Jimmy moved toward the door to Duko’s office, knocked once, and opened the door without waiting to be bid enter. A clerk holding a large sheaf of papers, warned by the knock, jumped nimbly out of the way as the door opened.
The two brothers entered and found a half-dozen clerks and scribes writing orders and dispatchs. They made their way through the press of court officers and entered Duko’s inner office. Dash was once again struck by the difference between his office when it was occupied by the Prince and his father, and as it was now, with Duko sitting behind the desk. Before it was the administrative center of the Western Realm, now it was the headquarters of a military organization.
Dash and Jimmy now recognized most of Duko’s remaining Captains, and all the Kingdom officers who now served. Wendell, a cavalry captain formerly of the garrison at Hawk’s Hollow, now officially the Knight-Captain of the Royal Krondorian Horse, looked at a map and said, “I can have four hundred more men down there by the day after tomorrow, Your Grace.”
Some of Duko’s Captains glanced at one another; they were still having some problem with the protocols of the Kingdom and found the new title oddly unnerving.
Duko looked at Jimmy and Dash. “You two. You’re familiar with this area, aren’t you?”
Jimmy said, “We’ve spent the last few years here, Your Grace.”
It suddenly struck Dash that the majority of the Krondorian garrison perished in the destruction of the city; the remaining fragments of the garrison were now serving to the east with Owen Grey lock. Owen wasn’t due in the city for another five days, just before the time selected to launch the offensive northward.
Duko pointed at the map. “We’ve got two or three hundred soldiers assaulting our position in Land’s End. By this morning’s dispatch, they’re holding there, but hard-pressed. They may already have fallen. The five hundred foot soldiers I sent earlier this week won’t get there for another five days, even if I send a galloper to order a forced march. We also have reports of some ships sailing along the coast toward Land’s End, possibly in support of the assault.”
Jimmy said, “That makes sense. If they bring up a large force across the Jal-Pur, they have logistics problems. But if they shock us with a smaller force, holding our men inside the citadel, while they land more troops by sea, they can quickly surround and siege.”
“Who’s in charge down in Port Vykor?” asked Duko.
“Admiral Reeves,” supplied one of the Kingdom officers.
“Send him orders to intercept those ships and drive them off. I don’t care if he sinks or captures them, just keep them from landing those men.” The officer saluted and hurried to the outer office. Duko looked at Wendell. “Take your four hundred horse and leave at once. As soon as you overtake those foot soldiers, tell them to run.” Captain Wendell saluted. Duko turned to one of his old captains and said, “Runcor, I want you to take a hundred or so of your best mother-killers and follow the coastline down to Land’s End. If you see anyone coming ashore, kill them.”
The old Captain said, “Yes, Duko . . . er, Your Grace.”
Duko smiled and said, “Get out of here.”
Duko looked at Jimmy and Dash. “Until your Lord Greylock gets here, I’m assuming command. I’ll need your help, young sirs, as I am not all that familiar with this outlying area.”
He pointed to a spot on the map. “But I’m guessing that if this Empire to the south is serious, here is where we will see their next push.” His finger was on a small hill pass halfway between Shamata and Land’s End. “It’s a long run, but it’s relatively flat land. If they only seek to put pressure on the negotiations in Darkmoor, then they’ll withdraw at the first show of strength. If they are seeking to get into a serious fight, they’ll launch a second assault through here about the time they land their ships at Land’s End.” Looking at another of his old captains, he said, “Jallom, get scouts down to that pass as fast as possible. I don’t even know if we have any soldiers there.”
“We don’t,” said the Captain named Jallom. “We assumed the Kingdom would take care of their southern flank and we wouldn’t have to worry.”
“Well, we’re now the Kingdom, and we need to worry. And send word to Greylock about what is going on and ask him if he might consider sending troops that way if they can get there first.”
Men hurried to carry out orders, and Duko said, “Gentlemen, we have a war on our hands. It’s just not the one we wanted, and we don’t know how big it is. It may be a little one, but if I were the Keshian General and I found out just how chaotic things were here, I might try to get into Krondor before Greylock, and then dare him to come dig me out with Nordan on his northern flank.” Duko shook his head. “Let’s hope that kicking them out of Land’s End will teach them the error of their ways.”
Jimmy looked at Dash and they both shared the same thought: What else could go wrong?
Twelve - Gamble