Unexpectedly, never noticing the process, Brother Candle had been seduced into the sin of despair. He abjured it the moment he recognized it. It terrified him. But, for a long time, he could not conquer it. And mere was no other Perfect there to guide him through the slough.
He became so uncertain of himself and his faith that he began to contemplate ending all earthly pain.
33. Sublime's War in Calzir
Courtesy of the indefatigable Titus Consent and his Devedian associates, the city regiment enjoyed a comfortable camp behind a ridgeline within sight of al-Khazen. Even the least of the soldiers and animals enjoyed shelter from the weather. Local peasants and woodcutters, denied refuge inside al-Khazen because they represented useless stomachs, were eager to support their families by hauling firewood, helping the invaders build shelters, or doing whatever else they could. The fuel and timber were harvested from olive, citrus, walnut, and almond groves belonging to Calzirans who were inside the city, applauding themselves for having kept all the useless, hungry mouths outside.
Wood, materials, and intelligence got paid for in food. The regiment's supplies now came overland from Postastati, a ghost town of a fishing village on Firaldia's west coast, just twenty miles from the ever-expanding Episcopal encampment Calziran peasants did most of the hauling. Draconian punishments befell those who stole supplies.
The regiment kept growing, fatter instead of stronger. Every Brothen functionary of standing, every member of the Collegium, seemed determined to be there when the last Firaldian Praman bastion yielded to the Will of God.
Else chose a cottage on the fore slope of the ridge as his main observation point.
The Pramans mounted a vigorous and aggressive defense, launching probes and sorties daily, always taking advantage of the worst weather. After a few minor disasters early on, Else's captains realized that their upstart foreign colonel might have what it took to keep them alive.
The Imperial forces suffered more setbacks. Hansel did not understand Sha-lug tactics.
The Patriarchal force had Grade Drocker and his Brotherhood veterans. And Else Tage, who continued to suffer the moral pinch.
Else, Pinkus Ghort, and Grade Drocker were in the lookout cottage considering al-Khazen. A light snow fell, hampering visibility. Locals promised the invaders that this was the worst winter in known history.
Also under foot were a dozen bishops, Principatйs, and important members of the Five Families. Grade Drocker had a calming effect on folk ordinarily inclined to be obstreperous. Sublime had declared him supreme commander of the Calziran Crusade, though nobody believed King Peter or the Emperor would take Drocker's orders.
Drocker observed, "It should be our turn today."
Else, who knew, agreed. "Their leadership is too predictable."
"Too predictable?”
"From their point of view. Pinkus. The troop mix has been constant so far, hasn't it? One cadre foreigner for fifteen Calzirans?"
"That's what I hear. I can't get them to line up so I can…"
"Stop!" Drocker gasped. He did not like Ghort's folksy style. Ghort claimed that Drocker would die of apoplexy trying to figure out what was wrong if somebody made him laugh. "Pay attention." Drocker pointed. His hand shook.
Else did not expect Drocker to survive the campaign. He slipped a little every day. But an immense will drove the man onward.
A wisp of signal smoke became visible thirty degrees to the right of a line of sight to al-Khazen. It was dark. A plan had worked out.
Else learned the full story later. An unexpectedly large Calziran force had taken the bait The Pramans chased fleeing Brothen horsemen into a trap where more than four hundred of their number fell in a fierce crossfire and subsequent assault from both flanks. Eighty prisoners were taken, too, none Sha-lug or Lucidian. The action was a disaster for the Pramans.
Else repeated the tactic. The other side seemed unable to imagine their enemies using their own stratagems against them.
PRINCIPATЙ DIVINO BRUGLIONI TOLD ELSE, “THE PATRIARCH wants an assault on al-Khazen. He's gotten behind repaying the money he borrowed to buy votes to get elected. He's talking about finding officers who are more aggressive."
"Anyone point out that he's not in charge?"
"He wouldn't listen. It verges on heresy to say so, but we erred when we compromised on Honario Benedocto."
The occasion was a gathering in the lookout cottage. Else and his staff spent their days there, now. Grade Drocker was a fixture. A continuously changing cast of Principatйs wandered through. Discussion concerned the feasibility of building a stockade around the city, then constructing small forts capable of laying fires on the approaches to al-Khazen's gates and sally ports.
Grade Drocker eyed Principatй Bruglioni like he was a lunatic. Ghort suggested, "We ought to talk that over with my boss." He indicated Bronte Doneto. Doneto stared at al-Khazen, dirty gray behind a fall of snow dust, like he wanted to smash it fast so he could get on home.
Drocker, wheezing and gasping as ever, declared, "If the Patriarch wants those walls stormed he can drag his craven carcass down here and lead the charge."
Ghort said, "Of course. Time will deliver al-Khazen. The Patriarch needs money, let him borrow it again."
He stated the plain truth about al-Khazen. The invaders' circle kept tightening. And the city's storehouses did not contain the grain shown by the records. Corrupt officials had sold it over the years.
Foraging parties had no success. Raiding parties failed to capture Chaldarean stores. In areas held by Episcopal troops, every Praman effort encountered disaster.
Drocker agreed with Ghort. "Sublime needs money, let him borrow it from the Deves." Then, "Doneto will hammer some sense into his head.”
"And if he can't?"
"We ignore the ignoramus. We took no oath to commit suicide for Honario Benedocto."
Else suspected there was a personal component to Drocker's relations with the Patriarch.
Drocker spoke in spurts punctuated by gasps for breath, but lately the spoken chunks were longer and the interruptions shorter. "You're being too clever with your ambushes, Hecht."
"Sir?"
"You've done well, anticipating the enemy. But he'll get the notion that he needs to try a more sinister tack."
"Sir?" Else spoke humbly. Drocker's stumbling, halting communications lately recalled every teacher he had had. Drocker had decided to become his mentor.
Drocker said, "You've fought them man to man and mind to mind and have had the advantage because of the Calziran Deves." Those people would pay dearly if the Praman leadership found them out.
Drocker said, "There are three major sorcerers in al-Khazen. Plus the Masters of Ghosts that accompany Dreangerean formations. They don't want us to know they're there. But they won't suffer many more failures."
Else responded, "Another outstanding reason for not attacking. They can conjure all the Instrumentalities of the Night"
"They would start small."
Principatй Bruglioni asked, "Is that true, Drocker? About the sorcerers?"
"It is."
"Why wasn't the Collegium made aware?"
Drocker was blunt. "We didn't want you people babbling the news all over Firaldia."
Easy to see why Drocker was not beloved by the Episcopal hierarchy. He smoldered with contempt for the self-serving pettiness of Church politics. "You'll be needed when the Unbeliever summons the Instrumentalities of the Night, however." For Drocker there was only one worthy struggle, the war against the Night
"You need to know now," Else told Doneto. "Because they'll come after you first"