Which is why, on this early evening, Enos, the leader of the Tyq rebel cell, made his way through the tunnels, to Indria Plaza where the statue of Eldonia's first queen-consort stood.
Some hours ago, Enos had left Sprouts, a quaint health food diner in the working class district and his place of employment, which was good fortune on his part as the proprietor closed the diner an hour early. The owner's reason? To head for the palace square before the crowd picked up. Governor Banes, now assuming the title of Regent, called for a public gathering; he was to deliver a major address to the people. That gave Enos the perfect opportunity. With the bulk, if not all, of the citizenry attending the new ruler's address, Enos could slip into those tunnels, follow the trail to the plaza, and retrieve the chest. Then he would follow those same trail markers back to Starfield House, where he now resided as did all members of the Tyq rebel cell.
Gaining access to the tunnels was just as secretive. In those early days, the city fathers felt if they wanted to keep their people safe in event of invasion, access to the tunnels was via highly secret entrances. There were a total of thirteen entrances scattered throughout Fairport, within the limits. The precise location of the entrances were known to a handful of citizens who acted as community leaders; their task was, in event of invasion, to guide their constituents to the tunnels. Of course, no one could gain entrance without a highly guarded passkeys; and these keys were, in wake of the seafaring trio's arrival what would be known, in the future, as Tyq, passed on to thirteen trusted Benutians.
In the time of King Vlaric's reign, these keys were kept at Starfield House and given to several native Benutians and Nemirians. Governor Chenek had a key, so did Aughir and Sivin. Other keys were held by Moopie, Bliss, and Jalen. Oddly enough, one key was given, by Aughir himself, to Lord Cadmore. The king's royal steward entrusted the key to Cadmore because he knew of the nobleman's birth parents.
Enos, armed with such a key, slipped past the guards patrolling the working class district of Neerglaw, near the diner. Stealing down a dark alley that ran behind the diner to the end of Tongas Avenue, he came upon an old, rusted iron gate. No one knew what lay behind this gate as it seemed to lead to another dead-end alley; however, Enos knew better. Unlocking the gate with another key, he quietly opened it lest the squeaking it made alert the lone guard patrolling the avenue. Once he entered, Enos went directly to what looked like a door to a storm cellar. No, this was secret entrance #10 to the tunnel system, and it was secured by an intricately designed lock no other key or seasoned safecracker could open. Reaching into his jacket's inside pocket, Enos extracted the passkey, an odd-looking object made of special alloy only known to Benutians and Nemirians. This alloy, a blend of the metallic elements chimerium and durarium, was only available in Nemir where these elements abound.
After successfully unlocking the door, Enos slipped inside, down a narrow stairway which led to the tunnels. Thankfully the tunnels themselves were illuminated by ichorshale torches; these were installed more than a century ago when the whole of Eldonia was wired for electricity. Ichorshale, an abundant mineral found throughout Eldonia, is the primary source of fuel for everything: lighting, rail system, heating and cooling, and the few motorized vehicles allowed. Of the latter, not many, not even the elites, owned private motorcars. The only motorized vehicles in Eldonia were of the multiple passenger variety, such as Hanon's bus. Small motorbikes, such as Lan's, were rare.
Deep into the tunnels, Enos came upon a crossroad. To the left is the tunnel which leads directly to Glasswell Station; to the right is the way to Indria Plaza. Enos knew this system inside and out, so it was not difficult to navigate his way to the plaza. There was no one else down here, and there shouldn't be, unless a nosy Eldonia wanted to catch himself in the system's many well-hidden booby traps. A false opening here, a deep mud pit there, a dead end path, all cleverly constructed to ensure a snooping pest may never find his way out. Thankfully, no unauthorized persons ever ventured down here, and for good reason.
An inscription above the arch signaled that Enos was now directly below Indria's statue. A steel ladder led up to a special trapdoor which, in turn, led straight up into the statue's base. Up this ladder Enos went, finally reaching the door, and said door had a combination lock. Remembering the nine-digit code, Enos successfully entered the base; it did not take long to locate the emerald box wherein contained the future of Eldonia.
Hastily locking the trapdoor, Enos hurried back down the tunnel, to Starfield House where the rebels resided. On the way, deep underground, directly passing under the Royal Palace square, he didn't – couldn't – hear the swell of voices as now-Regent Banes address the people. Perhaps, Enos thought, this was a good time to activate those ignition packs, set off those well-hidden phérium spikes in a deadly chain-reaction explosion. No, wait for Banes to make the dumbest, biggest blunder of his short career as Eldonian ruler. Wait until he orders that missile deployed; wait until he finally realizes the fruits of his folly. Then, the assault on Tyq will begin.
++++++
Banes gazed out over the crowd, seeking out anyone who might otherwise prove disloyal to the new ruler. It was understandable, what with their king dead, and Vlaric was a particularly popular ruler, if not the most personable man to sit on the Eldonian throne. Well, Banes would have gently break the sad news of Vlaric's passing, of the prince's obvious defection to the other side, and of the true nature of the king's death. Everything was going as planned. Vlaric died without ever suspecting his own trusted officials. Prince Asen's' disappearance, although not in the original plot, proved quite handy. So what if His Highness had his fill of his father's machinations and excesses? It was obvious Asen had indeed joined the Benutian Alliance, as well as Lord Cadmore. With a few well-chosen words, Banes could paint both the beloved prince and nobleman as traitors, instruments in Vlaric's murder – Yes, murder. How convenient of Asen and Cadmore to align themselves with that troublesome lot, and Banes wouldn't waste time searching for them. No, that is once he convinces his subjects Benut Province deserves total annihilation, that Nemir would be next. Why waste time and manpower searching for the missing prince when it was clear His Highness discarded his birthright and thumbed his nose at his people?
With himself firmly ensconced as Eldonia's ruler, Banes already began to fill his court with those deemed worthy. He dismissed Aughir as royal steward, telling the man, "While your service to Vlaric was not without merit, and you proved your loyalty to the Crown, I believe it is time for fresh faces. However, I shall find a more plum position, say, Minister of Finance or Justice. Yes, I believe you are just the man to clean house, so to speak. From this day forth, consider yourself my new Minister of Justice, and your first task is to get rid of that awful Inspector Argyle. He's becoming quite the pest these days."
Ah, that should placate Aughir who, at first, protested his dismissal. Nevertheless, as Banes so skillfully explained, the late king's royal steward has proven loyal and discreet; he would be an asset to the new Eldonian regime.
Out on the balcony of the palace, Banes surveyed the crowd again, satisfied that his subjects had already been well trained to obey authority without question. He knew very well how that long lineage of Eldonian monarchs, beginning with Thomas I, along with personally chosen nobles and elites, systematically indoctrinated the people. A steady diet of thought control via pro-Crown propaganda: Pride of country and a sense of superiority over those deemed "undesirable" such as the Benutians and Nemirians. Every aspect of life in Eldonia was rigidly controlled from the distribution of wealth and personal expression. No one could question a king's or public official's actions, not even through the arts. It was a given that, for those who could afford it, artistic pastimes such as music, theater, visual arts, and literature had one objective: To glorify the Crown and Eldonian superiority. It was all about control over the people, reducing the everyday Eldonian to the status of sheep. Tell them anything and they'll believe it, even if it's all lies. Who cares if a wretched band of Benutian rebels are painfully and horribly executed in full view of the public? Such actions obtain their objectives, to keep the people in line.
Now, with Vlaric dead and the people right where he wanted them, Banes took full advantage of the present situation. The majority Eldonians loved King Vlaric, even more loved Prince Asen, that is those of Chalou and Koror Province respectively. It was that sense of superiority, the belief the "chosen" Eldonians were destined, long ago, to rule over this land with whatever means necessary, even if that meant complete annihilation of another province. Which is why Banes carefully outlined his address several evenings before Vlaric's death. He had to make sure the people would be shocked that someone had the nerve to murder their king, that their beloved prince dared turn his back on all he's known. Moreover, the shock and sorrow would turn to outrage and call for Benut's destruction. Banes took a deep breath then began his address:
"All loyal Eldonians, my beloved subjects, it pains me to break the sad news of King Vlaric's passing..."
He paused momentarily for the crowd's initial shock to pass. Yes, the people are shocked, saddened, but their sorrow will soon turn to raging anger once they learn how their sovereign died. Banes will comfort them with well-chosen words then hit them with the truth. Well, it was the truth – Vlaric was murdered – but Banes was careful in building the speech's momentum to a fully charged call for revenge.
"His Majesty, having so long mourned the disappearance of his beloved son, Crown Prince Asen, became ill during the night. As you know, King Vlaric was not a man given to modern medical remedies. He relied on his own special tonic to restore his health. Alas, it has been discovered not hours before this gathering that Vlaric was murdered."
A hush fell over the crowd then a low murmuring, people turning to each other, voicing how their king could be a murder victim. Who would dare assassinate the king? One such Eldonian noble said just this aloud, well within earshot, and Banes was all too willing to oblige such a question.
Steepling his long, elegant fingers, his black robes flowing in the early evening breeze, Banes said, "It is true: King Vlaric was poisoned last night, his very tonic tainted with an unknown toxin. His Majesty, under the drug's life draining effect, leapt to his death, from his very bedchamber window. Now, I'm sure you are asking who could have done such a dastardly deed. Let me be blunt, and the king's murder goes back to the very day Prince Asen disappeared."
Banes went on to recount the events leading up to Asen's disappearance, what had appeared as a kidnapping at first. Yet, there was recently acquired, damning evidence that Asen orchestrated his own disappearance. This evidence pointed to the prince's collaboration with the renewed Benutian Alliance, a loosely networked circle of rebels whose intent was to overthrow the Eldonian regime. What does this have to do with Vlaric's death? Wasn't it obvious, Banes so skillfully declared, that Asen's blatant disregard for his birthright, his nose-thumbing of all tradition and honor, helped to bring about Vlaric's demise. Banes concluded the first part of his speech with an outright accusation, blaming Asen and the Benutians for the king's murder. Then, the dramatic turning point: A call for Benut's complete destruction, mass executions of Chenek and all known collaborators, as well as all surviving Benutians.
It was at this point in the speech Banes announced the Ultimate Weapon; of course, he will need the people's complete cooperation and support. This was no problem, judging from the calls for Chenek's head and the Benutians annihilation.
++++++
From the penthouse window at Starfield House, Sivin and Khalina listened to the roaring crowd and wondered of Eldonia's fate, and that of Danielle and Asen. Not that they cared a lick for the very country which oppressed the Benutians with an iron fist. Yet, and they had an idea of what was to come once Banes ordered that missile deployed, didn't the people who blindly followed their king and public officials bring it on themselves? They will soon find this out once the assault on Tyq begins.
No word from either, not even from Princess Evore who had departed for Nemir soon after she received a message from the Alliance's leader in Tyq. Just who was this mysterious liaison between the court and rebels? Sivin didn't know; neither did Khalina, but the buzz all throughout Starfield House hinted at a person close to Vlaric.
"Aughir," said Sivin. "Who else could've passed those secrets to the Alliance, all the while in Vlaric's employ. The king obviously never learned of his steward's duplicity..."
In ran Enos, out of breath and carrying a precious item. He held it out to Khalina and said, "It's all beginning to fall into place. Banes has the crowd worked into a frenzy, and he's determined to launch that missile – Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?," said Khalina incongruously, "but what does that mean for us? Surely our country is well protected, what with Cadmore and Ubu securing Rumil and Mitra guarding the coastline..."
Enos shook his head, saying, "Look, all I know is you, Khalina, must go to Nemir tonight. And bring that doll. I can't explain, but Aughir said you are needed there. Evore is sending her dragon to fetch you."
Turning to Sivin, he added, "Aughir has ordered everyone within Starfield House not to leave until the All-Clear. Banes will bombard this place first, but with niuvite bombs, not phérium ones as he believes. The niuvite will protect this place once the real bombs go off. Don't worry, Sivin, your children shall finally be able to come home once Eldonia is levelled to the ground – and our new land emerges from the ashes."
Copyright©2006,2007 by P.R. Parker. All rights reserved.
