Cheilin Saga ~25

 Cheilin Saga ~25 The net is Closing

By Len Morgan

Aldor strode purposefully down familiar corridors, his mind seeking far ahead.   He located his target and entered her mind without subtlety, it was immediately open and receptive, he was seeking the manner and bearing of her handler.   He realised immediately the handler would be a Bride of Bedelacq and that she was in the city.   He would have to act quickly if his plan was to succeed.   Zophira’s mind was open to him.   He could view her past and identify her prime motivators.  He could trigger the right synapses and turn her around, but he had to be decisive and act now!  

.-…-. 

   Sloan rubbed his eyes, they felt tired and itchy, and the day had barely begun.   He had already issued orders to a dozen teams of Militiamen, working the streets in pairs, looking out for potential troublemakers and malcontents.   In less than an hour, the procession would be heading down the Central Highway, it was time to take up positions which for him meant being out on the route.   He felt it unlikely an attack would be launched whilst everyone was fresh and alert, but nothing could be left to chance.

He freely admitted he had occasionally been wrong in the past, and thought it likely he could be wrong again, so his men would not be complaisant.

“Yes?”   He acknowledged the knock on his office door.

“”We have Bordek,” said corporal Dragor.

“Send him in corporal.”

“I ain't done athin Sloan, I bin straight as an arrer, since you was corprel, Tads faith.”

“You are wanted in connection with the disappearance of an official, from the palace, name of Hestor,” said Sloan.

Bordek returned his gaze with a look of puzzlement.  “Don’t know what yer at, I’ve never eard the name.”

“I won’t trade semantics with you maggot.   You were seen in the Black Gryphon in the company of this man.   You led him down an alley on C16…”

“Aw-rite, Aw-rite!   Yes, I met a cove and led him to a meeting place as a faver to a quaintnce.   Nothin L’egal bout that is there?   Try to offer a helping hand an I’m in trouble fer it...”

“Your always trouble” said Sloan quietly.

“An yer alus trouble!   If I see ya a-comin I run the other way.   Yer pafetic!   Ya don have a life, outside this place, yer institushonlised!” Bordek yelled.   Then he stopped shouting, realising where he was, and with whom; the silence stretched interminably.

“Ha Ha Ha!”   Dragor burst into hysterical laughter.

“What’s so damned funny,” Sloan had to yell to be heard.

“He has got a point there, even you must concede, don’t you think?” said Dragor.

Outside the office, curious bystanders were treated to a sound as rare as dragon’s blood, first two then three voices burst into uncontrollable laughter.   Infectious laughter everybody remaining in the watch room was roaring with laughter and most of them didn’t have an inkling why, yet they were unable to stop.

“So tell us what was said and where you took him.   If it was harmless as you say, your friend will have a reasonable explanation, and we can all attend to more pressing business.   I may even stand you a few mugs of ale by way of recompense,” said Sloan.

“Don’t, I’ve laughed enough for one day” pleaded Dragor.

Bordek thought a while.

“A’right I’ll tell it as it happened,” he said.   “I met a man who I owed, Peyker’s is name.   He said as he wuz buzzy, would I meet a cove fer-im.  Depends I said.    S’legal he said an since it was o some import, to a client he wuz cortin, he would pay me fer it.  What is it, I aksed.   Meet the man and take him to my place at C18 off E8 (No.36).   He wuz most particolor that we wasn’t follered; Peyker has a deal o enemies so ter speak.   I aksed him what’s in it fer me and he says I’ll wipe yer slate.   That wuz good enough fer me I says.    So he proceeds ter describe the cove in detail an tells me when and where.   So I waits at the Black Gryphon, an he arrives.  He took jus one small sip o the ale I’d lined up as agreed an paid fer by Pyker.   I’ll do whatever you asks, he says jus don’t arm the boy.   Don’t know nuthin about anything I says, I’m jus here ter guide yer to an appointment, so sup up yer ale and let’s be goin.   All the while he’s on about this lad Gavein, as he don’t in any circumstance want im in no comprermizin perzishiun…”

“When was this,” Sloan asked his urgency showing in his voice.

“Why yester evnin as I rekerlect.”

“Ok Bordek, you can go.”

“I – I can?”   he said looking incredulous.

“You told me the truth?”

“Why yes sir,” said Bordek.

“Then you are free to go, and thank you for your help.”

“If I’d known what comes of elpin true, ida done it years past,” he smiled.

“Here’s something for the ale I promised you,” said Sloan, tossing a handful of coins in Bordek’s direction.

Bordek grabbed and ran.

“I want half a dozen men outside ready to go in two minutes,” he said to Dragor.   “We are going to pay a visit on that address, there are still questions to be answered, and send a messenger to fetch Aldor.   Jump to it, corporal.”

“Sir!”   Dragor dashed from the office and was ready with six men when Sloan emerged.

“You will have to walk the route for me Dragor,” he said, “I must get to their lair.   They will not be there of course but we need to get as much information from the scene as possible and that is my forte.   Be careful corporal, they are a dangerous breed,” said Sloan; “Remember our first priority is to maintain law and order, let the Reds and Aldors lot worry about the emperor's safety.   If they are required to act, it means we have failed to do our job.” 

 

They shook hands and took off in opposite directions.   “Come on lads, double up, there are killers abroad this morning.”

Within ten minutes they were outside the house.   Three men went to cover the rear of the building; the others took the front with Sloan.   They tried the door first, it was locked.    They knocked, three times in quick succession without reply.   They listened at the key latch; there was no sound of movement, though one of the men at the rear thought he heard a cry.  

Sloan knocked again and listened intently.   “Ha Aah!” there it was louder and more insistent.   “Right!   I want this door opened, if necessary break it down,” he said.  

His men responded with coordinated shoulder charges, but the lintels absorbed the power and the door did not budge, “keep at it lads,” said Sloan, crossing the road to the local tavern.   He returned in moments with a heavy oak trestle bench and two hefty barmen.

“They are not the most popular occupants of the street,” the barkeep volunteered, “there have been a lot of strange comings and goings at all hours and none of them ever use our hostelry.”

“Put your backs into it lads!” Sloan yelled encouragement.   After multiple attempts with the improvised battering ram, the door hung off its hinges.   Sloan was first in and followed the muffled cries, they were louder now.

“Search the place from top to bottom, I want to know everything you find,” he went through to open the rear access door.

“Nobody came out this way sergeant.”

“Sergeant this way sir!”   Sloan followed the voice down into a dank bare cellar.

“This is how I found him sir” Sloan nodded, staring down at an elderly man, manacled to the wall by wrist and ankle restraints, he was completely naked.   One look at the man, his skin pallor, confirmed he was in a serious condition.

“Call the nearest physician, it’s urgent and he must come immediately.   When Aldor arrives I want him brought straight here. 

.-…-. 

Aldor plunged deeper into her mind; there was no time for niceties.   He went straight to her formative years, as a child when other children made fun of her because of the odd beliefs her parents held; they were worshipers of Bedelacq.

‘Do they make you drink blood?   Do then kill and eat babies,’ one boy chided.   ‘You’re a bloodsucker, a leech, leech, leech,’ the other children took up the chant and she ran off in tears.

 

“I don’t want to go back there, they are evil children.   Please mother don’t make me go back to that school” she pleaded.

“You must go back child your father has worked extremely hard, to ensure you get a good education, would you tell him he’s wasted his efforts and his money?   If you do not return they will think it is acceptable to treat any child from Bluttland in the same manner.   You must be strong and face them down my child.” 

   She was hassled and bullied for two years, but she learned to fight back, and by so doing gained the grudging respect of some of her tormentors.   Others who found themselves to be victims went to her for support and she showed them how to resist and fight their tormentor in so doing she was able to convert a small group to ‘the way of blood’.   She had been indoctrinated by her parents and by the priests, almost from birth and where peer pressure might have led her away from it, the attacks and bullying had the exact opposite effect.   She was pushed back into her faith, drawing it around her like a protective cloak, wielding it like an avenging sword.   In reality, she did not hate or despise intolerant people, they were just people, who were afraid of what they did not understand.

   The big difference, being raised in Cheilin, was that she was cushioned from the realities of ‘the way of blood’.   Yes, they sacrificed a few animals and birds; it was done reverently and respectfully, and afterwards, they feasted on the flesh.

That all changed however when his Bride, Efelel, arrived.   Suddenly there were human sacrifices.   They were not willing offerings, they were brought to the feast bound and gagged, and she knew that here in the eternal city it was against the law to take a life.   Rather than feeling uplifted after the conjunction she had felt ashamed.   Some people who were braver than she, spoke out against the acts, and became victims themselves at the next conjunction.   She resolved to keep silent about her distaste.

It was therefore not difficult for Aldor to tweak and modify a thought here a memory there, just enough to moderate her memories and paint over the years of indoctrination and turn her away from the path laid down by Efelel.   When he finally arrived in her chamber she was crying. 

“Uh!”  She gazed at him with a mixture of shock and horror…   “You!   What are you doing here?”    Unable to disguise her feelings, she retreated from him.

“I am not who you think,” he began, looking deeply into her eyes.

“No, I will not do harm Gavein, I – I love him…” she said.

“I am not here to hurt anybody,” Aldor said.

“Then why do you risk coming to the palace, today of all days, Why?”

He looked into the dark pointing her mind where her fear and prejudice lurked; it was interesting that she feared Efelel but not his double, and It was obvious she really had fallen for Gavein, the heir apparent, without regard for his office; not very professional of her.

“He doesn’t want to be Emperor you know,” she said as if reading Aldor's mind.   “He would kill himself, rather than do harm to his father or to the empire.   Even though she has made him hers, he will not strike the blow for Bluttland.   He is first and foremost a servant of the Cheilin Empire.”   Her voice was strong and defiant.

“You think not,” he asked, testing her.  

“I have warned him of her power, of how I betrayed him by leading him into her trap.   He knows she could command him to do anything, and so is prepared to take his own life if necessary.”

“You think she would allow that?” 

 “Don’t you think I know?  I have tried to break away from her...” 

“She is too strong?” he said still testing her.

“He made me swear that if he looked like striking the blow, I would kill him!”

“Then what would become of you killer of the Emperor elect?”

“I would not care,” she said, “I would kill myself, do you think I would want to live on; without him I am nothing?”

“Then what is to prevent me from killing you before it is time,” said Aldor.

“You’re him aren’t you, the other one?” she said.

“I am Aldor, if that is what you mean, how did you know?”

“Your eyes are pale blue and full of life.   You sound less demanding, but the activity in my mind is far more than I ever experienced from my contacts with Efelel, yet you are gentler and somehow more respectful.    When she leaves me I feel bruised and misused.   When you moved through my mind it felt as if a healing hand had passed over me.   It felt as though things, which had been long hidden from me, were suddenly revealed.   Please, don’t let her win!”  

(To be continued)

Copyright Len Morgan