Part 59 (1/2)
”That's true.” Anna nodded slowly, trying to keep from visibly seething. ”Yet a Dumar under Sturinn would not be good for Defalk.”
”Sturinn ruling Dumar. That is like worrying about sour cider before the apples have fruited, much less fallen from the trees.” Birfels smiled.
”Perhaps.” Anna nodded, turning to Hanfor. ”Do you know how the Prophet of Music felt about Sturinn?”
Hanfor touched his gray beard, pursed his lips for a moment. ”He spoke of the need to put Liedwahr under one ruler before Sturinn turned its s.h.i.+ps eastward.”
”Aye, and he wanted to be that ruler,” said Birfels. 'Much good his efforts gained him.”
Anna cleared her throat. She'd heard enough. ”You can see, Lord Birfels. This places Defalk in a difficult position. Lord Ehara is denying any responsibility for the damages he has already caused. He's actually asking for blackmail-tribute,” Anna added at the look of incomprehension on Birfels' face, ”before he will a.s.sure Defalk he will not cause further trouble.”
”That is true,” conceded the red-haired lord of Abenfel. ”Yet you cannot match his forces, not armsman to armsman, or anywhere close.” He frowned. ”You are not proposing a levy of sorts on the Thirty-three, or an increase in liedgeld?”
”I hadn't thought of that.” Anna kept her tone sweet. ”I'm looking into applying some form of sorcery to Lord Ehara-something that would remind him that armsmen are not the only form of force.”
”Would that...” Birfels broke off, almost embarra.s.sed-looking.
”Be honorable?” Anna finished. ”I'd say sorcery is as honorable as slaughter, and more honorable than lying.” She smiled sweetly. ”Wouldn't you, Lord Birfels?”
”Lord Ehara would doubtless not see it that way.” Birfels laughed abruptly. ”I wish you well in whatever you plan. I can spare you perhaps two score armsmen, should you need them, and guesting here for so long as needful.”
”Thank you. I may well need them. If I do, I will pay them. That would be the least I could do.” Anna rose. ”Thank you for being so forthcoming, Lord Birfels.”
”I am glad I have supported you, Lady Anna.” Birfels shook his head as he rose from the conference table. ”And I will continue to do so.” He bowed. ”If I may be of any other service...”
”You have been most kind, and most hospitable.” Anna smiled again.
Once the door closed, Jecks turned to Anna. ”You are dangerous. Lady Anna.”
”Thank you.” Not bad for almost losing it. ”You have a sorcerous plan in mind. Birfels feels you do.”
”I have an idea. I'd like to see what's going on in Dumar first, but I definitely have an idea.” Like shutting off their water... just like the Evult shut off Defalk 's?
”Isn't Dumar very dependent on the water in the Falche? All the cities are on the river, aren't they?”
”No sorcery could hold that river...” Jecks shook his head. ”...not even yours.”
”Not sorcery itself, but a product of sorcery.” Maybe. She stood and headed to pick up the lutar. ”We might as well see what we're really up against.” And whether your thoughts about somehow damming the river make any sense-or would do anything at all.
After tuning the lutar, and spending more time scrawling out adaptations of mirror spells, Anna reclaimed the lutar, glanced in the reflecting pool; then began the spell.
”Show in Dumar high and true, what the Sea-Priests do.
Show me now, and show me all, where their s.h.i.+ps and forces fall...”
The sorceress lowered the lutar. The silver-shaded waters misted, then glowed before two images filled the pool. More than twenty three-masted s.h.i.+ps lay in the harbor- Narial-while the split image showed another score anch.o.r.ed in a wide river below a bluff-Dumaria?
Hanfor and Jecks, each flanking Anna, studied the waters.
”Twoscore s.h.i.+ps,” mused Hanfor. ”I'd wager two hundred lancers or armsmen a hull.”
Four thousand trained troops. Anna thought. That's what the Sea-Priests can spare. We've got all of four hundred armsmen, plus levies, and that's everything.
Hanfor jotted down some notes for a moment; Jecks surveyed the images, nodding every so often.
Steam began to curl off the water, and Anna could feel the beginning of a headache when she chanted the release spell. While the image would fade sooner or later, the spell cut it off-and the drain on her.
”Those s.h.i.+ps would say that the Sea-Priests wish to add Dumar and, in time, all of Liedwahr, to their do- mains.” Jecks fingered his smooth chin.
Anna wondered how he managed to be so clean-shaven, when hot water and safety razors weren't available. He never seemed to cut himself, either.
”Now that they have consolidated their hold on the Ostisles...” murmured Hanfor.
Anna nodded, thinking. The s.h.i.+ps were the key. What could she do? ”What would happen if they lost their s.h.i.+ps?”
”They would not wish to send others, not soon,” offered Hanfor. ”Armsmen, lancers, they have often lost such. s.h.i.+ps are prized.”
Anna nodded and stepped away from the pool and to the table where she had laid out her skimpy references. As they watched, Anna took out the leather folder and began to page through Brill's notes and papers-the ones she'd retrieved from Loiseau. Some of them made little sense, but she knew that fussy old Brill had to have written something on how he'd created the artificial lake and water gates at the Sand Pa.s.s.
She didn't have thousands of soldiers. She didn't have handfuls of sorcerers. She didn't have hundreds of store-rooms of grains and strongbox rooms filled with gold. What golds she had already belonged to others, or might as well.
Then, abruptly, she closed the folder. Seeking out water spells could wait-but only until she had time to work one out in quiet.
”You are silent, Lady Anna,” ventured Jecks.
”I'm considering more disastrous sorcery to deal with Lord Ehara and the Sea-Priests. I'm going to have to think some, though.”
”You should take advantage of Lord Birfels' hospitality while you can,” suggested Jecks. ”Do not bury yourself here in your rooms.”
”I won't” Not too much, anyway. ”I could use a ride.” She smiled. ”I'd like to see the Falche. and Lord Birfels certainly might feel happier if I were out of the keep for a bit.” She stood. ”I'll be down at the stables in a bit. Would you like to join me?”
Hanfor bowed. ”I appreciate your kindness.”
”But professional armsmen ride too much, and there are duties pressing?” She smiled gently.
”You understand, I see, lady.”
Anna laughed gently. 'Go do whatever. I'm not upset.”
Jecks frowned. ”I think I will go with you, lady.” He grinned suddenly. ”You do little without a purpose.”
”I'm taking advantage of Lord Birfels' hospitality,” the sorceress pointed out.
”I shall also.” The white-haired lord bowed.