Dragons of the Valley - Donita K. Paul [27]
A knock on the door interrupted the king. “Come,” he called out in annoyance.
The footman appeared in the doorway. “An urgent message for Chief Advisor Likens, your majesty.”
“Send him in.”
A disheveled courier bowed quickly to his king, then hurried to pass a folded paper to Likens.
The emerlindian councilman dismissed him. “You may wait outside.”
After reading quickly through the one-page missive, Chief Advisor Likens glanced around the table. “This is unconscionable. A citizen of Chiril has been tried in Baardack courts and sentenced to death.”
“What’s this?” asked King Yellat. “Surely they wouldn’t throw our diplomatic relations to the wind.”
Likens threw the paper he held onto the table. “There’s more. The man is dead. And I probably wouldn’t have been informed now except that Trader Bount was executed in Baardack and his body shipped home in a basket. A Baardack vessel sailed into Sandeego. The sailors dumped the basket and the merchandise Bount had taken to trade on the dock. A litigation pronouncement tagged the basket. Evidently, a Baardack citizen filed a grievance against Bount for a shady business deal. He was found guilty and hung.”
The king exploded out of his chair. “Preposterous. How dare they?”
Advisor Cornagin leaned forward, one clenched hand resting on a stack of papers. “All foreigners must be isolated, returned to their homeland, and denied entrance in the future.”
“On what grounds?” asked King Yellat. “We’ve good relations with all of our neighboring countries. If we treat their citizens with disrespect, the action will escalate this incident with Baardack.”
“I’m more concerned for our countrymen who have not returned,” said Chief Advisor Likens. “I recommend sending a delegation to Baardack to make inquiries and, if necessary, lodge a protest with King Odidoddex.”
“I agree,” the king said and turned to the marione advisor, Malidore. “We must also lay to rest the notion that we are not in control of Chiril’s destiny. In the same fashion that the first stories spread through the streets, let the people know that we have secreted the Trio of Elements statues to safety.”
Paladin broke his silence. “I find it strange that the rumors of the insurgent army and theft from the castle spread so quickly.”
“Yes,” said Chief Advisor Likens. “That says to me that something beyond the normal dispersion of gossip is at play.”
Beccaroon eyed the men in the room. Everyone but Verrin Schope followed the conversation with keen interest. The artist sat with his chin propped on his hand, still looking preoccupied.
Was he listening? Perhaps he dreamed about his stay in Amara and the intriguing tales of a god called Wulder who ruled above kings and queens. Would Beccaroon’s old friend ever again be of any use to his people?
Paladin pressed on. “The morale of the people is also a cause for alarm. I agree that there is more at work here than the circumstances we can identify. And I am curious why, as Verrin Schope has suggested, the three statues are not together.”
“I suggest,” said Beccaroon, “that Verrin Schope, Paladin, and I venture out of Ragar and get a closer look at the unrest in the neighboring towns.”
Paladin looked up and nodded, but Verrin Schope remained silent.
The king frowned at the quiet sculptor. “Verrin Schope?”
He looked up. “I apologize, King Yellat, but I must add to this gloomy scenario.” He closed his eyes and remained quiet.
“Well?” roared the king. “What else darkens our doorstep?”
With a weary sigh, Verrin Schope opened his eyes and shook his head. “Our plan to take the statues out of the city succeeded. But the scheme to put them back together in a secure place has not. Morning Glory, Day’s Deed, and Evening Yearns are still separated.”
King Yellat stared at his son-in-law. In a subdued tone, he said, “So you say, but I don’t understand why that is relevant to the dealings with Baardack. This is a local problem.”
“Local? Yes, local. I am using