Dragon Lord of the Savage Empire. Jean Lorrah
have been called to help someone.
The town was familiar; Lenardo had grown up there, and had no fear of losing his conscious self among the streets and byways. But he hadn’t far to search. Torio’s disciplined mind stood out like a beacon from those of nonReaders. Blind from birth, Torio rarely stopped Reading, for if he did, the world disappeared.
Right now, however, he was engaged in a most unReaderlike activity: playing at dice with the stableboy and the smith’s apprentice and proving beyond doubt that he had neither precognitive powers nor the ability to influence objects in motion.
//Torio!// Lenardo could not control his indignation.
The boy jumped and blushed hotly, but there was anger beneath his embarrassment until he realized who was contacting him. //Master Lenardo! I didn’t think you would contact me again. Are you coming home?// Aloud, he said, “You’ve won enough for one day. Perhaps tomorrow my luck will be better.”
Despite the protests of the other boys, Torio left them and headed across the innyard and up to his room.
//What are you doing gambling with servants instead of studying? Master Clement thought you could be left to work by yourself.//
//That’s what I thought, too,// Torio told Lenardo in frustration. //Then this morning, he told me my testing has been postponed because of the time I’ve lost here. And I can’t be a tutor, after all. He didn’t test me, Master Lenardo, he just decided I hadn’t kept up with my work—//
//And so you decided you might as well prove him right?//
//It was just today. I’d already decided to get back to work tomorrow morning. I’ll show Master Clement! I’ll be ready for examination as soon as I get to Tiberium.//
//You won’t be eighteen until autumn, no matter what you do. But I’m not worried about you, Torio—you’ll pass.//
By this time Torio had reached his room, where he sprawled on the bed in the time-honored manner of schoolboys. //Of course I’ll pass. But Master Lenardo, what’s wrong? Why have you contacted me?//
//I won’t be home as soon as I thought.//
//You said it might be weeks. Portia was angry, Master Clement said. She wants you back at once, to report to the Emperor that the leader of the savages is dead. Then while they’re disorganized, we’ll attack. You’ll be a great hero.//
//Torio, I want to prevent war, not start it. Haven’t we lost enough?//
//What can you do?//
Lenardo suddenly realized that if Portia intended to urge the Emperor to regain former empire territory, the news that Lenardo now claimed that territory as a savage Lord of the Land would make him a target rather than a hero. //I...cannot tell you, Torio. I must ask you to trust me.//
He felt the boy’s throat tighten. //I do trust you. I thought you trusted me, Master.//
//Were you a Master Reader, I would tell you all, but until you reach your full powers, there will always be those who can Read what you know, whether you wish it or not.//
//But Masters Clement and Portia—//
//—Are not the only Readers in Tiberium,// Lenardo told him, although he wondered whether even Master Clement would approve of his plan. //I cannot reach Tiberium from where I am now, and I shall be no nearer for months. But Torio, under Oath of Truth, tell Clement and Portia that when I return, I hope to bring an end to the conflict and stop the savage encroachment upon our borders.//
//But I’m to leave here next week, Master Lenardo. You can’t contact my replacement—he won’t know. Oh, please, please come home now.//
//Torio, you are almost fully grown. You must complete your studies and take your examinations, for I shall have work for Readers.//
//I don’t understand. Why do you want to stay there with the savages? You haven’t really turned traitor?//
//Do you think I could?//
//No, but Portia fears it.//
//Did Master Clement tell you that?//
//He didn’t mean to. I felt it beneath what he told me. He trusts you, but Portia—//
//And he fears you may not pass your examinations? Torio, I’ve never known a Reader of your age who could Read what a Master Reader didn’t want him to. No, I am no traitor, but I must have time to make preparations. A year, at the most—//
//A year!// Torio was horrified. //They’ll never trust you after that long. Master Lenardo, you must come home now.//
//And start another war? I cannot do that, Torio. But don’t you worry. When I do come to Tiberium, the Emperor will have to listen to me.//
Thinking back over that conversation with Torio, Lenardo realized again that Aradia was right. He was now trapped into seeking peace the way she wanted, from a position of power. And it was not Aradia who had trapped him—it was his own people. No, he could not hand over his lands to the Emperor. That would result in an immediate attack, using those lands as a base, on Aradia, Lilith, and Wulfston. His lands would be a wedge separating the three allies, which meant that Aradia trusted him not to make them such.
Thus hope and apprehension battled in Lenardo’s mind as he rode toward Zendi at the head of an army—some soldiers but mostly civilians who had chosen to go with him into his new land. My land. It would never sound right. Nonetheless, he must live up to his duties to land and people until the day he could safely make the treaty he sought.
Lenardo noticed the well-developed crops beginning to wither in the fields. “No rain since the battle,” he commented to Helmuth. “If we can find some clouds, we’ll put Josa right to work. We can’t afford to lose what food there is, or we’ll be in for a hard winter.” Josa was Helmuth’s niece, one of the many people with minor Adept talents the old man had gathered for Lenardo’s entourage.
“I’ll help,” said Arkus, who was riding on Lenardo’s other side. “I can move anything light.”
The young captain, promoted to commander of all that was left of Zendi’s troops, was eager to dispel any doubts Lenardo had left about him. Arkus’ future rested on Lenardo’s. Human nature, as Aradia said. As long as it was in his own self-interest, Arkus would work faithfully for Lenardo.
Northgate stood open when they approached Zendi. At least no one opposed their entry. In the warmth of the day, the stench was unbelievable. Within the walls, all Lenardo could do was rein in and stare, too stunned even to Read.
The main market way through the city was strewn with corpses, human and animal. Debris littered the streets. What buildings were not burnt-out shells were looted, doors and shutters hanging, broken furniture tossed on the doorsteps.
People hid in the shadows, staring out in fear and hate—crowds of people in rags supplemented with bits of stolen finery. There was no coherent thought to be Read; they were like trapped animals: hungry, terrified, and desperate.
The gods help me, he thought. Is this my capital city? Are these the people I’m supposed to teach to trust me?
Paralyzed even beyond nausea, he sat hopelessly staring at...my land.
CHAPTER TWO
Before Lenardo could even think of a command, Arkus turned his horse and began firing orders to his troops to clear people out of the looted buildings.
Helmuth shouted, “Greg, Vona! Up here and make us a clean path.”
As two people rode forward, the corpses began to go up one by one in the roaring blaze of funeral pyres. The other debris burned with the bodies, and the paving stones were purified in the wake of the flames.
The obvious done, people began turning to Lenardo for orders. Dragging himself out of lethargy, he said, “We need a place to stay and a clean place to set up a kitchen and a hospital.”
“Where, my lord?”