“No, they won’t,” Royce said. “Drumindor has been sabotaged. When they vent at the next full moon, there will be an explosion, destroying it, and I suspect Tur Del Fur as well. After that, the armada can sail in unopposed.”
“What?” Wesley asked. “You can’t possibly know that.”
Royce said nothing.
“Yes, he does,” Hadrian said.
Realization crossed Wesley’s face. “The seal was broken. You read the letter?”
Royce continued exploring the door.
“How is it going to explode?” Hadrian asked.
“The vents have been blocked.”
“No …” Hadrian shook his head. “Only Gravis knew how to do that and he’s dead.”
“Merrick found out somehow. He’s doing the same thing Gravis tried. He’s blocked the portals. When they try to vent during the harvest moon, the gas and molten rock will have nowhere to go. The whole mountain will blow. And that’s what Merrick meant about turning the tide of war for the empire. Delgos supports the Nationalists, funded largely by Cornelius DeLur. When they eliminated Gaunt, they cut off the rebellion’s head. Now they will cut off its legs. Destroying Delgos will mean the New Empire will only need to deal with Melengar.”
“But those ships we saw in the harbor were not just Tenkin. The vast majority were Ghazel,” Hadrian pointed out. “Gile thinks he can use them as muscle, as his attack dogs, but goblins can’t be tamed. He can’t control them. The empire is handing Delgos over to the Ba Ran Ghazel. Once they entrench themselves, the goblins will become a greater threat to the New Empire than the Nationalists ever were.”
“I doubt Merrick cares,” Royce said.
“You stole the letter from me and read it?” Wesley asked Royce. “And you had us deliver it to the warlord knowing it would launch an invasion?”
“Are you saying you wouldn’t have? Those were your orders, sanctioned by the regents themselves.”
“But giving Delgos to that … that … insane man and the Ghazel, it’s …it’s …”
“It’s your sworn duty as an officer of the New Empire.”
Wesley stared, aghast. “My father used to say, ‘A knight draws his sword for three reasons: to defend himself, to defend the weak, and to defend his lord,’ but he always added, ‘Never defend yourself against the truth, never defend the weakness in others, and never defend a lord without honor.’ I don’t see how anyone can find honor in feeding a child to goblins or handing over a nation of men to the Ghazel horde.”
“Why did you let him deliver the letter?” Hadrian asked.
“I just read it tonight during the water break. It was my last chance to get a look. I figured if we showed up completely empty-handed, we’d be killed.”
“I won’t be party to this …this … atrocity! We must prevent Drumindor’s destruction,” Wesley announced.
“You realize interfering with this would be treason?” Royce told Wesley.
“By ordering the delivery of every man, woman, and child in Tur Del Fur into the bloodthirsty hands of the Ba Ran Ghazel, the empress has committed treason to her people. It is I who remain loyal … loyal to the cause of honor.”
“It might comfort you to know that it’s highly unlikely that Empress Modina gave this order,” Hadrian told him. “We know her—met her before she became empress. She would never sanction anything like this. I was in the palace the day before we sailed from Aquesta, and she’s not in charge. The regents are the ones behind this.”
“One thing’s for sure: if we foil Merrick’s plan, we won’t have to look for him anymore. He’ll find us,” Royce added.
“This is all my fault.” Wesley sighed. “My first command, and look where it has led.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You did fine.” Hadrian patted him on the shoulder. “But your duty is done now. You completed the task your lord set for you. Everything after this is of your own choosing.”
“Not much of a choice, I’m afraid,” Wesley said, looking around their cell.
“How long before the harvest moon?” Hadrian asked.
“About two weeks, I would guess,” Royce replied.
“It would take us too long to travel back by land. How long would it take us to get there by sea, Wyatt?” Hadrian asked.
“With the wind at our backs, we’d make the trip in a fraction of the time it took us to come out. Week and a half, maybe two.”
“Then we still have time,” Hadrian said.
“Time for what?” Wesley asked. “We are locked in the dungeon of a madman at the edge of the world. Merely surviving will be a feat.”
“You are far too pessimistic for one so young,” Royce told him.
Wesley let out a small laugh. “All right, Seaman Melborn, how do you propose we sneak down to the harbor, capture a ship loaded with Ghazel warriors, and sail it out of a bay past an armada when we can’t even get out of this locked cell?”
Royce gave the door a gentle push and it swung open. “I unlocked it while you were ranting,” he said.
Wesley’s face showed his astonishment. “You’re not just a seaman, are you?”