Dragons of the Valley - Donita K. Paul [75]
King Odidoddex would not appreciate Groddenmitersay’s personal claim to this venture, but the tumanhofer gave himself credit for the success they had encountered so far. He had masterminded the strategy. The king only provided men and a full purse.
Groddenmitersay had been the one to enlist the aid of The Grawl. That stroke of genius no doubt accounted for the amount of secrecy they had been able to maintain. The Grawl worked silently.
He put the pictures away and got out the maps of Chiril he used to plot the demise of the country. Pleasure warmed him as he went through a packet of reports from each of his first speatuses. Small forces surrounded the capital of Ragar, no more than six highly trained men in each unit. Four major trade routes had been disrupted. At his word, the king’s city would be completely cut off, under siege.
An army encamped in the foothills, having crossed through dangerous territory undetected. If anything, the encounters with the wild beasts of the mountains had honed their fighting skills. The weak or ill-trained had died in the frays. That was as it should be.
Next he marked each of the cities where spies maintained ordinary jobs, waiting for his command. It would be his command that brought victory. King Odidoddex would claim the honors, but the real power lay in Groddenmitersay’s hands. Those whose opinions he valued knew the truth.
The tumanhofer enjoyed his position. And to be quite frank, sitting on a throne and currying favor among a court full of idiots did not suit his taste. Ordering strong, fierce, and barbaric men to do his will gave him great satisfaction. He had squelched rebellions for the king. Now he would conquer another country. And the monetary gains he made from his occupation richly rewarded his efforts. Yes, he was a happy man. He folded the maps and prepared for bed. Tomorrow would be a busy day.
29
Pulling It Off
“Awk!” His startled cry reverberated against the wooden walls of his room at the inn.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Bec.” Lady Peg patted his feathered back. “Did that hurt?”
“A twinge,” said Sir Beccaroon, squinting and refusing to utter unkind words to Tipper’s mother.
The glue they used to fasten his prosthesis showed its age by getting more and more difficult to dissolve. The ordeal of removing the artificial tail so that a skin treatment could be applied caused Beccaroon to fall into a foul mood. He preferred Lady Peg’s gentle cleansing of his stump over Verrin Schope’s quicker methods. But right now he wanted to talk to the wizard sculptor.
“When did you say Verrin Schope would be with us?”
Lady Peg wrung water out of a cloth and draped it over the stubborn glue. “In just a little bit. He’s shipping more paintings to Ragar. He’s been very productive of late. He told me this collection will pay for new drapes and rugs at Byrdschopen.”
A knock on the door and a call from the other side indicated Verrin Schope had arrived. He entered the room with Hue and Grandur perched on his shoulders. They flew to Beccaroon, intent on aiding the glue removal procedure.
The wizard took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. “I sent a letter off to the Insect Emporium for the ingredients to make fresh adhesive.”
Lady Peg looked up at her husband. “But you sent the letter last week.”
“We should have heard from them by now. Perhaps my letter followed the route of my paintings.”
“Now why would a letter do that?” She shook her head. “Many of the problems of our world would be solved if people, and in this case, things, retained an awareness of purpose. Acquiring a list of ingredients is the purpose of the letter. Acquiring funds for the upkeep of Byrdschopen is the purpose of Verrin Schope’s art.”
Her husband lifted the soaking rag, his face a model of control. Beccaroon suspected her last remark had irked him. Verrin Schope and the dragons took over picking the pieces of glue off the parrot’s skin. Hue provided cheerful humming as they worked.
“Peg, my lady love, my art has a broader purpose than just to provide us with money.”
Her eyebrows rose, and she gave