117 How to Salvage a Disaster (2/2)
”As far as I understand it, Epunamo's man made a deliberate attempt to fire the cannon. That was the goal, right?”
”Yes. In my estimate, the plan was to place the blame on our warriors, to frame it either as a betrayal or an accident. This should be the very reason why both warriors had been kept alive once they were overwhelmed. Since the powder wasn't stored in the tower either, it seems like the warrior smuggled his own. However, I do not understand what has come over young master Epunamo Villca. Even if he had made any attempt to kill King Corco, he would not have had a clean shot from within the tower. Who was his goal? Governor Mayu?”
”Nothing so convenient,” Corco mumbled, while he stepped up to one of the tables near the center of the garden. ”If only he had aimed at Mayu, then we could play negotiator between both sides and improve our status without any extra work. No, the goal of the attack was exactly the man a casual bystander would think of first.”
”Uchu Villca, the bandit? Then this was a spontaneous attack to avenge Epunamo's brother?”
”Maybe. Not as spontaneous as I'd like though.” With worry, Corco looked down onto the table before him. All food and silverware had been cleared off by his servants, but they had left behind three pistols of different forms, lined up in a row.
”These are Princess Sumaci's?” Tama asked with large eyes. She must have been horrified at the thought that not one, but three of these weapons had made their way past her controls and into the castle. On the other hand, Corco was far more lenient in this regard. After all, arming a weapon like this would take a long time and he was well-secured in his little alcove throughout the first half of the evening. Not to mention, any lord would risk his own life by using a weapon on these grounds. At least in that regard, he had underestimated the boldness of the verdant princess.
”Only one of them is,” Corco held up the gun the princess had fired just before, the muzzle still covered in soot. Heavy and clumsy, it was a miracle the girl had managed to hide this thing inside her clothes at all. ”Considering the poor make and the backwards design, it's probably a product straight out of Chutwa. Now look at those two in comparison.”
Compared to the Chutwa gun, the second weapon Corco picked up was much easier to handle. Lighter, with sleaker, more elegant curves, the wooden handle fit well into his hand. ”These two aren't Sumaci's weapons. Epunamo brought them.”
”Young Master Villca? How?” Once again, the girl reacted with shock. Before she could go back to another round of genuflecting, Corco did his best to relieve her conscience.
”No worries, you did nothing wrong this time. Epunamo properly gave his weapons up when he entered the castle and only got them back for his fight. You didn't see the duel, did you?”
Only a short shake of a head responded to Corco's question, so he retold the battle he had witnessed before.
”In fact, Uchu's arrogance almost cost him his life. When the rules for the duel were established, Epunamo insisted on weapons, and on a fight to the death. Seems like the bandit was so excited to kill another competitor that he let Epunamo choose the weapons and rules all by himself. This is what the oldest Villca picked.”
Again he held up the elegant pistol. Although the barrel was a lot thinner than the one on his own gun, the design was almost identical.
”It's a wheel lock pistol, not something anyone can get. Especially not here in Medala. Where do you think he got the gun from then?” Corco asked with a sneer.
”Epunamo works with the northerners?”
”We already know that his father worked with Arcavian merchants back in the capital. You should have already heard what Epunamo said before the start of the duel. Seems like he suspects our involvement in his father's death. That's no good, obviously.”
For a moment, Tama thought, before her eyes narrowed and her voice lowered to a dangerous volume.
”In that case, it would be best if young master Epunamo never leaves Saniya.”
”What? No! Are you crazy?” Corco's shout broke the built-up tension. ”Just... can we calm down for a second here? If I kill one of my guests, the only guest from the north-east no less, how will I ever get any influence in the region? It'll only spark more resentment. Seriously, I don't want to deal with a civil war in the south the same year I begin my rule. Not when I'm about to go to war with Uncle Pacha already.”
In response to Corco's reprimand, Tama lowered her head again, though at least she didn't reach the floor this time.
”In this case, may I ask for King Corco's instructions?”
”For now, we don't know how close Epunamo is with the Arcavians and if he has any connections to Pacha or Amautu at all. We also have no idea why exactly he tried to kill the bandit. We both know it's not because he loved his dear brother so damn much, that's for sure.”
In exasperation, the king threw the pistol back onto the table, where it slid into its double before it came to a stop.
”At least now we understand his plan, somewhat. In a duel with pistols, the two combatants would stand a good bit away from one another, stock-still until the shots are fired. That gave plenty of time to line up a cannon shot. Still a dumb way to kill someone if you ask me, but if it works, everyone would think it was my fault, huh?”
With narrowed eyes, Corco looked back to the cannon ball that was still stuck in the wall.
”We might not know much, but for now, Epunamo Villca is our enemy. Increase surveillance around him.”
”Yes, King Corco. What about the prisoners?”
”You can let the princess go, her family's alliance is important and she did, technically, help us out after all. As for that Villca warrior, let's hope Epunamo isn't stupid enough to ask for his man back.”
With a conspiratory smile, Tama moved closer to Corco and started to whisper again.
”Does that mean we will expose young Master Villca's ploy? In that case, we could legitimately hold him, support the third Villca heir and sell him a favor.”
By now the king had gotten much better at reading Tama. It appeared as if a lowered voice meant 'danger, bad idea ahead'.
”I said to leave him alone, didn't I? If we expose his plan now, and how he almost succeeded, what does that say about our security measures? About the security of all the lords here? We'd have to end the banquet early. No, the festival has to go on as planned and it has to be a success. There is no other choice. It's too important for the future of... everything really, to fail now. In the first place,” Corco put on a smirk of his own, ”why would we end the banquet over a simple misfire, an honest accident with the equipment? That's no big deal, is it? Especially now that we have already punished our tardy warrior for his negligence. We don't need much to sell the story either. The Villca heir will play along to hide his own malice, and the verdant princess better be on board as well if she wants us to forget about that weapon of hers.”
Once more Tama affirmed Corco's orders. However, the king's mind was already far away, in the castle with the waiting lords, over in the eastern Cashan, where a fierce war for succession was about to begin and north in the capital, where forces of Arcavians and Medalans were hellbent in their plans to destroy anything Corco tried to build.
The noble portion of his banquet had been an unmitigated disaster so far. He just hoped that Ronnie would fare better with the commoners.