Reunited Worlds

By R N Foster

In our near-future fleets of settlers are sent to populate dozens of worlds in the nearby sectors of the galaxy. However economic meltdown on Earth leaves these colonies to fend for themselves and without technological assistance they revert to tribal societies.

5000 years further in the future one of these colony worlds develops space-travel and quickly realises that humanoids encountered on nearby planets have the same origins as themselves. A campaign of exploration is hastily organised to discover more.

Reunited Worlds tells the tale of two such explorers whose mission goes disastrously wrong when they encounter a medieval world and inadvertently affect the course of a major war.

The story is told from both the perspective of the explorers and from the viewpoint of those who they encounter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R N Foster
• Release date: Sep 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301366361

R N Foster

I was born in Leicester, England in 1953, and dabbled with working in Radio and the Music Industry in between long bouts working in insurance. After more than thirty years working in the insurance industry, as clerk, salesman and systems programmer I decided to start enjoying my life and trying my hand at being an author. Perhaps working in such an environment leads to an approach to writing that results in something exceptionally worth reading! My first book “Good Hope”, based around a diary written by one of my Great-Grand-Uncles was published in late 2012 by self-publishing pioneers Authors Online and is available as an ebook or paperback via all the usual major retail outlets or direct from the publishers at http://www.authorsonline.co.uk/book/1288/Good+Hope/ However, “Good-Hope” wasn’t really my first book as hidden away in a cupboard I had a type-written Space-Opera I had written years before which was just begging to be digitised, cleaned up and presented to the unsuspecting world. “Reunited Worlds”, subtitled “An Epic History From The Future”, finally emerged from its dingy cupboard and after a number of months came out via Smashwords in September 2013. I’m already planning a sequel! If you wish to contact me please feel free to email me at [e-mail]

Book preview

REUNITED WORLDS PROLOGUE

Varusesema sat down on his couch. He arranged his cushions carefully so as not to aggravate his back complaint. The report from Professor Deng had arrived on his desk that morning but only now did he have time to study it fully.

As President of the so-called ‘Galactic Federation’ Varusesema had to read dozens of reports each day. Normally he would only skip through them. He would always read the conclusions carefully before he signed his name, but the main body of most reports he would ignore.

The Deng Report was different. It merited his full attention. If true it would alter the entire course of history. The report’s findings were revolutionary and would have a profound effect on belief and attitude throughout The Federation.

Carefully Varusesema took the papers out of their dull grey pouch and started to read. He was acutely aware that he was now living through what could be the most momentous occasion of his term of office. For the first time in years a feeling of intense excitement spread throughout him and his palms became slick with sweat. The enthusiasm that he had felt when he had first become President, over fifteen years previously, was now returning.

An hour and a half later he had finished reading. It had turned dark outside and the hillsides across the valley were alive with coloured lights. Varusesema went across to his drinks cabinet and selected a dry white wine which he poured into a long, thin, glass. He walked to the window and stared out, pondering deeply.

Varusesema now had an important decision to make. He gazed thoughtfully at the transportation modules that sped along the highways towards the nearby city. Whichever way he chose he would come in for a lot of opposition. The exploration programme that the report recommended would be extremely expensive, its cost could wreck the Federation’s economy. A concerted campaign to explore the nearby sectors of the galaxy would incite those who wanted to see resources spent on aiding the disadvantaged. However, in the long run, such a programme could create extra wealth.

If the report’s findings were correct the ‘Galactic Federation’ might expand in size from its current extent of five worlds (only two of which could be termed developed) to hundreds. The benefits could be enormous, new goods, new markets, if the Metabegan economy didn’t collapse beforehand.

Sooner or later a decision would have to be made. Varusesema just hoped that future historians would consider it to be the correct one.

BOOK ONE - THE RECRUIT

PLAH-NETT. The Main Continent showing the extent of the Empire of The West. 310 Imperial Era.

THE RECRUIT - CHAPTER 1 - JOURNEY TO ISSAKREM

The transformation of Issakrem into an overwhelmingly Haza city was bound, eventually, to bring the Haza into conflict with the Abbaks of the north. Of all the cities on Plah-Nett, Issakrem is undoubtedly the most strategically important.

One glance at the map is enough to see why this should be. The city is situated at the seaward end of The Rabsa, the narrow arm of ocean that extends into the heart of the continent, and therefore is a port of great importance. The fact that The Rabsa narrows at its mouth to little over a mile in width also makes the city important as a staging post for east-west traffic, the ferry between Issakrem and Hazem-Forasa has been busy from the earliest times.

As long as Issakrem was in the Western Empire the natural animosity that the Haza had for the Abbaks was held in check and the people of the plains were able to use the city as their main port. As soon as the city fell under Haza control the Abbaks found themselves bottled up in the interior of the continent with no outlet to the sea.

(FROM – ‘A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HAZA’ BY ARNOLAND D TERINCK-GERIASSET)

‘History is written from the viewpoint of the victors. The defeated are forgotten.’

(ABBAK PROVERB).

It was yet another warm, dry, and sunny afternoon, a day when the whole world seemed bathed in optimism. Edwud sprawled himself along the bench and soaked up the sunlight.

Edwud glanced along the causeway that led down to the city. Scattered along its length were other guardsmen, like him, taking advantage of the good weather. It wouldn’t last long, of course, soon the summer rains would set in and the tortures of summer in Issakrem would begin. The endless rainstorms sweeping in off the ocean, the dank, humid, air. Amongst the Abbak peoples of the interior Issakrem was known as ‘Sweat City’ and during the summer months the name was fully deserved. However for the moment it was a great place to be, Edwud scanned the array of bronzed bodies along the causeway and stretched his body in the sun.

Issakrem was a great port city, located where The Rabsa, a great, long, thin, arm of the southern ocean, met the sea. It was a true crossroads with ships sailing to the north, south, east and west and with regular ferries crossing over the strait.

= = = = =

Edwud was not a native of these regions. He was an Imperial Guardsman, the product of one of the ancient families of the Sheelic lands, two thousand miles to the west. Edwud could trace his ancestry back for fifteen generations. Even so, his family was relatively young, some families went back twenty-five generations. Only by being a member of one of these families could he become a guardsman, and from an early age his whole education had been geared towards serving The Emperor, no other future had even been considered for him.

It was now over two years since Edwud had been accepted as a recruit and had left his homeland. If he lived it would be at least another dozen years until he could leave the guard and return to the land of his birth. Only then would he be allowed to take a wife, or more than one if the fancy took him, and breed. In thirty years, perhaps, the first of his sons might be accepted into the guard. At this moment, on such a beautiful day, such thoughts of the future were a long way from his mind.

= = = = =

It had been a warm, sunny, day when Edwud had been accepted into the guard. But then, in his homeland the weather was idyllic for most of the year.

There had been some doubt about whether Edwud would pass the tests. When he had first taken them the previous year, a few months after his seventeenth birthday, he had failed. In the intervening months he had grown in height and weight but he had still been slight for his age and he had difficulty in completing the tests of strength. However he needn’t have worried, he was good enough at running and the endurance tests for this not to matter, and he was accepted with no quibble. Thus he had left his homeland, his family and their farm, perhaps for good.

Throughout the next few months Edwud had come of age. He had seen glimpses of the world that lay outside the enclosed valleys of the Sheel lands. For the first time in his life he had seen a city. Until he joined the guard the largest place he had visited was Dilbug, the local town, and that had fewer than a thousand inhabitants. It was in Dilbug that the recruitment trials had been held and where he had joined the guard.

His training had commenced the moment he had boarded the boat that had taken him northwards from Dilbug to Enderich. As he had sailed up the coast of Cillen and through the Traff Strait into the inland sea his wits had been sharpened by sword practise and his body strengthened by weightlifting.

It had been an uneventful journey, as Edwud had been initiated into the routine of military life, but there was so much new to learn that there was no time to get bored. The new recruits were kept so busy that they hardly had time to notice how the days were getting cooler and damper as they headed northwards. Thus the shock of arriving in Enderich was even greater than it would have been if they had been keeping an eye on the shoreline as they sailed.

Never before had Edwud seen so many people crammed into such a small space. He had heard from his father that it was a large place but in the twenty years since his father was last there it had grown immeasurably. On the wall of his home there hung a landscape of the harbour at Enderich but that bore little relation to the view that had confronted Edwud. It was the same place, there was no doubt of that, but the green meadows that had swept up from the shore had been built upon, and bustling quays lined what Edwud had expected to be virgin shore.

They had stayed for a night in barracks at the great citadel of Enderich, the vast complex that overlooked the north side of the inner harbour. First thing in the morning they were off again, heading inland to Eldon, to the Academy for training new recruits. Enderich might be the commercial centre of The Empire but it was at Eldon where The Emperor who they served had his palace, and where the representatives of the outer provinces attended the Imperial Parliament.

Edwud had found the trip from Enderich to Eldon fascinating. He had expected to walk the two hundred mile distance between the two cities but a new mode of transport had been developed. They had been ushered into a train of carts that were pulled along purpose built rails by specially bred dogs, much larger than the pull-dogs that were a familiar sight in Edwud’s homeland. Instead of taking them six or seven days the journey had lasted a mere eight hours.

Edwud had watched in awe as the workshops, warehouses, and houses of Enderich had given way to the lush, intensely cultivated, countryside of Central Cillen. He had listened intently to the voices of the few locals that he had encountered. In these parts no-one spoke in the Sheelic tongue, they spoke Larvish, the language spoken in The Emperor’s court and the official business language of the entire Empire.

When they had arrived in Eldon, Edwud had gazed in wonder at the broad tree-lined streets that ran through the city. Even the meanest backstreet in Eldon had seemed better than the main avenue through Dilbug, and even the houses of the poor appeared better than his father’s homestead.

Edwud had been in The Citadel three days before he had plucked up the courage to use his spare time exploring his new home. Eldon was only half the size of Enderich but it was far grander. Within a few weeks Edwud had become familiar with the layout of the city but, even though, compared to most guardsmen, he got to know Eldon well, he never got around to exploring every corner of it.

= = = = =

Edwud could sense that the skin on his right thigh was beginning to burn so he turned over. It wouldn’t do for him to make himself ill. Even someone with a skin as swarthy as his could get badly burnt if he didn’t take care. In his new position he could see the city below him. It was a stunning sight. Although he hadn’t travelled widely, Edwud had no doubt that on a day such as this Issakrem could claim to be the most pleasant and beautiful city in the entire world. Behind him the towers of the Issakrem Citadel swept up to the sky, in front of him the waters of The Rabsa shimmered in the sunlight. In the distance mountains thrust jagged peaks up towards the sky. The buildings of the city were a jumble of reds, browns, whites, and yellows. On a clear sunny day such as this the eye was delighted wherever it looked.

In a few weeks all this would change, the rains would come and all would be smothered in a grey monotony. Clouds would hide the sun and water would drench the city. The intense humidity would lead to increases in crimes of violence and suicide rates would shoot up rapidly. Edwud had experienced the tail end of the rainy season when he had arrived in Issakrem the previous year, he didn’t relish the idea of living through it again.

Edwud glanced down his arm at his tattoos. He was proud of these, all guardsmen were. They were a living record of his life, much better than the silly badges that the provincial militia and local police had to wear. They were what set the guardsmen apart. Each tattoo had its own special meaning, one indicated what family he was in, another his regiment, another his rank. There were others to show where he had been posted, in which campaigns he had taken part, and what honours he had been awarded. In The Empire only guardsmen were allowed to have tattoos, only the guard’s own tattooists were allowed to give people them. The penalty for breaking the law was exile or death. To a member of the Imperial Guard his tattoos were his identity card.

= = = = =

It had been another warm and sunny day when Edwud had met his half-cousin for the first time. Guardsmen were notorious for disowning any of their relatives who weren’t properly born and bred in the homelands. This didn’t stop retired guardsmen from settling down elsewhere in The Empire, taking local wives and raising families. The products of such unions could never be allowed to enter the guard, being only half Sheel, but to some retiring guardsmen that didn’t matter.

One of Edwud’s uncles had been such a man. Instead of returning to the homelands when he had finished his service, he had settled in one of the central provinces and married a farmer’s daughter. This uncle had seldom been mentioned in Edwud’s house but Edwud had heard that he had had a son, what he hadn’t known was that this son had made the thousand mile journey to Eldon and had made a name for himself.

Edwud could remember vividly the circumstances in which he had first met his half-cousin, Segevorhn. It had been a beautiful spring day and Edwud had decided to go down to the lakeside at Eldon to bathe. He went to one of his favourite spots, where the cool northerly breeze was kept at bay by the ridges upon which stood The Citadel and The Imperial Palace. The fashionable taverns and coffee houses of the walled city were but a short walk to the north, along the shore and across the River Rich. The leafy suburbs of Evsay another short walk in the opposite direction. Whenever Edwud was in this spot he felt that he was at the very heart of civilisation, here crime was unknown and the symbols of Imperial authority were everywhere, the golden domes of The Palace shone on their hilltop and the towers of The Citadel soared behind him. Naval training ships sailed to and fro across the lake and the power of The Empire seemed absolute. There were slums in Eldon, of course, but they were a few miles beyond The Citadel, through the gap in the ridges that The River Rich had carved out.

As it had been early in the season, there were few people on the beach and only a handful of lone swimmers. As Edwud had been watching the fishing boats he had noticed one of the fishermen being pulled overboard. At first Edwud had thought it amusing, he knew that there were no dangerous creatures in the lake, though some fish were large enough to be a match for a lone, careless, angler. When the fisherman had failed to resurface all trace of humour had evaporated and Edwud had ripped off his clothes, then entered the lake to assist the hapless man.

Edwud had only just reached the angler in time, a few more seconds and he would have been drowned. He had found him floating underwater, about to sink to his doom. It had been a struggle to get the fisherman back ashore but eventually Edwud had succeeded.

It had been an embarrassing moment for the young guardsman. Had he had the time to see where he was coming ashore he would have attempted to get further up the beach, but Edwud had been getting tired. Thus it was that he found himself at the bottom of the garden of one of the great houses of Evsay. Even worse, there was a party in progress. Edwud had found himself, dripping wet and naked, amongst the cream of Eldon high society. Until someone had brought a towel with which he could cover himself, he had had to contend with a mixture of shocked stares and embarrassed sniggers from the party goers.

It had never occurred to Edwud that the handsome, clean-cut, young man who was hosting the party might be related to him. Only when he was led indoors and given some refreshment was he told that his host recognised his family tattoo as his father had had one that was identical.

Over the next few weeks Edwud had made regular visits to the villa by the shore. Under normal circumstances he would have shunned one so improperly born as Segevorhn, he had certainly never mentioned his existence to the other members of his family who were at the training academy, but he felt a genuine affinity with his half-cousin.

Segevorhn may have had humble origins but amongst Eldon’s society he was in constant demand. The man was a natural athlete, the product of a purebred Sheel father and a Dalmen mother, he combined the best features of both peoples, the strength and sturdiness of the Sheels with the height and fine features of the Dalmens. In Eldon Segevorhn had found fame and fortune as a member of the city’s top court-ball team.

Edwud had never been to see a court-ball match. He knew how the game was played, of course, but like most guardsmen he had little interest in it. It had seemed silly to him that people should get so excited about the efforts expended by a few dozen grown men in order to get a small ball through a hole in a wall, but it had been Segevorhn’s natural ability to play this game that had made his fortune.

Segevorhn had made his way up through the local and district leagues to become a member of the Eldon City team. That meant that he was able to play in the inter-city tournaments and at the provincial challenge matches. It was not at all unusual for him to play in front of crowds of eighty, ninety, or even a hundred thousand people. Each year Segevorhn would travel thousands of miles with his team. The fact that his father had been a guardsman was something that Segevorhn had never spread around, as far as most people were concerned he was a Dalmen, a native of the plains of Mark, he looked like a typical Dalmen and his knowledge of the Sheelic language was minimal.

One of the few people in Eldon who knew of Segevorhn’s true origins was The Emperor, Avrag the Fourth, who was a fanatical follower of the game and who kept a close watch on the fortunes of his home team. In the first four years that Segevorhn had been playing for Eldon City, The Emperor had got to know all about him. The fact that he played for Eldon City and was of mixed heritage made him a very valuable tool for The Emperor. Unlike most people, Segevorhn was truly a man of The Empire, devoid of any local or regional loyalties that might override Imperial considerations. From his father Segevorhn had learnt an acute sense of loyalty to the institutions of The Empire. This was unusual with people who hailed from the Dalmen provinces, most of whom saw the protection offered by The Empire in purely commercial terms. As long as they were able to continue to live their lives in peace the Dalmens were happy to pay their taxes, but The Emperor knew that if The Empire ever became too weak to protect them from the ravages of bandits, or megalomaniac local lords, support for it would dwindle to nothing. The Dalmens didn’t consider themselves to be historically linked with the Larvs of the western provinces but neither did they consider themselves to be under foreign domination. As far as the Dalmens were concerned they had agreed to be in The Empire for their own convenience.

Thus, in the past three years, Segevorhn had become an unofficial ambassador for The Emperor. Every time he was called to play in some distant city he would carry messages to The Emperor’s trusted servants in the district he was visiting. Each time Segevorhn returned to Eldon, The Emperor would summon him to his palace to hear what he had seen and heard. The Emperor trusted Segevorhn’s judgement much more than those of the local officials, sycophantic bureaucrats whose messages he would ignore if they clashed with Segevorhn’s observations.

It wasn’t only The Emperor who took notice of what Segevorhn said and did. He was in great demand amongst the daughters and wives of the officials employed in Eldon’s vast bureaucratic sector. Not all of Segevorhn’s parties had been as innocent as the one at which he had first met Edwud, and not all of his acquaintances were as prudish as they liked to make out when they were in public. As Edwud had got to know his half-cousin better he started to realise that Segevorhn had sired more than one child who was being brought up by another, unsuspecting, ‘father’.

= = = = =

Edwud turned over and laid on his front, the memories of what had happened at some of Segevorhn’s wilder parties had started to get him excited. It wouldn’t do to let others become aware of his semi tumescent state. In the enclosed guardsmen’s barracks of Issakrem it was only too easy for unwary new recruits to become involved in one of the many clandestine homosexual societies reputed to flourish in its woman-free environment. Edwud had no desire to become involved in the secret orgies, the protection rackets, or the seedy prostitution.

Segevorhn had warned Edwud before he had headed out east that, unless he was careful, he could find himself being hired out to wealthy merchants who craved amusement through the dreary months of the Issakrem summer. Segevorhn had told him not to let himself become tempted, even if he had no physical or moral objections, he would make little money from it and would risk being ejected from the guard if compromised. Strangely, Segevorhn had made mention that if Edwud ever did feel the need for intimate male contact in the east he should seek out one of the local Abbaks, who could be trusted to be discreet.

Edwud looked down at the city that spread before him, the massive temples to his left, the suburbs that spread down the hill to the thickly packed buildings around the harbour. Issakrem was a curious place, smaller than Eldon in size but greater in population and home to over a half million people. Like Eldon it was cosmopolitan, unlike Eldon most of its inhabitants had scrupulously high moral standards. It was pleasant enough during the day but at night it could become very boring.

More than three quarters of Issakrem’s population were Haza, the dark skinned people who lived along the southern coasts of this part of The Empire. Their religion was very strict. Further east, outside the furthest limits of The Empire, were Haza high priests who made frequent proclamations on moral issues and the Haza inhabitants of Issakrem would take note. The Haza didn’t touch alcohol, they danced only in their temples in praise of their God, they only sang religious songs and sex not between man and wife was strictly taboo. The penalties for breaking the Haza moral codes were so severe and the restraining effect of their religion was so great that most of Issakrem was virtually devoid of any form of vice.

The other inhabitants of Issakrem, apart from the few thousand members of the guard in The Citadel, were split almost equally between the Abbaks and immigrant traders from the west, Larvish and Dalmen merchants, such as could be found throughout the length and breadth of The Empire.

Edwud liked the Abbaks, they lived in their quarter beyond the harbour, in the oldest part of the city, their blond hair and bronzed features contrasting vividly with those of the Haza. The only way in which they resembled the Haza was in their height. Both races towered four or five inches above Edwud, and for a Sheel Edwud was quite tall. The Abbaks were easy going in a way that the Haza detested, but unfortunately for lusty young men like Edwud they guarded their womenfolk jealously. Like the people of Edwud’s homeland they tolerated no illegitimacy in their midst. As Segevorhn had hinted, they channelled any promiscuous urges in other directions, this too the Haza detested.

Thus Issakrem, and the other cities on the south-eastern coasts of The Empire, had received an unenviable reputation amongst guardsmen. More careers had come to grief in the two south-eastern provinces of Kett and Forasa than in the rest of The Empire put together.

The authorities had tried to open brothels for the guardsmen but that hadn’t worked at all. The whores who had been brought in from the west were seen by the Haza as little more than devils and whenever they had the opportunity religious zealots would attempt to kill them. Unsurprisingly the Imperial authorities could never keep the brothels properly stocked, demand always outran supply. The effect was that appointments had had to be made weeks in advance, something which didn’t suit Edwud as he liked to take his pleasures on the spur of the moment. At one time tensions over the brothels were running so high in Issakrem that western merchants started to send their womenfolk back home, where they might not be mistaken for whores and murdered.

Edwud looked at the ships in the harbour and decided to think of other things.

= = = = =

The day that Edwud had left Eldon had been yet another warm, sunny, one. He had graduated from his training course and had immediately been posted to Issakrem. It had been an emotional time for him as he had bade farewell to the friends he had made at The Eldon Military Academy. They too had graduated. Soon they would be spread throughout The Empire. Perhaps, at some later date, Edwud might see some of them again, there was really no way of telling.

The trip from Eldon to Issakrem had taken forty-seven days. The first eight days had been spent marching overland from Eldon to the port city of Allenburn. It had been the height of summer and the weather had been near-perfect. Perhaps Edwud would have preferred it to have been a little cooler but he couldn’t complain, in that part of The Empire the countryside was quiet and the natives were warm and friendly.

For the first three days Edwud had marched eastwards along the green ridges and fertile vales that lay to the south of Eldon. On the afternoon of the third day his platoon had crossed over the provincial boundary, left Cillen, and headed into Kallant.

The scenery and vegetation in Kallant had reminded Edwud of his homeland, as although his home had been within Cillen it was in the extreme south of the province. The only real difference was that the people in the areas Edwud had marched through were still Larvs, just as in Eldon. Edwud had heard that there were some Sheelic settlements in Kallant but he had never passed through any on his journey.

For five days they had marched steadily south through Kallant to the sea. It had been a time of great adventure for Edwud, for the first time in his life he had become truly aware of the vast extent of The Empire and its rich variety. He had fully expected to pass through a few small towns on the journey southwards, instead he had found that places such as Drangerdon, Felder and Devender had been immense cities, almost as big as Eldon. Between these newly discovered metropolises he had passed through vast acreages of cultivated land, with fields extending from one horizon to the other. Along the route there had been an endless succession of roadside taverns and hostelries. The locals may have been Larvs but they were very different in attitude to the ones he had met in Cillen, the weather in Kallant was warmer and life was easier. These Larvs were more interested in enjoying life and less interested in making money. When, at last, Edwud had reached Allenburn his outlook on life had changed, the world was much, much, bigger than he had imagined.

Edwud turned over yet again onto his back and looked up at the sky. The sun was now entering the western portion of the sky. In another three hours it would start to get dark and he would be back on duty. For the past three months he had been posted to the signal tower. Each night, once darkness fell, he spent his time conveying messages between the signal tower and the gatehouse. He was by now so used to repeatedly running the two mile distance each night that he would not feel tired until the sun was about to rise. When he had first taken up this duty he had been exhausted by midnight.

Edwud found running messages to be a fascinating task and he enjoyed it much more than the sentry duty he had had to do during the autumn and winter. One of the perks of the job was that he had got the chance to be able to decipher the messages that were being passed to and from Issakrem. Now he was able to read the subtle flashing of the other signal towers, perched on their hills and headlands. Whenever anything of interest occurred anywhere in The Empire he was one of the first in the city to know.

Ever since his transfer to the signal tower Edwud had been in great demand amongst his news hungry comrades. He could tell them of how the war in Trecht was going and whether the Selbs of the interior were being driven back. Edwud knew whether the warlord bandits in eastern Athlane were still under siege in their mountain strongholds. He could give the latest information about the rioting in Ifna or the farmers’ rebellion in western Gaberen.

Edwud’s eye was caught by some birds wheeling around above him, keeping aloft in the up-draughts. They appeared so carefree and devoid of worries that he almost envied them.

= = = = =

The journey along the coast to Issakrem had been much longer than Edwud had expected, yet again bringing home to him the vast extent of The Empire.

His ship had spent all of the journey within sight of land, save for the two days they had spent crossing The Gulf of Adeg. The ship in which Edwud had sailed had also doubled as a merchant craft and had docked at virtually every port they had passed, either to put ashore some goods or to take on board some more guardsmen. At each point that the ship had landed Edwud had found himself in a different land, almost another world. He had heard strange new languages and dialects, seen new forms of architecture, he had eaten new varieties of food. Edwud had memorized the names of all the ports at which they had called, Valindon, Earn, Solling, Shorma, Term, Saing, Loot, Devrehen, Ashateg, Dizzep, Stonn, Beete, Tsinna, and then finally Issakrem itself. He had now seen something of the world but he was far from satisfied, the more he saw the more he wanted to see.

= = = = =

A group of guardsmen sauntered by. They nodded in Edwud’s direction as they passed, Edwud nodded back. They were from a different unit but one of them he recognised, someone who had been in the Academy at Eldon the same time as Edwud.

Edwud thought back to the previous week, he hadn’t done any lazing in the sun then. It had been the week of the fair in The Abbak Quarter. Edwud had found it fascinating. Although he had been raised in the country he now felt entirely at home in a crowd, and a vast crowd always attended the Issakrem fair. Edwud had been to the fairs in Dilbug but they were nothing compared to the one held here.

For a whole week the entire Abbak Quarter was a mass of festivities and even a few Haza would make the effort to visit. All the main thoroughfares in the district were lined with stalls and sideshows, and were gaily decorated with banners and streamers. The larger squares in the quarter were filled with exotic amusements, contraptions in which people were flung from side to side or round and around in circles, roundabouts, and rides. Everywhere there were tests of strength and agility for the enthusiastic amateur to attempt.

Edwud had found himself drawn to the wrestling tournaments held in the largest square in The Abbak Quarter. The method of wrestling was something Edwud had never previously seen, performed in a ring surrounded by a shallow ditch that was filled with water. The aim had been for each wrestler to attempt to force the head of his opponent beneath the water for ten seconds. This form of wrestling was called Raboul. Edwud had attempted it but on each occasion his Abbak adversary had been too skilful for him. The first time Edwud had attempted Raboul he had been defeated after only a few seconds but eventually he had become proficient enough to last up to seven minutes before his inevitable defeat, something that gave the watching throngs plenty of entertainment.

The Abbaks had been so pleased by Edwud’s Raboul performances, and flattered by his interest in their customs, that one of the Abbak merchants had invited Edwud back to his house for a meal, and to introduce this strange foreigner to his wife and children. Here Edwud had heard something of the history of the Abbaks’ favourite sport. Edwud had learnt that the professionals against whom he had tested his wrestling skills were tribesmen of the north, from the regions beyond the deserts. He was told of how, up on the plains, Raboul matches might be fought to the death to settle inter-tribal disputes. It had unnerved Edwud to think that some tribesman might be using him as practice so that he could kill an enemy up in the north.

Edwud had enjoyed the afternoons that he had spent at the fair, his only regret was that he had been unable to visit in the evenings. From his vantage point in the signal tower Edwud had been able to see the lights of the fair brightening up the district between the harbour and the city’s north gate, and on a few occasions he had heard the sound of music wafting up from the festivities as he ran along the city wall delivering his messages. He was bemused that few of his fellow guardsmen found the fair as interesting as he did.

Edwud laid out in the sun until the shadows started to grow long, he then slipped on his waistcoat and breeches and headed along the causeway to the entrance house of The Citadel. Edwud planned to have his meal about an hour before sunset, this would give him plenty of time to spruce himself up before he had to report for duty. If he was lucky he might bump into his cousin Raygord, who had recently been transferred to Issakrem. Raygord was a year older than Edwud but they had joined the guard at the same time. Back in Eldon they had been allocated to different training units and thus had seen little of each other. Now that they were both in the same city Edwud hoped that would change. They had both been born and raised on Edwud’s father’s farm and had been close since childhood, closer than Edwud had ever been to any of his brothers, but at the moment it seemed that they were never off-duty at the same time.

Edwud walked confidently towards the gatehouse. He was looking forward to the coming night’s work. It was perfect weather for running, or it would be when the sun went down and the temperature fell. Edwud hated to think what conditions would be like when the rains came, that is if the signal tower could give out or receive messages if it was pouring with rain. Edwud supposed that he would have to worry about that when the time came. At the moment he was living for the present.

As Edwud walked into the main gate of The Citadel he found the cosy routine of his day disturbed. One of the guardsmen in the signal room called him over, he had a message, The Garrison Commander wanted to see him in his office a half hour after sundown. Edwud would not be expected to report for duty that night and they had already found a substitute for him.

THE RECRUIT - CHAPTER 2 - LEAVING THE EMPIRE

Until the founding of the Co-Dominion, administered by the Metabegan military, the most extensive administrative unit to have existed on Plah-nett was The Empire of The West, which at its height covered around one fifth of the total land mass.

Although The Empire was administered from Eldon and mainly run by people of Larvish origin it is wrong to think of it as being a Larvish hegemony. In reality The Empire was a loose confederation of provinces that were largely independent. It is perhaps easiest for the student to think of The Empire as a collection of states that had a common head of state and a common military (The Sheelic Imperial Guard).

The one thing that separates The Empire of The West from its contemporaries, such as the Gara-Dane Empire or Tolonia-Lema has to be its great diversity of peoples. The other major states of the period had populations that were largely homogenous, but The Western Empire contained the home territories of the Larvs, Sheels and Dalmens as well as large populations of Selbs, Haza and Abbaks.

During the entire period of its existence The Empire was never wholly at peace, there was always conflict in one area or another. It was the duty of The Imperial Guard to control those conflicts that did occur.

The Imperial Guard was under the sole control of The Emperor, through his Imperial Governors. They seldom interfered in issues that were purely local, these were left to the local Lords. Only if the security and integrity of The Empire itself was at risk would the Imperial Guard be used.

(FROM – ‘THE HISTORY OF THE INNER PLANETS’ BY FAHAH-DA-INK.)

Edwud took his time eating his meal. He was nervous. He had been introduced to Heath, The Garrison Commander, when he had first arrived in Issakrem, that was normal practice but he could think of no reason why he should be summoned now.

Edwud thought about what he had been doing for the past few weeks, in case he had broken any rules, but he could think of nothing that he had done wrong. He wondered whether he might be the victim of some plot but decided to put such thoughts from his mind, he would take the interview as it came.

After Edwud had finished eating he left the refectory and made his way back to his dormitory to change, he didn’t think that it would be proper to appear in front of The Commander in anything but his best, and most scrupulously clean, uniform.

A few minutes after sundown Edwud started heading towards The Commander’s Office. He had made up his mind to get there as early as possible, he couldn’t risk being late.

The Commander’s Office was a five minute walk from the barracks, up in the administrative part of The Citadel, close to The Governor’s Palace. To get there Edwud had to walk up the hill, through the courtyard, and past the barracks of the other units. As he approached the gatehouse to The Inner Citadel Edwud noticed a few of the other guardsmen looking at him, they would be wondering what his purpose might be. It was unusual for a man from the lower ranks to go into The Inner Citadel.

Edwud now felt more nervous than ever, fearing that he might be the victim of a hoax, somebody’s idea of a joke. He wondered if the guards on the gate of The Inner Citadel would let him pass and what he would do if they didn’t. As Edwud walked up to the solid brown structure, its small windows appearing as deep and mysterious holes in the fading light, he was filled with trepidation.

Edwud needn’t have worried, he was expected. As he entered the gateway he was commanded to halt. Edwud stood self-consciously as the guard on duty studied his tattoos. The guard had a list of who was expected, and Edwud’s name was on it, along with illustrations of his identifying tattoos. Edwud was told to wait for a while as the guard summoned an escort for him.

Edwud only had to wait a few minutes before a young Abbak clerk came into the gatehouse.

Edwud Cathlin? the clerk asked, in the gruff, slurred accent of the local Abbaks.

That is correct, Edwud replied, eying the clerk carefully. Edwud recognised the man, he had seen him dozens of times, making his way through the lower citadel on his way to work.

Can you follow me? I’ll take you to The Commander’s Office.

The Abbak clerk started to walk back out of the gatehouse, into the courtyard of The Inner Citadel, as Edwud fell into step behind him, still with no idea as to why he had been summoned. Edwud took heart from the fact that the clerk had addressed him in a civil tongue, and that if he had been in trouble he would have been escorted by at least one other guardsman as well as by the clerk.

Edwud was led across the courtyard into the building opposite. This was the administrative centre of the entire province of Kett. During the day it would be swarming with clerks and petty bureaucrats, almost all Abbak, with the occasional Larvish man posted out to the east, as very few Haza would work for The Empire. As it was the evening the building was almost deserted.

Edwud had never before been in this part of The Citadel. He had had no cause to be. He looked in awe at the magnificent decorations on the walls, the portraits, the landscapes. Although outside it was now getting dark, the interior of the building was ablaze with light, and candelabras hung at regular intervals from the ornate ceilings. Alongside the walls were intricately patterned items of furniture, seats that would take an entire year’s salary for Edwud to buy, priceless bureaux and cupboards, and everywhere the smell of lacquer hanging in the air. Being used to the spartan conditions that prevailed in the barracks Edwud felt that he had been propelled into a dream world.

They headed up some stairs, then through a maze of corridors and doorways. The Commander’s Office was set in one of The Citadel’s largest towers, right on the topmost floor, and without his guide Edwud would never have found the way. He suspected that there would have to be a more direct route used by visiting dignitaries.

Edwud finally knew that he had arrived at the office the moment he saw two guardsmen on duty outside a modestly sized door, they seemed to bring some sanity back into the situation and Edwud was sharply reminded of where he was.

Again Edwud was made to wait, as the clerk entered into the office ahead of him, and so he sat down patiently on a chair in the corridor. The door had some writing on it but it was too small for Edwud to be able to read. He eyed up the two sentries, they both stood as still as statues. It took only a brief look at their tattoos for Edwud to see that they had both spent some time in the guard, as campaign and posting tattoos spread halfway down their forearms.

Edwud sprang to attention as the door opened, some two minutes after the clerk had passed through. He was half expecting to be greeted by The Commander but once again it was his escort who appeared.

You will be seen now, said the clerk.

Edwud passed between the two sentries and entered into the room. To his surprise he found that he was only in an outer chamber, the main office was through yet another, partially open, door.

Passing through the second doorway Edwud found himself in a massive, sparsely decorated, room. Yet it didn’t really need any decoration, huge windows spread from ceiling to floor on three sides of the room, giving panoramic views across the city to the harbour and The Rabsa beyond. At the end of the room, opposite to the door through which Edwud had just come, was a huge desk which dwarfed the two men sitting at it. One of them was unmistakably the Garrison Commander.

Heath was a burly, barrel-chested man, resplendent in the dress uniform of the guard. The other man was dressed in the Abbak robe, the Da’Rak. As Edwud walked across the room The Commander rose up to salute him. Edwud found this an encouraging sign and saluted back.

You are Edwud Cathlin? asked The Commander.

Heath’s voice was deep and imposing.

Yes Sir! Edwud replied, trying to match The Commander’s voice in gravitas.

You may come and sit in the chair opposite us, Heath continued, I wish to speak to you about your future in the guard.

Edwud’s heart sank. The Commander’s last comment sounded very ominous. He walked the last few steps to the chair Heath had indicated and seated himself. He looked across the table to where The Commander was now intently reading something. Edwud looked closely at the other man and realised that the Abbak was smiling at him. Suddenly Edwud realised who this other man was, he was the merchant who had invited him into his house during the fair. Edwud thought deeply about what might be happening, he couldn’t recall having said anything disloyal or potentially offensive when he had been in the merchant’s house.

The Commander looked up from his papers.

I believe that you and Shamoud have already met, Cathlin, said Heath, It is he who requested that I summoned you. The Commander looked deep into Edwud’s eyes as he spoke, in such a penetrating manner that Edwud couldn’t help but avert his eyes, noticing for the first time the scars on Heath’s cheeks. Shamoud is to be our new Ambassador to Kasharr, The Commander continued.

Edwud’s face creased up questioningly, wondering what that might have to do with him.

I think your young guardsman is a little confused, interjected the Abbak, I think that we should reassure him that he isn’t in any trouble.

No, of course not! The Commander snorted, in his version of a laugh, I should have realised. No Cathlin, you are not in any kind of trouble at all. The Commander turned around and opened one of the doors in the cupboard just behind him. He then fumbled around in its interior for a while, eventually fetching out a bottle of wine and three glasses before saying Come, let’s drink. That will make everything more relaxed I think.

The Commander delicately placed the bottle and glasses on the desk in front of him. The glasses were small and dainty, with intricately patterned plants and flowers painted onto them. It seemed ridiculous to Edwud that Heath should be handling such things, he looked like he could crush them with his bare hands if the impulse took him. Slowly and carefully The Commander filled each of the glasses before pushing one of them towards Edwud.

Edwud took a sip, he had never before tasted such palatable wine, it was nothing like the sweetened vinegar that he usually drank. The wine was fruity but not too sweet, and without even a hint of bitterness. As Edwud drank, The Commander smiled at him and started to speak again.

As I was saying, Shamoud here is to be our new Ambassador to Kasharr. Our Embassy in Kasharr is a little unusual in that the rulers of that city allow The Imperial Ambassador to take along his own guards to perform sentry duties on the Embassy gate. Naturally he chooses members of the Imperial Guard to do this task. The Commander snorted again as he said this, obviously impressed by his idea of a joke. Edwud smiled wanly in response as Heath resumed speaking. Shamoud was very impressed with you when he met you a few days back and has therefore asked that you become one of his bodyguards.

Everything was now becoming clear to Edwud, and he took another sip at his wine.

You are probably wondering why you haven’t just been ordered to join The Ambassador on his journey to Kasharr, continued Heath, just prior to taking a gulp at his wine that almost drained the glass. Edwud nodded unsurely, though The Commander continued without appearing to notice his reaction. The fact is, as you might already know, that Kasharr is outside the boundaries of The Empire and we are not at war with the place. Neither is there any remote possibility that war will break out in the near future. Thus there are certain conventions to be taken into consideration. As you will remember from your training, a guardsman is considered to be on active service from the moment he is recruited to the time that he receives his discharge tattoo.

The Commander halted and looked at Edwud who nodded in agreement, though he was again wondering where this conversation was leading. After draining the last of his wine Heath continued to speak.

Obviously it would be an unfriendly act if The Empire were to send guardsmen who were on active service into the territory of a friendly power, so we have to make other arrangements. Should you decide to accept Shamoud’s offer you will be relieved of your commission for the period when you are outside Imperial territory, and given a special tattoo at the last garrison you reach before you leave The Empire.

The Commander then briefly paused before continuing.

Of course this will be a purely technical discharge and your pension rights will be totally unaffected, but as legally it could be construed as a dismissal from service we will need your consent, and for one of the few times while you are in the guard you will have complete freedom of choice. There is no pressure for you to go and if you decline The Ambassador’s offer it will not be held against you. What is your choice?

Edwud sat stunned. As Heath had suggested he was totally unused to making decisions. He thought about what he had just been told. Edwud had never heard of Kasharr before but if it was outside The Empire it had to be a long way from Issakrem and, as The Ambassador was an Abbak, it was likely to be an Abbak city. The silence in the room was just waiting to be broken. Edwud decided to ask some questions before he made his decision.

How far away is Kasharr and how long would I be spending there Sir? enquired Edwud, quite amazed by how articulate he thought he sounded.

The Commander looked across at Edwud and then turned to Shamoud. Perhaps you could answer Cathlin’s questions, he said as he refilled his wine glass. The Ambassador looked at Edwud again, took a sip of his wine, and started to speak as The Commander filled the other two glasses once more.

Kasharr is a city situated some four hundred miles from here on the edge of the Great Western Desert and is a twenty day journey away. I cannot be certain exactly how long your service there will be, it certainly won’t be for less than six months and is unlikely to be for longer than two years. The city is large, about half the size of Issakrem and pleasantly situated at the foot of some mountains. You seem to have an affinity with the Abbaks and a respect for our customs that is, forgive me for saying, rare amongst guardsmen. That is why I have asked for you to come along.

Shamoud stopped speaking and sat gazing at Edwud, a broad beam on his face.

Edwud still wasn’t certain. Will there be anyone else coming with me? he inquired.

The Ambassador continued smiling at him. You will have another guardsman with you as a companion and three Abbak clerks.

Edwud thought for a second. Who is to be the other guardsman? he asked.

It was The Commander that answered this question.

Your companion will be a guardsman called Arfon Welldruck. He is a little older than you, perhaps by three or four years, you will be perfectly safe with him, he has an excellent record.

Edwud thought carefully, trying to weigh up the advantages of going to Kasharr with those of staying in Issakrem. In Issakrem he would be amongst friends whereas in this new place he would be quite alone to begin with. However Edwud knew that he wouldn’t have to contend with the oppressive summer weather of Issakrem if he took the journey north. Is it cold in Kasharr in the winter? he queried.

Only at night, The Ambassador quickly replied.

Edwud took another sip at his wine, he was concerned that the drink might have started going to his head and that he might lose the refined and assured manner he had managed to adopt. Thinking for a while, Edwud knew that Shamoud had one thing correct, he did have an affinity with the Abbaks and, if Kasharr was an Abbak city, there would be no Haza there. Not that Edwud hated the Haza, but he didn’t really like them either, they were much too dour and stuffy for him.

Edwud could see little to choose between the alternatives offered to him but there was one thing that Kasharr had in its favour, it was different. The sense of adventure that had awoken in Edwud since he had left his father’s farm was aroused and intrigued.

Yes I’ll go to Kasharr, Edwud heard himself say, When do we leave?

= = = = =

Two mornings later Edwud stood silently outside the main entrance to The Citadel, waiting for The Ambassador to appear. He was now getting second thoughts about whether it was such a good idea to go to Kasharr. Edwud had had two days off-duty to prepare for his journey, some of the time he had spent with his cousin Raygord, together they had sampled life in Issakrem and Edwud was now starting to realise all of the things he would miss about the place.

The previous afternoon Edwud and Raygord had gone down to the beach, where they had spent over an hour swimming amongst the giant rollers that came sweeping in from the ocean. There would be no such places in Kasharr, it was inland! Edwud wondered whether the place might have at least a lake for him to swim in, such as had existed at Eldon. Somehow he doubted it as Kasharr was on the edge of a desert. Earlier the previous day the two of them had gone strolling through some of Issakrem’s parks. Would Kasharr have parks? For lunch they had gone into one of the coffee houses in the central, Haza, area of the city, ‘The Grid’ as everyone called it. The Haza cooking had been delicious, there would be none of that in Kasharr. Although Edwud had no objection to Abbak cuisine he vastly preferred the Haza equivalent.

Again Edwud had been early for his appointment, thus he had already been outside The Citadel Gate when his companion Arfon appeared. Edwud had briefly met Arfon for the first time the previous day, just prior to his jaunt around Issakrem with Raygord. At first Edwud had cringed inside when he saw the impressive array of tattoos down his new comrade’s arm, Arfon had seemed to have travelled virtually every corner of The Empire. Edwud had feared that he might have to put up with endless stories of his companion’s exploits. Some of the veteran guardsmen that Edwud had met were so full of their own self-importance that they had been boring to be with, intent on speaking but never wanting to listen, and always expecting to receive praise from the newer recruits. Luckily Arfon hadn’t been too bad, certainly he liked to recount his exploits, that was to be expected, but he managed to always make them sound amusing. In fact Edwud had found that he had immediately warmed to the man.

Arfon smiled and nodded at Edwud as he approached, before performing a salute that seemed almost comical. Arfon looked well prepared for the impending march northwards, with a large pack slung over his right shoulder and a similarly sized bag under his left arm. As Edwud had only a small sack containing his most prized possessions he felt ill equipped in comparison.

Did you get a good night’s rest? asked Arfon, making conversation.

Yes, thank you, replied Edwud, in a voice that mimicked that of a court dandy, and you?

Arfon smiled again, Fair, he replied.

The two of them had another ten minutes to wait before The Ambassador arrived. In that time Edwud and Arfon chatted idly to each other, gradually getting to know each other a little better. Edwud was pleased to find out that he still felt quite comfortable in Arfon’s company.

Edwud learnt that his partner was from the extreme south of the Sheelic inhabited regions, in the province of Kallant. Though this knowledge came as no surprise to Edwud due to his comrade’s thick accent. Edwud could see, by looking at Arfon’s tattoos, that he had spent most of his time in the north-western provinces of Trecht, Gaberen and Athlane. Edwud learnt a little of what Arfon had been doing there, of the wars against the Selbs and of massacres of political prisoners in Kalin. Edwud knew a little of these things from his message-running but it was the first time that he had met someone who had actually experienced them. Edwud was impressed that Arfon seemed reluctant to talk too much about what he had seen.

When Shamoud eventually arrived he was, as he had mentioned, accompanied by three clerks. There was also a cart laden with supplies, into which Edwud and Arfon put their bags, placing them underneath the tents in which