Three days had passed since the priests of The Binder challenged Vilos. Perhaps the archangel had been pleased with his victory as heaven had blessed Vilos with peace and quiet. The laborers had the worst of the rubble cleared from the palace and they were now working on the roof. His chief engineer said the interior was still unstable so everyone was camping in the gardens. The groundskeepers had a fit when they saw the damage to their precious sod. Never mind that the palace lay in ruins.
High sun approached and the cooks had a dozen fires going to fix lunch for a couple hundred people. Vilos wandered around enjoying the sunshine and fresh air. It only distracted him from worrying about Shara for a few minutes, but he feared without that break he might go mad.
The hot season was ending and temperatures had come down to a more comfortable level. He’d heard nothing from Kent yet. That came as no big surprise. It would probably take at least another day for him to get home anyway. The royal magician had set up shop in the largest tent they could find and was once again able to perform the most basic of his tasks, the primary one being sending and receiving messages.
As if summoned by the thought, Vilos saw his magician approaching as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. Short even by the standards of the High Kingdom, Abin stood only a little over five feet at the tip of his bald head. In an effort to look more impressive, he wore a robe made entirely of cloth of gold. The bright sun made it nearly impossible for Vilos to look directly at him.
The little wizard bowed, his head coming about even with Vilos’s knee. “I have troubling news, Majesty.”
Vilos tried in vain to look through narrowed eyes. He finally gave up. “Can you do something about that glare?”
Abin looked around and realized what Vilos meant. “Sorry, Majesty.” He muttered something and a small cloud appeared over him. “Better?”
“Much,” Vilos said. “Now what’s the problem?”
“I just received two messages. Black Moon Oasis and Zorn’s Oasis are besieged.”
“Damn. Nomads?”
Abin nodded.
“Find out how bad off they are and tell them we’ll get help to them as soon as possible.”
Abin bowed and trundled off.
Vilos started pacing. “Why would the nomads attack again?” he wondered out loud.
“I’ll tell you.” Yosef approached with a small man dressed in the loose white robes favored by the nomads. “This is Elder Rao. He is speaker for one of the two clans not at war with us. Tell him what you told me.”
The elder nomad cleared his throat. “Several nights ago,” he began in a halting voice. “Seven families were killed while camped near different oases. Also every wild oasis has been poisoned. Many of my people died before we realized what had happened. From several fouled oases camel tracks led back to your towns.”
Vilos nodded, seeing the picture. “We wouldn’t poison oases. We’re as dependent on them when traveling through the desert as your own people. The other nomads must know this, Elder.”
“We held a gathering and some argued as you do, myself included. Others spoke angry words. They blamed your soldiers and said we should fight. There was great anger and little sense in these words. When we explained our positions the rash ones couldn’t change their minds without looking weak. We held a vote. All but my clan and one other chose war.”
“I thank you for the warning, Elder,” Vilos said.
“That is all the help you will get. We will not fight our own people.”
“If we can find a way to purify the oases, will your people end the war?” Vilos asked.
“I don’t know, Sultan. Many have died and others will want revenge. Even if the oases are made safe, I can’t say what my people will do.”
“I understand. Is there some way I can contact you if I need to?”
Rao held out his arm and let loose a shrill whistle. A falcon descended from the sky and alighted on his arm.
“Tie a message to his talon and he will seek me.” Rao urged the bird away and it flew up into one of the garden palms. “I must go. My clan grows restless.”
“Thank you again, Elder. Tell your clan that they can have as much water as they can carry.”
Rao bowed and shuffled toward the gate. Vilos and Yosef watched him until the gate shut.
“What do you think?” Vilos asked.
“There’s magic in this, no doubt about it. Your friend the sorcerer, perhaps?”
“No perhaps about it. Who else could poison every oasis in the High Kingdom so quickly?”
“What are we going to do about it?” Yosef asked.
“We’re going to have to fight. How many men can we muster?”
“Five thousand can march tomorrow if needs be, and I can call up another ten thousand reserves.”
“Call up half. We’ll send them out to reinforce the other towns. You and I will lead the regulars north to relieve the besieged towns.”
“If the oases are all poisoned, the nomads won’t be able to last long,” Yosef said. “If they can hold out a few days dehydration will take its toll.”
“We can’t count on that. I’ll bet they have a secret source of water besides the oases.”
Yosef nodded. “I’ll start calling up the reserves.”
Yosef left and Vilos went to check on Abin’s progress. The wizard sat hunched over his crystal ball when Vilos entered his tent. Vilos stood quietly and watched as Abin weaved from side to side. He knew better than to interrupt a wizard at work. A couple minutes passed before the wizard shuddered and sat up.
“What news?” Vilos asked.
Abin started then turned to face Vilos. “Both towns’ garrisons are holding. That attack last month might have been a blessing in disguise. The soldiers were extra alert and they got the gates closed in a hurry. No deaths reported on our side, yet. I also sent a short message to all the other towns warning them to keep their gates closed and barred.”
“Good, that’s better news than I feared. Now I’ve got another job for you. Someone has poisoned the wild oases. I want you to find a way to purify them.”
Abin frowned. The thought of actual work probably didn’t appeal to him. “What about messages?”
“Your apprentice can handle it, can’t he?”
“Yes, probably, but…”
“But nothing,” Vilos said. “Find a way to purify the oases, now.”
Vilos turned and left before Abin could think up any more excuses. When Vilos reached the soldier’s camp he bellowed, “Quartermaster!”
The quartermaster, a grizzled veteran that had served Vilos’s father before him, appeared as if by magic. “You yelled?”
“Yes, how much water would we need for ten thousand men for five days?”
“Marching through the desert you’ll need a gallon per day each so fifty thousand gallons should do it.”
“Very well, take whatever men and material you need, but get that water ready to go in three days.”
“Three days? Why can’t we just take the usual two gallons per man and refill at the Twenty Mile Oasis?”
Vilos frowned and briefly explained the situation.
“Damn me. Who’d be fool enough to poison water in the desert?”
Vilos offered a humorless smile. “My guess would be the same fool that flattened half the palace. Get that water ready.”
The quartermaster saluted. “Will do, Majesty.”
Vilos left to the sound of orders being barked. If anyone could get the job done, his trusty quartermaster could.
Two days passed in a hurry. The standing army had mustered in the central plaza of the city. A small crowd had gathered to watch, mostly family and curious children. Vilos walked down the ranks. Each man had his armor and weapons polished and in good shape. The archers had their bows restrung and a full brace of arrows. As he passed by Vilos heard several men grumbling about standing around out in the sun. He forced himself not to smile. If the soldiers were complaining it meant things were right about where they were supposed to be.
As he continued down the ranks he noticed some of the men had gotten a little round in the middle. Yosef was right; the men really had gotten soft during his reign. A few hundred miles of marching in the desert would take care of that. Vilos finished his review feeling pretty good about their chances.
The reserves wouldn’t be ready until tomorrow and then they’d march to war.
Vilos sighed. After the Crown War he’d hoped he’d never have to lead men into battle again. A fool’s wish he knew.
He shook his head; wishing was a waste of time. The battle needed to be fought and he would fight it. He left the troops under the watchful eye of his officers and headed to the palace to check on Abin’s progress. If his wizard could purify the oases perhaps some bloodshed could be avoided.
The moment he started away from the troops a score of the palace guard fell in place around him. Now that the stone soldiers had gone, they took their jobs much more seriously. The people made a path for the sultan and his guards. Anyone that didn’t move fast enough got a prod from the butt of a spear. He’d have to say something about that. Vilos couldn’t have his guards striking innocent people.
When they reached the palace Vilos dismissed the guards and made straight toward Abin’s tent. The closer he got the fewer people seemed to be around. A nasty odor filled the air, rather like the time all the camels got that intestinal disorder at the same time. By the time he reached the tent his eyes had started to water. Vilos poked his head inside and immediately pulled it back out. He staggered a step as the stink overwhelmed him.
Abin must have seen him because the wizard’s bald head emerged a moment later. “I’ll be right out, Majesty. I just have one experiment to finish.”
Vilos took a couple more steps to get further away from the stench. That turned out to be a wise move as a few seconds later something exploded and black smoke billowed out the flap. Abin staggered out a moment later coughing and spitting.
“I’m not encouraged, wizard,” Vilos said when Abin had caught his breath.
“Neither am I. Things could be worse though.”
“Explain.”
“I don’t want to get your hopes up so let me first say that I can’t neutralize the poison. Whoever cooked it up really knew their stuff.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
Abin winced. “The base poison is from an Abyssal scorpion. The demonic origin is one reason I can’t neutralize it. The poison has been magically altered to make it exceptionally deadly to humans.”
“I thought you said there was some good news.”
“No, I said it could be worse.” Seeing Vilos scowl Abin hurried on. “For example the water is harmless to animals.”
“At least we can water the camels. Anything else?”
“Just one thing: this time next year the water will be fine.”
“Explain.”
“The nature of the poison will cause it to break down in approximately one year.”
“Why?”
Abin shrugged.
“Very well, any news from the north?”
“None, Majesty.”
Vilos nodded and left the wizard to his stink. One year. Maybe he could make a bargain. Vilos wandered through the garden lost in thought. The area seemed deserted, perhaps thanks to Abin’s exploding tent.
Vilos spotted the nomad elder’s falcon and held up his arm. The bird glided down to him. He took it to his tent, gathering more than a few curious looks as he passed through the more populated areas of the garden.
His guards moved aside as he approached his tent. Once inside the falcon hopped off his arm and onto the back of his chair. He rubbed his arm where its talons had scratched him. Vilos sat down and wrote a brief note asking for a meeting to discuss a possible solution to the hostilities.
Vilos tied the note to the bird’s leg and took it outside. He held up his arm. “Take this to your master.”
The falcon leapt into the air.