Ancient Prophecy (10 page)

Dalgar was deflated. It was clear that Rivera would not swing his support to Mitchel. Dalgar doubted that the man could be safely bought and he hadn’t swallowed Suarez’s involvement in the Kalamaar incident. He couldn’t get close enough to kill him without throwing suspicion on Mitchel. Dalgar was quickly running out of options.

“Would you feel the same if you were absolutely sure that Suarez was guilty?” offered Dalgar.

Rivera looked quizzically at Dalgar as if trying to figure out where he was heading. “First off, I doubt very much that he could convince me that Suarez is guilty. Second, if he possesses such knowledge, it should be made public immediately. Then the race would boil down to me and Mitchel and I feel confident that I would beat him. People know that I have a long history of involvement in Cordonian politics, while Mitchel has none, which is probably why he is copying all of my viewpoints.”

Dalgar smiled confidently. “Mitchel is not a mudslinger. He has the information on Suarez, but refuses to release it. He does not want Suarez to end his career in disgrace, but he does want him to end it. Perhaps Mitchel does know that you would beat him if you were the only two in the race, I don’t know. I do know that Cordonia deserves better management than Suarez.”

Rivera pondered this new information. It was certainly true that Mitchel had not said a disparaging remark about any of the candidates. Perhaps he would even let Suarez win rather than make the information public. Rivera knew he was running third in this contest and only the withdrawal of one of the other candidates was going to save him. If only Alvira had thrown his support to Rivera instead of Mitchel. It made Rivera wonder why Alvira had done that.

“How did Mitchel gain Alvira’s support?” he asked.

“Probably by being honest and caring for the people,” suggested Dalgar. “I am not really sure. I know the two of them never met. We do have some of Alvira’s people working on Mitchel’s campaign. I suppose we could ask them.”

“Look,” demanded Rivera, “my time is quite critical this close to the election and I don’t have much more of it to spare. Why don’t you get this information on Suarez, if you have it, and let me examine it. Then we can talk more if I’m convinced that it is genuine.”

Dalgar shrugged. “I’m afraid that I can not do that. Mitchel has the information and no one but him has seen it. He won’t even show it to his aides. He is afraid that one of them will go public with the information and cause Suarez out of Office in disgrace.”

“And what makes him think that I would not do the same?” asked Rivera.

“Because he believes you to be an honest man,” stated Dalgar. “He will not let you look at it until you promise him that you won’t disclose it.”

Rivera stifled his laugh. Nobody that naïve should be allowed to enter politics, he thought. “All right,” conceded Rivera, “tell Mitchel that I will be there in fifteen minutes, but I only have a few minutes to spare so he shouldn’t expect a long conversation.”

Dalgar nodded and hurried out of the building. He ran quickly towards Mitchel’s house and slowed down when he got close. Dalgar spotted Fernandez’s men and needed to avoid being seen going in or somehow arrange to come out twice. He hid behind a tree and concentrated on the wagon across the street. After just a few minutes the wagon started rolling slowly down the street, picking up speed as it went. Dalgar stopped his concentration and watched. The wagon passed within three feet of one of the men and the man shouted to his partner. Both men took after the runaway wagon and Dalgar sprinted to the side window and hoisted himself inside. Quickly, he moved to Mitchel’s study and told the candidate his plan.

Mitchel agreed and Dalgar hid in a small closet with the door just barely opened. Several minutes later, Rivera and his aide arrived. They were shown to Mitchel’s study and Mitchel greeted them.

“One of your aides discussed the fact that you have some very important information regarding President Suarez,” Rivera opened. “I would like to see this information.”

Certainly,” agreed Mitchel. “If you will give me your word that you will not use the information publicly to disgrace President Suarez.”

“Of course,” offered Rivera, “I would not want to cause the people of Cordonia the stress of disappointment in their elected officials.”

“Excellent,” smiled Mitchel. “Your aide must wait outside.”

“Impossible,” balked Rivera, “he is quite trustworthy and I go nowhere without him.”

“Just the same,” demanded Mitchel, “I do not share your trust in someone I do not know. Besides, you aren’t going anywhere. The information is right here in my desk and he can wait right outside in the hall. I’m afraid that is the only way I will produce the information.”

“Very well,” conceded Rivera. He waved his aide into the hall and closed the door.

Mitchel indicated that Rivera could use the desk to review the documents. As soon as Rivera was away from the door, Mitchel hit him with a Freeze Ball. Dalgar slipped out of the closet just as Mitchel finished suffocating Rivera. Together they stuffed Rivera in the closet to dispose of later and Dalgar cast a Reflecting Pool spell to assume Rivera’s identity.

Mitchel returned to his desk and put a stack of papers upon it. Dalgar, as Rivera, opened the door as if to leave and addressed Mitchel so that the aide could hear it.

“Mitchel, I must admit, I underestimated you. I can see now why you have acted the way you have. It actually makes me ashamed of my own behavior. I have been very selfish in wanting to be President and hadn’t really considered what was best for Cordonia. I will make an announcement in the morning asking all of my supporters to throw their entire focus into getting you elected. We must at all costs stop Suarez from getting another term. Good day.”

With that, Dalgar left with Rivera’s aide and returned to the candidate’s house.

“What did you mean back there?” asked the aide. “You aren’t really quitting the race, are you?”

“Yes,” replied Rivera, “I must. I cannot explain the reason behind my decision, except to say that getting Mitchel elected will be the most important thing we do in our lifetimes. I am going to need all of the help you can get to make sure that he is elected.”

The following morning, Rivera gave a rousing speech to his supporters telling them that their duty to Cordonia was to work as hard as they had ever worked to get Mitchel elected to the office of the President of Cordonia.

Alex led the party through the woods at a fairly good pace. They had been traveling for three days since leaving the elf village near the mountain pass. Several times they ran across bands of elves that had shot at them, but the speed of the unicorns gave the elves far too little time to realize that a potential enemy was coming and the arrows had hit no one. Camping at night was a little trickier. The first night Price Rigal, who was on sentry duty, heard a band of elves approaching and everyone had to hide in the bushes until the band passed. Alex was unsure where the unicorns had gone, but after the elves passed, Kaz and the other four unicorns returned. They camped both nights without the benefit of a fire.

Prince Rigal could not estimate if they were ahead or behind the elf messengers, but the group decided to stop for the night, anyway. Tomorrow they would reach the City of Elderal and it would make no sense to arrive at night. Prince Rigal picked an area that was well away from the trails and they settled in. Alex and Jenneva sat talking quietly about Egam and where he might have gone. Jenneva was worried for Egam and also a little frightened for herself. While she felt confident in her abilities, Egam had always been available for her to talk to and discuss ideas with.

Prince Rigal and Prince Tergota were also having a quiet conversation. The dwarf’s actions during the raid that resulted in their capture had impressed the elf Prince. Prince Tergota was pleased with the way Prince Rigal had snapped at the village leader in his defense. At last the visitors to this Universe had melded into a cohesive unit.

The night passed without incident and in the morning they reached the City of Elderal. Alex told Prince Rigal to lead the procession into the city and to walk in single file. As they entered the city elves came running towards them with weapons drawn. The visitors kept their hands away from their weapons and continued their slow, steady pace even as the first of the elves got within striking range. Fortunately, none of the elves attacked, but they lined up as a corridor which made it impossible to go anywhere except where the corridor intended them to go.

As they rode into the city, Alex marveled at the size and beauty of the elf city. The trees appeared to be thousands of years old and Alex could see large structures within the boughs. The clearings were laid out in artistic displays of flowers with ponds and walkways crisscrossing them. Alex could also see long bridges connecting the stately trees high above the ground. Along the river were small huts with corner posts but no sides and a winding pathway connecting them. Benches were placed in the small huts and along the river pathway. A long footbridge arched over the river and Alex could see a similar landscape on the other side.

The elf-lined procession went on for some time and Alex realized that the City of Elderal was much larger than Glendor. As they reached the mouth of the river there was a knoll set back a bit from the river. Alex realized that this knoll was the site of the Royal Palace of Targa in his Universe. In its place stood an ornately carved, low wooden building. At the building the elfin corridor ended.

At the entrance to the building, Prince Rigal dismounted and walked alongside his unicorn through the archway. The rest of the visitors followed Prince Rigal’s example. They passed through the archway into a large open courtyard, which the wooden structure enclosed. At the far end of the courtyard stood an old wooden throne that had seen centuries of use. Seated on the throne was an elf of indeterminable age with a simple golden ring upon his head.

Around the perimeter of the courtyard was a ring of elfin archers with arrows notched and bows ready. Five elves ran forward to remove the unicorns and Prince Rigal held up his hand to halt them. The elves stopped and looked to their King for instructions. Prince Rigal bowed low to the elf King and awaited permission to speak.

The elf King nodded to his assistant and the assistant spoke. “King Galever, King of Elderal and descendant of King Alderon, bids you welcome to Elderal. Who speaks for the foreigners?”

Prince Rigal did not miss the designation of himself as a foreigner. He now knew that the elf messengers had arrived first, otherwise they would have been welcomed as visitors. “I, Prince Rigal of Glendor, son of King Gondoral, descendant of King Geltim, the son of King Elisar, represent your visitors. May I speak?”

“You may speak after your mounts are led out of the courtyard,” answered the King.

Prince Rigal bowed slightly and said, “These creatures are not our mounts. While we had the pleasure of riding them to your fair city, they are an emissary of their own people. May I present the Shamta Kaz of Monoceros, Land of the Unicorns.”

Kaz performed his best imitation of a bow.
Greetings to the great King of Elderal from his neighbors to the north.

King Galever’s eyes widened. “You have the ability of speech?”

The court watchers were confused as to whom the King was addressing. No one but the King had received the mental speech of Kaz.

Yes, King Galever, we are intelligent beings. You do not have to verbalize to communicate with me. You may merely direct your thoughts to me and I will understand.

King Galever nodded to Kaz and motioned to the waiting elves to leave the unicorns where they were.

“Prince Rigal,” asked the King, “where is this Glendor that you speak of?”

“It is in another Universe, Your Highness,” the dark Prince answered. “It is a long tale and will require many hours of telling. I know that you have had messengers telling of our arrival and that these messengers foretold that I am here to claim the Crown of Elderal. I feel that I must be clear to you on this topic. I have not come to Elderal to take your Crown. I told the villagers who I was and from whom I was descended. They took it upon themselves to determine what my motives were in coming here.”

“Yet you claim to be a direct descendant of Prince Geltim?” queried the King. “Should not one assume that is why you came?”

“Your Highness,” replied Prince Rigal, “I came because these humans presented a case for your continued existence. In Glendor it is believed that Elderal perished at the hands of the dwarves, much as you in Elderal believe that Prince Geltim’s band perished.”

“And what of the dwarf?” demanded King Galever.

“Pardon my rudeness, Your Highness,” pleaded Prince Rigal. “Our dwarf friend is Prince Tergota of Talman. He is descended from the first tribe of dwarves to pass through Elderal. They believe that their entire civilization was destroyed by the elves of Elderal.”

Prince Tergota bowed to the elf King while murmurs ran through the courtyard in response to Prince Rigal’s introduction. No one’s memory could ever recall a dwarf standing in the City of Elderal being introduced to the King.

Prince Rigal continued. “The humans are Duke Alexander Tork, a Colonel in the nation of Targa, and his wife, Jenneva. They are both special friends to King Gondoral and Queen Gelfora of Glendor.”

“Was there not another human in your party?” asked King Galever.

“There was, Your Highness,” answered Prince Rigal, “but he chose to leave us and travel on his own for reasons we do not understand.”

King Galever studied the group for a while. He had never seen a dwarf before and wondered why the short, stout beings should be feared. The old tales spoke of their fierceness in battle, but the King did not see anything remarkable about his visitor. The humans were interesting. King Galever, as most elves, he was sure, believed that humans were imaginary mythical beings, the type reserved for stories told to children. Here stood two of the humans, however, and King Galever was forced to reassess his old thoughts of human tales.