He didn’t know whether the griffon had reached her safely, but already he was doubting the wisdom of sending the creature. He hoped she would use Eagle Eye wisely. He’d been second-guessing the mission for days now. The nomads were fighting to defend their land; he could understand that. An armed force of foreigners had entered their territory, and they were trying to drive them out. Perhaps he could have sent diplomats instead of scholars. Perhaps he should’ve tried to hire nomad guides. Perhaps he should not have put his hot-tempered wife in charge.
Yet, he knew he couldn’t have done otherwise. Kerianseray was the general of his armies, his strong right arm.
Through the dark days of the terrible journey across the Plains of Dust and the Burning Lands, when thousands of their people had died, Kerian’s strength had sustained him, had sustained all of them.
Planchet claimed his attention. Gilthas saw the valet was standing by the door flap, conversing with a servant. “Sire,” Planchet said, “Lord Morillon wishes to see you. He says it is most urgent.”
“Send him in.” A few days earlier, Gilthas had informed his closest councilors, including Morillon, of Kerian’s mission, that she was seeking the Inath-Wakenti, and that he hoped the legendary valley might become a new home for their people.
For once Morillon arrived without his usual corps of sycophants. He looked grave. “Great Speaker, I bring news.”
“Of Kerianseray?”
“Partly, sire. The city is buzzing with the news of Lady Kerianseray’s arrival at the valley.”
“Already?” Planchet commented in amazement. “News travels fast.”
“There is more,” Morillon said. “There are rumors that a great massacre has occurred. Hundreds of Khurish women and children of the Weya-Lu tribe were slain in camp, many miles north of here. Some are saying that it was done by Lady Kerianseray’s troops.”
Gilthas stood so quickly his camp chair went over backward. “Filthy Torghanist lies!”
“I agree, Great Speaker, but the Khurs might choose to think otherwise.”
This was undeniable. Unchecked, the massacre story could inflame Khur from one end to the other. Riots in the souks would be nothing compared to the Khurs’ outrage over this.
Impatiently, Morillon asked, “Sire, what shall we do?
“I will go to Sahim-Khan, lay my thoughts before him. Once he sees we have nothing to hide, he will protect us.”
“And if he won’t?” Planchet asked bluntly.
“He must.” Gilthas hesitated. “How many warriors are in camp?”
“About thirty thousand.”
“Then have them stand ready, Planchet. No fanfare, though. Alert them quietly.”
The valet hurried away to carry out his liege’s order. Morillon’s worry had only increased.
“Great Speaker, fighting isn’t the answer,” he said. “The Khan can field twice our numbers. More if he calls upon the desert tribes!”
Gilthas shook his head. “No, he won’t summon the nomads. He fears them more than he fears us. And I agree:
Fighting is not the answer. We must learn the truth about this massacre, if it actually occurred, and prove to the Khan and his people that we are not responsible.”
“But what if-what we can’t prove such a thing?” Pressing a fist to his lips, Gilthas thought hard. He did not believe Kerian would kill innocent women and children, but who could say what might have occurred in the far desert. If a battle had taken place, if innocents had been killed, if proof of elven innocence was dubious. There were too many ifs!
The Speaker’s pronouncement drained the color from Morillon’s face. “Leave? To go where?”
“To where Lady Kerianseray is right now. Summon the council. I want an inventory made of all food and water on hand. I want emergency plans drawn up to evacuate Khurinost on a moment’s notice.”
He was talking of uprooting a hundred thousand souls. Stunned, Morillon could only nod as the Speaker continued to pepper him with orders.
“Great Speaker, don’t be hasty!” Morillon interjected. “Let us discuss this! Sahim-Khan is no friend of the desert tribes. With proper motivation, he would defend us if the nomads attacked!”
Gilthas’s smile was bitter. “Perhaps. But what if you are wrong? What if he refuses to defend foreigners-laddad foreigners-against his own people? There’s not enough money in the world to buy safety from the Khan, if too many of his own people rise up to threaten him.” The smile vanished. “We must have a contingency plan. We can offer to pay more for his protection. That much steel will tempt him and buy us time. See to it, my lord. Personally. Arrange an audience at once. Today.”
