Conflict and Courage (33 page)

“Jathan has
accepted a position with the Garda,” said Winston, “It remains at
Settlement; they’re turning it into their headquarters so she will
be a long way away. He’s set to become their medical officer. He’s
a nice young man; he suits Lucy, especially as not a solitary Lind
has expressed an interest in her. Best she goes away, especially as
Juliet will, in all likelihood, pair, at least that’s what Zhenya
tells me and I see no reason to disbelieve her.”

“Violet is
settled as well,” said Janice with some satisfaction.

“What?”
exclaimed Tara.

“You’ll see,”
replied Janice with a mysterious air.

When Janice
looked like this there was no point in questioning her. “What news
of Tina and Daltei?” asked Tara instead, “did she come and visit as
she promised?”

“Tina and
Daltei have visited more than once,” answered Janice as she spooned
an evil smelling concoction out of a steaming pot and into some
jars. “She and Eitel arrived their last leave-time, full of tales
about their adventures with their Ryzck, the Tenth if I remember
correctly.”

“I’d heard they
were with Richard and Dahlya,” said Tara, pushing the full jars
away, careful not to burn her fingers and putting the empty ones
nearer the pot. “Ugh, this stuff stinks. What is it?”

“Smaha salve,
unbga root and jillyflower, mixed in with nettleweed,” grinned
Janice, “much better than plain salve.”

“It doesn’t
smell any better,” vouchsafed Tara with an answering grin at her
foster mother. “I’d speak to Hilary before she returns to the
stronghold, I’m sure she’ll be able to suggest another ingredient
more pleasing to the nose. Nettleweed is so bitter.”

“It is the
nettleweed that holds the salve together,” said Janice, “if I
didn’t include it the ingredients would separate. I tried to find
an alternative but nothing else works as well.”

“Perhaps it’ll
smell better once it has cooled,” said a hopeful Tara.

“Didn’t last
time,” answered Janice, sniffing the half-filled jar in front of
her with caution, “in fact, I wonder if I’ve got this batch right,
it smells different to the last one, more pungent.”

“Try it on the
back of your hand,” suggested Tara.

“Thanks but I’d
rather be excused,” Janice Randall answered as she spooned another
dollop and promptly missed the jar.

“Darnation,”
she exclaimed, “I can’t concentrate today. It’s the worry about
Brian and Sofiya. I didn’t expect them to leave so soon and the
recalls were unexpected.”

“I’m sure
they’ll be back,” comforted Tara, “Jim gets the wind up about the
Larg every summer.”

“He did say the
recall was merely a precautionary measure.”

“So did Peter,”
said Tara. “It’ll be a false alarm, you’ll see.”

“It’s strange,”
continued Janice, “but I’ve never worried as much about Louis and
Ustinya as Brian and Sofiya though I’m sure they are in as much
danger. Now that’s finished, I’m going over to see Emily and the
baby whilst it is cooling. Care to come?”

“I’ll go and
visit Hilary,” Tara decided. “Kolyei told me she and Gsnei are
leaving tomorrow and I promised to say goodbye.”

As Tara walked
to the dispensary, she felt restless and uneasy; there was a
feeling in the air that something unpleasant was about to
happen.

She found her
friend assembling medpacks. Already there was a large pile of them
in the ‘ready to use’ corner.

Tara sat on one
of the stools to watch.

“Why are you
preparing so many?” she asked, her unease growing.

“Winston asked
me to.”

Tara thought
about that for a moment. She was finding it hard to breathe.
“You’re scaring me.”

Hilary looked
up.

“The Lindars
are running,” she said in a too calm voice.

“The Lindars?”
exclaimed Tara, “already?”

“Gsnei told
me.”

“I had no idea.
What else do you know?”

“Ask Jim,”
answered a grim Hilary.

“Don’t think I
won’t,” replied Tara.

* * * * *

“Do you
realise,” said Wilhelm Dahlstrom, Weaponsmaster of the Vada,
striding into Susa Francis and Asya’s office, “that over thirty new
cadets have arrived in the last week? Do the Lind know something we
don’t?”

Francis lifted
his head from the duty rosters and looked at the man. “Laura told
me it was busy down in the cadet barracks when we got back last
night. Problems?”

“We have
managed to fit all of them in all right. Luckily, with the last
crop graduating their cubicles are vacant, but, if any more arrive,
we’ll have to house them in the barn like we did that first
year.”

“We need the
recruits,” said Francis. “Seventh Ryzck lost five pairs in the last
pirate raid, not that there have been any attacks since, which is
odd when you think about it. The coastlines have never been so
quiet.”

Wilhelm nodded
and at Francis’s invitation sat down. The Susa pushed over a
steaming jug of kala and a clean mug.

“I’m not saying
these extra cadets are a bad thing,” Wilhelm said, “but I was
wondering, could there be a reason?”

“Reason?”

“The Lind know
and sense things we do not. Mislya only tells me that they will be
needed. You’ve just returned from Afanasei. What do Jim and Larya
say?”

“It was they
who advised the present measures. Things are tense in the southern
continent. The Larg are restless. Their meat herds are suffering,
last winter was harsh and many died.”

“The Larg are
starving?”

“Not yet, but
our operatives have reported that they are moving. That’s why we
recalled every vadeln-pair on leave. I plan to string out as many
as I can along the coastlines of both Argyll and Vadath. Until we
get more details from our men in the south, I can do little
more.”

This was the
first Wilhelm had heard of ‘men in the south’. He was on to it in a
flash.

“Who are they,
these men in the south?”

“Can’t tell you
that. Best that as few as possible know their identities and where
they are. Their lives depend on it.”

“Where are
they? At Fort?”

“No, we can’t
get anyone in there. God knows we’ve tried.”

Wilhelm thought
hard.

“I won’t press
you, I’ve got a good idea who one of them is and that one is hidden
with Duchesne.”

Francis
started, he hadn’t realised the Weaponsmaster would be this quick
on the uptake.

“What makes you
say that?” he asked.

“I know that
Duchesne has returned some of the women taken at Settlement and you
said recent reports. The only way quick and reliable information
can get to us is via the Lind. I must therefore assume that there
are vadeln-pairs down there.”

“You are
correct,” answered Francis, leaning back in his chair.

“Maurice and
Qenya,” surmised Wilhelm, “I have not seen that duo for years, not
since Louis and Ustinya arrived with the Howard children.”

Francis said
nothing, staring him out.

“Okay, okay,”
Wilhelm said at last, “keep your secrets, just try to give me fair
warning of what’s coming, that’s all I ask.”

* * * * *

Afanasei, Elda
of the pack that bore his name entered Jim and Larya’s daga.

“I have been
thinking,” he began, “and I like not my thoughts.”

“Kolyei and
Tara are on their way,” warned Jim.

“I am worried,”
said Afanasei, ignoring the warning.

“I am worried
myself. Something about all this doesn’t make sense,” admitted Jim.
“Fernei cannot find any traces of the kohorts to the west of
Duchesne’s lands. He feels there should be some signs by now if
they are going to attack Argyll over the island chain by
midsummer.”

With Peter and
Radya gone to the Vada, Tara and Kolyei had decided to pay the
threatened visit on Jim and Larya at domta Afanasei without further
ado.

She, like
Wilhelm Dahlstrom had put two and two together.

Jim, Larya and
Afanasei were waiting for them and invited them in out of the cold.
The last vestiges of winter had brought with them the high winds
and rain usual for this time of year and Tara was feeling very cold
and damp.

Settled in the
warmth of the daga, courtesies over, Tara started the ball
rolling.

“Kolyei and I
have come to find out what is going on,” she announced, “Vada leave
is cancelled. Kolyei has asked around and the Lindars have begun to
run east, so we know something is up. I did ask Winston,” she
added, aggrieved, “but he wouldn’t tell me a thing.”

Jim looked at
her. Gone was the timid thirteen-year-old who had gone to war with
the Lindars during the Battle of the Alliance. Now he faced a
competent and well adjusted adult. One glance at her determined and
resolute face told him she would not leave until she knew exactly
what was going on.

“You fear the
Larg will return,” she pronounced, “and I’m not buying any vuz in
pokes either. Tell me the truth.”

“Is that a
translation of ‘pigs in pokes’?” asked Jim with some amusement as
he tried to think of some way to divert Tara. He should have known
better.

“I’m not
leaving until you tell me,” she warned.

Jim gave it up
as a bad job.

“We have a spy
in the enemy camp.”

“We’d guessed
that. Who?”

“I can’t tell
you.”

“I think you
should, in fact, if you don’t I’ll list out every vadeln-pair
Kolyei and I know. Your face is sure to give you away.”

Jim gave up. He
had forgotten how tenacious Tara could be and persistency was ever
Kolyei’s motto.

“Louis Randall
and Ustinya.”

Tara was quick,
but Kolyei was quicker.

“He is with the
Lord who is a friend is he not?”

“They’ve worked
it out,” said Afanasei to Jim. “Tell them the rest. I have a
feeling that these two will be involved before many suns have
passed over the skies.”

: The strain
to keep in touch with Ustinya wearisome :
telepathed Larya to
her life-partner
: Kolyei help share load :

“Pierre
Duchesne has been in more or less constant contact with us for the
last eight years,” said Jim. “He is a friend to Anne Howard,
probably the only one she can trust and has been passing
information north. Good information too. Louis and Ustinya are in
hiding in Duchesne’s castle. He has warned us that he believes Lord
Regent Baker is about to make another alliance with the Larg. He
thinks they will attack Argyll soon.”

“You have
proof?”

“We know their
regiments are in training, in fact they are on manoeuvres south of
the coast. The convicts are also gathering together a fleet of
galleys and barges.”

“Galleys and
barges?” exclaimed Tara. “What would they need these for?”

“Duchesne
believes they plan to divest the area around the island chain of
herds. The Larg are hungry. The ships would transport the herds to
the southern continent.”

“That doesn’t
seem right,” said Tara, “when they attack over the island chain
they don’t need ships. They’ve always driven the herds south over
the islands.”

“Keep going,”
encouraged Jim, his unease growing. He himself had been surprised
at the news of the gathering of the southern fleet. It didn’t fit.
If the Larg were to attack over the island chain even with
ex-convict aid, a few supporting vessels should be sufficient.
Perhaps Tara’s agile mind could bring some insight into what had
been troubling him since the news had come through.

“Why are Baker
and the Lords supporting the Larg in this way?” asked Tara,
“altruism is not one of Baker’s attributes if what Cherry tells me
is true. What’s in it for him?”

“Duchesne is
convinced. They will attack over the island chain. It appears Baker
has wanted another go at us for some time.”

“I’m not
convinced,” uttered Kolyei. He sat back on his haunches and stared
at the others, “how do you know the man speaks truth about
this?”

“He’s right,”
said Tara, “all you have to go on really is what Duchesne is
telling us and whatever else you can pick up.”

“He’s the only
contact we have who has any chance of knowing what is going on,”
persisted Jim. “He is a member of that Conclave of theirs. Any
other contacts we have are much lower down on the social scale, not
part of the planning processes.”

“The Larg?”
enquired Kolyei.

“Intelligence
is sparse. Fernei is having trouble getting his Lind operatives
close.”

“What if this
Baker distrusts Duchesne and had been feeding him false
information?” was Tara’s next suggestion.

Jim stared at
her.

“What if Baker
knows, or suspects Duchesne is a friend to us?”

“Why would he
think that?” was Afanasei’s reasonable question.

“He might at
that,” pondered Jim, “it’s been eight years, Duchesne may have let
something slip.”

: It fits
:
interrupted Larya.

“And if I’m
right,” continued Tara with another jump of logic, “then Duchesne
and his people and Louis and Ustinya, are in grave danger. We must
warn them.”

Jim was in a
quandary. He had assumed, as had everyone else that if the attack
Duchesne warned them about did come, their enemies would arrive
over the island chain, the traditional route, the route Duchesne
himself was convinced they would use. But what if Tara was correct
in thinking that they were planning to attack a different way using
the fleet that was gathering. Why, they could transport their army
anywhere on the northern continent and he had ordered the majority
of the Ryzcks and Lindars east to reinforce the beachhead that
abutted the chain.

“I will warn
Louis and Ustinya,” announced Afanasei. He turned to Jim, “you will
think on this and decide what we must do. You are, after all, our
Susyc.”