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Subject: {ASSM} The Overlords' Gambit 10/36 (MF Mf Ff ff Mdom Fdom toys bd rom magic oral rough spank)
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<1st attachment, "Chapter10.txt" begin>

WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: The Overlords' Gambit
Universe: Narlass Chronicles
Summary: Amanda is again pulled into events that grow beyond what she
ever imagined as the Overlords plot against the Emperor, for the
changes in Oceanus will bring changes for herself as well.

Part: 10 of 36
Keywords: MF, Mf, Ff, ff, Mdom, Fdom, toys, bd, rom, magic, oral,
rough, spank

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2007

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/A_Strange_Geek/www/novels/Gambit/Chapter10.html



---------------

"I do not believe this!" shouted the Emperor, eyes blazing with fury.
"The unmitigated gall of them! Perhaps I should have Farviewed the
execution of the conspiracy leader to the lot of them! Perhaps that
would convince them of the strength of my convictions!"

Q'yros cast a momentary gaze towards the spot where the Farview
audience had just concluded moments before, the very one that had
caused the Emperor's mood to go from supreme satisfaction to red-faced
anger. He sighed and turned to his sovereign. "As it is, my Emperor,
you will need to perform your convincing in person."

Z'haas stared at the Mage for a few moments, as if challenging him to
rethink what he had just said. When Q'yros met the Emperor's gaze with
a steely one of his own, it was obvious that he would not be so easily
intimidated. The Emperor took a deep breath and drew himself upright.
"I should not need to do any such thing. I should summon that
insufferable buffoon on the Farview now and tell him to stay in his own
palace for the duration."

Q'yros paused as he weighed the Emperor's words to determine if the man
were serious or simply engaging in a bit of hyperbole. He decided on
the latter for the time being. "As it is, they have called for their
right as dictated in the Charter. The right of Caucus before the
Emperor."

"I do not need you to quote me the law," Z'haas said coldly. "And I'll
remind you that /I/ am the law."

"The Nobility does not see it that way."

"To the hells with them."

Q'yros forced himself to remain patient. He was beginning to understand
now that Z'haas simply needed to work through his anger. Until he did
that, he was going to offer foolish suggestions. It was up to the Mage
to deflect them and make sure the Emperor did not attempt to dwell on
one long enough to actually implement it.

"If I wanted someone to quote back the law to me, Q'yros, I would not
have had the traitor Gondas executed."

"I must admit, my Emperor, I was a bit ... surprised to have heard this
morning that you had done that."

The reality was that Q'yros had not been surprised. Shocked, but
ultimately not surprised. He did not think this boded well for the
Imperium in the long run.

Not that he thought the coup should have succeeded. On the contrary,
the more he learned about the Portal technology that was being
employed, the more he could believe Z'haas' ramblings about a powerful
enemy. There was the assumption that the Portals were from this same
enemy, but it was a good assumption. The evidence was largely
circumstantial in its favor, but there was an awful lot of it.

Not to mention that Q'yros had a strong gut feeling. A Mage's intuition
was not that of a normal person. It was influenced by the weave of
magical forces that permeated the land. It had subtle effects on the
mind, giving the more powerful Mages a very faint, latent
prognostication ability. Some Mages tried to cultivate this power, but
few had anything more than limited success. Still, its passive form
served a Mage well.

The Emperor managed to calm down enough to return to his throne, but
there was still a hard edge to his voice when he spoke. "What would
court proceedings have bought us, Q'yros?"

/Legitimacy, perhaps?/ Q'yros thought acidly. /A sign to the population
that you're not trying to become a brutal dictator?/ "Surely there was
a mountain of evidence in favor of a conviction ..."

"I was well within my rights to do what I did. It falls under the
emergency powers clause of the Charter."

"I thought such powers were granted only in wartime, my Emperor."

"And you do not see this as such? Enemy agents infiltrate our land and
open Portals near known rebellious elements in our own nation.
Conspiracies to usurp the throne have nearly borne fruit."

Q'yros' eyebrows rose slightly on the Emperor's last statement. That
was the the first time Z'haas had come close to admitting he had been
concerned about losing power. That was not necessarily a good thing. It
meant that he might start making decisions out of fear rather than
rationality.

Once he had heard about the execution of Gondas, Q'yros did a little
digging. He eventually discovered that all the members of the
conspiracy, every last one that had been in that house, had been
slaughtered by the Imperial Guard. It was one thing to kill the
ringleader outright, and then perhaps token trials for the others, but
to execute all of them ...!

"Tell me how any of what I have just told you is not an act of war?"
the Emperor demanded.

Q'yros paused and shook his head. "I cannot."

"I will make this very clear to the Lords when I meet with them. Their
words will not divert me from my course."

The Mage was relieved to hear that the Emperor had tacitly agreed to
entertain the Caucus. "The words of Lord Uras did not suggest they will
seek to convince you to change course. The impression I had was that
they wish justification for your actions and nothing more."

Z'haas bristled at this. "And my word to them should be good enough! It
is I to whom the safety of the realm is entrusted, not them!"

"Then /make them understand that,/ my Emperor!" Q'yros declared, trying
to keep his temper in control. He felt Z'haas was extremely dense,
almost beyond the powers of his patience. "Tell them some of what we
have discussed. Stop keeping everything a secret. Show them the danger,
and they will likely rally behind you!"

Q'yros was not at all sure of that. The fact that Lord Uras had called
upon the Emperor barely a day after the destruction of the conspiracy
meant that he had likely heard what had happened. As tight as the
Emperor wished to make his security, no known Magic -- or force of
Imperial will, for that matter -- could stop a Farview.

Thus it was likely that the Overlords knew of the failure of the coup
by now, and were plotting their next move. This reminded Q'yros of the
next concern he wished to voice, assuming that Z'haas did not simply
retort with yet another variation of "I'm the Emperor and they should
just do as they are told."

"There are certain things I am not ready to divulge," Z'haas said
flatly. "Specifically so it will not tip off the enemy as to how much I
know."

"I am aware of this. And I still wish you would share more with me."

There was a long pause. "I may be forced to."

Now Q'yros was definitely surprised.

The Emperor lifted his head imperiously. "Mage Q'yros. You are the only
one I trust. That is not an exaggeration. I trust no one else. Were you
not needed as an adviser and as a liaison to the Mage Guild to research
these Portals, I would have you as my personal bodyguard."

Q'yros realized that to the Emperor's ears, this sounded like a grand
compliment. Instead, it was all that the Mage could do not to visibly
bristle at this. As it was, his hands gripped the end of the staff
tightly enough that the ancient wood made a faint cracking sound.

Z'haas continued, "Your loyalty to me is paramount in all things. I
must have your support in whatever transpires."

"There should be no question of that, my Emperor," said Q'yros, trying
to keep the acid edge from his voice.

"Oceanus will march on Colos. Nothing must be allowed to stop it."

Q'yros hesitated a moment, but then nodded solemnly in agreement. He no
longer wished to change the Emperor's mind on this score. While he was
not entirely comfortable with it yet, he felt that a military excursion
might be justified in the end.

News from the Mage Guild grew more ominous with each passing day.
Previously, this was due to the growing list of things they did not
know about this new Portal Magic. Now they had finally forced it to
reveal some of its secrets, and things grew still more alarming.

Yet much of it was supposition. They still had yet to crack the
structure of the energy flow itself that created and maintained a
Portal. The problem was that a pinpoint-accurate Portal required the
use of the focusing spell upon a blue pearl. Thus there were two energy
flows: the smaller one from the pearl to the Portal and the larger one
from the Portal itself. The two were intimately intertwined with one
another, creating the complex energy pattern that opened the Portal.

The Guild Mages had no trouble finding the larger energy stream. What
they could not find was the smaller stream, and that was vitally
needed. It was like the key to an encrypted message. Without the key,
there was nowhere to go.

"I will take what you have told me under advisement, Q'yros," said the
Emperor, his fingers tightening on the ends of the arm rests of his
throne.

That was far more of a concession than the Mage had ever received from
the Emperor. "Very well, my Emperor. I only wish your plans to go as
smoothly as possible. Placating the Nobility will go a long way towards
that."

"And what of the Overlords? Or will they continue to plague me?"

"I fail to see how they can be much trouble to you any further. I have
the impression that Gondas was their last chance. He was a member of
the Yassa Clan. They owe a sizable debt to the Joran Clan. We can
surmise that this was the Overlords' best contact they could muster."

The Emperor did not look at all mollified by this, but said nothing in
comment.

Q'yros considered for a moment. "Speaking of the Overlords ... have you
given thought to the disposition of Gronnus?"

"You mean because his information proved worthwhile?"

"With all due respect, my Emperor, his information was /invaluable/.
You saw for yourself from your agent's report how far along they were
in their plans. Much further than you had given them credit for."

"Do you truly think that I would have fallen, Q'yros?" Z'haas said in a
scoffing tone of voice. "Do you really think they might have breached
the inner sanctum?"

The Mage did indeed believe it. Z'haas' men were loyal to him, but to a
point. Bennis had been the wild card. He was wily enough to pull it
off. He has a great deal of charisma and many personal contacts in the
Imperium, probably many more than Z'haas will ever know.

Correction: /had been/ wily enough. Or perhaps not quite enough after
all. He was as dead now as the rest of them. And despite the Emperor's
dismissal of their chances, Q'yros could sense the undertone of anxiety
in the Emperor's voice. Z'haas understood how close he had come to
being usurped.

"Either way, Q'yros, it was a distraction I did not need. Yes, I am
aware that Gronnus' information was useful."

The disdain in the Emperor's voice was obvious, though Q'yros ignored
this. "If he has proven himself, he could be a valuable insight into
the Overlords' plans, since you appear to be worried about them."

The Emperor's eyes narrowed. "I would be more concerned if the
Overlords were working with the Nobility. That is what we must watch
for, Q'yros. That cannot be allowed to happen, and that is where
Gronnus will prove himself. But make no mistake about it. We witnessed
a Portal opening in his Manor. I will never trust the man completely.
The moment he crosses me, he will share the same fate as the
conspirator Gondas did. And the would-be usurper Bennis!"

Q'yros admitted to being mystified as to the Portal. Yet there was no
denying that Gronnus had passed his "test." He could not believe the
man smart enough to arrange for a ruse of this magnitude simply to gain
trust, not one where so much was sacrificed when it would have been
easier to let the coup attempt proceed.

Z'haas took a deep breath and let it go as a slow sigh. "In either
case, I will not allow them to have the time to put any plans of
conspiracy to work."

The Mage looked askance at this. "My Emperor, are you suggesting the
Nobility would stoop to ..."

"I make no assumptions, Q'yros! I will suspect them of as much
duplicity as the Overlords! That is why I intend to make the Caucus as
short as possible."

"If they will allow it. They are worse than Overlords when it comes to
political minutiae."

"It is of no concern. Lord Uras informs me it will take at least half a
moon to bring together all the Lords, another quarter moon to get them
here. The Imperial Army will be ready to march in one moon."

Q'yros gave the Emperor a shocked look. "What? /One moon??/ How can you
/possibly/ train and equip ..."

"I have arranged for some assistance. As per treaty."

"Treaty? What treaty?"

"A treaty I have recently signed with the Urisi Nation."

It took a moment for the meaning to become clear to Q'yros. When it
did, he gave the Emperor a horrified look.

"What is it?" Z'haas demanded. "Speak your mind, Mage."

Q'yros gripped his staff so tightly that his hands shook. "My Emperor
... please tell me you are not using /Urisi nationals/ in your army
..."

"Only to fill out the foot regiments. To bulk up the main ground force
so that strength of numbers will be on our side at all times." The
Emperor paused and raised an eyebrow. "Is this a problem?"

Q'yros gave the Emperor a level look. "With all due respect, my
Emperor, you will be lucky if the Nobility do not call for your public
execution in the Imperial Square if they learn of this. Then the
Overlords will be the least of your worries!"

Z'haas narrowed his eyes. "You disapprove?"

"Argh! Blast what I think! That doesn't matter! I'm telling you what
the Nobility will think! You know how they feel about foreign influence
at the Imperium."

"This is not the same thing. They will have no say in the command
structure. Their field commanders will be subservient to ours. And to
me."

Q'yros was exasperated. He could not get the Emperor to understand that
it was the /appearance/ of influence that mattered more than the actual
thing. Appearances mattered a very great deal to the Nobles, more so
than the Overlords.

But there was nothing that could be done about it now. The damage was
done. Now Q'yros had to practice damage control. "My Emperor, you must
make sure you never allow the Nobility to hear of this ... arrangement.
Or of the treaty."

The Emperor frowned deeply. "I am not stupid, Q'yros. Stop treating me
as such. Why do you think I kept the treaty secret instead of
circulating it for their approval?"

"More of your emergency powers, I take it?"

Q'yros had not bothered to hide the sarcasm from his voice. It
apparently had pushed the Emperor to his limit. "Leave me, Q'yros. I
have important matters to think over."

"As you wish."

Q'yros turned and swiftly left the chamber.

By now the Mage knew of the Emperor's main fault. It was not
impulsiveness, or carelessness, or rashness. It was /arrogance/. The
Emperor believed himself to be infallible. Or inasmuch that whatever
faults he did have were to be ignored. This was the reason why he was
almost taken from power, because he was too arrogant to consider the
possibility that someone could move against him.

Or perhaps he did consider it, and that frightened him. The perceived
arrogance was a cover for his true feelings.

Whatever the reason, Q'yros could only hope that the matter would end
soon. Perhaps it was well and good that the army would march in a
moon's time. It would bring an end quickly to this sordid chapter of
Oceanus' history.

In the back of his mind, however, the Mage harbored the worry that this
was only the start of a very long and dark era for Narlass.



The silence was thick and palpable in the confined space of the outer
chamber of Roquan's quarters. Roquan cast his steely gaze between the
other two assembled Overlords as they awaited his response.

Roquan took a deep breath and let it go. "No."

Doran threw up his hands, his face red with anger and frustration. He
rounded on Rennis. "You see? /You see??/ This is the same bull-headed
stubbornness I have had to put up with for the past half moon!"

"Stubborn? If you wish to see evidence of that, Doran, try looking in a
mirror!" Roquan snapped, his eyes icy. "I ask you for more ideas on how
we can better penetrate the Imperium, and you continued to harp on ..."

Doran whirled around. "I have no other ideas! There are none to be
had!"

"If you cannot come up with one, I will surely ask the other Overlords
..."

Doran stomped over to Roquan's desk and yanked a drawer open. Rennis
backed up a step in surprise, and Roquan looked as if about to surge
forward and stop the other Overlord. Doran reached in and pulled out
the velvet-lined box containing Roquan's collection of Farviewing
pearls. He slammed it on the top of the desk, causing some of the
pearls to be unseated and roll about in the box.

"/Then summon them!/" Doran bellowed, gesturing wildly. "I will gladly
wait as you interrogate them one by one and have them tell you the same
thing that I will! We have nothing more to give!"

Roquan stared hard at Doran for a long moment. His hands clenched into
fists. Rennis saw this and took a wary step forward, as if believing he
was going to be needed to break up a fight. He saw the rising fury in
his old friend's eyes, and knew enough about the man to sense when he
was reaching the limits of his patience.

Finally Roquan's hands unclenched, though his expression remained hard.
"I want another option."

Doran raised a hand in anger. Rennis caught it and placed his other
hand on Doran's shoulder. "Leave off," he said in an almost pleading
voice. "Please. This isn't getting us anywhere."

"I thank you for being the voice of reason as always, Rennis," said
Roquan.

Rennis' gaze snapped over to Roquan. There was little in the way of
friendliness or support to it. "Then if I am the voice of reason, maybe
you'll listen to it. Doran has a point. We don't have any more options
left."

"Rennis, he wants me to take a course of action that can only lead to
widespread death and misery ..."

"Blast it all, Roquan!" Doran exclaimed. "People have already died!
People are already miserable!"

"/I am well aware of that!/" Roquan thundered. "Do you wish me to
compound it with more death?"

"Nothing says it will come to that," Rennis cut in before Doran could
continue the shouting match. "We are only asking that you speak with
the Nobility and seek their counsel."

Roquan raised an eyebrow. "We?"

"Yes, we, Roquan. I'm on Doran's side in this. We don't have any more
leverage. Gondas was our last chance."

Doran pointed a finger at Roquan. "By your own words, Roquan, Z'haas is
a madman! We should have realized he would resort to this if he
uncovered the plot."

"And just how did he discover it?"

"That's unimportant now, Roquan, as all of our options from within the
Imperium are gone. Knowing how it happened will not help. But we have
an opportunity now if only you will seize it!"

Doran had clenched his hands before him on the last words to emphasize
his point.

"You are speaking of the Caucus?" Roquan said flatly.

Rennis raised an eyebrow. "So Lord Uras finally went ahead with it?"

"He was waiting to see how our hand played out, no doubt!" declared
Doran with clear disdain in his voice. "Hmph. The man would not show up
at his own funeral if he could figure out a way to do it."

"You suppose they're just as shocked as we are as to Z'haas' reaction
to the coup attempt?"

"If they had an ounce of sense they would be!" Doran narrowed his eyes
and shook a finger at Rennis. "But mark my words, Rennis, they do not
have any more leverage over this monster that sits upon the throne than
we do! I half-expect the Emperor to bar the doors to the Imperial
Palace and not let them set foot inside when they arrive!"

"He could not possibly ..." Roquan began, but did not finish the
thought.

Doran and Rennis turned to look at him, and it was clear that their
mutual friend and finally caught on to a very essential truth.

Roquan nodded slowly in understanding. "He no longer cares. Protocol.
Tradition. Common sense. None of it. He is beyond that. He knows only
the power he wields."

In a surprisingly calm voice, Doran responded, "Is this not what I have
been trying to tell you? And you were the one implying he was insane
moons ago, and I would not believe you. I should not have to be the one
convincing you now."

"Do you not understand what acceptance of that fact means? It means
accepting a military option. It means accepting that control of Oceanus
can be taken from Z'haas only by force of arms!"

There was silence in the wake of Roquan's remarks. The pain was evident
in the Overlord's voice, even as much as he had tried to suppress it.
Neither Rennis nor Doran thought it appropriate to openly acknowledge
they had seen it. Instead, they waited for Roquan to make the next
move.

Roquan took a deep breath and straightened, lifting his head
imperiously as he always did when attempting to recover from a moment
of weakness. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused when he felt the
gentle pressure on his mind yet again. He gritted his teeth and
muttered, "Damn the insolent whelp!"

Rennis looked askance at Roquan. Doran furrowed his brow in confusion.

Roquan sighed. "It is nothing. I am simply being summoned -- /yet
again/ -- to a Farview audience I have no time for right now."

Doran frowned. "Farview? From which Overlord?"

"None. It is Lord K'garon."

"He is the governor of the Keyas Province," Rennis said at Doran's
questioning look.

Doran paused a moment in thought. Suddenly his eyebrows shot up. "Not
/Duric/ K'garon?"

"Yes, Duric," Roquan said acidly. "He has been trying to reach me since
this morning. I have politely refused but he does not seem to ..."

"Great gods, Roquan! He is probably Farviewing you about the very thing
we are talking about!"

Roquan gave Doran an odd look. "And how to you come to this incredible
conclusion?"

"You may refer to the man as an insufferable whelp, Roquan, but the man
is ambitious!"

"All young Lords are, Doran, surely that does not mean ..."

"And he knows how to get things done. I have heard he has pulled off
some amazing feats of politics. Considering the disadvantage of his age
in the eyes of his own Clan, that is an achievement."

"Do not make him out to be more than he is. His age cannot compensate
for lack of experience. If you are suggesting that he has influence
..."

"He does not have to have influence! He only needs to have good ideas
and the means to bring them to fruition!"

Rennis cut in before Roquan could speak again, one corner of his mouth
rising as he spoke. "Like an Overlord once did facing an entire
Conclave with little more than his words and making them all swing to
his side?"

Doran blinked and then smiled. "Ah, yes, yes, I seem to recall
something like that happening, hmm ... fairly recently I might add ..."

"I wonder who that could have been?"

"Surely not anyone we would know! Hmph!"

"That is quite enough," said Roquan. "Did it not occur to you that he
may be Farviewing me simply to discuss a matter of business?"

"He already has Tanyee, one of your better slaves," said Rennis.

"Perhaps he wishes another."

Doran shook his head. "I am telling you, Roquan, I would place money on
it that he wishes to speak to you of recent events at the Imperium. The
man has his ear to the ground."

"Be that as it may, would he not wait for someone to approach him
instead?"

"Not Duric. If he wants something to happen, he will make it happen and
not wait for someone else to initiate it."

"That is not the way the Nobility does business. They do not
grandstand."

Rennis gave Roquan a smirk.

Roquan sighed. "What?"

"Isn't this is the same man that sent poor Tanyee home unceremoniously
without any forewarning when she disobeyed him instead of Farviewing
you about it as most clients do?"

Roquan pressed his lips tightly together and did not respond
immediately.

Doran gave both Overlords a mildly surprised look. "Did he really do
that? Surely that was a mistake, knowing Roquan's slaves ..."

Roquan took this as a great compliment, and it helped improve his
disposition somewhat. "She was a victim of the Imperial Agent. The one
that poisoned the Kaylaxxa. Once she was free of the influence of that,
she was sent back to him and he has been very satisfied with her ever
since."

"Ah, I see. In any case, Roquan, take the man's Farview and find out
what he wants. If it turns out it is just business, fine."

Roquan gave Doran a narrow-eyed look. "But you wish me to bring up what
we were discussing if he does not."

"It would be nice, yes," Doran said with a bit of a sour edge to his
voice.

Roquan considered for a moment. "I cannot promise you that."

"The fact that you're no longer rejecting it outright is a good sign,"
said Rennis with a lopsided grin.

There was another pause, and then Roquan made a wide sweeping gesture
with his arm. "I respectfully request that you both leave me. I take my
audiences with my clients alone so they may speak freely to me."

Rennis nodded and immediately headed for the door. Doran was not as
easily mollified.

"Roquan, do not pass up the opportunity! If he offers the Overlords
assistance, take it!"

"I am still doubtful of that, Doran. I simply do not see what he could
offer us. The Nobility are not about to become the allies of the
Overlords."

Doran gave Roquan a dark look and stepped up to him. "You're going to
hear something that you should never hear coming from my mouth. I think
we have moved beyond politics. Beyond tradition."

Roquan could not suppress the look of surprise on his face to hear this
revelation from Doran. It had been Doran that had helped coach Roquan
in the proper application of politics at the Conclave. It had allowed
Roquan to stay in the running until the weight of evidence and facts
were in his favor.

Roquan had been slow to learn, but once he had, he could apply them to
his dealings afterward with a will that was amazing to behold. Perhaps
now he played the game a little too well.

"You're throwing my own words back at me. Again."

Doran smiled. "They're good words. It would be terrible for them to go
to waste. Hang on to them until the next time you can throw them back
at me."

The Overlord clapped Roquan on the shoulder firmly, a gesture that was
unusual for him, and left with Rennis.

Roquan watched the other two Overlords leave. He lifted his head high
and took a slow, deep breath, and let himself fall back into his
normal, calm and confident demeanor. He had no intention of facing the
man on anything less than an even keel. He would not show weakness of
any sort.

Roquan turned towards the fireplace and stated crisply, "I accept the
audience."

There was a short delay. Since Roquan had not accepted the last summons
when it was made, Duric had gone to do something else. Roquan's
patience was soon rewarded as Lord Duric K'garon's form shimmered into
view on the hearth.

"Good day to you, Duric," said Roquan.

Duric smiled. The Overlord was using his given name immediately. That
was a sign in Narlassi culture that he wanted to get right down to
business. But then again, Duric was not always one to pay strict
attention to tradition. "And good day to you, Roquan. It has been far
too long since we talked, do you not agree?"

Roquan paused to take a breath before responding. The irony over the
fact that he, the one who bucked tradition himself rather radically,
was miffed at Duric for violating protocol, was lost on him. "Yes, it
has. But I sincerely doubt this Farview is for social reasons only."

"Really, Roquan, must you be so stiff all the time? Even in the middle
of serious business there is time for a little joviality."

"That depends on your outlook, I would surmise," said Roquan, forcing
himself to keep the edge out of his voice.

"Ah, true. I can only assume that your outlook is a bit bleak these
days."

Roquan inwardly bristled. It was obvious that Duric's intelligence was
superb. He already knew of the misfortune that had befallen the
Overlords. The only thing that mollified the Overlord was the fact that
Duric did not sound the least bit amused.

Roquan folded his arms tightly across his chest. "And /your/ outlook?"

Duric smiled again. "Now that's better. Outside of this particular
tragedy, I would say reasonably well. Certainly I have no complaints
whatsoever about Tanyee. As excellent a slave as any could be."

"Your words are kind and I thank you for them," said Roquan formally,
bowing his head once in respect.

"In fact ... I just may avail myself of another from you."

Roquan's eyebrows rose slightly. "So ... this is indeed a business
audience ..."

Duric chuckled. "Now, are not all meetings between Overlords and
Nobility about business when it comes down to it? No matter what the
other over-arching reasons are?"

The Overlord considered these words carefully. It told him two things.
First, Duric did indeed have another reason for calling. Second, he may
be looking to do business as part of it.

"With all due respect, I must ask for an end to the pleasantries,"
declared Roquan. "Can I assume that you know as much about what has
happened recently at the Imperium as I do?"

"Normally I do not like to reveal just how much I know. It can be bad
for a potential business deal."

One of Roquan's eyebrows arched. He had not expected so honest an
admission from the man. He simply nodded for the man to continue.

"But these are not normal times, now are they?" said Duric.

"By no stretch of the imagination."

"Indeed. Yes, I am quite aware of the failed coup attempt and its
bloody aftermath. It will not be long before the other Lords are
appraised of this."

"By you?"

Duric grinned. "Now, that would not be sporting, would it? Or increase
my influence with them were they to find out that I knew before they
did? Surely I don't need to tell an Overlord how to play the political
game."

Roquan was not sure whether to take that as a veiled insult. It would
indeed be one if Duric had any inkling of what had really gone on
during the Conclave, specifically how Roquan had to be /taught/ how to
play politics properly with the others.

Nothing would be gained by being confrontational, so Roquan gave Duric
the benefit of the doubt. "Be that as it may ... the fact remains that
you know of what transpired. Surely you can see the implications of
this?"

"Implications? Well, it is always hard to see the future even in the
best of times, Roquan."

"Yes, but in this case, it is clear that Emperor Z'haas ..."

"... is quite insane, yes."

Roquan stopped and stared at the Lord. "I beg your pardon?"

"Insane," Duric repeated, his smile fading. "The Emperor is not making
rational decisions. He ceased making them the moment he decided to
rattle his saber at Colos."

"And the Nobility had nothing to say on this?"

Duric laughed humorlessly. "Oh, we had plenty to say! We always do. Now
... whether that gets translated into action, well ..."

"You'd prefer the Overlords took care of the problem for you," Roquan
said with a cool edge to his voice.

"No, we don't actually. We don't want the Overlords meddling in affairs
of state."

The neutral tone by which Duric delivered that statement told Roquan
that he was merely repeating a policy rather than expressing his own
opinion on the matter. "Nevertheless, you did not act until after the
coup attempt failed."

Duric spread his hands. "And why should we? Had you succeeded, we would
not be having this discussion, and we'd have someone new on the throne.
Everything would be returning to business as usual. Now, we can spend a
good deal of the day discussing the merits and demerits of political
intercourse, or we could deal with the problem at hand."

"You seek to assist in removing Z'haas?"

"I see no other choice," said Duric carefully.

"Are you speaking to me on behalf of the other Nobles or only
yourself?"

Duric tilted his head and smiled slightly. "Clever, Roquan. Very
clever. Someone once told me some time ago that you had no idea how to
play the game. Obviously that person was quite misinformed. I speak for
myself at the moment."

Roquan felt a knot of tension form in his stomach, which was a first
for him. It was as if he could already see where the discussion was
headed, and it was going precisely in the one direction he did not wish
to go. "You are not of the opinion that the Caucus will be effective?"

"Are you?"

Roquan shook his head slowly. "The Emperor is beyond such things."

"Agreed. So that means we need another option."

Roquan did not reply. His eyes appeared clouded.

Duric spoke in a somber voice. "Timing will be everything. When he
moves his army to attack Colos, the Imperium will be weak. The other
Lords' representatives must have withdrawn by then. A quick strike,
penetrate the inner sanctum, and remove Z'haas from the throne."

Another long silence.

Duric sighed. "It's the only option, Roquan."

"A military action," Roquan said hollowly.

"Do you have an alternate plan? I would like to hear it if you do."

Another pause. A single slow shake of the Overlord's head.

"And I can't imagine that the other Overlords have not already
forwarded such an idea."

"Yes, they have, and I do not like hearing it from them any more than
from you," Roquan declared.

"But you have no other choice. Not anymore."

"No. And I despise making a decision simply because it is the only
option."

"As do I. One might say that is what drove me to call upon you."

Roquan raised an eyebrow.

"You cannot do this on your own, Roquan," explained Duric. "You cannot
organize a military campaign yourself, even with the other Overlords'
help."

Now Roquan did visibly bristle. "And you are saying we would be
completely lost without the Nobility?"

Duric gave him a genuine smile. "Not at all, Roquan! All right ... I am
forced to reveal my hand again. I know a few things about you. Things
that tell me you are someone that can do anything you put your mind to.
And that includes raising and fielding an army. Hellfire, you must
have, what, at least a hundred able-bodied men working the lands around
your Manor, providing basic food and clothing needs for your slaves.
Same for all the other Manors."

Roquan did not consider a bunch of peasants to be comparable to trained
men-at-arms, save for the ones that he hired as guards occasionally,
but he held his tongue. Instead, he went with this line of reasoning to
see where the Noble was going with it. "If that is the case, then, we
should do well executing that course of action."

"Perhaps. Except for one thing. The Nobility would never let you."

Roquan narrowed his gaze. "Is this so?"

"Oh, yes, very much. They would field an army to stop you and let
Z'haas take Oceanus into hellfire rather than let the Overlords execute
a military overthrow."

Roquan frowned. "Are you serious? They would start a civil war rather
than ..."

"Overlords cannot be allowed the reigns of power, it is that simple."

"But you would 'let' us plan a clandestine coup!"

"Power by proxy only. Far more acceptable. We know perfectly well that
unless the Overlords are directly involved at the Imperium, they will
not wish to conduct the minutiae of ruling Oceanus. You would be forced
to have someone serve in your place, someone far enough removed from
the constant influence of the Overlords that he would feel no serious
obligation to cater to them merely because they helped put him into
power in the first place."

"And having an army under your banner would be more acceptable to
them?"

Duric laughed. "Oh, they'll take exception to that. Quite vociferously.
But it would still keep the power in our hands. We'd provide the next
leader."

Roquan's lips drew to a thin line. "And this is preferable to someone
the Overlords forward?"

Roquan actually did not want the Overlords selecting the next ruler of
Oceanus. But he felt the need to defend the honor of his ilk.

Duric gave Roquan a sly smile. "Do I really need to answer that? Come
now. Your own little coup attempt had a member of the Nobility as their
interim Emperor. Bennis J'riis, I believe. The Riss Clan is quite the
powerful Noble family, I seem to recall."

"Fine," Roquan snapped. "Then you wish to assist us? You wish to
provide the men-at-arms and the military logistics?"

"While you provide the cause to rally around. Yes, that is what I am
offering."

Roquan nodded. "Very well. I accept."

"And what will you offer in return?"

Roquan gave him a stunned look. "/In return?/"

"Did I not say earlier that all meetings between Nobility and Overlords
come down to business at some point?"

Roquan's eyes blazed. "We have a madman on the throne of Oceanus, one
that will use cold-blooded murder to achieve his aims if it suits him,
one that will ignore all protocol and sensibility, one that will bring
Oceanus to ruin! And you wish me to /purchase/ your support in deposing
him?"

"Certainly! I will be taking a great risk, Roquan, both against the
Nobility and the Emperor. I face problems whether we are successful
against the Emperor or not. I most certainly do wish compensation for
it."

Roquan's jaw tightened. "You wish another slave."

"Yes. At no cost. And I already know who I want. I want your second
best."

The Overlord looked askance at Duric. "Second best?"

"Well, your best will always be Sirinna, and I would not ask you to
part with her. I am not that greedy or cruel. But you have another that
I have heard of, one that intrigues me, one that is your best after
Sirinna." He slowly smiled. "Or perhaps a better way to describe her is
that she has the /potential/ to be one of your best."

Roquan's eyes narrowed. "You must enlighten me at some point, Duric, on
how you are able to know so much about what goes on inside my own
Manor."

Duric grinned. "So you know already who I am speaking of?"

"Yes. And I must refuse. You must pick another."

Duric shook his head. "It is Amanda or no one. And no assistance."

"You are mad."

Duric paused. Yes, this fit with the profile he had created on the
Overlord. He would be unfailingly polite and adhere to protocol
rigidly. Until something happened that was not to his liking, and then
it broke down spectacularly. Instead of calling Roquan out on this, he
remained quiet and let the man reconsider his words.

Roquan forced himself to soften his expression. "I meant in the sense
that perhaps you are unaware of her status right now."

"I know she is only a Trainee."

"Thus she is not available for a contract."

"It is not unusual to send a promising slave to a client for a short
period of time in preparation for her graduation."

Roquan was growing increasingly exasperated and it was showing as a
strain in his voice. "Amanda is nowhere near that point. She has a
great deal to learn ..."

Duric waved a hand in dismissal, which only upset Roquan more. "I am
aware of that, and I will treat her accordingly. I will not expect her
to be as well-versed in the sexual arts as Tanyee."

"Why do you wish her, Duric? You can at least tell me that."

Duric considered for a moment. "Suffice it to say that she intrigues
me. I've heard some interesting things about her, things that tell me
she is most unusual as slaves go. I very much like the unusual and
exotic. And she is quite young. Younger than even Tanyee. I very much
like them young."

Roquan said nothing, one of his hands clenching into a fist.

"Give her to me for the duration of this crisis, Roquan. Then when it
is over, I will see if I wish to pursue a formal contract for her. Mind
you, if I am satisfied with her, I will be willing to pay very well for
her. I daresay nearly as much as Tanyee."

Roquan considered. The offer was tempting. Financially, Roquan was
doing better, but still hurting for funds. To be able to contract
someone out for almost the same amount of platinum as Tanyee would go a
long way towards filling his Manor's coffers again. He would need that
in the wake of the crisis, if he wished things to return to normal.

And Amanda was indeed very good when she put her mind to it. The
Overlords at the Conclave had been pleased with her. Several had
commented on that to him directly after the Conclave had concluded. One
had even made an offer to trade several of his slaves for her.

Yet the fear was the same as it had been then. That the secret would be
revealed.

And now there was a new wrinkle. He knew of the bond between Amanda and
Sirinna. He did not approve of it, but that was irrelevant now. He knew
this would cause a problem. Again, he felt like he was forced to make a
decision simply because it was his only option.

"You will accept nothing else?" Roquan asked in a low voice.

"Nothing else. You have heard the price for my assistance. What say
you?"

"Will you give me time to consider?"

"I wish I could, Roquan, and had the circumstances been any different,
I would accommodate you. As it is, we have very little time. We must
begin preparations immediately, but I cannot do so unless I know we
have a deal."

Roquan cast a level gaze at Duric. "How soon would you want her sent to
you?"

"I will be fair. I will give you a quarter moon to get her to me. That
will give you a few days to prepare her, if you feel the need to do
so."

Roquan frowned. "What you are asking me to do is highly unorthodox."

Duric laughed out loud. "And moving militarily against the Emperor is
not? One unorthodox turn deserves another, Roquan. Nothing will be
normal in Oceanus until that monster is off the throne."

This at least gave Roquan some hope that this was not simply a
lucrative business contract. Even Duric could state the truth about the
Emperor without flinching.

"We have a deal," said Roquan in a flat voice.

Duric smiled. "Excellent. In that case, I will begin what preparations
I can. Good day to you, Roquan. I will speak with you again soon."

"Good day to you, Lord K'garon."

Duric's image faded from sight.
<1st attachment end>


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