Most of the Imperial Ministers re-convened shortly after lunch in the Emperor's private quarters. Mith Cor lay on a divan, while male slaves combed his hair and rubbed cooling oil on his body. The ministers and warriors of Lodar gathered before him.

"Nobles, we have before us a dilemma." He frowned at the sudden realization that his grandfather would not have faced this dilemma. Mith Cor the First had been a true warrior, and never had to consider issues such as treaties and alliances. If an enemy threatened Mith Cor I's domain, the armies of Lodar would march out and crush the insidious pest. But times had changed. The armies were soft now, staffed by yoemen who had become accustomed to many of civilization's comforts.

"If we ally ourselves with Mazidar," he continued, "we will set a precedent that may be adopted by some of the other rebel kingdoms of Tandaria."

Balder Khan stepped forward. "Would that be a disadvantage, Your Highness? We have no intent warring with them in any case, and better relationships with their kings might be to our advantage."

"Explain yourself, Magar," demanded Mith Cor. Despite the recent problems Balder Khan had had, Mith Cor knew him to be the most astute military mind in Lodar. Although, thought the Emperor, pherhaps he too had been enjoying the comforts of civilizaton too long. Sending the Conqueror to the southern borders was a good idea.

"Several come to mind, Your Majesty. First, we produce much grain and lifestock that can be exported to these areas. As it is, our farmers frequently complain that the price of grain is too low. They often destroy large quantities to drive the price up."

"That is true, My Lord," said Dundar Gazi, Minister of Taxes. "We lose much tax revenue because of the lost grain. For once, I agree with Magar Balder Khan. Taxing traded grain would indeed help us."

Mith Cor nodded. He knew he could count on the Conqueror to think of the most relevant issues. "Go on, Balder. What other advantages should I consider?"

"From a military point of view, our only real threat is the Dhelum Empire, south of Tandaria. So far, they have left us alone. If we are all seen as one united confederacy, the temptation for Dhelum to send warriors north might be significantly reduced. As matters currently stand, Dhelum could annex Tandaria piece by piece, until only Lodar remains untouched. With strong footholds in Tandaria in the annexed kingdoms, Dhelum could mount a major offensive, split us in two, or even conquer the entire Empire."

This made a lot of sense to the Emperor. Although there had been no problems with Dhelum for a long time, that in itself might be a cause for alarm. What was the Emperor of Dhelum plotting? Mith Cor had long considered Mazidar the primary threat, but perhaps that had been poor judgement. Mazidar might be only a minor thorn compared to the dangers presented by the Dhelum Empire.

Mith Cor turned towards Shanti Raj and Nar Sidthar. "What do you say, Magars? Is Balder Khan's assessment correct?"

Nar Sidthar waved a hand contemptuously. "The Conqueror underestimates the strength of the Army, Your Highness. I do not fear these dark mongrels from the south. Let them try to conquer us. I welcome the chance to have the Inner Army cross swords with Dhelum's warriors."

Shanti Raj shook his head. "I agree with Balder Khan, Your Majesty. The Dhelum Empire is four or five times larger than all of Tandaria. Some of their cities alone contain millions of people. My only concern would be that even if all of Tandaria were united against them, we might not be able to counter an all-out invasion."

Several others started to speak, but Mith Cor silenced them with a wave of his hand. He liked to consider only a few facts at a time. That way, he could make the best decision, not burdened down with too many facts or alternatives. It was a technique that had served him well for most of his life, he thought.

"Let us consider the other issue, the problem of the barbarian tribes." He pointed at Rati Bajah. "You tell me that your priests can see these tribes amassing in the Zepore Mountains. But where?"

Rati Bajah waved his arm in an easterly sweep, his robes momentarily fanning the air. "We cannot tell precisely, Your Majesty, at least not until we begin to go on the patrols with the various army units. Then I will be able to tell you precisely."

Mith Cor shook his head. "Believe me, High Priest of Att, I do not doubt your word. Yet I too would like to see solid evidence of these barbarians. Where is this evidence?"

Balder Khan was becoming more impatient. "Your Majesty, there are barbarians in the mountains. There have always been dozens of different tribes, and within each tribe, dozens of clans. They have been there since the Terrible Time of Destruction. We do not deny they are there. What we question is whether they are coming together and whether they are going to come down onto the Plains of Tandaria. And if they do come down, we can handle any threat as long as we can stop them in the foothills."

Mith Cor nodded in understanding. "That is true, Conqueror, but you forget that the barbarians are no longer your concern. The Inner Army will handle any threat." Mith Cor decided he better soften the harshness of his edict. Balder Khan was still his best Magar, and though Mith Cor thought that Nar Sidthar's arguments of the past several days were compulsive, still the Emperor was not entirely convinced that the Conqueror was no longer capable. "I tend to agree with you, Balder Khan, the threat from the barbarians is minimal. On the other hand, the threat from Mazidar is extreme."

Several of the ministers voiced their concurrance. Others simultaneously argued that the barbarians were the gravest danger. Splinter arguments erupted, and were only silenced when Mith Cor held up his hand. "Enough, nobles! I am here to listen to your advice, not your squabbling. Rati Bajah, what advice comes from Att regarding this treaty with Mazidar?"

The High Priest waited before speaking until all attention was focused on him. "The people of Mazidar do not worship Att, as My Lord well knows. And while there are temples to the lesser gods and goddesses throughout Mazidar, they are for show only. I greatly fear the import of Mazidar's atheism into Lodar, Your Highness. Remember also, My Lord, that it was the King of Mazidar who defied your father, Sarchem IV. As long as he sits on the throne of Mazidar, the honor of Lodar is tainted." Rati Bajah appeared to search the heavens, then shuddered visibly. "I cannot say what the military or economic merits of the proposed treaty with Mazidar may be, My Lord, but I can well say what is Att's will in the matter. Att would regard any who made or even contemplated such a treaty as a weak, spineless usurper to the true power of Lodar!"

Mith Cor felt his heart begin to race wildly. His hands tightened visibly on the arm rests of his throne. "It is well for your life, High Priest of Att, that you speak for your god and not for yourself." He glowered around the room at the other ministers. "Are there any others who hold this treasonous view?" he demanded.

No one spoke up, though several of the ministers looked uncomfortable. Mith Cor could tell that the treaty with Mazidar was not a popular issue with a large part of his nobility. Many in the room, including Lak Kowan, blamed Mazidar for the decline in their personal fortunes, and consequently had no reason to favor a return to normalcy with Mazidar. But Mith Cor had to take a longer term view. He truly believed the danger to the Empire was not the local kingdoms of Tandaria, but the larger Empires in the south. Continual bickering amongst themselves only played into the hands of the true threat.

He motioned for Jab to come nearer. "Jab Khan, record my decision. The Empire of Lodar will enter into a treaty with the Kingdom of Mazidar, according to the terms outlined. Precise arrangments for the explicit terms of the treaty will be handled by the appropriate ministers in joint sessions. Propose that we use a neutral place for these discussions, such as Abothar Zir, or failing that, Issar.

"I want this matter concluded as quickly as possible, Jab. Prepare the necessary documents, and have them delivered to the Mazidaran by the afternoon prayers. Before the sun sets, I want the Mazidarans on their way back to Mazidar."

Jab bowed his assent. "May I ask Your Highness why the sudden haste to conclude this matter?"

Mith Cor turned an icy stare towards his advisor. "I think the Mazidaran Prince is an impolite, arrogant upstart. I simply want him out of my city as quickly as possible." He stood up, pushing his preening slaves away from him. "Inform me of your progress just before my prayers."

Mith Cor left the room, followed by Jab, Balder Khan, Shanti Raj, and a few other ministers. The High Priest, Nar Sidthar, and several others hung back until they were sure that they were alone. Nar Sidthar looked from one face to another.

"It is time for another meeting of the Council of Twenty-three," he announced. "Tonight, after the low meal, at the Temple of Att. Pass the word to those not here."

The others nodded grimly, and the room finally emptied.

The full moon was just above the eastern horizon when two men slipped surreptitiously into a side postern of the Temple of Att in Lodar. They knocked quietly but impatiently on the door. A small spyhole opened up. The door slowly creaked open. A red-robed priest of Att held up a flaming torch to better see their faces. He grunted recognition, then pulled the door open further, gesturing for them to come in. He closed the door behind them, then led them back into the inner chambers of the Temple.

Rati Bajah, along with about twenty others, was waiting for them to arrive. The High Priest smiled a greeting. "Good, you two are the last to get here, Nar Sidthar and Lak Kowan. Time is growing late and we have much to discuss and accomplish before the evening is done. Now that you are here, we can proceed. First, would you like some refreshments?"

Nar Sidthar nodded. He had only recently joined the Council of Twenty-three, yet his role had become paramount. He enjoyed the extreme consideration that the other members of the Council showed for him.

Rati Bajah motioned for temple servants to bring wine to the newcomers. Like all the "Servants of Att," these were naked female slaves, most of them quite young, and all of them obviously pregnant. With the decline of the slave trade, the only viable source of new slaves were those born to slavery. The Temple of Att had begun an aggressive breeding program to ensure its supply did not run out. The only women who served Att who did not bear responsibility for producing offspring were the Priestesses.

Nar Sidthar wondered how many of the women had been impregnated by Temple Priests. He doubted that the Priests of Att followed the letter of the law by ensuring that both parents were of slave stock. He had heard tales of children being taken from their mothers within a few weeks of birth, to be raised by surrogate mothers in other temples. In such a situation, who would ever know that a particular child's father was a temple priest, and therefore entitled to freeman status?

A slave handed Nar Sidthar a goblet of wine. The goblet was of the purest gold, encrusted with precious gems. The aroma of the wine revealed it to be one of the rarer vintages. If this was the casual fare for Att's priests, thought Nar Sidthar, then well indeed did they live!

The Magar of the Inner Army mixed with the people in the room, renewing acquaintances and passing on private bits of news regarding the day's sessions in the Imperial chambers. Nar Sidthar had met most of the Council once or twice before in meetings similar to this, in other locations. But this was the first time that all twenty-three of the Council were assembled together. He recognized Reek Vel, Parel Than, Kao Pareg. Mul Utis nodded in his direction, and Dundar Gazi gave him a bearhug greeting that was copied by several others.

Rati Bajah called the meeting to order. His cold manner reminded everyone that this was not another festival day gathering of Lodar's richest and most powerful nobles, but a meeting whose price of attendance could be one's life if the Emperor found them out.

"Nobles of Lodar, much has happened today which could profoundly affect all of us in this room. Indeed, today's events could affect all of Lodar for the next twenty years. We have a chance to change those events in such a way that our mutual prosperity will be ensured for the next hundred years!

"For those of you who have not heard, let me highlight the most important items. First, we succeeded recently in our objective of getting the Inner Army moved into Lodar. Magar Nar Sidthar, our most recent member, will be firmly in charge of the city by tonight.

"Second, we have convinced the Emperor to send that despicable pretender, Balder Khan, to the southern border. With him out of the way, we should be able to accomplish most of our objectives.

"Third, the one piece of bad news that I have. The Emperor, despite our counsel, has agreed to a treaty of friendship with Mazidar." He looked around the room at the grim faces. "Most of you know what this means, I suspect. Mith Cor has lost the ability to see what is best for the Empire. Were he to continue with policies like this, he would soon reduce the nobility of Lodar to the lowly status the nobility has in Lodar! Our estates would be confiscated, our wealth dispersed to feed and clothe the common masses, our heritages lost."

Nar Sidthar wondered where the Priest was heading with his argument. He had taken only a minor part in most of the discussions the previous two times he had attended these meetings. Most of the discussions focused on ways to ensure the continued influence of the noble class, against both the middle classes and the peasants, who seemed to have acquired some champions of late. Like most of the others in the room, he also believed that Mith Cor was tending to listen too much to the lower classes. His principle Magar was a peasant. His chief advisor had been a common warrior also. Yes indeed, Mith Cor was losing the ability to rule wisely.

"What can we do to change all of this, Rati Bajah?" he asked.

The Priest pointed a finger at him. "A good question, Magar, a good question, coming from a man who knows the importance of action, a man who can cut through all of the talk and clatter and act decisively. By Att, if only we had those qualities in our Emperor!"

Suddenly the priest spread his arms and dropped to his knees, as a loud cry of pain or joy burst from his lips. His body quivered, shook, then was thrown back onto the floor. The nobles stepped back, awed by this rare sight of the High Priest in communion with Att. Finally, the Priest's body stopped shaking. He lay quietly, then began to pick himself up. His eyes had become large, unfocused, his face was red with excitement. The room was silent, except for the wheezing of the priest, trying to regain his breath after his ordeal.

"Att has answered your question, Magar," he said when he could speak again. "Att the Terrible has seen the future, nobles of Lodar. It is a glorious future for those brave enough to pursue it. It will be a terrifying future for those too cowardly to face it."

"What must be done, Rati Bajah?" someone in the back asked quietly.

Rati Bajah's eyes darted from one person to another. His lean face was shadowed and dark, despite dozens of flaming torches spread throughout the room. He moved his lips, but even those closest to him could not hear him. He mouthed the words over again, slowly, and this time louder. Those nearest gasped in horror, and pressed back against those who were trying to push forward. Finally he uttered the words loudly enough to strike fear into every heart in the room.

"The Emperor must die!"

The room suddenly was filled with cries of protest, shouts of agreement, arguments of one side against another. Tempers flared as sides were taken. Rati Bajah allowed the group to argue a few minutes, then demanded silence.

"The vision painted by Att was perfectly clear," he announced. "We have no choice in the matter. If Mith Cor lives, he will continue to weaken the Empire until all of us are stripped of our titles, estates, and fortunes. If he dies, he will be replaced by someone considerably stronger and more able to lead Lodar to greater glory."

"Not the Princess, surely!" someone protested. "She knows nothing of government."

"Precisely, my friend," smiled the High Priest. "What better qualifications could she have? She knows nothing of administration, that is true. But she is of royal blood, she is young and attractive. She may not serve as the ruler of an empire, but as the consort of the ruler!"

"Yes, yes." There were nods of agreement as the plan unfolded.

"Who would be the new emperor?" demanded Lak Kowan. "Who is to marry the princess, High Priest? Surely not you? You're already married to Att!" The Slaver's snarled contempt evoked spots of laughter around the room.

"No, not me," replied Rati Bajah. "You are perfectly right, Lord Kowan, though you make your comments in jest. The next Emperor of Lodar is right here in this room with us, lords. He is qualified by nobility of birth, a record of accomplishment in the Imperial service, and the command of an army to aid in our cause. Council, I propose that Nar Sidthar become Lodar's next and greatest Emperor!"

Nar Sidthar was as much surprised by the turn of events as any one in the room. He started to protest that he did not want to be Emperor, but his protests were drowned out by the cheers of encouragement. He quickly stopped protesting as the thought of being Emperor captured his imagination. The power he would have! The glory! No longer would he have to take second seat to the likes of Balder Khan or Shanti Raj again. With the initial support of the Council, he would be able to sweep Lodar clean of the nefarious elements that were destroying the Empire -- the poets, playwrites, the rich merchants who bled the country, the propagandists who favored improving the lot of the slaves or the peasants.

Of course, once he had accomplished these things, he would have to rid himself of this Council. But no need to let that be known. There was plenty of time to work out those details.

"But how do we get Mith Cor to die?" asked Reek Vel.

Nar Sidthar's bubble burst abruptly. "Reek Vel asks a good question, Rati Bajah," he said. "If we kill the Emperor, the people of Lodar will turn against us. Even with an army to protect us, we would not be able to survive."

Rati Bajah tried to quiet the din of discussion that followed. "My Lord, if we kill the Emperor, all that you say is true. But suppose it is not by our hand that he dies, but by the hand of an enemy of Lodar? For instance, suppose he were killed by a Mazidaran?" He paused as the impact of his words silenced the group. "Suppose further that the Mazidaran were the Prince of Mazidar?"

The High Priest sat down, smiling at the commotion of excitement that he was able to create. He motioned for a new set of slave girls to circulate with more wine. Unlike the ones who had served the group earlier, these slaves were either not pregnant or not obviously so. These women pursued their assignments with extreme dedication, rubbing their naked bodies against the nobles, encouraging them with their laughing eyes, their lustful words, their implied promises of the joys of power. The High Priest knew the power of wine and women to excite men to terrible deeds. He knew that he had control over this group now.

Nar Sidthar, one hand holding a goblet of wine, his other hand planted on a slave's breast, watched the proceedings with a strange air of detachment. While part of him partook of the wild cheering and planning, another part of him, detached and apart, stared at the crowd as an outsider might see it. They were being manipulated, controlled, pushed down a path that had already been plotted out. He stared at the man behind all of this, Rati Bajah. Their eyes locked, only momentarily, but it was long enough for Nar Sidthar to see the evil hatred that burned deep in the Priest's soul. Nar Sidthar felt suddenly cold. He pushed the slave away from him, as though she were a leper, but another quickly took her place. He could not escape their clutches, and just before a feeling of panic overtook him, the feeling of detachment collapsed. His shoulders slumped, and he resigned himself to the fate Att had in store for him.

Rati Bajah snapped his fingers. Almost immediately the slaves disappeared, taking the wine with them. He stood up and glowered at the nobles, some of whom were still milling around looking for the wine slaves. "What kind of fools are you?" he demanded. "What do you think you will accomplish if you get yourselves drunk? Do you not realize that we have much work to do tonight?"

"But what must we do?" someone asked.

"We must act quickly, tonight, while opportunity is still with us. First, we must make sure the Princess is out of the palace when we make our move. If she knew that we had anything to do with her father's demise, our cause would be lost. Reek Vel, you will be in charge of that operation. Use only those you can most trust. You must get the Princess out of the palace with no one discovering the deed has been done. It is equally important that she think you are the Mazidaran. Do not let her see your face, whatever you do. Take her north, to Jadpat. That is opposite the direction the Mazidaran will be going, so no one will search in that direction.

"We must stop the Mazidaran from leaving Lodar. We have to bring him back here, so that we can catch him in the nefarious act of murdering the Emperor. After the deed is done, we can kill him and all of his party. Fortunately, the Mazidaran fool only brought a few people with him, so our task will be all the easier.

"Lak Kowan and Dundar Gazi will be in charge of this operation. Lak Kowan, do you have enough men in this area to overpower the Mazidaran and the Outer Army escort that is with them?"

The Slaver nodded, his eyes gleaming with enthusiam. "More than enough. It will be a pleasure striking both groups, my Lord!"

"Good. Now to the city. Nar Sidthar, we need to have you here in Lodar. First, you have to ensure that the Imperial Guard is neutralized. If necessary, imprison Shanti Raj and Balder Khan. Enough of the Inner Army is in the city to overpower the Guards. If necessary, we can incite riots to create a diversion. We have been spreading rumors of these barbarians; let us now sight some of them on the outskirts of the city.

"Some of you will have to gain access to the Imperial Palace tonight. We must have only our people with the Emperor when the assassination is done. That way, there will be no witnesses against us. As soon as we are sure that the Mazidaran party is in the palace, we will kill the Emperor, any witnesses, and the foreigners."

He looked around at the somber faces. The Council knew what had to be done, and they were prepared to do it. Some of them knew that they might die that night, but most believed they had the element of surprise on their side. It was an extreme act, a daring act, but it was an act that would bring a better world to them and their kind. No one doubted the necessity of the Emperor's death, and any who did were in too deep now to back out.

"By sunrise tomorrow," said the High Priest, "Lodar will have a new Emperor. Long live Emperor Nar Sidthar!"

"Long live Emperor Nar Sidthar!" echoed the nobles exuberantly. "Long live Emperor Nar Sidthar!"

The group quickly began to disperse to their various assignments. Nar Sidthar was among the last to leave the temple. He paused when Rati Bajah put a hand on his shoulder. He turned and faced the High Priest.

"Tomorrow starts a new era, Nar Sidthar," said Rati Bajah. "In a way, it is somewhat frightening."

The Magar nodded, surprised that the High Priest was frightened of anything. "It will be a better era, Rati Bajah."

The High Priest of Att smiled knowingly. "Much better than any of us can imagine. That is the promise of Att."

That evening, a series of strange events took place in and around Lodar that was to change the destiny of the Empire, Mazidar, and most of the kingdoms of Tandaria. Dynasties would fall and others would take their place. Lives would be taken, lives would be lost.

Lodar had witnessed the processional departure of Prince Akkra's party earlier that afternoon. Under the escort of twenty warriors of the Outer Army, the Mazidaran, protected from prying eyes in a covered palanquin, and his few followers set off down the dusty road to Sind. From there, the group would turn southeast and head for Issar, the last outpost of Lodar. The warriors would leave the group then, allowing the Mazidarans to cross the northern reaches of the Southern Desert by themselves.

The whole trip would take six days, if they traveled only during the day. The Prince had already made it quite clear to every one concerned that he did not want to disturb his sleep by traveling at night.

That first night, the group made camp only a half-day's ride from Lodar. The Emissary came out of his palanquin, greeted his escort cheerfully, and proceeded to demand that the servants open the wine casks and share the beverage with everyone, including the Lodaran warriors. None of the Lodarans had encountered the Prince before, though they had been aforewarned of his reputation. While some of them hesitated, several joined in the festivities. Soon, the entire troop was joining in with the Mazidarans and their Prince in singing raucous barroom ballads.

As the wine flowed freely, and the moon rose in the nighttime sky, no one noticed a darkly-dressed figure climb from the palanquin and slip away into the dark shadows. The mysterious person, when far enough from the camp to avoid detection, whistled a bird call in the direction of the camp. One of the horses, the Prince's own, loosely tethered by its groom, backed away from the corral and headed towards the caller.

The black-cloaked figure led the horse further from the camp. When far enough away, the person mounted and began to ride furiously back towards Lodar.

The next event was not witnessed by Lodar, though the city found out about it soon enough.

The city of Lodar had just completed its evening prayers. In the Imperial Palace, the Princess Nest-kor, no less devote than the average Lodaran, was just rising from prostrating towards the icon of Att in the Palace temple, when several priests entered from side doors. The Princess noticed them, but thought nothing of the incident. While the Palace temple was primarily for use by the Imperial family, her father often permitted the priests of Att access to it. She had just stood up, when she realized something was amiss. The two priests were standing right behind her. As she turned to face them, one muffled her mouth with a cloth gag, while the other pinned her arms to her body. The gag was secured with a tight bond that bit into her lips and cheeks. Her arms were securely tied behind her back. They then tied her legs, so that she could neither walk or kick. She was then wrapped up in a light woolen blanket. She felt her self heaved onto one of the priest's shoulders, like a sack of flour, and carried from the temple.

Sometime later, she felt herself being placed over a horse. Her hands and feet were tied together under the belly of the horse. Then began a painful ride out of the city. She knew they were heading out of Lodar by the sounds she could hear, muffled as they were by the blanket. The sounds of the bazaar closing up for the evening. The sounds of the city guards, challenging the two priests, then hearing that they were taking a corpse for burial, urging them on. The nighttime sounds of the villages outside of Lodar.

The ride continued for an interminable time. Nest-kor thought she would die a thousand times, so painful was the ride. Finally, the horses stopped. She felt her captors untie her bonds. Roughly, they pulled her off the horse, letting her fall to the ground. Mentally, she screamed with the pain, but no sounds passed through the gag. They removed the blanket, making sure that she had no opportunity to see their faces. The moon was a quarter of the way up from the horizon, shedding enough light where should could have recognized any features she saw. They put a cloth sack over her head, blocking out all light. The sack was tied around her neck, preventing it from coming off. However, she didn't have to see her captors to know who they were.

Several times, she heard one of them call the other Prince Akkra.

As soon as her father learned of this treachery, there would be war!

Shortly after the Council of Twenty-two broke up, Lak Kowan met with a score of his most trusted warriors. He instructed them to gather suffient men to overpower the Lodaran guards and the Emissary's party. Within an hour, a band of eighty men were heading down the Sind Road to catch up with the Mazidaran group. They found the group, yelling and laughing obscenities to the starry heavens, only a short ways down the road. It was only a matter of minutes before the twenty Lodarans lay in the dust, their throats slit, their bowels spewed on the ground. The Mazidarans, including the Emissary himself, were taken alive. Bound hand and foot, they were mounted on horses and led back to Lodar. The Prince, protesting the outrage, was silenced with a severe beating that left him choking on his blood and vomit.

The group was secretly led into the city and hidden in one of Att's temples near the Imperial Palace. The Mazidarans yet had a role to play before their hearts would also be stilled.

In another part of the city, Balder Khan watched the moon slowly rise into the sky. He had an appointment to keep with a certain Mazidaran Emissary, in a part of Lodar where the Emissary had no business being. Balder Khan knew that the Emissary had purportedly already left the city, taking the southwestern road. Thus, meeting the Mazidaran on the road to Jadpat would mean either the Emissary was in two places at once or the Prince was not really returning to Mazidar. Whatever amazing abilities the Mazidaran had, Balder Khan doubted that being in two different places at once was one of them.

Another possibility crossed the Conqueror's mind as he rode through the Jadpat Gate. The Mazidaran had no intention of meeting the Magar, but simply wanted to get him out of the way. But to what purpose? wondered Balder Khan. While he knew he could not fully trust the Mazidaran, simply because the Prince was a Mazidaran, yet still the Conqueror felt that Akkra spoke truthfully of Mazidar's desire for an alliance.

What, then, did the Mazidaran want? There was only one way to find out, the Conqueror had decided. That was to meet the Prince on the road to Jadpat.