5.Death of Chaos
XVI
Nylan, Recluce
“GERLIS IS WORKING with the chaos under the Lower Easthorns. You can feel it from here.” Heldra walks to the window and looks through the wide glass at the Brotherhood's grounds, at the grassy hillside and carefully planted trees. Her fingers caress the hilt of the black blade she wears. Finally, her eyes rest on the harbor of Nylan below, focusing on the black pier and the single shimmering shield that appears as an empty berth to most onlookers in the mid-afternoon warmth.
“He's definitely stronger than Antonin.” Maris's finger runs over the map of Hydlen before him on the table. “How did he ever come up with the rockets?”
“Gerlis? He didn't. Someone stole the idea and sold it to Berfir,” says Heldra.
“And who stole the idea? Who might that have been?” asks Maris.
“Sammel.” Heldra flushes. “Sammel. He had the ability to have forged them, but he hasn't set up a smithy. That might be because he's finding it impossible to use order any longer. So I can't prove it. The carts are a local design, but the rockets could be ours, except Berfir's using local steel instead of black iron.”
“It's nice to know the infallible Heldra could have been wrong. Once, anyway.” Maris's voice sounds almost lazy.
“Maybe Berfir found someone to build them.” Talryn sets his goblet on the table with a heavy thump, squaring his broad shoulders. “Once you have the idea, they're not that hard to make, not like precision cannon. That's why we've tried to keep ideas like that under shields.”
“Like killing that smith in Southport?” Maris raises his eyebrows.
“That was for playing around with cartridges and rifling. Jorol ordered that before I joined the Council. Still, it probably had to be done.”
“I'd still order it,” says Heldra. “Can you imagine Candar with fire rockets, precision rifles, and white wizards? This war between Colaris and Berfir is going to be a light-fired mess. Even Dorrin had second thoughts about too much machinery loose in the world.”
“Those who followed him claimed that,” muses Talryn. “I can't say that I've ever read anything that he wrote that states that, and he wrote a lot.”
“It makes sense. What are we here for, anyway? Just to nod and let the world go to chaos?” Heldra squints into the sunlight, then turns toward the two men, although she remains by the window.
“It may anyway, if Cassius is right. He calls it entropy.”
“Another fancy word from where he came from. It still means letting everything go to chaos, and that's not what Recluce stands for.” Heldra walks back to the curved table from the wide window.
“I wish I were as sure as you are.”
“All you have to do is feel the Balance,” snaps Heldra. “It's real, and it's our job to maintain it.” She looks at Maris. “Not just to make the oceans safe for traders.”
“I assume that means you'll immediately dispatch an assassin to kill Gerlis or whoever?” Maris fingers his square beard. “And Sammel?”
“Killing Gerlis right now wouldn't do any good. Too many people know about the idea. But they're costly to make. Once the war's over, we can take steps.” Heldra smiles.
“You're betting that Gerlis won't last too long.” Maris leans back in his chair.
“He won't. The more power he gets, the shorter his life.”
“And the bigger the mess in Candar,” snorts Talryn.
“Unless Lerris dispatches him to save that woman of his.” Heldra walks back to the Council table.
“Krystal? I suppose that's possible,” muses Talryn. “She might command the forces that would fight Berfir and Gerlis. But what about Sammel?”
“Sammel? I'll take care of it.”
“That's what you want, isn't it?” asked Maris. “Get rid of Sammel. Have Lerris get rid of Gerlis. Have the autarch take over all of the Lower Easthorns. Have Berfir and Colaris destroy each other, and then send in a black squad to eliminate anyone else who knows about rockets.”
“It's not a bad plan.” Heldra glances back at the window. “Who will even remember the fire rockets after that?”
“That still leaves Lerris and an even bigger potential chaos focus in Candar,” points out Talryn.
“What about Sammel?” Maris finally asks. “How did he get into this?”
“He took the books when he left on dangergeld. We didn't think he'd stoop to theft.” Heldra sighs. “I thought he had some ideals.”
Maris and Talryn exchange glances.
Finally, Maris coughs. “What if it's gone as far as Hamor? Gunnar stopped by the other day, you know. He says that the Hamorians have improved their steel to where it's almost as good as black iron. Then there's the problem with their traders. Their ships are getting bigger and faster. And they're building a lot of steel warships-some with those new cannon-a lot more than they need on their side of the world.”
“Gunnar's trying to protect his son.”
“He didn't invent the Hamorian steamers, Heldra,” countered Talryn.
“And we have reports about their new cannon. I hadn't thought about the steel, though.” He fingers his chin. “The traders... we can deal with traders.”
“Candar's a long way from Hamor,” states Heldra.
“Not with ships that fast.”