The Fireseed Wars

Kalvan looked down at the leather dispatch case with distaste. He could spend half the afternoon going over those documents before he got to the meat of them. "Sarrask, you know as much as anyone in Thagnor City about what's going on. What are these all about?"

The big man actually preened. Still, regardless of Sarrask's many vices, he'd kept the excess weight off and was in fighting trim.

"Can you summarize the important news?"

"Oh yes, Your Majesty," Sarrask replied, all but bursting out of his breastplate.

"First, and most importantly. Queen Rylla has given birth-"

"Dralm-damnit! I should have been there. Is she all right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. And you are the father of a new son, I mean heir- Prince Ptosphes the Second. Queen Rylla invited me to the viewing, and he's a big baby with all his limbs and digits."

Kalvan's chest swelled until it felt as if it were about to explode. "Ahhh. This is good news indeed! Verkan, we shall have to announce it to the City. Let there be three days of celebration-"

"Your Majesty, you might want to hear the rest of the news I bring."

Kalvan nodded, trying to hide his impatience. Thank god, Rylla survived the birthing chamber-This may have to be the last one for a while. And it's a boy! Now, we have our heir. I can't risk anything happening to her. What would I do if she came down with childbed fever and I lost her?

"The Grand Host has broken apart! First, Great King Lysandros and the Harphaxi Army left. There was great rejoicing throughout the City. Then five days ago the remainder of the Host packed up all their weapons and foodstuffs and departed. From the direction they took, it appears they are returning to Tarr-Ceros, not Hos-Ktemnos.

"As soon as they left, the Great Queen ordered me to take my command to Greffa City and bring these dispatches to Your Majesty."

"You've done well, Prince." So, Sargos had been true to his word. Now the Knights were needed back along the border marches. Good riddance! Then another thought hit him. "Did Queen Rylla take it into consideration that the retreat might really be a feint and that the Grand Host might be lying in wait for the Army of Greffa to return to Thagnor?"

"The Queen has been in seclusion, Your Majesty, so I don't know if she's considered it, but Prince Phrames mentioned it. He's sent several companies of Sastragathi irregulars to follow the Styphoni to see that they're not doubling back or up to some other trick."

"Good." It's nice to know that I can leave for a while and the whole place doesn't fall apart, thought Kalvan. It also appears that Sarrask and Phrames are now working together, probably due to Sarrask's victory over Theovacar and his timely retreat-I certainly never would have allowed Sarrask that command, if I'd been there. Still, it was he, not Rylla, who had, once again, underestimated Sarrask. He had a feeling that Sarrask would rather walk on red-hot coals than disappoint his Queen.

II

Harphax City was like a city in the aftermath of a siege, Sirna decided. Disheveled bodies lay strewn along the cobblestone streets: some were tosspots sleeping off last evening's hangover, others were beggars in rags, but more than a few were blood-soaked corpses from the previous night's riots. These days Harphax City was a dangerous place to travel even by day, forcing her to hire a score of bodyguards to guard her coach. There were very few travelers on the city avenues; however, shadowy forms could be seen lurking in allies and in dark doorways.

The furtiveness of its inhabitants was beginning to remind her of Hostigos Town after it was sacked by the Grand Host: the ruined buildings, the constant smoke, the pale, drawn faces of the citizens-everything but the white robed Investigators. She would love to have been able to leave Harphax City for one of the smaller towns where she would be safe, but she had obligations to the Queen as Lavena's only friend. Furthermore, Sirna was also working for the Harpahxi Study Team, which would allow her to return to Home Time Line and Dhergabar University in something other than disgrace-unless she bugged out.

If she demanded it, the Study Team would provide her with a paratemporal conveyer to take her back to Home Time Line. She still found it hard to believe that she would be treated as a celebrity. But the thought brought her little comfort. She did not want her escapades of the past year broadcast throughout Dhergabar City and First Level. Her privacy was more important than any fleeting fame.

Besides, even with all the furor of Harphax City, she was safe here from Hadron Tharn's machinations.

Ahead loomed the stone towers of Tarr-Harphax, the Great Queen's last refuge. Two ten-days ago, rioters had attacked the Palace, breaking in and setting it on fire. If it hadn't been for the King's Bodyguard, the Queen would have died there. Now she was ensconced in a stone fortress.