Balder Khan arrived at the gates of Lodar in the early morning hours during the heaviest part of a torrential summer monsoon rain. While visibility was limited to only a few dozen paces in front of him, he could tell as soon as he came within hailing distance of the city gates that something was amiss. Normally the gates were open at all hours of the day or night. Now, however, they were closed fast, the huge iron spikes on the doors jutting menacingly into the rain.

Guards were posted on the turrets, and he could barely discern the shadowy figures of warriors patrolling the walls of the city.

The gates were only closed when the city was under attack. That had never happened during Balder Khan's lifetime.

Yet, who could be attacking the city? Surely not the barbarians! If so, where were they? The Conqueror was certain that he would have seen signs of any attacking barbarians, unless they were coming from the east. That, however, was unlikely.

The Conqueror strained his hearing, listening for any sounds of battle. Only the dull pounding of the rain on the muddy road could be heard. In any case, if the attack were on the opposite side of the city, he would not hear anything anyway, even if it were not raining.

He decided to check some of the other city entrances. It was possible that only this gate had been closed; though he could think of no reasonable explanation for that action. He rode around to the northern approach to the city, but that gate was also sealed shut. The Conqueror became concerned. He could not just ride up to the gate and demand to be let in. There would be questions asked, reports filed. He had no adequate explanation of why he was outside the city, nor could he readily think of one that would placate the emperor during any crisis that might require sealing off the city.

He considered heading south, locating some of his troops and claiming he was with them. That idea did not settle easily with him, since he felt he had nothing to hide, yet he was now contemplating creating an alibi for himself. What did he need an alibi for, if he had done nothing. Yet he knew that was not true. He had done something, a deed that bordered on treason.

He had met with a potential enemy of Lodar and allowed that person to continue on his way towards the mountains, possibly to wage war on the Empire! Surely that was reason enough to worry.

He now realized that what he should have done was to arrest Prince Akkra and allow the Emperor to decide what actions to take.

Yet even as he thought this, Balder Khan knew that he could trust the Prince, probably more so than he could trust his own Emperor. That realization abruptly caused Balder Khan to rein his horse to a halt. He shivered, and not just because the night air was wet and cold. As much as he wanted to deny it, he became more and more certain that the Mazidaran was trustworthier than the Emperor and the men who advised him.

Balder Khan suddenly felt very alone and nauseous.

He turned his horse towards the south and began what might be a long, hard ride to find his closest troop of warriors.

He had ridden less than an hour when he heard the sharp clopping sound of horses on the road. He could not tell how far they were from him, since the mud and rain muffled sounds pretty effectively. He had to assume they were close. He turned off the road and waited, hidden by the shadows of the bushes that grew along the road.

A small troop, barely twenty men, came into view. Several of the riders carried pitch torches, which continued to burn despite the constant drizzle. Balder Khan could see the image of an attacking tiger on the shields and tunics of the warriors that came in range of the torches. In the lead was Zindar Walia Rai of the Tiger Lakari, the Outer Army Lakari posted closest to Lodar. The Conqueror sighed in relief. Of all the patrols he could have encountered, he had the good fortune to locate warriors from his own army. Balder Khan rode out into the middle of the road.

"Who goes there?" called out the Zindar, peering into the shadowed features of the rider that approached.

"It is I, Walia Rai. Balder Khan." The Conqueror rode closer, slowly, to indicate that he had no warlike intentions. "What are you doing out on patrol at this time of day?"

The Zindar stared at the Conqueror in perplexity. He was puzzled by his Magar's actions, but his trust in the Conqueror was implicit. "We are looking for you, Magar. The Emperor has been looking for you. Your palace servants informed him that you were out on patrol, in preparation for heading south. Although we did not know of this plan, we decided to search for you to inform you of the tragedy. Have you not heard the news?"

The Conqueror shook his head impatiently. "I have been out of the city for some time. What tragedy are you referring to?"

"Princess Nest-kor. She has been abducted!"

As soon as Reek Vel saw Prince Akkra walk through the door, he knew that the Council's plans had gone awry. Prince Akkra was supposed to be either dead or captured -- certainly not out here! The fact that he was alive and in this roadside mail house meant either that the plan to assassinate the Emperor had failed or that the Emperor knew who had abducted the Princess.

Either way, Reek Vel expected a squad of warriors to burst through the door any moment and put an end to his life.

At this point, he was glad that Dundar Gazi was with him. Dundar Gazi was considered one of the best swordsmen in Lodar.

The Prince feigned not knowing them, though Reek Vel saw through that ploy immediately. Reek Vel listened in amazement as Dundar Gazi introduced them as two peddlers, Bal and Than! Reek Vel found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to pose as Than the merchant and go through the motions of pretending that the Princess of Lodar was not within ten feet of them, bound and gagged in a trunk.

Several times, as the Prince indicated too much interest in the trunk or their past, Reek Vel felt his hand moving towards his sword. Far better to surprise the Prince when he wasn't looking and run him through with a sword, before he could raise the alarm. But each time his hand edged towards his sword, he caught the warning signal from Dundar Gazi. Not now!

The time for action came sooner than Reek Vel expected. The drug they had given the Princess began to wear off, and she started to moan. Instantly, the Prince was on the alert. As he headed for the trunk to check out the sounds of distress, Dundar Gazi leaped up, his sword drawn and whipping through the air. Reek Vel was no less adroit in getting his blade out and ready for battle. The Prince whirled around, his blade whistling through the air. He parried Dundar Gazi's thrust, and jabbed with his own blade.

Reek Vel tried to attack simultaneously, crowding close to Dundar Gazi to obtain the added protection of the superior swordsman's blade. But the proximity of the two men only hampered Dundar, whose blade was often blunted by Reek Vel's own awkward thrusts. Several times Dundar Gazi hissed at Reek Vel to back off, but Reek hesitated to do so. If he got too far from Dundar, Akkra's blade sought him out, cutting pieces of flesh out of his hand and arm. Only while he remained close to Gazi's protection did Vel feel safe.

The tide of battle seemed to shift; however, as the Prince drew back, the combined thrusts of the Lodaran nobles too much for him to handle. Reek Vel saw his opportunity and tried to lean in for a killing thrust. Unfortunately, the Prince had moved behind an overturned bench. Reek Vel tripped on the bench and immediately saw himself falling forward towards the Prince's deadly blade. He grabbed out and caught on Dundar Gazi's sleeve. It was fortunate that he did so, since he was able to regain his balance and prevent falling to the ground, where he would have been easy prey to the Mazidaran. He did fall to his knees, out of the path of Akkra's cutting blade.

Dundar Gazi was not so fortunate. His sword arm held firmly by Reek Vel, he was unable to parry Akkra's thrust. The Mazidaran's blade sank deep into his chest, piercing the heart and lungs. Dundar Gazi didn't even have time to be surprised before he died.

Reek Vel looked up in horror as Dundar Gazi's blood showered down on him. Akkra struggled to pull his blade from the dead man's chest. Reek Vel did not wait for him to finish. He pushed Gazi's heavy body towards the Prince and raced for the door, convinced that the Prince was only steps behind him. He threw a rope around one of the horse's necks and pulled it out of the shed. Leaping onto the horse's back, he kicked it in the side and raced down the muddy road towards Lodar.

Reek Vel must have ridden for an hour before he dared to slow down to listen for pursuit. His horse was near exhaustion, and he himself was sore all over. He heard no sounds, so he allowed the horse to slow to a walk. Though the storm had passed by several hours ago, the trees still dripped with accumulated moisture. A heavy fog was starting to build up, making visibility even more difficult. The road, saturated with water, was a muddy stream in places where the stones had been washed away. Rut holes, hidden by pools of water, posed a constant threat to the horse. Reek Vel considered himself favored by the gods because his horse hadn't broken a leg in one of the holes during his initial escape.

The young nobleman had had no thought when he escaped other than to save his own hide from the Prince's vicious blade. The possibility that the Prince had accomplices waiting outside was a worry that crossed his mind, but which he had neglected to consider when he fled the bungalow. Since he hadn't been pursued, he began to realize that the Prince must have been alone.

Now that he had time to reflect, Reek Vel began to realize that there were many anomalies about the Prince's appearance at the post bungalow. Prince Akkra was supposed to be heading back to Lodar. Instead, he was far northwest of Lodar. Why was he here? The Prince was wearing dark clothes suitable for a cutpurse or a thief, not those of a prince. Why the strange attire? The Prince was traveling alone, a fact that Reek Vel was now sure of. Royalty did not travel alone, certainly not Lodaran royalty! Perhaps the Mazidarans, with their barbarian roots, were different.

Suddenly Reek Vel had the answer. Of course! The Mazidaran royal family did have barbarian roots, and the rumors of barbarian invasions were true! Akkra was on his way to rendezvous with the mountain tribes in preparation for an attack on Lodar!

Reek Vel had not believed the rumors, despite the assertions of the Priests of Att that they had seen the barbarians in their trance-like conversations with the evil god. Now he realized that those statements might have been true. He resolved to be more respectful of Att in the future.

Reek Vel spurred his horse into a faster gait. Now he had to get back to Lodar to inform the Emperor of this new danger. He started to envision the consternation he would create with his announcement. Surely the Emperor would reward him richly for this critical information. Reek Vel could see the riches piling before him.

The vision burst as quickly as it formed. What was he thinking? They were planning to assassinate the Emperor! Mith Cor wouldn't reward him for any news of barbarian hordes, because Mith Cor would probably be dead! Who would reward him then?

The answer was obvious. No one! In fact, he was probably in more danger now than before, since he had failed in his mission to abduct the Princess. Rati Bajah and Nar Sidthar would not look favorably on the Princess roaming freely to tell the world what role the nobility played in her abduction.

Then he realized that wouldn't be a problem. Dundar Gazi had insisted that they pose as the Prince of Mazidar and his aides, thus fooling the Princess into thinking that it was Mazidar who abducted her. What wise planning on Gazi's part! Now the pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly. Nest-kor, if ever she escaped, would believe it was the Prince who abducted her. Now that the Prince had her, her suspicions would only be confirmed.

Reek Vel began to enjoy the story that he was weaving, as he tried to find embellishments that would make it even more remarkable. He and Dundar Gazi had noticed a strange party carrying something out of Lodar. Suspecting foul play, they had secretly followed the villains to the mail bungalow. There, against overwhelming odds, they had tried to rescue the Princess, but to no avail. Dundar Gazi had paid a hero's price to save the honor and life of the Imperial Princess, and Reek Vel had barely escaped with his own life.

Ah, the Emperor -- regardless who sat on the throne! -- would love it.

Unfortunately, even this bubble burst. The housekeeper and his son were witnesses to the fact that Akkra did not abduct the Princess. Those two peasants could point an accusing finger at him and Dundar Gazi.

They had to be silenced, and as quickly as possible!

Reek Vel began to sweat, despite the chilly night air. He had to find a way to silence the old man and the boy. But how? He did not dare go back by himself. First of all, he was weaponless. Second, he had seen how devastating the Prince could be with a sword. Who would have believed that that dandy would have been so proficient?

No, unless he had reinforcements, Reek Vel was not going back to that road bungalow!

Suddenly, his alternatives dwindled down to a meager few. He could not return to Lodar. He did not dare try to rescue the Princess from the Prince. He was even afraid to confront the old man and the boy by himself! The only safe option that he saw was to ride south to his own private estates, pack up his jewels and money, and get out of Lodar before his own head was on the chopping block!

Reek Vel had just decided that escape was his only safe recourse when he found himself surrounded by Inner Army warriors, heading from Lodar. So suddenly were they on him that he barely had time to register surprise before he was answering questions from the Zindar in charge of the group.

Reek Vel was pulled roughly from his horse and led before the Zindar. Torches were lit so that the warrior leader could see his prisoner better. "What are you doing on the road at this hour?" demanded the Zindar.

"I am returning to Lodar," Reek replied belligerently. "Do you not know who I am?"

The Zindar shook his head. "Should I?"

"I am Reek Vel, son of Zark Vel, son of Nassim Vel. I am heading back to Lodar to inform the authorities about some terrible calamities that are about to befall Lodar."

"Well, I happen to be the authorities in these parts. Now why don't you tell me what these calamities are?"

"I must speak only to Nar Sidthar or to the Emperor himself!" Reek Vel was getting worried. Didn't these fools know what trouble they could get into interfering with a nobleman?

"Ah, his lordship wants to speak only to the Magar or the Emperor!" joked the Zindar to his men. There was a chorus of laughter. The Zindar became emboldened. "Listen, Lord Vel or whatever name you happen to be using these days, you tell me what these disasters might be or you won't be able to tell them to anyone!" He fingered his knife handle to give a hint as to the possible consequences of non-cooperation.

"I demand to be taken to see Nar Sidthar," demanded Reek Vel.

The Zindar was losing patience. He pulled out his knife and placed the point indelicately against Reek Vel's windpipe. "You are beginning to annoy me, fat pig! Nar Sidthar has more to worry about than listening to the likes of you! Know you not that the Princess Nest-kor was abducted?"

"Yes, yes," agreed Reek Vel. "That is part of the news that I must report to the Emperor! I know where she is. Or at least where she was. You fools are wasting so much time that she may be dead before we can rescue her. Then you'll have to answer to the Emperor for your insolence!"

The Zindar pulled the knife away from Reek Vel's throat. The laughter died down suddenly as each of the warriors tried to give the impression that they were not part of the mistreatment of the young nobleman. The Zindar adopted a more conciliatory tone, though there was still a strong hint of suspicion in his voice.

"What do you know of the abduction? Where is the Princess now?"

"I last saw her a couple of hours from here, towards Jadpat. She had been abducted by Prince Akkra of Mazidar!"

"The refuse-eating swine!" swore the Zindar. "Mazidar will pay for this infamy! We must go there at once!"

Reek Vel panicked. "You can't!"

The Zindar was heading towards his horse, hoping that by quick action now he might obliterate any record of his mistreatment of the nobleman. He stopped abruptly. "Why not?"

Reek Vel thought desperately for an answer. All he could see was the Zindar interrogating the old man and learning of his and Dundar Gazi's role in the abduction. "The Prince had accomplices. Many of them. About a dozen warriors. And the place they took the Princess, it was a government roadhouse. The caretaker and his boy were in league with the Mazidarans. They seemed to be expecting the group to come along."

"You mean there are Lodaran traitors involved in this treacherous plot?"

Reek Vel nodded numbly. "My companion and I -- his name is Dundar Gazi -- tried to rescue the Princess, but we were opposing overwhelming odds. They killed Dundar, while I barely escaped with my life. I was riding towards Lodar to obtain reinforcements."

"Well, Lord Vel, you have found your reinforcements! Right men?"

A loud cheer went up as each of the Soldars shouted his agreement. The men hurried towards their horses and leaped onto them. A couple of warriors helped Reek Vel onto his horse. At the last minute, the Zindar insisted that one of his men switch mounts with Reek Vel. After all, he might really be a nobleman, and in this day and age, an aspiring Zindar could not be too cautious.

They rode swiftly back to the government house. With each approaching step, Reek Vel's fears became greater. What would he do if the old man were to accuse him? Would the warriors believe his story or the old man's tales? What if the Prince did have a large army there by now? Repeatedly, he looked for a way to slip away from the warriors, but they were too attentive to him. Several rode on either side of him, while others followed up behind him. Loaning him a saddled mount had merely been a ploy to gain his favor. He was still a prisoner of these idiot warriors.

They made the final approach to the house as slowly and quietly as they could. The last hundred or so paces were completed on foot, to ensure total surprise. A guard was left to watch the horses. Again, Reek Vel found himself frustrated by the Zindar's cautious mind. He wanted to remain with the horses, but the Zindar insisted that Reek Vel accompany them. "After all," whispered the Zindar, "you know the layout of the house. You will be most valuable by my side."

The house was dark, though still standing. That surprised Reek Vel, who thought the Prince would have burned it down to conceal any evidence of his presence. Perhaps the Prince was not as canny as Reek Vel supposed.

Very cautiously, one of the Soldars pushed opened the door. Nothing happened, so they entered the room. The Zindar ordered a lamp be lit. Once done, a hurried search of the house revealed that it was deserted. Furniture was still overturned. The fire had gone out, though it still showed some warm embers. The trunk where they had put Nest-kor stood propped open against one wall. Reek Vel didn't have to examine it to assure himself that the Princess was not in it.

There was no sign of the old man and the boy. Reek Vel wasn't sure if he was more relieved or worried by that. If they had gone with the Prince, then they still posed a threat to him. On the other hand, by going with the Mazidaran, they simply confirmed that they were Prince Akkra's allies.

Then Reek Vel spied the piece of parchment tacked to the back of the door. There had been no paper on the door the last time he was in this room, so that meant the Prince had left it behind. He edged towards the door, trying not to draw attention to himself. He was only a couple of paces from the door when the Zindar's voice barked at him.

"Where are you going, Lord Vel? Not thinking of pursuing the Mazidaran on your own, are you?" Then the Zindar's eyes followed the path that Reek Vel was taking. He immediately realized that the nobleman was not trying to escape, but get the paper unbeknownst to any of the warriors. He strode angrily over towards the door and ripped the parchment down.

"Bring a lamp over to this table," he ordered. He spread the parchment out flat and began to read. Reek Vel and the warriors crowded around the table. Only Reek Vel and the Zindar, however, could read the document.

The Zindar read the document aloud.

"To be delivered to Magar Balder Khan,"

"The Princess is Safe, and she will be returned as quickly as possible. She is not a Hostage, but was abducted by two Lodaran Nobles. You will find One of them buried in a grave outside this Building."

The Zindar stared at the faces around the table, and then he stared at Reek Vel. "What say you to this, Lord Reek Vel?"

Reek Vel's eyes were wide with terror. "It is obviously a lie, an attempt to shift the blame to us!"

"Hai, that it could be." The Zindar was becoming concerned. What had started out as a routine check of a grubby traveler was now turning into a complex mystery. Suppose there had been no Princess here at all? What if this were simply a quarrel between two nobles? This story about discovering a Mazidaran Prince abducting Nest-kor might be a good way to cover up a murder. He stared at Reek Vel. Yes, the man was the cowardly despicable type who might stoop to murder and cover-up. "Let us look for that body," he announced.

The group went outside, the guards still watching Reek Vel very closely. It only took a few moments to find where the soil had been disturbed. A few minutes later, and they were pulling Dundar Gazi's muddied body out of the grave.

"Robbery certainly wasn't the motive, Zindar," announced one of the warriors. "He's still wearing all his jewelry. Expensive stuff, too!"

"See, that proves it!" cried Reek Vel. "That proves that the Mazidaran did it."

The Zindar shook his head. "It doesn't prove a thing, nobleman. There are a lot of motivations for murder besides theft. We still need some evidence that the Princess was here."

One of the warriors came over to the Zindar at that time and hurriedly whispered something into his ear. The Zindar listened attentively, nodding gravely. He pursed his lips in frustration. Then he turned to face Reek Vel.

"How many Mazidarans did you say were here, my lord?" he asked.

Reek Vel's eyes darted from the Zindar to the warrior. "Probably a dozen, maybe more."

"That's what I thought," replied the Zindar. "One of my warriors is an expert tracker, my lord. He tells me that only three or four horses have left this building tonight, heading up the road towards Jadpat. Where do you suppose the remainder of the Mazidaran's party is?"

Reek Vel stared around him in terror. "Maybe they went by foot. They might have cut through the forest! You can't tell! How can your tracker see anything at night anyway? He can't be that good!"

The Zindar smiled. "You are right, nobleman. Perhaps fortunate for you, since I am beginning to suspect your entire story. But you are right. If there were others here, they might have left by other routes. My warrior will stay until morning and then search out all of these possibilities. In the meantime, I think we had better get you back to Lodar."

Reek Vel felt his stomach knotting up. None of this was going right. Why did he ever allow Dundar Gazi talk him into joining that damned Council of Twenty-Three?

The warriors mounted up, coaxing Reek Vel none too gently onto one of the horses. Three warriors were left behind, with two horses in case they had to send messages to Lodar. The balance of the warriors headed back towards Lodar.

The trip back to the city was one of complete exasperation for Reek Vel. He constantly searched for opportunities to escape, but none came. He tried to recall every incident that occurred during the previous evening, to make sure that there was no incriminating act or evidence that could betray him. He could think of nothing, and that worried him as much as if he could have identified dozens of possible incriminations.

They were not far from Lodar when they encountered another group of riders heading west on the road. The Zindar stopped his warriors with a raised hand and allowed the other group to approach. The new group consisted of almost thirty riders, most of whom were Priests of Att.

The Zindar tried to stop the priests. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

Reek Vel knew the leader of the priests, Obai Khan. As soon as their eyes locked, Reek Vel gave a sigh of relief. Obai Khan was a member of the Council and was the one to whom they were to turn over the Princess.

"We be about the business of Att!" snapped the Priest. "Do you question the god's business?"

The Zindar shook his head. "No, be on your way, priests." He motioned for his warriors to give way. However, as soon as they started to maneuver their horses towards the side of the road, Obai Khan gave a signal. Immediately, the priests produced knives and swords and began to strike down all of the warriors. The battle was over within moments. Only Reek Vel of the original party remained alive.

Obai Khan came over to him, pausing only long enough to examine the body of Dundar Gazi. "Where is the Princess?" he growled.

"She has been taken by the Prince of Mazidar," replied Reek Vel. He knew better than to try to lie to a Priest of Att.

Obai Khan smiled. "By the Prince of Mazidar, you say! Well, by the balls of Att, that is pleasant news. Rati Bajah will be pleased to hear that." He frowned. "On the other hand, he will not be pleased that you have lost the Princess. I certainly hope for your sake, Reek Vel, that you have a damned good excuse. Your life is hanging by a thread."

"There are some other problems you should know about, Master," said the nobleman. "There are still several witnesses to this deed alive."

He proceeded to tell the Priest about the warriors still remaining at the government house and the caretaker and his son.

"Att will take care of them," said the Priest. "In the meantime, you must return to Lodar and bring news of these developments to Rati Bajah. Here is what I want you to do." Obai Khan then outlined the steps that Reek Vel was to follow. Reek Vel listened attentively, nodding agreement as often as he could. "Do you understand every thing I have said, Reek Vel?" he asked.

Reek Vel bowed in acquiescence. "Yes, Master."

One of the priests approached Obai Khan and handed him a piece of parchment. Reek Vel's eyes widened as he realized that it was the letter from Akkra to Balder Khan. The Priest called for a torch to be lit so that he could read the letter. As soon as he had finished reading it, he came close to Reek Vel, then without warning, back-handed him sharply across the jaw. Reek Vel tumbled backwards into the mud, a trickle of blood flowing out of his mouth where some of his teeth had been knocked loose.

The Priest stood over him, his face clouded with fury. "You dog, why did you not mention this letter?"

Reek Vel tried to crawl away from the Priest. "I just forgot it, Master."

"How can you forget something like this, you stupid fool! This changes everything. I will return with you to Lodar. You will alert the Emperor to the last whereabouts of the Princess. I will meet with Rati Bajah. Now we can put Balder Khan in prison where he won't cause us any harm!"

"Do you mean you are going to use the letter to incriminate him?" asked Reek Vel incredulously. "But that might get me beheaded!"

"That still depends on how well you do your job, dog. Att will protect the faithful, assuming you are of their number. Now, let us go. We still have much to accomplish."

The palace was in turmoil when Balder Khan arrived there. Servants and slaves scurried in every direction, nervously trying to follow orders irrationally given by the distraught emperor. Warriors from the Imperial Guard continued their search for clues or the Princess, scouring every corner of the palace, the Imperial Gardens, and the city of Lodar itself. Warriors from the Inner and Outer Armies had been pressed in the house-to-house search.

By the time the orange and rose tendrils of dawn had faded from the sky, Lodaran warriors had rudely awakened most of the inhabitants of the city, turned upside down their possessions, emptied closets, chests, boxes and crates, and poked into every cob-webbed and dusty recess that existed in the city.

Slowly the reports came in to the Imperial Audience Chamber. "No sign of the princess." "No news." "She's not in the main Bazaar area, Your Highness."

The hot, Tandarian sun had finally cleared the horizon when the first significant report came into the Palace. Inner Army warriors, their faces dirty with sweat and dust from the road, their uniforms spattered with the dried mud from last night's storm, stood before the Emperor.

"Your Highness, we have distressing news to report," said the soldar in charge of the group.

"You have found Nest-kor?" asked the Emperor. His voice was hoarse, but his apparent exhaustion faded as he anxiously strained to hear what the warriors reported. Ever since the death of his wife, Mith Cor had been singularly devoted to Nest-kor, allowing her greater liberties than was usual for a princess. It was no secret that he intended her to replace him on the Imperial throne, a break with tradition that still did not sit well with the traditionalists among the nobility. He had not been overly concerned with her safety, since female offspring normally did not matter much in Lodaran society. They were a means to cement familial alliances, but not much more. Nest-kor, however, had always been different. Now that she was missing, Mith Cor realized how much he depended on her. In many respects, she had filled the empty role of confidante and advisor his wife had filled before her untimely demise.

"No, Your Highness, we did not find the Princess. But we have a clue now to who might have taken her."

"Who?" demanded the Emperor. His immediate suspicions were that a conspiracy of Lodaran nobles, displeased with some of the reforms he had taken, had used his daughter to take revenge on him. Not one noble would be safe from him if he could get evidence of this treachery.

"Let me explain what we have found, Your Highness. Then it will be clear who the culprit is. Approximately one half-day's march south of Lodar, we encountered the camp of the Mazidaran Emissary and his party. The camp was in total disarray. Tents were ripped and torn down, pack animals slaughtered, trunks tipped and their contents strewn into the mud. Food from the evening meal was spilled on the ground, only partially eaten."

"Could this be the work of bandits?" asked the Emperor.

The soldar shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. Nothing was stolen. Bandits would not leave gold behind. They would not slaughter pack animals. But if that evidence were not enough, there is greater proof of the nature of the treachery. Among the debris of the camp, we found the bodies of twenty Outer Army warriors, all butchered or slaughtered as they consumed their evening meal."

"What of the Mazidaran Emissary? His entourage?"

The soldar shook his head. "There was no sign of them, Your Majesty. Can there be any other conclusion? That they killed the warriors who were guarding them, then came back here to Lodar to abduct the Princess Nest-kor?"

The vast hall had become very quiet as the soldar spoke. The silence lasted only a moment more, then the room began to rumble with the sounds of outraged cries for revenge. But Mith Cor held his hand up for silence, and the rumblings died down.

Balder Khan could not believe the story he was hearing. "You say there were no bodies of Mazidarans? But there were only a half dozen of them! How could they overpower twenty of our finest warriors?"

"Only through Mazidaran treachery! The same kind of treachery that would be behind abducting a defenseless woman and holding her hostage!"

The Conqueror was about to protest that he had met with the Mazidaran Prince, but he held back his words. He had met the Mazidaran at midnight. If the Mazidaran party was a half-day's march south of Lodar, and he had met the Prince another half-day's march to the west of Lodar, it would be impossible for the prince to have been involved in the slaughter at dinner time, the abduction, which presumably was occurring at about the same time, and still have met him on the road to Jadpat. On the other hand, the Mazidaran Prince could have met him while his accomplices abducted the Princess. But if that happened, Balder Khan still could not explain how the Mazidarans got back to Lodar, passed through the city with no one recognizing them, and obtained entrance into the Imperial palace. And, had they done all that, where did they go? Certainly not towards the Zepores. Balder Khan would have passed them on his way back to Lodar.

No, any way that Balder Khan examined the evidence, it did not seem likely that the Mazidarans were involved in the abduction. Someone wanted them to receive the blame, however. Who that could be was obvious. Yet how could he present this information to the Emperor without revealing his own duplicity?

He was caught in a trap of his own making.

If he said anything that might help solve the mystery of the abduction, he would only put his own life in jeopardy. On the other hand, if he did not say anything, he in effect forfeited the lives of countless thousands.

It was clear to the Conqueror what his options were. The knot in his stomach tightened. He tried to get the Emperor's attention. "Your Highness."

Mith Cor turned towards him. The Emperor's own face revealed the extent of his indecision. It was obvious to Balder Khan that the Emperor did not believe the story either. He was reluctant to make the Mazidarans scapegoats for the abduction, but it would allow him to rally the populace. And if no evidence to the contrary were found, any action, even wrong action, would be better than helplessly sitting around doing nothing.

The Emperor seemed reassured when the Conqueror called out to him. He had forgotten the peasant warrior, the one warrior Mith Cor considered better than all the rest. He had not been treating Balder Khan well lately, he realized incongruously. Of all three Magars who advised him, however, he knew that Balder Khan could solve any problem. "Yes, Balder Khan, speak you mind."

"My Lord, there are certain facts about this abduction that do not make sense. Facts which I think it is important for you to know."

The Emperor turned his body around to see Balder Khan more clearly. He leaned forward, imploring the Conqueror to help find his daughter. "Go on, tell me these facts."

Balder Khan opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, there was a tumultuous disturbance at the entrance of the Audience Hall. A nobleman, his identify obscured by distance and the grim of the road that covered his face and clothes, was riding his horse right into the audience chamber. Everyone turned to hear what this man had to say that was so critical that he would ride his horse into the building.

As he approached, calling for Mith Cor, Balder Khan recognized the man. It was Reek Vel, a petty nobleman regarded by many, even among his own kind, as cowardly and conniving. He rode up to the parapet on which the throne sat. He fell off his horse. Several nobles raced to his side to steady him. They helped him approach closer to the Emperor.

Reek Vel tried to bow, but was unable to do so. He heroically waved off the outstretched arms offering to help him up. He spoke from where he crouched on the ground.

"We found the Princess, Your Highness. We found her!"

Mith Cor stood up. "By the gods of Tandaria, where is she? What happened to her?"

Reek Vel shook his head. "We tried to rescue her, Your Majesty. We tried and I regret to tell you, we failed. They were too much for us!"

"Who?" demanded the Emperor, his voice losing all patience.

"Prince Akkra of Mazidar! He and his party have abducted the Princess and taken her to the barbarians in the mountains!"