LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC – ON THE WAY TO THE CAPITAL – SECTION 29

Disaidun Agripe was brought before Zunrogo in a distraught state, crying bitterly and trembling like a leaf; but as soon as she was released from Tizan's iron grip, she turned to,  with fire burning in her eyes, unflinching, meet Zunrogo’s icy, stone gaze, then in resounding (evocative, ringing, decisive) voice  beseeched Zunrogo to be merciful, to spare her and not inflict this disgrace upon her family.

01-DISAIDUN AGRIPE 4 JP

Tizan, missing this entirely, looked at the captain expecting him to be furious but, with a cruel half-smile on his lips, Zunrogo was shamelessly sizing her up from head to toe, mentally undressing her with his eyes.

Turning his attention to Tizan momentarily, Zunrogo snapped, "What are you standing there for?  You are dismissed!"

"Yes sir." Tizan responded sharply, “Sorry, sir." 

As he whirled about on his heels to face the door he stole a brief, sly look at the quivering, terrified, distraught woman.  Outside the cabin he shrugged dispassionately, a broad smile on his lips, “Why not?  She is a looker.  Some savory dish…Bon appetite, Captain.”  

Then his face darkened, and a sinister grin painted his face, “Very interesting…  I guess he's not infallible after all.”

Still sobbing, Disaidun Agripe contemptuously watched out of the corner of her eye as Tizan closed the door tightly behind him.

Zunrogo, not in any great hurry, strolled to the cabin's porthole and stared out at the dense veil of congealed mist and fog.  He felt like he was floating in a cloud that obscured everything.  He reflected on how the tasks he had assigned to Tizan would take him at least a couple of hours to conclude, ample time for what he craved.

“Perhaps,” he thought, “it might relieve this oppressive boredom. It might even be entertaining in the slight, to toy with this captive mouse for a time.”

                                                                                  ~

 

Few moments after Tizan had left the room and she was certain that he was long gone, Disaidun Agripe abruptly ceased her dramatics, straightened her posture and then with a callous (uncaring) hand brushed the imagined dust off her skirt, as she waited patiently for Zunrogo to speak.  When no sound came forth, she briefly glanced at the door then asked, "Don't you trust him?"

"Why should he know everything?" Zunrogo answered truthfully, continuing to stare out the porthole as if distracted.

“Not a trace of fear in her voice,” he noted his back still to her.

“We'll see about that.”  His eyes narrowed.

"I suppose," Disaidun shrugged.  Surveying the room with avid interest her eyes rested on Zunrogo's magnificent sword with its jeweled hilt.  She rubbed her arm, the arm she could use if needed to effectively wield that sword in her own defense.

02- DISAIDUN AGRIPE JP 5

"He needn't have been so rough," Disaidun Agripe let out a plaintive grunt as she contemplated how best to edge closer to the weapon.

"He wasn't."  His back still to her, Zunrogo knew instinctively where her gaze rested, and he grimaced coldly.

 "Sit down," he ordered in a stern voice.

"Don't mind if I do."  Disaidun abandoned the risky plan and, swaying her hips, she sauntered in the opposite direction and sat herself boldly in the most comfortable chair, his chair, and rested her hands demurely on her lap.

"Now suppose you tell me why I was summoned here then," she indignantly demanded, a faint, seductive intonation hiding under her arrogance.

To try to get some emotion from this hardened, unsentimental warrior would be a real challenge.  Oh, but she loved challenges.  All men, no matter what kind, sooner or later had always succumbed to her charms.

She remembered her latest triumph (challenge), just before she came on board, and a fleeting smile crossed her lips as she thought of him.  “Yes, it had done a lot to boost her confidence even further and, what's more, it had been done right under her unsuspecting husband's nose.”  She shivered slightly as a special thrill coursed up her spine.

“But hadn't that clenched the deal, made the conquest of her prey even sweeter?  He coveted her affections despite the absence of his manhood.  He coveted her because he knew, as the half-brother of her husband; he could never openly claim her.  He craved her because, though many despised his kind, she did not.”

"Why aren't you afraid?" Zunrogo asked dryly, suddenly breaking the deliberately prolonged silence.

"Why?  Should I have a reason to be afraid?  Are you not just going to maul me or something?" Disaidun answered alluringly, suggestive in her coquettish shyness.

"Don't be so impertinent," he barked then half-turned.

His fiery gaze burrowed through her, making her flesh crawl.  "Only fools have no fear."

The awful threat implicit in his icy tone instantly sapped all the courage, the confidence, the arrogance from her.

As if mesmerized, Disaidun Agripe in that instant came to believe him capable of most horrific, vile acts.  Moreover, he had no weaknesses; he was immune to it all.

 A sudden, potent fear gripped her chest and made her heart palpitate wildly.  Yet, strangely enough, at that same moment she felt irresistibly drawn to him.  He awakened in her a strange set of conflicting emotions. “No, she'll never succumb to the likes of him; not ever again!” 

Summoning up all her courage and will to withstand the overwhelming pressure, she bit her lip and looked angrily away.  She will remain defiant to the end.  

“He did not scare her, not one bit!”

“Good,” Zunrogo allowed himself an inward smile. “I hate easy conquests.” 

Softening the expression on his face, he allowed a warm smile to reach his lips as he walked across and eased himself into the next (less comfortable) chair.  His tone as he subsequently addressed some non-committal issues should have disarmed her, but he could see that she was wary of him now and was fighting with all the resistance she could muster to remain vigilant.

03- ZUNROGO TUGO- JP  17

 Unknown to Disaidun, this pleased him more.  His voice was superficially polite, but stern he asked, "First tell me, is he for real?"  He kept the question purposefully vague to test her wit.

"Yes, he's legally my husband (spouse)."  Disaidun understood and responded truthfully.

“Stupid woman,” he scoffed. “You needn't have gone to such lengths.  You were set up to succeed with that despicable eunuch Zohuj Kez whether you had married his half-brother or not.”

Though Disaidun was studying him astutely she could not tell in the least what was playing through his mind, and this unnerved her once more.

Zunrogo’s demeanor unchanged, he tested her with another seemingly innocuous question,

 "What about the child?”  He knew the answer already.

“Tait is not mine.  Ceroz, my husband, lost his precious former wife in birthing it."

"And you stepped in, seizing the opportunity to fill the vacuum in his destitute heart and home." Zunrogo curtly cut her story short.

Then, grimacing wryly, he asked, "How did she die, again?"

She looked him straight in the eye.  "It was heart failure, I believe."

"That's how the coroner's official report read.  How did she really die of?"

Before she could indignantly demand what, it was, he was insinuating, he cut her short.

"Tell me, do you care at all what happens to either of them now?"  His voice was cold.

Disaidun shrugged, seeing no point to her denials, "Not particularly."

Smiling tightly, she then reached for the tea, "May I?'

"Help yourself.  And don't worry; it's not been tainted with the deadly ‘Sschrofik’ blossom."  Zunrogo studied how she struggled to keep her composure and failed, as her face turned ghostly white, and fear enlarged her pupils.

 "Only a slight touch of ‘Yourek” has been added." He indifferently, intoned.

 When she threw him a questioning look, freezing in her gesture, he added, "The truth drug.  You're not afraid of the truth, are you?"

Settling back in his chair, Zunrogo gave a short laugh and noted how she debated with herself whether to respond with a witty, convincing feint or a curt remark to put him in his place.

By then she had come to detest him. Disaidun would have wrung his neck if she could.  He was not there to arrest her, though, because of that she was certain.  What's more, she knew a squeeze play when she saw one.  Unfortunately, she could not figure out his angle.  What was it that he was after?

"You may serve me one as well."  Zunrogo decided to let her off the hook.

“So, he was just bluffing,” inwardly she heaved a deep sigh, “The nerve of him, asking me to serve him!” 

He was watching her closely and noted with some amusement her momentary outrage, followed by sound reasoning, subsequently, how she vacillated on whether to do as he bid her.

“She could accidentally knock the pot off of the table.”  In her defiance she had, for a spell, entertained an apt rebuff; but relenting, quickly aborted that snub also.  Besides, her throat was parched, and she had been craving some hot liquid ever since she had ceased all that emotional outburst, crying and pleading, in short, splendid performance. 

In the end she gave in and poured herself a cupful then, after a brief hesitation, poured one for him as well.  Her inbred (ingrained) manners took root as she offered it to him with a courtly flourish, "I can take the truth if you can."

His stone gaze deliberately pierced her to the quick and he inwardly savored how her hand trembled slightly as she stubbornly held the cup out to him when he did not move, right away, to take it from her.  She could have given up and placed the cup back onto the table, but she had a point to make.

"Thank you," he finally accepted it.

Seething in anger, she lowered her head and drunk the tea in quick repetitive sips to hide her irate thoughts.

In contrast, he took several prolonged sips then, with deliberate slowness put the cup down, his eyes glued to her all the while.

Her thirst sated, she looked up, unflinchingly meeting his stone gaze.  "There is no such thing as the truth drug, is there?" she asked.

His response was delayed.  His face showed nothing as he disregarded her question altogether, "I called you here because you may be of some use to me."  He lied, "And because I believe you are quite capable.  After all, you have succeeded, where others have failed, have you not?"

"Capable of what?" Disaidun’s coy laughter registered her nervousness.  She swallowed hard and lowered her eyes away from Zunrogo's stern gaze.  Then, raising them again she narrowed them instinctively as she studied him boldly, looking for any trace of deceit or lechery in those cold, gray pupils. 

What did he want from her?  But the wall he set up was impenetrable.

Zunrogo, surmising this, smiled again with a strange glint in his eyes.

For now, his sole requirement of her was to learn who dispatched her on this assignment, even though he suspected she would be ignorant of this, having been covertly approached by someone acting as an agent.  He was confident, none the less, of his ability to deduce who this mystery man might be from the gleaned bits and pieces of information from her.

Still, he was in no great hurry.  He rested his intense scrutiny on her briefly then, disinterestedly, looked away.

This put Disaidun Agripe more at her unease.  She hung her head.  “He's toying with me.”  

She decided to push, to get some answers.  "You say I may be of some use to you?" she investigated his face and demanded.  "But, if I were to do your bidding, what would I get out of it in return?  Will you release me unharmed to go on with my way?  Or am I destined to perish like the rest on board when it’s all over?"

So, she understands more than she lets on.  

Gripping the edges of the small table Zunrogo menacingly leaned across, his breath brushing her face and his expression suddenly hard, uncompromising.  "You are hardly in a position to bargain, Missy."

His cold, gray eyes again burrowed into Disaidun, eroding in an instant all the confidence she had fought so hard to maintain since that first episode when she had come into the room. But then unexpectedly, his expression softened once more and, with a broad grin, he leaned back.

"Certainly, you will be spared.  You have my word on that, Miss Jepipi.  I would not dream of obstructing you further."  He answered her with a cold voice that belied his warm, disarming smile.

Disaidun Agripe’s (Jepipi’s) surprise was clearly marked on her face.  "How do you know my code name?" she asked.

"I have my resources.  I trust you have completed your recent assignment with due expedience and satisfaction?"

Even though she knew that the attempt was futile, she met his gaze unflinchingly and flatly denied it, "I don't know what you're talking about.  I'm through with all that now I'm a happily married woman.  I lead a simple life, the kind I've always wanted."

"Oh, come now!" Zunrogo threw his head back and laughed, "A simple life?  That's hardly your style.  You're contradicting yourself; happily married indeed!"

His countenance suddenly became stern as he added in an icy tone, "But your secret is safe with me, Miss Jepipi, so long as you cooperate.  Now tell me, how much longer do you intend on keeping up with this farcical charade?"

His cold insinuation visibly startled her.

Clearly, she was done with her husband, but why hadn't she discarded him yet, why this ambivalence?

"Are you infatuated with him?" Zunrogo's question echoed in her mind.  "Granted he is good looking and rather well off."

04-DISAIDUN AGRIPE JP

“How much does he know?  He knows an awful lot already, as if he can see right through me.  Unnervingly, he seems most capable of deciphering my innate feelings, my innermost thoughts, even before I, myself, become aware of them.”  Disaidun Agripe took a shuddering breath and, after studying Zunrogo from the corner of her eye, turned her head away.

“He’s really beginning to terrify me; I must stand firm, must defy this overwhelming sense of panic.” 

Disaidun did not even notice the first effects of the ‘Yourek drug’ as it infiltrated her brain, causing the emotions to act with that small bit of control missing.  Such were its subtle effects that, as one sunk deeper under its spell, one was not even aware of one's loss of inhibition, or of its inevitable suppression of all normal censors.

Just then a thought, an idea flashed across her mind and, turning her curious gaze back to him she wondered, “Was he the same covert figure who had mysteriously appeared in my bed chamber in the dead of night and approached me with this unusual assignment?”

“No,” she quickly answered herself. “His voice, his manners, even his gestures are all so different, so wrong and Zunrogo is far leaner and taller than he.  Could he then be my anticipated contact?”  Again, the answer was negative.  “He didn't use the secret password for identification, and he hadn't responded when I posed the coded inquiry earlier.  This is proof positive of a leak.  When I do meet the contact, I must warn him of this infiltration and of the dire repercussions that are possible from this Zunrogo.”

Just as she, eyeing Zunrogo suspiciously with her guard up, was about to put a question to him, his abrupt, pointed inquiry startled her anew, "I trust that you have the letter, from…well we won't mention any names or titles, in your safekeeping?"

Disaidun Agripe threw him a furious, forbidden look as if to say, “No!  You can't have it!”

But strangely, he seemed not to be anxious about it at all, nor did he press his inquiry about its exact whereabouts or make the least attempt to seize it by force.

Having directed (turned) her concentration to the letter, Zunrogo, subsequently (in short shrift), through his artful manipulation, guided her into revealing to him all the pertinent information about the covert contact, to determine who it was that had dispatched her on this assignment.

When after a spell he had pieced it all together in his mind, the unexpected result took him totally by surprise, for his calculations had revealed the most unlikely candidate, one with an obvious conflict of interest and the one farthest from his mind.

While Zunrogo kept on the outward pretense of a grueling exchange to conceal his surprise, he quietly contemplated on the side, how best to confront this culprit in the future.

“Yes, armed with further proof, he would first humble him, grinding his nose into the dirt where he would squirm like a pig.”

Zunrogo looked away, suddenly delighted at all the prospects that had availed themselves, to him.

“This assignment,” he inwardly gloated, “has thus far provided me more advantages over my most ardent foes than I could have ever dreamed of.”

"Tell me", he abruptly asked Disaidun, "have you read the contents?"

"You know it’s sealed," she let out without thinking.

 Then, lowering her head she pursed her lips and grumbled, "Besides, it has been made perfectly clear to me that if I tampered with it in any way, it would mean my death."

 Coyly inclined her head, Disaidun Agripe looked away.

In fact, this had been a bone of contention with her.  Sensing the letter's grave importance, she had fought hard against her nature not to sneak a peek inside and see what all the fuss was about.

"Oh, come now, surely a resourceful girl such as you would not rest until your curiosity is satiated?  You mean to tell me that you made no attempt at all?"  Zunrogo could not resist his desire to further beleaguer (needle, pester) her.

"Think what you will," first was her initial curt retort then, realizing she had been manipulated; Disaidun expelled her breath and vehemently protested her innocence.

Inwardly Zunrogo was laughing up a storm, scorning her naiveté, her utter stupidity.

As it were, Disaidun Agripe had sealed her fate from the very moment she had accepted this assignment of securing the letter within her safekeeping.  It made no difference whether she had tampered with it. 

“Fool, you are just an unwitting, doomed courier, like so many others who preceded you.”  He almost pitied her.

Zunrogo’s ardent investigation thus far had uncovered that, within last two years at odd unspecified intervals, the task of safekeeping the letter had fallen on varied (diverse) individuals with covert sponsorships (backing, patronage).

Zunrogo had only recently identified, with some measure of certainty, the patron from the lethal sorority that had masterminded it all.

The secret organization (club) was none other than the most feared covenant fraternity, The Black Molochs.

The carefully procured couriers, the moment they’d outlived their usefulness, methodically perished/disappeared without a trace, severing the only weak link outside of this clandestine brotherhood. That is how The Black Molochs, had until then, avoided detection (exposure).

05-LANCE DIOSTIN JP  7

But once Zunrogo had discerned that Lance Diostin was the member of Black Molochs, that’s what had clued him in from the start; that, and the indisputable proof that the expandable courier was on board this vessel.  After that connection had been established, it made perfect sense why Lance Diostin was in such hot pursuit, to intercept them.

Zunrogo had never bought the advocated perception that, Egil Viggoaries, albeit furtively, gave any credence to superstition. Nothing, nothing at all (disconcerted) fazed that villain.  Typically, contrary to the fostered, erroneous belief, Fradel Rurik Korvald was not the bulls-eye target here, though it had no doubt served the Eunuch's purpose, as well as Lance Diostin’s, to on the sly, advance that cause.

 “Yes,” Zunrogo congratulated himself. “I’ve had had a significant breakthrough in these last few months.

 But even though the letter was as good as in his keeping, few details still needed to be ironed out. For one thing he did not entirely trust Disaidun’s husband, the Official Caroz Agripe, a supposed official on the way to taking up new post. Of course, Caroz had been thoroughly checked out and reports cleared him of all suspicion; however, Zunrogo still had his qualms about him. For one thing he was way too soft and cowardly despite his superb physique; it could all be a ruse, a good cover-up, to throw off suspicion. Zunrogo would devise an effective plan later to properly test him (flush him out); if he proved otherwise, he’d be then quickly disposed of. His wife Disaidun Agripe could be manipulated into playing a big part, a kind of borrowed knife; in setting him up and affecting his eventual demise. Meanwhile Zunrogo, not being privy to the covert identities of the rest of the Black Molochs, his next course of action could be placed in jeopardy; given that for all he knew, a Black Moloch affiliate, could have already infiltrated this vassal, going about all this time, totally undetected, keeping an eye on things while working to undermine him (Zunrogo). Once this impediment was flushed out and eradicated, his next course of action would then be, is to defeat Lance Diostin and take him alive so as to extract the desired information from him before his sure demise.

Competent as Zunrogo was, he was not entirely certain he could manage this daunting objective alone and so, considered enlisting Tizan’s help. That might be the key ingredient for his eventual success.  Afterwards he would decide on what to do with Tizan.

Zunrogo had been informed that the letter had always been kept in an airtight pouch of waxed leather.  The seal itself was indistinct but bore unique properties, not the least of which was the fact that it was laced with a deadly poison and a trick pin embedded cleverly within it, all to discourage unwarranted tampering.

“You have no inkling at all of what it is that you're carrying, do you?” he threw Disaidun (Jepipi) another cursory look.  “It’s just as well that you curbed your curiosity out of fear of reprisals, at least it has prolonged your life this little bit, long enough for me to...,” Zunrogo smirked and eyed her wantonly.

                                                                                              ~

 

 

(END OF SECTION 29)

 LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC – ON THE WAY TO THE CAPITAL – SECTION 28

With a blank stare, Zunrogo followed the figure of Fradel Rurik Korvald exiting the room with Tizan in tow.  Unexpectedly, his thoughts drifted to his earlier concerns, as he continued to stare at the closed door, long after they had departed.

01- INCRIMINATING  lLETTER - JP

Until that day when he had been secretly assigned to recover the incriminating letter, he had no inkling, none, of its existence.  After the clandestine meeting, smartly, he had stalked the cloaked figure and observed him disappear into the Prime Minister's residences, hence, confirming the source of the orders.  Now, as always, he never undertook any assignment or initiated the least action until he had completely grasped the real score.  This sound measure had delivered him more than once from a perilous end.

Five weeks… that's how long he'd ardently pursued this case on the sly.  That's how long he'd been given but, through his vigilance, he had finally made a tactical breakthrough.  His discreet, painstaking investigations had eventually borne fruit, and he had uncovered some rather intriguing facts concerning Lord Shouzi Yozdek.  He had learned, for instance, how His Lordship for the past two years had been blackmailed by some very powerful person or group on a serious score.  He’d foolishly perhaps brushed aside   the fact that, His Lordship during these last two years, must have assigned others far more capable than he, and had only now sought his services, as a last resort. Nonetheless, he’d been flattered to be regarded highly enough by P.M. Lamont Gudaren who was in obvious collusion with the Lord, to resolve this dire, consequential matter.

Zunrogo smiled, thinking instead of how the successful conclusion of this task would reap him, untold benefits.

 Of course, speculating on the contents of the letter, he had considered bringing this to the attention of Sovereign Zakhertan Yozdek; but he would have to be a real fool, and a dead one at that, to so much as try it.  Besides, why should he forfeit this golden opportunity to curry favor with those of real consequence, just to gain an uncertain reward from the Sovereign, whose actions had always been unpredictable at best?

He reflected further on the day he had made the breakthrough but since then, despite his tries, he had still not obtained positive identification of the blackmailers or the co-conspirators.

Each time he had made great strides and seemed to be on the verge of a discovery, his sources would mysteriously dry up, and all incriminating evidence would vanish without a trace into thin air.  Moreover, possessing an analytical mind these otherwise disheartening setbacks only confirmed his long-standing suspicions and his strong hunch.  Sometime prior, through inductive reasoning, he had arrived, with a measure of certainty, at just who it was that was behind it all and, once he had a grip on that fact, he had charted a decisive course which inevitably led him to this set of circumstances.

That had been the reason he had petitioned to be assigned to the task of affording Fradel Rurik Korvald safe conduct on this last leg of his journey.  He knew that this ingenious cover as the guide and protective escort to the illustrious scholar would better enable him to attain this goal.  That had also been why he had insisted the moment he knew that Tizan book passage of this vessel instead of, one more suited to transporting a noted scholar.

Suddenly a note of uncertainty infiltrated his thoughts.  As it became more pronounced his mind vacillated (wavered) once more.  “Was it wise of him to go at it alone?  Could he cope with the magnitude of it should things go awry?  What about the dire repercussions either way?” 

A deeper concern at once darkened (clouded) his face.  “He had been given assurances and sound reasoning, yes, but what real guarantee, what leverage did he hold should P.M. Lamont Gudaren did not live up to his promise and chose instead, to dispose of him permanently shortly after he had procured the letter?” 

02- PM LAMONT GUDAREN 15-JP

Fresh concern just then knitted Zunrogo’s brow. “He had not taken any one into his confidence, not Tizan, not Gaos Zunkur, not even… and so, he had no one watching his back.    What if His Lordship Shouzi Yozdek, shrewd man that he was, were to strike out independently of the Prime Minister to initiate his (Zunrogo’s) demise soon after his completion of the assignment?”

 

                                                                             ~

 

After Fradel Rurik Korvald was promptly ushered (deposited) into his room Tizan, showing reluctance to leave, insisted on recounting to the scholar the list of essential provisions he had taken pains to procure during Fradel's brief absence from the room.  With a certain amusement, Nevetsecnuac (Fradel) discretely noted Tizan's underhanded aim.

True enough, after Tizan closed the door tightly behind him, he quickly produced the key he had stolen and locked the scholar in.

"This is for your own good." Tizan shouted with forced sincerity from other side of the door.  "I bid you peaceful rest now, sir!  Try not to be too concerned about what you may hear later on, especially tonight."

 Tizan, gritting his teeth, grumbled noiselessly, contemptuously. “So put up with it, wretch!  If it were up to me, you'd be transported bound and gagged, strapped to a horse's ass, all the way to the Capital.”  His wicked mind (on) entertaining many other, viler, despicable scenarios, he next sported a broader (wide) grin and quickly strode away.

Nevetsecnuac on the inside, quite unconcerned, shrugged, and then strolled over to the porthole to stare out at the dense fog.  Suddenly however, a slight trepidation brushed across his face, and he shook his head. “If only he didn't need Zunrogo, to gain entry into the Capital.”

Unfortunately, Nevetsecnuac had been informed at the last port how, due to most recent unsuccessful assassination attempts on the emperor’s life, for bad news travels fast, all points of entry to the Imperial Capital, for an indefinite period, would remain heavily guarded and closely monitored. More importantly, any access to the inner segments of Channing would be severely curtailed. These ardent (extreme) restrictions, the intense scrutiny, could, at any time, expose Fradel Rurik Korval (Nevetsecnuac), as an impostor. Conversely, with a well-known personage like Zunrogo Tugo vouching for the authenticity of Fradel’s credentials, a smooth and timely ingress (way in, entrance) would be assured. Zunrogo was made indispensable for yet another reason: as Nevetsecnuac true prowess was so truncated (curtailed) under his pseudo identity, Zunrogo’s protection would be an essential deterrence for any other future attempts on the scholar Fradel’s life.

 

                                                                                   ~

 

 When Tizan reported back, Zunrogo immediately dispatched him again with a new set of commands.  Then, as if on second thought, he called Tizan back just as he was headed out the door and instructed him to bring the woman named Disaidun Agripe to him at once.

"Sir?"  Tizan was perplexed.

"You heard me!"  Zunrogo turned his angry back to Tizan.

“Since when had Tizan ever questioned my orders, however bizarre?  All right, given these circumstances, I'll overlook it this once.”  Zunrogo grimaced coldly, his back still to the door.

As Tizan assented and sharply turned to head out the door, his face assumed a strange, baffled look.

03-TZAN JP

 “Now, what would the captain be wanting with her; granted, she was ravishingly beautiful, but this was hardly the time for Zunrogo to be indulging in such frolic?”  With a strange gleam in his eye, he reached out to unlock her cabin door then stepped in briskly to survey the room.

Being a particularly dark day, the room was scantily illuminated by the oil lamp and, through the flickering light, Tzan spotted two figures casting long, wavering shadows on the far wall.  The husband was hugging (embracing) his wife as he whispered something into her ear, presumably soothing words, in his feeble attempt to ease, to arrest her fears while she clutched to him; both were standing also, protectively before the sleeping baby lying snuggled in its blankets at the far corner of the bunk bed.

Tizan strode across and stood glowering venomously at them as his smile quickly turned into a scowl of hatred, "Oh what a perfect picture you two make.  The loving devoted couple.  Too bad it’s about to be shattered… Ha, ha, ha!” This made them quake more because Tizan’s careless words had portended (foretold) the dreaded catastrophe that obviously awaited them.

"What do you want from us?" Despite his attempt to suppress it, the man's voice shook (quivered) in fear, as he demanded.

"Oh, from you nothing yet,” Tizan turned to the woman and, grasping her arm in a steel grip, yanked Disaidun Agripe forward (towards him), tearing her away from her husband's embrace.

The woman inwardly shuddered and cast a pitiful plea-gaze at her husband, silently imploring him to do something, to rescue her from, perhaps a fate worse than death. But how could he defy an Imperial guard and live to talk about it. The child, as if sensing the danger, suddenly woke just then and started to screech and bellow.

"Shut that brat up, or else", Tizan growled and turned, showing his clenched fist to the husband, threat implicit, that he would do it for him, if the squalling nuisance was not quietened at once.

The man abandoning his defiant aim, compliantly turned and picked up the baby and protectively cradled it in his arms; but when the crying did not cease, fearing for his son’s safety, he pressed the infant’s face to his chest to stifle the noise.

 "Hush Tait, hush child.  Hush."

"Husband, please help, oh, save me!" Her eyes, issuing silent-pleas were again directed at her husband, as the hot tears coursed down her cheeks, wrenching her husband’s heart and causing him to clench his teeth in anguish.

“He couldn't just let her be taken away, not like this.  He may never see her again!”

 His struggling wife Disaidun Agripe, meanwhile, had dug her heels into the plank floor, but was still being forcefully dragged towards the door.

 Determinedly, her husband was about to put down the gasping child and regardless (heedless) of the consequence, rush to confront (tackle, defy) this Imperial brute, when Tizan half turned, his menacing grin all too explicit,

“You just try it, old man, I dare you to!” 

These unspoken words rooted the husband to the spot. He was only a civic (public, municipal) official, but even if he had been studying martial arts or had served in the military, what real chance would he have now, going against an elite Imperial guard?  Cowering, he lowered his gaze to the floor, “Maybe, just maybe they just wanted to question her?” He reasserted inwardly, trying to calm his fears. “Although, for what reason, he could not phantom?”

 Long after they had gone, however, he continued to pace the floor to and for, senses deadened as if in a mad daze. The tragic picture of his wife’s eyes pleading, her fruitless struggle, and her silent accusation, permanently etched on his mind's eye, haunted his eyes, ears and soul to the bottomless abyss while remorse, like a long needle, kept mercilessly jabbing and jabbing at his heart.

“What kind of spineless man was he anyway?  How could he have allowed his precious, virtuous wife to have been taken away from him like that, without the least struggle?”

“Yes, he knew he'd constrained his fury, wanting to protect his child, still, was that reason enough?” He shook his head, his brain searching desperately for more altruistic rationale, any hidden noble motivation to absolve (forgive) him for his cowardice.

04-DISRAUGHT HUSBAND 

“The Imperial guard ruffian was too powerful; besides he had been armed and had others backing him up.  What can one man do to counter this grave injustice against a murderous army of brutes?

Maybe, just maybe, all they wanted was specific info, and so, sought to interrogate his wife. Again, he tried to ease his conscience from the intense, gripping shame, by reasoning with the same barefaced lie; but try as he might, the naked truth, stubbornly, blatantly gripped his heart and wrenched it.  No, there was no getting around it.  Each time he tried to deny it the brutal reality of it still snuck in forcefully and struck him to the very core of his being.

Cowardice, he was guilty of cowardice.  He was a useless piece of offal… And as his due punishment there would be, for the rest of his life, no reprieve, no absolution for him.   

Intermittent, persistent flushes of anger, shame, regret and then outrage washed over him, made him feel consistently smaller, smaller than a maggot, slime, a slug.

How would he face her?  How could he ever right this wrong?  His imagination ran rampant, and waves of sickness and disgust consumed him once more as he quietly sobbed, his body trembling and convulsing.

Subsequently, he jumped up and, like a trapped animal, paced the room to and for once more, stopping only to pound his fists on the cabin wall. When he noticed the profuse blood which now oozed from lacerations of his hands, beyond caring, he simply wiped them on his shirt, staining it with crimson streaks!

                                                                                ~

(END OF SECTION 28)

 LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC – ON THE WAY TO THE CAPITAL – SECTION 27

One warm, starry night, when everyone had retired early, Fradel's keen senses awakened him to the intruder creeping into the stillness of his cabin.  Earlier, he had opened the porthole and drawn the curtains aside to take full advantage of the soft breeze.  The silvery moonlight streamed unobstructed into the tiny space, illuminating everything perfectly.  In the center of the room the long, narrow blade of the dagger (short sword) winked as the intruder, sensing danger, had halted, and glanced warily about. 

01- THE ASSASSIN

Fradel (Nevetsecnuac) waited with bated breath for him to recommence (continue, resume) his advance or, to be stopped altogether.  He did not wish to act at once and apprehend the intruder himself for he had noted that, some time prior to this, Tizan had crept into his room and concealed himself in a dark corner.  He would wait and see what Tizan would do first.

The intruder, having steadied his heart and regulated his breathing once again, stole further across the room, quietly making his way to the bed.  Fradel felt the slight pressure of the tip of the cold blade against his naked flesh and held his breath.

 What is Tizan waiting for?  At that instant he saw his assailant viciously yanked back by his hair and, simultaneously, another dagger appeared at the intruder's own throat.

"Drop your weapon!" Tizan's commanding voice hissed.  "I said drop it!"

Perhaps out of bravado or out of sheer fright the attacker hesitated.  Then the pressure of the blade against his own throat increased and he winced as its razor edge pricked the flesh beneath his chin.

"All right… All right" The Assailant groaned, as a single drop of blood trickled off his neck to fall on Fradel's cheek.

Fradel pretended to have been startled awake just then and froze, wide eyed and perfectly still, as if petrified by fright.

The assailant, grunting, let loose his grip and the dagger dropped; for he instinctively knew,  that had he held on to it for one second longer, it would have meant the termination of his life.  Before he could buy some more time and use his glib tongue to strike a bargain, however, he was viciously yanked free of Fradel and hurled across the cabin.

Then he was picked up once more by Tizan's single hand grabbing his collar (lapel) and shoved against the wall.  The dagger's tip was once more pressed threateningly to his throat.

"You wouldn't dare kill me." The assailant groaned.

Fradel recognized the voice.  Sitting up, he craned his neck to see the face.

"Don't be so sure, Doku." Tizan glowered as he broke the captain's skin with the blade.  "You were a fool to drop your sails and cast anchor in mid-stream.  Did you think that we wouldn't notice?"  Tizan laughed coldly and widened the cut he had made, making Doku wince (cringe).  Blood flowed freely down onto Doku's chest where it painted streaks of crimson on his shirt.

Doku's face twitched with anxiety and contempt.  He clenched his fists as his chest rose and fell.  “Who’d manage (steer) the vessel?  Besides, you won't get far if you kill me.  Release me at once!" He threatened as his eyes contemptuously trailed Fradel, who had gotten up from the bed to put some clothes on.

"Oh, you mean your accomplices Zuak and Yoru?  By now, they're fish-fodder." Tizan grinned venomously.

A small shudder passed through Doku as he resisted the complete surrender of all hope; subsequently, he misinterpreted Tizan's broad, disarming smile and became somewhat encouraged. Dropping his eyes, he said, "Can't we work something out, something mutually advantageous?"  

All the same, bitterness had tinged his voice, repudiating (contradicting) his sincerity. "I have been paid most handsomely.  I'll gladly share half of it with you."

02- TZAN JP

Tizan's face crinkled in an expression of utter disgust.  The threat was most implicit in his silence, then, baring his teeth in a snarl, he Yanked Doku up by the hair.  "Let's move, swine." he hissed.  “Captain Zunrogo wants a few words with you."

Doku gasped, closed his eyes, and resisted being moved.  In a shaking, but somewhat defiant voice he entreated.  "There must be something negotiable for…? All right, all right, you can have it all. “Subsequently, the sheer terror registering in Doku’s eyes, he just squealed, “No, I won't go… be done with me right here and now."

"Don't tempt me."  Tizan Yanked the blade away at the same instant he twisted Doku's arm to his back, straining it to the breaking point then fiercely pushed him outside.

Desperate to break free, Doku pretended to lose his footing, falling face down to the floor; meanwhile, his free hand swiftly removed a hook he had concealed in his belt, and he turned to viciously strike out at Tizen.  But Tizan had seen through this ruse and, with a swift kick at the hook, he catapulted it out of Doku's hand towards the ceiling, where it embedded itself securely in the wooden beam.  As he dodged the next kick, in one fluid motion, Tizen next threw a powerful punch, and Doku (almost senseless) fell back onto the deck.

 "Get up, swine!" Tzen grunted as he landed Doku with a fierce kick to the side; then, grasping Doku’s neck with one hand, he hauled him up onto his feet and pinning his own face less than an inch from Doku, threatened. "You try another stunt like that, and I'll slice you up into mincemeat.  You get me?"  His warning (intimidation) was wasted, however, on the insensate (numbed, inert) Doku.  Grasping once more the limp body with the hair, Tzen dragged it down the hall to Zunrogo's cabin.

Revived to face Zunrogo's fierce, menacing stare, Doku swallowed dryly and dropped to his knees at once.  Fear had tightened his stomach into a hard knot and his head throbbed terribly.  None the less, he was a survivor.  Clenching his fists to stop his shivering, he finally managed to whisper his plea, "Spare me, good sir.  You are law abiding, Imperial Officer; famed for your apt command (supervision, control).  You would not kill an innocent man without first hearing out the circumstances by which he was force into committing this criminal infraction.  May the God of the River strike me dead if I'm lying?  Never have I strayed from the path of truth and righteousness.  Truly, I was forced into it."

His lips trembled, slurring his words, "They are holding my beloved father and son hostage, threatening to chop them into a thousand pieces if I do not do their bidding.  I had no other choice.  My poor wife was already lost to me because of the fever that swept through the region after the floods.  Oh, what will my aged, senile mother do if I am lost too?  Who will take care of her?  Take pity on me, sir.  Spare me so that I can assist you in avenging this terrible wrongdoing.  Give me this one chance to make amends for my mistake."

"Shut up!"  Tizan had lost his patience and, with the pommel of his dagger, delivered a fierce blow to Doku's mouth.  "You miserable wretch, how dare you insult us with your cliché-ridden tirade!"

Spitting out his broken teeth, Doku looked up to entreat the Imperial captain.

"Who?" Zunrogo dourly barked.

Seeing the baffled look on Doku's face Tizan bellowed, "Who hired you to kill the scholar, you stupid shit?"

"I'm not sure." Doku answered then raised the back of a trembling hand to lessen the impact on his face from Tizan's next fierce blow.

Zunrogo waved Tizan away.  "If you do not cooperate fully, I cannot guarantee your safety." He threw a meaningful glance at Tizan and then addressed Doku sternly but with softer tone.  "Now before I lose my patience, I shall ask you this just once more: Who?"

"I don't know!  I honestly don't know!" Doku cried out as he hugged his knees.  "Please, sir, the man who engaged me remained anonymous.  He told me that he was acting on behalf of someone very important and he offered me so much money that I dared not refuse.  He said I had best go along with their wishes, but he did not divulge his name, any names.  He assured me that the scholar was someone of no consequence.  He said it was just a personal vendetta.  That's what I was led to believe.  I'll gladly relinquish all the gold to you, sir.  The entire sum is locked inside the wooden chest, in my cabin.  Take it, take it all.  Just spare my life."

"How dare you insult the captain with your feeble bribe?"  Infuriated, Tizan brutally yanked the prisoner to his feet and hurled him into the corner.  "You think we care anything at all about a paltry pittance that could buy a scum like you?  Think again.  You've had your chance." spitting out the words, Tizan lumbered threateningly towards the broken husk in the corner.

Doku discovered, to his great dismay, that he could not move his left leg at all and that his right arm, unnaturally positioned, twitched a little, yet throbbed with agonizing pain.  Stars danced Infront of his eyes and his head hammered (pounded) something fierce; moreover, his temple (forehead) bearing a huge lump, was sore to his slightest touch.  Fear and adrenaline alone kept him from losing consciousness.  As Tizan bent over him, Doku's face was torn in sheer terror and his eyes moved frantically about in their sockets.  He knew that he would be done for if he did not confess immediately.

"All right,” he wrenched the words out, stuttering through his broken teeth, "it was L...L... Lance Dios...Diostin’s man w... who..."

“Lance Diostin?"  Tizan turned to look slyly at Zunrogo.  "You are not telling us anything we do not already know, Doku." he snarled, his eyes burning into the man's face.

Doku's eyes filled with incomprehension.  "Then...what...what do you want me to say?"

"How many?” Zunrogo, turning, curtly demanded, his expression unchanged.

“How many,” Doku sounded the words, utterly stupefied (confused).

Tizan grasping Doku by the collar yanked Doku up to hold him two feet above the floor.  He could hear the shattered bones and muscle shift back into place and saw Doku's eyes roll back as the wave of pain hit.  “You heard the captain, how many?" Tizan barked into Doku’s face.

03- ZUNROGO TUGO - JP 24

"Let him be."  Zunrogo’s stern order was promptly obeyed as Doku’s broken(beaten) body was instantly dropped to crash (smash) against the hard floor.

"Speak frankly and I may spare you."  The captain rose and sauntered to the porthole, his back towards the prisoner.

"I don't know.  How can I?  All right, all right.  Just keep him away from me.", Doku shrunk back from Tizan in pure fear.  "I'll speak."

At Zunrogo's signal, Tizan took a step back then began to slowly pace back and forth in front of Doku.

"He said something about a platoon, eight or twelve maybe." Doku started to volunteer.  In a matter of minutes, on just perceived threat from Tizan, the rest poured out (gushed) from the mortified, badly bruised Doku’s mouth.

 When Doku had finished telling him all he knew, Zunrogo turned and nodded to Tizan, then went back to sit down once more.

Tizan halted his pacing and turned menacingly to Doku, "Do you know what the apt (fitting) punishment for treasonous curs like you are?"

Doku's eyes bulged out in fright as Tizan spat out the word, "Impalement."

Horrified, he turned to implore Zunrogo, "But sir, you promised to spare me if I told you everything. Ayii…"  His pleas were muffled (stifled, muted) as the strong left hand of Tizan gripping his neck (throat) and lifted him up high, Doku’s feet thence (thereafter), dangling like a puppet in the air.

"Don't bother Captain Zunrogo.  You're dealing with me, now."  Tizan tightened his grip, looking into Doku's eyes with a sinister grin.

Doku squirmed in pain as his eyes implored, "Please… For Heaven’s sake, no!"

"Oh, you are so pale.  Did you think that I was about to finish you off?  Yet you must be spared.  The captain promised you that and the captain's orders must be obeyed; I'm bound by that.  So, I must spare you for attempting to kill the scholar.  You will not die for that crime."  For a second, Tizan looked perplexed, as if wanting to kill Doku yet unable to do so.

New hope flourished once more in Doku's heart, as well, tears of relief and gratitude manifested (formed) in the corners of his eyes, anticipating the release from the vice of Tizan's grip.

"Yes, spared…Spared of the extreme death penalty!” Tizan’s icy, sinister tone quickly dashed all hope.  “Still, you did betray your master after taking his gold, and we cannot let that go unpunished, can we?"  Tizan's pupils suddenly hardened as he threw his head back and laughed.  The next instant, a savage glint flashed in Tizan’s eyes, and his right hand at lightning speed thrust the long blade of the dagger into Doku's chest (into upper abdomen) just below the ribcage; left hand’s grasp now released, Doku was hauled up, suspended solely on the dagger’s blade.

Tizan, with a contemptuous grin, in one fluid motion yanked the blade out and allowed the lifeless body to collapse at his feet.

"You've had your fun, now get rid of that mess." Zunrogo's icy tone cut short Tizan's gloating.

"Yes, sir," he responded smartly (briskly) then, grinning, he shouldered the corpse and headed towards the door to throw the body overboard.

Just then the door swung open and Fradel Rurik Korvald, now fully dressed, strode in.  Witnessing the pitiful state of Doku's mangled corpse, Fradel's teeth clenched in anger and his eyes filled with loathing.  He'd had just about enough of Tizan's brutality.

Glaring at Tizan, he nevertheless curtailed his wrath and halted his yen, to strike (pin) down this vile beast with one blow.

Zunrogo, the familiar, cruel half smile on his lips, noted with amusement how Fradel Rurik Korvald's face had fleetingly said what could not be uttered in words.  The stand-off ended abruptly when, Fradel seemingly deciding Tizan was not worth the effort, pushed disdainfully past him.

Putting on a slight grin, Zunrogo rose to his feet to greet the scholar congenially.

Fradel sternly asked, "Was this slaughter (murder) necessary?”

Fradel Rurik Korvald's stare was unflinching, his features set and defiant. “Or is it simply that you reap measure of satisfaction seeing men suffer at the hand of your lapdog?”  He turned to look contemptuously at Tizan.

Tizan, in his raw response, gripped his dagger tighter and took a menacing step towards Fradel Rurik Korvald then, meeting the captain's stern look, stayed his advance.

04- TZAN JP

"My, oh my, put a sheep in a lion's pelt and watch how he bleats." Tizan hissed through clenched teeth as he turned back to the door and briskly walked outside before Zunrogo could reprimand him.

 In truth, from the very start, Tizan’s interaction (dealings) with Fradel Rurik Korvald had been strained, finding it extremely hard to be so congenial or diplomatic in any sort of exchange.

Despite repeated admonitions from the Captain, Tizan’s resentment, of Fradel Rurik Korvald in fact, of his pampered, privileged literati sort, had been such that it shone through his every word and action, despite his efforts to conceal it.

Zunrogo's face had darkened in fury, witnessing this, not so subtle retort from Tizan; nevertheless, constraining himself, he offered Fradel Rurik Korvald his abject apologies for Tizan's insubordination, promised future dire reprimand then, with seemingly infinite patience, invited the scholar to be seated.  When Fradel (somewhat reluctantly) complied, Zunrogo expressed his further regret for the unavoidable, unpleasant experience that the scholar had had suffered this very night, which had obviously traumatized him.  The underlying tone implicit in his words, however, made it clear that he would overlook Fradel's disruptive behavior this once, and this once only, out of consideration for Fradel Rurik Korvald's delicate constitution.  Further interruptions would not be tolerated, despite the scholar's importance.

 Zunrogo's decorum and his conciliatory (mollifying, assuaging) words nevertheless, at the outset had constrained Fradel to adopt akin peaceful (calmer) composure, one more in keeping with the manners of his pseudo identity, and, in turn, he extended his apologies for his outburst and thanked Zunrogo for his tolerance and due vigilance.

Placated, Zunrogo leaned back in his seat, drew a long breath then firmly explained in a measured tone, "In accordance with military law, Doku had to be caught red-handed before we could prosecute then, swiftly penalize him.  I assure you, sir, at no time were you in any danger from him or from his accomplices.  As you well know, your safety is of prime importance to me.  You called this (method of investigation), a vigilante act but, in fact, I have been more than tolerant (charitable, lenient, patient)."  He held up his hand to stay Fradel's response, smiling wryly, and then continued, "As you are well aware, we have been tailed by a certain vessel for a period of time now.  I had suspected but have only now irrefutably confirmed that this vessel is commanded by Lance Diostin who, by all accounts, is not one to be taken lightly.  You see, he has a strong backing; he has also an unblemished reputation for being impeccable in strategy and, even in his youth, being invincible in hand-to-hand combat.  Moreover, his skill with the sword is second only to His Excellency Egil Viggoaries.  I had hoped that, to spare you undue anxiety, we would outrun him until we could enlist some more help.  Alas, Captain Doku, by casting anchor here, where the current is weaker and the river shallower, has forced our hand.”

Without strong winds we have no means of putting (gaining) some distance between us and our pursuer; hence, we have been left with no other choice but to meet his challenge head on."

“Why do you persist in this charade?”  Fradel masked his annoyance under a polite smile.  “You wish me to believe otherwise but, in truth, and without Doku's ever knowing it, you have sanctioned his every move since we came aboard this boat.”

"Your acumen (tact, judgment, prudence) is most commendable, Captain, it is always advisable never to underestimate one's opponent, however competent one may be.  Yet in the case of Captain Doku, surely nothing would have escaped your scrutiny." 

The slight admonishment in Fradel's tone made his underlying message clear: “I am offended sir that you should choose, once more, not to be forthright with me.”

"You flatter me, sir." Zunrogo smiled sheepishly and relented.  "To be frank, we were forewarned from the start of Doku's objective, but I allowed him certain leeway in order to gain a strategic advantage.  You see, despite my hopes, a confrontation with Lance Diostin was inevitable and it was best that it occurred in mid-stream, under more manageable circumstances, rather than some busy port ahead.  In this way I could minimize the danger to you, cut Lance Diostin off from any reinforcements he might have had hidden in the next port, and thirdly, minimize the unavoidable loss of innocents ‘life that might be caught in the fray.”

"It’s most considerate of you." Fradel concurred.  "Yet I am amazed at the extent of effort put forth by those who oppose us.  It is hard for me to believe that a simple poet and a recluse scholar such as I would warrant this considerable investment of arms and attention."

Seizing this opportunity, Fradel next steered the conversation to the hidden reason for Zunrogo's presence there, hinting also at that particular concern which Zunrogo fought so hard to keep under wraps. A subsequent, pointed question, poised at the right moment, almost forced Captain Zunrogo to make a clean breast of it (own up to it) but, again with remarkable cunning, he sprang free from the trap and led the topic instead, to more abstract, harmless avenue.

Unwilling to concede defeat, Nevetsecnuac (Fradel) adopted an even shrewder tactic which hard pressed Zunrogo, for a time, to aptly respond.

 Yet once more the captain rising to the challenge countered it with a most plausible explanation, calculated to discourage Fradel Rurik Korvald from ever pursuing the topic again.

 Impressed, Nevetsecnuac (Fradel) conceded with due practicality.

05-NEVETSECNUAC IN CAPITAL (2)

This intense exchange had passed under the guise of seemingly innocuous congeniality, yet Zunrogo was relieved that Fradel had been deterred from pursuing the subject any further

“Uncanny,” Zunrogo looking away, pondered. “Fradel’s last hypothesis was dead on; so dangerously on a par with the truth.”

Zunrogo made a mental note never to allow Fradel a similar chance again.  He leaned forward in his seat.  "Yes, in anticipation of your next question, Captain Doku's skills are expendable.  Tizan is perfectly adept at manning a craft of this size. It was with this outcome in mind that, by design, I selected Tizan to accompany me on this trip.  He may be a trifle hot headed, I know, but in the end, he is an able and reliable subordinate. Besides, once you know how to harness his multitude of unique talents, you can make good use of them.  He's indispensable in that respect.  Smiling smugly, he sat back.  "As for your humanitarian concerns, Tizan is, at this moment, locking them all up in their respective cabins so as to keep them, other passengers, all out of harm's way when this inevitable confrontation occurs."

"Then, after the battle, you will release them unharmed and your henchman, Tizan, will not be permitted to lay a hand on them?"  Fradel, with this last question, sought to gain a definite commitment from the captain.

"Under the circumstances, I think that I am extremely generous." Zunrogo, hiding his irritation at this upstart scholar, nodded.  Outwardly he was making every effort to be congenial but under the mask of calm and composure he seethed in anger and resentment.  He had intended on disposing of them, one and all; so as not to leave behind any loose ends.  Now he was bound by his words to Fradel Rurik Korvald not to taint either his or Tizan's hand with their blood.  He did not appreciate Fradel's tricks.  Still there is that old proverb, 'A dog can lose its skin in many ways.' 

"Actually, I've been looking forward to the challenge of this duel with my nemesis Lance Diostin." fearing exposure, Zunrogo steered the conversation away to a more interesting topic.  "There's no denying that he is competent, but he has never before clashed swords with me.  Confidentially, I have been an ardent student of his fighting techniques for quite some time now and, though I do not wish to seem boastful, I have now mastered these skills one and all.  Furthermore, the combined efforts of me and Tizan’s should amply suffice to defeat him, don't you think?"  Looking away, Zunrogo mumbled. “Besides, it’s high time, Lance Diostin’s insufferable arrogance was curbed.”

"Most commendable," Fradel decided to go along.  "I see now that I have no cause for fear.  You, sir, with your keen foresight and ability, will surely succeed in vanquishing Lance Diostin and his forces."

Zunrogo grimaced in satisfaction and nodded, yet something else, some entirely different matter, had just then intruded in his thoughts; Fradel had of course, immediately noticed the slight change in him, how he now seemed anxious to end this polite, trivial conversation.  When Zunrogo turned his attention back on the present issue, he smiled to cover up his thoughts.  "Tonight, since we are keeping up the ruse, our pursuers will be allowed to catch up to us.  Even though the wind has dropped considerably, even during the time we have been here conversing, I expect they will put their men to good use on the oars in order to maintain their swift pace.  Their lightweight vessel is well suited to such a use, but then that, too, I have taken into consideration."

"It is admirable how you have managed to manipulate the outcome you desired." Once more Fradel feigned awe.

"As soon as this fog lifts…"

"Which should be by noon, tomorrow," Fradel injected somberly.

“Was that just a good guess?  How on earth could he anticipate that outcome, so precisely?”  "Exactly," Zunrogo masked his amazement with a nod as he briefly scrutinized Fradel.

 "Yes, it will be then that they will descend on us in force.  Fortunately, the rain will be a good deterrent for any fire attack."  Succinctly then, Zunrogo revealed part of his intended counter measures.

“Oh gods, he's good.  He's so masterful at mind control.”  Zunrogo, awakened bit too late, to what he had just let slip and, disappointed, looked away. “How subtly he primed me to reveal even that much and no doubt, he will fill in the rest.  His artful manipulation is quite astounding, to say the least.  Yet, why does he pursue this course?  Could it be that, under his flattery, he is still suspects me, or, still unsure of my abilities to defend him?”

He discreetly studied Fradel once more but then dismissed the notion. “No, that's not it at all.  It’s his arrogance if anything.  That's it.  On the eve of the battle, he does not much like the idea of blindly entrusting one’s fate to another.  With all that wit, brilliance, and some measure of courage at his disposal, our scholar, being so inept at defending himself, feels utterly helpless and frustrated.  So, he tries to impress upon me his...” Zunjugo quickly hid the look of condescension in his eyes.  “Yes, I imagine it would.”

Fradel, smiling inwardly, in the interim, had nodded tersely then, in earnest sincerity, asked if there was anything, however trivial, that he could do to render Zunrogo assistance either before or during the coming battle.

“Don't be absurd!  What can you do?  You can't write your way out of this mess; this is a real- life struggle.”  Zunrogo, however, masked his amusement; then in a measured tone, choosing his words carefully so as not to offend Fradel Rurik Korvald, he declined the scholar’s kind offer. "It is most gracious of you, sir, but everything is pretty much under control.  However, we would fight better, in fact with an easier mind if you were kept safe and out of harm's way.  Considering, perhaps an unforeseen danger, I must insist that you, along with the rest of the passengers, remain locked up in your cabins, until the danger has passed.  I must beg your indulgence in this.  Please accept my apologies in advance for any inconvenience and rest assured that I will do all I can to minimize your discomfort.  But now I fear I may have done you a disservice, being remiss in keeping you up so late from your sleep."  He stood up briskly, quite impatient to end this polite, tiresome exchange.

"So, if there is nothing further you wish to discuss, I must now beg you to excuse me, for there are still a few minor details that require a brief perusal."

At this point Zunrogo turned, to look over Fradel Rurik Korvald's head at Tizan, who had just then returned.  Motioning the Lieutenant to come forward, Zunrogo commanded him in a stern voice to apologize to Fradel Rurik Korvald for his earlier, inexcusable impudence.

After Tizan begrudgingly complied, Zunrogo asked, "Any problems?"  Receiving the expected, sharp reply, Tizan was then instructed to escort Fradel Rurik Korvald back to his cabin and ensure that all provisions for his comfortable stay were provided for, before he was to immediately report back.  Catching the Captain's meaningful, fleeting look, Tizan nodded in affirmation then patiently waited for the scholar to walk ahead.

 

(END OF SECTION 27)