CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

A MURDER IS ARRANGED

Havil and Jaejisir sat opposite each other at either end of a long table. Standing about half way between them on one side was Jivvae; sitting about half way between them on the other was Taddig.
Jivvae quite enjoyed translating at the meetings between Havil, Taddig and her father; for one thing, it cast her in a very special role, with all three men being totally dependent upon her. But the effort of translating was such that the significance of the exchanges generally escaped her, hence her inability to tell Doo what was going on.
Taddig pushed back his heavy chair and stood up. Addressing Jaejisir, he said "My sovereign says he is prepared to seal the agreement between you by marrying your daughter"
Jivvae dutifully translated the proposal and then, with a kind of terror, realised that she herself was being discussed. Suddenly very self-conscious, she found herself unable to look at her father, at Taddig or Havil; especially Havil. Her cheeks burning, she stared at the floor.
When eventually her father made his reply she forgot to translate it. Havil snapped "What's he say?"
She was still staring at the floor; she tried to speak but a bubble formed in her throat, sabotaging her voice so that it was barely audible.
Havil was looking at Taddig for an explanation. "Does he agree or does he not?" he demanded.
Taddig shrugged. Jaejisir spoke sharply to his daughter, and she glanced up at him, her eyes wide. Then, still looking at him, she said in Theigan "He says he would be honoured."
"What's that?" shouted Havil.
She turned and looked at him. “He says he would be honoured."
Havil clapped his hands and a servant approached. "Fill these goblets," he commanded, and then he and Jaejisir drank to their agreement, Jivvae still standing.

* * * *


The betrothal was to be celebrated by a feast in the royal castle at Budenrath; Cregitzig was informed by messenger, who told him that the king of Kroya would be obliged if he would lend the occasion the dignity of his presence.
Cregitzig, as Taddig predicted when formulating the message, was flattered, and said he would.
"He will not be easy to kill," he told Havil. "He has made many enemies, and he knows how to look after himself. He will bring a hand-picked escort, probably quite a large one. They'll all need taking care of.”
Havil said "Tell me something I don't know."
Taddig went on "It is essential, whatever the outcome, that you should be seen to have clean hands."
Havil said "Well, naturally; that is why I was going to allow the Kroyans to carry out the attack itself. I have many friends among them here in Budenrath, and they do not love our commander!"

"If I may say so," said Taddig, "that is a brilliant idea. The Kroyans, armed and prepared, would make excellent assailants - provided, of course, they restricted their action to our particular target."
Havil looked puzzled. Taddig explained: "Success in this matter might encourage them to over-step the mark. Friendly they may be, but many, I suspect, would not be averse to seizing power if the opportunity presented itself."
Havil said "What do you suggest, then?"
"By all means make use of the Kroyans. They have every reason to be conscientious assassins, and if they are made to act in concert with Jaejisir's own warriors I think they will be reliable. The barbarians will do as their chieftain instructs them, we can be sure of that."
Havil and Taddig had another meeting with Jaejisir. Taddig told him that there was a possible obstacle to the successful conclusion of their arrangement, namely the Theigan commander, Cregitzig.
"We will invite his co-operation," he said, Jivvae translating for him, "but if he proves awkward we can do nothing to help you. He has the power to undo everything we have agreed. We therefore propose that your warriors should dispose of him."
There followed a discussion of the plan in detail: the Lodmuraks and Kroyans, apparently unarmed, were to attend the feast as guests and servants, their daggers concealed beneath their tunics. At a given signal from Taddig they would fall upon Cregitzig and his escort, the advantage of surprise making success inevitable. Havil said that Cregitzig was capable, in the right circumstances, of drinking himself into a stupor. "Inspired by his example," he went on, "his escort is unlikely to remain very sober."
It was left to Jaejisir to speak to his tribesmen and tell them what was expected of them. Jaejisir said "They will need to prepare."
"Well of course," said Havil.
"There are no suitable children amongst us," Jaejisir went on, Havil's remark having been translated by Jivvae.
"Does that matter?" Havil asked.
"There must be a child for the sacrifice."
When he understood what he had said, Havil looked at Taddig, but his adviser's expression gave nothing away."
"A child?" Havil repeated.
"An unsullied child. Histiggar demands it. You will provide one?"
"What about an unsullied goat?" Havil suggested.
Jaejisir stood up, and as he did so, he picked up his end of the heavy oak table, lifted it above his shoulders and let it fall with a thud to the ground; whatever it was that he then shouted was beyond his daughter's ability to render into Theigan, but his meaning was clear.
Taddig calmly asked "What age, exactly, must the sacrifice be?"
"It will not have seen its sixth summer," the chieftain informed him.
After the interview, Havil told Taddig that a child sacrifice in his kingdom was out of the question. "These people are barbarians," he said.
Taddig studied the back of his hand. "Cregitizig," he said, "must be eliminated as an opponent. We either make him our ally, or he must die. If he is to die we need the Lodmuraks' assistance. And the price of their assistance is the life of a child.

"Is that really so high, my lord? Children die every day; five-year old children are dying at this very moment. They die at the hands of their fathers; they die of disease; they die of hunger - they die in Cregitizig's mines. Our commander is sacrificing five-year-old children, and younger, every day in your kingdom. If you would see an end to it, allow these barbarians their ritual, and soon no children will be dying in the mines of Kroya. Jaejisir's armies will ensure that there are adult prisoners enough to take their place in your mines.
"There is no reason for you to be involved in this unsavoury business; I will see to it entirely. Think no more of it."
Havil had been feeling physically sick, but the colour had begun to return to his cheeks. "I don't want to know anything about it," he said. "I just don't want to know - do you understand me, Taddig? We will never speak of this again."
Taddig said he understood perfectly.

* * * *

Cregitizig arrived at Budenrath with a smaller-than expected escort; there were no more than 30 men in it.
Taddig gave him time to settle down, and then went to see him.
Cragitzig, a man of straightforward, emphatic action, had never liked Taddig, and he scowled at him as he was ushered in to his chamber. He said nothing.
Taddig began to compliment him on his achievements in subduing the Kroyan natives; Cregitzig interrupted him. "What do you want?" he said.
Taddig tried again, this time referring to the latest news from Theigia, where King Haz had recently crushed a minor rebellion.
"Taddig," said Cregitzig, interrupting him again, "I am not going to guess why you're here; I don't have time for the games they play at court."
Reluctantly Taddig addressed himself to the reason for his visit "We have a neighbour in Sigmar, King of Sair, who is a continuing threat to us. He harbours Babra, as you know, and we hear that he is ready to support his cause."
"I've heard no such thing," said Cregitzig.
"This information has only reached us in the last few days. What concerns us is the inconvenience of a Sairish attack, and especially of not knowing when it will take place. Our forces will have to be concentrated in the border area for who knows how long, and meanwhile production in the mines can only decline - to the great cost to our king."
Cregitzig shook his head. "I'll not move a man to the border area until I know a great deal more."
Taddig then apparently changed the subject; he spoke instead about the man-power shortage in Kroya. Cregitzig said "I've got that problem in hand."
"Well of course you have," said Taddig. "But how many children and pregnant women do you need in a mine to do the work of one fit man? What I am going to propose will solve both problems at once."
"Both problems?"
"Yes. The Sairish problem and the man-power problem. I suggest you attack the Sairish king before he makes his move on behalf of Babra."
"Since when did you become a military strategist?" Cregitzig thundered.
"Since very recently," said Taddig, and he told him about Jaejisir. "With our support, and most particularly with our weapons, he will dominate his rival tribes and become a very considerable distraction as far as the Sairians are concerned. His army will draw off Sigmar in the west, allowing you to attack from the south. Together, you and he will take many prisoners - hundreds if not thousands. How many women and children will you need to put into the mines then? You could open up new mines. There will be so much gold and silver coming out of Kroya that the king will beg us to keep a share of it!"
Cregitzig said "No. Whatever it is you are up to Taddig, you shan't involve me in it. I'm not going to discuss it."
Taddig shrugged. He liked Cregitzig no more than Cregitzig liked him, and he was not at all troubled that he had just condemned himself to death.
"So be it." he said. "You are a great commander and I must respect your opinion," and with that he took his leave.