Powder Mage: The Autumn Republic Part 23

"You said-"

"I asked what I could do to help. I did not offer to put myself and my family back into harm's way. No, sir, I will not deal with Claremonte. I have already put my family through enough as it is for this cause. I have lost a son!" And to something far worse than death.

Tamas frowned down into his cup. "I see."

Adamat realized that his heart was pounding. He'd not expected to come in here and start shouting, but he had to draw the line somewhere. The lives of Tamas's men were in his own hands, and d.a.m.n him if he thought he could use guilt as leverage against Adamat.

"You'll be going back to Adopest soon?" Tamas asked.

"First thing in the morning," Adamat said. He lowered himself back into his chair. He felt so incredibly old.

"Would a lesser request sway you?"

Adamat c.o.c.ked an eyebrow, sensing a trap. Tamas had backed off of that far too quickly for one of his kind. "What is it?" He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "What can I do, sir?"

"Offer Ricard your help in his political campaign. He'll need all the aid he can get-especially from men he trusts. You two are friends, are you not?"

"Ricard is running against Claremonte," Adamat said. The very man Adamat wished to avoid.

Tamas made a calming gesture. "I'm not asking you to get too closely involved. Just give him some help. A kind word. Lend him your talent for memory. Whatever you can spare."

"I'll do what I can," Adamat said after a moment's consideration. "But I don't guarantee anything. I will not get caught up in Claremonte's web again."

Tamas responded with a tight nod. He opened his mouth to say something else, but they were interrupted by a light rap on the tent pole and a messenger putting his head inside. "Sir?"

"What is it?"

"I've a messenger from the king."

"What king? Deliv? They're here already?"

"No, sir. From the Kez. Ipille has sued for peace. He wants to parley."

Adamat's presence was forgotten the moment word came that the Kez wanted to discuss terms of peace. He slunk back to his tent amongst the ensuing round of late-night messengers and sudden meetings and managed just a few hours of restless sleep before his carriage was ready to take him back to Adopest.

He bid his driver to wait for him, and stole through the morning chaos of the camp, working off directions from the field marshal's bodyguard to find one particular tent in a sea of thousands.

He was saved the embarra.s.sment of having to put his head in tent after tent to find Privileged Borbador by spotting the Privileged himself sitting beside a smokeless fire, long-stemmed pipe clutched in his teeth. His jacket was immaculately pressed, his muttonchops trimmed. He looked as dapper as an officer with half a dozen batboys. Adamat wondered how sorcery could be applied to help one's morning routine, and at the same time noted that the fire had no fuel.

"Good morning, Inspector," Bo said softly. He put a finger to his lips and pointed to the tent behind him.

"Good morning, Privileged." Adamat took his hat in his hands and tried not to look nervous.

The Privileged glanced up from his sorcerous fire. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I..." Adamat cleared his throat. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Maybe it would be for the best if he just left things alone.

"Yes?"

"It's a sensitive matter."

Bo took out the pipe from between his lips and scowled at the empty bowl. "Haven't had a spare minute to find any pipe tobacco. You wouldn't happen to have any, would you?"

Adamat felt around for his own pipe and pouch, and removed it from his pocket. "Just a little." He gave the rest of the pouch to Bo, who nodded his thanks, taking a moment to pack his pipe and light the bowl from a flame that sprang from his finger. He looked up, meeting Adamat's eyes.

Whatever the Privileged had been pondering when Adamat approached had been tucked away. He now had Bo's full attention, and he wasn't sure he wanted it.

"Does this have to do with your son?" Bo asked.

"It does."

"I promised I would help you get him back. Tamas is trying to recruit me, and that complicates things. But I still plan on holding to my promise."

"I'm returning to Adopest," Adamat said.

Bo watched him carefully, his eyes soft. "Have you given up?" His voice was not unkind.

"Circ.u.mstances have changed."

"In what way?"

Adamat licked his lips. It was time to be strong. For himself. For Faye. For Josep. "My son has been turned into a Warden. A Black Warden. I saw him myself at the battle. He would have killed me, but I called his name and he fled."

"Can you be sure?"

"As sure as I can."

Bo seemed to consider this for a moment. "I can't do anything for him. The process of creating a Warden cannot be reversed. The Adran Cabal has tried. And these Black Wardens, even their corpses stink of Kresimir's sorcery. I would likely die trying to counter that."

"I know. I mean, I read a book on Wardens once. Only a few chapters, really, but I know that the process can't be reversed."

"Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to change the terms of our agreement." Adamat thought that Bo might disagree immediately. After all, an agreement was an agreement. He expected Bo to hold to nothing but the letter of it.

"I'm listening," Bo said.

"I want you to find my son. And I want you to kill him."

CHAPTER.

21.

It took four days to arrange the parley. During the uneasy peace, brigades on both sides were reinforced and allowed to posture, and messengers were exchanged. Two days after finalizing the parley, Tamas found himself in a town just off the southern highway about fifteen miles north of Fendale.

Calling it a town was actually quite generous. There were less than a dozen buildings, the biggest of which, a Kresim chapel, had been appropriated for the purpose of the meeting. There was no sign of the previous occupants of the town. Whether they'd evacuated months ago or been enslaved by the Kez, there was no way of knowing, and it wasn't high on Tamas's list of questions to ask the Kez king.

Riders came and went for the better part of the morning, and Tamas pa.s.sed his time watching Ipille's retinue where they camped on the other side of the town, about a mile away. Not a lot of the camp was visible-Ipille had set up in a shallow ravine, out of the wind.

And out of sight of any powder mages.

Tamas commented on the fact to Olem, who lifted his looking gla.s.s to examine one of Ipille's royal guard standing on a hill overlooking the Kez camp.

"He doesn't trust you, sir," Olem said.

"I can't terribly blame him. I did try to kill him once."

Olem lowered his looking gla.s.s and removed a cigarette from the corner of his mouth. "He's tried to have you killed a dozen times, at least."

"True," Tamas said wistfully. "But I've wrapped my fingers around his throat. That's a little different."

"Ah. You ever going to tell me that story?"

"Maybe when I'm drunk someday."

"You don't drink, sir."

"Exactly."

One of Olem's Riflejacks rode up to give his report, and a moment later Olem conferred with Tamas. "Sir, my boys have given the all-clear. The town is empty except for a couple of Ipille's royal guard, and they've scouted everything within half a dozen miles. If it's a trap, Ipille is far cleverer than we give him credit."

"Ipille is far cleverer than we give him credit. Fortunately for us, the one skill he lacks is the ability to select for talent. That's why all of his generals and field marshals have only ever been half-competent at best. You've had a few Knacked checking for Privileged and Wardens?"

"No Wardens. And just one fifth-rate Privileged. Supposedly she's the head of the royal cabal now, with everyone stronger dead."

"Tell Vlora to keep the Privileged in her sights, in case she tries something."

"You know, sir," Olem mused, "Ipille is doubtless traveling with a kingly entourage. We've only brought fighting men. We have the superior force. We could..." He imitated a pistol with his thumb and forefinger.

"Don't tempt me." The thought had already occurred to Tamas. Several times. "We're in position to end this war. Kill Ipille, and one of his b.l.o.o.d.y stupid sons will call for our heads and might even gain sympathy throughout the Nine. Taniel!" Tamas waved his son forward. Taniel looked up from speaking with one of the Riflejacks and waved back. He said a few more words and walked over.

Taniel had cleaned up well since his ordeal in the mountains. He'd shaved, bathed, and been given a new uniform. He bore a dozen more scars than when Tamas had sent him up South Pike Mountain, and there was a patch of white hair around his right ear that Tamas hadn't noticed before. He wore the powder keg pin of a powder mage on his breast, but no rank.

Tamas drummed his fingers on his saddle horn. "I gave you a promotion, you know," he said, eyeing Taniel's empty lapels.

"Technically," Taniel responded, "I'm not one of your soldiers anymore."

"That's rubbish and you know it."

Taniel let his weight fall to his back leg and his hand rested on the b.u.t.t of one pistol. Even here, surrounded by allies, he adopted the stance of a casual killer. Similar to Olem, but without the bodyguard's watchfulness. Taniel wasn't ready to kill because he needed to. Just... because.

"I made an agreement with Brigadier Abrax. I'm a member of the Wings of Adom."

"And I told you that you never left my service. Your dismissal was orchestrated by a traitor on one side and a war profiteer on the other. No court, military or civilian, would uphold the results of that court-martial."

"Of course, father," Taniel said quietly.

Tamas bristled. They'd had this conversation a dozen times, and each time Taniel made a show of conceding the point. But he still had yet to attach the major's pins to his lapel.

"This could be a trap," Taniel said.

Tamas shook his head. "We've checked."

"It's the real thing? Ipille wants peace?"

"That's what we've been led to believe."

"We could just kill him," Taniel said.

Olem nodded emphatically. "That was my suggestion."

Tamas sighed. No need to dignify that with a response. As much as he wanted Ipille's head on the end of a bayonet, he was acting as a politician now. This had to be done right. And, he reminded himself at the sight of a group of riders cresting the highway a few hundred yards distant, he wasn't doing this himself.

"My lady," Tamas greeted Lady Winceslav when she arrived.

The Lady wore a sharp red riding dress with black boots and rode with a carbine laid across her saddle. She pulled up next to Tamas and looked him up and down.

"Abrax is furious with you."

"I know."

"So am I."

"I a.s.sumed as much."

"You're a fool. And you almost lost us this war." Her tone was level, one eyebrow raised as if she were slightly bemused. Despite her outward appearance, Tamas had known the Lady long enough to see that she was quite put out.

"But I didn't," he said.

"You're incorrigible. h.e.l.lo, Olem. h.e.l.lo, Taniel."

Olem nodded. Taniel stepped to the Lady's side and kissed her hand. "Good afternoon, my lady."

"I'm glad to see you're still alive. No thanks to this one." She jerked her chin at Tamas, and Tamas forced himself to swallow a biting remark. "Are you sure," she continued, "that you want to remain in the employ of the Adran army? I'll double whatever they're paying you."

Tamas eyed his son for a moment, and Taniel seemed to enjoy the uncomfortable silence that followed. Finally, he said, "My place is here, my lady. For now."