Jack had been about to promise this and anything else when Myrval yawned, “The Gnobi and Onu are on the verge of war.”

Jack had had similar trouble with the rest of the tribal leaders, each citing one of their number with whom they refused to have any dealings that did not involve bloodshed. Several of them also took offense at Jack’s not having physically visited their camps to request their attendance at the summit, seeing in this his

favoritism of the Gnobi tribe. But Jack of Diamonds had exercised his powers of persuasion to the utmost. At last able to convince the twenty-one leaders to talk, he was now in one of Myrval’s conference tents, with Myrval seated on his left, a fire pit glowing in front of him, and the faces of the other leaders on screens around the pit.

“What I have already said to each of you singly,” Jack began, “I repeat to you now that we’re together. You are made subordinate to King Arch by the antagonisms he invents to keep you at war with one another. He does this to prevent you from joining together to fight his forces, knowing that he doesn’t have the military power to defeat you if you formed a coalition against him.”

“That’s insane,” said the Sirk leader. “Just yesterday, I got word from a reliable spy that the Fel Creel are gathering beyond the pale hills in preparation for an attack against us.”

“That’s your justification for the attack my reliable spy says you are planning!” shouted the Fel Creel leader.

“We planned no attack until we learned that you were.” “Ditto!”

“This proves what I’ve been saying,” Jack interrupted. “It’s obvious that neither of you would be attacking the other if not for the ‘intelligence’ you received. The Sirk tribespeople would go about their peaceful business and the Fel Creel would go about theirs.”

“Right!” said the Sirk and Fel Creel leaders.

“But the intelligence you both received was false,” Jack explained. “It came directly from King Arch in order to put you at deadly odds. Just as the ‘intelligence’ the Catabrac received of an impending ambush by the Shifog was false, as was the report the Shifog received of the Catabrac stockpiling weapons to annihilate them.”

The Catabrac and Shifog leaders mumbled in surprise; neither had mentioned these intelligence reports outside of their own tight-lipped clans.

Jack turned to the Gnobi leader. “And Myrval, I assure you, Gerte of the Onu tribe never said your daughter looks as if she’s been put together out of spirit-dane droppings and that her personality is just as foul as her person. I was there when King Arch thought up that particular bit of ugliness.”

Myrval said nothing. Each tribal leader was glancing at every other, unsure what to believe. “He might be speaking the truth,” said the Maldoid leader.

“How else could he know the exact wording of the insult?” Myrval answered. “I have never repeated it, not even to Gerte, who I assumed recalled his own foul words.”

“I’m glad to see that I’m gaining credibility,” Jack said. “Now, as Redd Heart’s emissary, I’ve come to propose that you all unite under Redd to battle Arch. King Arch will be defeated and, in exchange for helping you take control of Boarderland to govern equally among you, Redd asks only that you fight under her command for another teensy little war with the forces of Alyss Heart, so that she can regain control of Wonderland.”

“Excuse me,” said Myrval, “but now that you have informed us of Arch’s methods, why should we fight under Redd’s command when we can battle Arch without her help?”

“Because,” Jack said, “to fight Arch on your own, you will be required to choose a leader from among you. I’m just guessing, but I think there’ll be more than a little argument over which of you is best fit to lead the others. With Redd at your head, you are all equal.”

“With Redd at our head, we are all equal,” repeated the Maldoid leader, encouraged.

“Redd Heart is not known for being trustworthy,” said the leader of the Awr tribe. “But even supposing that we agree to this proposal, and that she leaves Boarderland under our control as she promises, we would still have to contend with her as our neighbor. She would make a dangerous neighbor.”

“She ruled Wonderland for thirteen years without causing Arch much trouble,” Jack said. “I urge you not to let this opportunity for true freedom pass.”

“And why is Redd suddenly so concerned about our freedom?” asked the Kalaman leader.

“Her Imperial Viciousness is primarily occupied with regaining her crown. The easiest way to accomplish this is to engage you all as her mercenary army. Happily, you stand to benefit from the arrangement as much as she does.”

“We would like to discuss the matter in private,” said the Glebog leader.

“Of course.” Jack rose to depart. “But allow me to say one more thing before I leave you to your decision. If you accept Redd’s proposal, you face the uncertainty of a future that you will, at the very least, have some power to shape. But if you reject the proposal, you’re doomed to remain as you are, with only the freedom to fight against one another for as long as Arch lives.”

Jack stepped from the tent, his words-the wisest he’d ever uttered in his life-lingering after him.

CHAPTER 38

A LYSS AND her advisers were gathered in the palace’s war room, Alyss shifting uneasily in her seat as

Dodge and the others tried to decipher what they thought was the entirety of Blue’s message.

“He said he would teach you about yourself,” Bibwit questioned thoughtfully, “but then you didn’t appear in anything he showed you?”

Alyss nodded. “Most curious.”

“I don’t like it,” General Doppelganger said, and began punching buttons on the crystal communicator’s control pad strapped to his forearm.

Zzzz! Flink! Zzzz! Flink!

From the vision nozzle on the general’s ammo belt, real-time images of Ten Cards stationed at outposts throughout the queendom were projected onto the air. No sign of trouble, every lieutenant reported, or of anything unusual. But then a Ten Card posted in Outerwilderbeastia caught sight of Bibwit.

“Back already, Mr. Harte? I knew the tutor species was fast, but not that fast.” “Whatever do you mean?” Bibwit asked.

“Just one quarter of a lunar hour ago I saw you hurrying toward the demarcation barrier. I assumed you were on some scholarly pilgrimage to Boarderland, as you were headed directly for gate crossing 15-b.”

Bibwit’s ears danced a dance of perplexity atop his head. “Was I…alone?”

“I didn’t get much of a look at the others. Being so pale, you stand out against Outerwilderbeastia’s vines, you know.”

“Yes. Yes, I’m sure I do,” Bibwit said absently.

“Your Majesty.” The Ten Card bowed to Alyss. “General.” The Ten Card saluted and his image dissolved.