their directions with Toria giving strict instructions for Trina to show up at her office tomorrow to be tested and given instructions for prenatal care.

"Yes mom," Trina laughed as she headed off to bed.

Chapter 63 - Travis the Spy

"Where is he?" Corie asked the gate guard, "You said that someone claiming to be my man from Mullinix was here?"

"I put him in a side room," the guard said, "He knew you and your title Lord Corie. You have made a few trips to Mullinix and figured he might be someone you would wish to see."

"I don't really wish to see him," Corie said, "But I probably should. If Travis is here it means he has something particularly good or he's done something particularly silly."

"From the shabby looks of him," the guard said, "I'd say likely the latter."

"Let's be a good host," Corie said, "Get him some food if he needs it. I'll decide if it is his last meal when I talk to him."

"Very well," the guard nodded, "Anything else, Lord Corie?"

"Make sure the Mullinix contingent does not know of our guest yet," Corie told him, "No need for them to know."

"Yes sir," the guard said and took his leave.

Corie took a deep breath and sipped from a glass of water before going into the room. He had been working this type of project for years and he still disliked dealing with this type of person. Sometimes he wished he could go back to dealing with the Sotans, as they tended to act predictably. The Mullinix were unpredictable and often unreliable, as he'd learned from his dealings with Travis Steele.

"Lord Corie!" Travis exclaimed, "Thank you for seeing me."

"You're not looking so well," Corie said, looking him over, "You look like you've been worked over in a meat grinder."

"The losing end of a fight," Travis said, "I resisted my arrest to the end."

"I guess your position of power in Mullinix is gone," Corie said, "Why have you come here?"

"I've been betrayed by my own," Travis said, going into his own deluded version of the story, "The Mullinix himself had me removed."

"Do they know you have been working for me?" Corie asked him, showing his own priorities, "Did you leave anything incriminating behind?"

"No paperwork," Travis said, "Just the payments. I did not have a chance to collect them."

"That should not be a problem," Corie said, knowing those would only lead to Siraq and not to Bolantine, "I hope you do not expect me to replace them."

"No sir," Travis said, knowing better than that, "I was hoping you could make use of my expertise on Mullinix custom."

"Working directly for a foreign power might be looked down upon by your former employer," Corie warned, "Are you sure you want to burn your bridges that completely?"

"They burned them, not me," Travis lied, "They want me dead already. Why should I oblige them in that?"

"Why indeed?" Corie said, "What did they do to betray you?"

"They took it all from me," Travis said, "Everything I had. I have nothing left."

"Quite obviously," Corie said, getting bored with this, "Very well. You can stay here, at least tonight. I want you to write down what you know about Mullinix custom and their guard. Especially current troop positions. I will at least pay you something for those. We can discuss your next move in the morning."

"Thank you," Travis said, "You won't regret this."

"See that I don't," Corie said and left the room.

He walked up to Bolantine's study and let himself in. Bolantine was going over the latest dispatches from his encampment in northern Siraq while Corie poured himself a glass of the fine brandy that Bolantine kept on the table. He knew well enough to wait until Bolantine came to his own stopping point and spoke with him before saying anything at all.

"Your spy?" Bolantine asked him finally.

"They arrested him for something," Corie said, "I don't have all the details. I put him in a room and am having him spill his guts. Told him I'd at least pay him for that."

"Anything tying the Empire to him?" Bolantine asked, still going over reports.

"Nothing," Corie said, "He's a putz. He does not realize that I am not Siraqi. If the Mullinix found anything they'll assume a Siraqi has been paying him off."

"Think he will be useful?" Bolantine asked him.

"No," Corie said honestly, "My other agents gave me information that Travis has long been thought incompetent. He's a relative of the Mullinix that is downstairs and word is that the Mullinix holds no love for his blood family."

"Very nice," Bolantine said, "So we have an unlamented relative. I wonder just how much they hate each other."

"What are you thinking, sire?" Corie asked him, "You look like you have an idea."

"Why not have the prodigal son remove our problem?" Bolantine said, "A one on one match between our long lost relatives?"

"The Mullinix is thirty years younger and not beaten to hell," Corie reminded him, "Won't be much of a fight."

"So we curtail power use and injure the Mullinix," Bolantine smiled, "Those meddlers should provide some fun before we kill them off."

"We have a perfect room for it," Corie said, bowing to his master's wishes, "That basement stadium used for gladiatorial matches. It is carved into a bauxite deposit, leaving power users pretty well cut off from the source."

"Perfect," Bolantine said, "I'm due for a bit of fun."

Chapter 64 - The Best Laid Plans

Marina paced around the room looking for something to occupy her mind. Killing Mann der Solter had turned out to be as bad an idea as Nikki had said it was. The pro-treaty group wisely grabbed on to it as a reason to push it through the council of nobles.

"It does not look good," Nikki said as she entered the room, "I had hoped that we might force a natural discord, but that killing had the opposite effect."

"It wasn't designed to have any effect," Marina said, defending herself, "So what do we do?"

"They will vote for it today," Nikki said, "The wording will be worked out formally after that. That will likely take another day or two."

"They won't let me anywhere near that," Marina said, "Nor would I be much help."

"Being on the cleaning staff has benefits," Nikki said, "I've been able to find out the royal plans. They are expecting it to pass and there will be a formal feast and signing."

"Which I will be allowed to go to," Marina said, "I hope."

"You arrived with him," Nikki said, "And you've given him no reason not to allow you be his consort to the feast."

"That works," Marina said, "But what is going to stop it?"

"It will be dangerous," Nikki said, "Even more so considering I will not be able to help directly. It must look as though you are a Mullinix based assassin."

"The king?" Marina said, "Or the Prince?"

"Both," Nikki smiled, "As many of them as you can get, without killing your Mullinix friend."

"I don't know how to do that," Marina said, "I've only been using it for a short time..."

"Get out tonight," Nikki instructed her, "Tell him you want another night on the town. He will be spending most of his evening reading the treaty details and working with language of the treaty and likely won't notice."

"I hope that means you are going to teach me something," Marina said hopefully, "I don't want to go through this alone."

"You won't be alone," Nikki smiled, "I'll keep in contact with you and we will be leaving town as soon as you get out."

"This won't push them to war," Marina said, "They don't like war that much."

"I'll settle for stopping the treaty right now," Nikki said honestly, "But the overall strategy is not something you need right now. You must prepare yourself for the wholesale carnage that we need to create. It will not be pretty."

"I'm looking forward to it," Marina smiled, a look very familiar to Nikki coming over her eyes, "I will finally be free."

"That you will," Nikki said, realizing she had found a similar soul, "We will finally be free."

Chapter 65 - Train Ride

Lister Black closed the curtains in the train compartment as Pirotase sat down on the bench. She was still shaking from what she'd witnessed a few scant hours earlier in Bolantinople. Lister was not much better off and she sensed it when he sat down next to her.

"This is insane," Pirotase said, "We're surrounded by psychopaths."

"The average person is a product of their environment," Lister said, "The Bolantines have cultivated this mindset for centuries. That's why these people are this way."

"Doesn't make it right," Pirotase reminded him, "Any more than living with Facie's excesses makes my country right."

"I'm not debating that point," Lister said, "But they see morality different than we do."

"How do you fight something like this?" Pirotase asked, "It is like they have had what makes them human sapped out of them, right down to the smallest child on the street."

"Our system will prevail," Lister said, "The bad thing about an environment like this is that it stifles creativity. They may be big, they may be bad, but the lion's share of them can't think their way out of a paper bag. Bolantine has to keep them stupid to keep them from wanting their freedom."

"So where are we going?" Pirotase sighed, "I mean if they're planning on moving soon... I don't like Facie, but I think I'd almost fight in his army to keep these lunatics from taking over."

"Our best bet is to make our way back to Mullinix," Lister said, "According to the train schedule this goes all the way out to what they call Western Command. We'll follow it out there and see if we can figure out where we are compared to where we need to go. Worst case we head west until we hit the ocean and then follow the coast north until we get to Damascas."

"That could take weeks," Pirotase said.

"We'll figure it out when we get there," Lister said, "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," Pirotase sighed, "Just stay with me, I guess."

"You and I are a team," Lister said, "Much as I dislike the Bolantines now, you are my first priority. We go together or we do not go at all."

"I like the sound of that," Pirotase said, "We've got an hour to Cradam and a few more to western command... Prove it."

"With pleasure," Lister grinned.

Chapter 66 - Slinking Away

"I can't believe I agreed to do this," Rav Suvorov said as he donned the black suit, "There are only four of us left, Medo. Trina will have my balls if I leave you here."

"We can cover your absence," Medo told him, "You have more experience surviving on your own in adverse conditions. Jim would get lost before he went twenty miles."

"Not to mention I don't speak a word of Siraqi," Jim told him, "I can coerce a Siraqi guard to fill your spot."

"Medo and I can't change our faces," Simon said, "You're the only choice."

"Doesn't make me like it," Suvorov said, "What do I tell Trina?"

"Tell her you were following my orders," Medo said, "Let them know about Bolantine and set Hardin and the rebels loose. It's the best thing we can do for this nation now."

"How much leeway do they have?" Suvorov asked.

"Don't force anyone," Medo said, "Let the pieces fall where they may. You are to decapitate this government. If they want to join Mullinix, let them. If they do not, let them form their own duchy. This government will no longer be a valid one."

"We'll be here to get you as soon as we can," Suvorov promised, "Just stay alive until I get here with Hardin's group."

"We plan on it," Jim said, "There are still two wildcards out there."

"Mason and Karen," Medo said, "I refuse to rely on them though."

"Good plan," Suvorov said, "Don't rely on an unfamiliar quantity."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jim grinned, "This is your world and we're just along for the ride."

"Let's pull the switch," Jim said, "How many guards out there?"

"One," Medo said, doing a quick life scan through the wall, "I guess that one is our goat."

"I'll do it," Jim said, "I will probably do less damage to the lad than you will."

Jim used his own scan, which after centuries of practice was far more detailed than Medoferro's, to find out which direction the guard was looking. He then slid out the door and let a controlled bolt hit the guard behind the head, overloading his nervous system and sending him unconscious to the floor. Suvorov came out the door quickly and picked up the young man, dragging him into the room.

"Do your stuff, Jim," Medo said, "Sooner we do this, the sooner Rav can get out of here."

"I will spend about an hour putting rudimentary commands in this kid's head," Jim said, "Suvorov doesn't have to wait for me to do this. We'll claim he's sleeping if anyone comes in."

"That's your cue," Medo told Suvorov, "Steal a horse, bike or train and get over the border. The faster, the better."

"Right," Suvorov nodded, "Good luck guys. I'll see you in a few days."

"Count on it," Simon grinned, "We'll be here waiting."

Suvorov nodded and headed off down the hallway. The guards were light inside the palace and he had an easy time making it to the outdoors. The others closed the door behind him and started to work on outfitting the young guard to take Suvorov's place.

"How much permanent damage will this do?" Medo asked Entragian.

"None," Jim said honestly, "It will leave him open to me for life, but once I release him he will have no memory of what happened."

"Sounds insidious," Simon said, "One serious lack of ethics."

"Power use can be used for bad things," Jim admitted, "Bolantine's people have made a study of it. I won't be opening his mind or running through it. I'll just be letting him sleep for a few days until we no longer need him. He will wake up and not remember a thing. So long as the Bolantines don't kill him he won't have any ill effects."

"Do it," Medoferro said, "I want Suvorov to get as much of a head start as possible before Bolantine sends the Siraqi military after him."

"Do you realize you just ordered a war?" Simon said to his old friend while Jim worked on the control techniques, "We've come a long way, you know that?"

"I didn't want to," Medo said, "But can we live with this threat here?"

"No," Simon agreed, "But ten years ago you and I were sitting in a bar shuddering at the thought of us doing things like this."

"I was scared to death of it," Medo nodded, "And I'm sure I'll have nightmares tonight."

"Come here, Medo," Jim said, interrupting the thought process, "You did what you had to do. I will key you into his controls in case I need help controlling him."

"Will the instructions hold if you don't have contact?" Simon asked, "We can't do active power use in front of Bolantine."

"Short bursts give him instructions," Jim told them, "He will follow along and do his usual guard routine unless told otherwise. I've pushed the instructions and he will only answer to me and once I key him in, to Medoferro."

"Why not Simon?" Medo asked.

"Because Simon has all the control of a train going down a mountain," Jim said, "He'd fry the kid's head just by trying to give a gentle command."

"No argument there," Simon said, "I'm more useful as a power feed than for anything else."

"At least you know your limitations," Jim said, "That's one thing that most people do not."

"Ok," Medo relented, "Show me what I need to do."

While Medo spent his time learning how to command the young guard using his mind, Rav Suvorov was slipping out of palace compound. The palace was far better designed as a defensive structure than it was at keeping people inside. The guards were easy to pass and by the time Medoferro mastered the control techniques Suvorov was a half mile away from the palace and moving easily away.

"That was too easy," Suvorov said to himself, "Best to put some miles between me and the palace before daylight."

He started walking eastward, knowing that any guards would be expecting him to make for the river. The river was fine for navigation, but the area around it was terrible for horse or foot travel. He figured he could make twice the speed by going east and sticking to the Plains north of the river, crossing into the southeast corner of Serenia and entering Mullinix near Hulkensuxor. He just hoped he could do it fast enough.

Luck was with him that night. He found a farm after an hour of jogging and slipped into the gated area. It was not prosperous by any sort, but then after years of Bolantine strangling the economy for his project up north there was very little prosperity to be had anywhere in Siraq. Suvorov felt bad about contemplating theft, but he knew that these people would be better off once the Bolantines lost their grip on this land.

He found the horse barn and was gratified that there were several stallions left in there. Using a horse would triple his speed and his usefulness afterwards. He made a note of the name of the place so he could bring the horse or payment for the horse back from Mullinix later on. He rummaged around looking for saddle gear when he heard movement.

"Who's there?" a gruff voice asked in Siraqi.

Suvorov said nothing. He figured he'd wait it out and hope he didn't get caught. Unfortunately, the old man's eyes were adept and caught him. He aimed the bolt gun at Suvorov's head and ordered him out.

"You'd better start praying boy," the old man said in Siraqi, "I usually shoot thieves."

"I'm just trying to make it home," Suvorov said in heavily accented Siraqi, "I just escaped from the palace."

"Escaped from it?" the old man said, "That accent is Mullinix, isn't it?"

"Yes," Suvorov admitted, deciding to see if he might have an ally, "I came in with the Mullinix contingent. My name is Suvorov."

"Heh," the old man said, "The Mullinix are just propping up the stupidity put in by the old king."

"We're tired of the bullshit too," Suvorov said, "That's why Medoferro came in. He was hoping to find out why the king was mismanaging so much."

"Lord Endicott," the old man spat, "That's why."

"I know that now," Suvorov said, "That's why I'm trying to get back to Mullinix."

"I can't let you take the prize steed," the old man said, "It's all I got left."

"I just need transportation," Suvorov said, "The sooner I get back to Mullinix, the sooner our troops can march here. Medoferro won't stand for this."

"I'll make you a deal," the old man said, relying on his guts and the professionalism he recognized in Suvorov's eyes, "Take my daughter and my grandson with you. They're the only family I have left and I don't want them lost either in the war to come or to Endicott's policies. They'll be safer in Mullinix than they are here."

"How old is the grandson?" Suvorov asked.

"Two months," the old man said, "Take them and get them someplace safe."

"If you have another bolt gun," Suvorov smiled, "I'll take them and set them up in a house on the Mullinix side of the border. They will have to pass citizenship, but I'll watch over them until you either come over or it's safe for them to come back."

"Deal," the old man smiled, "Let me get them up. Take what you need. I should be able to provide enough food to make it so you don't need to stop. I take it you're heading east to avoid the troop buildup in the south?"

"Yes," Suvorov nodded, "I plan on entering near Hulkensuxor and taking a train the rest of the way."

"Good," the old man said, "Go with the gods. I'll get everything ready."

Suvorov smiled at his luck. It wouldn't be easy with a woman and child, but they would make for excellent cover. He considered the price well worth it and made mental note to tell Tom Hardin about this man so they'd have a reasonable contact in this area. Suvorov waited a few minutes for the old man to come out.

"This is my daughter Rachelia," he said, "Mr. Suvorov will take you and the baby to Mullinix."

"Can we trust him daddy?" Rachelia asked, "I mean he was trying to steal..."

"I recognize his type," the old man said, "He's Mullinix guard. The eyes don't lie. Besides, now that I see his face all the way I can tell he's the one that Jobus worked for when he was running info over to the Mullinix, before Lord Endicott had him strung up."

"So that's what happened to Jobus," Suvorov sighed, "I thought he'd lost the stomach for the job."

"He lost his life for it," the old man said, "Take care of my daughter. You owe it to Jobus anyway. Rachelia was his wife."

"Nice to meet you," Suvorov said, "Let's mount up. I want to make as many tracks as I can before sunrise."

Rachelia nodded. She mounted with the baby and took her single sack with a few possessions. The old man waved goodbye as they rode away into the moonlight. He then went to bed and toasted his luck and prayed to his gods for the safety of all of them.

Chapter 67 - The Morning Comes...

"There's movement, Medo," Jim said, "We should get up before they do anything."

"Get yourself in uniform," Medoferro said, "I am going to try to play stupid for a while, see if we can give Suvorov some time to get back."

"See if Bolantine will string this out for a bit," Simon agreed, "Works for me."

Medoferro walked out with his people following them. It had been so long since an actual state visit had happened that no one really knew the protocol anymore. The Siraqi soldiers themselves were not overly attentive, especially since they did not know Lord Endicott's plans for the Mullinix contingent.

Medoferro looked around the palace and was surprised to see it as dirty as it was. There were a lot of spaces that looked like they had been used for various art objects that were just empty. Most of the gold had been taken away and probably used for Bolantine's purposes.

"But I do not want to take it," the Siraqi king said loudly across the yard, "I have taken all my medicines."

"I must insist sire," Corie said, fumbling a bit of it trying to get the king to swallow the liquid, "You will never get better if you don't..."

The king cleared his throat as he saw the Mullinix contingent come out. Corie slid the medicine into his pocket and put on his best fake smile as Medoferro and the rest came walking over.

"Greetings Mullinix," Corie said, "I trust you slept well?"

"Very nice..." Medoferro trailed, trying to remember this man's name.

"I am Lord Corie," he said, bowing, "We met briefly but were not introduced. I am the king's assistant."

"Much as I claim I do not need one," the king said impatiently, "I should be in doing my usual paperwork."

"Paperwork," Medoferro said, letting off a knowing smile, "The bane of any civilized government."

"Lord Endicott is doing it, sire," Corie said to the king, "He does not mind doing it. You have earned your rest, sire."

"Quite," the king said, "Please excuse me, dear Mullinix. I must go take my medicine and rest a bit before court."

The king and Lord Corie walked away. Jim Entragian went over to the spot that was dropped on the concrete walkway and tasted a little. He spit out the bit of dirt that came with it and shook his head as the bitter taste of the medicine overwhelmed his tongue for a moment.

"No wonder he's like that," Entragian said, spitting the rest out, "That's pure mellemaic."

"Not that shit again," Simon groaned.

"You know it?" Jim asked, "Where did someone as young as you learn about it?"

"That's what LaPorte's doctor friend used to kill Massimaferro," Medoferro explained, "We know it too well. I've long had standing orders in Mullinix that it is no longer to be stocked in any Mullinix medico center."

"Good policy," Jim said, "Nasty stuff."

"Doesn't help us," Simon said, "What do we do now?"

"Go inside," Medoferro said, "At least we know Lord Corie is one of Bolantine's men."

"Let's just hope that he plans to string us on a while," Simon said, "Come on, Jim. Bring the automaton and let's go."

The four of them walked into the dining room to find the King sitting with Bolantine at the breakfast table. Food was laid out on the table waiting for all of them. Medoferro took the place of honor as indicated and waited for the King to start the meal. The king did so and both Medo and Simon started eating. Jim drank a bit of water through his helmet to avoid showing his face.

"Well," the king said, "I guess we should finalize that trade deal so you can go home."

"You forgot about what we talked about yesterday, didn't you?" Medoferro said, breaking into his food, "There is more to this than just trade."

"It is always about trade," The king shrugged, "Right Endicott?"

"Most of the time," Bolantine smiled, "Lord Corie, why don't you take the king for his morning walk. I think Mullinix Medoferro and I need to talk for a bit."

"I won't take your insubordination!" the king said, but went quiet as soon as Corie injected him with a serum.

"That's a good king," Corie said, "I'll put him to bed and be back in a few, Lord Endicott."

"Yes," Bolantine said, smiling, "Right about the time that we need to put these meddling Mullinix into the brig."

"You're delusional," Medoferro said, "You touch us and you start a war you can't win."

"I don't care if the Siraqis win it," Bolantine said, "Your dumb act isn't fooling me. You recognized me yesterday, didn't you, Jim?"

"You're still as ugly as ever Bolantine," Jim said, grinning from behind his helmet.

"You won't get away with this, Bolantine," Simon said, removing the ruse for good, "The people won't put up with you once they know what a monster you are."

"Pity you won't be here to see the war," Bolantine said, "It should be a good one."

Medoferro picked up a knife from the table and hurled it at Bolantine, catching him in the throat. He fell backwards gurgling. It took a moment and he pulled himself up. Medoferro and Simon watched in horror as the wound healed around the knife and continued to do so as Bolantine pulled it out of his own throat.

"Good throw," Bolantine croaked and then coughed before regaining his normal voice, "Surely your friend Entragian told you how pointless physical attacks on me are?"

"It still is fun to see," Jim chuckled, "All these centuries and you are still a petty tyrant, Bolantine. Do you think you're going to win this?"

"I'm not through yet," Bolantine said, "But your Mullinix friends are. I judge you have approximately three hours to live."

"You've tried to get rid of me before, Bolantine," Jim said, "What makes you think you'll do any better this time?"

"I'll figure something out to keep you out of my hair for a while," Bolantine laughed, "But again, you've got some time."

Corie walked into the room and looked at the bloodstained knife in Bolantine's hand. He shook his head and went over, picking up the rest of the knives off the table.

"I think we can do without any more temptations," Corie said, "I thought they'd be out already?"

"You were quicker than I expected," Bolantine said, "They will pass out in a moment."

"What?" Medoferro said, "Pass out?"

"Oh shit," Simon said, starting to feel drowsy, "The food!"

"The water, actually," Bolantine smiled, "Sweet dreams, boys."

The three of them were out within moments. The masqueraded guard went out as well. Corie looked over at his boss for further instructions on what to do with them.

"Put them in the cells in the bauxite block," Bolantine said, "Then check on your friend. See if he is ready to entertain me."

"I'm sure we won't have a problem," Corie said, "I just got the dispatch from Mullinix. It seems that my old agent is a pedophile and child murderer. Medoferro himself was the one that beat on him."

"This should make for an interesting fight then," Bolantine grinned, "Put our four friends in the cells. I'll deal with them after I deal with the dispatches from up north."

"Very well, Emperor Bolantine," Corie said, using Bolantine's rightful title.

"Not yet," Bolantine said, smiling inwardly, "Not until I return home. Lord Endicott will do until then. Best not to break character until we're where we belong."

Corie nodded and grabbed some guards to drag the Mullinix contingent down to the dungeons.

Chapter 68 - Skolnik Resistance

"It is a pleasure to see you again," Colonel Arthur Talgal said to Trinaferro, "What brings you back so soon, Mullinix?"

"Siraq," Trinaferro said simply, "We need to have a chat about the resistance elements that are being funded through Skolnik and Ralton."

"I have nothing to do with that," Art said, "I just run the Mullinix public services like I'm supposed to."

"Bullshit," Tom Hardin said, "You'd be as incompetent as that fool you put in Massimaferro village if that were true."

"Listen Art," Trina said, "I'm not here to give you trouble about it. We have real problems in Siraq that need to be fixed, and we might need their help."

"Siraq is a festering sore," Talgal said, "If you are thinking about propping up that moron running their government, you won't get any help here."

"It isn't our place to meddle," Trina told him, "Medoferro went up there to try to figure out what went wrong. The king is a bastard, but do you want a war to remove him?"

"I want a just peace on both sides of the border," Talgal said, "I've had to watch the overruns from that place for years. They were complicit in the murder of Massimaferro, yet you worked with them anyway."

"They are bastards," Hardin said, "But we can't invade every bastard around us. We'd be fighting wars to the end of time."

"I know that," Talgal said, "But we can help them help themselves."

"Like I said, Art," Trina said, "That's why we're up here. Medoferro is across the border trying to determine what has happened. Tom Hardin is organizing a force that may be used to help in that overthrow if Medoferro can't fix it peacefully."

"So what do you want?" Talgal said, "I won't leave the freedom fighters to be hung out to dry."

"If Medo does not come back in another week and a half I'm sending Hardin's force on a capital strike," Trina told them, "Maybe sooner if he does come back or if word comes back that they need help."

"You're kidding?" Talgal said, "It's progressed that much?"

"Medo doesn't want this to become a problem like Cirrus did," Trina said, "If the government doesn't stabilize southern Siraq, we're going to have to so we can continue using the river trade route to Sotanberg."

"I'm all for that," Talgal said, "How can I help?"

"Get the resistance prepared," Trina said honestly, "I don't have enough people to take the whole country, nor do I want to occupy Siraq. We will be taking the capital to put the corrupt government out of business and taking River Fortress to assure our use of the river."

"That's where the resistance comes in," Hardin said, "If we go in it means relations with that government are completely severed and I'm being set loose. If the resistance wants to organize people and have them petition for Mullinix annexation, not to mention organize guerilla attacks on the Siraqi government troops..."

"You want the added distraction," Talgal said, nodding, "Do I have your word that if you give the order it will not be rescinded."

"Yes," Trina said, "If it goes that far and we have to drop the hammer, we're going to do it right."

"And we will allow any secession requests?" Talgal asked.

"Within reason," Trina said, "We're not going to create a polyglot border out of this. If some of the southern sections up to the river want to become full Mullinix, we will not object provided they agree to follow Mullinix law and go through the citizenship requirements."

"I'm sure I can get the underground working," Talgal smiled, "A week and a half?"

"Maybe sooner," Trina said, "No one does anything until Medoferro, Insegniferro or I give the order. Probably me, but you know how this goes."

"I'll get the ball started," Talgal promised, "But don't expect to be able to stop this if Medoferro decides to let sleeping dogs lie."

"That's why I'm here," Trina assured him, "We're not letting sleeping dogs lie. This is getting taken care of. One way or another."

"Ok," Talgal nodded, "I'll make the contacts. It'll take a week or so to set things in motion anyway."

"No one goes in until we do," Hardin said, "That's a must. I need to know I'm not fighting resistance, just royalists."

"Not a problem," Talgal said, "If we give the order they'll be working south of the river. North of the river is your problem."

"Works for me," Hardin said, "Looks like I'd best start drilling for it."

"Thanks Art," Trinaferro said, "Let's hope I don't have to order this."

"We'll be ready," Talgal said, "The rest is up to you."

That was what worried Trinaferro. She did not want to be the one to have to order this.

Chapter 69 - Serenia

"Where are we?" Rachelia asked as they stopped and drank from a stream, "Feels as though we've been traveling forever."

"I think we've crossed over into Serenia," Suvorov said, "The signs we've seen have been changing from Siraqi script to Serenik script. The religious content is becoming more prevalent on it."

"I've heard about the religion here," Rachelia said, "Are we in any danger?"

"They don't care for either Mullinix or Siraqi," Suvorov said honestly, "But if we're cutting through and working on leaving usually they will just let you go."

"Usually?" Rachelia said.

"Nothing is for sure in this part of the world," Suvorov chuckled, "Serenia gives new meaning to the word zealotry. But you do what you can."

"What is waiting for me in Mullinix?" Rachelia asked him, "I know you didn't want to be burdened with me."

"Listen," Suvorov said, "If I'd known Jobus had been executed I would have sent someone to at least provide for you before now. I don't mind bringing you back to Mullinix. Jobus helped us in many ways and we take care of our own. You will get a full widow's pension when we get in country. That much I promise you. It won't be a princely sum, but it will be enough for you to live and take care of your son. Supplement it with a skill, which we'll educate you for if need be, and you will do all right for yourself there."

"I can't wait," she smiled, "Thank you for doing this."

"I hear someone moving," Suvorov said, not wanting to deal with gratitude, "Finish up your feeding. Let's get moving. I don't want to stay in Serenia any longer than I have to."

They didn't get a chance to do anything, however, as an armed Serenian patrol came towards them. Suvorov breathed a bit to calm down and gave Rachelia a look that told her to remain quiet.

"Where are you from?" the guard asked in Serenik, the official language of Serenia.

"Mullinix," Suvorov said in accented Serenik, remembering that lying was worse than the truth with the Serenians, "I was trapped in Siraq and am trying to get home."

"Running from the law?" the guard asked.

"I did nothing illegal," Suvorov said, "The corrupt government in Siraq is up to something that my government needs to know about."

"Come with me," the guard said, "You are Suvorov the spy. You will talk to my commander."

"We will come peacefully," Suvorov said, "We want nothing more than passage to Mullinix."

"Weapons?" guard asked.

"Bolt gun," Suvorov said, "In my pack. I will take it out as you wish."

"Leave pack on horse, keep hands in sight," the guard said.

"Very well," Suvorov nodded and switched to Mullinix, "Follow my instructions. We are safe for now. They want us to talk to his commander. Do nothing hostile."

"Ok," Rachelia said, gulping a little and holding on to her son.

They got onto their horses and followed along for the ten-mile trip to the guard center. The guards bowed to the statue of their God as they entered the encampment. Suvorov knew not to follow suit, as false worship was a grave insult to the Serenians.

"You will talk to commander now," the guard said.

"Certainly," Suvorov said, "Could I purchase some milk for the baby? I have Mullinix Gold Coins."

"Children are honored guests," the guard said, "We will provide milk for the child."

"Thank you," Suvorov said, "Through there?"

"Yes," the guard said, "The girl and child can wait here for you."

Suvorov nodded and smiled at Rachelia. This was not normal procedure for the Serenians, but he was not going to argue it at this point. He just hoped he could get out and get back to Mullinix if things went sour. He walked into the office and saw a face that he recognized.

"Rav Suvorov," Marlintic Sernak said, "You should have known better than to come back to Serenia."

"I'm not here to cause trouble, Marlintic," Suvorov said, remembering his last dealings with this man, "We do not have any operations working here, nor do we care to. You are a peaceful people, and so are we."

"So why are you here with a Siraqi woman and child?" Sernak asked him, "What purpose does this serve?"

"The girl is the wife of one of my agents, Marlintic," Suvorov told him, "As for me, I escaped from the castle in Siraq. I'm going to let them know what is going on over there."

"Perhaps you should share the information with me as a gesture of goodwill, Rav," Sernak smiled, "We've had concerns about this too."

"Do you guarantee passage for Rachelia, her child and myself if I share?" Suvorov asked him.

"I swear on the gods," Sernak said, something that no Serenian took lightly, "We are adversaries, Rav, but we have no quarrel with you or your people. But, if you are planning on taking Siraq..."

"We plan on removing the Bolantines," Suvorov told him, "Not on raw conquest."

Suvorov spent a good twenty minutes explaining what he had found out about the Bolantine subversion of the Siraqi government. Marlintic Sernak took notes on this and decided to test the waters for some policy that the government was working on.

"This explains a lot," Marlintic said, "We have been making inroads on preaching the true religion to the Siraqi infidels. Will your government oppose us in this?"

"We do not interfere in free will," Suvorov said, "I cannot make any deals, but if some areas of the north want to join Serenia, we will likely not care. So long as the Bolantines are sent back to their empire in the south with their tails between their legs, we do not care who rules these people so long as it is with their consent."

"I would like to further discuss this with you," Sernak said, "But I realize that you need to deliver your message to your Mullinix. Your information is worth passage and the food. Feel free to join our soldiers for your dinner, Suvorov. Your horses have been tended to and the bad shoes on one of them will be repaired while you eat."

"Thank you Marlintic," Suvorov said, "Civility is always preferable to conflict."

"That is true," Sernak smiled, "Besides, we will make good use of this information."

Suvorov could not bring himself to care at this point. Even a Serenian religious dictatorship would be better for the average Siraqi than their current government was. He had been to Serenia numerous times and while he would not care to live under a religious dogma that oppressive himself, he respected the fact that they cared about their people.

"I am sure you will," Suvorov said, "Of that I have no doubt."

Rachelia looked relieved when she saw Suvorov walking out under his own power. She had been sitting there for nearly a half hour alone, with little but the bottle of milk a guard had brought in.

"We're fine," Suvorov told her, "An old adversary had kept an eye out for me. I shared some information, they are pleased with that. They are resoling your horse and we will get a meal with their soldiers. After that bit of rest, we'll make a straight shot for Hulkensuxor. We've been granted leave to pass through."

"Thank the gods," Rachelia said.

"Don't say that too loud here," Suvorov warned, "This meal will be tricky. Bow your head when I do, mime what I say. We do not want to offend our hosts."

True to Sernak's word they were fed and the horse had been taken care of and was in much better shape than it had been when they arrived. Their tack had been refurbished and they were provided with some dried provisions as well as border passes to go into Mullinix at the Hulkensuxor crossing.

"Twelve more hours," Suvorov said, "Maybe longer if we need to stop to rest."

"Then what?" Rachelia asked him.

"Then your new life begins," Suvorov said, "And I go back to Siraq."

"Thank you," she said.

"Don't thank me until we get there," Suvorov said, "Let's get moving before Marlintic changes his mind."

Chapter 70 - Forward Command

"Looks like the trains are only going to a place they call Forward Command," Lister Black said as they stepped off the train, "Why would they reroute the entire train service?"

"Why would the people take it?" Pirotase said, raising another question, "Notice that nobody griped about it, despite the fact that we are a good hundred miles or more off the track."

"I'd like to know the same," Lister said, "According to the maps we are not far from the Mavelan border."

"Maybe we should look around," Pirotase said, "I don't think I want to try our ID's on the train again so soon."

"The place looks like a military encampment," Lister said, "Ok. We need to look around, see what we can see. We'll hitch on to a train going out if we need to."

"Or head overland," Pirotase said, "If we can get enough water we can go around the edge of Damascas and go back into West Mavelans."

"Works for me," Lister said, "Or we keep going and head up the coast to Mullinix Oasis."

"We need uniforms," Pirotase said, "We will stick out like a sore thumb here."

"Let's slip into the changing station," Lister said, "Let's see what we can find."

Internally the security was a bit on the lax side, mainly because the Bolantines did not expect anyone to come in from the train side. Spies usually did not do well in the empire. It was sheer luck that Lister and Pirotase had lasted as long as they had.

"This is a major buildup," Lister said quietly, "Look at all the people around here."

"Something has them in a tizzy," Pirotase agreed, then saw a load of clothing, "Let's go make that stack a bit lighter."

Lister nodded and covered them both with his large body as Pirotase removed some uniforms, brand new from the factory with cards instructing new recruits on how to wear them.

"What do we do with our stuff?" Pirotase asked him, "We'll be conspicuous carrying those cases around."

"Leave it on the train," Lister said, "Easy come, easy go. Take a bag with the traveling clothes in case we have to shed these uniforms."

The uniforms came with ready travel kits, both male and female. The Bolantine army was easily one of the most organized and professional entities either of them had ever seen. The Mullinix were close, but nothing they had experienced had gotten them near a war machine this efficient.

"Thoughtful," Lister said, changing into the clothing in a back room, "Efficient as all hell. You know what is going to happen if they go north?"

"The Mavelans will cease to exist," Pirotase said simply, "Facie's army can't handle this. He doesn't have it in him to organize this well."

"I just can't figure out if this is normal buildup for them," Lister started, "Or if they are planning on going north."

"Let's look around," Pirotase said, "See how far we can get before someone questions us."

"Stand rigid and look purposeful," Lister told her, "Looks like they train the life out of their soldiers. That could help us too. These kids are more like automatons than they are people."

"Ok, Let's go," Pirotase said.

The two of them walked purposefully around the base, trying to get the feel of life in a Bolantine Military encampment. The training was incessant and there was very little conversation. Everything was organized and most people were paying attention to their own tasks.

"The big building," Lister said quietly, "Let's look around."

Pirotase nodded and followed along. Being large and yellow-skinned was not abnormal in this area, which was a good thing for them. Approximately half of the inhabitants of the base looked similar to Lister and Pirotase, though Pirotase still looked a bit on the underfed side.

The two of them walked in to the building and met guards in the front room. Pirotase looked at Lister but kept her face neutral. The Bolantine uniforms did not seem to have any discernable rankings to them, but they fit in. They were slightly different from the other ones, but either not enough to notice or were something respected.

"Name and rank," the guard said.

"Ricardo Shoenstein," Lister lied, using a name he picked off a roster earlier, "My partner is Alania Mosteino."

"You are here to see the commandant?" the guard asked and looked at the uniforms, "Bolantinople messenger contingent?"

Lister thought for a moment and decided to go along with it. He figured it would not be out of the ordinary for people to come in directly off the trains to see the commandant, especially if they were easily identifiable.

"I have my orders," Lister said, using a stoic expression.

The guard nodded, accepting this. He opened the door and pointed inside. The guard did not offer directions, as he figured that if they were what they were dressed as they should know the way.

"That was too easy," Pirotase said, "Messenger contingent?"

"My guess is that they deliver orders," Lister said, "We'll have to see if we can lift a book on their rank structure. We will look around quickly and depart as soon as possible. I don't like this. We will take a wrong step soon."

"Agreed," Pirotase said, "Let's dodge into the office."

Lister and Pirotase went into one of the offices and heard more movement. They went into a closet and hid among the coats as a group of people sat down at the table.

"General Kosins," one man said, "Any instructions from the Immortal Emperor?"

"Nothing new," the general replied, "We are to continue to hone the edge and gear up for invasion within the next six weeks to six months."

"So why are we here?" another man asked.

"Security," the general said, "I want a new pass system set up. This camp has grown too big for the usual methods. The empire has never fielded an army of this size before. We can't memorize everyone by sight anymore. I want passes made and issued."

"We can do that," someone said, "The recon units are reporting that Facie is building up their forces in the south, even have left the Mullinix border unprotected."

"That will work in our favor," the general said, "Especially once we perfect that sand crawler out west. Any word on that?"

"They have the basic bugs worked out of the tank design," someone said, "The power source is still a bit underpowered. We should have it in wide production if we have six months. If less we will have some, but they will not be as effective."

"I don't believe this," Pirotase whispered to Lister, "We've caught the mother lode."

Lister nodded and strained to listen to what people were saying. A lot of it was technical and used words that either differed from Mullinix standard or did not exist in Mullinix standard language. By the end of the hour long meeting Lister and Pirotase had learned enough to scare them both.

"They are going for a double shot," Lister said, "They are planning to use Damascas to flank Facie's army."

"We already know they are outnumbered at least two to one," Pirotase said, "Facie is an idiot, but his troops will be slaughtered. That's a lot of innocent Mavelan lives."

"We need to get back to Mullinix," Lister said, "Now."

"We go north we're dead," Pirotase said, "They're watching that border like a hawk."

"Sounds like there are regular trains heading out to another post just outside Damascas," Lister said, "Let's go see if we can hop one. Maybe we can find our way out from there."

"I'm following you," Pirotase said, "This is more than just you and me now."

"Right," Lister agreed, "The Mullinix will care about this. They don't want the Bolantines on their doorstep anymore than we wanted to fight Facie in the first place."

The two of them managed to get out of the building and keep scarce until they found the train heading west. It took a bit of doing, but they managed to hide in a baggage compartment on the train heading west.

Chapter 71 - The Bauxite Arena

Medoferro rubbed his eyes and tried to move, but found that his arms and legs were shackled, holding his body in place. He was in a dungeon and surprised to be alive. Bolantine had surpassed himself this time.

"Well," Medoferro said to himself, "At least I'm not dead yet."

He looked around as best he could and saw that the walls were made out of something that he did not quite recognize. Since he was not close enough to touch them he figured that it would not matter at this point and was something he could do after he'd pulled himself out of the shackles.

Medoferro tried to pull power from the area around him, like he'd been doing for nearly a decade, but found that the room was almost completely devoid of magnetic power. His own life force supplied him some, but not nearly enough to power through a steel lock.

"I see you are awake, young Mullinix," Corie said from outside the cage, "Your recuperative powers are astounding. Your friend Simon is still out from the effects."

"You won't get away with this, Corie," Medoferro told him, "Where are the others?"

"Locked up like you are," Corie said, "Don't bother trying your power use. You are in a bauxite cavern. You can't pull enough power to blow your nose down here."

"Lovely," Medoferro said, "I assume you have some dastardly plot going on here."

"Oh we do," Corie nodded, "I'm sure you will enjoy it. We certainly will."

Corie left Medoferro alone to contemplate what was going on, though it did not take long for him to come back for Medoferro. Two guards with bolt guns came in and aimed at Medoferro's head.

"We are going to release your chains," Corie said, "Attack and they will kill you. I assure you that without your power use their bolts will perforate you."

"This ought to be fun," Medoferro said.

"We decided on a reunion," Corie said, "We have the games ready to begin. We just need your presence, Mullinix."

Medoferro followed along, knowing his odds were better if he was not injured by an errant bolt. The cavern opened up into an arena type place, one that was completely carved out of the solid bauxite deposit that rested underneath the Siraqi castle.

"Welcome to the Bauxite Arena," Bolantine called out from the King's box, "Very few men have been honored to have competed here. I'm told this arena has a storied history, at least it did until a petty moralist back in the twelfth century decided that blood contests were immoral."

"You've decided to resurrect the games I see," Medoferro said, "So you pit me against a monster and hope it kills me?"

"Excellent wording," Bolantine smiled, "I think Monster may well be the appropriate term for young Medoferro's opponent, don't you think?"

"I'm sure he would agree," Corie nodded, "Shouldn't we have his friends here to watch, however? I'm told that Simon has now rejoined reality."

"Put them in the chains," Bolantine ordered, "It's time for me to talk to Mr. Entragian anyway."

Medoferro was led to a cage on the edge of the arena. The bars were thick enough that he could not get a clear view of his opponent. He could see through the sides as Simon, Jim and the duplicate guard were put into chains.

"I think Mr. Entragian and Mr. Suvorov have hidden behind masks long enough," Bolantine said, "Remove their helmets please."

Jim Entragian smiled as his helmet was removed, his eyes glaring at Bolantine from across the room. The hatred between the two men was epic, something that could only be bred across centuries of conflict. The real surprise for Bolantine and Corie came when the helmet was removed from the other guard.

"That's not Suvorov," Bolantine said, "I've seen pictures of Suvorov and that is not him."

"That is one of our guards," Corie said, "Where is Rav Suvorov?"

"I'd say probably most of the way back to Mullinix by now," Jim Entragian smiled, "The Mullinix Army will be driving your ass back to your petty empire before the end of the week, Bolantine."

"Crafty," Bolantine said, nodding at the apparent success of the Mullinix, "Too bad your friends won't be here to see it."

"What do you want me to do, Sire?" Corie asked, "I can send out people for him."

"If he has any sense he's crossed into Serenia already," Bolantine said, "Send word for the contingency plan to take place. The dig is almost done anyway. Once we dispose of these Mullinix we can go up and finish it. These savages can fight the Serenians for what is left of this pathetic hunk of land."

"The best laid plans," Medoferro mumbled.

"And them?" Corie said, pointing at Medoferro, Simon and Jim Entragian.

"Let the fight commence," Bolantine said, "By all means. The Mullinix can't use his power here and his opponent has already been pumped up for the job."

"You know you can't kill me," Jim said, "You've tried before."

"That is true," Bolantine agreed, "But I can put you in a cell and leave you there. You'll be there for years before anyone realizes you're there. Corie, go ahead and open the gates for a lovely family reunion."

Corie did as he was told and both arena gates opened, revealing the battlers. Medoferro's shock was complete and total when he saw Travis Steele's maniacal grin coming across the arena at him.

"How the hell?" Medoferro said, "You're supposed to have been tried in Mullinix Centre days ago!"

"I got away," Travis said, cracking his neck, "I had planned to come here and get work, but they decided I needed another crack at you."

"I won once," Medoferro said, "I will do so again."

Jim Entragian looked over at Simon who was hanging next to him. Corie was across the arena and looking at the two men who were squaring off in the Arena. He risked talking to Simon straight because he knew he wouldn't have much power to use when the time came.

"Simon," Jim said, "How tight are your shackles?"

"Tight," Simon said, "You?"

"Same," Jim said, "But this is a stupid way to restrain someone who doesn't mind breaking his own bones."

"You're going to try to get out," Simon said, "Can you use power in here?"

"If Medo kills Travis I should be able to pull a burst from that," Jim told him, "That should be enough for me to push my way out and take Medo with me. I don't know if I can get you out of those shackles though."

"Don't try," Simon told him, "Get Medo out of here. Mullinix needs him. They can replace me."

"Somehow I doubt that, man," Jim said, "But if I get Medo out, they won't kill you right off. Bolantine will hold you for leverage."

"Just so long as you get him back to Trina in one piece," Simon said, "Cause if you don't, my ass is as good as dead anyway."

"We won't be much better off," Jim said dryly, "Even if we do escape Bolantine will have half the Siraqi army on our ass."

"I'm worried about that dig Bolantine has going on," Simon said, "Take a crack at that?"

"Good idea," Jim said, "And if you are here to greet the Mullinix invasion force you can direct them up there."

"Good luck, Jim," Simon said, "Let's hope you can do it."

"Right," Jim nodded, "I'm going to direct a message at Medo. I hope I have enough power to do it."

Medoferro squared off with Travis and tried to assess his opponent. Much as he wanted to go into Travis with angry fury, the old man's lessons came back to him. If he went in angry he would lose. Losing here meant he would die for sure.

"Medoferro," Jim pushed lightly into his mind.

Medoferro looked up at Jim, who nodded at him. Medoferro did not have the ability to answer, so Jim continued pushing at him with all the instructions he could manage into the short concise bursts he could manage with the limited power available.

"Fight him," Jim said, "He deserves to die anyway. His death will release energy I can use to get us out of here."

Medoferro was surprised and a bit disgusted by that, but it made sense. He had been around death enough times to realize that a death had some serious interaction with the local power. Medoferro did not think it was that much, but to an expert like Jim Entragian it could be just enough.

"Do it clean and quick when you do it," Jim said into his head, "A quick death will release cleaner than a slow one."

Medoferro shuddered at the thought, but knew that it wouldn't be an easy fight regardless. It was not possible to use power in the arena, but it looked as though someone had spent a bit of energy augmenting Travis for this fight. It wouldn't be the lopsided fight that happened in the government house. This was going to be a fight among equals.

"How does it feel, Travis?" Medoferro said as he approached, "I'd thought you'd sunk to the bottom of the depravity scale. Working for slime like Bolantine is even worse."

"It is all words," Travis said, his eyes showing he was not anywhere near sane anymore, "This time I will kill you."

"That is what you think," Medoferro said, "Come and try, baby raper."

Travis made the first move and attacked Medoferro with a lunging blow that missed completely. As a concession for age, Bolantine had decided to give the aging pedophile a sword and shield, leaving Medoferro unarmed for the battle.

"Big man, Travis," Medoferro said, "Can't even handle a real woman. Have to go for children."

"I won't take that from you!" Travis exclaimed and lunged in again.

Medoferro dodged it again, but it was closer this time. He decided that facing off against a superiorly armed enemy head on was not the best move and he decided to jog away from Travis for a bit to get a look at his surroundings.

Travis followed and tried to land a blow, but Medoferro was simply letting the older man tire himself out. Medoferro saw what he was looking for on the other side of the arena. He jogged over there with Travis in pursuit and stopped right under what he was looking at as his prize.

"Nowhere to run, Medoferro," Travis told him, "Need to fight me sometime."

"Come and get me," Medoferro grinned, taunting Travis, "Right here!"

Travis came in, this time doing a half-assed side swipe that Medoferro dodged. Travis' sword lodged briefly in the wall, long enough for Medoferro to jump up onto it and use it as a springboard to jump high enough to pull the flag and pole out of the holder some nine feet up.

Travis grunted and pulled the sword out of the soft bauxite, turning around to see Medoferro stripping the flag off the Iron flagpole and swinging it around in a proper fashion to get the feeling of the length and balance. The battle was about to turn, for Medoferro was now armed as well.

Jim Entragian watched the battle and started working his bones out of place. It took some pulling and grinding, but he managed to work his feet out of their manacles without the guards noticing it. Simon had to cringe at the self-discipline and pain Jim went through to free himself.

"Go Medo!" Simon yelled, "Kill the sorry bastard!"

Medoferro let off his first attack, scoring a minor hit in Travis's shoulder with the flagpole. Unfortunately, the end of the pole was blunted, so it was no use at all as a stabbing tool. Travis went after him again with another flurry of sword movements.

"Attack!" Bolantine yelled at Travis, "Don't stand there like an idiot! You have a sword! Cut those limbs off!"

Travis was emboldened by the support and knew he had nothing to look forward to if he did not win this fight. Unfortunately, Medoferro knew this as well and used Travis' excitement to his advantage. Medoferro knew that no amount of tampering would make Travis any younger or able to endure longer than Medoferro could.

"Come on, pedophile," Medoferro said, taunting his opponent, "You couldn't hit me if you wanted to!"

Bolantine and Corie watched the action intently. They often had fights like this back in the Empire as part of the desensitization program they'd had going for years. It was something Bolantine had missed spending years working his way up through the Siraqi ranks. This worked well for Jim Entragian, as they did not notice that he had freed one of his feet and was well on the way to freeing another.

Medoferro concentrated on parrying the flurry of attacks that came from Travis. Luckily for him Travis had not used a sword since his younger days in the guard, something that was long in his past. Medoferro had kept up his practice, one hour a day, because it gave him a break from the duties of ruling.

"You can't win," Travis said, making Medoferro chuckle, "Bolantine will kill you anyway."

"Maybe so," Medoferro nodded, "But at least I will have the pleasure of knowing that you won't rape another child."

Medoferro cemented that point by letting off a carefully placed shot to Travis Steele's nether regions, one that made all the color drain out of the older man's face. Medoferro pressed the shot and crushed Travis' testicles against the wall with an audible crunch, something that had even the immortals cringing.

"Take that," Medoferro said.

Travis regained his composure and screamed, raising the sword again to try to smack at Medoferro's head with it. Medoferro dodged the shot easily and let off a series of sidekicks that pretty well disabled his sword arm. Medoferro reversed the direction of the flagpole and smacked Travis in the nose with it, giving him a chance to completely dislodge the sword.

"We need to find him a better opponent, Corie," Bolantine sighed, "Your agent is turning out to be most disappointing."

"He is turning out to be a more capable man than most rulers," Corie agreed, "We have a group of prisoners I was going to have dispatched anyway. I can send them in there. Medoferro will tire eventually."

"Good idea, Corie," Bolantine nodded, "See to it."

While Corie went to get the prisoners sent into the arena Entragian pulled his other foot the whole way out. He did not intend to be in the room when the prisoners came in. He had loosened his hands and had them in a position that a quick pull would break the thumb and leave him completely loose. His feet had already regenerated from the break that had freed them so he was just waiting for Medo to finish off Travis.

"Finish it!" Jim pushed, though his power was weak, "Remove his head and be done with it!"

Medoferro did not hesitate this time. He scooped up the sword and knew that he had to do this quickly. Travis was barely on his feet, but he was trying to fend off Medoferro as best as he could. Medoferro got used to the feel of the sword that Travis had dropped as he chopped at the arm holding the shield.

"I can't catch a break with you!" Travis said, "Finish it!"

"Any last words, baby raper?" Medoferro asked him, looking his uncle directly in the eye.

"See you in hell," Travis said, smiling a malevolent bloody smile.

"You first," Medoferro said and did a solid chop, removing the pedophile's head and letting it roll on the floor.

Jim Entragian did not take the time to watch the head drop, he yanked his arms out of the chains and pulled in the bit of power that Medoferro released when he killed Travis Steele. He did a quick jump down into the arena and grabbed Medoferro.

"Hold on to me!" Jim exclaimed, "We're busting out!"

"Hey Bolantine!" Simon yelled, trying to keep his eyes off Medoferro and Jim, "Did your mother make you this cruel or did you kill her out of spite?"

Medoferro did what he was told. He was too tired to argue. Jim fed the power to his legs and managed to jump both of them ten feet into the air and over the railing. Bolantine did not see what happened for a moment, but Corie did when he entered the room.

"How did he get out!" Corie yelled, but Medoferro was too fast for him.

Medoferro rushed Corie and rammed the sword into his shoulder. It lodged through, but Medoferro couldn't pull it out so he threw Corie over the railing into the arena. Jim Entragian pulled him along through the door after that.

"As soon as we get out of the bauxite we can use power," Jim exclaimed, "Let's move!"

"But Simon!" Medoferro said.

"If we go back for him we all die," Jim explained, still pulling the unwilling Mullinix, "If we get out then Bolantine will likely keep him alive to use against us. Now get moving, Mullinix!"

Medoferro and Jim made it out of the castle fairly quickly. Surprisingly enough Bolantine did not choose to follow them. They made their way out of town and lost their pursuers. It took nearly an hour and an exhaustive effort for the two of them to make it out of town away from the guards.

"I can't believe we left him," Medoferro said first off once they had a chance to stop and talk, "If they do anything to him..."

"They won't," Jim said, "Bolantine is a pragmatist. He knows that Siraq is falling apart on him. He will likely hold Simon as long as you are running around free."

"I hope you have a plan," Medo said, "I'm fresh out."

"I do, actually. Simon suggested one before we broke out," Jim said, "Let's go north to see if we can find that dig. Bolantine will be expecting us to go south or west, but North should throw him completely off guard."

"And it will allow us to figure out just what he's actually doing," Medoferro nodded, "Let's see if we can stop him."

"You shoot big," Jim chuckled, "I've been trying to do that for centuries. No luck so far."

"Let's go," Medoferro said, "It's going to get cold at night up here. We'll want to make some time so we can actually afford to make a camp."

Chapter 72 - A Battle Plan

Bolantine started to pursue the fleeing Mullinix himself, but knew that once they got out of the corridor they were in that he did not have enough men to fight them at full power. He went back to the stadium and had two guards pull Corie out of the arena.

"Have him put in the protected cells," Bolantine said, looking at Simon, "I want the military looking for them. Make sure they cannot get to Mullinix."

"The dig," Corie grunted as he pulled the sword out of his shoulder, "We need to preserve the dig."

"I know," Bolantine said, "But they don't know where it is and I intend to have it wrapped up before they can get there. How is your shoulder, Corie?"

"I'll live," Corie grumbled, "The doc can sew me up. Think we can stop them from getting to Mullinix?"

"The Mullinix are coming in one way or the other," Bolantine said, "I give them four days, maybe less if Suvorov made it through Serenia."

"What do you want me to do?" Corie asked him, "Is that enough time?"

"Organize the resistance," Bolantine said, "They trust you more than me. Leave the king here to his own devices and dose him heavily with Mellemaic before you leave. The dig was on its final phases before this diversion. I should be able to wrap it up and get the artifacts down south before the Mullinix or the Serenians make it there."

"I take it you want me to delay the Mullinix," Corie said.

"Keep them busy," Bolantine said, "I'll head south through Sotanberg to find out how much success Nikki has had. If your force is on the verge of defeat leave them to their end and make your way back to the empire."

"Sounds like a plan," Corie nodded, "I'll get patched up and get to work."

"Me too," Bolantine said, "Good luck, Corie. The more breathing room you give me, the better off we'll be."

Corie knew this too. He just hoped he could hold them off long enough.

Chapter 73 - Hulkensuxor

"I never thought I'd be so glad to see the Hulkensuxor border," Rav Suvorov said as they rode to the border station, "Much as I hate the town, it's good to see Mullinix again."

"What is your business in Mullinix?" the Serenian Border guard asked, not knowing they were Mullinix.

"Returning home," Suvorov said in his accented Serenik, "Pass from Marlintic Sernak."

The guard spent a few moments verifying the pass and pocketed it, motioning to the gatekeeper to let them through. Suvorov and Rachelia brought their horses through to the other side of the gate and headed over to the Mullinix guard station.

"Business in Mullinix?" the guard asked.

"I'm coming back," Suvorov said, "Guard Code 37049, Suvorov."

"Oh," the guard said, "Check the book, Charlie."

"How's it going, Rav?" Charlie said, checking the code, "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Siraq," he said, "It's a long story. I need to see the Colonel. Now."

"Yes sir," Charlie said, "You keep the gate Aldo. I will take him to the Colonel."

"Are we safe now?" Rachelia asked.

"Yes," Suvorov told her, "We'll get something to eat and figure out what to do with you next."

"Man," Charlie said, "You go into the wilderness and come out with a looker."

"She's the widow to one of my agents in Siraq," Suvorov said, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Charlie. Is Rob Jenner still the Colonel up here?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Rob is holding on to this one, he likes it up here."

"I doubt anyone is going to fight him on it for a while," Suvorov said, "Hope he's ready to work. I've got to get a line to the Mullinix and quick."

"Right," Charlie nodded, "The whole nation is up in arms wondering what happened to you guys."

"They'll get an earful soon," Suvorov said, "Let's move it."

Rob Jenner was sitting on the porch of the government house listening to an old man talk to him about his feelings on a property dispute. He was surprised to see Rav Suvorov walking up to the government house under his own power.

"Now that's someone I didn't expect to see here," Jenner said, "Welcome back to Hulkensuxor, Rav."

"It's been a long day, Rob," Suvorov said, "Get someone to fire up the line to the capital. I need to report."

"Charlie," Rob said, "Go ahead and get Missy setting up the line and then come back to take care of Rav's horses."

"Will do," Charlie said, "Be right back."

"Who's your lady friend?" Rob asked him.

"Rachelia," Suvorov said, "She needs a place to sleep tonight and food for the baby. She's the widow of one of my agents."

"Missy will take care of her," Rob said, "What the hell is happening in Siraq? This is highly irregular."

"All hell is about to break loose," Suvorov said, "Let's just put it that way."

"Great," Rob said, "Just what we need. Another war."

"Better a small one now than a large one later," Suvorov reminded him, "Medoferro is trying to avoid the mistake that his predecessors made in Cirrus thirty years ago."

"That's true," Rob said, "So they are going in?"

"We have to," Suvorov assured him, "Medoferro is still there and the son of a bitch that usurped the king is one evil bastard."

"I have the line, Mr. Suvorov," Missy said when she came out, "Insegniferro will be on by the time you get there."

"Good," Suvorov said, "Get Rachelia taken care of, please. A place to sleep for tonight and if you could find her a few decent changes of clothes I'd be grateful."

"Of course," Missy said, "Anything else?"

"Get some food together," Rob instructed, "Suvorov looks like he needs it, especially if he insists on barreling out of here again after talking to Insegniferro."

"I was about to start dinner anyway," Missy said, "I'll make enough for four. I can borrow some formula for the baby if needed."

"I can feed him myself," Rachelia said, "Though some food for me would do wonders."

"Not a problem," Missy said, "I'll get that started."

"Do you want me there, Rav?" Rob asked him, "Or am I pretty much out of this one."

"This is a national matter," Suvorov said, "The fewer people who know the details, the better we can handle it."

"Works for me," Rob smiled, "I'll help Missy with dinner. Anything else you need?"

"Have Charlie saddle me up the fastest horse he can find," Suvorov instructed, "I will be taking off solo when I get done. I'm still correct in remembering it's faster to ride to Massimaferro Village from here than it is to take a train?"

"By far," Rob agreed, "We're the end of the line, a shunt off Serenik's train line. You'd have to backtrack through MacManite and Polonion, and that's after the train gets here, which won't be until around ten in the morning. Kindly suggest to the Mullinix that we could use a connecting line between here and Massimaferro Village, would you?"

"Yes," Suvorov nodded, "Thank you."

Suvorov excused himself and made his way into the line room. Once he closed the door the connection clicked in and he heard Insegniferro's impatient voice coming through the line almost immediately.

"Suvorov? What the hell are you doing in Hulkensuxor?" Insegniferro asked him, "And more to the point, where are Medo and Simon?"

"Still in Siraq," Suvorov said, "We found more than we bargained on in that hell hole."

"Does it explain why people are going nuts over there?" Insegniferro asked him, "I take it Medo sent you here with instructions."

"And then some," Suvorov agreed, "Bolantine is in control of the Siraqi government."

"What the hell does an empire from the south have to do with the Siraqi government?" Iggy asked, not quite putting it together.

"Not the empire," Suvorov said, "Bolantine himself. The big man. The evil son of a bitch who started that empire."

"How the hell did that happen under our noses?" Iggy asked, surprised by this tidbit, "And how did you figure it out?"

"Entragian knew him by sight," Suvorov explained, "He is calling himself Lord Endicott, a Siraqi noble. Speaks the language flawlessly and has the king wrapped around his little finger. The king, by the way, has had some sickness and can't control his own bowels, let alone the country."

"That explains why things have fallen apart," Insegniferro said, "What does Medo want to do and is he safe?"

"I don't think safe is the word," Suvorov said, "He and Jim managed to use their powers to take control of a guard and put him in my uniform. Bolantine likely doesn't know that I'm back yet. Medo wants to nip this in the bud before Bolantine can do any further damage."

"He wants to send Hardin's group in?" Insegniferro translated, "Correct?"

"Correct," Suvorov agreed, "Medo's instructions were to have Hardin's group perform a decapitation attack on the corrupted Siraqi government and to set loose the various resistance movements. Has Trina prepared any of this yet?"

"She talked to Art Talgal yesterday," Insegniferro informed him, "I don't pretend to understand the strategy in all this, but Medo's plan is likely still sound. Especially if Bolantine is still operating under the guise of a Siraqi noble."

"I will ride to the village," Suvorov told him, "Inform Trina to get things ready. We will need to go in soon to make sure we get the jump on the Bolantines."

"I'll wire her next," Insegniferro said, "I'll also begin drafting notice to Sotanberg and Serenia that we'll be doing this."

"Serenia already knows," Suvorov said, "I had to cut a deal for knowledge with Marlintic Sernak to get passage across the border. It wouldn't surprise me if the Serenians are gearing up for a northern campaign."

"More power to them," Insegniferro said, "Get some rest so you don't fall over."

"I'll rest on a wagon during the march back into Siraq," Suvorov said, "I will stop here and get some food while taking care of personal business. Will you or Trina be able to set up a death benefit for a Siraqi family for me?"

"One of your agents?" Insegniferro asked.

"Yeah," Suvorov admitted, "I found his wife and kid on my way out and brought them with me."

"Get them to Massimaferro Village," Iggy suggested, "Trina can take care of it personally and likely will be able to put her with people in the same boat."

"Good idea," Suvorov said, "Any more questions, Iggy?"

"No," Iggy said, sighing, "Here we go again."

"At least the initiative is on our side this time," Suvorov said, "That counts for something."

"Let's hope it counts for enough," Insegniferro said, "Because we don't need a long war."

"No one does," Suvorov said coldly, "Better to get it over with quick than to let it linger."

"I made that mistake on Cirrus thirty years ago," Insegniferro agreed, "That's why I'm not even considering overruling Medo's instructions. He's always been far superior at tactics. I will trust his judgment in this. If he thinks Bolantine's mere presence is enough to go in, I will agree."

"We'll do a conference call from the village when I get there," Suvorov promised, "Let them know I'm coming and kindly tell Trina that I was following his instructions to leave. I would like to not be greeted with her foot in my balls."

"I'll consider it," Insegniferro said, smiling to himself as he did so, "Get some food, Rav. You've done well so far, don't blow it by not taking care of yourself."

"Right," Suvorov said, "Thanks."

The line cut off and Suvorov walked out to find that dinner was waiting for him. He sat down and joined them silently, digging into the well-prepared meal. It was easily the best food he'd had in nearly two days and his body needed it badly.

"You're going to the village?" Rob asked him finally.

"Yes," Suvorov said, "How long does it take to get there by train?"

"Two days, usually," Rob said, "Why?"

"I want you to send Rachelia and her son by train," Suvorov said, "I'll reimburse you for any expenses needed to get her to Massimaferro Village."

"It's a state matter," Rob said, "I doubt Medoferro will care if I send them at state expense."

"That works for me," Suvorov said and turned to Rachelia, "I can make better time without worrying about you. Rob can arrange the sale of the horses we brought back, that should give you some traveling money and a bit of a stake for when you get to Massimaferro Village."

"Why there?" Rachelia asked, mirroring the thoughts of Rob and Missy.

"There are other Siraqi Expatriates there," Suvorov explained, "You will have people in the same boat as you are from the same region. We'll get you settled up there and find work for you. There's no reason to put you through the pain of further horse riding with the child. A nice steady train will get you there, just not as fast."

"That works," Rob said, "I hadn't thought of that."

"Thank Insegniferro," Suvorov said, "He thought of it."

"What do I do when I get there?" Rachelia asked, "I barely read Mullinix."

"I'll go with her," Missy volunteered, "I can pick up the steed that Suvorov will be taking and come back here afterwards."

"I can live with that," Rob said, "If that is all right with you, Rav?"

"I've no objections," Suvorov said as he downed food, "I'm sorry to have to leave you, Rachelia, but I need to get there as soon as I can."

"Thank you for bringing me here," Rachelia said, "I am glad to be where I feel safe."

"I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner," Suvorov said, "Is my horse ready?"

"Should be by the time you finish your food," Rob said, "Have another bowl of soup. You'll need it. There's literally nothing between here and there except a trading post. You won't want to eat there. I generally don't when I make the trip."

"I'll take your word for it," Suvorov chuckled, "Thanks Rob."

"I'm here to serve," Rob said, "Just like you."

Suvorov knew that was why the Mullinix would survive and the Bolantines would not. Self sacrifice was not a trait that a man like Bolantine could ever fully understand.

Chapter 74 - Heading Westward

"Where are we?" Pirotase asked sleepily as she looked up at Lister Black, "And how long have I been sleeping?"

"Nine or ten hours," Lister said, "Since I don't have anything to feed you right now I figured you were better off sleeping."

"We have been traveling that whole time?" Pirotase asked as she looked out the door, "Is Bolantine's domain that large?"

"We've stopped a couple times for passenger pickups," Lister said, "But we're still moving. I think the Bolantines have pretty well consolidated everything south of the Mavelans and Sotanberg from the sounds."

"That makes him larger than Mullinix, likely," Pirotase said, an involuntary shake coming with that, "At least they don't like Sotanberg either."

"We're probably getting closer to the coast," Lister told her, "Look outside. It's all sand."

"Damascas?" Pirotase asked, "I knew they existed, but what would the Bolantines be doing there?"

"Damascas is an empire in name only," Lister said, remembering what the schoolbooks told him, "There are about four cities surrounded by miles and miles of sand. Bolantine could move an army between the cities and it would be unlikely anyone would notice."

"You think he intends to flank Facie?" Pirotase said, "You heard what I did, but do you think they can do it?"

"I went to Mullinix Oasis once," Lister said, "Sand for miles once you left the city limits. Trains are possible but they have to go slow and have devices for clearing the tracks. The city guards warn you against trying to walk far outside the city. The sand gets difficult to walk in and you can get lost easily."

"That's probably why Facie isn't expecting them to come in from there," Pirotase said, "He can't cross it, that's why he doesn't think Bolantine can. That also explains why he never tried to fight Damascas."

"The sand is a better weapon than any sword," Lister agreed, "We trade with them regularly, but they have little interest for outsiders or their wars."

"Think Bolantine has designs on them?" Pirotase wondered.

"Probably," Lister shrugged, "Looks like we're near the end of the line. I think we need to make some decisions."

"So long as it does not include going back into Bolantine I'm for it," Pirotase said, "Any suggestions?"

"If they have those sand vehicles working they would be here," Lister said, "Let's see whether we can find and steal one."

"Thinking of a desert trip?" Pirotase asked him.

"Beats staying here," Lister said, "Let's see what we can find out."

"We'd best get some water supplies too," Pirotase said.

"That won't be a problem," Lister said, pointing at the signs, "Evidently they have had some problems with dehydration. All soldiers are required to drink one bottle an hour to keep themselves hydrated."

"There is the station," Pirotase said, seeing soldiers lining up for bottles.

They got into line and stood there with the troops. The fact that they were quiet and serious, even at a place where in other armies levity would be present, told them a lot about the way the Bolantines trained. The only words spoken were about the type of duty they were pulling."

Lister listened and saw that the patrol guards got a full backpack of water in addition to their bottled allotment. Since the lead partner in each patrol team did the talking he did the same thing for himself and Pirotase. All he did was parrot what the others did and they were issued a full patrol ration of water.

"That was too easy," Pirotase mumbled once they were out of earshot, "Way too easy."

"I know," Lister agreed, "Motor pool is down the road. Let's go there and hopefully they'll think we're just patrolling."

"Right," Pirotase nodded, "This should be interesting. I know Facie has been working on motorized war machines for years."

"We have some," Lister said, "But they are inefficient as hell. Gearing like those bikes from Sotanberg doesn't work on something large enough for a war machine."

"Then what is that?" Pirotase asked, looking wide eyed through a fence, "That thing is moving!"

They looked through the fence and saw a device pretty well flying across the sand. The devices were quiet as well, something that had Lister intrigued. Every powered device the Mullinix had made, from trains on down, tended to be noisy. These were much different in nature.

"We need to get one of those," Lister said, "If those have any range to them..."

"You aren't kidding," Pirotase said, "Those could get across to the Mavelans in hours."

"Let's see if we can get in there," Lister suggested, "I want a manual on one if nothing else."

Pirotase nodded and looked around. There were guards on this building, unlike the others. This had to be where they were producing and testing these machines. Lister sighed and wondered just what would be inside the building.

"You aren't thinking about trying to bluff our way in, are you?" Pirotase asked him, "We've had way too much luck with that as it is."

"Too much security," Lister said, "Better to create a diversion and steal one. Hopefully, it will get us far enough away that they won't be able to chase us for long."

"Two guards in the front," Pirotase said, "Let's take them down and then we'll go in the front door."

"Always enter in style," Lister agreed, "I'll take the big one. You take the small one."

"Good cop, bad cop?" Pirotase asked him.

"Bad cop, bad cop," Lister said, "Take them down and make sure they don't get up."

"Getting bold in your old age, Lister," Pirotase grinned.

"I hate the Bolantines that much," Lister grunted, "I want out of this place now. That may be our ticket north."

They walked together to the front of the building and faced the guards. The guards looked at them, but were caught completely unawares when the blows came out of nowhere. Lister punched the tall one in the stomach and used the momentum to break the guard's head open on his knee. Pirotase used a smile to distract him and went for the throat, using a powerful hand jab to shatter his windpipe.

"Get the bodies out of the way," Lister said, "That closet should do."

They shoved the guards' bodies roughly into the work shed, figuring that they would be out of the way long enough for them to make an escape. Lister opened the door and looked around for more people. Pirotase scooped up the bolt weapons the guards had dropped and handed one to Lister.

"Where to now?" Pirotase asked him.

"Let's explore," Lister said, "Stay with me, take down anyone who gets in our way."

Pirotase nodded and stayed alert. Two scientists went down quick as they made their way through the building. What had started as an intelligence mission had turned into a full scale incursion designed to get them out of there.

"I'm going to do a quick interrogation," Lister said, "Cover me."

Lister went into a lab quickly and took down three people, leaving the fourth stricken with fear at the 6'8" man who was aiming a bolt gun down his throat. The menace in Lister Black's eyes left no doubt that his life was in severe jeopardy.

"How do they run?" Lister asked him.

"You'll never get away with this," the scientist said, groping for words, "The emperor..."

"Is a lunatic," Lister said calmly, "How?"

"Sealed casing," the scientist said, "Pedal electric. If properly charged they can go hundreds of miles. Two men can carry five more, fully equipped."

"Manual?" Lister said.

"I think I found one," Pirotase said, looking at the papers, "Along with some other stuff."

"Put it in a bag," Lister said, "Where are the units?"

"Downstairs," the scientist said, "Locked up."

"Who has the key?" Lister asked him.

"The drivers only!" the scientist lied.

"You're lying," Lister said coldly, pushing the weapon into the man's ribs, "Someone has to maintain them."

"On the desk," the scientist moaned, "The girl has it."

"I got it," Pirotase said, "Let's get out of here."

"Say goodnight," Lister said, "Let Bolantine know that the resistance says hello."

Lister smacked the scientist upside the head and bound his hands with a cord. Pirotase smiled at him, glad that things had worked out somewhat.

"Let's get out of here," Pirotase suggested, "I don't know what I have, but it's a lot of crap."

"We'll let the Mullinix Scientists look at it," Lister said, picking up the water supply, "Let's go grab one of these things and head north. We'll either hit Southern Oasis or Damascas eventually. Worst case we'll make it through the desert in a day or so and make it to Mullinix Oasis."

"I'm willing to risk it to get out of here," Pirotase said, "Let's go."

They made their way through the facility and unlocked the door to the storage hangar. They found several of the devices parked there and looked at the mechanical power indicators on them. They had no idea how they held their power, but figured that it meant they were good to go.

"It's a ski system," Pirotase said, looking at it, "Like we used to do in the mountains for fun."

"Sand is perfect for it," Lister said, "Wheels for harder ground, skis for sand. It uses an airfoil propeller to push it, which is why it's quiet. Nothing to grind."

"Ingenious," Pirotase said, "But this sort of wiring is supposed to short out when used."

"The casing is heavy," Lister said, "It doesn't matter now. Put the stuff in the case. I'm going to start it and try to figure out how to drive it. Grab any food you can and let's get moving."

Lister played with it a little and figured out that the controls were simple. The pedals at the bottom were for the drivers to power it. The throttle gave more of that power to the unit. The handles turned the tail to direct the airflow and allow steering.

"Can you drive it?" Pirotase asked him.

"I can try," Lister said, "Just pray I kill us both if we crash, that way they can't put us through that hell they did Shabaru."

"Let's just try to survive it, shall we?" Pirotase said, "What do I do?"

"Pedal," Lister said, "Keep feeding it power."

Lister and Pirotase did so and watched as the indicators lit up. Lister turned on the switch, which allowed the motor to turn the propeller, giving it a push. Lister directed the unit towards the door and looked at the compass on the unit.

"They even built a compass in," Lister said, "How thoughtful."

Lister and Pirotase held on as the unit shot out of the hangar door and they flew by a group of practicing soldiers. Pirotase waved and smiled at the unknowing youngsters. Lister had bypassed the last gates when they heard alarm sirens going off. They had made it out with the goods.

"Enjoy the ride," Lister grinned, "I doubt they'll be able to catch us now. The propeller is obscuring our track. These were well-designed machines."

"Let's just hope that it gets us to Mullinix," Pirotase said, "Because I don't fancy walking a few days through this heat."

"Me either," Lister said, "We'll find out soon enough."

Chapter 75 - Pending Invasion

Rav Suvorov was nearly ready to drop when he rode into Massimaferro Village. He was running on nearly three days without any meaningful sleep and it showed. Even Trinaferro, who was ready to chew Suvorov a new orifice for returning without Medo, paused a bit when she saw how haggard he really looked.

"Gods," Trinaferro said, "You look like death warmed over, Rav."

"I feel it too," Suvorov confirmed, "I haven't slept in damn near three days now."

"It's going to be a bit before you do too," Trina said, "What the hell happened over there?"

"Bolantine," Suvorov said, "How much did Iggy explain?"

"Enough," Trina said, "What the hell is he trying to prove?"

"Entragian thinks he's after artifacts in the north," Suvorov said, "The thing is, Bolantine hasn't solidified control. They think he's a Siraqi noble. That is where his Achilles heel is there. Medoferro wants the Bolantine controlled government decapitated."

"What about the rest of the nation?" Hardin asked him.

"Medo's exact words were 'Don't force anyone. Let the pieces fall where they may. You are to decapitate this government. If they want to join Mullinix, let them. If they do not, let them form their own duchy. This government will no longer be a valid one.'" Suvorov told them, "Let the resistance off their leash."

"Art will be glad to hear that," Hardin said, "Makes my job easier as well. I have only one target."

"Two," Trina said, "You're to secure the river as well. If we're going to do this we will make damn sure that we don't have to pay any future Siraqi government up the wazoo to trade with Sotanberg."

"Sound idea," Hardin said, "I'll need to get a plan started. I've already got people mobilizing."

"You have four hours," Trina told them, "I want you to leave as soon as possible."

"I need sleep," Suvorov said, "I won't be a decent guide if I don't get it."

"You can sleep after you tell Art Talgal what you told me," Trina said, "He can sleep in one of the wagons for a bit, right?"

"Right," Hardin nodded, "My command wagon has a reasonably decent cot and you're welcome to it, Rav."

"I'll take it," Suvorov said, "It will take a couple days to reach the Palace."

"What about the civilians?" Trina asked, "What is it like over there?"

"Hell," Suvorov said, "Pure hell. What Bolantine has done to that nation is criminal. If it were possible, I'd kill the son of a bitch myself. The government soldiers are burning villages if they even suspect rebel compliance."

"Protect them as best you can," Trina told them, "They may be Mullinix citizens themselves soon."

"Think Mullinix will soon reach the north sea?" Hardin asked her.

"Possible," Trina said, "Depends on how the resistance movement works."

"Let's go talk to Art Talgal," Suvorov said, "Before I fall over."

"Right," Trina said, "You've got your orders, General Hardin. Let's get it started."

"Right," Hardin nodded, "All right people! We have work to do!"

Suvorov and Trinaferro walked up to the government house where Rick Ballfur was watching the movement down in the encampment. He looked at them and shook his head.

"And so it begins?" Ballfur asked them.

"No choice," Suvorov said, "The only way we will stop their suffering and prevent it from spilling over our border."

"No argument here," Ballfur said, "Damn whoever forced us to this point."

"Bolantine," Suvorov said, "He's the one who should be damned."

"He already is," Trina said, "He just hasn't paid his bill yet."

"The line is open to the capital," Ballfur said, "They'll switch over to Skolnik when needed."

"Thanks," Trinaferro said, "Keep an eye on things for me, Rick."

"You got it," he said, "Insegniferro is likely waiting."

Trina and Suvorov went into the booth and closed the door. Insegniferro's voice came through and sounded a bit on the nervous side.

"I still can't believe we're doing this," Insegniferro said, "We are making history. Mullinix has never initiated a war before."

"Bolantine started it," Suvorov said, "We're just putting him out of business up here before he gets a foothold. It's cheaper that way."

"I agree with Suvorov," Trina said, "If we go by the general consensus that we can trust Mason Stone and his people, then we need to worry about Bolantine and now instead of later."

"I'm not arguing," Insegniferro said, "I am trying to figure out how to put this in a public address."

"I'll do it," Trinaferro said, "The press contingent is here anyway. I will do the announcement while Hardin's people are marching."

"It will probably come better from you," Insegniferro admitted, "Especially with Medoferro being over there."

"I'll handle it. Since I'm not as eloquent as Medo I'll probably do a Q&A on it," Trinaferro told him, "We need to get Art Talgal started on his end. Any instructions, Iggy?"

"Nothing really," Insegniferro admitted, "I leave tactics to you and Medo. You both far outclass me in that. I will keep the home front together. You handle the decisions on Siraq. I'll stay out of it and back you up."

"We're also going to have to decide what to do about the Serenians," Suvorov reminded them, "You know damn well they will invade the north while we invade the south."

"Let them," Insegniferro said, "Can't be any worse for them than Bolantine's rule has been. One less thing for us to worry about."

"I've instructed Hardin to take the capital and River Fortress," Trina told him, "The rest we'll follow Medo's instructions and let fall where it may. I have a suspicion that the southern end will fall to us anyway. South of the river you hear more Mullinix than Siraqi now."

"Don't force anyone," Iggy warned her, "And kindly try to avoid war with the Serenians."

"We don't force," Trina assured him, "Hardin is under orders to protect civilians, not to occupy them."

"Good," Iggy said, "Let's get you switched over to Skolnik."

The operators switched some devices and the next thing Trina and Suvorov heard was Art Talgal's voice. He was nervous and a bit agitated about being pulled out of a meeting for a wire line.

"I hope this is important," Talgal said, "I've got a family dispute about to blow up."

"We're going in," Trinaferro told him, "Word from Medoferro came through."

"What happened?" Talgal asked, forgetting immediately about everything else.

"Bolantine happened," Suvorov told him and spent ten minutes relaying the events.

"Can we release this?" Talgal asked.

"Yes," Trinaferro said, "By all means. If it sways people our way, release it."

"You are not going to Broadway?" Talgal asked, "Because that is going to be the first city to ask for annex. They've been all but an outpost of Mullinix for two centuries anyway."

"Once we subdue the Bolantine controlled royalists we will entertain any requests for entrance," Trinaferro said, "Our first and most important job is to eject the Bolantines. Anything else will have to wait. We will not leave anyone out to dry on this."

"I'll get them started," Talgal promised, "We should have motion within two days."

"Our troops should be there in about the same time," Trina told him, "Hardin is leaving in the next few hours. They are marching for the capital and have orders to remove the king. We don't know if Bolantine will stay and fight or cut and run."

"It doesn't matter at this point," Suvorov said, "We'll deal with it."

"Any other instructions?" Talgal asked.

"Not right now," Trinaferro said, "Just prepare. I will make the public announcement after Hardin crosses the border."

"Understood," Talgal said, "We'll be ready."

"Let's just hope we are," Trinaferro mumbled.

"Can I sleep now?" Suvorov asked her.

"By all means, Rav," Trina told him, "Go on down and sleep in Hardin's wagon so they don't have to move you again."

"Don't worry Trina," Rav said, "We'll get Medo out of there."

"I know," Trina said, "Because nothing is going to stop me from personally wringing Bolantine's neck if you don't."

"Somehow I believe that," Suvorov said, "I really do."

"You should," Trina said, "Go get some sleep."

Suvorov nodded and left Trinaferro sitting in the room contemplating. She did not want to be the one responsible for starting a war, but Medoferro was right. There were too many reasons to go in there. It still did not make her feel any better, though.

Chapter 76 - Damascas

"Is that a city I see ahead of us?" Pirotase yelled above the rush of air.

"Gotta be Damascas," Lister replied, "We've gone north for a good six hours. There's no way in hell we can still be in Bolantine territory."

"Let's just hope they don't kill us for wearing these uniforms!" Pirotase yelled, "We should have kept our civilian clothes!"

"We did," Lister said, bringing the vehicle to a stop, "In the bag under the papers."

"Let's shed these things," Pirotase agreed, "I feel dirty in them. That's saying a lot for an ex-hooker."

"We'll keep them," Lister said, "They may come in useful later if we ever have to send units into Bolantine territory."

"Just so long as it isn't us," Pirotase said, shuddering, "I don't ever want to go back there."

"Me either," Lister assured her, "I'll take the stares we get in Mullinix Centre over this any day."

"What is it like up in Mullinix?" Pirotase asked him, "I mean, I lived in the Mavelans my whole life. Never set foot outside until we entered Bolantine."

"Much more open," Lister said, "You pull your weight and you'll get along fine. People care, but they won't carry you. There is little corruption. The people don't tolerate it."

"No camps?" Pirotase said, "What if someone disagrees with the Mullinix?"

"The Mullinix is the final word," Lister said, "But they are always fair. They aren't driven by power or greed. They wouldn't have been chosen for the job if they were."

"I still don't get it," Pirotase said, trying to grasp the concept, "How do they choose?"

"All children in Mullinix are required to attend schools so they learn to read, write and speak proper Mullinix," Lister told her, "Immigrants are required to learn proper writing, speaking and reading skills as well."

"I'm not going to make it on that score," Pirotase said, "I understand Mullinix, but can barely speak it."

"Classes are available if you're willing to learn," Lister said, "You can't become a citizen without learning it, but the empire makes sure you have ample opportunities to learn if you will put the work into it."

"So how does this have anything to do with how they choose?" Pirotase wondered.

"All Mullinix children serve the empire," Lister told her, "When they are eighteen they start their two-year stint. Some serve the army, some serve civil service, some in other capacities. Each to their abilities."

"They choose the Mullinix that way?" Pirotase asked incredulously.

"Sort of," Lister said, "I was a couple classes behind the current Mullinix, so I was in Cirrus when he was chosen. Native born children are tested numerous times throughout their school years. Not just normal testing but psychological tests. They have perfected this over centuries. They always have candidates ready to go, but the candidates never know unless they are chosen."

"Unreal," she said, shucking the Bolantine uniforms and putting on civilian clothing, "What are they chosen for?"

"They are generally the ones who want the job least," Lister said, "The type that would avoid this sort of power at any cost."

"Sounds like a fantasy," Pirotase said, "Keeps people like Facie out of power."

"I met with the current Mullinix, Medoferro, before I left," Lister said, "He's got to be Facie's opposite. I only met him for a few minutes, but it was obvious he would have rather been doing anything else."

"So why doesn't he?" Pirotase said, "I don't get that about your mindset, I guess."

"They do it because they can," Lister shrugged, "Because they are the right people. One of the big givens in our society is that the Mullinix is right and on the side of right. That's why there are three of them. They keep each other in line."

"You sound like you'd die for them," Pirotase said, "It must be nice to have leaders you respect that much."

"You will understand," Lister said, "I promise you that."

"I hope so," Pirotase said, "So are we stopping at the city?"

"Yes," Lister nodded, "I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too."

"I'm used to it," Pirotase shrugged, "But I won't argue with food."

"Let's go," Lister said.

They got back onto the machine and managed to start it again. They headed for the city and got there after another thirty minutes of sand riding. The gate guards were wary at first, aiming their bolt weapons at them. It was not the welcome Lister had hoped for, but he was guessing that Damascas had had a few problems with the Bolantines as well.

"Who you?" the guard asked, using the usual guttural verbless language they had.

"My name is Lister Black," he said, "I'm looking for a place to rest."

"You Bolantine Scum?" the guard said, "Only Bolantine Scum have evil machines."

"I'm running from them," Lister said, "I stole the machine."

"You Mavelan?" the guard asked nervously.

"Mullinix," Lister said, "I'm of Mavelan descent, but am a Mullinix citizen."

"Me get magog," the guard said, "You wait."

Lister nodded and looked at Pirotase. She did not understand a bit of it, as the dialect was hard to understand even for a native Mullinix speaker. Her Mullinix was so weak that she could not understand the exchanges at all.

"What is going on?" Pirotase asked in Mavelan.

"He's getting a higher ranking man," Lister told her in the same language, "Don't worry."

It was about ten minutes before a larger man came out. He looked Lister and Pirotase up and down for a few minutes before he said anything. He also looked at the machine that they had stolen from the Bolantines.

"Mullinix eh?" he said, "What the bloody hell are you doing with a Bolantine Raider?"

"Had to get north somehow," Lister said, "Figured I might as well grab one of these to show the Mullinix scientists."

"Your partner doesn't talk much, does she?" he said.

"She is Mavelan," Lister said, "Her Mullinix is not all that good. Your Mullinix, however, is excellent. Is that a Selenian region accent?"

"Very good," he said, "I detect a bit of Cirrus in yours. You have a bit of that Mavelan tinge that still hangs on down there."

"Who are you?" Lister asked him.

"My name is Orenicus," he said, offering a hand in the Mullinix style, "I am the magog of this city. I guess the closest equivalent you would have is a Major or a Lieutenant in a larger city. My uncle is the Gomag, who would be your Colonel."

"Lister Black," he said, "My partner is Pirotase. She can understand what we are saying mostly, but her Mullinix is limited."

"Please to meet you," Pirotase said in highly accented Mullinix.

"Likewise," Orenicus said, "That leaves the question. What are Mullinix doing coming from the Bolantine Empire?"

"Leaving," Lister said, "It has been a long few days. I would love to tell you about it, but is there any way we can do this sitting down?"

"Forgive my manners," Orenicus said, "Come into the city, we will rest and you can explain yourself. I must insist that you leave weapons outside."

"They are in the machine," Lister said, "We come in peace."

Orenicus lead them into a building inside the compound. It was sparsely furnished, but that looked to be the norm. Damascas was a culture of trading and austerity. They lived lives as barren of small luxury as the sandy climes in which they resided.

"So how do you come to the Bolantines?" Orenicus asked.

"I work for the Mullinix," Lister explained, "They sent me south to find out why the Mavelan army left the Mullinix border in a hurry."

"The Bolantines are massing," Orenicus said, "They should have asked us and saved you a trip."

"What I learned from the trip was worth it," Lister said, "We saw enough of the Bolantines to learn that they are pure evil."

"Who is your commander?" Orenicus asked him.

"Rav Suvorov," Lister said.

"Food will be brought in," Orenicus said, "I will return shortly."

Orenicus left Lister and Pirotase alone and food was indeed brought in. Pirotase shivered involuntarily. She had a bad feeling about things in there. Lister did not look all that concerned, however.

"Why do you not look worried?" Pirotase asked him.

"They are checking me out," Lister said, "Likely sending someone up the line to check with Mullinix Oasis."

"And this is a good thing?" Pirotase asked.

"Means they likely believe us," Lister nodded, eating some of the fried dough that had been brought in, "Trust, but verify."

"Makes sense," Pirotase sighed, "I'm just overly nervous I guess."

"Don't sweat it," Lister smiled, "We'll be fine."

"Are we really going to Mullinix?" Pirotase said.

"I'm going to Mullinix and you are coming with me," Lister said, "They don't learn squat unless you get immediate citizenship."

"That makes me feel a bit better," Pirotase smiled, "Sitting with me might make me feel better too."

Lister grinned and sat down with her. They sat together for nearly three hours before Orenicus walked back into the room. His smile was back in full force as he sat down across from Lister and Pirotase.

"Mullinix Insegniferro described you perfectly," Orenicus told them, "They are wondering why you are in Damascas, however."

"Long story," Lister said, "I take it I pass inspection?"

"One last thing," Orenicus said, "Suvorov Code 4029 reciprocal."

"Lister Black, Mission 240238, Cirrus origin 42," Lister said, remembering the code he had learned years ago, "If you want more than that you'll have to produce Suvorov in person."

"Matches what they gave me to identify you," Orenicus told them, "Sorry about the delay, but the Bolantines have been harassing us for years now. They've made one attempt at Southern Oasis. We barely kept them out. If they've perfected those bloody machines, we may not be so lucky next time."

"I have documents on their construction," Lister said, "I need to bring them to the Mullinix scientists, but your people are welcome to scribe them before we go. All I ask is some rest and some rich food for my lady."

"Fair trade," Orenicus nodded, "Too bad I only have three scribes who read Bolantine script."

"Anyone who can read Mullinix should be able to scribe it," Lister said, "They speak and write like we do in Mullinix. The dialect is a bit off and a few words have different meanings, but the language is from the same base."

"Are you sure?" Orenicus asked, "We thought they were using a form of Mullinix to throw us off."

"I was as surprised as you to learn that," Lister said, "We were expecting to look around the border and head home. Ended up taking trains all around their land."

Lister spent the next few hours telling the story to Orenicus. Pirotase put in a few words here and there, mainly to help her comprehension and speaking skills. Orenicus assisted Lister in correcting her, knowing from his experience in Mullinix that she would need to improve and quickly.

"Pirotase," Orenicus said, "I know what you are going through. My father sent me to Mullinix to learn their language and to get an education that I could pass on to people here. It is a wondrous land, Mullinix. You will like it there."

"As long as Lister keeps his promise this time," Pirotase smiled, "I think I'll like it anywhere."

"My scribes will work through the night," Orenicus said, "I appreciate your telling me your tales. It gives me insight that I did not have into our enemies. It may also give me ideas on how to teach my people to resist them."

"I hope so," Lister said, shaking Orenicus' hand, "I assure you, once the Mullinix hears this the Bolantine Empire will be high on the priority list."

"The Mullinix have always been true friends," Orenicus said, "It appears we may need each other sooner instead of later. Would you do me one favor, however?"

"Sure," Lister said, "Anything within my power."

"Have your scientists send us any information on those machines," Orenicus said, "We are likely to face them in battle soon."

"I will make the request of the Mullinix personally," Lister said, "After he hears my story, I highly doubt he'll object to aiding you in any way possible."

"Have a wonderful night, my friends," Orenicus said, "This suite overlooks the sands and the waters and is very beautiful for young lovers. It suits you two perfectly. The desert sands are as beautiful as your lady's eyes."

"Thank you, Orenicus," Pirotase said in her accented Mullinix, "You are a flatterer."

"It is not flattery if it is true, my lady," Orenicus said, "Take good care of her, Lister."

"I will," Lister said, "Thanks."

Orenicus made his departure and left Lister and Pirotase alone to look out over the sands. He was right; it was particularly beautiful out there at night. She cuddled next to him and kissed his cheek.

"Think it can always be like this?" She asked him.

"Only if you're with me when I go to sleep," Lister said, "I mean it. If they don't play ball on your citizenship, I will walk. We'll come back here or go back to the Mavelans."

"I don't mind going through the classes," Pirotase said, "I might learn something."

"Let's not think of that now," Lister said, "We'll deal with that in Mullinix tomorrow. It would be a shame to waste this suite..."

Pirotase giggled, but certainly did not argue.

Chapter 77 - Meeting the Public

Trinaferro stretched out a little bit in an attempt to relax. She hated meeting the press and public more than anything in the world. She intellectually knew that Medoferro hated it as much as she did, but it did not help while she waited for the jackals to assemble outside the Skolnik government house.

"You know," Toria told her sister, "You could have made it easier on yourself by doing this in Massimaferro Village."

"It will do more good here," Trinaferro explained, "We want people to get involved and help with the Siraqi problem. We also want more questions and to make people understand why we're sending the army in there."

Toria nodded. Tom Hardin's force was well on its way by now so there would be no easy way to call them back. The rumors had already started, which was why Trinaferro was handling it this way. The bigger the spectacle she put together the more it will dominate the rumors.

"They're assembled, Trinaferro," Arthur Talgal said as he walked in, "There's about four hundred people out there, with the press at the front. The whole thing will be pictograph and phonograph recorded."

"Here goes nothing," Trinaferro said, "I need you to introduce me, Art. Explain the rules."

"Which are?" Talgal asked.

"I will give a statement and then I will entertain questions," Trinaferro said, "I will choose the questioner and will take one at a time until I have either exhausted the subject or cannot take anymore."

"I'll put it a bit more diplomatically than that," Talgal grinned, "Anything else?"

"Not for you," Trina said, "Go ahead and introduce."

Talgal nodded and left as Trinaferro turned over to her sister.

"Toria," Trina said, "I want you to go out into the crowd and ask a question if it hasn't been asked in a few minutes."

"What question?" Toria asked her.

"I want you to ask why Medoferro went to Siraq," Trina said, "I think that the crowd might miss that point and I want to make sure that the answer is part of this record. If no one else asks, you do it."

"I can do that," Toria nodded, "Anything else?"

"The rest is up to me," Trina said, "I gotta get out there. Thanks sis."

Trinaferro listened to the rest of Art Talgal's opening and tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. She hated these more than anything, but it was the only way she could ensure that the information got out the way she wanted it to get out.

When Talgal finished she walked out to the applause of the crowd. She nodded politely, but did not smile. The reason for this was not any cause to smile and she figured that her smiling about it would not help the cause any.

"Thank you," Trinaferro said loudly, trying to keep her voice even, "I appreciate your support in what is turning into a trying time for us. I am here today to tell you about what is going on and why we are taking some actions we currently are taking.

"As you may have heard by now, we have massed troops in the Massimaferro Village area to help with the refugee influx that has been happening because of events on the other side of the border. As of four hours ago these troops have been ordered to cross the border and march towards the Siraqi capital.

"This is the end result of a long process in which we have been attempting to find out what has been causing the strife in Siraq and to regain peace for us and our neighbors. Medoferro, after his experiences in Cirrus ten years ago, was not willing to let the situation fester and get worse. He departed ten days ago on a journey to talk to the Siraqi King.

"What he found when he got there was appalling. The Siraqi King is a shell of his former self, not even able to control his own bladder. We have all heard the rumors of the depravities and atrocities being caused by the Siraqi government. Medoferro and his traveling group saw all this and more.

"We are not out for conquest. We have no rights to impose our rule on anyone. The Siraqi government, however, has been usurped by a nation that can only be called a threat to freedom as a whole. Few in Mullinix have heard of the Bolantine Empire before now. They are so far to the south we'd not had any reason to know about them before now.

"Agents of the Bolantine Empire have usurped power from the Siraqi king and have been diverting resources for their own selfish ends. Medoferro found this out himself and sent word back that we need to take care of this before it gets worse."

"Where is Medoferro?" a voice shouted.

"In Siraq," Trinaferro said grimly, "Last word we had was that he was still meeting with the king to try to figure out a peaceful solution. He is doing this, at great peril to himself, to give our troops a chance to deal with the least resistance possible.

"We did not want to be pushed to this step, but we will not let the region's stability be destroyed by interlopers from a nation nobody has ever heard of until now. That would be an insult to every freedom loving citizen and our neighbors that have done nothing to deserve this.

"I will now take a few of your questions," Trinaferro said, "And please be gentle with me, as I've not had a whole lot of sleep lately."

A warm chuckle came through the crowd from that one. A number of hands went up, mostly from the reporter's contingent in the front. Trinaferro took a deep breath and started with a female reporter that she was familiar with from RiverRayne.

"I'll start with you," Trinaferro said, pointing to her, "What is your question?"

"Thank you Mullinix," the reporter said, "Are we planning on a war of conquest in Siraq?"

"Absolutely not," Trinaferro said emphatically, "The Mullinix have never entered a war of aggression and we have no interest in starting one now. We will be going in and removing a corrupt government to give the people a chance to form one that represents them. I think you will be next."

Trinaferro pointed at another reporter. The reporter looked up and decided to try to challenge her a bit.

"Isn't it true that many southern Siraqis have been clamoring for Mullinix annexation?" the reporter asked.

"Yes," Trinaferro nodded, figuring it best to acknowledge that, "We have many people on our side of the border pushing for it too. We are prepared for that possibility, but it must come from the people themselves. We do not force people to join us nor are we occupiers. We will be in the capital no longer than we have to be, unless we are asked to stay by a preponderance of public opinion in the area. Next!"

Trinaferro pointed at her sister. She wanted an easier question.

"Why did he go to Siraq when it was so dangerous?" Toria asked her.

"Medoferro went because he had to," Trinaferro said, "He wanted to help and figured the only way he could do it was to actually be there. Unfortunately that seems to have backfired on us, leaving us in this position."

"What happens if Medoferro has been killed?" Another reporter asked.

"As you all know I have a personal interest in this not being true," Trinaferro said, fighting back tears, "But if the worst happens and he is either confirmed dead or cannot be found, we will choose a new apprentice. The system will continue. Next, please."

"Who is watching the government?" the reporter asked her, "The whole country won't stop while you and Medoferro deal with this mess."

"Of course it doesn't," Trinaferro agreed, "Insegniferro is in Mullinix Centre now hearing cases and making the day to day decisions. There will be no loss of services from this. We do not want to change anything in Mullinix, just to make sure we do not have to deal with something worse later."

Most of the rest of the questions were simple variations on the theme. Trinaferro answered them and avoided any major gaffes. When she finished she waved to the crowd and went into the government house, where Art Talgal was waiting with a large snifter of Brandy.

"You'll want this," Talgal said, "You did good out there, Mullinix."

"I hate reporters," Trinaferro sighed as she politely refused, "No screwups, huh?"

"Made your case well," he said, "The best you could do. Now to let the chips fall where they may."

"That's what Medoferro said," Trina sighed, "Let's just hope we don't come up craps."

Chapter 78 - Charissa

Simon Sutcliffe grumbled as he woke up in the cell the next morning. He was glad that Medoferro got out, but not particularly thrilled that he was still in Bolantine's hands. He just hoped he could keep alive long enough for the Mullinix army to pull him out.

He stood up and stretched out a bit. He was gratified to find that the cell they had put him in after the big escape was not one of the bauxite monstrosities. Evidently Lord Corie either did not know he was a power user like Medoferro or forgot it in the confusion. He pulled a little power, just to make sure he was capable and smiled when he made a power ball.

"Maybe I won't be here too long," Simon said to no one in particular.

"Keep dreaming," a feminine voice said from further down the hall, "I said the same thing three years ago. I've been here ever since."

"Who are you?" Simon asked, wondering who else would be imprisoned by the Bolantines.

"Princess Consort Charissa," she said in clear, concise and slightly Serenian accented Mullinix, "I was married off to that old dotard in an agreement to allow Serenian missionaries access to northern Siraq."

"I've heard of you," Simon said, "They've had you locked up for three years?"

"Ever since Lord Endicott sought to end my influence on the king," Charissa said, "The King has been ill since the ceremony and I've never been able to consummate with him. So I was lonely and let myself be taken in by Lord Corie."

"Bolantine's lapdog," Simon told her, "But I'd guess you'd figured that out already."

"Who is this Bolantine?" Charissa asked him, "He's Lord Endicott's man."

"They're one and the same," Simon explained, "Bolantine, or Lord Endicott as you know him, is not what he seems. He's not Siraqi. He's not even mortal."

"He's the devil incarnate, correct?" Charissa said mockingly, "Just because I'm a Serenian royal doesn't mean I buy that hogwash that we sell as religion."

"I wouldn't insult your intelligence that way," Simon promised, "He's immortal. He's not supernatural, but the result of an experiment gone wrong in pre-cataclysmic times. There are four others like him. Luckily for us one of them was traveling with my group and recognized him."

"That's hard to believe," Charissa said, "I take it you're part of the Mullinix contingent?"

"Yes," Simon said, "Thankfully the other two escaped."

"Left you behind?" Charissa asked, "That's awful."

"They barely got out," Simon said, "I told Jim to get Medoferro out of there. He would have done the same for me, but Medoferro is the leader and we need him back in Mullinix alive."

"So is the Mullinix going to do something about this?" Charissa asked, "I'm sick of living in a prison cell."

"We sent word back before Bolantine pulled us," Simon said, "Suvorov is likely back by now and there is probably a Mullinix army descending on this city."

"Which means you and I probably have not long to live," Charissa said, "You know damn well that Lord Corie won't leave us alive if he has to abandon the castle."

"How well do you know this building?" Simon asked her.

"Well enough," Charissa said, "I've lived in one room or another here for three years. I've been running around this castle since they married me off to the king eight years ago. Luckily it was just after he had his first brain seizure. I'd have hated to have had to consummate that marriage at the age of fifteen."

"They married you off at fifteen?" Simon said, aghast, "Good gods, you can't even do that in Mullinix."

"Now you know why I don't hold much love for my homeland," Charissa said, "It feels good to talk about it."

"We need to get out of here," Simon said, "How thick is the wall between us?"

"Six inches," Charissa said, "Looks to be one brick length between the cells."

"Stand back," Simon said, "They made a fatal mistake this time. Let's see if I can work it to our advantage."

Simon examined the walls and found one large block that seemed to have mortar around it rather thickly. He knew he could squeeze through that area, even if Charissa could not. He probed it as lightly as his minor power use abilities let him. Most of his practice over the years had been as a channel, but he knew he could push a bolt. He was hoping that his less than subtle abilities would be an asset for this.

He pulled power and imagined that Medo was holding a construct in front of the brick that he was trying to knock open. He then did a concerted push designed to mimic a hammer. It was not a clean blow like Medoferro or Jim Entragian would manage, but it was more than enough to do the job and knocked both bricks out of the wall and into pieces.

"Hello," Simon said, poking his head through, "You all right, Charissa?"

"How did you do that?" Charissa asked him, a little afraid now.

"I'm a power user," Simon said, "Nowhere near as good at it as Medo or Jim, but I can do blunt force as good as anyone."

It was then that Simon got a good look at Charissa. She was a truly stunning specimen of humanity. Most of the women Simon had met from Serenia were plain leaning towards homely. Charissa was none of these. Despite three years in a cell without seeing much sun she still retained a radiant beauty and a little bit of a dark complexion, though slightly paled from the lack of direct sunlight. She was lean, with long dark hair that was not particularly well taken care of but added to the charm just like the rest of her did.

"Nice to meet you, Princess Consort Charissa," Simon said, grinning, "Would you like to accompany me out of this hell hole?"

"Only if it means we never have to see Lord Endicott or Lord Corie again," Charissa said.

"If we meet them again, feel free to kick them in the nuts," Simon said, "I'll go for the throat, you go for the nether regions. Deal?"

"Deal," Charissa said, smiling for the first time in a long time, "Anything to get out of here."

"You were legally married to the king, right?" Simon asked her as he looked around, "Not just a treaty prize for him?"

"Legally married in both Siraqi and Serenian tradition," Charissa said, "I don't know why Endicott has kept me alive. He killed off everyone else."

"Probably didn't want to irk the Serenians," Simon postulated, looking at the lock, "That and he knew how bad the king was getting. He probably figured you would be a hedge against a revolt."

"Why all the questions?" Charissa asked him, "You sound like you're plotting."

"I am," Simon said, "How respected were you among the rank and file Siraqis?"

"I don't know," Charissa said, "Most knew I existed, but didn't care because I had no real power."

"I'm thinking if we go meet the incoming troops," Simon said, "We might be able to have you talk the royalists into helping us remove Bolantine's influence."

"So long as I don't have to go back to Serenia or be a royal consort anymore," Charissa said, "I'm willing to try anything."

"I'll make you a deal," Simon said, "I'll get us out of the cell. You use your knowledge of the area to help get us out of here. We'll meet up with the Mullinix army and we'll figure out what to do. If things have deteriorated to the point that you can't help or if you decide when we get there that you don't want to, you can come back with me to Mullinix. You will be free there, no matter what."

"How can I believe this?" Charissa asked him, "People have been using me for one thing or another all my life."

"I'm a Mullinix Representative," Simon told her, "The only man who gives me orders in Mullinix is Medoferro himself. He'll back me on this. Insegniferro and Trinaferro will back him. You can count on it."

"It beats rotting here waiting for Endicott to decide I need to die," Charissa agreed, "Let's do it."

"Flip your mattress and get behind it in case I screw up," Simon said, "Usually Medo does the construct work. Luckily in this case I'm not trying to do anything complex. I just want to blow the lock out of the door."

"Whatever works," Charissa said, "Just get us out of this place."

Charissa climbed underneath the ratty mattress and waited for Simon to do his work. He focused his limited abilities on the lock directly, knowing it would be the weakest link of the cell. He created heat and power, but was unable to force it apart. He growled and forced more power at it, but all it did was glow instead of shatter like he wanted it to. The material was sucking in the power.

"Damn it!" Simon said, "Break!"

Simon let the power go. He didn't want to drain himself so he paced and looked at it for a moment. Then, he noticed that the metal was still glowing white hot. So he decided to do it the old fashioned way. He remembered the old man's lessons on how to break a board with his foot. He reared back and gave a firm shot to the white hot lock, causing it to shatter and the door to swing open.

"Good work," Charissa said when she poked her head out smiling, "Now can we get out of here, Simon?"

"Absolutely," Simon agreed, "Care to show me the way out?"

"I'd love to," Charissa said, "Take a right. That's the back way. The guards there are less likely to care."

"Let's go," Simon grinned, "Freedom here we come!"

Chapter 79 - The Dig

"I hate traveling like this," Entragian said as they walked, "Walking, walking, walking. I swear, I've walked this damned continent back and forth a dozen times in the last two centuries."

"Then you should be in shape for it," Medoferro said, "I've spent too damn much time sedentary doing the work of ruling. I swear when I get home in addition to the self defense workouts I'm going to start jogging again."

"Ruins the knees," Entragian said, "Take it from me. I was a Doctor, or what you would now call a Medico."

"Why'd you leave it?" Medoferro asked.

"12 Gauge attitude adjustment," Entragian said, "Karen blew my head off just after the serum took effect. I don't know what of my previous knowledge is good. I had to relearn a lot of stuff because it messed with my head."

"And you're still traveling with her?" Medoferro asked, "I don't know what you mean by 12 gauge, but blowing your head off can't be nice."

"A pre-cataclysmic weapon," Entragian explained, "And I deserved it. I was the bastard that created the serum that made us this way. Considering I used Mason and Karen as test subjects; I deserved it."

"I take it you no longer are able to reproduce it?" Medoferro asked him.

"Thankfully that went with my original head," Jim said, "I killed the only other person who knew the formula. I don't know the exact formula, but I know that it is impossible to synthesize the materials needed to create it now."

"That leaves you five," Medo nodded, "You know, we should be seeing soldiers soon. The last group we talked to said that it was about ten miles up this road."

"Let's get off the road," Jim suggested, "See if we can work our way around."

Medoferro nodded and they headed off the road a little bit, making their way through the wooded area. Another mile went by as they halfway followed the road. Some soldiers were moving around the area, but they were nowhere near organized. They did not look particularly happy either.

"You don't think he's let the mismanagement go up here do you?" Medoferro asked Jim.

"He's near the end of his time up here," Jim shrugged, "Bolantine isn't setting up to rule this area. He's just trying to rape it to help himself back home."

"Now to figure out what he's doing," Medoferro said, "How do we get in?"

"I want to try something first," Jim told him, "Mason and Karen are up here somewhere. I'm going to do a push, see if I can find them."

"What do I do?" Medoferro asked him.

"Make sure no one comes up while I'm out," Jim said, "That's all."

Medoferro nodded and watched as Jim sat down on the ground. He closed his eyes and did a slight radiation of power. If Medoferro had not been looking for it, he would never have seen it. There was also more to it than a simple power push. Medoferro couldn't tell what it was, but he was intrigued.

Jim came out of it after about ten minutes and smiled. Evidently he'd had some results, because he had a bright smile on his face. Medoferro waited for him to come out with it.

"They're in the area," Jim said, "A mile or so from us. I think Mason was a bit surprised to get my signal. They're probably going to meet us halfway."

"I bet," Medoferro chuckled, "If you'd told me two weeks ago I'd be walking around outside a Bolantine-run archeological dig in northern Siraq I would have thought you were nuts."

"Tell me about it," Jim said, "I thought I'd be hanging out in the castle, checking out the current generation of the house staff. Dealing with Bolantine and running for cover is not what I consider a great time. I just wish we could bury that son of a bitch permanently."

"Drop a mountain on his head?" Medo suggested, "Set him adrift in the ocean?"

"We did drop a mountain on his head once," Jim sighed, "Someone dug him out by accident a dozen years later. Haven't been able to get a hold of him since."

"How long ago was that?" Medo asked him.

"Pre-cataclysm," Jim said, "We also helped get him frozen for a couple centuries."

"If we catch him this time, we'll have him buried underneath a mountain in Mullinix and make sure no one digs there again," Medoferro promised, "That man is too damn evil to let run around."

"No argument from me," Jim said, "But let's find Mason and Karen first."

Medoferro nodded and they went walking. They kept low, but the wooded area made it easy to keep covered. Jim let off a few more quick signals to home in on them, finally catching up to them about three quarters of a mile from where he did the original sending.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mason asked both of them, "Something go wrong?"

"Badly," Medoferro said, "It's been an interesting week, let's put it that way."

"Yeah," Jim said, "How long have you been up here?"

"Found it a week ago," Mason told them, "The big shot isn't here right now, went down south to meet a high mucky muck or something."

"Me," Medoferro said.

"Probably," Mason shrugged, "The dig is being run by a Lord Endicott. Everything I've found here is Siraqi though. I thought sure I'd find a Bolantine agent somewhere, but if he did he's being unusually quiet about it."

Jim and Medoferro looked at each other and started laughing. They realized that Mason and Karen, by coming straight here and not going through the capital like they did, had no way of knowing who the Bolantine agent was.

"What's so funny?" Karen asked them, "I'd like to talk to this Lord Endicott myself."

"Lord Endicott is the reason we're here," Jim said, still chuckling, "He decided that he wanted to start a war with the Mullinix."

"Why would he do that?" Mason said, still not seeing it, "There is no profit for the Siraqis to go to war with you. Their economy is already in the crapper. This would cripple it."

"You're assuming this whole thing is Siraqi," Medoferro said, "That's where your assumption is going off the end."

"I don't know the players," Mason admitted, "Who is doing it?"

"Your first guess was right," Medo said, "The Bolantines are doing it."

"But who is working for them?" Karen asked.

"Lord Endicott himself," Jim said, "Care to explain, Medo?"

"You're the one who recognized him," Medo said, "I'll let you explain it."

"What could Bolantine offer a Siraqi lord?" Mason said.

"Wait," Karen said, the light bulb going off, "Jim recognized him?"

"Ding ding ding," Jim said, "Keep going..."

"I don't get it," Mason said, "I mean, why would... Oh, shit... Endicott... Endicott Bolantine."

"The big man came himself," Jim agreed, "I recognized him when I saw him. Luckily I was wearing a helmet so he didn't see me at first."

Medoferro and Jim Entragian spent the better part of the next hour telling the stories that got them up to this place. Mason and Karen were surprised that Bolantine had actually left the empire for this one. To their knowledge, Bolantine had not left the confines of the Empire for nearly two hundred years.

"That means there is something nasty here," Jim said, "Something to encourage the big man to come out of his cave. I mean why else would he come all the way up here?"

"We found the first dig site," Mason said, "Or more precisely what was left of it. Bolantine brought the damned weapon above the magnetic line."

"Magnetic line?" Medoferro asked.

"Term for where the earth's magnetic field stops penetrating," Jim explained, "The changes that screwed up the planet were made on the surface. Go down deep enough and they won't affect things."

"That's how this crap survived," Mason continued, "Every few centuries Bolantine tries to get one of these when he can find one."

"What is it?" Medo asked, "I mean what is in there that can be used?"

"This was an air force base," Karen told them, "Lots of powerful weapons were kept here as well as aircraft to deliver them."

"What use are they?" Medo asked again, "The pre-cataclysmic weapons are useless up here aren't they?"

"I've never understood his passion for doing it either," Mason assured him, "Though he may be trying to adapt them for this world. The only way to know for sure is to find out what he's got."

"Let's do it," Medoferro said, "Bolantine is likely on his way here as well. Especially if my troops are heading north."

"There's at least two hundred troops on this base," Mason said, "Demoralized as hell, but still here. They won't let us walk in."

"Find their commander," Medoferro suggested, "Let him know that Lord Endicott is an imposter. What do you want to bet he thinks he is a Siraqi patriot?"

"Probably is," Jim said, "But he isn't going to believe us. Three people of dubious nationality and a Mullinix leader."

"They don't know that," Medoferro said, "I speak Siraqi flawlessly. I've had so many problems up here that I took the time to learn it. I'm told I speak it with an accent that matches the ruling class. Not surprising, since I learned it from an exiled Siraqi teacher that taught the King."

"The commander's name is Miclarian," Mason said, "Siraqi is a bastardization of pre-cataclysmic Russian. I speak it fluently but with a massively old dialect, Karen can speak it as well. We've learned most of the vernacular over the past few weeks, if not the correct accents."

"I can keep mute as well as anyone," Jim said, "Clothing?"

"Easy enough," Karen said, "Everyone is one step up from rags. I can go swipe a few uniforms."

"I'll do it," Mason said, "Karen, work your magic on Medoferro. See if you can make him look a few years older. He's only slightly older than we look. If we want him to be a General we need him about ten to fifteen years older."

"I can do that," Karen agreed, "Take Jim to watch your back."

"Uh uh," Mason chuckled, "You keep him to watch yours. I work better alone."

"Right," Jim said, "I'll stay right here, thank you."

Karen worked with what she had to make Medoferro look a bit older than he was. She carried a kit of cosmetics with her, because being an immortal who generally looked approximately 25 years of age made it an essential traveling item. Especially when they needed instant respect.

It took nearly an hour of work, but the fact that Medoferro had not shaved in nearly a week helped her out immensely. By the time Mason had come back with four reasonably decent Siraqi Uniforms Medoferro looked like a battle hardened general. Mason was impressed with the results.

"Looking good, kid," Mason said, "Let's get dressed. They're in an uproar. Evidently, Endicott is supposed to show up soon. Probably the best time to go in is now while they're expecting the big man."

They all got dressed and put on the Livery of the Siraqi military. Under normal circumstances they would not pass muster, but several years of living by de facto Bolantine rule had left the whole Siraqi military looking shabby.

"Through the back or front?" Karen asked.

"Front," Medo said, "No General goes through the back."

They walked through the gates without so much as a challenge on their identity. This alone showed the whole group just how lax the security was. Nobody wanted to be there and it showed in how little they cared to do their jobs. Medoferro would have had at least two commanders fired by the time he had made the office had it been a Mullinix posting.

"This is insane," Medoferro said quietly, "They don't even notice we're here."

"They notice," Mason said, "They don't care."

"They don't have anything to lose," Karen said, "All of them know their country is falling apart. The battles down south between the royalists and the rebels have been driving a wedge between them."

"We can use that," Medoferro said, "I think I know how to handle this."

"You know the politics up here better," Mason agreed, "We'll follow your lead. If all else fails we'll get you out of here and come in hard."

"I don't like the sound of that," Medoferro said.

"Me either," Jim agreed, "But it beats letting Bolantine come away with ideas on how to kill even more people."

"Right," Karen said, "Better to kill a few Siraqi soldiers than thousands of Mullinix, Sotan and Mavelan civilians."

"Let's see if we can manage this without killing anyone," Medoferro suggested, "Shall we?"

"After you," Mason said, "I hope you're right."

They found their way to the most solid building on the site. Everyone was still looking nervous, but that was understandable. The guard in front of the building was the first one who actually looked as though he would do your job.

"You here to see the General?" the kid asked.

"Yes," Medoferro said, "Is he in?"

"Doesn't go out much," the kid scoffed, "He's afraid that we'll frag him if he does."

"Why is that?" Medoferro asked him.

"They found another one of those large metal suckers," the kid said, "The same type they found before the big boom last time. The survivors are not thrilled."

"I bet," Medoferro nodded, "I'll go talk to him."

"Have fun," the kid said, "Don't expect to find many volunteers to go down there, even if the prisoners do revolt again."

"How many prisoners left?" Mason asked him.

"Two dozen or so," the kid shrugged, "They're getting sicker and sicker too. Losing teeth and the like. Their color is bad too."

"Let's go," Medoferro said, "We need to talk to Miclarian."

Miclarian was a shell of a general when they walked into the room. His eyes were sunken and he was tired beyond all belief. He looked up at the newcomers and barely even registered the fact that he'd never seen them before.

"Lord Endicott has finally decided to remove me from duty, I hope," Miclarian said, looking at them, "If he hasn't, I may well desert and head down to Mullinix before my own people shoot me."

"Is it that bad?" Medoferro asked him.

"This dig is a nightmare," Miclarian stated, "The explosion at the first site, the awful way anyone who was too close died. The sickness that is rampant down in the depths. I'm tired of dealing with it. No man, I don't care what crime they committed, deserves that."

"Lord Endicott is an idiot," Medoferro said, "What about this sickness?"

"It started when we unearthed the metal things a few days ago," Miclarian said, "I haven't seen them myself, but the ones who have say it's a corroded metal that is warm to the touch."

"Why have we not evacuated?" Medoferro asked him.

"To where?" Miclarian shot back, "The south is rebel heaven and most of these troops are not up to dealing with guerrilla warfare. I got a report an hour ago that the Serenians are coming over the border in the west. There's nowhere to go. I'd take my people and hold off the Serenians if I thought I could do it without Lord Endicott having us executed."

"I was sent to deal with the Serenians," Medoferro lied, "My force is about four hours south of here. I decided to come up and check with you before going back to meet with my advance men. Are they already across the border?"

"We were the last border defense unit," Miclarian told him, "There were always two, but half of the other one got blown up a month ago."

"How soon can you get your men ready to move?" Medoferro asked, "Since your people know that border..."

"If I gave an order like that my men would be out of here weapons and all in an hour," Miclarian said, "Why?"

"My men are southern bred," Medoferro continued, "They don't know how to fight up here. Most of them don't even speak proper Siraqi, let alone know what to do against a Serenian."

"Are you proposing what I think you are?" Miclarian said, "What about Lord Endicott?"

"Lord Endicott is a moron," Medoferro restated, "The only reason he's holding this much power is because the king is ill."

"Watch what you say," Miclarian warned, "Endicott has spies all over."

"Yes," Medoferro said, "But it doesn't make the facts any less true. It makes sense for you to send your regulars against the Serenian threat. I'll use my southern plowboys to watch this dig."

"What if Endicott shows up?" Miclarian said, "You going to take the heat?"

"Yes," Medoferro said, "Besides. My boys will be here before they could get here from the capital. Go give your orders."

"We can't leave until your men get here," Miclarian said, "The miners..."

"Are so sick that I could take them down myself," Medoferro said, "Lock the doors at the top of the mine. No one will know the difference."

"The guards are Endicott's," Miclarian nodded, "They are as sick as the miners. They won't notice or care at this point."

"Get your men moving," Medoferro said, "I'll stay here and get your stuff together. Karenina, head south and give the new orders to my men."

Karen nodded. She knew that Mason and Jim could contact her and that Medoferro was acting the part. Miclarian did not even notice. He smiled and wrote up his orders. He went outside and started getting people moving in the direction they wanted to go.

"You think they'll buy this bullshit?" Jim asked him, "That was a masterful performance, by the way."

"Miclarian is looking for any excuse he can to get out before the rest of them get sick," Medoferro explained, "If the Serenians have, in fact, invaded then it will probably be a good thing to get the Siraqi regulars slowing them down."

"You are not to go into the mine," Jim said to Medoferro, "They found a nuclear weapon down there. The sickness they all have is radiation sickness. Since no one has made a lead suit for over two millennia it is unlikely they have one around to protect you."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Medoferro said, "We still need to get the guards out of the mine too."

"We'll need him to do that," Mason said, "But we'll keep him as far away from the nuke as we can."

"So what do we do with a nuke?" Medoferro asked, "What is it?"

"A weapon powerful enough to level a city," Jim said, "Those things killed millions with a simple flick of a switch."

"Why would anyone want something like that?" Medoferro asked, aghast, "Why would anyone make one?"

"Man has always tried to kill themselves," Mason shrugged, "We damn near did it with those things. That's why the planet is the way it is now. I guess Mother Nature decided to make it a bit more difficult for us to screw it up."

"Lovely," Medoferro said, "Let's just see if this gets us our results, shall we?"

"Let's hope so," Mason said, "Cause I really don't want to fight with these people."

Chapter 80 - Cold Siraqi Nights

"Where are we?" Charissa asked Simon as the black of night passed over Siraq, "Any idea?"

"We've been walking about seven hours," Simon said, "Probably somewhere around 20 miles or so from the capital. I think the river is just south of us there."

"Freedom?" Charissa asked hopefully.

"We're still in Siraq," Simon told her, "But we'll probably want to stay reasonably near the roads in case we meet the army on the way in. Best case scenario is that we meet Hardin's regulars soon enough to be able to give them a status update."

"What about after?" Charissa asked him, "I mean, what is left for me?"

"We'll figure something out for you," Simon said, "Do you want to keep walking or do you want to rest for a bit?"

"Rest," Charissa said, "I haven't had this much exercise in years."

"Let's find a place near the river," Simon told her, "Probably will be safest there."

Charissa did not care at this point. She was still happy to be out of the jail cell, but she was so bone tired that she could have slept on a bed of nails. She blindly followed Simon until they found a small cave near the edge of the river.

"I'll check it out," Simon said, "Stay put, Charissa."

Charissa nodded and waited for Simon to go into the cave and come back out again. He took a few minutes to check it out and then came back to get her, seeing it was safe. She followed him inside and was only able to laugh a little.

"What's so funny?" Simon asked her.

"I go from being a princess to a jailbird to sleeping in a cave," Charissa said, "Don't you just love the curveballs life throws at you?"

"I know it," Simon chuckled, "I usually get to sleep in decent beds, even though I'm usually traveling around for Medoferro."

"A lot of traveling?" Charissa asked, "I wish I could travel. It sounds like so much fun."

"You see a lot," Simon admitted, "I usually make it around most of the Empire during the warmer months of the year. But, I spend a lot of time cleaning up messes and telling Medoferro things he'd rather not hear."

"Lonely life?" Charissa wondered, "Though I bet you have a girl in every city."

"I like it," Simon declared, "I tend to keep to myself most of the time. The house staff keeps me busy when I'm back at the palace. Especially since Trina and Medoferro spend all their time together now. They have few others to play with. Stacy is straight and Roland is a bit on the old side for those games."

"I don't know," Charissa said, "I dream of love and finding the right man, but I've never really had much of a choice in the matter."

"That's one difference between Mullinix and Serenia," Simon said as he laid out some leaves on the floor to work as a makeshift bed, "This isn't great, but it beats sleeping on the rocks."

"Hey," Charissa chuckled, "It beats the cell I've been in for three years."

"How did you remain sane?" Simon wondered, "I'd lose my mind cooped up like that for very long."

"You let your mind wander," Charissa said, shrugging her shoulders and she sat down on the pile of leaves and sticks, "Not the most comfortable thing, is it?"

"Nothing out here is comfortable," Simon shrugged, "It's going to get cold soon too."

"Come sit with me then," Charissa suggested, "It's been a long time, but I do remember that two are warmer than one."

Simon nodded and curled up with her. She held on to him because he was about the only link she had to the world outside. He was extremely attracted to her. Despite his glib persona, he had never been very good with the ladies. He and Sascha had long since come to an agreement, but she was like Marina in many ways. They both enjoyed their time together, but there would never be an emotional commitment. She couldn't have one.

Charissa was different. Even though her background had been lousy enough to try to push her emotions out, she had stubbornly held on to it. She knew that someone out there would care for her for some reason other than what she could do for them. She wasn't sure if that was what she was feeling for Simon or if it was just the wanting to not feel alone once in her life.

Simon looked at her intently, using the little bit of moonlight to study her features. He was afraid to do anything, but he knew he had an excuse to stay close. She liked having him close to her and was pleased that he could keep his control.

"It's going to be a long night," Simon said, trying to break the silence a bit, "Tell me more about Serenia. I don't know so much about your country."

"It's not my country," Charissa said, pulling a bit closer, "Never was, really. I grew up there, but I was an outsider. I didn't belong there. I've never belonged anywhere."

"Not in the palace here either?" Simon said, "Eh, stupid question, I know. I just can't see you not fitting in. You'd fit in perfectly in Mullinix."

"I've always wanted to go there," Charissa said, "Hopefully I'll get there now."

"Just stick with me," Simon said, wanting to reassure her, "I'll get you there."

She smiled and decided that she wanted to start living again right then and there. She leaned over and kissed him deeply. He gave as good as she did, loving the taste of her despite the fact that neither one of them were particularly clean.

"I want to live again, Simon," she said as she caught her breath, "I've been alive, but I've never really lived..."

"Then let's live," Simon agreed, "Right here, right now."

The barriers that had held them back went tumbling down. The dirty clothing was removed and they started devouring each other. There was no preparation, no elegance, no grace. It was simple life affirmation that could only be shared by two people who had survived something that should have killed them both.

By the time, they finished and came to a rest an hour or so later the cave had warmed up a bit. They used their clothing to cover themselves as they curled up together in the sheer satisfaction of fatigue. He pushed her hair back and kissed her again, prompting a wide smile.

"I've been alone too long," Charissa said sheepishly, "I'm sorry if I went a bit fast."

"No apology needed," Simon told her, "This is easily going down as one of the best experiences of my life."

"This?" Charissa said, "A broken down ex-princess in a cold Siraqi cave?"

"Yep," Simon agreed, "You showed me more life tonight than I've felt in years with any woman in my past."

"You flatter me," Charissa smiled, enjoying the compliment.

"It isn't flattery if it is true," Simon said, "But we'd best get some sleep. We will want to get moving once is gets light outside."

"I think I can manage some sleep now," Charissa said, "Just stay where you are and we'll be fine."

There was no argument from Simon as they curled up together and fell asleep in the cold, dark cave.

Chapter 81 - Return to Mullinix

Lister Black directed the machine north, still heading towards Mullinix. They had ended up spending an extra night in Damascas because of some sand storms. It was a long trip, but the cooler sandy areas let him know they were getting nearer and nearer to home.

"Not far now!" Lister yelled, "Let's just hope this piece of shit holds up!"

Pirotase hugged him tightly, but didn't say anything to avoid getting sand in her mouth again. She had kept her head buried against his back for most of the trip, a position that neither one of them seemed to mind very much at this point.

"I think we've made it!" Lister yelled, "I see a town and since we stopped at Northern Oasis four hours ago that has to be Mullinix Oasis!"

"What does that mean?" Pirotase asked, "Is it over?"

"Yes!" Lister said, stopping the vehicle, "It's over. We've made it home."

"Is it home?" Pirotase wondered.

"It is my home," Lister said, "And you are still welcome to come with me if you still want to."

"You mean it?" Pirotase asked him in heavily accented Mullinix, "For good?"

"You'll have to go through citizenship classes," Lister told her, "But you will do fine. I'll hire you a speech coach if I have to."

"I can't believe you still want me," Pirotase said, "After all this time."

"I've always dreamed of it," Lister said, "I should have ignored Talia the first time. It is a mistake I'm always going to regret because of how it hurt you."

"We're past that now," Pirotase smiled, "You're well on your way to redeeming your word. I'll believe it when I see that we're in Mullinix though."

"Let's go," Lister said, "We'll need to go to the Government house. I'll need to get a message to the capital to figure out what to do next."

They rode the thing into town; garnering a lot of amazed looks as they pulled the machine to a stop in front of the government house. The sand traveler, as Lister liked to call it, was something that had never been seen before in Mullinix.

"Halt!" a Mullinix Guard yelled, "Who are you and what is that thing?"

"My name is Lister Black," he said, "This is a sand machine. We need to see the Colonel immediately. I work for service three under Suvorov."

"Where did you come from?" the guard asked.

"South," Lister said, "This is part of what I brought back. Now get your Colonel so I don't have to tell this story twice."

Colonel Robert Christensen walked out the door and made a face at the clouds of sand. He had not chosen Mullinix Oasis as a posting and he still disliked it after all these years of being there. He looked at Lister Black in surprise.

"You're one of Suvorov's men?" Christensen asked, "Reciprocal Code?"

"Lister Black, Mission 240238, Cirrus origin 42," he said, "Same code I gave when they let me out of Damascas."

"Had to make sure," Christensen nodded, "I got instructions to get you a line to the capital as soon as possible."

"Good," Lister said, "Could you arrange for some clean clothes and for someone to guard that monstrosity? It's going to need to be brought to the capital to be studied."

"Sure," Christensen said, "Who is she?"

"Pirotase is my partner," Lister said, "And don't bother asking for her code. She was a Mavelan citizen, but it isn't safe for her to go back now."

"Fine," Christensen said, "I'll have clothes rounded up for both of you while you talk to the palace."

"Come on," Lister said to Pirotase, "You may as well come with me. You've earned it."

Pirotase smiled. She knew then that she never had to worry about his word again. He had fulfilled every one of her dreams and then some. She followed along with him and couldn't believe she was actually in Mullinix and not rotting away in Mavelan City anymore.

"Black?" Insegniferro's voice came through the line, "What the hell are you doing in Mullinix Oasis?"

"Long story," Lister said, "But we can confirm that the Bolantines are as big a threat as you thought. Maybe bigger."

"We got confirmation of that too," Insegniferro said, "Bolantine himself is in Siraq. We've had to send troops in there."

"He's busy then," Lister said, "His generals are planning an invasion of the Mavelans."

"I'm not surprised," Insegniferro said, "Ok. I've got sessions I need to deal with and with Medoferro's whereabouts still unknown I have more than enough work to do."

"What do you want me to do, Mullinix?" Black asked him.

"Get that stuff you found up here," the Mullinix said, "Take a break and write up your report while we clean up Siraq. We need your information, but I don't have time to process it right now."

"One last thing," Lister said, "I had a contact in the Mavelans who proved invaluable to me. I had to pull her out. She's here with me."

"I'll have Robert create her temporary citizenship papers," Insegniferro promised, "How is her Mullinix?"

"She understands it well enough," Lister said, "She needs work on speaking it."

"Take the train back," Insegniferro suggested, "Teach her. If she's a good agent we may need her insights on what to do down south to try to keep the Mavelans from becoming a Bolantine territory."

"We'll be there in a few days," Lister promised, "Take it to the science labs in Mullinix Centre?"

"That would be best," Insegniferro said, "Thank you, Lister. I'm sorry I can't give you a better welcome."

"That can wait, sir," Lister said, "For now I'm glad to be back in Mullinix."

"Now if Medoferro can join us," Insegniferro said before logging off, "I'll be happy as well."

Lister walked out and gave the information to Christensen, who shrugged and wrote things up. He didn't question Mullinix orders and he had received stranger ones over the years.

"What now?" Pirotase asked.

"We go to the capital," Lister said, "A full war broke out up in Siraq, so Insegniferro's energies are divided. We're to go with the equipment and get it taken to the science labs. It'll take a few days, so you and I can practice your Mullinix."

"Here," Christensen said, giving Pirotase her papers, "I know that the bookstore in town stocks Mullinix phonics books. They sell like hotcakes to the Damascas traders who want to improve their Mullinix."

"Thank you," Lister said, "Think any of them will take Bolantine script?"

"I'll have your pay authorization set up by the time you get everything packaged up," Christensen chuckled, "Wouldn't want you to run around with just foreign money."

"True enough," Lister laughed, "And the capitalist in you wants me to spend some of it in your town."

"Exactly," Christensen said, "It all works out."

That was something neither Lister nor Pirotase had any trouble believing at this point. They were both living out one of their fondest dreams, that of being together in Mullinix.

Chapter 82 - The Alliance Ball

Nikki dressed up nicely for the ball and met Marina outside the residence where the Mullinix contingent had been keeping house during the debates. As expected the treaty was formally approved and they began preparing a grand ball to celebrate it. It was just the event that Nikki was hoping for.

"Are you ready?" Nikki asked her, "There is no going back after this."

"My head is still sore," Marina said, "But I remember everything. This is actually going to be fun. I've not felt so alive before. I've just been existing."

"You will learn the feelings of power," Nikki promised, "We will be heading south after this. I've learned all I can up here and Bolantine himself should be heading home soon. Especially since your countrymen have invaded Siraq proper."

"I wonder what possessed Medoferro to do that," Marina said, "Doesn't sound like him."

"We'll deal with that later," Nikki said, "You will probably be able to help us with a profile on the Mullinix, a group that we don't know enough about."

"We need to survive this first," Marina said, "But we should be OK. The only other power user in residence will be Roland and he doesn't hold a candle to what I can do."

"I'll be outside," Nikki said, "I've been collecting things that can be traced to Mullinix, to solidify the blame on your people. If this doesn't shatter this alliance, nothing will."

"We go South regardless, correct?" Marina asked her.

"Absolutely," Nikki agreed, "Your knowledge is too valuable to lose to a group that doesn't know how to use it. Go inside before Roland misses you. I will be nearby. Be sure to go for the greatest impact when you start it."

"Right," Marina agreed, "See you in a bit."

Nikki smiled and waved as Marina went back into the house. Marina stretched out a little and finished putting on the beautiful Sotan style gown that Roland had purchased for her. She was to go as his consort, mainly because it would have been awkward for him to go with anyone else.

"You look good," Roland said as she walked in, "Anything going on outside?"

"The usual star watchers," Marina shrugged, "I just needed some air before going into that stuffy ballroom."

"I've never experienced a Sotan ball before," Roland said, "If Iggy is right this will not be all that stuffy and it may actually be a fun night."

"It will be that," Marina said, smiling brightly, "It will be a very interesting night."

"Shall we go?" Roland asked her.

"Let's," Marina said, looking around the area, she knew that she would not be back here again after tonight.

The two of them walked together to the Palace. People were everywhere, all elegantly dressed and talking. Marina knew she was in for another night of people babbling in a language that she could only understand because of Nikki's interference.

They walked up the red carpet and bowed to many of the elite from all over the empire. Gala balls were a sport in the Sotanberg Empire, the elite would come from all over the nation for any little ball, but this was one of the big ones. The Empire did not commit to alliances often or for very long. The last one had been also been with Mullinix, some fifteen hundred years earlier.

"So what is the procedure here?" Marina asked Roland as they walked in, "Is this going to be a long one?"

"We are going to do the signing after people arrive and have some refreshment," Roland told her, "I'll be signing for Mullinix, with the proviso that Medoferro or Insegniferro sign their copies within a month."

"Not Trina?" Marina asked.

"They consider her an apprentice," Roland explained, "She would only come into play should something happen to Iggy or Medo."

"Which is possible," Marina said, "Considering he is in Siraq."

"One problem at a time," Roland said, "That's why I had Iggy put in, so we could get things done quicker."

Marina nodded and looked around the room. She had been in this ballroom once before, having been let in by Nikki during off hours so they could plan how they were going to cause the most damage in the least amount of time. The King had already been seated first, as was the norm for this type of event.

Prince Harmon was sitting to his left, being the first in line to be heir. The King's second wife, princess consort Jelisan, took the honored spot to his right. A younger woman, married to the king to keep an internal dispute from falling apart into a small civil war, she had been the king's devoted assistant ever since the death of Harmon's mother many years before.

Roland and Marina were to be seated right by the King's table, raised in a sign of respect, but not higher than the royal table. There was a similar table on the other side, but this one was populated with minor royals and people instrumental with the treaty wording that had been going on for several days.

A Sotan ball is a rigid affair that tends to degenerate into a romp after the official ceremonies were over with. Many a career had been made on the dance floor, and many a career had been destroyed by the drunken revelry that often happened towards the end of the night.

The usual introductions and seating took place in the hall. The King stood up amid the usual pomp and circumstance to give the inaugural toast. Marina listened intently as the king droned on and on in the overly flowery Sotan language. She wanted to get it over with and start her killing spree, but she knew how important it was to wait until the signing was over.

"I know this is boring," Roland whispered, "It will end soon. Harmon said the signing part would be rather quick."

"I'm sure it will go off with a bang," Marina said idly.

Roland chuckled, not knowing that Marina had the bang already in mind. She smiled and watched the ceremony unfold. She did not try to take in any of the flowery language. It was mostly meaningless to her, even with Nikki's language infusion. She was concentrating on what they were doing.

"Looks like the signing will be soon," Roland said quietly in Mullinix.

"Good," Marina said.

"I'd like to welcome the esteemed representative of the Mullinix," the king said, "Roland Hoffs has been a gracious participant in this agreement that will bring us true security. While we have never had any problems with the Mullinix on our border, we both have reason to worry about the Bolantine Empire down south.

"This agreement will allow us all to breathe easier, knowing that if the Bolantines attack one of us, they will be attacking both of us. Without further ado, I would like to invite Roland up here to sign the agreement on behalf of the Mullinix people. Come on up here, Roland!"

"Thank you sire," Roland said in Sotan, "I would like to thank your house of nobles for debating this thoroughly and coming to the conclusion that this was a good idea for both of our peoples. I sign this document, not in place of my Mullinix, but as a placeholder for when we can get everyone together for a signing with him as well!"

This went over well. The people knew that Roland was not the ruler in Mullinix, but that he carried clout. Roland and the King shook hands and posed for the photographers. Marina knew that she wouldn't have a better chance to do her thing than she was when the photographers were aiming cameras.

Marina stood up and did a quick flip over the table, landing flatfooted in front of the king. Roland looked at her, wondering what was behind that little display of hers, but it was too late for him to do anything by the time he realized what she was up to.

Marina pulled power from the area around her and redirected it through her fingertips the way that Nikki had taught her a few nights before. The King was surprised when the power hit him full in the chest, starting his clothing smoking with power. This display sent everyone in the room into shock.

"Marina!" Roland yelled, "What the hell are you doing?"

"What should have been done long ago!" Marina yelled back, switching to Sotan for the rest, "Die Sotan die! Long live Medoferro the Great!"

Roland knew that he had to stop her. She had obviously lost her mind and he needed to break the power. He grounded himself properly and pushed the king out of the way, deflecting the power stream and pushing Marina back, meeting her power.

"This woman does not speak for us!" Roland yelled in Sotan, "You will not get away with this!"

Roland and Marina faced off. Roland knew that he could not hold her forever, but he hoped to give everyone a chance to back off. The king was injured, perhaps mortally, but something in Marina's eyes showed that she had no interest in stopping.

"You can't hold me forever," Marina told him, "I can drain you!"

"You won't win!" Roland said evenly, straining to restrain her power, "Whoever you are working for."

"You asked for it!" Marina hissed, "Suck my power stream!"

Marina pulled more power and pushed it back at Roland, sending sparks from his hands and throwing him backwards into the King's table. When he fell, the hold on Marina's power was ended and she turned it over to Prince Harmon. She was angry and wanted to play.

"Any last words, Sotan?" Marina asked him, lifting him into the air.

"Rot in hell," Harmon said, fighting the bonds, "You won't win, evil wench!"

Roland shook his head from the floor. He looked over at the king, who was laying on the floor being looked at by the princess consort. He knew he could not win an all out power battle with Marina. She had reserves due to being a power sink that he could never match. He looked for the one opening that he could use to slow her down and save the Prince.

"Nasty words," Marina said, "Prepare to eat them!"

"You first," Roland said as he realized the one weakness that she could not prepare for, "Bitch!"

Roland redirected the power he was pulling through his emotional center, letting all the heavy emotions that he was capable of coat the power and get past her initial shield. Having no emotional center to ground her made this attack even more productive. Marina's eyes opened wide as she felt the first blow of the attack enter. Prince Harmon hit the floor as she forgot he existed. Not having ever known love she had no reason to suspect that it was part of what Roland was doing to her.

"Stop that!" Marina yelled, firing a heavy bolt at Roland, "What are you doing!"

The bolt was what Roland needed. He had found her weakness and as she started throwing power at him he could redirect it back at her, running it through the raw stump of an emotional core that she lacked. Her nature as a power sink started pulling the raw power through that part of her body, something that he knew would go until both of them burned out.

Marina started flailing and glowing with the power that was going through her. People ran screaming from the display fearing for their lives. The only ones who did not run were Roland and the Princess consort.

"Get him out of here!" Roland yelled, "This may backfire and blow!"

Prince Harmon saw the look in Roland's eyes and knew then that he was giving his own life to save them. He nodded and picked up his father in his strong arms. The princess consort picked up his legs and together they carried him out of the room.

As everyone was running out only Nikki made her way inside. Being an experienced power user she knew exactly what Roland had done. She was impressed that he was willing to burn himself out to stop Marina, but it wouldn't make her life any easier.

"Nikki!" Marina yelled, "Make it stop!"

"Shut up!" Nikki yelled, "Damn it!"

Nikki knew she had to intercede in the power stream without becoming caught up in it. She made a quick construct that was grounded to the rocks in the room. She designed it to do a quick drain, something that would hopefully allow Marina to break off from the older man.

"Die!" Roland yelled, his body burning from the heat and pain, "Die!"

"Not yet!" Nikki said, finishing the construct, "I'm almost done, Marina!"

Nikki took a deep breath and hoped that she could keep out of the stream because if she got caught in it too both of them would be out of it for good. With a hard strike designed as if she was cutting a diamond Nikki broke the stream, pushing the self-rejuvenating power supply into the artificial sink created for the purpose.

"Ahhh!" Marina yelled, "It burns! It burns!"

Nikki had to shield her eyes as the construct exploded, taking the lion's share of the energy with it. The resulting explosion pushed both parties across the room, but managed to break Roland's ingenious construct. Roland quickly lost consciousness with the construct's destruction, but Nikki did not have time to deal with him.

She ran over to Marina and checked her for a pulse. The girl was burned badly in several places and her eyes were nothing but charred pieces of flesh that would never see again, but her pulse was strong her body was still in reasonably decent shape.

"Time to make a quick exit," Nikki said, "Let's hope I don't pass out."

Nikki picked up Marina, despite being quite a bit smaller than the fallen power user. Nikki fed power into her muscles and pushed through the back doors. She ran fast, using power recklessly to make sure that nobody could follow her easily. It wasn't until someone noticed her run out of the building that anyone ventured inside.

"After them!" Prince Harmon yelled, "Check Roland's condition."

The Princess consort found Roland, burned and badly convulsing. She tried to feed him some water, but stuttered that he needed Harmon. Harmon came into the room and touched Roland's shoulder, one of the few places that wasn't burned.

"Mullinix had nothing to do with her turning," Roland promised, "Find her. She must face Sotan and Mullinix justice."

"We need to get you and my father worked on first," Harmon said, "He's still alive, but out. We don't even know what was done to him."

"P-p-p-power use," Roland explained, "Medico... Massimaferro Village... Specialist..."

"Get a caravan ready now!" Harmon yelled, "We're going to Mullenburg. Get the army looking for the girl! Tell them to be very careful if they see her."

"They must pay," an advisor said, "The Mullinix..."

"The Mullinix didn't do this," Harmon said, "It's too pat. Someone turned the Mullinix girl. We need to get Insegniferro to the border to save this alliance. Maybe he'll have someone who can treat these wounds on my father and Roland."

"And if they did do it?" the aide asked.

"Then they'll pay for it," Harmon promised, "But I'll have to see it in Insegniferro's eyes first. Give me some paper, we need to send a messenger to Mullinix Centre."

Prince Harmon scrawled down his account of what happened and what Roland told him about the Medico in Massimaferro Village. He just hoped that Insegniferro said and did the right things. The last thing he needed was hostile nations on both sides.

Chapter 83 - Bolantine's Weapon

Bolantine knew something was up when he walked up to the camp. He had never seen the camp this quiet before. It looked like a ghost town. No personal possessions, no people, nothing. He sent his bodyguard crew, chosen from Corie's most loyal Siraqi forces, around the camp to search for clues as to what happened.

"Miclarian must have grown some balls," Bolantine muttered as he walked up to the empty commander's cabin, "I never thought he'd actually get around to deserting."

"The camp is empty Lord Endicott," one of the guards said, "No sign of any of Miclarian's troops."

"He left his log for me," Bolantine said, "He claims he was relieved by southern general."

"What southern general sir?" he asked.

"I'd like to know that myself," Bolantine mumbled.

Bolantine put the log down and sighed. He had hoped to use Miclarian's men to hold off the Mullinix force as he made his escape to the south. It looked like he wouldn't have that chance anymore. He had to go down, salvage what he could, and see if he could get the weapon to the empire somehow.

"Let's go to the dig site," Bolantine ordered, "Let's see if our diggers are still there at least."

They walked over to the dig site, some quarter mile away from the camp. Bolantine knew that the distance was not enough to matter if another accident happened, but it made the soldiers feel a little safer. Evidently not enough if they had all left with Miclarian.

While Bolantine was on his way to the dig site, Medoferro and the Immortals were looking over the site location. The few survivors had been released, along with their guards. Entragian did not tell them that they likely had less than six months to live. They were in bad enough shape already.

"I can't believe these suits survived," Entragian said, "Medo, put one of these on now."

"Demron?" Karen said, looking at it, "I thought sure those would have deteriorated by now. The outside is covered with silicon-based fiber, so it should be fireproof too."

"What is it?" Medo asked, as he followed instructions, "It's heavy as hell."

"It should be," Mason told him, "It is a customized suit for protection in a place like this. Fireproof and radiation proof. If they'd had enough of these those miners would not be as sick as they are."

Jim helped Medoferro put the suit on all the way, putting the hood up over his head. It was not complete protection, but they figured it was better than having Medoferro go completely unprotected in an area where Nuclear weapons had been found.

Bolantine knew that something was up when he saw a couple of the fallen diggers along with a beaten trail heading far away from the dig site. He figured it was probably Mason and Karen Stone, seeing as they always tended to show up when he least needed them. He sent his guards to cover the two exits of the dig site.

"I want the rest of you to rush down," Bolantine told them, "I want everyone who is not part of your crew dead."

This group had been heavily indoctrinated by himself and Corie for several years, so they followed his orders without even a smidgen of question. Bolantine knew that they would not be able to hold off the power users, but they would give him a chance to get the upper hand.

Medoferro saw the rush of guards coming into the dig site and let the immortals know that someone was coming. Medoferro tried to produce a flash bang to slow them down, but it just did not work like that for him.

"The natives are restless!" Medo yelled, "And I'm a bit underpowered here!"

"Hello, Hello!" Bolantine yelled, "Lord Endicott is home!"

"Medo," Mason said, "You take cover. We're below the mag line, so power use won't do a whole lot of good. They can't kill us. You don't have that luxury."

Medoferro nodded and took cover behind a dilapidated vehicle. Mason looked at Jim and gave him a look that told Jim to go with Medoferro. This was something that did not surprise him, as Mason and Karen were both far better fighters than he would ever consider being. He could, however, work as a shield for Medo.

The fighting started quickly and lasted a bit. There wasn't much power down there below the magnetic line, but there was enough released when the first of the guards went to give him a little bit of help. Bolantine rushed down as well, figuring he might as well join in.

"You know," Bolantine said, "I'm getting really sick of finding you guys at my dig sites. You'd think that just once I could find a cache and you wouldn't be there to mess me up when I decide to dig it up. What is this? The eighth? Ninth one now?"

The guards backed off now that their boss was there, leaving the immortals in fighting stance. They were slightly winded, but that was not even a big deal for them. Killing two guards had given Mason some power, but it was a standoff.

"You know damn well these weapons are useless on the surface," Mason told him, "Take the damn thing over the mag line and it will blow."

"That isn't your concern," Bolantine said, "Your concern is getting the young Mullinix out of here alive. I have control here."

"At least until the Serenians come knocking," Mason reminded him, "They already cut through the reduced line at Serenaq. They're probably well on their way here."

"By which point I will have what I want and will be heading home," Bolantine said, "All you have to do is move away from the cases. We will load the weapon in bauxite and get it out of here."

"And explode it like happened at the other dig site," Karen said, "Are you insane? No amount of bauxite is going to keep that thing from exploding."

"The other one exploded because the diggers brought it up without knowing what it was," Bolantine said, "It was unfortunate. I had hoped to figure it out and replicate it before I exploded it somewhere."

"Not going to happen, Bolantine," Mason said, "I'll set it off down here and take us all with it first."

"No you won't," Bolantine said, "You like living too much. You wouldn't deprive that mortal who has been traveling with you of his life."

"I'd give my life if it stopped you," Medoferro said, standing up, "Set it off, Karen. It beats letting him have it."

Jim Entragian had other ideas. Since he was out of the view of either Bolantine or the guards, he looked at the weapon that was the point of this exercise. It was a large corroded metallic weapon, one of the fusion/nuclear hybrid weapons that appeared soon before the cataclysm. The corrosion was holding it to its stand, but both were still rather strong metal. Entragian had an idea on how to get everyone out.

"Stay out of this, Medoferro," Mason said, "This isn't your fight. This is one we have had for centuries."

"Millennia," Bolantine corrected, "And it is one you will lose this time, simply because of numbers."

While Bolantine prattled on about numbers for a few moments, Jim Entragian took a rope and looped it around the stand. No one noticed him with the tense showdown between Bolantine, Mason and Karen. He tied it tightly against the stand and moved back over behind the cart.

"You won't win," Karen promised, "We can't afford to have a Bolantine Empire all over the world."

"The world can't afford to have you running it," Mason added, "The Mullinix and the Sotans may not be perfect, but they beat you by a long shot."

"Mortal rule is folly," Bolantine said, "There is no continuity, no responsibility. I am incorruptible. Who can give me something that I do not already possess or cannot get by simply waiting them out?"

"You are insane," Karen said, something she had oft repeated over the centuries, "You are as evil as they come, Bolantine. You want power for power's sake. You may try to dress it up as noble, but you are all about yourself."

"You should come down to the Bolantine Empire sometime," Bolantine said, "See if you still believe that tripe you just spit at me."

"Not sure I want to visit a land of psychopaths," Mason said harshly, "Especially when I see what you've done in just a few years up here."

"It is your loss," Bolantine shrugged, "I'd rather leave you down here anyway."

Entragian tied the rope securely to the powered cart. He then attached some of the rocket munitions to the back of it. These rocket munitions were designed to fly hundreds of miles and even after thousands of years underground retained enough punch to move a simple rail cart.

It was at this point that Karen saw through the peripherals of her eyes what Entragian was up to. She nodded her approval and moved to give him some more cover. Mason and Bolantine traded some more insults while Jim finished it up and got things ready to go.

"I think it's time for us to take you over," Bolantine said, "So step aside now or prepare for your doom."

"I like that," Medoferro said, chuckling, "I think I like this more."

Medoferro had been watching the room and he saw where the magnetic line was. It was lower than Bolantine thought. The weapon was actually only four feet lower than the mag line. From the position where Medoferro was standing he knew he could reach it easily and jumped to do so.

Medoferro pulled the line of power down and shot it directly at Bolantine's eyes. Medoferro knew he could not permanently damage the immortal, but figured it would blind him long enough for them to come up with something else.

The guards, seeing their leader hit, started to rush the rest of the group. Karen shoved Medoferro into the cart that Jim prepared as Jim himself let off a kick on the weapon, knocking it over and sending out a devastating pulse of radiation as it's corroded radiation shield cracked and let the full blast of deadly plutonium radiation hit the unshielded guards, doubling them over almost immediately.

"Get him out!" Karen yelled, "Let's trash this place!"

Jim jumped into the cart, roughly shoved Medoferro's head down to keep him out of radiation range and started a flare. He lit the rockets, which started moving the cart up to the entrance.

Mason and Karen, knowing that they were not going to have long to get out, ran for the main entrance. Bolantine, who was indeed blinded, but could use power sight to avoid obstacles, knew that getting out was most likely imperative at this point as well. He stumbled out the side exit and made his way to the top as well.

The rockets attached to the cart got going pretty well. Medoferro was still confused, but Jim, knowing that this was not going to be a pretty landing, pushed Medoferro to the back of the cart and used his own body to be a force break for the mortal. He knew that he could recover from a lot more than the Mullinix could.

As the cart flew up the long rail line the rope uncoiled and stretched out. Mason and Karen ran as fast as they could, pulling power to increase their top speed, but couldn't outrun rockets. Once the rope had uncoiled fully it started pulling on the weapon, dragging it quickly up the slope.

It was a bare few seconds later that the weapon crossed the magnetic line. Without the protection of the sheath that Bolantine had designed the heavy magnetic field blew out every electronic piece of the weapon and set it off. A few nanoseconds later a massive nuclear explosion set everything out of whack.

Chapter 84 - Army on the Move

Simon and Charissa were following the river when they felt the earth shake beneath them. Simon recognized it as a power move and instinctively looked north. The Mushroom cloud was visible in the far distance, though neither of them knew exactly what it was.

"That isn't good, is it?" Charissa asked him.

"No," Simon agreed, "I don't think it is. It is far away from here, so we should be ok. I just hope it doesn't create another quake in Mullinix."

"Let's just hope we can find your people soon," Charissa said, "I'm sick of walking."

Simon nodded and then motioned for Charissa to be quiet for a moment. Someone was riding quickly up towards the river. Simon and Charissa took cover behind a rock until he could see who it was. Horses were scarce in Siraq, so someone riding one that quickly had to be either a noble (of which there were few remaining) or army.

Finally, the rider came close enough for Simon to see what he was wearing. It was one of Hardin's scouts, something Simon could tell from the uniform and from the fact that he was better fed than any Siraqi guard or soldier.

"Stay put," Simon instructed Charissa, "I think it's a Mullinix scout."

"Ok," Charissa nodded, "I'll wait here."

"Be back in a few," Simon said as he stood up and shouted, "Hey! Over there!"

The scout turned around and looked across the river. He couldn't see quite clearly, so he pulled out a set of binoculars. He did not recognize Simon outright, but knew he was supposed to be looking for the Mullinix and his representative and the man was shouting in clear Mullinix.

"Who are you?" the scout shouted.

"Simon Sutcliffe!" he shouted, "Mullinix rep! I need to see Hardin!"

"Follow me down the river," the scout shouted, "There is a crossing about three miles down!"

"Come on, Charissa," Simon said in her direction, "Let's go meet the troops."

It took them about twenty minutes or so to make it to the crossing. Another forward force was there waiting as Simon and Charissa made it there. This group had some of the Cirrus veterans, all of whom recognized Simon on sight.

"Where the hell have you been?" one of them asked Simon, "And it's damn good to see you!"

"Running from Bolantine's troops," Simon told them, "Where's Hardin?"

"He's with the main force about two miles down the road," the veteran told him, "Suvorov is with him. Is Medoferro with you?"

"He escaped before I did," Simon explained, "I think he and Jim went north though. We may have a wild card in this fight, though."

"What fight?" the veteran asked, "No one has fought us yet. No royalist troops, nothing at all. People have been cheering us along, especially when we start passing out food."

"At least that's good news," Simon said, "Let's hope that continues as we approach the palace. Still, Charissa here might be able to help us with that end of it."

"Just remember your promise," Charissa said, "And maybe give me a chance to sit down sometime soon."

"Come on up here little lady," the veteran said, "Your honor is safe with me and you look as though you've been walking a while."

"It's been an interesting week," Simon said, "Let me tell you."

Another veteran picked up Simon and they all rode to the head of the marching army. Hardin and Suvorov were sitting in the front of a travel wagon, proceeding over the march. They saw the advance group coming back with passengers and hoped that luck would be with them.

"I see Simon and I see a girl," Suvorov said, "Where the hell is Medo?"

"We won't know until we talk to him," Hardin said, "I wonder who the girl is."

The veterans pulled up next to the lead cart, letting Simon and Charissa off so they could sit with Hardin and Suvorov. Suvorov shook hands with Simon as they sat down on the bench.

"Where's Medo?" Suvorov asked him.

"He and Jim managed an escape from Bolantine in the arena," Simon said, "Jim broke limbs to get out of his chains and scooped Medo out. I told Jim to leave me behind rather than risk him not making it out with Medo."

"So where is he?" Hardin asked.

"He and Jim headed north," Simon said, "Probably to deal with the dig. Charissa and I managed to get out after Bolantine locked me in an unleaded cell."

"Who are you?" Hardin asked her, "Your presence has yet to be explained."

"I am Charissa," she said, holding out a hand, "Princess Consort to the Siraqi King."

"You mean there is royal blood left other than him?" Hardin asked, "I thought sure the other royals were dead by now."

"Lord Endicott, or Bolantine as you call him, needed me alive," Charissa explained, "My Serenian relatives occasionally want to know I'm alive, even if they don't care how good of condition."

"I'm sure he figured she could be used as a figurehead if the king croaked," Simon put in, "I figured she could help us with getting what is left of the royalists behind us. She can confirm Lord Endicott is a fraud."

"That could make things a bit easier," Hardin said, "Or harder. Do you want to rule afterwards, Charissa?"

"Not a chance," Charissa said firmly, "I know full well my relatives are likely already going over the border and would not stop just because I asked them to."

"I'm thinking more of a controlled cession," Simon suggested, "Getting the royalists to step down and having Charissa decree the split between Serenia and Mullinix of all Siraqi territory."

"Bold move," Suvorov said, "But it would probably quiet everyone and make the whole thing legitimate."

"Are you willing to do this?" Hardin asked Charissa directly.

"Simon promised me freedom in Mullinix afterwards," Charissa said, "If you agree to this and the same deal for my people, then it is the best choice."

"The Serenians would be a better bet than what they've had," Suvorov said, "Most of the north has already converted to the religion."

"Some families up there survive only on Serenian aid," Charissa confirmed, "I have no ill will for my brethren, just no desire to join them again. They sent me here as an exile. I do not mind exile, so long as I get freedom in the bargain."

"Ok," Hardin said, "I'm going to send a message back to Trinaferro letting her know you've been found and that Medo is free, but not with us yet. I'll also let her know your plan. She will have to give approval unless we meet Medoferro."

"If that blast up north didn't get him," Simon said, "My guess is that he and Jim will be heading south anytime now."

"The dig went up in smoke?" Suvorov asked.

"I'm assuming that's what it was," Simon said, "We saw it an hour ago."

"I'll send that too," Hardin nodded, "Rav, can you get a messenger ready?"

"Right," Suvorov said, "Good to see you back, Simon. Nice to meet you, Charissa."

"Have we made it?" Charissa asked Simon, sitting down next to him.

"Yes," Simon told her, "We still have some work to do, but however it turns out, I promise you that I will get you to Mullinix. Even if you and I have to walk it again."

"Thank you," Charissa said, smiling and leaning against him, "That's all I needed to hear."

Chapter 85 - Emergency Messenger

"You are kidding me?" Insegniferro seethed as he read the message, "Marina did what?"

"I know only what I was given," the messenger said, "I'm a relay messenger based out of Mullenberg."

"Thank you," Insegniferro said, grimacing, "Go back to Mullenberg. Inform Prince Harmon that I will be there by tonight. I need to confer with Trinaferro and arrange for the needed Medico. Get some food in you before you go as well. I don't want you to fall off your horse."

"Thank you, Mullinix," the kid said, bowing respectfully, "Anything else?"

"Tell him that if he catches Marina to keep the body and just send me her head," Insegniferro scowled, "Other than that, nothing else. I will be there to handle this personally."

The messenger nodded and left the room quickly. He knew that angry leaders were never good for anyone, especially messengers from foreign lands.

"What happened?" Marianna asked him, "Something happen to Marina?"

"Not yet," Insegniferro growled, "But hopefully soon. She tried to kill the king and the prince. Roland stopped her, but he's gravely injured now. Half of the Sotan nobles want our heads on a platter. Harmon wants to see me personally to get assurance that we had nothing to do with Marina turning."

"I can't believe that Marina..." Marianna said, "I mean... Murder? Her?"

"I don't know," Insegniferro said, "Get the security people ready to travel for me, will you? I'm going to go get a line to Trina up north. Just what we need to deal with, isn't it?"

"I'll get things together," Marianna promised, "Where is Marina now?"

"Nobody knows," Insegniferro said, "The letter says she escaped."

"Ok," Marianna said, "I'm sorry, Iggy."

"So am I," Insegniferro said, "Go get things together."

Insegniferro watched as she ran off. He knew that some heads were going to roll over this one. He went to the line room and the technicians were already getting to work.

"We heard a very tired looking Sotan messenger came in," the kid said, "We figured you'd want a line to Trinaferro post haste."

"You figured right," Insegniferro said, "I'll go into the room. Let me know when you have the line."

"Should be there by now," the kid said, "If you know the codes you can do the talking."

"Fine," Insegniferro said, walking into the room, "Who is on the other end?"

"Massimaferro village," the operator on the other end said, "Code please?"

"Mullinix Code 7203," Insegniferro said, "Don't give me anymore codes right now because I don't have my book and I have less patience. Get Trinaferro to the line as soon as possible. I want her sister as well."

"Yes Mullinix!" the voice said, surprised at hearing Insegniferro so grouchy, "Right away sir!"

The line went dead and came back on about sixty seconds later. Instead of Trinaferro, however, it was Stacy's voice that came through the line.

"What's up, Iggy?" Stacy asked him, "The operator is going for Trina and Toria, they are working in the ward together right now to give Trina something to do other than fret about Medo's whereabouts."

"Marina lost it," Insegniferro said, "I'll explain when the other two get here so I don't have to do it twice."

The line went dead for a moment and then came back on with two more people in the room. Insegniferro could tell because of the heavy breathing and shuffling of chairs in the lead room on the other side.

"What's up?" Trinaferro asked, "And why are you asking for Toria too."

Insegniferro spent a few minutes reading the full letter that had been brought in by the Sotan messenger. Trinaferro couldn't believe it anymore than anyone else. Marina had been a part of the family for years. The idea of her turning her back on the Mullinix was hard to swallow.

"Why did you want me here?" Toria asked him, "I'm not a politician."

"You're a medico," Iggy explained, "Roland and the king were both injured by power use and you're the only one I know of with any experience at all in it."

"I know how to treat some of it," Toria said, "But I need a power user there to help heal it."

"I know one," Insegniferro sighed, "One I'd prefer not to see again, but if it will keep us out of a war I'll go talk to him."

"The old man," Trina said, "The rest of them are up north."

"Any word from them?" Iggy asked hopefully.

"Nothing yet," Trina said, "But we're waiting for today's messenger."

"I'm going to Sotanberg," Insegniferro said, "I'll have messengers running between Mullenberg and Northern Pass every hour. Send any messages for me to Northern Pass."

"I will do so," Trina said, "I guess you get to do the traveling this time, sis."

"Warren can watch the shop," Toria said, "I'll bring my tools, get me a power user and I'll see what I can do."

"Let's just hope I can keep the alliance from dissolving before it takes effect," Insegniferro sighed, "I hate to give you more pressure, Trina, but you're going to be acting Mullinix until I get back from dealing with this."

"Great," Trina said, "Do I at least get to keep Stacy?"

"Yes," Insegniferro told her, "You'll need her if the worst happens and you have to replace both of us."

"See to it that doesn't happen, eh?" Trina said, "Now let's get moving."

"Ok," Insegniferro said as the line cut off, "Now to go to a place I never thought I'd go again..."

Chapter 86 - Human Cannonball

"I don't know what you did," Medoferro mumbled as he opened his eyes, "But don't ever do it again..."

"Yeah," Entragian said, "It won't be my first choice of escape again, that's for sure."

Medoferro was lying on the ground motionless, trying to get a handle on where he was and what parts of him were broken. Luckily, he did not hit anything but Entragian when he flew out of the cart. He opened his eyes and probed his extremities mentally. The only real pain was coming out of his left arm.

"Are you hurt?" Entragian asked him.

"I think my left arm is broken," Medoferro said, "I haven't tried to move other than that yet."

"Consider yourself lucky if that's all you broke," Entragian grunted, "Look this way and you'll see what I mean."

Medoferro turned his head, moving it painlessly thankfully, and saw that Entragian was lying on the ground about ten feet away. Or at least part of him was there. He looked a lot shorter than Medoferro remembered.

"Where's the rest of you?" Medoferro asked as he painfully sat up, "You're missing some pieces."

"In the cart," Jim said, "The force cut me in half."

"Oh man," Medoferro said, "What do we do?"

"If you can walk go to the cart," Jim said, "It's about thirty feet past us. It'll be a disgusting job, but if you can drag the rest of me back here, I'll be grateful."

Medoferro pulled himself up. His body was sore and he was sure he would be heavily bruised, but he could move. He walked over to the cart, which had smashed through a couple trees before coming to a rest half embedded in a tree too large for it to mow down.

"This is really disgusting," Medoferro mumbled as he pulled Entragian's lower half out of the cart, "You know this, right?"

"Better me than you," Entragian said, his voice even, "Drag that over here and lay it out so it's facing the right direction, please."

Medoferro did so, not bothering to argue with Entragian's truism that it was better it happened to him. Once he laid out the legs and pushed them up near Entragian's torso the pieces began knitting together. Medoferro watched this process intently, surprised at the way he healed up. Within minutes Entragian could stand up on his own again.

"Nice," Medoferro said, whistling, "No wonder you put yourself in front of me."

"Yeah," Entragian said, "Now let's see if we can find the others."

"Or what's left of them," Medoferro said, "They might still be half-buried in there."

"Let's hope not, eh?" Entragian said, "I'd prefer not to have to dig them out."

"Not going to happen this time," a feminine voice said from above them.

Entragian looked up and pushed Medoferro back as he heard a crack from the tree above them. The branch that Karen Stone was precariously impaled on finally broke under the strain. Medoferro could only cringe as she came down and hit the ground with a loud thud.

Entragian went over, removed the branch from her stomach, and laid her unconscious form out flat so she would heal easier. Medoferro was about to start looking for Mason Stone when he heard a shuffling from behind them.

"Sorry about that," Mason rasped, his lower jaw mostly bone, "That did not go how I planned it."

"You've got a stick in the nerve center, Mase," Entragian said, "It's blocking regrowth."

Mason pulled the stick out and pulled a broken Mullinix cigar out of his charred pocket. He lit it with one of the small fires still burning on his Siraqi uniform before putting the flame out. It was odd watching this, seeing as his face had still not rebuilt. Half the smoke fell through his open lower jaw.

"Nice, Mason," Karen said, shaking her head as she came to, "We're all a mess."

"At least you heal immediately," Medoferro grunted, "I've definitely broken my arm."

"Let me look at it," Entragian told him, "I'm going to do a quick power knit."

Entragian roughly pushed the bones back into place and used a bit of a power push to hold them together. It did not do anything for Medoferro's pain, but it did give him the feeling of being more in one piece.

"That's as good as I can do out here," Jim said, "We need to find your troops so we can get it patched up properly."

"We need clothes first," Mason said, still smoking oddly, "Any of you up to walking back to what's left of the camp?"

"As much as I will be," Medo said, "Let's go before someone shows up."

"Keep that suit on for now," Jim warned, "We're not far enough away to be out of the woods for radiation danger yet."

"It should be fine," Mason rasped, "Walls in there were copper. That would have melted down and absorbed it. Unlike the first one they couldn't have chosen a better detonation site this time."

"Just so long as we don't have to fight this battle again," Medoferro said, "We've got a long walk home from here."

There was a murmur of agreement as all four of them went to the wooded area that they used to change clothes in the first place. Medoferro kept the demron suit on, but covered it with his normal clothes so he would not stand out. Mason, Karen and Jim got their normal clothes back on and even Mason's badly injured face was nearly healed by the time they were finished.

"Someone is heading quickly this way," Mason said, sitting down against a tree, "Coming from the west, looks like."

"Could be Miclarian's group," Medoferro said, "That explosion had to be visible for hundreds of miles."

"Miclarian didn't have enough horses capable of running fast," Karen said, "I hear wheels as well."

"If they were Mullinix they'd be coming from the south," Medoferro said, "The Serenians usually have horse drawn chariots for their soldiers. It's lower to the ground and can be used to carry bodies easier than a horse alone."

"Looks Serenian then," Jim said, "A whole pile of them are heading our way."

"Should we run?" Karen asked.

"Medo?" Mason said, "You know them better than we do."

"If we run they'll chase," Medo said, "We stay put and they may talk to us. The Serenians are fanatics, but generally not stupid. We stay put and they'll either pass us or talk to us. If we can get to their commander we can talk to them."

"Either way," Mason said, "It beats another few days of exhaustion running."

"I'll stay out of the way," Jim suggested, "That way if something goes wrong you can signal me and I can do something to get you out of it."

"Go," Mason nodded, "Medo, I think it's best if you appear official for this and act as if we're just your guards."

"Good idea," Karen said, "We're still too wiped out to do more than that anyway."

"Let's meet them on our terms," Medo suggested, "Give Jim a chance to get lost."

Medoferro stood up and walked, albeit slowly due to the pain in all his muscles, towards the beating hoofs. His guess was right, as the colors and the makeup of the force proved them Serenian. He stood off to the side of the pathway and raised his good arm to show he was not going to fight them.

"Friend or foe!" the leader of the Serenian troop said in accented Siraqi, "Answer now!"

"I have no wish to fight," Medoferro said in clear Siraqi, "I am not a Siraqi citizen and wish no more than passage back to Mullinix."

"Who are you?" the commander asked.

"Mullinix Medoferro," he told them, "I'd like to speak with your commander."

The Serenians looked around at each other, surprised by this. They did not know whether or not to believe him. The intelligence they received before entering Siraq stated that the Mullinix was in the country, but they did not expect to meet him. They looked around for his army.

"I'm unarmed and have no army," Medoferro said, "I'm sure your commander will be able to identify me. I would like to speak with him, please."

The leader of the group nodded, figuring that if it was a trap it was a poor one. None of the three was armed and all of them looked injured. They walked with their hands raised and were brought to the back of the columns of troops, where a face very familiar to Medoferro stood above the crowd.

"Marlintic Sernak," Medoferro chuckled, "I should have figured you would be leading this personally."

"I don't get to do much else nowadays," Sernak said, "Suvorov was quite forthcoming with information when he passed through. We figured the time was right to stop the suffering and bring Northern Siraq under our direct control."

"I'm not here to argue with you on that," Medoferro said, "Our interests in this area of Siraq concluded when Bolantine's dig went up in smoke."

"You caused that conflagration?" Sernak asked, worried about that, "How?"

"Pre-cataclysmic weapons," Medoferro said, "Bolantine was trying to get them to take to his empire in the south. He failed."

"Where is he?" Sernak asked, "We'd like him to answer for what he has done to the people of Siraq."

"If there's any justice he was buried underground when the weapon went," Medoferro said, "If he wasn't, he's probably on his way back south. Feel free to look for him."

"So what do we do with you?" Sernak asked, "I suppose you want passage south?"

"I don't think you particularly want the fight with my people that would result if you did anything else," Medoferro said honestly, "I don't want to fight with you. I have no intention of disputing your claims of the north. I take it you wiped out what was left of Miclarian's regulars?"

"Easily," Sernak said, "Most of them, including Miclarian himself, surrendered outside Serenaq."

"That was the last of the main force up here," Medoferro said, "Bolantine's elite guards were pretty well wiped out when we blasted the dig. The southern end wouldn't put up with your rule anyway, as they are mostly Mullinix as it is."

"What are you proposing?" Sernak asked him.

"Give me a ride down to the Palace," Medoferro said, "I'm sure my troops are likely there by now or not far off. I will join my people and we will take the capital together, ending this corrupt regime. We can have peaceful discussions of what to do with Siraq after that."

"Why should I trust you?" Sernak asked him, "You are, after all, a Mullinix."

"We may not agree on most things," Medoferro said, "But we have never attacked you in any way and don't intend to start now. I'm tired, I've been beaten on and I've walked for most of the last week. If you could see your way clear to give me a ride south to my own people we'll be much more inclined to see things your way. I'm sick of walking."

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" Sernak asked.

"I have nothing to gain but a long war if I did that," Medoferro said wearily, "You aren't the top dog up there. It would just piss off your people and your clerics. I would not do that. It's not worth it."

"Consolidate one of the chariot crews," Sernak ordered, knowing that Medoferro was right, "Leave a driver on one and let Medoferro and his guards ride on it. Squads four and five are to secure this area and clean up any resistance. One and two are to check out the dig site. Squad three will accompany me to the south."

"Don't send anyone into the dig areas," Mason warned, "They will be quite deadly for quite some time."

"You survived," Sernak said, "So will they."

"Don't stay long," Mason suggested, "If you feel yourself getting sick, get out. We were in there less than two hours. I recommend not staying any longer than that, especially now that it exploded.

"We'll keep that in mind," Sernak said, "Let's go everyone!"

"I don't like that," Karen said quietly, "They're going to go in."

"Nothing we can do," Mason said quietly, "They will stop once the first batch dies of radiation poisoning."

"Let's go," Medoferro said, "I am sick of living like this. You can have the wild. I want to go home."

"By all means," Mason said, sitting in the proffered chariot, "Let's get out of here while we can do it sitting down!"

Chapter 87 - The Palace Invasion

"There's the palace," Simon said as they approached, "Here we go."

"Let's hold off a bit," Hardin said, "I want force number two to have a bit of clearance time. I want them to be most of the way to River Fortress before we alert the royalists."

"May not want to wait," Suvorov suggested, "Look up in the horizon. Looks like there is a force coming south."

"Chariots," Charissa said, recognizing the distinctive sound, "They are Serenian regulars."

"Not many of them," Suvorov said, looking through the glass, "It is a single division."

"One chariot in the lead," Charissa said, "It's not a war party. No Serenian commander would lead a party that small for anything other than breaking bandits. If they're doing it in foreign territory they are intending to talk."

Simon took the glass and looked at the lead chariot. It wasn't until they came closer that he realized that he recognized two of the faces that were standing up in it.

"You've got to be kidding me," Simon said, perking up and looking again, "You have got to be kidding me!"

"What?" everyone asked him, almost in chorus.

"It's Medo and Jim," Simon said, "He's coming back in a Serenian chariot of all things."

"You're kidding," Hardin said, "How the hell..."

"Never say never," Suvorov chuckled.

Medoferro had the driver drop them in front of the Mullinix force, where he and the immortals were greeted with a set of cheers. Medoferro bowed as best as he could with his broken arm and walked over to the rest of them.

"I never thought I'd be so glad to see your ugly mug again," Medoferro said to Simon, "I see you got back before I did."

"I take it that blast up north was your work," Simon said, "The dig is no more?"

"Jim did it," Medoferro said, "It's been a bumpy ride. What's the status here?"

"No resistance yet," Hardin told him, "We've spent more time letting the medicos work on citizens and distributing food than we have fighting anyone."

"Good," Medo said, "The Serenians pretty well control the north."

"We assumed as much," Suvorov said, "I had to tell Marlintic Sernak quite a bit before he let me pass."

"My lovely uncle does have a way of doing that," Charissa said, showing her displeasure with her family, "He's one of the ones I have no intention of seeing again if I can help it."

"Who are you?" Medoferro asked her.

They spent about a half an hour sharing stories so that everyone was up to date on events. Medoferro was pleased that Charissa was there and so agreeable to everything. Everything was going better than he'd planned it, which was good considering how many close calls they had had.

"Ok," Medoferro said, "Let's go take the palace. We should be able to get this done quickly. There was very little in the way of defenses when I left."

"Once I expose Lord Endicott for the fraud he is," Charissa said, "Whoever is left will flock around us."

"Endicott is no longer a problem," Medoferro said, "Any sign of Corie? He's the other son of a bitch."

"We won't know until we storm the palace," Hardin said, "How hard is it going to be?"

"Not very," Charissa said, "Let's go."

"First things first," Hardin said, "We need a messenger sent to Trina. She'll kick my ass when I get back if I don't."

"Let's get this over with first," Medoferro said, "We need to take control of the palace so we can meet with the Serenians there. I promised Marlintic that we would work a peaceful deal. If that is all right with you, Princess Consort Charissa?"

"Can I insult him before he leaves?" Charissa asked hopefully, "And will you be backing Simon's promise of my freedom?"

"Yes to both," Medoferro chuckled, "If you want to live in Mullinix, far be it from me to prevent that. With your knowledge of both Siraqi and Serenian culture, I may employ you just to make my job with dealing with both of them easier."

"So long as I never have to set foot here or Serenia again," Charissa said emphatically, "If that job is in Mullinix Centre I will take it."

"Done," Medoferro said, "Now if Marlintic will be as forthcoming."

Medoferro sent the Serenian chariot driver back to his group with a message to wait for the Mullinix force to pacify the palace proper. He then turned to Hardin, who was waiting for the go ahead.

"Take it," Medoferro said, "If they are hostile, use appropriate force. Do not kill the king if you can avoid it."

Hardin detailed a force to stay with Medoferro and led his men into the tower. Charissa went with Hardin to make it easier to gain entrance. She convinced most of the men to give up without a fight. Hardin's people treated all prisoners respectfully, considering them not so much enemies but people to watch.

Medoferro and company moved behind the main force, looking around at the people. The only real conflict happened when they reached a group of Lord Corie's regulars who had been planning for the Mullinix invasion.

"Kill them!" Corie ordered.

"He's an imposter, you know," Charissa said, "He and Lord Endicott subverted you all. Your families are out there dying. For what? For a King that can barely control his own bladder?"

"For their country," Corie said, trying to keep himself in power, "For their people!"

"Who are you going to believe?" Charissa asked them, "The man who has taken everything and given you nothing? The man who works directly for the one who has run you into the ground. You've seen the king. Do you think he is in control now?"

"I want Corie captured alive," Medoferro said, "He works for the Bolantine Empire. He isn't a Siraqi any more than Bolantine himself was."

"What is a Siraqi?" Corie said derisively, "A name. You have let your own country fall apart. You aren't a country anymore. You're half Serenian lunatic, half Mullinix."

"Either way," Medoferro said, "They aren't Bolantine monsters."

Lord Corie's men did not know how to handle this. What the Mullinix were saying made sense to them. Corie's own words damned him. Medoferro looked the young man directly in the eyes.

"Don't look for your boss to help you," Medoferro said, "His precious weapons went up in the dig when we blew it up. Along with his pompous ass."

"You lie," Corie said, "Bolantine is immortal!"

"He can be immortal all he wants under eighty tons of rock," Mason Stone said, "We meet again, Corie. Didn't you learn from our last meeting?"

"Mason Stone," Corie said, "I learned plenty. I should have known you were behind this. The Mullinix aren't good enough to do this on their own."

"I didn't even know you were here until they told me," Mason chuckled, "Surrender now Corie and you have a chance to live. Do you really want to die for Bolantine? He isn't worth it, you know. He won't even remember you when you are gone."

"That's what you think!" Corie yelled, "He'll see you in hell!"

Corie pushed off a power structure designed to hurt as many people in the room as possible. Mason and Jim saw what he was doing and immediately let out a counter. Karen leveled a shot directly at Corie, but Corie was quicker than that. He did a power jump up over the heads of the people behind him and shoved his own men at the Mullinix crew.

"Get him!" Hardin yelled, "Take that son of a bitch down!"

"We'll get him!" Mason said, "Secure the rest of the building!"

Medoferro confirmed the order and Hardin carried it out. The immortals chased Corie out of the building, but Corie was on home turf. He knew ways out that the immortals could not find. They finally had to give up and walk back into the castle.

"We've got it," Hardin said, "Word of Corie's betrayal is spreading. He won't have any friends left for long."

"The king?" Medoferro asked, "Where is he?"

"No sign yet," Hardin said, "Any ideas Charissa?"

"He had a panic room behind the throne," Charissa said, "It was his comfort space. If he was getting hard to handle, they may have started letting him stay there because it was close."

"Do you know how to get into it?" Medo asked her.

"Yes," Charissa nodded, "After he first had the brain seizure I had to walk him everywhere. That was his favorite place."

"Let's go," Medoferro said, "I want to know what to do with him first."

The group of leaders walked over to the throne room. It was a shadow of its once glitzy self, the only thing left intact was the large marble map on the floor that was too large to move. Simon looked around, still taking in the changes from when he first entered the room ten years before.

"The Siraqi nation is about to go the way of its palace," Simon said, "It used to be grand, but now it's a shadow of its former self."

"It will be better off under its new masters," Charissa said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "The handle is behind the empty frame to the left of the throne."

Medoferro went over and pulled it, revealing a large door that opened up behind the curtain on the other side of the throne. Tom Hardin pulled it back and revealed that there was actually a decent sized room with a window out into the back.

"He's here!" Suvorov said, "I assume that is him."

"Jim!" Medo said, remembering what he learned about Entragian's background, "Check him out. You've probably got the best medical mind in the kingdom."

"Among other things," Karen giggled, earning a playful swat from Mason.

Jim went over to the bed where the large man was lying. He was still wearing his royal crown draped over his oversized head. Entragian picked up a large, almost bloated, arm from the bed and knew immediately there was no point in looking for a pulse. He had been dead for hours.

"He's gone," Entragian said, "The king is dead."

"Mellemaic poisoning," Medo said, "Any bets that Corie overdosed him to create confusion?"

"No bet," Jim said, "His eyes have the blue ring. Sure sign of a massive mellemaic overdose."

"Wish I'd known that ten years ago," Medo grumbled, "Might have helped me with Massy."

"Takes a massive dose to do that," Jim said, "From what I hear Massimaferro was given small doses designed to muddle him and he had a reaction. It wouldn't have given the blue ring."

"What now?" Hardin said, "I mean... There is no government."

"Plan hasn't changed," Simon said, "Provided Charissa still doesn't want to rule, we do an orderly split of Siraqi territory."

"I still want it decided locally on whether to join Mullinix," Medoferro said, "But I have a suspicion if Charissa says it is in their best interest and with the aid that is probably flowing like mad now, we'll have a dozen new provinces by the end of the week."

"We just need to figure out the line," Suvorov said, "That's going to have to be worked out with the Serenians."

"Have a scout approach the Serenian consort," Medoferro said, "Inform them that the king is dead and that Princess Consort Charissa would like to perform an ordered cession of territory to Mullinix and Serenia. Invite them here to draw the final lines."

Chapter 88 - Damage Control

Insegniferro looked at the Old Man sitting across from him. He still found it amazing that someone ten to twenty years older than him could look so good. They had a long history together, but it was not a relationship that either one particularly cared for.

"I'm amazed you actually came yourself," the old man told him, "I thought sure you'd never forgive me for what I did when you were younger."

"I don't like your tactics," Insegniferro said, "But I've never doubted your loyalty. And with Medo's power use being so useful..."

"You don't like it, but you can't argue with results," the old man chuckled, "We both have our ways, and I must admit that you've been a good Mullinix over the years too. Massimaferro needed you, just like Medoferro does. Someone has to be the intelligent one. It surely isn't me."

"I'll take that," Insegniferro said, "I just hope that I can convince Harmon that we had nothing to do with Marina's betrayal."

"I'll do the best I can to help," the old man said, "Provided Toria can care for him physically."

"We'll find out in about an hour," Insegniferro said, "The train should stop in Northern Pass in about ten minutes. Mullenberg is a forty-five minute ride after that."

"Is she already there?" the old man asked.

"She should be," Insegniferro said, "We had to stop at Shanxie and I had to get you first. She was on a horse within ten minutes and leaving Skolnik probably a half hour after that. She's probably getting things ready for us when we get there."

The old man nodded and closed his eyes. Even after all these years he hated traveling. The high speed trains were not good on him, but he knew that Insegniferro would not have asked him to go if the need had not been dire.

The train stopped at the station and they all heard a strange cheering, which was odd because it was not supposed to be known that the Mullinix-Elder was aboard this train. The old man stood up as well, walking to the window and seeing the people in the train yard not looking at their train, but at someone reading a message on top of a box.

"I wonder what's going on?" Insegniferro asked, "Looks like the reception isn't for us."

They left the train, surrounded by their guards. Toria Studebaker recognized Insegniferro from the description given by her sister and from photographs she had seen over the years.

"Mullinix!" Toria said, making her way over, "I'm Toria."

"I see the family resemblance," Insegniferro said, bowing, "What is going on down here?"

"Just came over the news wire," Toria said, "Medoferro is safe. He has met up with the troops in Siraq."

"Finally some good news," Insegniferro said, "Let's get to the government house. Have you got your medico equipment together?"

"The local Colonel is working on it," Toria said, "The news came down and he had to spread that first."

"Let's go to the government house," the old man suggested, "Let the normal people celebrate and let us get out of the noise."

The three of them went into the government house and were brought right into the communications room. The operator saw Insegniferro and knew that he would want a communication line up north. He bowed respectfully to the Mullinix and started to work on the connection.

"Massimaferro village on the line," the operator said, "The colonel said you'd want it when you came in. He's currently getting the supplies the Medico asked for."

"Good," Insegniferro said, "Thank you, my boy."

Insegniferro, the old man and Toria all sat in the room to hear what was going on when the line came into play. Stacy and Trinaferro were on the other side.

"We just got the message from Medo about a half hour ago," Trina explained to them, "He's alive and has nothing worse than a broken arm."

"He got off lucky then," Insegniferro said, "What is the situation in Siraq?"

"The king is dead, killed by either Bolantine or his henchman Corie," Trina told them, "Princess Consort Charissa is alive, evidently, but she does not want to rule."

"Which leaves them without any leaders since Bolantine would have killed off all the other rivals," the old man said.

"Simon actually came up with the idea to use Charissa to make everything legal," Trina said, "Charissa wants to live in Mullinix. She is decreeing that Siraq is hurt too badly to stand on its own. She is splitting the territory between the two spheres of influence."

"In other words," Iggy translated, "She's splitting it on the river because she knows both sides are going to overrun her anyway."

"Close," Trina said, "They're drawing a line from where the existing borders between that Mullinix, Siraq and Serenia meet, to the palace and from the palace straight to river fortress. Evidently, Charissa is of Serenian descent and rather tweaked at her relatives for putting her in that situation."

"Did you send Medo word about what happened here?" Iggy asked her, "Or are you waiting for him to come home."

"I sent it back with the messenger," Trina said, "You have it in hand and he's in safe areas again, so he may decide to stay up there to get things taken care of for a bit."

"If he responds with that ask him to come home," Iggy said, "Lister Black is back too and if Bolantine is heading home, we may want to get things together down here."

"Will do," Trina said, "I'll go wait for the messenger. You go do what you can. Time is of the essence."

"Quite," Iggy said as the connection broke.

"Nice to know some things go easy," Toria said, "Brilliant move, using Charissa to make it all easy and legal."

"I'm sure that the Siraqi people will be better off," Insegniferro said, "The Serenians are not my cup of tea, but they have to be better for the average Siraqi than Bolantine."

"No doubt," Toria said, "At least it is all legal and proper. That worried me."

"Me too," Insegniferro assured her, "Now let's go deal with our other problem."

The trip into Sotanberg was a simple one. Insegniferro wisely kept the guard contingent to a minimum, relying on Harmon's good word to keep them going. It was the absolute best thing that they could have done because the Sotanberg crew was looking for any signs of aggression.

Insegniferro led the way as they walked to the guard contingent outside town. The guards recognized them as the Mullinix contingent and informed Prince Harmon, who was waiting nearby as he was one of the few who could recognize Insegniferro on sight.

"Harmon," Insegniferro said, "We've got the medico with us and three guards. They have orders to keep their weapons sheathed at all times."

"Let them through," Harmon said, "Quickly. They are not getting any better."

They all rushed in quickly and were led to a small house that the royals had taken over. The two beds were being used for the injured men. Insegniferro and the Old man walked in and could not believe the state that the king and the Mullinix representative were in.

"Oh my God," Toria said, looking at Roland, "I think I need to treat him first."

"His is power damage," the old man said, "Pure and simple, not much we can do. I have a suspicion the king is in worse shape."

"He's right," Roland seethed, managing to get out a few words, "Mine burns. Marina... did something...I...didn't recognize..."

"Don't try to talk, Roland," Insegniferro said, "I'm here now. We'll get this taken care of."

"I've never seen an injury like this," Toria said, looking at the king, "How about you, old man?"

"I have never seen one," the old man said, using power sight to look at the move, "But I was taught about them. Where the hell did Marina learn how to do this?"

"Do what?" Toria asked, "What is wrong?"

"It's a construct attack," the old man said, "This isn't Mullinix in origin. No power user in Mullinix has ever taught how to do this. It is nothing but a flashy, painful killer."

"There was nothing flashy on this," Harmon said, "He went down and started to glow, but..."

"Roland stopped it," Insegniferro said, "Right?"

"Exactly," the old man said, "Marina had made the construct and was starting to push power when Roland cut her off. She saw him go down, figured it was time to move on."

"She was starting on me," Harmon said, pulling down his collar and showing the marks, "I think she intended to use power to crush me."

"When the construct stopped," the old man said, "It probably lashed back at her. She didn't want to try another one."

"She..." Roland shuddered as he fought for the words, "Had... no... chance..."

"Roland hit her with something and everything started getting pretty bright," Harmon said, "I dragged my father out of the way and let them go at it. Next thing I knew was the light broke and the guards entered to find Roland alone."

"Smartest move you could have made," The old man said, "Toria, you have some of those potions you use to treat power users who overextend themselves, right?"

"Yes," Toria said, "I'm good at treating minor injuries, but I've never seen anything at this scale."

"No reason you should have," the old man said, "The only people who use this type of construct are the Bolantines. According to the old ones they are the only ones who do it. I was only taught about it in the odd event that I'd have to fix one. This is the first time, thankfully, that I've ever had to do it."

"Can you do it without killing him?" Harmon asked him.

"Yes," the old man nodded, "I will need Toria's help, though. You see, this is going to be part surgical, part power removal."

"I can handle the surgical part," Toria said, "Especially if I have help."

"I have three trainees here," Harmon said, "Provided you can stoop to using Sotan equipment."

"Your equipment will be perfect," Toria told him, "I import most of my scalpels from you anyway. Your craftsmen excel at creating a sharp edge."

Insegniferro could have kissed Toria for that. He knew that she meant it, but it was a good thing to make sure the Sotan prince was not insulted by any part of this.

"Ok," the old man said, "Hit him with ether to make sure he does not wake up. This is going to be touchy at best and it is going to take the both of us to do it right."

"What exactly are we doing?" Toria asked, "I don't mind operating, but I like to know what I'm operating on."

"Think of this as a weapon," the old man told her, "A rather insidious one that uses energy to expand and destroy."

"And it is buried in his flesh," Toria said, realizing what he's saying, "Can't you drain it?"

"I drain it and it will implode and kill him," the old man said, "The safest thing to do is remove it. What I will do is color it so you can see it. Then, you will do the cuts necessary to remove it. When I remove it, I will collapse the construct outside where it will do no damage."

"Fair enough," Toria nodded, "You guys may not want to watch this and if you do I need you to suit up properly."

"I'll pass," Insegniferro said, "I respectfully suggest that you pass as well, Harmon."

Harmon nodded and decided that he did not want to know. Princess Consort Jelisan, however, suited up to assist Toria with the operation. She knew enough to be useful and wanted to make sure that the Mullinix treated her husband, the king, with the utmost respect.

Insegniferro and Harmon walked outside and sat down on a bench outside the house. The dark of night had taken over and the stars were coming out. Harmon, his dark skin almost absorbing the little bit of light out there, looked over at his long time friend.

"Bolantines," Harmon said, "Does that old man know what he's talking about?"

"I've had my disagreements with him over the years," Insegniferro told him, "That old man is pigheaded, arrogant, insolent and a general pain in my ass. But, one thing I have never doubted about him was his honesty. He has no reason to lie about this. Not for me and not for you. He is Mullinix by birth, but he belongs to the immortals, body and soul."

"My people say that when the immortals show up, it is never a good sign," Harmon said, "We've dealt with them before. No one ever believes it until they show, but when they do..."

"They have," Insegniferro said, "One of them went with Medo over the border. They are as worried about Bolantine as we are."

"That is worrisome in itself," Harmon said, "Something that worries people who lived through a cataclysm over two thousand years before should scare us to death."

"They are as human as we are," Insegniferro said, "They'll be the first ones to tell you that. So is Bolantine for that matter. They are just physically more robust than we are."

"True," Harmon said, "How do you think the Bolantines got to your girl?"

"I couldn't tell you," Insegniferro said honestly, "She had problems. She was abused badly while a child. That may have left her open to this. Given the fact that she used a technique only taught in Bolantine areas I'd imagine that one of their agents got to her. Someone good if they could teach something like that without Roland noticing."

"You are lucky in a way," Harmon said, "When you ascend you do it because someone dies, but you aren't related to them. This is my father in there."

"Medo and Trina are more my family than my own family was," Insegniferro told him, "I was scared that I'd lose another one until I heard that Medo was accounted for again."

"He is?" Harmon asked, "How did that happen?"

Insegniferro related what he found out at the train station. Harmon was very impressed by Medoferro's use of Charissa to legalize and ease the transition. He knew that there would be some hardship as the two sides hammered out the new borders, but it was likely to be less chaotic than what they were dealing with before.

"Bolantine again," Harmon said, "I am beginning to have a massive dislike of that man."

"Monster," Insegniferro said, "Not a man. That is why this alliance is so important. If people like us don't oppose him, who will?"

"We'll oppose him to the last breath," Harmon said, offering a hand, "And it will be easier if we work together."

"Absolutely," Insegniferro agreed.

The door to the house opened quickly and the old man came out quicker than either leader would have given him credit for. They saw a flash of light and a minor puff of smoke as he released the construct into the environment.

"My father?" Harmon asked him.

"Alive," the old man said, "Toria is finishing the surgery, putting him back together. I don't know what kind of shape he will be in. He is lucky that Roland stopped Marina's energy flow."

"What about Roland?" Insegniferro asked.

"I need to look closer at him," the old man said, "I have rather less hope for him. Some of it will depend on if I can figure out just what he did to Marina and what she did to him. Either way I will need Toria for the physical injuries."

"Are you sure that is a Bolantine construct?" Insegniferro asked him.

"There are only about a dozen teachers that I know of in Mullinix," the old man said, "Most of them were taught by the immortals as I was. I was only taught that construct because they like to leave one person near the capital who knows how to deconstruct that thing. I have never taught it to anyone. I know Medoferro and Simon don't know it. Simon couldn't do it if he wanted to and Medo wouldn't. Jim wouldn't have taught it to a power sink, especially one he didn't know long enough to trust."

"Which leaves a Bolantine agent," Harmon said, "Not a pretty thought."

"Let's go find out if Toria is ready," Insegniferro suggested, "See if we can get some answers out of Roland, even if we can't save him."

The three of them went inside to find Toria just finishing up. Jelisan was sitting next to him, holding his hand tightly. Toria put the tools aside and they were taken away by the medico aides that Harmon had brought with him.

"How is he?" Harmon asked.

"Alive," Toria said, mirroring the old man, "I refuse to say more than that until I see improvement. We got it out of there and I don't think I caused any more damage than it did, but we won't know until he rests and until he wakes up."

"Then may I suggest we look at Roland?" Insegniferro said, "Not to be pushy."

"Let's go," Toria said, "It's already been a long night."

They all went around Roland's bed, but there wasn't as much hope there. Where the king still looked reasonably healthy Roland looked like a wreck. His eye sockets were nothing but ashes and his face was red and scarred. The medico at the palace had taken care of him as best as possible, but had never seen injuries of this extent.

"Roland," Toria said, "Are you still with us?"

"King..." Roland gasped.

"We got the construct out," the old man said, "The rest is up to time."

"Good," Roland said, visibly resting, "Sorry... Iggy... I tried..."

"You stopped her," Iggy said, "Considering how powerful she is that was a good job in and of itself."

"She's not dead," Roland said, "Hurt... badly... Not dead..."

"How?" Harmon asked.

"Girl," Roland said as Toria checked him out, "Broke my construct. Carried... Marina out..."

"What did you do to stop her, Roland?" the old man asked, "We can't heal you unless we know."

"Hit her... where..." Roland stopped, licked his lips, "Only place... Vulnerable... She can't... Emotion..."

"Emotion?" the old man said, "What does he mean by that?"

"Marina has no emotional core," Toria said, "I remember my sister talking about that once. It was why things floundered between Medo and Marina, leaving room open for her."

"Marina was horribly abused as a child," Insegniferro said, "She was pretty well adopted by the house staff. She was missing something though. Medoferro knew it well."

"Fed... power... emotional... core..." Roland said, his body having trouble, "Feel... Empty..."

"You didn't," the old man said and looked intently with power sight, "Gods, you burned yourself out!"

"Expected... it... to... kill... both..." Roland said, convulsing a bit.

"I don't know what I can do," Toria said quietly, "He looks as though he's been cooked over an open flame."

"Who broke the construct?" the old man asked Roland, "Could you see anything at all?"

"Evil," Roland rasped, "Female... Small... Strong... Eyes... Slanted... Too quick, eyes burned..."

"Any names?" the old man asked, knowing he could not save Roland, "Anything?"

"Marina screamed," Roland said, took a quick breath and finished it, "Name... Nikki..."

The effort was too much for Roland's badly burned body. He shuddered for a moment as the last bits of his life passed by. Roland Hoffs had given his all and would never be in pain again.

"Nikki," the old man said, "Bolantine's bitch. That's what Mason refers to her as, anyway."

"Figures," Insegniferro said, "Does this really surprise anyone?"

"Not me," Harmon said, "Looks like Bolantine has taken from us all."

"Let's go have a drink and stand vigil," Toria suggested, "There is nothing we can do for Roland now."

There was a murmur of agreement as they all left the room. It was at least a partial victory, though it did nothing for the mood in the room. There were generally no winners when the Bolantines came to town.

Chapter 89 - An Annoyed Immortal

Corie walked carefully, knowing that the ground he had walked with impunity a few days before had now become hostile ground. Charissa's interference had pretty well sealed the death knell on his time in Siraq. He should have headed south, but knew that it would be safer to go north and try to meet up with Bolantine before going south.

From what Mason Stone and Medoferro had said Corie knew that the dig site was a lost cause, but he had to see if he could find Bolantine and retrieve him. Once he had dropped his pursuers he went to a cover farm he kept outside town and took the last horses on a quick run up to the dig site.

Corie expected to find Serenians up in that area, but what he found outside the dig site surprised him. There was a full Serenian squad dying in their camp. Corie knew that the weapon had exploded and the Serenians knew nothing about the radiation poisoning.

"Suckers," Corie said, "Time to start scanning for the boss."

Corie, like all Bolantine's elite troopers, had been trained from an early age in Bolantine's method of power use. Corie had been one of the best of them, which was the reason Bolantine had brought him to Siraq. Another part of the training for an Elite Bolantine Troop was how to scan rock and dirt for both Bolantine and Nikki's life signs. Bolantine had been trapped in a cave in once. He did not intend to do that again.

Corie knew the dig site's maps by heart. He started at the front and found that it was a sunken hole, much as he expected. He knew he had approximately thirty minutes before he would have to leave the area, so he skipped the front end. He saw the remains of the cart and the blood from the immortal's exit.

Corie knew there was a back entrance and went directly there. He did some scanning and found Bolantine. He was caught in a cave in only about a meter from the surface. The scratching that he heard proved that he was awake and digging his way out.

Corie went over to the Serenian camp and took a pick and shovel from the general packs. He hurried over to the area and started digging. It took Corie only about twenty minutes to move the loose dirt and open a hole big enough for Bolantine to crawl through and lay down on the dirt.

"Thanks Corie," Bolantine said, looking up at the sky, "I hate it when that happens."

"We need to move away," Corie said, "Radiation leaks abound. I've been here too long already."

"Go a mile north," Bolantine said, "I'll be there in a few minutes. I need to get some energy back before I walk it."

Corie nodded and did what he was told. He found a place to sit just outside the roadway about a mile south of the dig site. Bolantine, true to his word walked down the road, wearing a Serenian uniform that he pulled all the identification off of.

"How long have I been out?" Bolantine asked Corie.

"I don't know when the thing went down," Corie said, "No more than three days, probably less than a day and a half."

"Status?" Bolantine asked him.

"We should have killed Charissa long ago," Corie said, "The Mullinix managed to get her. With the king dead she's the legal ruler, so it looks like the Mullinix and Serenians have decided to split the country."

"One less nation to deal with later," Bolantine said, "How do you know this?"

"I saw Charissa with the Mullinix group when they invaded the castle," Corie said, "Mason Stone was with them too. I decided to get out while the getting was good."

"For the best," Bolantine agreed, "This hasn't been a total loss. We got a few loads of documents down to Bolantinople. I've also learned not to underestimate the tenacity of those damned Mullinix. If there is anyone dangerous up here, it is the Mullinix."

"So what is the plan?" Corie asked.

"The steamship crew should still be up north," Bolantine said, "They had instructions to anchor a half mile offshore anyway. Last I remember the Serenians did not have much of a navy, so we can go catch them and ride back. Should be able to stop in Sotanberg and find out what happened to Nikki as well."

"Sounds like a plan, Emperor Bolantine," Corie said, "It is all right to use that name again, isn't it sir?"

"Yes," Bolantine said, rubbing a piece of dirt out of a healing wound, "Lord Endicott is dead. Time to go home and make sure he is not forgotten."

Chapter 90 - Homecoming

Medoferro woke up to see the sunlight coming down on the great Siraqi lake. With the worst problems with the Siraqi cession being squared out by the locals, Tom Hardin insisted that Medoferro make his way home before Trinaferro had his balls in a sling.

Agreeing that he had done all he could do in Siraq, Medoferro and company took a river barge that had been salvaged from the royal fleet in River Fortress back down the river. He felt as though he had aged several years in the mere days he had been away from Trina, but he knew that he had done what was needed.

Medoferro looked at the people around him. Simon and Charissa had curled up in a corner and were still sleeping. Medoferro had considered asking what had occurred between them, but he figured that it was something best left between them. Suvorov, remembering his guard training, sat upright and faced forward so he could scan for threats.

Mason Stone was the biggest enigma of the group returning to Mullinix with him. The Serenians, who had figured out the Mullinix had people who could survive the dig sites, asked for help in recovering bodies and determining where the safe regions were. Karen Stone and Jim Entragian volunteered for the duty, going back to the dig site in the safety of Serenian chariots.

"What are you thinking about, Mason?" Medoferro asked him, "You look grim."

"I usually am after I spar with Bolantine," Mason said, looking up at the young Mullinix, "I've been doing it for millennia now, Medoferro. Sometimes I wonder why I bother."

"To keep him from doing worse things than he already has," Medoferro said, "You can't win them all, but you can win enough to matter."

"That's why I like the Mullinix system," Mason chuckled, "Marcus Mullinix created as close to a perfect system as there can be with a human world. It also creates a group of cynical optimists that you cannot find anywhere else."

"Cynical optimists, eh?" Medoferro laughed, "I guess that's one way to look at it. We know it can get better, but we're not conceited enough to believe we can do it."

"You've done good so far," Mason said, "You see, that's another thing I like about people in your position. Most people find out I'm immortal and they go nuts. They can't comprehend it. They think I know all, can see all. Some of them think I am some sort of God."

"What are you then?" Medoferro asked him.

"I was a washed up cop who had been left for dead after being shot by a criminal," Mason said, "I guess the closest equivalent you have is a lower level Mullinix guard, though in the society I lived in then civil police functions were handled locally, not through the centralized government."

"Sounds like a mess," Medoferro said, "How did it happen?"

"Two fools funded by a crime boss tinkering with nature," Mason said, "Bolantine was the crime boss. Jim was one of the fools."

"Strange how that works out," Medoferro nodded, having heard an abbreviated version of Jim's story, "Any relatives left?"

"None that cared," Mason laughed, "I'm sure my genetic line died out before the cataclysm. We never found any of Jim's after he joined us. Karen's last descendant died about ten years before the cataclysm."

"Sounds lonely," Medoferro said, "Living past everyone you know."

"I've known thousands of people in my life," Mason said, "I've had friendships, and even the occasional lover. They may be fleeting, but they are a part of normality. It's not something I can have permanently, but I can have it for a while. Luckily I've got Karen. She's in the same boat I am. We always go back to each other in the long run."

"Nice," Medoferro said, "I don't know... Life without Trina would be a nightmare for me."

"Yes," Mason said, "But you know that it will end someday. Karen and I have one of the best relationships in the universe. But every few hundred years we have to spend a bit of time apart or we're both going to go nuts."

"I guess I can see that," Medoferro laughed, "I guess answering these questions gets annoying too."

"I've had this conversation three hundred and eighty-two times," Mason admitted, "But it's ok. It's part of what keeps me sane."

"Looks like we're about to pull up at the dock in Massimaferro Village," Medoferro said, "So will you be sticking around for a while?"

"Depends on what we find," Mason said, "Long enough for Jim and Karen to get back at least."

Medoferro nodded. He stayed quiet as he watched the deckhand tie up the barge and put out a gangway so the passengers could disembark when they were ready. Medoferro stood up quickly and went straight onto the dock, happy to be off the barge and looking for where Trinaferro was staying.

"Medoferro?" the guard said, getting a good look at him, "Is it really you, Mullinix?"

"Yep," Medoferro nodded, "I'm alive and I'm back. Where's Trinaferro?"

"At the clinic, most likely," the guard said, "That is where she usually is when not being official."

"Thank you," Medoferro said and looked over at Mason, who was the only other one standing up.

"Go see your girl," Mason chuckled, "It's late. I'll get the others woken up and settled at the government house. Anything major can wait until tomorrow."

"Right," Medoferro said, "Thanks, Mason."

"Go!" Mason said, "Before Trina strings up both of us."

Medoferro jogged slowly over to the Medico house and went up to the front door. He didn't knock, knowing that it would not be locked. He walked inside to find Warren and Trina working on plastering a cast for a young boy's arm.

"Medo!" Trina exclaimed as she saw him, "Warren..."

"Go," Warren chuckled, "I got him, don't I Sean?"

"Yes Medico," the boy said dutifully, "It still hurts though."

"We'll get that settled," Warren said, "Let's finish immobilizing it so you don't hurt it worse when I numb you."

Trinaferro went over and almost tackled Medoferro, wrapping her plaster covered arms around him and kissing him deeply. It was all he could do to keep from passing out when she moved his broken arm the wrong way. She saw the color drain from his face and let go immediately.

"What's wrong?" Trinaferro asked him, "Did I do something?"

"My arm is broken, babe," Medo said, groaning a little, "But that doesn't mean I want you to go away."

"What happened to your arm?" Trina asked him, "Anything else broken?"

"Banged up and bruised," Medo said, "Once Warren plasters the arm it should be ok."

"I'll get you next, Medo," Warren promised, "I'm a bit behind with Toria not here."

"Where's Toria?" Medo asked, getting a look from both Warren and Trina.

"I guess news hasn't traveled that far yet," Trina sighed, "It's not been a good couple days for relations between Sotanberg and Mullinix."

Trinaferro explained what had happened with Marina's assassination attempt on the king and about Roland managing to stop her. Medoferro was nearly floored when he heard everything that had happened.

"Lister Black is back as well," Trina said, "Not to mention that girl Rachelia that Suvorov pulled out of Siraq. It's been a weird few days."

"That I can believe," Medoferro chuckled, "Ok. First thing I need is sleep in a real bed. I never got a chance to sleep much in Siraq. After that we will get down to Northern Pass. I want you to have Lister Black meet us there. As far as Rachelia goes, Suvorov can handle that tomorrow before we go south."

"So with all that is going on you are going to sleep?" Trina asked him, "How can you do that?"

"Well," Medoferro grinned, "I was hoping you'd join me after issuing those instructions."

"I'd like that," Trina said and turned to Warren, "That reminds me. Did Toria ever finish that test for me?"

"I did after she left," Warren said, "I'd like to be the first to congratulate you both."

"Already?" Medo said, surprised, "Finally, some good news."

"The room in the back is yours," Warren said, "I'll nap out here anyway since Toria isn't here."

"Fair enough," Trina said, "Thanks, Warren."

"Just don't make too much of a mess," Warren chuckled, dodging a wad of plaster for his joke, "Just kidding."

Medoferro smiled and laughed. It was good to be home.

Chapter 91 - A Dirty Shack

Bolantine and Corie walked through the back streets of the imperial seat of Sotanberg, trying to stay inconspicuous, something very difficult for two pale men in a city filled with dark faces. Luckily the weather was bad enough to justify hoods, which shielded them from casual view.

Bolantine had done a probe when entering the city to see whether Nikki was still there or not. Getting her touchback and a location gave him actual reason to set foot in the city. He just hoped that she'd had better luck than he did in Siraq.

Surprisingly Nikki chose a dirty old shack for her safe house; something she usually avoided doing unless the situation was dire. Bolantine did a quick mental push and saw two life forms inside, one of them reclining and giving off some odd waves.

"Nikki," Bolantine said, knocking on the door, "Open up."

"I'm glad to see you," Nikki said, opening the door, "Hello Corie."

Corie nodded, keeping quiet and not saluting as he normally would when he saw Nikki Bolantine. She ushered them both in to the dirty shack to get them out of public view. She knew that it was likely people were searching for them and did not want to show her face.

"What happened?" Bolantine said, "Who's the girl?"

"Her name is Marina," Nikki said, "Mullinix in origin, part of their house staff. She's a power user, but a new one. I turned her early, used her for intelligence."

"What was she doing here?" Bolantine asked.

"The Mullinix and the Sotans decided to create an alliance," Nikki told him, "I figured you'd want me to destroy it."

Nikki spent a few minutes telling Bolantine about how things had worked up and how they had gone wrong. Bolantine let out a whistle at what happened at the signing. It was an audacious plan. One he didn't know if he would have done in her shoes.

"Something went wrong," Bolantine said, "She looks like she's burned up."

"The Mullinix representative with her did something," Nikki said, "I've stabilized her as best I can, but I can't figure out what he did. I can't counteract it."

"Why are you trying?" Bolantine asked, "Sounds like she served her purpose and failed at the end."

"She's a power sink, B," Nikki explained, "If she can be saved she may make a damn good addition to our power user corp."

"Let me see what I can figure out," Bolantine said, "What did you do?"

"That Mullinix rep created a construct," Nikki said, "She should have been able to block it, but it got in somehow."

"Emotionally stunted?" Bolantine asked her, "I see no emotive push on her at all."

"She's always been like that," Nikki explained, "Abuse, rape and the like. That's why she was so pliable."

"That's how he got her," Bolantine said, "He probably burned himself out too. He redirected her power through his emotional core. Killed her with kindness. She couldn't recognize it, so she couldn't stop it. Her being a power sink meant she couldn't shunt it off so she took it all inside."

"Ingenious," Nikki said, shaking her head, "What can we do for her?"

"Physically she'll heal," Bolantine said, "I will have to redirect some things in her body, but I can do that without a problem. The only thing I can't fix are her eyes. She will be scarred and physically blind."

"We can train her to use power sight to compensate," Nikki said, "Power sinks are too rare to throw out after a single bad operation."

"Ok," Bolantine said, "I take it that your operations here are done?"

"I was trying to stabilize her and figure out how to transport her before leaving the city," Nikki nodded, "I take it Siraq is done?"

"In many ways," Bolantine muttered, "Let's just say it did not go well at the end."

"So what now?" Nikki asked him, "Do we cut our losses and consolidate?"

"No," Bolantine said, "Let the Sotans and Mullinix ally all they want. Once I get the silicon mines out of southern Damascas and the Bauxite mines near Mavelan City, they won't be able to stop us."

"Operation Consolidation," Nikki said, "They should be nearly ready to go."

"So are we," Bolantine said, "I can't work on her here. The ship has a full Medico contingent on it. We'll get her fixed up there. Corie, let's get her packed up in a crate. We'll deliver it to the shore tonight and get it out to the ship."

"Sorry I didn't do well," Nikki said, "I tried."

"No worse than I did," Bolantine shrugged, "We know more about our opposition now. To know them is to be able to destroy them."

"Amen," Nikki smiled, "World domination will be ours."

"And then we will weep for there will be nothing else to conquer," Bolantine chuckled, "Just like Alexander."

"We'll see," Nikki said, "Let's go home."

Chapter 92 - The Real Threat

Only a bare three days after his return Medoferro rented out the full border inn just outside Northern Pass to insure that they had a neutral location. Prince Harmon had convinced the noble assembly that the attack had been Bolantine instigated and they reaffirmed their belief in the treaty.

Prince Harmon sat at one side of the table, along with Medoferro, Trinaferro and Insegniferro. Prince Harmon had a large guard contingent, as well as two of his senior defensive planners. Medoferro insisted that he bring as many people as he needed because he wanted to ensure that this was a fair alliance.

Rav Suvorov, Lister Black, Stacy Cossy and Pirotase were sitting in the room, waiting to be called upon. None of them knew how this was going to go, but they all knew information had to be spread out to everyone and this was the quickest way to do it.

Mason Stone sat alone at the edge of the room, not sure if he would be an active part of this or not. Part of him wanted to be in on it, but another part knew that it would likely work out better if he just limited his involvement to tactical knowledge about Bolantine.

"Before we start," Medoferro said, "I'd like to apologize officially on behalf of the Mullinix People for what happened to your father. We had no way of knowing that someone would turn her like that, but we should have realized she was vulnerable to it. How is your father doing, Harmon?"

"He's awake and recovering," Harmon said, "Jelisan is still with him and will likely remain there for the time being. He will live, but won't be the same again. He has authorized me to act with full regency on this and any Bolantine related matters. When he is well he will go back to running the day to day of the country."

"Sensible," Insegniferro said, "We were doing the same before I had to rush down here because of Marina's treachery. Has no one found any sign of her yet?"

"No," Harmon growled, "We've been scouring the imperial seat and any area we can get to. The only clue we have is the name Roland said before he died. The name Nikki is not much to go by, even with the odd description he gave."

"Ouch," Mason said, not having been present for Roland's death, "Let me guess. Small, slanted eyes, dark skin but lighter than the normal Sotan coloring?"

"Close," Insegniferro said, "Here's what he said, word for word: 'Evil... Female... Small... Strong... Eyes... Slanted... Too quick, eyes burned...' He paused a few moments, said that Marina called for 'Nikki'. I couldn't get anymore. He died after that."

"You won't find either of them," Mason told them, "Nikki Bolantine is too good for that. She's just the type to take advantage of any emotional weakness in a target. I'm assuming Marina had some?"

"A lot of them," Medoferro nodded, "I should not have let them send her on this trip. We should have kept her in country."

"No one could have known," Mason said, "I didn't expect to see Bolantine in Siraq. No reason any of us should have expected Nikki to show up in Sotanberg."

"Is Nikki like Bolantine?" Pirotase asked, piping up for the first time.

"Worse in some ways," Mason said, "She is his soul mate, bound together in Hell I think. She is immortal as well, the last of the unholy five."

"No more surprises then?" Harmon asked, "I'm not sure how I feel about this immortality business."

"It sucks," Mason said, point blank, "That's why we ensured that no more could be created. Unless there is another source I've yet to hear of, only the five of us are immortal and I intend to keep it that way."

"That leaves us with Lister's report," Medoferro said, "You were down there. What did you find out?"

Lister and Pirotase spent most of the next three hours going through everything they learned while they were going through both the Mavelans and the Bolantine Empire. To a man they were all horrified at the society that Bolantine had put together. The execution descriptions sent Trinaferro out the door to throw up a couple times. Even Mason Stone, who while not surprised, was nonetheless sickened by what he heard.

"We can't let those bastards win," Harmon said, "I knew they were evil, but gods..."

"Bolantine has to be stopped," Medoferro said, "But we are not warrior nations. I don't want to lock us into a battle we can't win."

"Bolantine has warped his empire into his own image," Mason said, "That mindset won't go away. You will have to fight him someday, but you can do it on terms better than you have now."

"So if we can't conquer them," Trinaferro said, "What do we do?"

"Oppose them," Mason said simply, "This isn't the first empire Bolantine has had. It probably won't be the last. Human nature won't allow a government like Bolantine's to last forever."

"Mason does have a point," Lister said, "Bribery and corruption is rampant. Their internal security is worse than that in Mullinix. They also have a polyglot of cultures that Bolantine has not made any attempt to assimilate."

"So if we do nothing, maybe it will sort itself out?" Trinaferro asked hopefully.

"Wishful thinking," Medoferro said, "We need a united front against the Bolantines. Not a full invasion, but we need to resist their further expansion."

"I can agree with that," Harmon said, "Between what Bolantine pulled in Siraq and what Nikki did to us, I'm all for making sure they stay put."

"Their next intention isn't us," Lister reminded them, "They are planning a two prong invasion. Cutting a significant force through the desert to hit Mavelan City is a heavy part of it."

"I wish them luck," Stacy scoffed, "I did a routine check in Mullinix Oasis once. You can't march an army through the sand south of there. That's why Damascas exists."

"They can get across," Lister said, "I stole one of the units they are using. They are slightly clunky, but they are fast. I got most of the way up the coast in only a day."

"We need to know more about that, Medo," Insegniferro said, "If he has technology like that."

"It is likely based on pre-cataclysmic technology," Mason said, "Give Jim Entragian a few hours playing with it. He and Karen should be back in Mullinix sometime tomorrow."

"How do you know that?" Medo asked him, "We haven't heard anything from up there yet."

"We've got a way of communicating," Mason said, "And no, I can't teach it to you. We've tried teaching mortals before, somehow it never works properly. Something about the way we push and the fact that the three of us can tell each other's power. We both have to be trying at the same time, but can usually do it easily."

"What I'd give for that type of communication," Harmon said, "Would make our lives so much easier."

"You'll have it in this case," Mason said, "I'll go with the group that goes to the Mavelans. You will have to try to open relations somehow or else you'll have Bolantine on your doorstep."

"Facie is fanatical about his power," Pirotase said, "He would never agree to anything that he was not in supreme control over. He'll fight the Bolantines until the end rather than admit to the Mullinix or the Sotans that he could not handle it himself."

"There must be someone down there with power," Medoferro said, "Facie can't run it all himself. His communications are not that good."

"The generals run most of it," Lister informed them, "Five of them, all loyal to Facie."

"Name them," Insegniferro said, "I've been involved in politics in this region for longer than anyone save for Harmon's father. I may know the names."

"I may as well," Harmon said, "I've been working intelligence for years."

"Fahling in the south," Pirotase said, remembering info she had picked up, "He's a close friend of Facie's and would follow him into the grave. He's likely to, since he's got the southern command."

"North is Serling," Suvorov said, "I know this one, have had agents in and out of his group for years. He's a dolt with superior ass kissing skills. He's old and likely moving into semi-retirement since most of his troops have been reassigned to the south."

"He's likely not a factor," Lister agreed, "He was one of Facie's father's cronies, kept mainly because he didn't object to the removal."

"Rawlington and Fruneaux are east and west," Pirotase said, "They switch spots occasionally to avoid Facie's wrath. One of them runs the token force outside Sotanberg while the other makes feints into Damascas every few years. Both have failed miserably at both counts and are likely to leave the war effort to Fahling."

"You said five," Trinaferro said, "You're missing one"

"The grand general," Pirotase said, "The man with more lives than a cat. Jagards."

"He survived the foul up of the invasion?" Medoferro said, surprised, "I thought sure Facie would have had him executed for the way we routed them in Cirrus."

"He had counseled against the invasion," Pirotase said, "The former Grand General lost his head over trusting Ellis LaPorte. Jagards was lucky and managed to spin it that he talked you into staying on the mountains instead of coming after them."

"Like hell," Medoferro laughed, "I told him flat out that I wasn't going any further."

"Either way it worked," Pirotase said, "He's been in the top spot for years."

"I've talked to Jagards," Harmon said, "He's probably the most sensible officer Facie has."

"He was smart enough to give in on the mountains," Medoferro said, "I guess he should be our target."

"That leaves us to decide who is going to try to talk to him," Suvorov said, "It needs to be someone higher up."

"Better to be Mullinix," Harmon said, "I share a border with Bolantine. He can't attack Mullinix as directly as he can us."

"Not to mention we have more Mavelan speakers," Medoferro said, "Lister? I'm afraid I will have to ask you to do another mission."

"I'll need Pirotase," Lister said without hesitation, "She knows the players better than I ever will. That is if you're willing to go back to the Mavelans with me, Tassy. You've given more to this than anyone and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to go back."

"I don't want to go back," Pirotase said, her Mullinix still halting but understandable, "But having seen what the Bolantines are capable of I really don't want to watch it from behind the borders if I can help."

"I'll go as well," Mason said, "Once Karen and Jim get back I can relay messages. I assume that we'll be waiting a few days?"

"At least," Medoferro said, "I want to see what can be found out about those damned machines Lister brought back."

"You'll need someone higher rank than me," Lister said, "I'm a spy, not a diplomat. I've not had any training."

"I'll go," Stacy said, surprising Trinaferro no end, "Simon is up north dealing with the Siraqi situation and Roland... Well... We all know what happened to him."

"I don't object if you don't, Trin," Medoferro said, looking at Trina.

"You're right," Trina sighed, "You're the best suited. So long as Medo doesn't decide to take another stupid trip, we'll be fine."

"That one worked out," Medoferro reminded her, "Even if it was close a few times."

"What do you need us to do?" Harmon asked, "I feel bad that we aren't doing much."

"Get food and troops ready," Medoferro told him, "Build up. If things go badly and this does degenerate into general warfare you will be the backup."

"What do we offer the Mavelans?" Stacy asked, "I mean, how far can we go?"

"Give them the intelligence information regardless," Medoferro instructed, "If they remove Facie we will send troops to aid them in repelling the Bolantine invasion."

"They'll need it," Insegniferro said, "From what I've heard of Facie's capabilities I doubt he could stop a full on assault from the Bolantines."

"Not to mention the Bolantines are a nation of psychos," Lister said, "They do not fear death nor are they particularly fazed by it. Losses will mean nothing to them."

"Bolantine will stop before he loses too much," Mason said, "The big problem will be stopping the desert march. If we can find the weakness for those machines, we can put a dent in Bolantine's plan. My guess is he's relying on those to convey a large portion of his troops into the western Mavelans."

"Damascas is willing to deal," Lister said, "They asked me to make a request of you to share anything we figure out about those machines."

"We may send them more than that," Medoferro said, "I need to figure out where all our troops are and who we can afford to send where."

"I will make a suggestion," Insegniferro said, "Start recruiting now and not while we're fighting. That way we'll have the people."

"Recruit," Trina put in, "No draft."

"I won't need to," Medoferro said, "The stories coming through from Siraq are already turning public opinion against the Bolantines. I fully intend to sit through several high profile interviews to further this. Bolantine tried to kill me. It was sheer luck and his overconfidence that kept me alive. The propaganda will make the most pacifist Mullinix Citizen willing to serve."

"We have some material as well," Harmon said, "Weapon types, tactics and the like. We will get the information copied and sent to Mullinix Centre for distribution."

"I think we have an initial plan," Medoferro said, "Let's have a good meal and brainstorm some more ideas before we go get things started."

There was a general murmur of agreement and the meeting broke up.

Chapter 93 - The Dead Shall Rise

Bolantine sipped a bit of the fine sherry that he had kept stocked on the ship. It had been a grueling few days for him, doing power reconstruction on Marina was taking a toll on him that he had not expected. He had done this type of reconstruction before, but not on a power sink.

Usually power sinks were immune to this sort of damage, taking the energy and dissipating it internally. The emotional attack Roland used on Marina was brilliant, if not completely suicidal. He had spent days redirecting pain and power points in Marina's damaged body. The scarring was still going to be there, but he was able to fix it so that she wouldn't be pained too badly for it.

"How bad is it?" Nikki asked him, "Were you able to fix the worst of it?"

"I think so," Bolantine said, sipping a bit more of the drink, "She will have to spend some time with our medical people when we get to Bolantinople. She will be out of it for a bit. You weren't kidding about her being a power sink though, she's a deep one."

"Probably burned a bit further open by that stream Roland put into her," Nikki said, "I'm wondering how much difference that will make on her."

"What little feeling she had will be gone," Bolantine said, "She will be a weapon. I solidified the changes you made in her head and pushed in the dialect she'll need for us. I also trained her how to use power sight to get around and to see the world around her. Her eyes were little but ash."

"She will make a good general," Nikki said, "Her scars will be a badge of honor to the Bolantine people. She nearly died helping us remove the foes of a Bolantine world."

"You always were good at propaganda," Bolantine chuckled, "One country's traitor is another country's hero."

"Exactly," Nikki agreed, "And since the Mullinix 'free' press is forbidden as non-Bolantine lies we control the information."

"Human nature can be bent," Bolantine nodded, "Just need the time. Let's hope our generals took their war preparation seriously. I don't want to waste time having to rebuild anything."

"The last reports I got," Nikki told him, "Everything was humming along. The sand riders are running and we have enough of them to move the third army across the desert into the mining region of the Mavelans. The first army is ready on the southern Mavelan border, with the second Based halfway between the Mavelan Border and Genesis."

"I take it you're expecting the second to act as backup," Bolantine said, "In case we need more people or another front to keep attention off the desert attack?"

"Also to deter the Sotans from getting involved," Nikki said, "If the Sotans get involved I'll have them start performing harassment runs over the Sotan border."

"Doesn't help us with the Mullinix," Bolantine said, "But the odds of them patching up relations with Facie in time are next to nothing."

"How soon until we get to Genesis?" Nikki asked, "I haven't done a star reading for a bit."

"Another day, likely," Bolantine said, "We should be ready to move quickly after that."

"Good," Nikki said, "The sooner the better. Let's get this phase underway before we screw up any worse."

"I love your confidence in us," Bolantine laughed, "We need to go back and do a quick corruption check before we start expansion operations. I also want to see the sand riders before we rely on them."

"Fair enough," Nikki agreed, "So long as we have some fun in the meantime."

"That can be managed," Bolantine said, kissing Nikki, "We've been apart far too long, my dear..."

Chapter 94 - Machinery

Jim Entragian stretched out and tried to get the kinks out of his muscles. He had been traveling entirely too far and too fast for his taste. He had also not had any play time, which made him cranky by any standards. The fact that he'd traveled halfway across the continent and back again didn't help either.

"So what is this thing?" Entragian asked when they were brought into the heavy lead workroom, "And why is Mason so hot for us to look at it?"

"A Mullinix agent brought it out of The Bolantine Empire," Karen said, "These are what Bolantine plans to use to invade the Mavelans through the desert. Since you are the only pre-cataclysmic technology expert still living, you are likely the best person to look at it."

"Figures," Jim said, "Do I get to have some fun this year?"

"Figure out how that thing works and how to defeat it in battle and I'll pay your bar tab myself," Karen grinned, "Maybe even direct you towards a compliant little wench that may find your scrawny butt cute."

"Ever the flatterer," Jim chuckled, "Ok, what have we got here?"

"The documents are over in the corner," Karen said, "No order to it. Evidently, the agent had time to shove them into a bag and steal this before running for it."

"You go through those," Jim suggested, "I will look at the unit. This room is sealed, right?"

"It's a double shield," Karen said, "Double doors even. Take it apart in safety."

Karen read documents for nearly three hours as Jim dismantled the Bolantine designed machine. Jim was surprised at the quality of construction. Bolantine's people were usually slipshod in their designs, but this smacked of genius.

Jim figured out that it was a variant on an old electric motor that was common before the cataclysm, but smoothly built. Light pedaling was enough to power the engine with enough torque to pull the machine and its load at good speeds. Get two people pedaling continuously and they should be able to drive that thing for miles, which is what Lister and Pirotase had actually done.

"Brilliant design," Jim said, "Even the casing is well done. Bolantine has learned a few tricks since the fifteenth century."

"Yeah," Karen said, "The documents say the casing over the engine is some bauxite alloy. Cheap to make and will withstand the elements pretty well. Should last long enough to cross the desert."

"Like I said," Jim said, "He's outdone himself this time."

"So how do you kill it?" Karen asked him, "No one on Bolantine's payroll is going to create a perfect machine."

Jim thought about this a bit. He looked at the bottom of the unit. For maximum efficiency, the electric engine was mounted on the bottom between the two driver seats. This allowed shorter chains on the pedal controls. He looked closely at the box itself and its position.

"Karen," Jim said, "This is a production model, right?"

"Looks like it," she nodded, "Documents agree on it too."

"It has an Achilles heel," Jim said, "Look at the bottom of the box."

"It's cracked and shattering," Karen said, "But it lasted long enough to get here."

"I know that," Jim said, "But look where the box is and how it's designed."

"I'm not getting it," Karen said, "Draw it?"

Jim did so. He drew on the chalkboard a picture of the front end, including the way the front slightly dug in to the sand to give it balance. Then once he did that and she saw how the box was in the sand; she wondered what could be done.

"A simple construct will kill it," Jim explained, "Three sticks, two short ones and a long strong one. Put them right under the sand..."

"They won't see it, will run right into it," Karen nodded, "And it will open the bauxite box."

"Frying that engine and possibly causing it to explode," Jim completed, "Get the nomads out of Damascas to build enough of those in the desert, those machines become useless."

"I love it," Karen grinned, "Write it up with instructions on how to build them. I'll go tell them we have something and see if I can get that wench ready for you."

"Ahh," Jim said, "I do like a woman with my priorities in order."

"Enjoy it while you can," Karen said, "You may have to go down with the Mullinix contingent to show the builders in Damascas how to make them."

"And serve as communications," Jim said, "I figured that was coming. I'll get at least one night with the wench, right?"

"Of course," Karen grinned, "Just leave enough for you to get back to when this threat is over."

Jim laughed and Karen went out the door. It was a very successful afternoon for them. She just hoped they could get the information disseminated in time.

Chapter 95 - Return to the Mavelans

"Here we go again," Lister said to Pirotase as they crossed down the mountainous border, "Welcome home."

"Right," Pirotase said, looking out at the sprawling Mavelan wilderness, "I'll be happier if we can figure out what to do next."

"First thing is to find out where Jagards is located," Stacy said, pulling her hair back to match the usual Mavelan style, "Then we need to figure out how to convince him the Bolantines are coming."

"I should be able to do that," Mason said, "Coming face to face with an immortal tends to make people start to see reason."

"If you can convince him of that," Stacy said, "I mean I believe you because of the circumstances, but..."

"Trust me," Mason grinned, "I have ways of making him believe it. There's something about cutting off a finger and having them watch it grow back in front of your eyes that makes a believer out of you."

"I'll take your word on it," Pirotase said, shuddering, "Finding Jagards shouldn't be too hard if the resistance is still around. We need to find Erican. If anyone still has the connections it is him."

"Let's just hope Bolantine hasn't corrupted the resistance," Mason said, "That is one of Bolantine's favored tactics. Make friends with the resistance to the established government and use them to crumble the authority. That way he knows who the rabble rousers are and can eliminate them when he takes over."

"Brutal," Pirotase said, "Good thing Facie is too power hungry to talk to Bolantine. They'd get along well."

"Facie doesn't have the patience," Mason said, "Bolantine is evil, but he's patient. Being immortal has given him a patience that few mortals can afford."

"So what about you?" Stacy asked him, "Are you as patient as he is?"

"We have different interests," Mason shrugged, "I do things I enjoy. So does he. Unfortunately, his interests are in taking over the world."

"Power mad," Lister muttered, "Insane too."

"A little of both, I'm sure," Mason agreed, "So where is this Erican?"

"Just outside Mavelan City last I knew," Pirotase said, "I was too close to Lister, so he wouldn't confide in me too much."

"Erican is a prick," Lister said, "Never had much use for the Mullinix except as a tool against Facie."

"We'll find out tomorrow," Pirotase said, "Unless you've got a better mode of transportation other than foot."

"Four Sotan-built gear bikes were smuggled in," Stacy said, "Suvorov arranged for them to be available for us after he heard about their use here."

"That will make the trip only a few hours," Lister said, "Let's go."

"Gear bikes, eh?" Mason said, "Let's see what these are."

"They are fun," Pirotase said, "We stole a couple of them when we were heading to the Bolantines. Had to abandon them to take the trains."

"They are high gear ratio bicycles," Lister explained to Mason, "Intricately built to allow a little pedal power to create large speeds."

"I'm familiar with them," Mason nodded, "Jim created a design like that centuries ago, but could never make it work properly. I guess the Sotans finally did."

"Patience thing again?" Stacy asked as she pulled a bike out of the bushes.

"Lack of interest," Mason chuckled, "Jim will go into fits of creativity, then get bored and go wenching at the nearest bar."

"Even immortality can't change men," Pirotase said, almost in disgust.

"At least Jim can't cause any harm doing it," Mason shrugged, "He can't contract disease nor can he father children. He's the perfect one night stand."

"So that's why there aren't more of you?" Stacy asked.

"We're all sterile," Mason acknowledged, "We never tested Bolantine, but since it happened to both Jim and Myself and Bolantine has never procreated to our knowledge, it's likely that it was a side effect of what made us immortal."

"Nice," Lister said, "Convenient too."

"Nothing is convenient about immortality," Mason said, "Trust me in this. Especially since half the world thinks you are devil spawn for something you can't control."

"So shall we race?" Pirotase asked, wanting to change the subject.

"We've got to make some tracks," Lister agreed, "Might as well have some fun."

"Let's do it," Mason agreed.

The four of them raced down the main roads in the Mavelans. They were not particularly worried about government agents. They were few and far between in this region, especially with the troop and government focus turned down south. Since most Mavelan citizens did not have papers anyway no one could prove they were not.

Getting there took only about three hours because none of the four were willing to give up until Stacy finally saw the signs for Mavelan City. The sad fact was that even with Pirotase receiving substandard food for years, she was still in better physical condition than Trinaferro's representative.

"I don't know how you do it," Stacy said, breathing hard as she got off the bike, "I've been riding trains and horses too long."

"We also had hours of riding these things not too long ago," Lister said, "I was like you after the first day."

"I remember having a good laugh over that," Pirotase grinned, "He was falling over."

"That's the nice part about being immortal," Mason chuckled, "I get tired, but I don't get out of shape enough to end up puking."

"Don't rub it in," Stacy growled, "So where is this Erican guy?"

"Slum quarter," Pirotase said, "Last I heard he had a place on the outside of it."

"How far from your old place?" Lister asked her.

"Not far," Pirotase said, "Two or three blocks."

"You can pick up any of your old stuff you want to," Lister suggested, "After we leave this time I hope we don't have to come back."

"I don't want anything from there," Pirotase said, "Let's just go find Erican."

What they found when they got to the slum area that Pirotase used to call home was something quite different from what any of them were expecting. Smoke and coals were rampant over the area, the aftermath of what must have been a massive conflagration.

"Gods," Stacy said, "Looks like several square blocks burned down here."

"People too," Mason said, "The smell of burned flesh is rampant through here."

"They actually did it," Pirotase said, her mind not believing her eyes, "The government always threatened it, but they finally did it..."

"Was Erican here?" Lister asked her.

"He probably got out somehow," Pirotase said, "But the destruction here is just total... I mean everyone..."

"Let's get out of here," Stacy said, "Before Facie's lunatics decide to do anything worse."

The four of them made their way through the fire ridden village to a group on the edge of the fire area. It looked like the few survivors were huddling there, some in shock, some injured and some just trying to figure out what to do next.

"There's Erican," Pirotase said, pointing at a small yellow man, "Let me go talk to him, get him away from the crowd. I will blend in, but you two won't."

"And Erican is unlikely to talk to me in public," Lister agreed, "We'll be over behind that stone building over there."

"I'll be a few minutes," Pirotase said, "I'll have to convince him to talk."

Pirotase took a bit longer than she figured, returning some twenty minutes later to where Lister and the others were waiting out of sight. Erican, who was short even by Mullinix standards, looked up at Lister with a heavy scowl.

"You brought me over here to talk to this lying son of a bitch?" Erican said, "Have you lost your mind, Pirotase?"

"He's speaking more truth than you know," Pirotase said, "When did he ever lie to us, Erican?"

"He said he cared," Erican spat, "He disappeared."

"I never stopped caring," Lister said, "I was called home."

"That's the difference," Erican growled, "That burned out area is my home! These people are my people! You are just a son of Mullinix, a man without a true country."

"Mullinix never wanted conflict with the Mavelans," Stacy said, "We fought to avoid it."

"And you tolerated Facie," Erican said, "No more. We don't buy your lies. We don't buy your garbage."

"We want to help, Erican," Lister said, "You have a new threat to the south. He is going to overrun you."

"Better Bolantine than Facie," Erican said, "At least the Bolantines are ready and willing to fight this monster."

"Bolantine is a bigger monster," Pirotase said, "Have you ever been inside the Bolantine Empire, Erican?"

"No need," Erican shrugged, "I've seen his actions. He's threatened Facie. You won't even use your might to give us some help."

"Bolantine threatens all of us," Pirotase told him, "Please tell me you aren't considering helping him!"

"I'll side with him if it will get rid of the man who did that," Erican exclaimed, waving his hands at the devastation, "He can't be any worse than what we have now."

"Don't bet on that," Mason said, putting his voice in for the first time, "How old are you, Erican?"

"Forty-two," Erican said, "What does that have to do with it?"

"In your forty-two years you have lived under Facie's rule since you were five, correct?" Mason asked him, "Or maybe a little after?"

"I was nine when he killed my father in the purges," Erican said, looking at the immortal.

"I was here when that happened," Mason told him, "Don't ask me how. I'm sure you can guess. Facie was brutal. He still is. Bolantine is far worse. He won't just kill the parents. He kills the sons, the daughters and makes sure that no one is left to try to avenge them. I have seen him kill an entire city worth of people just because they laughed at his demands."

"You are lying," Erican said, looking at him, "How could you be that old?"

"May I borrow your knife please?" Mason asked Erican, "I will show you. Lister, give him your bolt gun in return so he feels secure."

The exchange was made and Mason put his hand on the wall. He tensed a moment and took in a deep breath before he used the knife to quickly chop off two of his fingers. Stacy turned her head and Pirotase stared in disbelief. Lister shuddered and Erican stared in abject horror.

All of them watched as Mason's two fingers regenerated, growing up from the nubs as if they were watching some sort of time delay sequence of a plant growing. Within three minutes, his fingers were back to normal, despite the two still lying on the ground.

"You aren't human," Erican said, his mouth going dry, "You... you're..."

"I'm an immortal," Mason said, "I was human just as you are. So was Bolantine. I've been fighting that son of a bitch for centuries. I don't care how bad you think Facie is. Bolantine is worse."

"So we should take Facie's rule?" Erican said, still shaking a bit.

"No," Mason said, "But trading a mortal monster for an immortal one will not help."

"So why are you here?" Erican asked them, "Surely not because of that?"

"We're trying to figure out who is left in Facie's retinue that has half a brain," Stacy said, "The Bolantines are coming in all right and they plan on killing anyone who gets in their way."

"Why do you care?" Erican asked Stacy, "I assume you're the one working for Mullinix."

"Because as much as we dislike Facie," Stacy told him, "Bolantine is a whole lot worse. Easier to fight him now than later."

"By propping up Facie?" Erican asked.

"No," Lister said, "We're hoping to get someone higher up with a bit of sense to defy Facie."

"Good luck," Erican scoffed, "None of the generals would."

"We've identified Jagards as the best bet," Pirotase said, "Unless you have some objection."

"I doubt he'll cross Facie directly," Erican said, "He's too high up for that."

"He had enough sense to agree to a ceasefire with Medoferro ten years ago," Stacy said, "Probably in direct contradiction of Facie's orders."

"He negotiated that?" Erican said, "Facie was told that his soldiers stopped the route and that Jagards managed to make the best of a situation where they were surprisingly outnumbered."

"That's how he survived," Stacy said, "I always wondered how he did that."

"If he did that," Erican said, "You may be right. He may be the best bet. He's always been the least offensive of the generals."

"Do you know where to find him?" Pirotase asked, "You used to always know that stuff."

"Jagards is likely in the main capital city," Erican said, "None of my watchers have reported that he left. Considering we're probably going to try to strike at one of the generals in retaliation for this he'd be wise to stay in there."

"Don't strike at Jagards," Pirotase asked, "Go for one of the others. Jagards might be useful still."

"I'll try," Erican said, "I'll have all I can do to keep my cohorts from running into Bolantine arms."

"Once they hear what he does on the battlefield it won't be a problem," Mason told him, "His troops tend to be brutal. They don't take prisoners either."

"Can you get us into the city, Pirotase?" Lister asked her.

"Yes," Pirotase agreed, "We should probably find a place to rest first."

"The southern slums are secure," Erican said, "You'll need to go there to get into the city anyway."

"Let's move," Lister said, "The sooner we get this over with, the better."

"Best to wait until daylight," Pirotase reminded him, "Too many guards in there during the night."

"Let's go find a place to get some food and rest," Mason suggested, "I'll make contact with Karen as soon as we're settled."

Chapter 96 - Orenicus

Medoferro and Trinaferro stepped off the train in Mullinix Oasis to catch a warm breeze and a blast of sand. Neither one of them had ever been to this southwestern Mullinix city before, so the heat and stand were a bit of a surprised.

"Welcome to the Oasis," Colonel Christensen said, "Don't get many official visits down here, sir. Welcome to both of you."

"You guys are quiet," Medoferro said, "Hasn't been much of a need."

"When was the last visit?" Trinaferro asked.

"Taliaferro came in when he was young," Christensen said, "Long before any of us were born."

"Did you get the message down to Damascas?" Medoferro asked.

"Orenicus came up himself," Christensen said, "He arrived an hour ago. I have my assistant setting him up with refreshments. He seems to have an odd proclivity for a soft drink made up in Selenia. Never did like the stuff myself, but..."

"He went to school there," Medoferro said, "Let's go over there. I do need to know what the troop strength in this area is."

"Never needed much," Christensen said, "There's a base stationed on the water about halfway between here and Selenia. The only thing we usually use them for is for bandit chasing and the occasional pirate stomping mission."

"The naval equipped force," Medoferro said, "Of course. I forgot about them. We haven't had a major pirate incursion in years."

"Right," Christensen said, "Just a few minor ones. Evidently, someone down south has done some cleanups too."

"Bolantine probably clobbered them," Medoferro laughed, "Nice to know he isn't completely useless."

"More likely co-opted them," Trina said, "We'll want to look for that too."

"Let's go see Orenicus," Medoferro said, "See how they are looking at this."

The three of them walked over to the government house and found Orenicus enjoying an iced beverage that was bottled specifically in Selenia. He appeared to be very satisfied with his drink and let off a smile when he saw Medoferro and Trinaferro walk up.

"You made good time," Orenicus said, "I'd hoped to have a few more of these before you made it."

"I have a case in the kitchen," Christensen said, "Feel free to have as many as you like, Orenicus."

"I'll see you get a case to bring home with you," Medoferro said, "It's hot enough out here to justify us all having one."

"I'll pass," Trinaferro said, "It won't do my stomach any good. It hasn't been good lately."

"I'll get two more," Christensen said, "Would you like water, Trinaferro?"

"Please," Trina nodded, "Thanks, Robert."

"I take it you are finally taking Bolantine seriously," Orenicus said, "I can't think of any other reason you'd ask for a representative to come up here so quickly."

"He's going to invade the Mavelans," Medoferro said, "You saw the machine that Lister Black was driving. They can overrun you with them as well."

"We've been trying to puzzle out how to kill them," Orenicus said, "But my people have no history with machines of that type. Most of our scientists don't even know how to read the drawings."

"We have someone that knows how to," Medoferro said, "We want to help you repel the Bolantines. He made detailed instructions, all drawn out. These devices should be able to be planted in the sand to disable the machines."

Medoferro handed Entragian's instructions over to Orenicus, who spent a few minutes looking over, amazed by the simplicity of the devices. He nodded his head appreciatively.

"I just hope we have time to build them," Orenicus said, "Does anyone have any idea how long we have?"

"Bolantine is likely back to his stomping grounds by now," Medoferro said, "We missed him in Siraq, though we did stop him from getting worse weapons. We also have dispatched a group to try to beat some sense into the Mavelan Government."

"Not likely while Facie lives," Orenicus said, "But if you remove him..."

"I've given orders that any deal with the Mavelans has to result in Facie's removal or death," Medoferro said, "I'm not pussyfooting around with this. I don't want the Bolantines on my southern doorstep."

"We may need more than this," Orenicus said, "My people are willing to fight them, but we only have so many."

"I have a group of pirate fighters that are naval equipped," Medoferro said, "If you would like the help I will dispatch them down to Southern Oasis. They should be able to get there with their equipment in two days."

"If you could send some food that way as well we'd be grateful," Orenicus said, "The Bolantines have been harassing that city all year, probably to keep us inside to stay out of the way of their Mavelan invasion."

"We have an overflow from Nessun Cucchiaio," Trinaferro told Medoferro as Robert Christensen handed her some water, "They've been begging us to arrange for sale to someone."

"If you will buy one ship worth, I will throw in one ship worth," Medoferro said, "I will also pay the shipping fee."

"Deal," Orenicus said, knowing that Medoferro had to pay them something, "And if things go badly..."

"We will open our borders to refugees," Medoferro said, "We have had an agent travel inside the Bolantine Empire. We will not leave anyone to suffer that oppressive fate."

"Fair enough," Orenicus said, "We can't ask for more than that. You aren't obligated to help us at all."

"Bolantine is a problem for everyone," Medoferro said, "If we don't make a stand now we will be making one in ten or twenty years when they have both you and the Mavelans soaked up. I'd rather see if we can stop them now while it will be cheaper."

"No argument from me," Orenicus said, "My father will not argue either. Anything to keep those damned Bolantines back where they belong."

"I will send out the orders before we head back to Mullinix Centre," Medoferro said, "I don't know how long we have, but it won't be long now. I have information sources in the Mavelans, so if the attack starts down there we will get you word."

"I will send word if we find out anything," Orenicus said, "I thank you, Mullinix, we may now survive this."

"Let us hope that we all survive it," Medoferro said, "Let us know if you need anything. We'll do the best we can to help."

"I must get back to my people," Orenicus said, "They need to put this in motion."

"Indeed," Medoferro said, "No points taken away for leaving early. Robert, can you see that he gets a case of that drink to take with him?"

"Already done," Robert chuckled, "I had one in my pantry. I'll have another sent from Selenia with the train next week."

"Thank you, my friends," Orenicus said honestly, "My people will never forget the friendship that the Mullinix People have shown us today."

"Nor will we forget you," Medoferro said, shaking hands with Orenicus, "May your gods be with you."

"And yours with you," Orenicus said, "Adieu!"

Orenicus left quickly, knowing that time was of the essence. Medoferro and Trinaferro sighed and sipped on their drinks. Medoferro actually liked the Selenian soft drink, something he had never had the opportunity to try before. He made a note to himself to get Marianna to have some delivered to the palace.

"You all right, babe?" Medoferro asked Trina, "You're looking peaked again."

"Happening a lot," Trinaferro smiled, "It's going to continue as well."

"Oh?" Medo said and then remembered, "Already?"

"I'm late," Trina nodded, "Toria confirmed it a few days ago."

"We're going to be parents," Medoferro smiled, "Good."

"You ready for the shitstorm?" Trina asked him, "Iggy won't be happy."

"So long as you are, I don't care," Medoferro said, "He will have to live with it. He has had sway over us for ten years. Our turn to do something unexpected."

"Good," Trinaferro smiled and leaned against him, "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back," Medoferro assured her, "Now if we can just avoid a full blown war with the Bolantines, all will be perfect."

"Perfection is boring," Trina grinned, "I'll take our lives any day."

"That's a good way to look at it," Medoferro agreed, "One day at a time."

Chapter 97 - War Plans

Bolantine smiled as he wore his Emperor's garb again. It always made him feel good to know that he had absolute control over the life and death of subjects in his empire. The loose fitting garb of the Siraqis was comfortable for a while, but the specially tailored black suit that he wore as Emperor was much more to his liking.

Nikki was wearing her Empress dress, tailored to her strengths. She was glad to be back as well, considering she had long since tired of the menial chores she had done during her time in Sotanberg. She was at the top of the pyramid here, answerable only to Bolantine himself, and even then she was more a partner than a subordinate.

"I see that we're ready to go," Nikki said, looking at the maps, "What have you got planned, B?"

The other high ranking officers looked around. Nikki was the only person in the empire who dared to address Bolantine so informally. Most of the rest of them were still in utter awe of the man. Unlike Corie, who had grown up in the direct influence of Bolantine, they had grown up in the general empire where Bolantine himself was worshipped as if he was a God.

"Where do we stand?" Bolantine asked, "I know the relative locations, but need updates."

"The Emperor's first army is ready and willing to go. The order for standing up came in once you entered the country," one of the generals said, "The second is gearing up, but is on standby."

"What about the Sand Riders?" Nikki asked, "How are they panning out?"

"We have four hundred and twenty-seven machines," another general said, "Each machine can carry eight troopers, so we've got nearly 3400 seats for transport. This is including their equipment loads."

"How many troops do we have in the third?" Bolantine asked, "I could have sworn there were more of them than that."

"Ten thousand," the general told them, "Production fell behind due to lack of Bauxite ore for the power boxes. We built all we could before running out. We were planning on using the first force to create the base and sending the driver's back for reinforcements."

"Not what I'd hoped for, but it will do," Bolantine nodded, "How soon can we get this under way?"

"We are still on peacetime footing," the general said, "It will take approximately two to three days to get everyone back from leave."

"Give the order," Bolantine said, "Much longer and we will lose any chance at surprise. I give the Mullinix a week before they figure out everything we've tried to do. Maybe less."

"They can't move that fast," Nikki said, "Even if by some miracle they displaced Facie they couldn't make it through enough of the country to keep us out."

"Especially if Facie ignores the problem," Bolantine said, "Have the special forces been agitating Facie's underclass?"

"In spades," Corie said, "I checked on that when I got back. They burned down a peasant village and made it look like government forces. The people up there are pissed now."

"Good," Bolantine said, "Hopefully it will last long enough for us to assimilate them. We cross the border at noon, some two and a half days from now."

"The Sand Riders are going to be the most difficult part of the plan," Nikki said, "I'm going to go take charge of them myself. That way if something goes out of whack I can make changes on the fly."

"Take Corie with you," Bolantine said, "He can make a trip back here if things go wrong."

"We've got the courier lines ready to go as well," Corie said, "We have a dual pipe system sending a message at around a hundred miles an hour both ways. We can get messages between the Sand Riders' base and Forward Command in less than two hours now and hit every stop along the way."

"I think we have a plan," Bolantine said, "I'll go with the first Army so that I can make the decisions. You have your orders. The Mavelans will cease to be an independent nation in sixty hours."

Chapter 98 - The Interview

"Are you sure you want to do this, Medo?" Insegniferro asked him, "I know that you would rather do almost anything else than talk to a reporter."

"We need to build antipathy towards the Bolantines now," Medoferro said, "And what better way to do this than the truth?"

"That's true," Trinaferro agreed, "The truth of what Bolantine did in Siraq should be enough to sicken anyone, not to mention what Lister and Pirotase found."

"Exactly," Medoferro said, "I'm going to give out a good dose of that information. At least enough to ensure that most of Mullinix is going to back my sending troops down to help keep the Bolantines back."

"I'm a bit worried about that myself," Insegniferro told him, "We haven't sent troops out of the nation in years. I don't like doing it."

"Neither do I," Medoferro said frankly, "But I would rather fight the battle now, for cheaper, than I would wait for Bolantine to share a land border with us."

"I'm not arguing with your tactics," Insegniferro said, "And you worked out all right in Siraq. That could have gone the wrong direction."

"Simon says that one is working out," Trina said, "I talked to him earlier. The Serenians are honoring the border, mainly because they don't want a fight with us and their influence hadn't spread far enough for the average Siraqi south of the arbitrary border to want to join with those fanatics.

"Charissa is turning out to be a PR godsend up there," Insegniferro said, "Simon has her doing the interview circuit too. She's appeared in every paper from Skolnik north. The fact that we only made the arbitrary border with the Serenians to protect them is helping too. About eighty percent of the hamlets, villages and cities have already submitted applications to either Art Talgal or Rick Ballfur."

"Good," Medoferro said, "Since most of them speak Mullinix adequately anyway, I'm sure assimilation will be swift."

"Can't be any worse than what we're dealing with at the border," Trina said, "At least this is going to spread out."

"We need at least two new Colonels," Medoferro said, "Possibly three."

"Right..." Trina said and then doubled over a bit, "Oh no... Excuse me..."

Trinaferro made a quick run to the bathroom and had a few moments of sickness. Insegniferro looked concerned, but Medoferro was surprisingly calm. Insegniferro looked at him and decided he'd better ask what was going on, because this was the second time he'd seen her do that.

"Ok, Medo," Iggy said, "What's wrong with her? You obviously know, otherwise, you'd be going nuts."

"You'll find out in a few months," Medoferro grinned, "She'll be fine, trust me."

"She stopped taking her herbs," Iggy said, the light dawning, "Does anyone know about this?"

"She and I talked about this," Medo told him, "Toria did the test and is going to keep an eye on her. Other than that, no one else knows."

"When were you planning on telling me?" Iggy asked him, "We should have talked this out."

"You know as well as I do that you would have found logical reasons for us not to do it," Medoferro told him, "She wants a child, Iggy. My child. Why shouldn't we be able to have that much normality?"

"You have lousy timing, you know that?" Iggy told him, "I understand though. Hell, if I were you I wouldn't have told me either."

"Is there any precedent for this?" Medoferro asked him, "Now that you know about it."

"Sure," Iggy nodded, "Happens quite often actually. It isn't a problem."

"Any special rules on it?" Medo wondered.

"Only one that matters," Iggy shrugged, "Your kids are ineligible for the Mullinix position."

"Lucky kids," Medoferro said dryly as Trinaferro walked back in, "Feeling better, Trin?"

"Yeah," Trina said sheepishly, "Sorry."

"It will get worse," Insegniferro said, "I have never been a father, but I've been around pregnant women before."

"You told him?" Trina asked Medo.

"Had to sometime," Medo said, "At least now he can't yell at me about it. I'm about to go be interviewed."

Medoferro walked over to a front room where the reporter was waiting for him. Trinaferro and Insegniferro walked over to the private chambers, as Medoferro was slated to be the main face of this issue. Medoferro was notorious for disliking interviews, so the fact that he was willing to do them for this made the public even more eager to hear them.

"You ready for motherhood?" Insegniferro asked Trina while Medo and the reporter went through the basics of what happened in Siraq, "Especially considering you could be leading Mullinix at any time."

"Is anyone?" Trina asked him, "I don't know if I am or not, but I intend to learn. I'm not going to be alone am I?"

"No," Iggy admitted, "Though if the child needs a diaper changed I will gladly hand it back to you or Medo."

"How about Grandpa Iggy?" Trina giggled.

"I could live with that," Iggy acknowledged, "It's been a long time since there's been a child in residence here."

"When was the last time?" Trina wondered.

"Taliaferro's son," Iggy said, "A long, long time ago."

"I wasn't aware Tali had any family," Trina said, "I mean other than you guys."

"They were estranged," Iggy said, "They had a tense relationship, mainly because Taliaferro couldn't be the father he wanted to be."

"Is he still around?" Trina wondered, "Maybe I could talk to him, learn some of the pitfalls..."

"You know him," Iggy said, "Have spent quite a bit of time with him as well, especially Medo."

"Who is he?" Trina wondered.

"The old man," Iggy said, "He hasn't responded to his own name for better than fifty years now. That's one of the reasons we trusted him for your physical training."

"So he's always been the old man?" Trina wondered.

"Ever since I've known him," Iggy nodded, "Granted he's probably a good bit older than I am. Taliaferro fathered him when he was a trainee and still trying to cling on to a normal life."

"Trying to scare me, Iggy?" Trina asked him.

"No," Iggy said, "Just warning you that it will take work. You are lucky. Medoferro is your equal. Taliaferro didn't have that."

"And we all thought that old Taliaferro was perfect," Trina said, "Guess there is no such thing, huh?"

"Now you're learning," Iggy said, "If life were perfect someone else would be here and Medo would not have to talk to the reporters."

While Insegniferro and Trinaferro talked about the logistics of having a child while a being a Mullinix as well, Medoferro finished up telling the events of his trip into Siraq. The reporter, an older man named Dave Minear, who had interviewed Medoferro many years before, was pushing more into the current events.

"You have done things not contemplated by any Mullinix in centuries," Minear said, "Why all the foreign adventures now?"

"Siraq was our problem as much as theirs," Medoferro said, "The Bolantines are thoroughly evil. Between what our agents down south have learned and what I learned from meeting the monster face to face in Siraq, I cannot let us remain idle."

"There have been reports of Mullinix troops heading south into Damascas," Minear said, "Is this a positioning of attack on The Mavelans?"

"No," Medoferro said, "Nothing of the sort. We have no wish for war with anyone. I am concerned about the massive expansion of the Bolantine Empire in the south. We have had reports of massive genocide and brutal forms of assimilation. They have also made a few feints at Southern Oasis. Damascas requested our help to encourage the Bolantines not to attack again."

"Will it work?" Minear asked.

"I don't know," Medoferro said honestly, "I do know that I would much prefer to meet the Bolantine threat now and contain him into lands he already controls. We have no wish for war with the Bolantines either. I'd be perfectly content with him ruling his land the way he wants. But he does not have the right to assimilate unwilling nations. Damascas does not want to be ruled by the Bolantines. So long as they want our help, we will help them remain free to choose their own destiny."

"Even at the cost of our own soldiers blood?" Minear asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Even at the cost of my own," Medoferro said, "This cast I wear isn't decoration. I narrowly escaped Bolantine with my life. He has no regard for life. He has no regard for people. His people are tools to him, tools to be molded and shaped to do what he wants them to do. Look at what he did to Siraq. With less than three years of control he managed to drive that nation into chaos."

"Some may object to our soldiers dying in far off places," Minear said, "It has never been done before."

"It has never been necessary," Medoferro said, "We've had minor wars with our neighbors. We've had border disagreements and skirmishes. But we have never had to deal with a predator that eats nations like apples from a tree. If we do not aid our neighbors now we will be dealing with the Bolantines in a few years, this time on our own borders. Which would you choose?"

"What about the Mavelans?" Minear asked.

"We're open to talks," Medoferro said, "If they request our help sincerely, we will entertain the idea. We have never wanted conflict with Facie. We have never once done anything more than protect people who requested to be a part of Mullinix."

"What do you think about the Charissa line?" Minear asked, "Will it hold water?"

"It will adjust," Medoferro said, "As the citizens on both sides of the line decide which nation they want to reside in. We will not force anyone to become either Mullinix or Serenian. We think that most people south of the line will decide that the benefits of citizenship are worth the few things we ask."

"Will we be taking any territory down south?" Minear asked.

"No," Medoferro said, "Our troops down there will be defensive only. As I said, we do not desire war with the Bolantines. We will, however, assist anyone who resists their invasion. If any regions are liberated from the Bolantines we will assist them in setting up their own governments. We will not consider annexation requests unless they are adjacent to our own borders."

"Ok," Minear nodded, "Now let's go for a personal note. How are you and Trinaferro holding up under all this strain?"

"Trinaferro is a trooper," Medoferro said, "We're all pretty stressed out. I don't like what I'm having to do. I damn Bolantine a million times over for putting me in this position. But here I am. She and I have each other, and that helps more than anything."

"Do you regret not staying a normal citizen," Minear asked, "Being someone who is not tied down by tradition and duty?"

"Every day," Medoferro chuckled, "But if I didn't, I guess I wouldn't have been chosen for this job. I am content with most things in my life. I have Trinaferro. We cannot marry, but that is only a piece of paper. We have our commitment to each other and it is the deepest bond in my life. I love her dearly."

"I appreciate your candor, Mullinix," Minear said, shaking hands with the young Mullinix, "I know you hate these interviews. Just for my information, are you feeding me a line like you did during the barge ride with Massimaferro's body ten years ago?"

"No need to this time," Medoferro said, "Last time I had to get the news out and have everyone expecting it to be simple. I needed the impact of the ascension speech. This time all I have is the absolute truth. Bolantine is evil enough that if I tried to make up some of the things I had heard you would consider me insane and print it such.

"Unfortunately you are confirming the rumors we are hearing," Minear said, "I don't know where you get your information, but it is better than my sources."

"I wish my sources weren't so good sometimes," Medoferro said, "Some of the things I have learned about the Bolantines make me deathly ill. I have sanitized versions of the report about the Bolantine Empire available for you and your paper."

"Sanitized?" Minear asked, surprised.

"Had them rework it from an event log to a description of scenes they saw in the empire. The agent requested this in case he ever has to go back," Medo explained, "He might want to use some of the same techniques to get around and there is no guarantee that you will be able to keep the Bolantines from getting this article."

"Do you think this will have a stopping effect on the Bolantines?" Minear asked.

"I hope so," Medoferro said, "I'd be happy to see things die down and all the nations around us to continue in peace."

"Thank you for your time, Mullinix," Minear said, "I will go read this report and put my story together."

"Please keep my words and quotes clear and concise," Medoferro asked him, "That's all I ask."

"Good day, sir," Minear said and walked out.

Medoferro nodded. It would be with the press gone.

Chapter 99 - Southern Oasis

Jim Entragian looked at the sandy port as the first of the Mullinix ships docked. He still hated the desert, although he had not set foot in one for nearly five hundred years. He watched the young men tie the ship up to the dock as the captain came down.

"I still don't understand your presence," Captain Ronald Michelset said, "This is highly irregular."

"This whole thing is irregular," Jim told him, "Believe me, I would rather be anywhere else. But I'm needed here as much as you are."

"You're right about that one," Michelset nodded, "But I have few enough men and if we are to repel an invasion I can't afford to deal with a civilian..."

"Don't worry about me," Jim said, "I can take care of myself. No need to detail protection to me. I'm here to act as communications and to help figure out ways to defeat any machines we don't have any forewarning on."

"The Mullinix gave orders to trust you," Michelset said, "I guess I can't go against that. How soon do you think the invasion will be coming?"

"Soon," Jim told him, "We'd best start building the line. I just hope we have the materials to do so."

"We have every scrap of lumber and iron rebar we could cram into the hold," Michelset told him, "Do you think those devices will work?"

"If all the machines are constructed like the one I saw and from the plans I saw, yes," Jim said, "That's part of why I'm here. I can adjust things if I can get my hands on another one."

"I'll make sure that any machines that are taken are brought back here," Michelset agreed, "Maybe we can repurpose some of these."

"Indeed," Jim agreed, "I think we're about to be met. I'll let you do the talking. I don't know the language down here."

"It's a simple subset of Mullinix," Michelset said, "Sounds simplistic to our ears but it is good enough for them."

"I'll take your word for it," Jim said, "They need some smarts to be able to survive this climate."

"Agreed," Michelset laughed, "I'm from Shanxie myself. Never saw a sand dune until I came out here. I think I see our welcome committee."

"You're the boss," Jim said, "I'm just an observer. I will go inside and do a quick communication to let them know we've arrived."

Michelset nodded and hopped on to the dock. He walked over and met a tall man with a dark sand blasted complexion. The tall man bowed in the customary Damascas style. Michelset mimed the motion, as he had learned years ago when dealing with the Damascas natives.

"Welcome," the tall man said, "You Michelset?"

"Yes sir," Michelset agreed, "Captain Ronald Michelset, Mullinix Expeditionary Force. We have orders to assist in preparation for possible Bolantine assault."

"Very good," the tall man said, "I Hiriconus Malgus. Magog, Southern Oasis."

"Nice to meet you," Michelset said, "I have a thousand men on these three ships as well as materials for the rider killers."

"We start when get plans," Malgus said, "Two mile done, ten left. Block way Mavelans, block way us."

"Let me get my men out and we'll make camp on the edge of town," Michelset told him, "While the camp builders are working I'll send the rest to help on the barriers."

"Very good," Malgus said, "Welcome Oasis South. Much welcome."

"Let's hope that we all can get this working," Michelset said, "It won't be fun if we fail."

"Indeed," Malgus agreed.

Malgus went back with his troops and the work began. Jim Entragian came back out and watched the building of the devices. He saw that the Damascas Troopers had made a design change, but it was one he had to approve of. It used longer pieces of wood, but it was good in all directions, not just one like his original design.

"Not bad," Jim said, "Who did the changes?"

"Me," a young man said, "I do good?"

"You did great," Jim said, "Who is doing the planning on where to put these things?"

"Me," the same young man said, "I good plan. Here map."

Jim looked at it and was surprised. The kid had a good head for strategy. They were putting the devices all over the place, no rhyme or reason, but making sure that they were on the route between Southern Oasis and the Mavelans. According to the chart better than five hundred of the devices had already been buried.

"How many raiders?" the young man asked, "Must plan good."

"No firm numbers," Jim said, "We're guessing five hundred to a thousand. Maybe more."

"Must keep burying," the young man said, "Mullinix help?"

"The soldiers will help," Jim said, "Let's figure out where to put them."

Jim Entragian knew he had work to do and not much time to do it. He just hoped that they had enough material and men. Bolantine was by far superior on both in this region. Entragian just hoped that the spirit these people showed would be enough.

Chapter 100 - Jagards

"I haven't been in here in years," Pirotase said, "Grubby little peasant girls don't usually get to come in the big gates."

"Luckily we were able to pay for water and soap," Lister said, "It's been a while for me as well though."

"I've never been here," Stacy said, "Facie's been a Mullinix enemy for longer than I've been alive."

"I stopped here once," Mason said, "Long before Facie's grandfather was here. I don't speak Mavelan that well either."

"So how do we find the bastard?" Stacy asked, "I mean we can't run up to him and ask to see him."

"Why not?" Mason asked, "Probably the easiest way."

"Not all of us are immortal," Lister reminded him, "And I don't think any of us are particularly crazy."

"Go into the market," Mason told them, "Let me do some recon really quick. I'll be back in about an hour."

Stacy wanted to object, but thought better about it. She merely pulled up her hood and tried to look a bit taller. Mason Stone was not much smaller than the average Mavelan, but her five feet six inches made her pretty well a dwarf in the capital city.

"Let's get some fruit," Lister suggested, "The markets were always good for idle talk."

They walked around and heard a lot about the local state of affairs. The fire outside was the biggest topic of conversation. Everyone 'knew' that it had been started by Facie's goons, but no one knew when or who. The Bolantines, however, were not even a topic of conversation.

"This is unreal," Pirotase said, "This nation is about to be overrun by the biggest bunch of outlaws on the planet, and no one even knows about it."

"I wonder if Facie himself even realizes the danger," Lister said, "He never did care much for what happened down south. I doubt the Bolantines would have scared him that much."

"He's a bit daft," Pirotase shrugged, "I don't know though. How could he not know?"

"Medoferro didn't know until he sent you two," Stacy reminded them, "Unless Facie did the same he might not know how bad the Bolantines are."

"True," Lister agreed.

They bought some food and sat down on a bench to eat it. It was closer to an hour and a half by the time that Mason Stone walked out with a surprising companion. A very pale and fearful looking General Jagards was actually walking under his own power with the immortal.

"Now that's a surprise," Lister said, "How the hell..."

"I'm not going to argue," Stacy said, "Beats going to find him."

"Ok," Jagards said, "Why am I here?"

"Why indeed," Lister said, looking at Mason, "Care to fill us in?"

"I figured he might be more receptive to us if taken out of his comfort zone," Mason said, "And learning that he has the attentions of someone who cannot die can often be a life changing experience."

"Especially when that someone takes a blade to the gut without wincing," Jagards muttered, "I figured I'd better find out what he wanted."

"You have a big problem, Jagards," Mason said, "Your whole country does."

"No kidding," Jagards said, "You brought me out here to tell me that the Bolantines are going to invade? Tell me something I don't know."

"They will come in through the desert," Lister said, "They want to take Mavelan City."

"I don't get it," Pirotase said, "There's nothing here but Facie and poor people."

"How do you know this?" Jagards asked them.

"I went to the Bolantines on behalf of Medoferro," Lister said, "He is the one who sent us here."

"I bet he's enjoying watching us squirm," Jagards grumbled, "I know I would be if I were him."

"On the contrary," Stacy said, her Mullinix accent showing in her Mavelan, "He's concerned. That's why we are here."

"This isn't the place to discuss this," Jagards said, "There is a bar a block over. My cousin owns it, so we can take the back room and not worry about Facie's spies."

"Does this indicate a willingness to talk?" Stacy asked him.

"Yes," Jagards said, "I've been reading intelligence reports. Since no one on my side is listening, I might as well talk to you."

There was an agreement among them. Stacy was surprised that Jagards was being so thoughtful about this, but it was likely that he saw the writing on the wall. Fear tended to make men do strange things that they would normally not even consider.

The bar was everything Jagards said it was, and the five of them went into the back of it. Water was brought around, for none of them cared to chance alcohol for a meeting like this.

"You're the ones who traveled here," Jagards said, "I'd like to know why."

"We're as worried about the Bolantines as you are," Stacy told him, "I represent the Mullinix Government. We were hoping to find someone receptive to starting reasonable relations. Things have been tense for no reason between us for too long."

"Unless you count losing Cirrus and losing a major war," Jagards said dryly, "Though on your side I can see it. Both of those were Facie's fault and his alone."

"So why do you serve him?" Pirotase said, "If you're intelligent enough to see that, you're intelligent enough to realize how crazy he is."

"Because he is our king," Jagards said, "And I can do more for our nation from my position than I could from the outside. Facie can be handled, but he has to be handled carefully."

"Facie is a Loon," Lister said, "I've been in and out of the Mavelans all my life. My Grandfather was around during the transition."

"Fighting about Facie is going to get us nowhere," Mason said, "We're here for a reason."

"Bolantine," Jagards said, "You are sure he's going to invade through the desert?"

"Probably a two prong attack," Lister said, "I couldn't catch the whole thing, but they are definitely sending one of their groups through the desert to take Mavelan city."

"They want the Bauxite mines," Mason said, "I assume those are around here."

"Just northwest of the city," Jagards said, "We lose those..."

"You lose the war," Mason said, "Bolantine knows this as well."

"He probably outnumbers you four to one as well," Lister said, "There were thousands of soldiers in both bases. Unless you have every soldier down there, you're going to be hurting."

"Facie still does not want to admit it," Jagards said, "Luckily Serling died a couple months ago. Since he hasn't visited Facie in years I was able to keep it quiet and have been giving orders in his stead. I quietly sent the Mullinix Border force south."

"That's why the quick move," Lister said, "That's why I got sent south in the first place."

"I know full well you won't invade," Jagards said, "I'm not so sure about Bolantine. In a span of eight years we've gone from having a polyglot of shitty little states, none of which had anything worth taking, to having that behemoth Empire."

"Bolantine is a cancer," Mason said, "Make no doubt about it. He will destroy you if you don't worry about it."

"What do you want me to do?" Jagards asked them, "I've planned as best I can."

"The Mullinix are willing to help," Stacy told him, "But after all the atrocities Facie has been responsible for over the years, we cannot in good conscience help him."

"Facie is a lunatic," Jagards said, "But he is our blood king."

"Blood doesn't make a ruler," Pirotase said, "The Mullinix have not had a blood ruler in their history."

"Facie isn't fit for dogcatcher, let alone to be a ruler," Lister agreed, "Look at what he's done. He even had a whole portion of his capital burned."

"What?" Jagards said, "No he hasn't. I heard about the fire, but that didn't go through us."

"Could he have ordered it without it going through you?" Pirotase asked, surprised at the thought that this may not be Facie ordered.

"Facie has isolated himself," Jagards said, "I've been filtering his orders for a year now. That's why nothing has been done against Erican's rebels. He is the king, but I can protect him from himself."

"So if he didn't do it," Stacy said, "The big question is who did?"

"Bolantine's people," Mason said simply, "Who else?"

"I thought Bolantine was trying to curry favor with them," Pirotase said, "That doesn't add up."

"Sure it does," Mason said, "Bolantine's people knew that you'd blame Facie. Facie has been a fool and mistreated his people for years. Anything like that is going to be blamed on him."

"That does make sense," Lister said, "Especially considering Erican's reaction."

"Facie has wanted more rebels shot," Jagards said, "But I've kept that order from going out. It's counterproductive."

"We need to do something soon," Lister said, "The battle could start at any time."

"Jim will see the beginning before we do," Mason said, "Bolantine has to be back by now, though. Even if he walked it wouldn't take him that long to get through Sotanberg. Especially since he likely had transportation ready."

"I cannot betray my king," Jagards said, "I swore my oath to protect him and this nation. I am doing both as best I can."

"We're at an impasse," Stacy said, "I cannot offer troops with Facie in power. He wouldn't accept them anyway."

"Can you cover me as an advisor?" Mason asked Jagards, "I would like to see Facie in action before we make any rash decisions."

"I can do that," Jagards said, "I do want to keep this line of communication open. I have an apartment in town that I don't use. It is yours for the duration."

"What do you want us to do, Mason?" Lister asked, "Twiddle our thumbs and wait?"

"No," Mason said, "Talk to Erican again. See if you can make him see logic on who set the fire. Jagards may be misguided, but he isn't a liar. I'm as good as Medoferro at seeing that."

"I have no trouble believing that," Jagards said, "That little bastard managed to talk me into a corner ten years ago. I should have brought a lubricant."

"You brought that on to yourself," Lister said, "We didn't ask you to invade."

"Blame that one on Facie and my predecessor," Jagards said, "And my ability to lie convincingly about what really happened there."

"You have a chance to atone," Mason said, "Let's see if your nation lives long enough for you to use it."

"Where do we meet?" Lister asked.

"At the apartment," Mason said, "Good a place as any."

"Any messenger will know the knock," Jagards said, knocking on the table, "If they use this, they have a message from me. If they do this," he did another knock, "Facie found me out and is after all of us."

"Fair enough," Lister said, "We'll be back in a few hours."

"Let's hope it is soon enough," Mason said.

Chapter 101 - Invasion

Bolantine looked out over the fields where his soldiers were waiting for the order to move. The men and women of the Bolantine army were obviously ready for the order, Bolantine was just waiting for the right time to set things in motion. It had been many years since he'd had a good war against an organized opponent.

"Any word from the Sand Riders?" Bolantine asked.

"Empress Bolantine has started her run," the young man said, "The message came through only a few minutes ago. She's starting her run to make it more likely that she'll be in place when she's needed."

"Good," Bolantine said, "I guess it is time for me to make my opening speech."

"The men are ready," another sycophant said, "Just need your word."

"Let me address my people," Bolantine said, "Then give me my sword. I shall lead them into battle myself."

It was a request that had been expected. Bolantine had done this on every major war that his Empire had ever run. He walked out in front of his men, all of whom had been raised to worship him. They looked up at their leader with the awe any other man would have if their God walked among them.

"It is another glorious day for the Bolantine Empire," Bolantine said loudly, using power to amplify his vocals throughout the area, "The Empire has need to expand, and to expand we must bring the light of the Bolantine Empire to the uncivilized lands beyond us.

"Today is that glorious day for the Mavelans, who shall be blessed with the personal attention of the Bolantine Emperor and the Empress. All of you, my able and willing children, will be called upon to assist us in our quest to civilize the world under our vision and a single overwhelming power.

"King Facie is corrupt, he is weak and he will no longer be allowed to poison this planet with his waste of land and people. We will invade this misguided nation, destroy what needs to be destroyed, and from the ashes of the Mavelans will spring up a greater, more powerful and beneficial society. A society run for the greater good of Bolantine citizens everywhere!"

A giant shouting match erupted, as the rank and file cheered the words of their emperor. The adrenalin rushed through Bolantine's veins and knew that this was going to be a great day for him and the first day of a major expansion. He couldn't wait.

"Go forth my children!" Bolantine yelled, "Make them feel our power, make them bleed their corruption from their open wounds. This is the last day of their corrupt administration and the first day of an emboldened and enhanced Bolantine empire!"

At that instruction the men and women rushed the border, running and getting ready to take on the Mavelan forces on the other side. Bolantine himself looked at this sight and smiled. The blood was on his side that day. He raised his sword and ran into battle, following his own instincts to attack.

Chapter 102 - The Sand Riders

"There's the signal," Michelset said, looking up at the flare, "The Bolantines are heading for the trap area. I'd say that we're in for a fight soon."

"If this works well they might go home," Entragian said hopefully, "I wouldn't want to try to invade this city on foot."

"Wishful thinking," Michelset said, "Especially with people still out there. I have two squads out there and Damascas has at least three. I wish we had more of a count of the Bolantine troops."

"The one that fired off the flare should be back soon," Entragian said, "Kid is only twelve, but he's quick."

"You saw the unit," Michelset said, "How hard will they be to stop?"

"The units themselves are not the problem," Entragian said, "They aren't weapons in and of themselves. Stay out of their way and they won't be able to hurt you. The main advantage they give is mobility."

"Any bets on how well your plan will work?" Michelset asked him.

"No," Entragian said, "We've worked for nearly three straight days burying hundreds of these things across a mile and a half of sand. They have to cross that area. The dunes are too high for those machines to climb. They go east they hit the Mavelans too far south to do any good. They go west and they have to go through Damascas, which I'm betting is something they'd prefer not to do right now."

"So we wait," Michelset nodded, "And hope they are dropped down by the traps."

"Exactly," Jim agreed, "All we can do."

While Jim and Ron sat there talking about the Bolantine column, Nikki Bolantine sat on one of the rear units of the line. To make the column more compact they were riding in twenty-five wide and seventeen deep, which made it easier for the rear units to keep up speed. They rode together to take advantage of the lead unit's trails, which were wiped out quickly by the wind if they did not ride close.

This, unfortunately, was not the best planning they could have done, for when the front line started hitting the first of the traps it caused pandemonium. Entragian's design, modified slightly by the Damascas Troops, worked wonders, cracking the box of the first one that hit, causing the unit to explode.

This caused panic in the Bolantine line, the units started varying in direction and losing their lines. No orders could be given as the units kept hitting the traps and each other. More than half of the losses were caused by the columns being too close together and their running into each other.

"Stop!" Nikki yelled, "Reverse direction!"

The order went unheard, however, and more of the units continued to almost self destruct on the wooden and metal post traps. It took a full five minutes for the lines to stop and the remaining units to pull back instead of running further.

"Attack!" the leader of one of the Damascan units, "Destroy!"

Without any further encouragement two of the divisions of troops from Damascas came flooding down the dune into the already damaged ranks of Bolantine Soldiers. One of Michelset's deputies, a young man whose unit had been dispatched to set traps, watched in horror as the battle began.

"Should we help them?" someone asked him.

"It's suicide," the young man said, "They're outnumbered four to one, even after the traps working. We wouldn't make enough of a dent to make it worth our lives. Better to pull back and let Michelset know the trap worked. And to give the Magog the bad news about his people."

The battle was fast, furious and over in less than an hour. The angry Bolantines slaughtered the attacking units to the man, without even taking any to question about tactics. Nikki Bolantine looked out at the blood drenched sand and let off a few curses.

"Estimates!" Nikki yelled, "How many survived?"

"I don't have a full count yet, Empress," Corie said, "The commander, a good chunk of the enlisted men and most of the machines are gone. We've set up a minicamp to take care of the wounded and get accurate counts."

"What the hell caused the machines to explode?" Nikki asked, "I swear, I will kill whoever developed those things."

"It wasn't the machines," Corie said, "Come on over here and look."

Corie led Nikki over to one of the wrecks and spent some energy flipping the hulk over. She was flabbergasted by what she saw. She now knew that it was a trap and that she and the troops had fallen for it, hook, line and sinker.

"Who knew how these things worked?" Nikki asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Corie said, "I'm not even sure how they worked. But somehow the Damascans knew and managed to get these things buried. They are all over the place, spread out at random all through this area."

"Right at the choke point," Nikki said, "Someone knew we were coming this way. Don't tell me it was Damascas. That ignorant sand rabble could not manage anything like this."

"Look at the metal," Corie said, "The markings are not Damascan."

"Mullinix," Nikki said, seething, "They are becoming a serious thorn."

"Can the Emperor win without us?" Corie asked Nikki.

"Yes," Nikki said, "But it will be more difficult now."

"Your orders?" Corie asked.

"How many machines survived?" Nikki asked him.

"Twenty-two are running," Corie said, "Twelve of them have cracks, however, and may not make it back."

"Get the most critically wounded packed up on the working units," Nikki said, "The rest of us will march to the carrion rocks. Get the rest of the force to meet us there. Damascas decided to stop us from invading the Mavelans. Since we don't have enough of these units left to get us there, we'll redirect the troops towards Southern Oasis and let those Sand Niggers know the full wrath of the Bolantines!"

"I will be honored to serve with you there," Corie said.

"No," Nikki said, "You need to get a message to Bolantine. Let him know what happened here. Then go and join him. I can handle a simple invasion myself. He'll need your skills in the Mavelans."

"Very well," Corie agreed, "I'll pass on your orders."

Nikki nodded and sat down in the sand. She grumbled and hoped that this wasn't the way the whole war would go. If it did, it wouldn't be a good thing for the Empire.

Chapter 103 - Facie

"This is ridiculous," Mason said as he stood with General Jagards, "We have been waiting here for three hours now."

"I know," Jagards said, "I just don't know what else to do."

"The Bolantines attacked hours ago and your king is ignoring it," Mason said, "You have to do something."

"I'm going to try to talk to him once more," Jagards said, "I have to. He's the last remaining one of the blood."

"Like I told you before," Mason said, "Blood is meaningless."

"You don't understand," Jagards said, "I've given my life, my family, everything..."

"Do what you need to do," Mason said, holding back his disgust, "But do it quick. Bolantine has crossed the border. You don't have much time."

"I know," Jagards said, "I've already ordered house arrest on Rawlington and Fruneaux. Last thing I need is those two incompetents creating more problems."

"What about Fahling?" Mason asked.

"He's in the thick of it down there," Jagards said, "I have men in his entourage. If he runs, they'll let me know. Now that the invasion has started, despite Fahling's assurances to Facie it wouldn't, I have a bit more leeway."

"Just remember," Mason said, "No troops from Mullinix as long as Facie is in power."

"I know," Jagards said, "I know that. Just wait here and hopefully I can talk some sense into him finally."

"I'm waiting," Mason said, "But not for long."

Jagards nodded and walked into the throne room. He thought long and hard about what had brought him to this point. Events had come colliding in on him like a freight train without a driver. He went in and saw Facie looking out the window. He was still wearing his porter's uniform, same as he had for years, though he now looked far too old for it to do any good.

"What is it, Jagards?" Facie said, not even facing his General, "No more doom and gloom, I hope."

"The Bolantines have invaded, Sire," Jagards said, "They crossed over the southern border four hours ago."

"Repel them," Facie said simply, "Fahling should have enough troops."

"They outnumber us eight to one," Jagards said, "Permission to move some forces from the quiet Mullinix border to the invasion zone?"

"Denied," Facie said, "If you move them, the Mullinix will come in."

"The Mullinix are the least of our problems," Jagards said, "They have enough problems of their own with Siraq."

"Don't contradict me, Jagards," Facie said, sitting up and looking at Jagards, "The Mullinix are the real threat. The so called Bolantine Empire is just another group of uppity barbarians. We have defeated barbarians before and will do so again."

"Our record for the past forty years has not been that stellar," Jagards reminded him, "We've lost four small wars and two major ones. The fact that we're still and independent nation considering that is nothing short of remarkable."

"Are you saying I am a bad ruler, Jagards?" Facie said, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm saying you are incompetent," Jagards said, "Your country is being invaded by a group of savages who outnumber us eight to one, and you won't even authorize the movement of soldiers from a border we have never had an attack from."

"That's treason," Facie said, jumping down, "I will have you burned."

"You couldn't have a rat burned now," Jagards said, "I've been keeping your empire together for years now. Your people hate and fear you. You nobles are idiots and your other generals are pathetic."

"Consider yourself relieved," Facie said, "I will let Fahling have the position he's coveted for years. You may leave now if you want to avoid imprisonment."

"I'm not leaving you in this anymore," Jagards said, finally realizing that Mason was right, "This country cannot afford you anymore. I've spent a lifetime fighting with this and fighting with you. I'm not doing it anymore. I've always dedicated my life to protecting the Mavelans from her enemies, but I always overlooked the greatest enemy she had. You."

"Guards!" Facie yelled, "Guards! I want this man arrested."

Mason Stone walked into the room and looked at the guards who came into the room. Mason had a few choice words for the participants in this situation, but he decided to let the mortals settle it out themselves. The guards looked at Facie and tried to figure out who they were supposed to arrest.

"Arrest Jagards!" Facie yelled, "He is advocating treason."

"I'd never commit treason to my country," Jagards said, "But I've made a mistake all these years. I equated the country to you, Facie. Big mistake. The country is the people who live in it, not the people who run it."

"Arrest that man!" Facie yelled, "Now!"

The guards just stood there dumbfounded. Jagards was learning quickly that Facie had no loyalty from anyone left. Facie was learning this lesson as well, but not as quickly as his General was.

"If you arrest me you are condemned to life as Bolantine subjects," Jagards told the guards, "And even if you do get lucky and Bolantine screws up, you would still have to live under him." Special emphasis was put on him.

"I will have your hides for this!" Facie yelled, and then rushed up for his sword, "I will not go quietly."

Mason chuckled and pushed a bit of power at Facie's sword. The sword lit up as if it had just come out of a red hot fire. Facie held on to it as long as he could, but finally had to let it go. Jagards pulled his own up and approached Facie.

"This is the way my rule ends?" Facie said, "I am the last! The Mavelans will not survive without me."

"They're even less likely to survive with you," Mason muttered.

"I watched for years as you alienated people," Jagards said, "As you destroyed any chance we had at prosperity. But, I cannot let you destroy us all."

Jagards, despite being years from the battle field, still possessed reasonably decent upper body strength. He placed the tip of his sword on Facie's oversized stomach and pushed on it. Facie's face registered complete shock and surprise as the blade ran smoothly through his flesh and drained him of his life.

"This is the way your rule ends," Jagards said, paraphrasing a long ago heard quote, "Not with a bang, but with a whisper."

Facie could not speak, but Jagards words rang true as the now late king of the Mavelans slid down onto the ground and died quietly, not making another sound aside from the light thump of his body hitting the carpet. The guards looked up, not knowing what to do next.

"You killed King Facie!" one of the guards said, "My gods..."

"They have nothing to do with this," Mason said, "Looks like we're in this together now."

"You stay here with the body," Jagards said, "No one is to know Facie is dead yet."

"I take it you have a plan?" Mason asked him.

"The only people who know Facie has died are in this room," Jagards told him, "Most of his structure is set up so that no one has to talk to him. Once I arrest Fahling, the only people who would challenge it will be under arrest or dead."

"Keep the war effort going under Facie's name until we need to change it," Mason nodded, "Give me an hour and I can look similar enough to Facie to fill in the shoes."

"Shouldn't be necessary," Jagards said, "You two, put him in his bed and if anyone asks he is under the weather. I will consolidate control behind the scenes. I take it the Mullinix will deal with me?"

"Over Facie," Mason nodded, "Shall I bring them here?"

"Call it an official invite from the late king," Jagards said, "We'll meet in the king's official workroom in an hour. That should give you time to get them and send any messengers on your way."

"It should be," Mason agreed, "I may have information for you by that point as well."

Jagards took another look at the late king and shook his head. He didn't know which bothered him most, that Facie forced him to this point or that it bothered him as little as it did. Either way, he knew that if the Mavelans would last any significant time beyond its last king he had a lot of work to do.

Chapter 104 - Mullinix Centre

"I've got good news and bad news," Karen said, "Which do you want first?"

"The good," Medoferro said, "Trina has been sick most of the night, so I could use a bit of good news."

"Jagards is working with our group," Karen told him, "Facie is dead, killed by Jagards' own hand a couple hours ago. The Mullinix group is in the palace and they are negotiating for help with the invasion."

"The bad?" Medoferro asked her.

"The invasion has started," Karen relayed, "There have been some initial successes by the Mullinix/Damascan team in Southern Oasis, though at a heavy cost. Most of the Bolantine desert crew was damaged, along with their machines. Damascas lost two divisions who went in to fight the Bolantines, so the Bolantines know they are in the fight."

"So they aren't going to make it to flank the Mavelans," Medoferro said, "That is good news, isn't it?"

"Yes," Karen agreed, "But I've been going over the plans and the number estimates from Lister Black. The machines require a lot of bauxite to create the cases. They probably did not have enough to take the whole group at once."

"Leaving a sizable force south of Damascas," Medoferro sighed, "They will go for Southern Oasis."

"That's what Jim thinks," Karen agreed, "Some of it depends on who is leading that southern force. If it is someone Bolantine gave command to, they might decide to take Southern Oasis as a consolation prize."

"Ok," Medoferro said, "Get a message to them. They are to help as much as they can, but if it looks bad to get out. We did not go in there to fight a direct war with them."

"I already did," Karen said, "They are not happy with the Bolantines right now."

"Any news about the southern invasion?" Medoferro asked her.

"Mason didn't have much," Karen said, "Jagards is trying to consolidate control enough to control the government in the meantime. He has issued orders for a fighting retreat to try to get the Bolantines past their supply lines."

"Very well," Medoferro said, "I'll talk to Cholt, find out how much we have left down there. If nothing else we can advise and send equipment."

"I'll get the messages sent," Karen said, leaving the room.

Medoferro was not thrilled at his current position. He was nominally in charge, but he had nothing but confused reports and a lot of time on his hands. Insegniferro walked into the room and put down a cup of coffee on the desk for Medoferro.

"Not fun, is it?" Insegniferro said, "Sitting and waiting."

"At least when I was on the lines I could do something," Medoferro said, taking the cup, "Now I'm jumpy as a cat and have nothing to do but wait."

"No one said war was fun," Insegniferro said, "That's my big gripe with those games. It compacts it down to a fun little exercise. But this is no exercise. People are dying out there."

"I know," Medoferro said, "But I can't in good conscience let the Bolantines overrun Damascas and the Mavelans without at least trying to help, can I?"

"Of course not," Insegniferro agreed, "I would have made the decision as well. Probably not as fast or as decisively, but I've never been a particularly good tactician either."

"Then why do I feel lousy?" Medo asked him.

"Because you feel for your people," Insegniferro replied, "You can't waste their lives. That's part of why we chose you, remember? You don't want to make these decisions, but you can do it."

"And as lousy as it is," Medoferro sighed, "Better to spend a little to fight him now than to fight him right on our own border in a few years."

"Exactly," Insegniferro nodded, "And if it helps, popular sentiment is with you. That interview was a masterstroke. Also, Charissa has been talking to the papers as well, all of them lapping up her story of imprisonment."

"Simon has been keeping time with her as well," Medoferro chuckled, "I think he might have actually fallen for her."

"Good," Insegniferro said, "Will do him good to get away from here for a while."

"That's another thing we've never discussed fully," Medoferro said, "Marina."

"I still can't believe that she turned that badly," Iggy said, "She had problems and hurts, but to become a murderer on that scale and work for the Bolantines..."

"I should have kept her in country," Medo said, "I knew how empty she was emotionally. She was a prime target."

"You didn't have any reason to think she'd be a danger there," Iggy reminded him, "Neither did I. Neither did Trina."

"I'm the only power user among us though," Medo said, "I mean, I could see what she was lacking, but there was no way to get her what she needed."

"No one could, Medo," Karen said, walking back into the room, "It takes an emotional vampire to manipulate someone like that. Nikki Bolantine is that vampire. She has made a study of how to manipulate people. She just went for Marina because Marina was easy."

"I just hope she didn't survive it," Medo said, "Not that I like saying that, but if she survived and is in the hands of the Bolantines that is a lot of information they will have about us."

"Plus isn't she a special type of power user?" Iggy asked, "A power sink or something like that?"

"You're kidding," Karen said, "A power sink?"

"That's what Jim called her," Medo said, "He had to separate me when I tested her."

"Then I'm in agreement," Karen sighed, "Let's hope she didn't survive. That part scares me more than the information, really."

"What difference does it make?" Iggy asked.

"Trained properly and unethically she could be a dangerous opponent," Karen said, "Even half-trained she would have been strong. I'm amazed that Roland managed to get her."

"He killed himself in the process," Iggy said, "I need to replace him too, not that anyone ever will be able to..."

"One thing at a time," Medo said, "We need to deal with this first."

"Mason says that Jagards is willing to take our help," Karen said, "Your people are talking with him over the best way to handle the invasion. It would help if we could give them numbers."

"I'm working on that," Medoferro said, "I'm waiting for numbers from Cholt."

"Work quick," Karen suggested, "This invasion isn't a day old and they are chewing through the Mavelan regulars like a child with cotton candy."

"Not a pretty picture," Medoferro said, "Ok. I'll get Cholt on the line. Iggy, can you get a summary drafted up for Harmon?"

"Yes," Iggy agreed, "I can do that."

"I'm going to rest a bit," Karen said, "I'll come back in when I have anything."

Medoferro stretched a little as he stood up. His previous experience with war wasn't fun, but at least it was not this boring. He then remembered an old curse that someone used to give. It was something like "May your life become interesting." He thought about that and decided he would take a little boredom. Life had been interesting enough for a while.

Chapter 105 - The Bolantines

"How far have our troops pushed?" Bolantine asked, looking at the maps with his units, "And why haven't we heard anything out of the Sand Riders?"

"Corie arrived a few minutes ago on the train, Emperor," a general said, "He will be up here as soon as he retrieves his things from the train. Evidently, he has some props to show you what happened up there."

"Lovely," Bolantine said, "Did you send in part of the Second Army?"

"Yes sir," the general said, "First reports are in, they have taken East Facie and are trying to clean their back side before they move further in. They are working at about fifty percent efficiency, but since the Mavelan Army is almost all down here they are hitting light resistance."

"Send a division to flank its way over to Desert Sands," Bolantine said, "I had expected the leftover Sand Riders to be able to do it, but I can't count on that now."

"I will give the orders," the general said and walked out of the room.

"So far so good," Bolantine said as he looked at the maps.

"Emperor Bolantine," Corie said as he came in, "Is this a bad time?"

"If you have bad news it is," Bolantine said, "But you'd best tell me anyway."

"The Sand Riders are no longer speed riders," Corie said, "We have less than twenty working machines left."

"What happened?" Bolantine asked, gripping a pencil very hard, "Who screwed up?"

"The machine makers," Corie said, "There was a fatal flaw in the machines, one that someone took advantage of."

"Who?" Bolantine asked, "The Mavelans?"

"Damascas," Corie said as a couple soldiers dragged one of the mine units in, "They littered the main pass we had to use with these."

"What is it?" Bolantine asked, "Looks like metal."

"Some were wood," Corie said, "Some were concrete. A lot were metal like this."

"How did they know?" Bolantine asked.

"A unit was stolen from the factory," Corie said, "They didn't bother to tell us until after I got back with the few remaining wounded."

"No way Damascas did this on their own," Bolantine said, "They don't have the technical ability."

"The man who stole it spoke our language perfectly," Corie said, "Accented, but perfectly."

"What type of accent?" Bolantine said, "Were you able to figure it out?"

"Look at the device," Corie said, "You will figure it out too."

Bolantine walked over and looked at the markings on the device. He had seen them before. The devices were created out of a mining pylon type that he and Corie had used during the digs in Siraq. They were Mullinix manufactured, which struck Bolantine as being rather odd.

"The Mullinix are involved?" Bolantine said, "Could they have just bought them?"

"Too recent for it to be stockpile," Corie said, "I think the Mullinix are actively helping Damascas. If they got one of the units, they might well have learned our basic plans."

"And learned how to kill them," Bolantine nodded, "Medoferro is smarter than I gave him credit for."

"What is your order?" Corie asked him.

"I'll let Nikki do what she feels best," Bolantine said, "With those machines destroyed and not enough material to make more in time for them to be useful, I can't count on their help in the battle."

"And the Mavelans?" Corie asked.

"We keep going," Bolantine said, "Corie, head north and work with the intelligence people. I want a precise location on that mine so we can get it under control."

"I can do that," Corie agreed, "What is the best guess so far?"

"Facie has a small mining operation near Mavelan City," Bolantine said, "But he's been throwing resources at Faciegrad like there is no tomorrow. The mine could be either place. I need to know which one I need to throw resources at."

"Right," Corie agreed, "Do we have enough forces?"

"So long as the Mullinix stay out," Bolantine said, "Sotanberg is quiet, but if we start seeing help there we can punish Sotanberg with harassment runs. So long as it is just the Mavelan forces, we are fine. Especially with someone as tactically stupid as Facie calling the shots."

"I will head north with the reinforcements," Corie said, "Where will you be?"

"Our troops are moving north quickly," Bolantine said, "We need to establish a new headquarters in Facieville once we secure it. Should be done in 12 hours or so. I will go there to be nearby."

"I will meet you there when I have the information," Corie said.

Bolantine nodded. It wasn't a perfect beginning, but it was good enough. He just needed a few more things to go right and he knew he would have this country in his pocket, as well as enough Bauxite to create enough of his war machines to take over the world.

Chapter 106 - Major William Martin

"This is insanity," Jagards said as he looked at the map, "He outnumbers us so far that we can't hope to stop him."

"I've gotten the word to Medoferro," Stacy said, "Cholt's regulars will be coming down the mountain shortly. They are better trained and equipped, so they should be able to make a difference."

"That is still not going to make much of a difference," Lister Black said, "Our main luck is that Bolantine seems to have stopped at Facieville to get his supply lines in order."

"It might make all the difference in the world, actually," Mason said, looking at the maps, "Bolantine's plans obviously included having the sand riders up here in the north. With the destruction of those machines, the farthest they will be of any use is Desert Sands. Knowing the Bolantines, they'll probably take on Southern Oasis for screwing with the plans."

"How does that help?" Jagards asked, "True, it's one area we don't have to worry about, but we still don't have enough to keep them from the mines."

"How many people know about the mines?" Mason asked him, "Bolantine likely knows they are in the nation, but as for exact location, he has no way of knowing."

"I didn't know where they were until I saw this map," Pirotase said, "I've lived here all my life."

"Exactly," Mason said, "Bolantine's resources are not unlimited. What we need to do is take some of the initiative away from him."

"My forces are all but routing," Jagards said, "I'm trying to form lines again, but as for where, I don't know."

"You have two major cities to protect," Pirotase said, "Faciegrad and Mavelan City."

"Let them take Faciegrad," Jagards grumbled, "They'd be doing us a favor."

"How so?" Stacy asked, wondering how that logic worked.

"Faciegrad is a drain on the economy," Jagards explained, "Facie set it up to be a living monument to him. We've been pouring millions into it and we have yet to make a tax profit on it."

"What about the people?" Pirotase asked, "They deserve to be saved, don't they?"

"Most of them are Facie's cronies," Jagards said, "They are the least likely to be helpful."

"Are there any mines around there?" Mason asked him, "Iron or anything of that nature?"

"The one mine we had there was for Iron Pyrite," Jagards said, "Facie was hoping for gold or a more useful form of Iron, but all we ever got from it was Pyrite."

"Perfect," Mason said, smiling, "I might have an idea."

"I'm all ears," Jagards told him, "Because we're losing this war."

"We can't win it," Mason agreed, "But we can push him to a draw, a draw that won't benefit him as much as he'd hoped."

"We're all for that," Stacy said, "Medoferro does not want this to become a drawn out war of attrition."

"Even Erican's rebels are fighting," Lister said, "I talked to him an hour ago. The reports of atrocities are coming fast and furious."

"Ok," Pirotase said, "We have full units still in Mavelan City. We can form three more from remnants, and if I'm right the Mullinix are putting in four more units."

"Five," Stacy said, "Hardin released one of the groups from Siraq because things are worse down here."

"Even better," Mason said, "So what we do is force Bolantine to make a choice between assaulting Mavelan City and Faciegrad."

"He'd be an idiot to assault Faciegrad," Jagards said, "There is nothing useful there?"

"He doesn't know that," Mason grinned, "To the untrained eye it wouldn't take a whole lot to make a Pyrite mine look like a Bauxite mine. Especially since you don't know how to process it anyway."

"Misdirection," Lister said, grinning a little, "Give him the choice of what looks like the sweeter apple, hoping to get him away from the real prize."

"Exactly," Mason said, "Use the two worst performing units to provide some resistance around Faciegrad while we consolidate the rest of the units and the Mullinix Units into a defensive line to protect the real meat and potatoes."

"Give up land for security?" Jagards asked.

"We will lose the land regardless," Mason explained, "Better to fight him to a standstill while there still is a Mavelan nation. If we can gridlock him outside Mavelan city and get the Sotans to rattle some sabers on their side of the line, maybe we can stop this advance and earn some breathing room to prepare for the next one."

"He won't stop, will he?" Pirotase asked, "Ever."

"Not as long as his country holds together," Mason agreed, "But if we can get some breathing room we may be able to assist the Bolantine Empire in its internal decay."

"That's for later," Jagards said, "Even if we stop him, what guarantees do we have that we won't end up under Mullinix tyranny?"

"That's the first time I've ever heard those words put together other than a Facie speech," Lister chuckled, "The Mullinix have no desire to conquer you, Jagards. Never did. All we did was protect a group of people who had no desire to live under Facie's rule anymore."

"You're out of choices anyway," Mason told him, "You kick out the Mullinix you will be in Bolantine hands in three days. He will overrun all the Mavelans and probably the larger part of Damascas as well."

"I can't do anything about that part," Jagards said, "I can't even defend my own people."

"They are making a stand at Southern Oasis," Mason told them, "The Mullinix have a sea based unit down there already."

"So what makes you think we can trick Bolantine into heading for Faciegrad instead of Mavelan City?" Lister said, "I mean, what could convince him that we could do."

"Major William Martin," Mason said, "A good sport of a young courier, cut down in the prime of his life with a briefcase attached to his arm by bauxite chains."

"Who is that?" Jagards asked, "I don't have anyone by that name on Staff."

"He doesn't exist," Mason said, "He's a messenger whose sole purpose in death is going to be to facilitate a ruse."

"Bolantine isn't dumb enough to fall for that," Lister said, "I mean, who would take the word of a dead man's briefcase?"

"This trick has worked before," Mason said, "There was a great war when I was a child. A group of people just as bad as Bolantine had taken control of one of the main land masses. The allies used a similar ruse to make them think that the invasion would take place on an island several hundred miles north of where the invasion actually happened."

"Would Bolantine recognize the trick?" Pirotase wondered, "If you know it, he might too."

"He wouldn't have any reason to think you'd know it," Mason said, "He doesn't know I'm here. He doesn't even know the Mullinix are here yet. What we do is send the worst prepared units down there and lose the body in an ambush. Bolantine's intelligence people will take note of it."

"Do it from Facie," Lister suggested, "That way we mask the fact that Facie himself is dead."

"Can you find me a corpse killed by Bolantine weapons?" Mason asked them, "I'll set up this operation."

"Better to let Pirotase and I do it," Lister said, "We speak Mavelan better than you do."

"Not to mention we need you for communications," Stacy said, "You have a good idea, but they will be better off implementing it."

"Do the messages before you leave," Mason suggested, "I know how Bolantine thinks. I can help you tweak his buttons."

"Fair enough," Jagards said, "That means we need to reorganize the troops and quickly."

"Use Facie," Pirotase suggested, "We'll let Erican know that Facie is dead, but it will only be rumors for a while yet."

"That's sad," Stacy said, shaking her head, "Facie is more useful dead than alive."

"Nothing we haven't been saying for years," Pirotase chided them, "Now to prove it."

"We all have work to do," Jagards said, "Let's just hope the plan works."

Chapter 107 - Oasis, not Paradise

"I really hate deserts," Jim Entragian grunted when he spit out some sand, "Even more so when we're surrounded by bad guys."

"Many bad guys," Hiriconus Magus said, "Outnumber four to one."

"And that's counting the civilians," Michelset grumbled, "What is the order from the Mullinix, Jim?"

"Same as before," Entragian said, "Help as much as you can, but get out if it looks bad. He didn't send you down here to die for a cause you can't win."

"I not stay in your shoes," Hiriconus said, "Go home. Go family."

"Nuts," Michelset said, "I couldn't look my wife in the face if I abandoned you to them. Not with the reports we've heard out of the Mavelan front."

"Put it up to your men," Entragian suggested, "That way they can make their choice."

"Good idea," Michelset said, "Provided you agree, Hiriconus?"

"You stay," Hiriconus said, "We fight together. We bring honor to all."

"Suggestion," Entragian said, "Someone is going to have to pilot the boats. If you stay, there's no reason the civilians should stay here too. Have the men with children pilot the boats and provide protection."

"Even better," Michelset agreed, "Let me talk to my officers. See how they will take to the idea."

"They'll take to it," Entragian said, "The Mullinix are selfless to the extreme. Makes me sick at times."

"We will win," Hiriconus said, "No need Mullinix."

"Man," Entragian said, "You need all the help you can get. I know these people. They are ruthless and will kill everyone who resists them."

"You stay?" Hiriconus asked him.

"I'll stay," Entragian said, "They can't get me anyway. I'm betting the lion's share of the Mullinix force will stay as well."

Michelset, having conferred with his top officers and gotten their approval, stood up on a High Point in the city, the closest thing to a podium he could find, and shouted for silence. The Mullinix soldiers and a large portion of the natives stood silently as Ron Michelset took everyone's attention.

"As you all know," Michelset shouted, "We are quickly being surrounded by Bolantine forces. The same Bolantine forces that massacred two divisions of Damascan natives without any pity or compassion as well as thousands of Mavelan civilians on the other side of the border.

"The Mullinix has left it up to us. He will not order us to a fight that could be certain death. But, I want you all to look around and see the people around you. The women, the children, the old men who are still looking for weapons to beat back as much of the Bolantine horde as they can.

"I do know this. I won't force any of you to stay. No one will say anything about anyone who just wants to go home. This is not our fight. These are not our people. But they are targets of the most brutal army ever to appear in Mullinix history. I will not go home and watch them die. I cannot do that. Make your own decisions in good conscience, but I will stay here and fight!"

This brought a round of applause that echoed from both Mullinix and Damascan alike. He then decided it was time to see how many would be taking the bait and stay.

"I encourage you to stay with me, let's make a stand and show those Bolantine scum just what Mullinix men and women are made of! We will not budge, we will not fall and we will make sure that no innocent woman or child suffers the undignified fate of being a Bolantine prisoner. How many of you are with me!"

There was a unanimous cheer, just as Entragian had expected there would be. Michelset nodded and smiled broadly at his troops. No Mullinix commander could have been more proud of their troops than Ronald Michelset was that day.

"Ok," Michelset said, "Start working defenses! Build those walls, build those traps. Let's make the Bolantines pay for even thinking about this. I want a lottery drawn up of the men with families. They will get the retreat slots on the boats to protect and pilot the women and kids."

"Fair enough," Entragian said, "I'll stick with you for communications."

"You've proved your worth so far," Michelset nodded, "The Bolantines are massing. Any bets on how long they will wait?"

"Depends on who is leading them," Entragian said honestly, "If it is a low functionary, probably will wait for word from Bolantine himself. If it's Nikki or a more trusted general, they may not wait at all."

"Don't think Bolantine is leading this one himself, eh?" Michelset said, "Not important enough?"

"Bolantine likes being where the big action is," Entragian said, "He's likely running the army that is cutting through the Mavelans like butter."

"Do they parley like civilized people?" Michelset wondered.

"Depends on who is leading," Entragian said, "Possibly. We'll find out later."

"Get your messages back," Michelset said, "We have a lot of work to do."

"Right," Entragian nodded, "Putting it mildly."

Chapter 108 - The Home Front

"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate waiting?" Medoferro grumbled, "Anything new at all out of this?"

"Cholt crossed the mountain only a couple hours ago," Trinaferro said, "You really do need to rest."

"I'll rest when the bloody war is done," Medoferro grumbled, "How about Damascas?"

"All the cities are gearing up for trouble," Karen said, "Entragian got to me a few minutes ago. They aren't leaving the civilians there to be slaughtered by the Bolantines."

"Brave fool," Medoferro said, "Remind me to reward him for having more of a backbone than I have."

"What are they doing?" Insegniferro asked, "They can't stand up to the onslaught can they?"

"They don't have to do it for long," Karen said, "They're using the ships to get the women and children out."

"If they have any sense they'll be dropping them in Damascas and heading back to pick up the survivors," Medoferro said, "Insane, but doable. I just hope the ships find something other than gloating Bolantine troops."

"It doesn't look much better in the south," Karen said, "It's been less than two days and the Bolantines have eaten up half the country. It's unreal how fast those sons of bitches move."

"You said they had a plan down there?" Medoferro said, "Any idea on its chance of success?"

"Good if Bolantine bites," Karen said, "If he doesn't bite you're going to be fighting him right up to your border."

"What if he doesn't stop?" Trinaferro asked, "I mean, we've committed troops. If the Bolantines don't stop?"

"If they don't stop it is general warfare," Medoferro promised, "Right now we are helping a neighbor with unwarranted aggression. If I have to draft half of Mullinix to stop those bastards from coming into our borders, I will do so."

"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that," Insegniferro said, "One problem at a time, please."

Medoferro nodded. He hoped he would not have to go through with that threat. It would not be good for anyone.

Chapter 109 - The Messengers

Lister Black and Pirotase breathed heavily as they rested in a burned barn; some half mile behind Bolantine lines. They knew there had been a command post nearby, but they were hoping that it had not been searched thoroughly yet.

"Look ahead," Pirotase said, "Those are intelligence clowns. You can tell by the way they're picking through the rubble."

"We're too late," Lister said, "At least for this place."

"Why not leave him here?" Pirotase wondered aloud, "I mean he was hit in the back..."

"Lay him out," Lister agreed, "Let's make him look as though he crawled in here to die."

"Will anyone be able to tell he didn't die here?" Pirotase wondered.

"A good medico," Lister said, "But with all the bodies around this area I'd be surprised if they had one along."

"Right," Pirotase said, "Lay him out there in that blood spot, that will confuse the issue further."

They spent a few moments laying out the body and making sure the case was appropriately bloody. It didn't take long for them to hear some movement outside. Pirotase looked outside and saw a group of men in elite Bolantine uniforms searching the nearby building.

"I think it's time to get out of here," Lister said, "You first. I can play injured soldier if they catch me."

"They'll kill you," Pirotase reminded him, "Get out quickly."

"You first," Lister hissed.

Pirotase followed his instructions and kept herself low as she went to a burned out wagon that the Bolantine soldiers had already pawed through. Lister did not wait long before doing the same thing. They sat there very quietly and hoped that the troops now entering the building did not notice their presence.

"Corbert," one of the men said, "Come take a look at this. There's a body in here."

"There's bodies all over this place," Corbert said, "What is so special about this one, Bob?"

"The case handcuffed to his arm," Bob said, "Looks like one of their couriers."

"We caught one up the line a few days ago," Corbert said, "Let me see it."

Corbert went in and looked around. Lister and Pirotase could see into the barn, but they kept completely still to imitate corpses in case anyone looked at them. Corbert poked at the body a few times and flipped the case over.

"That's one of the ones we've been told to look for!" Corbert exclaimed, "That's a Mavelan Royal seal. We've advanced so fast that Facie likely didn't have a chance to recall all his messengers. Give me those bolt cutters, Bob. Lord Corie may give us a bonus for this one."

Bob did so and watched dispassionately as Corbert used them on the deceased messenger's arm. It sickened Lister and Pirotase to watch, but it was simple expediency for the Bolantine troopers to take off the arm instead of the much harder chain.

"Don't open the case," Bob warned, "Don't move it neither. Remember what Lord Corie said about those?"

"Right," Corbert nodded, "I'll stay here and watch it. You go to Lord Corie. Don't talk to anyone but him otherwise they might get our reward."

Bob nodded and ran towards the Bolantine base camp. Lister and Pirotase had learned during their time behind the lines that the Bolantines had repurposed the government buildings in Facieville to be their northern headquarters. It was one of the bits of information they hoped to bring back to Jagards.

It took only fifteen minutes for a tall man who exuded authority to come to the barn. He was wearing high ranking Bolantine colors and he was not smiling in any way at all. He looked at the barn and young Corbert who was sitting there watching the corpse.

"Lord Corie!" Corbert exclaimed, jumping up to salute the man.

"How did he get down here?" Corie asked them, "Did you move him?"

"Just cut off the case," Corbert said, "Remembered what you said about the traps, figured we'd let you open it."

"Good, lay it out on the ground," Corie said and then looked at the body, "The body looks reasonably fresh. What the hell is one of the king's messengers doing this close to Facieville now that we've pushed his troops back?"

"There's a group of insurgents south of Faciegrad sir," Bob said, not wanting to lose his prize, "If the maps we have are correct then the easiest roads between here and there go through this area."

"Looks like he was caught by a patrol," Corie nodded, "Probably managed to get away, but the wounds were too much and he bled out here. So much the better."

Corie pulled out a tool and inspected the case. To make sure that the ruse was as believable as possible they had used one of the actual courier cases. Since they were one of the worst kept secrets in the kingdom Jagards had stopped using them for official commands after Facie died. The Bolantines, however, still had no reason to think it was anything but genuine.

It took a few minutes, but Corie managed to pull out the device and put it aside. It had been defective anyway, as a precaution, but the fact that they wouldn't have to test it meant it was more likely to be believed. Corie pulled out the papers, which had been dictated by Jagards to Facie's personal scribe. Facie had not written a thing on his own in decades and no one was even sure if he could write his own name.

"Son of a bitch," Corie said, smiling a little, "You boys are in for a reward all right. This is the information the Emperor has been looking for since the beginning of the war."

"What does it say?" Corbert asked.

"Corbert!" Bob hissed, "We don't need to know."

"It's all right," Corie said, "It is positive proof where the damned Bauxite mine is. Now we know why they are fighting so hard at Faciegrad. About damn time something went right here."

"I thought it was north?" Corbert said.

"So did we," Corie agreed, "But we've never gotten a firm link. This is from Facie himself. That's why he built his city there. Gotta love it. Go to the rest house, boys. You've earned it."

All of them scattered, leaving nothing but Lister and Pirotase in the burned out wagon. They looked at each other and smiled, fighting off a furious case of the giggles. It had been too easy.

"Let's go back over the line," Pirotase said, "Let them know the plan worked."

"Let's just hope that it works well enough," Lister said, "We've still got to repel them outside Mavelan city."

"Better a small hope than none at all," Pirotase said, "Let's go home, shall we?"

Lister nodded. He just wished he could share her confidence.

Chapter 110 - Empress Bolantine

"The Bolantines are approaching," Entragian shouted down from the top of the wall, "Looks like a group is out front. I guess they actually want to Parley."

"Will they honor it?" Michelset asked him.

"Probably," Entragian said, "Best to make it a small group. You and Me. That way if they kill you we're not out many people."

"Funny," Michelset said, "I'm wearing armor. Let's see what they want to say."

"Probably the usual bow down to the ultimate power rot," Entragian told him, "The same thing that usually gets said when the Bolantines have the upper hand but want a shot at being lazy."

"They won't get that shot today," Michelset grinned, "But let's do it. Maybe it will give us enough lead time to let them get the civilians out of here."

"It's worth it for that," Entragian agreed, "Besides, it will let us see who is running the show. If it is someone I know, I may be able to help tactics more."

"Even better," Michelset said, strapping his Mullinix Armored Uniform on, "I'm all for easier."

"Me too," Entragian agreed, "There's a cute girl in town I'd like a chance to meet again after all this is over."

"Lovely," Michelset nodded, "Let's go."

Entragian nodded and followed along. He wasn't wearing any national colors, but he was recognizable to any Bolantine citizen. Pictures of him, Mason and Karen had long been distributed as the personification of Anti-Bolantine evil. A bright smile lit up on Entragian's face when he saw who was approaching.

"Nikki," Entragian said, "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"Is this a new definition of the word fun I was not previously aware of?" Michelset asked him, "You look like you're looking forward to this."

"I've had to deal with Nikki for centuries," Entragian said, "The look on her face seeing me here should be priceless."

"Is her presence good or bad?" Michelset asked.

"Bad in the fact that she doesn't have to report," Entragian said, "Good in the fact that she's not very tactically savvy. Unless she's actually taken time to learn from her errors, she may repeat them."

"Good," Michelset said, "Dumb commanders are better for us."

They went about a hundred feet from the walls when Nikki's entourage caught sight of the Mullinix crew. She cocked her head a moment, recognizing the uniform from much farther out.

"Hold!" one of the guards yelled, "Bow down to Empress Bolantine. She deigns to speak with your miserable people before we destroy you."

"Does she always put on such a show?" Michelset muttered.

"No," Jim chuckled, "But she's putting on a good one now."

"Do you come here to discuss your surrender?" the guard asked.

"Come off it Nikki!" Entragian yelled, "Come down off that high horse and lay off the bullshit!"

Nikki Bolantine stood up straight and looked down. It took her a moment to focus in on the smaller man standing next to the Mullinix commander. She had not seen Jim Entragian in person in years and since Bolantine had seen him in Siraq only a few weeks earlier he was one of the last people she expected to see in the middle of the desert.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nikki asked, jumping down, "You were in Siraq!"

"So was Bolantine," Jim shrugged, "Now he's invading the Mavelans. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm going to destroy you," Nikki told Entragian, "I don't care how many Mullinix you have. You can't have enough to stop me."

"Maybe not," Jim said, "But we do have a secret weapon. One you can't counter."

"Try me," Nikki said.

"Attack at your peril," Jim told her, "Let's go, Michelset."

Nikki was left there watching and wondering. Jim started jogging to the walls and was followed pretty close by Michelset, who could just look at the immortal and wonder what secret weapon they had that Jim could use against the Bolantines.

"What was that about?" Michelset asked him, "We don't have any secret weapons."

"Nikki doesn't know that," Jim grinned as they closed the door and watched the men barricade it, "I think we just bought the ships another three to five miles before they attack."

"Clever," Michelset chuckled, "Think they're expecting as many Mullinix as we have?"

"No," Jim said, "They're probably expecting more, but they'll be expecting us to have the civilians here. Not having them here will help us."

"Anyone not wearing a Mullinix or Damascan uniform is a target," Michelset said, "That will make it easier."

"Exactly," Entragian said.

"Ships gone," Hiriconus said as he approached, "Bolantines coming?"

"Anytime now," Entragian told him.

"Anything not in one of our uniforms is a target," Michelset said, "And they're coming at any time."

"I'm going to finish up my goodies," Entragian said, "Let me know when they hit the walls."

Chapter 111 - Timing

"Message from the Empress," Corie said as he walked into the room, "One that shouldn't surprise us too much."

"Did you get my orders for the change sent?" Bolantine asked, "I want that Bauxite mine in our hands by morning."

"Yes sir," Corie said, "The assault has either started by now or will in a few minutes."

"Good," Bolantine nodded, "Does she have Southern Oasis under control yet?"

"It's a fortified city, sir," Corie said, "She had to regroup with siege weapons."

"Well?" Bolantine said, "What did she say?"

"Assault has begun by now," Corie said, "She did a Parley. The Mullinix are there in force. Jim Entragian is there as well, claiming a secret weapon. She's going in anyway, but wanted you to know how involved the Mullinix were."

"They've always had relations with Damascas," Bolantine grunted, "They would consider those barbarians friends. This is not a surprise, though Jim is certainly traveling fast."

"What do we do if we run into Mullinix opposition?" Corie asked, "Do we attack Mullinix forces?"

"Mullinix forces on this side of the border are fair game," Bolantine said, "If the Mullinix are ready to start a war, we'll trample over them too."

"The Mullinix are industrialized as well," Corie said, "Nothing like the Siraqis. Remember, you sent me over the border a few times to research them. They are peaceful until you push them."

"We'll cross that point when we come to it," Bolantine said, "If we get that Bauxite mine we may be able to keep up. A few hundred of those sand riding machines may turn the tide."

"I just hope they do better in designing them," Corie grunted, "We lost a lot of good people when we hit that debris field. The Mullinix hit us well with those."

"True," Bolantine said, "I'll keep that in mind. I want you to run the assault on Faciegrad. I considered doing it myself, but things are going too fast and I'm needed here."

"I can do that," Corie said, "We will have control of the area soon."

"I know," Bolantine said coldly, "You will get it together soon."

Corie shivered at the tone in Bolantine's voice. He just hoped that he would not have to come back and admit failure at any point.

Chapter 112 - Reporting In

"The attack is starting in Southern Oasis," Karen informed the three Mullinix, "Nikki Bolantine is leading it personally."

"Is there anything we can do to help them?" Medoferro asked.

"Damascas has been informed of the arrival of the refugees," Insegniferro said, "We've ordered ships down there with food to help deal with them. They have instructions to get those refugees off and those ships back to Southern Oasis to pull everyone left alive out."

"Is there any better news anywhere else?" Trinaferro asked.

"Corie himself bought the trick that Mason suggested," Karen told them, "Lister and Pirotase made it back across the lines and are helping to set up a cohesive unit with the resistance. Prince Harmon can't commit troops publicly, but he gave the go ahead to send equipment. That equipment is now going across the line at Mountain View and will be used to equip the Facie resistance movement."

"Isn't it amazing how a foreign enemy brings a nation together?" Medoferro said, "Almost as fast as killing an idiot king does."

"It isn't over yet," Insegniferro reminded him, "Things could still go very wrong."

"I know," Medoferro said, "I should probably go to Cirrus to be closer, but that leaves you out of the loop."

"You aren't going anywhere this time, buddy," Trinaferro said, "Your job is to lead. You can do that from here. You've put your butt on the line enough times, thank you very much."

"I'd have to say she's right," Insegniferro said, "We can do our jobs from here."

"I don't like it," Medoferro said, "But I know."

"Cholt has instructions that if it looks like the Mavelans will fall to bring the survivors over the mountains," Karen said, "They'll have a job to assimilate the Mavelan territory. Bolantine will wait before taking on someone as large as Mullinix, especially since Sotanberg will definitely get involved."

"I'll believe it when I see their forces stop," Medoferro said, "Ok, Trin. I want to run some scenarios in the simulator. Since Karen can't go inside the room and receive word, you're going to play Bolantine."

"I'm familiar with that room," Karen said, "I can watch the board outside. If she does something completely contrary to what Bolantine would do I can send word to her."

"Let's do it," Medoferro said, "If nothing else it will keep me from going nuts about something I can't control directly."

There was a general murmur of agreement around the room. The waiting was always the hardest part.

Chapter 113 - Enemy at the Gate

The first of the Bolantine battering rams hit the outer gates as another group started hitting the walls with ladders. The soldiers and the remaining Damascan fighters reacted with the usual fear that comes along with being on the underdog side of an invasion force.

"Here they come!" someone shouted in Mullinix, "What do we do?"

"Kill anyone that's not one of us!" Michelset yelled, "Get those ladders off the walls!"

Jim Entragian used power sight to direct the soldiers to where the ladders were being set up. The city had been invaded more than once over the centuries, so the walls were designed well to repel invaders. Entragian was just thankful that they weren't bauxite based so he could get through them.

"They outnumber us at least five to one," Michelset said to Entragian, "What the hell were we thinking?"

"You were being altruistic," Entragian grinned, "I have an idea on how to repel them a bit better though."

"What?" Michelset asked, "I'll be honest, I've never had to defend a walled city before. We were pirate fighters mostly."

"We new too," Hiriconus said, "No fight, three hundred year."

"Get alcohol," Entragian said, "Especially stuff too strong to drink. Put it in jars, throw it at them."

"Let's get that started," Michelset agreed.

"Hiriconus," Entragian said, knowing the regular soldiers could handle the alcohol throwing, "Is there a secret way in and out of this city?"

"Sewage tunnels," Hiriconus said, "Yuck."

"What are you thinking, Jim?" Michelset asked him.

"I'm useless as a regular soldier," Entragian said, "But I am a power user. I'm thinking about going outside and seeing if I can buy you some time. We won't win this battle. The goal is to stay alive long enough to board the ships to get out alive. If I can convince them someone is raining projectiles from the dunes..."

"Do what you can," Michelset agreed, "This is going to be a slaughter if we can't keep them outside the walls."

"Need help?" Hiriconus asked.

"Do you have power users?" Entragian asked him.

"We have wizard," Hiriconus nodded, "He help bolster defense."

"Unless he's been trained well he won't be able to help you as much as he will me," Entragian said, "Where is he?"

"Shop," Hiriconus said, "He make weapon."

Entragian had been there long enough to remember that 'shop' to the Damascans was the main building where all mechanical devices were worked on. Damascas was a mostly communal society, as the only way to survive in the harsh desert conditions was to work together.

"Wizard?" Entragian asked the first person in the building.

A finger pointed over to a small, older man who was using a bit of power to help repair tools. Entragian could tell he was a poorly trained power user, but he had enough potential to be a feeder. This would give him enough extra power to put a small hurting on the Bolantines.

"You," Entragian said, "Come with me."

The wizard nodded and followed along. While Entragian went off to do his thing with the wizard Michelset, knowing that a commander was not one of the most useful people in a siege, went about making himself a bit more useful. He hurled alcohol bottles at the Bolantine troops, making sure that he took as many of them out of action as they could

"Too many!" Hiriconus yelled, "Need miracle."

"We won't get one," Michelset yelled, "Keep them out as long as you can. Then we'll have to fight them in the city then. If you think you won't make it, make sure you take as many of the bastards out as you can!"

Just after that statement was when the Bolantine catapults let off their loads into the city. This was not something that any of them had expected to have to deal with this far in the desert and it had them running for cover. Michelset also felt a rumbling below the city, but knew there was little he could do about a threat he couldn't see.

"Keep fighting!" Michelset yelled, "Don't stop until you're dead!"

"Surrender now!" Nikki Bolantine's voice reverberated throughout the city, courtesy of her power use, "We may let some of you live to rebuild the city if you surrender now!"

"Screw you!" Michelset shouted at the top of his lungs, "You may take the city, but you will pay for it!"

Jim Entragian came running into the city center, narrowly missing getting a flaming catapult round in the side of his head for his trouble. The immortal found Michelset exactly where he thought he would be. Entragian was grumbling when he got there.

"I thought you were going to harass them from outside?" Michelset asked him.

"They found the Sewer," Entragian said, "I lost the wizard when I ran into the unit of Bolantine troops they were trying to put in that way. I should have figured someone had reconnoitered this city before the war."

"Was that the rumbling?" Michelset asked him.

"Yeah," Entragian nodded, "I brought the damn thing down on their heads. No one is coming in through there."

"Still leaves us without our secret weapon," Michelset said, throwing another bottle over the wall at the mounting troops, "These walls won't hold long."

"I got a message from Karen," Entragian told him, "If it makes a difference what we did here may short circuit Bolantine's plans for the Mavelan Bauxite mines."

"No," Michelset grumbled, "It doesn't make a difference, but at least it is a reason for us to die."

"We're not dead yet," Entragian said, "I'm not out of tricks, either."

"What are you going to do?" Michelset wondered, "And how can you do it from in here?"

"I want you to pass the word," Entragian said, "When they see a flare go in the sky from inside our compound they are to shut their eyes tightly."

"What?" Michelset asked, "That makes no sense?"

"It does if I can blind a large portion of the Bolantine troopers," Entragian said, "Ten seconds after I let off the lighter flare, I'm going to do a burning sun size flare that's going to come out of nowhere. Any of the Bolantine troops looking directly at it are either going to be blind or in a lot of pain."

"How long do I have?" Michelset asked.

"Ten minutes," Entragian said, "Starting now. When that flare goes, it is going to be big. Meanwhile, I will try some propaganda of my own. Nikki isn't the only one who can power push her voice."

"So that's what she is doing," Michelset nodded, "Annoying."

"Exceedingly," Entragian agreed.

While Michelset ran around passing orders Jim Entragian let off a louder and more shrill version of the voice Nikki Bolantine had used a few minutes earlier.

"We will stop when you are dead!" Entragian squealed, "Your false prophets and false idols will fall dead just like each and every one of your pathetic soldiers. You command nothing but the contempt of the Damascan people!"

The battle slowed for a few moments, but not long. Entragian made a few more attempts, but it did little to stop the fighting. It did give Michelset enough time to get the word out to everyone.

"Ready when you are," Michelset said, "When are you doing it?"

"As soon as I can get on the wall," Entragian said, "I think I have a fix on Nikki. I'm going to direct it right at her, that way she has a harder time getting her orders to the right people."

"Cover him," Michelset told his men, "This may be the best shot we have at slowing the advance."

Michelset did not underestimate power use in the slightest. He had been one of the many who had just graduated from the Mullinix military training schools and sent down to Cirrus to fight the Mavelans during the Ascension Invasion. He had seen firsthand the effects of Medoferro's fireball and if Entragian was capable of anything of that nature it would be of great benefit.

Jim Entragian climbed the wall and looked out at the mass of Bolantine troops. He ducked a few arrows and located Nikki. The two guards used their shields to protect Entragian as he pulled the power he needed.

"As soon as I fire that flare get out of here," Entragian told them, "I can handle the arrows after I fire."

The two men were not arguing. They spent a few seconds knocking Arrows and Bolts out of the way when Entragian let off the flare. The two men, having been forewarned of the flash, jumped off the wall to take cover. Entragian pushed all the power he could into the construct and aimed it at Nikki's power source, knowing that when it flashed it would temporarily suck the power out of her as well.

"Hey Nikki!" Entragian yelled, using the last of his power as he threw the construct, "Eat this!"

The volley of Arrows and Bolts from the front line Bolantine troops hit the immortal, piercing him in dozens of locations, knocking him off the wall onto the ground as the construct slammed into Nikki Bolantine and created a flash of a type that most of these people had never seen.

Chaos erupted on the Bolantine side as Bolantine soldiers screamed in pain from eyes that were burned out by the flash. There were a few of those screams on the defenders side, but the forewarning had done most of the work and the walls had done the rest.

"I don't know what you did," Michelset said as he approached the fallen Entragian, "But I like it."

It was then that Michelset saw the sheer amount of abuse that Entragian had taken. He was lying still with no fewer than four-dozen arrows and Bolts sticking out of various parts of his body, including one square between the eyes.

"Oh man," Michelset said and turned to his men, "Fight on! Don't let his sacrifice be in vain!"

"Ogg!" Entragian grunted, his eyes open and lolling, "Fug!"

"He's alive!" Michelset said, "Get him inside! The rest of you keep fighting. This isn't a victory, just a slight reprieve!"

Chapter 114 - Combined Command

The small command hut was an innocuous looking building, chosen precisely for this reason. The two highest commanders of the Mavelan and Mullinix forces in the area were meeting for the first time to make sure that the forces worked together against the common enemy. Pirotase, Stacy and Mason had stayed at the capital to consolidate power under Jagards for when it became known that Facie was dead.

"You know," Cholt said, looking at Jagards across the table, "I never thought in a million years I would be on the same side of a battle as you."

"Our former leader was unforgiving," Jagards said, "I would have made peace a lot sooner had I been allowed to. Now, I sit here with only your people between me and the total destruction of my nation."

"This isn't the time to hash out old problems," Lister said, "We've got a bigger one sitting in front of us."

"The Bolantine army," Cholt nodded, "I've not been able to study them. How much do we know?"

"We have some basic materials," Lister said, "Their weapons are roughly equivalent to ours. Some minor design differences, but that's mainly due mostly to factors of locality. From what I've seen so far assume what they have is as good as the best either we or Sotanberg have ever produced."

"I notice you don't include us in that," Jagards said glumly.

"No offense," Lister said, "But your economy under Facie has not been known for exceptional craftsmanship. Assume that the Bolantines are armed better than the locals."

"I've started integrating some of the former resistance units in with my regulars," Cholt said, "We've had contacts in the past. That way they are under more centralized control."

"I'm more a political man than an operational one," Jagards admitted, "I've spent most of the past ten years trying to keep Facie from destroying us by starting another war we couldn't win."

"What instructions did Medoferro give you?" Lister asked him, "I haven't heard anything since I came here."

"Our orders are to help kick the Bolantines back to Bolantinople if we can," Cholt said, "Gotta love that kid, he won't take the easy road out. He could have easily said that you were on your own."

"I have a lot of respect for your Mullinix," Jagards agreed, "He could have kept going and destroyed my army ten years ago. Instead, he kept his word and went no further than he said he would in the ceasefire agreement. It was something that Facie would never have understood, that's why I was able to claim that my troops stopped you on the mountains."

"Reality was never one of Facie's strong suits," Cholt said, "It is mine, though. The Bolantine forces are too strong for us to defeat them alone. I know my forces. I could have handled your basic force, but your whole army would have been too much without help. If Bolantine is wiping the ground with you, we're not much of a match."

"We've given up on the south," Lister said, "The troops have been doing a fighting retreat since control was reestablished and that idiot Fahling was killed in Facieville."

"The plan is to try to keep Mavelan City and the Bauxite mines out of Bolantine hands," Jagards said and showed Cholt the map, "Our combined forces will be the main line of defense here, about halfway between Mavelan City and Faciegrad."

"You're abandoning Faciegrad to them?" Cholt asked, cocking an eyebrow, "Why?"

"City is of little strategic value," Jagards said, "It's a drain on the economy. Facie's last loyal supporters are there, so will continue to resist and probably will last long enough for us to get everything together."

"Not to mention there is a Pyrite Mine that we've let intelligence slip to the Bolantines is actually our Bauxite mine," Lister told him, "We're hoping that if they bite on that they'll put the lion's share of their forces in protecting their gains in Faciegrad. The hope is to fight them to a standstill. Either they will get wise that they won't make it or it will turn into a general war of attrition, which with Sotanberg's help we are more likely to win in the long run."

"Long odds," Cholt muttered, "But it is a bad tactical situation all around. You should have retreated to Facieville to start with and gotten us down here sooner."

"It took us that long to get Facie out of the way," Lister said, "Recriminations can come later. The man who caused it is dead. We can arrange a viewing of Facie's corpse later if you like. This is the tactical situation as it stands now. Any additions will be welcome."

"If the Sotans are willing to put themselves in the line a bit having their regulars cross the border, they might be able to relieve some of the pressure up here," Cholt suggested, "They keep a reasonable size force up there in case Facie gets a case of the stupids."

"The Bolantines may take notice of that," Lister agreed, "From what I could find out about their plans they did not expect to be taking on both Mullinix and Sotanberg in this conflict. They might decide to back off instead of starting a larger war they can't win."

"We can ask Mason to relay the request," Jagards said, "Still doesn't help us in the here and now."

"You have a blind spot up your ass," Cholt said, "What is over in the west?"

"We're weak there," Jagards admits, "A few units of former rebel officers. Poorly equipped and poorly armored. Throwing them at frontline Bolantines would be criminal. I put them back there mainly to slow down and warn us if anything happens. According to Mason the Damascans, with help from a Mullinix band of pirate fighters, have tied up and pissed off the Bolantine third army, the so-called Sand Riders. The fact that they aren't already here proves that the machines were mostly destroyed."

"Basically," Lister told Cholt, "If Bolantine gets wise and flanks us we stand to lose the whole match. This plan is designed with the assumption they bought the line we gave him."

"I don't like assumption plans," Cholt muttered, "But I couldn't have designed it better given the conditions. How long do you think we have?"

"The Bolantines paused to let their people catch up and make sure we didn't flank 'em during their advance," Lister said, "They may take a few days before they hit, or if their communications are good enough for them to realize that the Mullinix have come into the fight full force they may decide to hit soon to minimize our impact."

"You know," Cholt chuckled, "Ten years ago, I thought I'd be ending my life tossing drunks out of my bar. Until that damned speech from Medoferro stirred what was left of my patriotism and I helped lead the forces again. I've seen a lot, but damn, this takes the cake."

"We have work to do," Jagards said, "But you're right. Ten years ago I thought I was going to be hung. Now I'm the highest ranking person left in the nation."

"It's a strange world," Lister agreed, "A few months ago I was drinking myself to death in Cholt's old bar. Now I'm here helping to prepare a war. Doesn't change the fact that we need to get the job done."

Chapter 115 - Listen to your Heart

Marianna was slightly surprised to find Medoferro in the house staff quarters, but seeing whose bed he was sitting at did not surprise her at all. Marina's little area was the way she had kept it for all the years she had lived there, compulsively neat and everything in its place. Despite her betrayal, no one had been able to bring themselves to go in there.

"What's going on, Medo?" Marianna asked him, "Why are you here?"

"Looking for a reason," Medoferro sighed, "Figured the place that she spent her alone time would be a start."

"She never stayed in here much," Marianna told him, "She slept here on the few occasions she slept alone. She spent most of the last few months with Roland when he was here."

"I know that she did it," Medoferro said, "I know what she was lacking. I saw it too. I just never thought it could be... I don't know... I don't even know what Nikki Bolantine did to her, to be honest."

"I'm glad," Marianna said, "It'll be easier for us if we don't know why. That way we can't beat ourselves over the head for not having fixed it sooner."

"But I knew there was something missing in her, Marianna," Medoferro told her, "I saw it ten years ago. It's why I stopped staying with her. Trina was not the reason, just the final nail in the coffin."

"You can't fix what isn't there," Marianna said, "I've been dealing with people my whole life. It's my job here. I've been the close woman for two Mullinix now, both of whom died young. Think I would have been able to do that if I didn't know how to read people?"

"No," Medo acknowledged, "You were close to both Massimaferro and Crianferro, right?"

"Yep," Marianna nodded, "Both good men, though very different. Crian was the nicest man I ever knew. It was too bad about the way his health went. Those last few years I was more like a nurse than a lover, but I loved him anyway."

"I guess I still have trouble wrapping my head around this," Medoferro sighed, "Even after years of living here."

"You and Trina pulled something that this place hasn't seen in centuries," Marianna chuckled, "We're basically little more than house staff with you two. Not much more with Iggy, but he's come around some."

"You're friends too," Medoferro said, "I guess that's why this hurts so much."

"It hurt us as well," Marianna admitted, "The house staff has a long and proud history, almost as long as the office of Mullinix. We've never had anyone commit treason to this level. Much as we loved Marina before, we'd tear her throat out if she set foot back here now."

"That pretty much covers how I feel," Medoferro agreed, "I guess I'm still trying to puzzle it through. Since there isn't much information coming in from the front lines yet I had to do something."

"There is news," Marianna said, "That's why I was so surprised to see you here. I was going to put on better shoes and go looking for you."

"What news?" Medoferro asked.

"Boats made it to Damascas," Marianna said, "This is about two hours old now, so they are likely a good chunk of the distance back to Southern Oasis. The refugees were unloaded quickly and the boats headed back as fast as they could."

"Anything from Entragian?" he asked her, "Is there anyone left to pick up?"

"Entragian went silent," Marianna said, "But he let Karen know beforehand that he was going to put his energy to the defense. We probably won't hear anything until it is over."

"Leaving us in the waiting game again," Medoferro said, slumping his shoulders, "Ok. Thanks for the talk, Marianna."

"Anytime Medo," Marianna told him, "Remember, we're here for your mental health. It's been a hard time on all of us."

"It's going to get harder still," Medoferro said ominously, "Especially if our maneuvers down south don't prevent the Bolantines from getting all the way to Cirrus."

"You'll manage," Marianna said, "I have faith in you. None of you Mullinix are perfect, but you're as close to it as any people can get. And if the worst happens, we'll still help you deal with it."

"I know," Medoferro said, "Let's go find the others. Maybe we can twiddle our thumbs together."

"Anytime, Medo," Marianna grinned, "I'll be here."

They walked upstairs together, a few wounds at least bandaged if not completely dealt with. Anything more would have to wait until later.

Chapter 116 - Breaching the Gates

"I can't believe he's alive," Michelset said, looking at Entragian, "What's wrong with him though?"

"He's healed all around them," the medico said, "I saw someone acting like this once, but he died soon after. He'd taken a bolt to the brain... Bolt to the brain... What if his brain can't heal around the bolt?""

"That's possible given what we're seeing," Michelset said, the idea hitting him, "Pull it out."

"Right," the Medico said and gripped it with pliers, "This is going to hurt."

"I doubt he'll care," Michelset said, "Do it."

The medico yanked hard and pulled the Bolantine Bolt out of Jim Entragian's head. The healing process continued almost immediately and Jim came to his senses a few moments later.

"About time someone removed that," Jim grumbled, "How long have I been out of it?"

"A few hours," Michelset said, "They have mostly regrouped, but haven't attacked yet."

"Nikki is licking her wounds," Entragian said, "That won't last long. Any sign of the boats yet?"

"No," Michelset said, ducking involuntarily as a catapult projectile hit the outside of the building, "Just the bombardment. We've got most everyone undercover until the actual invasion starts."

"Ok," Jim said, "So we wait."

"Final trap," Hiriconus said, "You great power. We no keep Oasis, no want Bolantine scum have it."

"You know," Jim said, "That might be the most effective thing we can do now. If you don't survive it, we can make sure that the Bolantines can't get any benefit out of your deaths."

"I'm open to suggestions," Michelset said, "What can we do?"

"Cause the well to implode," Entragian said, doing a check of the topology, "The well was built solidly, but it is human built. I recognize the design. Thing is, as this area has gotten worse, it's more dependent on that structure."

"Collapse it and the water goes away," Michelset nodded, "Leaving the Bolantines with a useless city."

"For a few years, yes," Entragian nodded, "Can you direct me to the maintenance access?"

"How long do you need?" Michelset asked.

"You got anything more pressing to do?" Entragian asked him, "Besides, I do this right I may be able to collapse half the city as they are chasing us."

"I'll take your word for it," Michelset said as the horns started, "The attack is coming now!"

"You do your end, I'll do mine," Entragian said and turned to Hiriconus, "Access, Now!"

Michelset ran out and started throwing the alcohol bottles at the attacking Bolantine forces. This time there was no pussyfooting around at the gates. Three Bolantine teams, fully armored, were manning two rams on the already battered front gates.

"They're coming in!" someone yelled, "Door can't take much more!"

"Throw what you can in front of it!" Michelset yelled, "Barricade it! Make it difficult for them!"

Of course there was only so much left to throw. The fires were everywhere and everyone was tired. No one had slept in over a day, despite Michelset's attempts to get people to rest before the big battle. The adrenalin levels were too high for that. It was only a matter of time before the Bolantine troops managed to break through. Any time spent sleeping was time they might not wake up again.

"Breakthrough!" a Bolantine soldier yelled triumphantly, earning a well placed bolt through the eye from Michelset's nearly empty bolt gun. This did not stop the Bolantine troops from pouring through the open doors and coming over the crumbling walls. It was the beginning of a free for all that Michelset was trying to keep together.

The battle raged throughout the town. The Bolantines, even after their losses from Jim Entragian's trap, outnumbered the defenders five to one and people were going down quickly. The defenders fought their way in a slow retreat, as Michelset and Hiriconus had planned from the first. The plan was to retreat to the docks so that if the boats made it back they could escape the town on them.

Jim Entragian fought his way through a group of Bolantines to where Michelset and Hiriconus were trying to direct an orderly retreat. He was disheveled, but in better shape than most of the soldiers. Neither side, Bolantine nor the defenders, had many bolt weapons left. The fighting was nearly all hand to hand by this point.

"How is it looking?" Entragian asked Michelset.

"What do you think?" Michelset said, throwing a rock and hitting a Bolantine, "They're worse than termites. We don't have long left."

"I rigged the well," Entragian said, "Good thing we're leaving anyway. Well is ready to fall in and the way those water tables are set it would have taken most of the town with it."

"I hope you don't have to be here to set it off," Michelset said, "We're running out of options and we're about to lose access to that part of the city."

"I'm the trigger," Entragian smiled, "I set up a power support and knocked out the failing physical supports. I can only do this for a set distance though. I get far enough away, the well goes."

"How far is that?" Michelset asked him.

"A half mile from the city wall," Entragian said, "I contacted Karen before I set my trap. The boats made it there and were on their way back. They should be here anytime."

"Better soon," Hiriconus said, throwing a makeshift spear at a Bolantine, "Dying quickly, losing ground."

"Keep the retreat going!" Michelset said, "Slow as we can. Unless those boats show, we're dead in the water."

"Bad analogy, Ron," Entragian said, "A new Bolantine rush is coming in."

The Bolantines were methodical, killing anyone who fell wounded to make sure they could no longer fight back. No prisoners were taken. "Empress Bolantine" had given orders that no quarter was to be given to the insolent Mullinix and Damascan scum.

"Is that what I think it is?" Michelset said, looking across the water, "It's our boats!"

"About damn time," Entragian said, "Maybe we can get some of these kids off this sand heap."

"Only if they can get close enough," Michelset said, "We're being overrun as it is."

"Let me do something," Entragian said, "How many people do we have left in the city proper?"

"A few of the stronger defenders," Michelset said, "Why?"

"Get them out," Entragian said, "I'm going to start the collapse. That way I can direct energy into the Bolantine forces, maybe keeping them back long enough for the last of you to get on."

"Keep fighting everyone!" Michelset yelled, "Keep yourselves alive, the boats are here!"

News traveled quickly about the boats and the defenders quickly retreated. Numbers had fallen significantly on both the Mullinix and Damascan side. The Mullinix group fought off a group of Bolantine invaders and barricaded themselves inside the dock complex, which had been refortified for this purpose during the lull before the attack.

The first of the boats pulled up next to the dock and didn't even tie up before the teeming crowd started jumping on board. The other two large vessels pulled up and soon they were all being boarded by anyone who could get to them.

"I'm going to flash em," Jim said, "That should give you enough time to get the last of your people on the boats before I collapse the well. They're out of bolts, so I can do it and get away."

"You're brave," Michelset said, "But if I could heal like that, I guess I would be too."

"Move!" Entragian yelled, "Get on the boats and get them moving!"

Entragian let off a few small flash bangs, ones that used little power but let the troops think twice. Nikki Bolantine had actually entered the city at this point and was at the rear line of her troops. She looked at the dock complex and saw the boats. She gave orders for an attack to be made, but that was stopped by the reemergence of Entragian.

"Hey Nikki!" Entragian yelled, using power to make his voice resonate, "I hope you like sand! You just bought a pile of it!"

Entragian then made a definitively obscene gesture that dated from the pre-cataclysmic era and let the structure beneath the city go. The already damaged tunnels did not need any encouragement to collapse. Years of abuse and neglect had made them weak and the whole thing fell into itself, creating massive sinkholes and destroying the clean water works that had fed Southern Oasis for centuries.

Jim Entragian didn't watch his handiwork, however, he did a backflip onto the dock building and ran like hell as the remaining Bolantine soldiers broke through the last obstructions and rushed the docks. Entragian used power to give him some speed and outran them, taking a flying leap of faith off the edge of the dock and barely catching the edge of a boat, where grasping arms pulled him in.

The Bolantines were left dumbfounded on the docks. Some of them tried throwing weapons, but the boats were too far away. The Catapult unit on the edge of the city tried to hit them, but the boats went straight out from shore to make sure they weren't within range of the weapons.

"That was close," Michelset noted, looking at Entragian, "I thought sure we were all going to die out there."

"I knew I wasn't," Entragian said, "But I can live without being a Bolantine captive. I just wish I could see the look on Nikki's face when she realizes just how hollow a victory this is going to be for her."

"We put a hurting on them," Michelset agreed, "No way that group is going to be making trouble in the Mavelans anytime soon."

"That just might give your people getting ready to fight outside Mavelan City a fighting chance," Entragian said, "Now having survived it, would you do it again?"

"Ask me after I see those kids we saved in Damascas," Michelset said, "And I'll probably still say yes."

"Once a Mullinix, always a Mullinix," Entragian chuckled.

"You real Damascan," Hiriconus said, limping over, "You hero our people."

"You are the ones who lost everything," Michelset said.

"We lose sand. We lose home," Hiriconus said, "We keep life. Kids alive. Wives alive. Mothers alive. Homes rebuild. Bolantines pay."

"They will," Entragian said, "Somehow, someday."

Chapter 117 - Corie's Decision

The former Lord Corie felt as though he had not slept in nearly forever. He had been prepared for it, knowing that the war would come when they returned to Bolantinople, but it didn't help the massive fatigue. The fact that nothing had gone anywhere near right didn't help much either.

In retrospect, he thought, starting the Mavelan campaign right after the twin failures of both Emperor and Empress in Siraq and Sotanberg was not one of the brightest moves they had made. Reports had already come in about the Mullinix involvement in the defense of Southern Oasis.

"Mr. Corie," Benny O'Herlihy said, "Are you ready to inspect the mine?"

"Yes," Corie nodded, "I guess it is time for that. Have you secured it?"

"My troops have secured the whole area," Benny told him, "It's a lot quieter than we expected. We thought that the Mavelans would protect their Bauxite mine a whole lot better than this."

"They don't use it like we do," Corie reminded him, "Have you verified it is the Bauxite mine?"

"The signs all read that way in Mavelan," Benny said, "I haven't gone inside yet."

"Check it," Corie told him, "Now."

"Yes sir!" Benny O'Herlihy said, "Going in now. Does anyone need to stay with you?"

"No," Corie said, "I have dispatches to read. I'll stay here at the office end. If you've secured this area properly I won't need anyone else."

"Everyone is dead or has been processed for work crew," Benny said, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Report to no one but me, Benny," Corie told him, though he did not know why, "Hurry up."

Benny saluted Corie and jogged to the mine. Corie did not like Benny O'Herlihy, never had. Unfortunately, he was a decent judge of mines and a fair to middling commander, so he was used on the back end of operations like this.

Corie did not like the contents of the dispatches either. The Sand Riders had taken Southern Oasis, but at a terrible cost. The city itself had been pretty well destroyed and over half the defenders survived to escape on Mullinix flagged boats. The civilians had been evacuated earlier so there was little left worth taking.

The fact that the Sand Riders were pretty well out of commission was one of the sore points of this war. They had anticipated using the Sand Riders to pull a surprise attack on the capital. Corie himself expected to be eviscerating King Facie's corpse by this time, instead of sitting outside a Bauxite mine near Faciegrad.

One of the reconnaissance dispatches sent a chill down Corie's back. The fact that the Mullinix were in Damascas was no surprise, but scouting reports were stating that Mullinix uniforms were spotted just south of Mavelan City. This meant that somehow the impossible had happened and the Mullinix had allied with their long time enemy.

"Mr. Corie!" Benny O'Herlihy yelled as he ran back to the command shack, "You won't believe this sir!"

"I'm not going to believe what?" Corie asked him.

"This is not a bauxite mine," Benny exclaimed, "There's nothing but Iron Pyrite in there. Fool's gold!"

"Are you sure?" Corie asked him, "You do know Bauxite mines, right?"

"That's why I got this duty," Benny said, "I discovered the Bauxite find outside Genesis. I know bauxite when I see it. This ain't it."

"Did you tell anyone else this?" Corie asked him.

"No," Benny said, "You said to bring it to you."

"You said all the signage out here says this is a Bauxite mine," Corie said, wondering how this happened, "The intelligence says it is near Faciegrad. You're telling me that this is a hoax?"

"That is exactly what I'm telling you," Benny nodded, "This is no more a Bauxite mine than you are a manure salesman."

Corie growled. This was not what he needed to hear. That meant that the dispatch that had been found and that he had authenticated was a hoax. It also meant that they were going to have to go through the combined Mullinix/Mavelan line to get to the real mine on the other side of Mavelan City.

"What do you want me to do?" Benny asked, "I can go inform Emperor Bolantine..."

Corie reached over and broke Benny O'Herlihy's neck. He had taken enough out of the little man and right now it was the only way Corie had to express his displeasure at the situation. He picked up the body and walked to the mine to take a look for himself.

"I'm not going to be responsible for this," Corie said as he saw the same pyrite mine that Benny had identified, "Damn. They did a good con job on us."

He found a deep shaft and dropped Benny's body down it, the fact that he had just murdered one of his own people bothering him not a bit. He was more worried about how to cover up the fact that he had bungled the intelligence so badly.

Corie knew that the best defense in this case would be to cause a collapse in the mine. Without O'Herlihy to contradict him no one would be able to contest the results of the bad intelligence. Bolantine had bought it like he did, so maybe if he didn't find out for a bit he would either forget or not care as much that Corie had brought it in.

At least, that was what he was hoping for when he kicked out the supports and went outside the mine. Being a minor power user himself, he used a bit of power to cause the collapse which left the mine inaccessible. He then left the area to go and find Bolantine's command center that had been moved outside Faciegrad.

Chapter 118 - The Palace Guard

"We've got a problem," Pirotase said when she came back into the rear throne room, "The palace guard has realized something has gone out of kilter."

"Just what we need," Mason grumbled, "I was hoping that ruse would last a while longer."

"Any sign of Jagards or Lister?" Stacy asked them, "Jagards is the one who can best explain it."

"They're handling arrangements at the front," Pirotase said, "Jagards has control of the army, but here at the palace we've been using Facie's ghost to keep control."

"It's time to put an end to that," Mason said, "Pirotase, you and I need to talk to them."

"Why me?" Pirotase asked.

"You're the only native we have," Mason said, "I don't exactly look the part and my Mavelan is likely Bolantine accented."

"Bolantine accented?" Stacy asked, "I thought it would be Mullinix accented."

"The Mullinix accent derives out of a different part of the world than the Bolantine accent does, despite the similarity of the language," Mason explained, "I grew up speaking something closer to the Bolantine version. I learned the basics of Mavelan the same way. I never did kick my accent in that language. That's something that is going to hurt me now."

"How many languages do you know?" Pirotase wondered.

"Too many," Mason said, "Including a few that died in the cataclysm."

"Ok," Stacy interrupted, "I'll stay out of the way until you need me."

Mason Stone nodded and followed Pirotase to a room where the head of the palace guard was waiting along with several of his close subordinates. The guard leader did not have a pleasant expression on his face.

"Who the hell are you?" the guard said to Mason and then turned to Pirotase, "You said you were getting Facie!"

"No," Pirotase said, not flinching, "I told you I'd get someone who could explain this."

"I think we'd better check on the king," the man said.

"What is your name?" Mason asked him in his accented Mavelan.

"I am Burris," the leader said, "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Stone," Mason told them, "You are the head of the palace guard?"

"Yes," Burris said, "My men who have been working with Facie have not come back for relief."

"They are watching the king's body," Mason told him, "Facie is no longer your boss."

"Who are you to tell us this?" Burris asked him.

"I'm one of the people who is helping your nation survive the Bolantine invasion," Mason said, putting a little power behind his words to scare the men, "I have been brought in by Jagards to try to preserve at least a little of your nation for Mavelan independence."

"But Facie..." Burris said.

"Facie was corrupt and inept," Mason said, "You've worked here for how long? Are you going to try to debate me on that?"

Burris looked back and forth between his men. None of them were particularly worried about Facie's health, especially after the capriciousness that they had all seen from him over the years. They looked at Mason and waited to hear him out.

"Facie is dead," Mason said, "How and why doesn't matter. You know as well as we do that the nation is under attack."

"So that's how you got Mullinix aid," Burris said, "They wouldn't have risked it for Facie."

"Correct," Mason said, looking as authoritative as he could, "You have a choice. You can pretend loyalty to a dead monarch, or you can help us try to stop the Bolantine invasion from taking Mavelan City like they have the rest of the country."

"Why should we trust you?" Burris asked him, "Why should we go along?"

"Jagards did," Mason said, "He had enough sense to realize Facie's policies were going to mean destruction for the Mavelans."

"What do you want us to do then?" Burris asked him.

"Help us help your country," Mason said, "I have a Mullinix representative here. The Mullinix have disavowed any interest in Mavelan territory, just as they have since the Cirrus war ended ten years ago. Their goal is to stop the Bolantine advance."

"I've lost family in this war," Burris said, "I'm from Alanaris, better known nowadays as Facieville."

"Your family is likely dead," Mason told him, "The last reports were not good from that area. The only reason they are not here already is because we managed to trick them into thinking the mine they really want was in Faciegrad."

"How can we help?" Burris said, "It behooves us all to work together, I guess."

"Support Jagards," Mason said, "I'm not a Mavelan citizen. My only goal is to stop the Bolantines. If there is any further internal dissent, my mission fails and your country falls."

"We can do that," Burris said, "Does Jagards plan to make himself king?"

"Nobody is thinking that far ahead," Mason told him, "If there's a country left he may become your leader or he may have the good sense to retire and let someone else deal with the headache. Either way, it's got to be a step up over Facie."

"Where is his body?" Burris asked.

"In his room," Mason said, "Why?"

"Many of the citizens will fight harder if they know Facie is dead," Burris said, "If we give them the body, they'll unite under the corpse and shove that corpse up Bolantine's ass."

"Propping up Jagards," Mason nodded, "Not going to try for yourself?"

"Jagards is a better leader," Burris said, "Give us the body and we'll get it started."

"Mason," Stacy said in Mullinix, "The messenger just came from the scouts. The Bolantines have solidified control in Faciegrad. They're expecting the final assault to come soon."

"I want to be there," Mason said and switched back to Mavelan, "Burris. Work with us and we can succeed. Pirotase has been loyal to both the Mavelan people and the Mullinix people. Will you accept her as a conduit?"

"Of course," Burris nodded, "I understand Mullinix as well. The final assault is coming?"

"Soon," Mason nodded, "I'm going there. Send any men you have there. If we don't stop them outside Mavelan City then we won't stop them anywhere."

"I'll go there myself as soon as I can," Burris promised, "Do what you need to do."

"You too," Mason said and turned to Stacy, "You're the coordinator. Jagards is going to have to lead troops and I will go in case Bolantine himself goes into it."

"Mason," Pirotase said, "If you see Lister, tell him that he'd better get back alive."

"I will," Mason nodded, "Get things set back here. If this advance fails, we may well all be running for the Mullinix Border."

"Is that the plan if this fails?" Burris asked.

"It's as good of one as any," Mason said, "Medoferro has agreed to open his borders to Mavelan and Damascan refugees, as has Prince Harmon of Sotanberg."

"Damned nice of them," Burris grunted, "It was Facie's fault that we didn't have help before, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Stacy said in her stilted Mavelan, "Medoferro would have sent troops on the threat of Bolantine invasion had they been requested."

"It's too late to think of that," Mason told them, "Do your jobs. That's all we can do now."

Chapter 119 - Pacing the Cage

Trinaferro watched Medoferro pace around the room like he did whenever there was something stressful going on. It was alternating between amusing and annoying for her, but she wasn't about to stop him. At least it burned off the raw energy that pent up while they were stuck at the Palace on war alert.

"You're going to wear a hole in that floor," Trina told him, "They bought the trap. We've done everything we can, given all the support we can. I'm amazed we've stopped them as much as we have."

"This floor is stone," Medoferro said, "And I don't like sending people out to fight my battles."

"You didn't cause this," Trinaferro reminded him, "You're just reacting to it."

"I should be closer," Medoferro grunted, "That way I could react faster."

"Karen is the best communication source we could have with the Mavelans," Trinaferro sighed, reminding him of this as she had every few hours, "Relax hon. I swear, we will come through this all right."

"If I could just get a piece of good news I'd be happier," Medoferro said, "We've heard nothing from Southern Oasis and nothing from the Mavelans. We haven't even gotten a response from Harmon yet."

"The messenger likely only got there an hour or two ago," she sighed, "Why do you do this?"

"I'm a masochist?" Medoferro said, "I don't know."

"He's worried," Insegniferro said as he walked into the room, "As am I, but he is the one in the power seat now. That makes it directly on his shoulders."

"Gee thanks, Iggy," Medoferro said, "I'd kill for some good information."

"It just so happens I have some for you," Insegniferro said, "Messenger from Damascas. The boats just returned. The losses were heavy, but more than half of them made it out and they did some serious damage to the Bolantine Third Army in the process. The Damascans are treating the wounded as best as possible and the rest will be shipped up to the Medico Collegium in Selenia."

"I know they disobeyed my orders," Medoferro said, "But I want certifications of merit and bonuses for each and every one of the survivors. Especially Captain Michelset. They may have saved our men in the Mavelans too."

"I would have ordered it if you didn't," Insegniferro chuckled, "They are some brave men."

"Don't forget the ones who didn't make it," Trinaferro said, "They will have families."

"They will be remembered and taken care of," Medoferro promised, "Now if the rest of it goes as well, I'll be happy."

"Wait a minute," Trinaferro said, "Why didn't Entragian notify us?"

"He's tired," Insegniferro said, "Evidently he pretty well saved their butts. He's also a Medico and been treating injured on the ships. He figured that we could wait a few hours for information and those kids couldn't wait for someone to treat their injuries."

"Maddening as the wait has been," Medoferro sighed, "He is absolutely right. Any other news?"

"Harmon's messenger reached the post," Insegniferro told them, "They've agreed to send their Facie defenses in to try to discourage the Bolantine invasion. If nothing else they'll secure that northern quadrant to have a buffer between the Bolantines and another part of the Sotanberg border."

"Good," Medoferro said, letting out a relieved deep breath, "Karen relayed this to Mason?"

"Yep," Insegniferro nodded, "We won't know anything else for a few hours. So will you please try to get a little sleep now?"

"I'll go with you if you'll just try to sleep some," Trinaferro said and then whispered into his ear, "Maybe I'll give you a little incentive to sleep."

"I can't refuse that," Medoferro chuckled, "Let us know when you hear anything."

"You'll be among the first to know," Insegniferro said, "Good night, kids."

Trinaferro giggled and kissed Medoferro silently. Medoferro sighed and held onto her. He felt bad in a way, being with the woman he loved when so many of his people were out on the battlefield. He also knew that he had done everything he could short of going out on the battlefield himself, something that Trinaferro would have skinned him for trying again.

"Come on," Trinaferro said, "You can't make any decisions if you don't relax. Relax with me."

"How can I resist an offer like that?" Medoferro smiled, "Just forgive me if all my thoughts are not here?"

"Just so long as the important ones are," Trinaferro grinned, "Come now..."

Medoferro could not refuse her.

Chapter 120 - Against All Odds

"No word from O'Herlihy yet?" Bolantine asked Corie.

"No," Corie lied evenly, "I haven't seen him since the collapse. He may not have made it out."

"Any word on numbers?" Bolantine asked him, not really concerned about O'Herlihy's safety.

"There are definitely Mullinix out there," Corie said, "We have no idea how many and how organized. No sign of Sotanberg yet."

"I always did like a challenge," Bolantine said, "How are our numbers?"

"The first has had reasonable losses," Corie said, "The Sand Riders have been all but decimated. Empress Bolantine has taken Southern Oasis, but there isn't much left. She left a token force there and used the rest of the force to secure Desert Sands. Since there was no Mavelan military presence there at all it didn't take much. She will be stretching to do more."

"Second army?" Bolantine asked.

"They took some losses taking East Facie," Corie said, checking his notes, "Those mountains are miserable terrain to invade through. They were sitting ducks. We've used most of them to solidify the control of East Facie and have moved a few up to Faciegrad."

"Names I will have to change soon," Bolantine grumbled, "Very well. If we wait any longer they will tighten up around Mavelan City. Our losses won't get any better. How soon can we attack?"

"Anytime," Corie said, "I don't know Bauxite from sand, but the signage around the mine made it look like what we wanted. O'Herlihy will likely confirm it later."

"Scared of battle, Corie?" Bolantine asked him, cocking an eyebrow.

"No sir," Corie said, "But nothing has gone to plan. Not sure taking the capital will be worth it right now."

"We have enough to protect our backfield," Bolantine judged, "We're going for the capital. Better to not leave a wounded enemy if you can help it. Better to kill them all."

"What if the Mullinix have allied with them?" Corie asked him, "And Sotanberg? We can't take all of them right now."

"No sign of Sotanberg yet," Bolantine said, "And the Mullinix won't continue the war unless I cross their border."

"You sound awfully sure of that," Corie said, "You said they wouldn't join at all."

"Are you doubting me, Corie?" Bolantine asked him, "You of all people should know what happens when people do that."

Corie gulped. Unfortunately, he had lived with Bolantine for most of his life. He knew that the immortal was a human at heart and just as fallible. He also knew that there would be no stopping the attack that Bolantine was preparing.

"No sir," Corie said, "I am giving options. Last I remember sir that was my job."

"Correct," Bolantine sighed, "I guess we need an edge. I didn't really get a challenge out there in the south. Let's see if the northern troops are any better."

"You going out yourself?" Corie asked him.

"Yep," Bolantine nodded, "Time to have some fun."

Bolantine stood up and put on the last of his armor. He was ready for battle and so were his people. Bolantine went over to the nominal commander of the First Army, a man hand chosen by Bolantine several years before to carry out his orders precisely. As he had deemed necessary, the commander was waiting for his orders.

"Your order, Emperor?" the commander said.

"Take Mavelan City," Bolantine ordered, "No quarter."

The orders moved quickly through the lines and the Bolantine Army was again on the march. This time there were no surprises in the action for the combined Mullinix/Mavelan forces that were waiting for them. The scouts, who knew the territory far better than the Bolantines did, saw the movement of the Bolantine army and got the word to the commanders.

"Looks like it is do or die time," Jagards said, "Are you sure that the palace guards are with us?"

"Did Facie treat them any better than he did you?" Mason asked him, "They didn't like him anymore than you did. Probably less."

"Gotta love that," Lister said, "I guess it is on. I'll keep coordinating with the scouts since I know the language better."

"We're dug in as best we can," Cholt told him, "Better to get it over with. Any word on numbers?"

"They haven't received any real reinforcements," Lister said, "We have the advantage here. Bolantine's supply lines are nasty. Between the load of equipment we just got from Sotanberg and the fresh troops from Mullinix we should be reasonably equal."

"They likely still outnumber us," Mason said, "Don't get cocky. You get cocky with Bolantine and you die. He's a rabid dog and won't stop unless you hurt him too bad to go on."

"How far do you think we should go?" Cholt asked him, "You know the opponents."

"Kick them until they retreat," Mason said, "We beat them bad enough and Bolantine may decide to solidify his lines to try again another time."

"What does that mean?" Lister asked, "We could be doing this again next week?"

"No," Mason said, "Bolantine likes his fights uneven. He'll wait and let time dissolve the alliance. We stop him and you may have a generation before he decides to try again. He's an immortal. Patience is something he can afford."

"So what are you going to do?" Jagards asked him, "You actually going to help on the battlefield?"

"Only if Bolantine shows up there himself," Mason said, "I'm not a murderer. War is for mortals. It is nothing but pointless slaughter for an immortal. Bolantine and Nikki can do it because they have no soul. I can't go out there and kill people who are unfortunate enough to live under Bolantine's rule."

"I can understand that," Lister nodded, "It's what makes you different from him."

"One of many things," Mason said, "I will help you as much as I can, but I won't fight your battles for you."

"Looks like they are going for a direct pummeling," Lister said, collating a few reports that were just brought in, "All heading directly for Mavelan city."

"Good," Mason said, "His tactical skills are just as stunted as ever. Subtlety is not among Bolantine's strongest tactical assets."

"That gives us an edge," Cholt said, "My boys are set up for a direct attack. We send your boys around the edge and we can try to break up their lines."

"Let's get it started," Jagards said, "I'll send the orders. We'll hit him from both sides."

"I'm going out to the lines," Mason said, "Bolantine is going to know this is a crucial campaign. I want to make sure I can counter his power use."

"Any edge you can give us," Cholt said, "I won't turn down a gift horse."

The defenders took their positions and watched for the oncoming army. The word went out quickly among the defenders that the Bolantines were coming and every single man and woman out there wanted to kick a Bolantine Soldier's teeth in. The stories from southern Mavelans and from Southern Oasis were spreading and everyone was good and angry.

The Bolantine Soldiers, however, were all still tired. They had marched a long way over the preceding days and were starting another battle before being truly rested enough for the job. Bolantine was making his first major tactical mistake of the war in continuing the advance from Faciegrad.

Bolantine himself led the front line of troopers, appearing tireless and immortal as he always made himself look in front of his troops. He knew that it was his job to lead them to victory and that he would have to spill a good bit of Mavelan blood to do it. He was ready. He looked forward to it in fact.

The forces met in a field some five miles outside the Mavelan City gates. Bolantine gave the order and his men rushed into the hastily constructed ramparts to find well equipped and rested Mullinix troops waiting for them. This was not what Bolantine had expected by any stretch, so after over an hour and a half of watching he went to join the fight and encourage them.

"I don't think so," Mason Stone said to Bolantine as he slipped out from behind a branch, "You've killed enough people this year, Bolantine."

"You," Bolantine said, "I should have figured as much."

"I had help," Mason said, "Let the mortals fight it out. You are out of this one."

"Make me," Bolantine grinned, "What part of immortality don't you get? You can't kill me. You can put me down for a while, but I always come back. Now I am back. You really think your Mullinix friends can beat us?"

"Yes," Mason said, "I do. Because they know what freedom is. They are one of the few groups who have ever really gotten it."

"I know what freedom is," Bolantine said to Mason Stone while the battle raged on around them, "It is the freedom to do anything I want."

"That's freedom for you," Mason said, subtly using a power shield to direct people around them, "Not for all the people who follow you. They have precisely no freedom of choice. Should they choose anything but what you tell them, they die."

"Nobody is free, test subject," Bolantine said, "Someone always takes control."

"That's where we disagree, Bolantine," Mason said, "Someone will take control, but it shouldn't mean you can't have freedom of your own."

"Freedom like those fools in Southern Oasis?" Bolantine said, "They may have cost us a bit, but most of them are dead. On the orders of that fool child they have as the Mullinix."

"You would think like that," Mason said, "Thing was, Medoferro actually ordered them to screw over your machines and get out. They decided to stay and fight on their own. No one forced them to do it. That is what freedom is, Bolantine. Believing in something enough that you're willing to fight for it of your own free will."

"My people fight for me," Bolantine said.

"Only because they don't know any better," Mason said, "You of all people should know that indoctrination is no permanent solution for freedom. It didn't work in pre-cataclysmic times. It won't work now. That is why you will never win."

"I'm winning now!" Bolantine said, "Look around you!"

"I suggest you look around," Mason said, "Your men are tired, Bolantine. You aren't fighting disorganized troops without leadership now, Bolantine. These are men and women fighting for their home and their lives and led by men who have risked all to make sure that they have a chance at them."

"Putting a lot of faith in Facie," Bolantine scoffed, "These people will be better off under my rule."

"Facie is dead," Mason smiled, "Has been for days. The Mavelans may have been poorly ruled before, but that doesn't make them any more willing to live under your dictatorship. Even the men and women who rebelled against Facie are fighting you here. You can't win this one."

"Watch me!" Bolantine said and turned to leave, "You won't fight, but I will."

Mason raised his arms as if he was going to let Bolantine go, but then pulled power from his surroundings and rammed Bolantine in the stomach with it. He grabbed the immortal by the shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"You aren't going to be a killing machine with me here," Mason growled, "Not a chance in hell."

Bolantine fought back and got himself free, but it was at this point that the flanking maneuver of the Mavelan remnants started hitting the already shaken Bolantine lines. Corie ran through, kicking one of his own soldier's corpses out of the way, and grabbed Bolantine's shoulder.

"We're being flanked on both sides," Corie told him, "They were expecting us and there are more of them than we expected. We need to retreat now or we'll be dealing with an uncontrolled rout."

"It's your call," Mason said, smiling as he looked over at Bolantine, "You call the retreat or they will destroy you."

"They can't destroy me!" Bolantine raged.

"They can make you irrelevant," Mason reminded him, "Retreat while you can."

"Why are you telling us this?" Corie asked him, recognizing Mason.

"Too many good men have died," Mason said simply, "If you retreat, fewer men die on both sides. Besides, Bolantine is right. I can't destroy him, but I can prevent a world war today. That is good for everyone."

"The barbarians always win in the end," Bolantine seethed, "You know it!"

"Not today," Mason said, "Not this time."

Bolantine knew that Mason was not the type to bluster, at least not much. He gave Corie the nod and sent a flash at Mason, which slowed him enough to get out of the immediate area. The battle, which had been raging for a few hours at this point, began to subside with the crushing retreat of the Bolantine Forces.

"We did it!" Lister yelled, "They're turning tail and running."

"Should we chase them?" Cholt asked, "I mean they're running off the field."

"Let's shove those swords up Bolantine's ass!" Jagards exclaimed.

Mason Stone walked over and shook his head. He was a bit on the introspective side, as he usually was after a meeting with Bolantine but knew he had helped avoid a much greater evil today.

"You chase him and you start a world war," Mason said, "One that is going to cost thousands of lives. Do you want that on your conscience?"

"But he's already started the war," Jagards said.

"Does that mean you have to finish it?" Mason asked him quietly.

"Reform the lines," Cholt instructed his men, "I know our strength and we took a beating even if we won. We were close before. If Bolantine gets reinforcements, something we won't get in time, we're dead."

"Bolantine will lick his wounds and set up defensive lines," Mason said, "My suggestion is that you do the same. The Sotan regiments are coming in from the north and that may stop Bolantine from continuing this war."

"Speaking for the person here who knows the Mavelan people best," Lister said, "We're probably better off stopping here. The Bolantines won't kill everyone and many of them are likely to be better off under Bolantine rule than they were under Facie."

"Jagards?" Cholt asked him, "You going to concur?"

"I want to shove Facie's scepter up Bolantine's ass," Jagards grunted, "But I concur."

Mason let out a deep breath as he looked over the battlefield covered with the dead and dying. He had seen hundreds of them in the thousands of years he had lived, but he still had the urge to vomit. He told himself that was what made him different from Bolantine. He just hoped it was enough.

Chapter 121 - Bolantine Command

It was four in the morning when Bolantine made it back to the command post that he had set up in Faciegrad. It had been only twelve hours since the defeat he had suffered outside Mavelan City, but he was still highly agitated. Corie was the only one of his associates that dared to stay in the room with him.

"How the hell did we lose that?" Bolantine asked, "Where did those extra troops come from?"

"Our scouts were as tired as the rest of them," Corie said, "No one expected the Mullinix to pull off a cohesive action like that with the remnants of the Mavelan forces."

"If they were so strong why didn't they chase us?" Bolantine groused, "We should go back and clobber them."

"We go back and we lose again," Corie said, "We don't have the numbers or the morale for another try at the apple."

"We got the mine, right?" Bolantine said, "Can we hold it?"

"If they hold their lines, yes," Corie said, diplomatically leaving out any mention of the fact that the mine was a fake, "We can hold what we have, but if we start attacking again we may not be able to. The Mullinix are closer and have a better supply system in the area than we do."

"What about the Sand Riders?" Bolantine asked, "Any word from Nikki?"

"Her caravan was spotted a few minutes ago," Corie said, "She should be here soon."

"Damn it," Bolantine shouted, throwing a glass across the room, "Where did I plan badly?"

"We weren't expecting the Mullinix to be a factor," Corie said, "All the plans were drawn up assuming there would be no Mullinix or Sotan interference."

"At least the Sotans stayed out of it," Bolantine grumbled.

"Not for long," Nikki Bolantine said as she walked into the room, "I caught this dispatch as I came in. Sotanberg has put a regiment inside the border, looks like they aren't taking an active role yet, but there are enough to make it a bit worse."

"We have the mine," Bolantine said, "Tie up the lines and set up a no-man's land border as far north as you can without starting the battle. Better to take our current gains and solidify them. We can try again in a decade or two, when their guard is down."

"I'll go along with that," Nikki said, "Get those orders out, Corie."

"Certainly," Corie nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

Bolantine and Nikki began to discuss what went wrong as Corie walked out of the room. He was glad that the orders were given and when they were carried out it would be too late to do anything else. He just hoped that when his emperor decided to go after the mine again it was after he was dead and gone.

Chapter 121 - Relief

Karen Stone came rushing into the room to find Medoferro and Trinaferro sitting together looking over the news dispatches. The smile on her face was one of relief, so they looked up expectantly for some good news. Insegniferro was in the office as well, reading the daily batch of civilian reports from around the empire.

"Bolantine has pulled up lines," Karen said, "They're building a no-man's land that is likely going to be the new border between his empire and what's left of the Mavelans."

"We won," Trinaferro sighed with relief, "Losses?"

"Too many," Karen said, her eyes filling with sorrow, "But they could have been worse. Looks like the Sotan regiments probably convinced Bolantine that we were serious."

"Nobody won this," Medoferro said, "We just stopped the bleeding, that's all."

"Stacy wants instructions, by the way," Karen told them, "Now that things are calming down Jagards is left with a nation that does not have any leaders."

"Sounds like he is their leader," Trinaferro said, "We have no interest in their territory. I doubt that Sotanberg does either."

"They don't," Insegniferro said, "Harmon and I discussed this while we were getting to know each other again. Now that Siraq has quietly ruptured he has three neighbors. He has no intention of taking territory from any of them for any reason."

"Think Harmon will go along with making the Mavelan nation a protectorate of both our nations?" Medoferro asked Insegniferro, "They lost easily half of their land and a lot of their people in this. They will never be a match alone for the Bolantines."

"Politically independent and militarily combined," Insegniferro suggested, "Add them to the Military Alliance with the proviso that the Mavelans continue stable civilian leadership."

"Stable leadership with respect for civil rights," Trinaferro said, "I'm not backing another Facie clone. Jagards was a crony of Facie's. I'll only go along with this if they agree to take either a committee form of government or a Mullinix form of government."

"Will Harmon go along with that?" Medoferro wondered, "I mean the Sotans have a Royal Family government."

"They have the committee of nobles," Insegniferro said, "The king holds sway, but major laws and alliances have to go through the council. That's why they are so slow with some things."

"I don't care if it's Mullinix or Committee," Trina said, "But no more of this hereditary bullshit."

"Facie was the last of his bunch," Medoferro said, "If Jagards will agree to form one of those governments, we'll back him for the protectorate."

"I'll relay it," Karen said, "I'm sure they'll take it at this point, especially since Lister and Pirotase have pretty well engineered the uneasy alliance of factions there. If Jagards tries to go for a Facie style of government he will see a full revolt, one he won't be able to quell because his armies would join it."

"Fair enough," Trinaferro said, "We need to make the announcements here too."

"You need to reveal something else too," Insegniferro suggested, "I suggest you announce Trinaferro's, umm...shall we say condition? Do it before she starts showing."

"Right," Medoferro chuckled, "We still need to figure out names too."

"That is easy," Trinaferro smiled, "If it is a boy he gets your birth name, if we have a girl she gets mine."

"What the hell do we do about the last name?" Medo wondered, "Man, this is loopy."

"It's all been done before. You can either use one or both of your birth surnames or you can use Ferro or Irons," Insegniferro chuckled, "You still have months to think about it. In the meantime, I suggest you tell the house staff next so they can set up a proper baby shower."

"Thanks Iggy," Medoferro said, "I don't know how we'd do this without you."

"You'll find a way," Insegniferro smiled, "You will have to someday."

That was a thought that none of them particularly wanted to think about. They let that sentiment linger for a few moments before they went back to work, getting on with the needs of the empire as they did every day of their lives.

Chapter 122 - Citizen Jagards

Six months had passed and the Bolantines had maintained the de facto cease fire. Within days of the Bolantine decision to hold on to the areas they had already taken a true no man's land, patrolled by Bolantine Soldiers and fortified with fences and barricades, went up on the new borderline.

Lister Black and Pirotase were still in Mavelan City, waiting in the castle for a meeting with the newly minted official leader of the Mavelans, Citizen Jagards. Both of them looked much healthier after months of decent food and not running away from people who wanted to kill them.

"There is no one true way," Pirotase said, "Isn't that what they say over there in Mullinix?"

"Yep," Lister Black agreed, "Did you ever figure that you'd go from that shack in Mavelan City Slums to the new council representative for the slum districts?"

"No," Pirotase chuckled, "But who ever thought you would become a full ambassador to the court of the Mavelan Citizens' Government."

"It all works well," Lister agreed, "Hopefully your council will keep Jagards on the straight and narrow."

"The fact that he now relies on the good will of Sotanberg and Mullinix to keep the Bolantines from eating this nation alive helps," Pirotase said, "There are more Mullinix Soldiers here now than there are Mavelan."

"And both sides are better because of it," Lister said, "Everyone trades and without Facie's devastating tax structure everyone can prosper."

"There you are!" Rav Suvorov yelled, "Figures I'd find you two together. Sometimes I wonder which side you are on, Lister."

"Easy," Lister said, surprised to see his former boss, "We're all on the same side now."

"True," Suvorov nodded, "I'm down here doing an audit on the defenses for Medoferro. Seeing as we no longer have much of a need for agents to infiltrate the Mavelans, Medoferro did me a favor by taking you off my payroll."

"In other words," Lister translated, "You knew I was staying with Pirotase. So when she got pulled into the council you suggested me to Medoferro so I could stay here and still be useful."

"Exactly," Suvorov grinned, "We need a permanent representative here and who better than you?"

"You still running the spies?" Pirotase asked him.

"No," Suvorov said, "I'm a semiofficial Mullinix Representative now. Since Roland's death they needed someone that Insegniferro trusted to take his spot. I'm one of the few that he trusted enough. The Sotans have better intelligence assets in Bolantinople anyway, so they are handling the lion's share of intelligence gathering."

"I never met him," Lister said, "But I heard Roland was a stand up guy. Did they ever get Marina?"

"No," Suvorov said, "Best guess is that she died and Nikki Bolantine hid the body."

"Good," Lister said, "Well, if you want to see Jagards, he's due to meet us soon."

"Sure," Suvorov said, "I was told to make sure I reported to the council anyway. Medoferro wants to ensure that the new council government is not considered a puppet of Mullinix and Sotanberg."

"Lister! Pirotase!" Jagards exclaimed as he walked into the room, "And Mr. Suvorov... We finally meet after all these years of being on opposite sides of the line."

"It's much nicer now that the line is a simple border instead of a gulf of conflict," Suvorov agreed, "Congratulations on your appointment to the head of the citizen's council."

"Thank you," Jagards said, "It's an odd position for me."

"What?" Lister asked, "What is odd about it?"

"Instead of one insane master," Jagards said, "I have a dozen equally insane equals."

"Hey!" Pirotase exclaimed, "Just because I date Lister that's no reason to call me insane."

"Pardon me, my lady," Jagards chuckled, "But I do enjoy this much better. At least most of you listen to reason. Facie didn't listen to anyone."

"I'll take that," Pirotase said, "Did anyone ever find the remains after the crowd dismembered the corpse?"

"No," Jagards said sadly, "It was a fitting end for a fittingly mad man."

"Any plans now that you are official?" Suvorov asked him.

"Here to pry for information, Suvorov?" Jagards wondered.

"Innocent question, I swear," Suvorov said, "So long as you keep up with what you've started, there are no official complaints from the Mullinix side."

"I intend to rebuild as much as I can," Jagards said, "Maybe now that everyone is considered a citizen again we can do it right."

"Works for me," Suvorov said, "Let's just hope that we can keep the peace."

"Enough talk of business," Pirotase said, "How about a drink to the new government?"

"Indeed," Jagards said, "And one to the new child of your Mullinix Trinaferro. She is due soon, correct?"

"In the next few weeks," Suvorov said, "The whole nation is abuzz with it. Whole fortunes will be made with the betting of the date and whether it is a boy or a girl."

"Put me down for boy on the twenty-third," Jagards said, "And Let them know I wish the best for them and their child."

"Thank you," Suvorov said, "They all wish you the best with your new position. You've earned it."

"Enough of this," Lister said, "Pour those drinks. It's time to relax. You'll have plenty to do later."

"To peace," Pirotase said solemnly as she raised hers, "And to all the men and women who died to preserve it."

"Amen," Suvorov said as they all drank to it.

Chapter 123 - Fool's Gold

"We're here," Nikki said to Bolantine in the carriage, "The mine crew is about ready to break through to the working area of the mine."

"Figures they would collapse it," Bolantine muttered, "At least we got this. With this much Bauxite, we can make more machines and make them stronger."

"Let's hope," Nikki said, "It cost us a lot to take this area. We're not going to be able to try again for at least a decade."

The foreman of the mine crew gulped at the emergence of the Emperor and Empress. He gave orders to his crew and guards to look sharp and saluted the Emperor as he came up. His eyes only barely noticed the woman with silken robes covering her whole body following them.

"Have you broken through yet?" Bolantine asked him, "And if not, why are you standing here?"

"They are clearing the last of it now sire," the foreman said, "Only the front end collapsed, but we're going to send a crew in to check the rest of the supports for traps."

"There won't be any," Nikki said, "They didn't have time."

"It was a power push," Bolantine agreed, "No trapping. Probably a minor power user trained by Mason."

"No sign of power constructs," Nikki agreed.

"Let's go in," Bolantine said, "Keep most of your workers out in case they have to pull us out."

The foreman nodded and gave the necessary instructions. The four of them walked into the newly reopened mine and went down nearly a quarter of a mile into the impressive solidly constructed tunnels.

"Facie could have something designed well when he wanted to," Nikki commented, "Though it's dark in here."

"Reminds me of a place we spent too much time a long time ago," Bolantine shuddered, remembering having a mine tunnel collapsed on him and Nikki many centuries earlier.

The darkness of the mine was barely beaten back by the lantern that the foreman held. The only one who wasn't having a hard time was the girl with her head covered, who moved as if she could see through both the cloth and the darkness.

"There's a body," the girl said hoarsely, "Ten yards down."

"Benny O'Herlihy," Bolantine said, looking at the patch on his uniform, "I guess he did get caught in here."

"Does this look like Bauxite to you?" Nikki asked Bolantine, "This was the working area. The ore looks more like gold."

"It isn't gold," the girl said, "It is iron pyrite. Gold comes up differently in power sight."

"Fool's gold," Bolantine seethed, picking up a piece and hurling it down the tunnel, "The intelligence was phony."

"I guess Major Martin was a phony too," Nikki said, "Damn it!"

"Major Martin?" Bolantine said, catching the name, "Oh hell... Mason you son of a bitch... Brilliant. Bloody brilliant."

"What?" Nikki said.

"Mason performed the same trick that the English did to the Nazis before you were born," Bolantine explained, "I didn't put the name together. Major William Martin was the nonexistent man they used to plant it on them."

"Great," Nikki said, kicking the body, "We go through all this to gain nothing!"

"You gained something," Marina said, pulling back her hood to show her injuries, "You have a power sink that knows the weaknesses of the Mullinix Empire. One with every reason to want them to burn, just like Roland did to me."

The tunnel went quiet with that declaration. Bolantine and Nikki looked at each other and nodded. Their plans had not been a total failure and they had learned a lot about their enemies in the process. Time was on their side. That was the one thing they knew they could count on.

***The End***

##

## Other Titles by Rodney Mountain

Immortal Universe Novels

The Healy Murders

The Accidental Immortal

Undercover

The Killer Strikes

Anoki's Revenge

The Immortal Progression

Corporate Immortality

Not With a Whisper

The Mullinix: Ascension

The Mullinix: Resolution

Other Works

Durell's Insurrection

Night Strike (Short Story Anthology)

The Black Fossil

