Read Online Waking Olympus (The Singers of the Dark Book 1) by Peter Yard - Free Book Online
Authors: Peter Yard
Tags: Science-Fiction
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us, she thought. She got into the nearest carriage and headed back to the Caravanserai.
The Emperor of Bethor, Karl Maximilian Pederson, was young. Liz regarded him as a rather foolish, immature, distracted man of 23, or a boy pretending to be a man. Her own family's history no doubt darkened her view of him, she didn't care. His dark hair, green eyes, rugged looks were praised by many women in the court. Their fawning almost made her gag. He claimed an interest in the arts, could paint, write a decent sonnet. She thought him a decadent who did not understand the forces at work in his own realm.
Now he wanted to meet her. She had never met him for any serious discussions, she was always in the background. Better for me to spy on you. She thought.
However, she needed to curry favor with him, especially when his 'advisors' were about. His advisors: the Secretary Kahl Enoos, Treasurer Vinnis Ortens, Securitor (Head of the Ministry of Order, secret police and propaganda) Tovan Frisch. Frisch was an ally and seemed not to share his emperor's hopes for peace, or else he was duping her. Stories of his excesses with female prisoners were legendary and likely true. She suspected he was waiting until he could have her body all to himself on a rack in the dungeon away from prying eyes, when she was no longer of use in his plans. They were all a pack of jackals, one day they would get an appropriate reward.
Frisch had been pushing the recent propaganda messages, designed the banners himself, so he said, arguing to the Emperor that it would be followed by a new program of 'greater understanding for our brothers on Neti'. True enough, there will be greater understanding, when we are in control, probably after a lot of blood has been shed , she thought, suddenly grateful that the Ancient mind reading tech of legend no longer existed.
" Lady Markham, I have heard you have been raising the readiness of our troops in the vicinity of Lindin, is this true?" The Emperor asked as if he was discussing the flowers in the Imperial Gardens. The way he pronounced 'Lady', mocking and questioning, was a reminder that her family had a question mark over it, that her demonstrated loyalty was paramount no matter how talented she was as a general.
He went on, converting the question to a rhetorical one and this meeting into something more sinister.
"Remember who your Emperor is. I know you want to recapture old glory or something. But there is nothing out there. The Cities are poor. What could you possibly gain from them? The climate is so variable lately we can't even rely on their grain shipments. Good heavens, they have become a liability, not an asset."
"I am maintaining my army's readiness. Regular drills and so on."
"Don't lie to me, Lady Markham. I know you are up to more than that. What are you doing?"
"As I said drills, because I do not trust the Cities. Also, there may still be knowledge left in the Cities. If we look properly instead of just sacking them like we did last time."
"That was centuries ago, I doubt there is anything left in the ruins."
"Maybe, but if we don't look we won't know. They are also a stepping stone."
"To what?" He said.
"If we control all the Cities, including Sanfran, we can control the Eastern Caravanserai whenever we want. Choke or tax the Traders into submission. Find out where their damnable Tanten is located, then lay siege to it or subvert it. They must have lots of secrets." She was starting to flush with anger. She slowly took a few calming breaths while he rambled on.
"And what are you going to do even if you succeed, after you have wasted all these resources? Do you think Tanten knows where to find vast metal deposits? Or hydrocarbon reserves? Do you think they have stashed away warehouses of intact Ancient photovoltaics?"
Composed again she continued. "By controlling trade we will also bring The Center to heel. Then we can access their knowledge and skills."
"Without energy and resources what do
The Emperor of Bethor, Karl Maximilian Pederson, was young. Liz regarded him as a rather foolish, immature, distracted man of 23, or a boy pretending to be a man. Her own family's history no doubt darkened her view of him, she didn't care. His dark hair, green eyes, rugged looks were praised by many women in the court. Their fawning almost made her gag. He claimed an interest in the arts, could paint, write a decent sonnet. She thought him a decadent who did not understand the forces at work in his own realm.
Now he wanted to meet her. She had never met him for any serious discussions, she was always in the background. Better for me to spy on you. She thought.
However, she needed to curry favor with him, especially when his 'advisors' were about. His advisors: the Secretary Kahl Enoos, Treasurer Vinnis Ortens, Securitor (Head of the Ministry of Order, secret police and propaganda) Tovan Frisch. Frisch was an ally and seemed not to share his emperor's hopes for peace, or else he was duping her. Stories of his excesses with female prisoners were legendary and likely true. She suspected he was waiting until he could have her body all to himself on a rack in the dungeon away from prying eyes, when she was no longer of use in his plans. They were all a pack of jackals, one day they would get an appropriate reward.
Frisch had been pushing the recent propaganda messages, designed the banners himself, so he said, arguing to the Emperor that it would be followed by a new program of 'greater understanding for our brothers on Neti'. True enough, there will be greater understanding, when we are in control, probably after a lot of blood has been shed , she thought, suddenly grateful that the Ancient mind reading tech of legend no longer existed.
" Lady Markham, I have heard you have been raising the readiness of our troops in the vicinity of Lindin, is this true?" The Emperor asked as if he was discussing the flowers in the Imperial Gardens. The way he pronounced 'Lady', mocking and questioning, was a reminder that her family had a question mark over it, that her demonstrated loyalty was paramount no matter how talented she was as a general.
He went on, converting the question to a rhetorical one and this meeting into something more sinister.
"Remember who your Emperor is. I know you want to recapture old glory or something. But there is nothing out there. The Cities are poor. What could you possibly gain from them? The climate is so variable lately we can't even rely on their grain shipments. Good heavens, they have become a liability, not an asset."
"I am maintaining my army's readiness. Regular drills and so on."
"Don't lie to me, Lady Markham. I know you are up to more than that. What are you doing?"
"As I said drills, because I do not trust the Cities. Also, there may still be knowledge left in the Cities. If we look properly instead of just sacking them like we did last time."
"That was centuries ago, I doubt there is anything left in the ruins."
"Maybe, but if we don't look we won't know. They are also a stepping stone."
"To what?" He said.
"If we control all the Cities, including Sanfran, we can control the Eastern Caravanserai whenever we want. Choke or tax the Traders into submission. Find out where their damnable Tanten is located, then lay siege to it or subvert it. They must have lots of secrets." She was starting to flush with anger. She slowly took a few calming breaths while he rambled on.
"And what are you going to do even if you succeed, after you have wasted all these resources? Do you think Tanten knows where to find vast metal deposits? Or hydrocarbon reserves? Do you think they have stashed away warehouses of intact Ancient photovoltaics?"
Composed again she continued. "By controlling trade we will also bring The Center to heel. Then we can access their knowledge and skills."
"Without energy and resources what do
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