Staying Power (Darshian Tales #3) Read online

  “Agreed,” Pa said. “I wish Kei and Jena would let us go on this, don’t you, Arman?”

  His uncle’s expression became rueful. “If only. I envy you, Karik. Give me ten years of my youth, and my own head, and I would be with you from the start. And then Kei would murder me.”

  “Jena would help him,” Pa said with a grin. “Are you excited, son?”

  “Can’t wait, Pa. Just to see glaciers...and a volcano....”

  “Ho, and I thought you were just eager to find some more plant species,” Pa said, mock-cuffing him. “It’s supposed to be a very beautiful land, Andon.”

  “Beautiful, wild and dangerous,” Arman said. “If this goes well, it won’t be the only expedition we send there. I hope you are prepared for that possibility.”

  “I’m hoping for it, uncle Arman. Though I wish I could go home too.”

  His uncle’s eyes became soft with sympathy. “I know, my boy. There’ll be time for that too, but don’t waste your youthful vigour while you have it. There aren’t many men your age who’ll have seen as much as you will have. Think of the stories you’ll have for Jes when she’s older.”

  “And Jes’s children too,” Pa added. “But I wish I was going too. I never thought I’d say this, but I sometimes miss trading.”

  “It’s hardly exploring, Reji. I’d have never stuck it for as long as you did,” Arman said with a smile.

  “Probably not, and if I had to start doing it again, I dare say I’d be complaining about it. There’s just something freeing about being on the trail. What do you think, Karik?”

  “Well, when I’m out exploring, I love it, and when I’m home, I love that too.”

  Pa laughed and gave Arman a rueful look. “And so the son is wiser than the father once more. The secret of a long and contented life is to be happy where you are right now, of course. Kei’s like you, Karik.”

  “I hope I’m like Kei,” Karik corrected, which made Arman grin. “I wish you were coming too—it’d be fun.”

  “Don’t say that in front of your Ma, son. Don’t mind me, I just get restless sometimes.”

  “Perhaps I should get you appointed official ambassador to Andon,” Arman said with a straight face.

  “You’re joking, I hope. Jena would castrate you with a rusty knife.”

  “Of course I’m joking. You, a diplomat?”

  “I can be diplomatic,” Pa said indignantly. “What are you implying, you Prijian bastard?”

  “A fine demonstration of your skills right there, I see,” Arman retorted. Karik decided not to get involved.

  Gods, it was so good to be home.

  Staying Power: 6

  After two days’ rest, Romi and the others were entirely back to normal. Even Netu suffered no ill effects from what he thought had probably been a mild ear infection. It had been a clever move to grant them this short break. On the Ruler’s orders, they had spent most of that spare time getting to know their possible team mates, and investigating what exactly was involved in the expedition, a rare luxury. Usually a soldier and his unit were ordered to go with a survey team with no chance to decide if they were the best people for the job. Someone had put a lot of thought into this.

  Captain Tiko was as solid and likeable on further acquaintance as he had first appeared. A career soldier who could have retired at least a year before, he had opted to keep working if he could be excused from field duties. He was the Rulers’ liaison with the barracks, and he clearly enjoyed a good working relationship and friendship with Lord Arman. Romi picked his brains as best he could, though Tiko was discreet for all his open manner and disliked to gossip, which Romi admired in a man. What he did learn was heartening—it had never been intended for Soza to lead the expedition. There were four other scientists going—two geologists, two surveyors, as well as the naturalists. The other strands of research would have to be taken into consideration, and decisions made as a team. Romi wondered when Soza would be told all this.

  To his surprise, he also learned Karik was rather better qualified than he’d indicated. He was the son of a healer, had spent over two years in formal studies and research, and a further two years in the field, working entirely alone—he was no soft innocent, that was for sure. While Romi still couldn’t forgive his infidelity, he was at least capable at his job. So far as Romi could see, the only deadweight they would carry was Soza—not an agreeable prospect, but not one they couldn’t work around.

  He was growing enthusiastic about the project again. The four northern soldier specialists were quiet, efficient men who inspired confidence. Romi made it his job to make a private assessment of each member of the team, because in a territory like Andon, so unforgiving of weakness or error, he wanted to know to whom he was entrusting his safety. His good impression of the soldiers who’d travelled with him from Urshek was reinforced in those two days. All of them were eager, and so far as he could tell, competent and suitable for the task.

  Kepi and Taz he already knew well. Netu was a reserved, gentle man, the son of a healer who had once had ambitions to be a healer himself, but after joining the army, found the life of a medic suited him so had not done the advanced training. He had never been to Andon, but had, like Romi and Reisa, taken up the army’s financial incentive to learn the language, and had worked with soldiers on training exchange from that country. Jou and Sibu had been in Andon in the last year on short exchange, and Reisa had been part of a survey on the southern coastline of the country.

  He was just a little worried about Jou and Sibu—both had fellow soldiers as lovers and were hoping to wed on their return south. Romi didn’t like the fact they would put a huge strain on their relationships by such a long absence, and the morale question also had to be considered. A long mission was hard enough anyway, and this was one of the longest Romi had ever known planned.

  As they ate supper in the officer’s mess on their second day in Darshek, he asked Tiko for his opinion. The older man sat back and rubbed his chin. “It’s a problem, definitely. When I was younger, I spent a year away from my wife, more or less, and our marriage did need a bit of repairing. Some of my men came home, found their lovers or wives had left, like young Kepi’s did. One poor fellow found his wife had died. Of course, we were fighting a war, so we had things to occupy our minds, but there was a lot of sitting around, missing home. But I can’t see anything for it, Romi. Even the men without partners to return to, will be homesick. Seems unfair to penalise those who do, for what they may or may not feel. They chose freely after all. We soldiers know it’s a hard life.” He lifted his mug and grinned. “But there are compensations.”

  Romi smiled and took a pull from his own mug. “You don’t think the presence of a couple will make things harder?”

  Tiko looked completely confused. “Who? Which couple? Two of your people? I hadn’t realised—”

  “No, Soza and Karik.”

  “Soza—” Tiko choked. “Are you serious? Karik and Soza?”

  “Soza told me to my face. Warned me off, though there was no reason to. I can’t think it’s a good thing, myself. I mean for morale.”

  Tiko was still blinking in shock. “No, I don’t suppose it is. Are you quite sure?”

  “The man explicitly told me they were lovers.”

  “Blessed gods. Well, that’s a factor I’d not known about—and I wouldn’t mind betting his lordship doesn’t either.”

  “Ah, well, I suspect Karik has reason to keep it quiet, so I don’t know that Lord Arman should hear it from either of us—unless you think it will affect the mission.”

  “Hmmm.” Tiko looked into his beer. “Well, I suppose it might—but then again, there’s no reason for it to unless there’s a falling out, or some other jealousy. I don’t want to violate the lad’s privacy, but you’re the one whose arse will be on the line if it does affect things. I suggest you wait and watch, though. If you think you should mention it, then do so, but his lordship doesn’t like a tattle-tale any more than I do.”


  “I didn’t mention it for gossip’s sake, captain,” Romi said stiffly.

  Tiko waved at him to simmer down. “I know that. I just think that perhaps there’s no need to take it further. If Karik has his reasons for discretion, then knowing him as I do, I would advise respecting them. Up to a point, mind.”

  “Agreed.” Romi wondered if Tiko knew Karik as well as he thought he did, because he couldn’t see this man, father, grandfather and loving husband as he was, being happy at a child and mother being abandoned. But Romi had to admit he didn’t know all the facts. His main reservations about Soza stemmed not from his relationship with Karik but his lack of experience, and that was already known to all. No, having mentioned it, he would leave it. For now.

  It had been arranged they would be assessed on the third day, which had given them time to wash their uniforms and get spruced up. They were called to the colonel’s briefing room one by one, Romi being the last to be summoned, so he had a good idea from the others about whom he’d be meeting and what they would want to know. He found quite a battery of examiners waiting for him—the army surveyors and geologists, Karik, Soza, Lord Arman, another Darshianese man and an Andonese woman. He saluted. “Lieutenant Romi, as requested.”

  “Take a seat, lieutenant,” the Ruler said. “You met most of us, of course. I am Lord Arman of Darshek. This is Kei, Master of the Darshek Academy, and this is Juizeigi, of Andon.”

  The handsome man who’d been introduced as Kei gave Romi a wide smile—he had to be Karik’s soul-toucher uncle. No shortage of looks in that family, adopted or otherwise. Lord Arman was also exceptionally good-looking in a very severe, aristocratic manner—despite Soza’s hints, if there was a blood relationship between the Ruler and his nephew, there was nothing other than their colouring to suggest it. Arman was huge, imposing and proud of bearing, while Karik was slim and unassuming, though his green eyes could flash with as much hauteur as any Prijian noble. Right now, he was looking at Romi almost as if he had never seen him before, and giving nothing away. Soza looked smug and self-important, nothing like the faded creature who had left the boat two days ago. Romi didn’t find him any easier to stomach, so he turned his attention back to Lord Arman.

  “Lieutenant, you spent a year in Andon. Would you care to tell us—in Andonese—how you found it, and what you liked about the country?”

  He’d been expecting this, and was glad he was completely confident of his fluency. “The people were what that I liked most. They have a strict sense of honour, and respect moderation in all appetites, something we strive for in the military too, but they also have a wonderful sense of fun, and a great love of life and its blessings.” Everyone but Soza was nodding. “I saw only a little of the country, but what I did see, I found majestic. I wanted to explore, to see what I could from the ranges and what was hidden in the valleys. It’s a land which demands respect, but I could see why it inspires such fierce love in its people.”

  “Very poetic,” Lord Arman said dryly. “Juizeigi, if you would?”

  She nodded in acknowledgement. “Lieutenant, please list the three principal virtues of a good Andonese woman.”

  “They are the same as those of a good Andonese man—continence, kindness and piety.”

  “And the name of the god whom we worship?”

  “May not be named, for a man is not worthy to utter it. Instead, we should call him ‘Sephiz’, which means ‘beloved and loving’, for he is both.”

  That won him a thin smile of approval. “Finally, how does one Andonese greet another, and why?”

  Romi demonstrated the crossed-chest bow. “It is done thus because the soul belongs to Sephiz and resides in the heart, and in bowing this way, we show our respect for the benevolent god’s most precious gift to man.”

  Juizeigi blinked. “You’re the first one to get that right. Most people think it’s because we think handshaking is dirty.”

  “Yes, I know. That never made any sense to me, so I asked.”

  She leaned over and whispered in Lord Arman’s ear. The Ruler remained impassive. Karik was staring at him, but Romi couldn’t work out what he was thinking. Master Kei gave him another reassuring smile—the lines around his eyes indicated he habitually smiled a good deal. Romi got the impression that it was because he was happy, rather than to present a pleasant facade as Soza seemed to do. Karik certainly had some interesting relatives.

  Finally Lord Arman cleared his throat. “Well, you’ve impressed our Andonese liaison, lieutenant, which is a good beginning. But now about this survey you were on in the Treyk range....”

  Romi, who had been feeling just a little pleased with himself over the cultural exam, now found himself being closely questioned by a man with a razor-sharp mind and one who’d been a general by the age at which Romi had just made lieutenant. Lord Arman was unabashedly trying to trip him up, catch him out in the smallest lie, the least fuzziness of logic, and Romi needed all his wits about him not to look like a simpleton. He’d seen interrogations of hardened criminals that took a softer line than this man did now with him. Not only was Lord Arman challenging his judgment, he was doing it in three languages, switching without warning between Darshianese, Prijian and Andonese, and giving Romi very little time to think. He got the slight impression the Ruler was enjoying himself, and did his best to rise to the challenge.

  At last, Lord Arman stopped and gave him a friendly smile. “Forgive me, lieutenant. We need sharp minds and rapid reactions on this and you were so well recommended, I wanted to see if your superiors were trying to get rid of a substandard officer. I can see now that everything they said was justified.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  Lord Arman glanced at his companions, and seemed happy with their reactions. “Then I have no hesitation in saying you will be welcome on this expedition. You do understand this is voluntary—and that you may back out up to the point you get on the ship to Andon? After that, of course, it becomes tricky.”

  “Yes, I understand. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Kei raised his hand. “Just one thing, Romi. It’s a long mission, much longer than most. What about lovers, your family, friends...how do you feel about leaving them behind?”

  Romi couldn’t suppress the pang of pain at the mention of lovers, but he forced himself to smile back at the man. “I’m unattached. My friends are in the army, so they understand, but I already count two of the southerners who came with me as friends, and I like the others a good deal. As for my family—they’re used to me being away. It’s not easy, but I wouldn’t give up the experiences I’ve had since I joined the army for anything.”

  “Thank you. Carry on, Arman.”

  The Ruler gave Kei a sharp look, but then turned back to Romi. “Very well. Lieutenant, I want to discuss a few things with my colleagues, but I will almost certainly want to speak to you again before I leave. Gentlemen, thank you,” he said to the other four soldiers, who rose and saluted. “Lieutenant, could you let the adjutant know where we can find you?”

  “Certainly.” He stood and saluted again, and on being dismissed, left the room with the other four. That had been rather different from anything he’d ever experienced, but he was happy with his performance, and glad to see the professionalism on display. This expedition was finally beginning to smell of success.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Arman turned to the others. “A very impressive officer, don’t you think? Captain Pek is a good man, but I feel this lieutenant would make an even better head of the expedition. Kei?”

  “Well, he stood up to one of your infamous grillings without batting an eyelid,” Kei said with a grin. “He deserves a medal for that. Yes, he seems perfect.”

  “Soza?” Arman asked.

  “A very good choice, my lord. I find him as impressive as you do.”

  Karik blinked—just before they’d come to the barracks, Soza had been so dismissive of Romi, quite certain they would be able to do without him.

  Arman noticed his surpr
ise. “Karik? You’re not so sure?”

  “I...well, he’s a bit....” He stopped, not wanting to sound whiny or malicious.

  Kei smiled at him. “Just be honest, Ka-chi. Do you think he would be a bad leader?”

  “No, not that. I just...he makes rather fast judgments.” That sounded rather wet.

  Kei raised an eyebrow. “Of people?” Karik nodded. “Unfair judgments?”

  Karik bit his lip. No, he couldn’t say ‘unfair’ exactly. “Just...harsh.”

  Arman cleared his throat. “I suspect that’s his military background. Policing forces you to make rapid assessments on little evidence. He didn’t strike me as the kind of man who would be rigid about it—do you feel that he doesn’t change his opinion once made? Or that he wilfully misunderstands a situation?”

  “No,” Karik said slowly.

  “Put it another way,” his uncle said. “Would you trust him to back you up and keep you safe?”

  “Yes.” No hesitation at all this time. “Even if he hated your guts, he would do that.”

  Arman smiled. “And that’s exactly the kind of person I want in charge here. You and the other scientists, Juizeigi too,” he said nodding at their Andonese liaison, “will all have a chance to get to know these men very well over the next three weeks. If you still have reservations by the time the bulk of the training is complete, then I want to know. But my instinct is that lieutenant Romi is precisely the man for the job. We’ve been very lucky with the southerners, don’t you think?”

  Though the questions had been addressed to Karik, it was Soza who answered eagerly. “Oh, yes, indeed, my lord. The proper training in correct methodology and they will make very able assistants.”

  Arman frowned a little. “I’m not sure I’d refer to them as assistants, Soza. Those soldiers may not be scientists, but they’ll be the ones who will get you there and back safely, and I hope, be able to work independently. None of them strike me as the kind of people who need minute to minute supervision, or who would welcome it either.”