Alchymist by Ian Irvine Read Free Book Online

faulty.
Someone must have —’
    'I
saw it sealed in its box,' said Klarm. 'It never left my custody until it was
placed in your air-floater, just before you left Nennifer. Were the seals
broken when you opened the box?'
    "They
were not,' said Flydd. 'And no one but myself and my trusted prober, Eiryn
Muss, ever had charge of it: 'Then it can't have been tampered with. No one but
a scrutator has the Art to break those seals. They were made with scrutator
magic.'
    'So
if it was tampered with,' Ghorr said relentlessly, 'it happened while you had
charge of it. Again, the negligence is yours.' He dismissed his three
witnesses. 'We'll take a vote on the countercharges. Yea if they are proven,
nay if disproved.'
    There
were eleven nays.
    'And
my first principal charge, that Flydd's incompetence led to the destruction of
the node?'
    Nine
yeas and two nays.
    'My
second principal charge, that Flydd's negligence after the destruction of the
node lost a third of our army?'
    Seven
yeas and four nays.
    'It
is enough,' said Ghorr. 'The charges are proven. Now, scrutators, we must agree
on penalties.'
    The
scrutators dismissed Flydd ignominiously from his position and broke him to a
common citizen. However, after half an hour of acrimonious debate, during which
time Ghorr became ever colder, they could not agree on a penalty for the second
charge.
    'I'll
take no more of this!' cried Ghorr. 'The enemy could counterattack at any time.
I make the Declaration of Emergency. All rights are suspended, and all
privileges, that conflict with my duties.'
    He
stared around the table. All broke under his stare, even Flydd, though he
strove mightily against the chief scrutator. Ghorr had played the unbeatable
card. Later he would have to justify the declaration but for the moment he was
unassailable. Ghorr could punish him in any way he saw fit.
    'I
beg leave to address the Council,' came Jal-Nish's voice from behind Flydd.
    'The
matter is closed,' Ghorr said frostily.
    'I do
not wish to speak about that.' Jal-Nish glanced idly at Flydd, then away, as if
he were of no significance. 'Fault and blame are irrelevant now. Rather would I
speak about the war. And how we might still win it:
    'Go
on,' said Ghorr, showing his canines.
    'The
enemy have abandoned Snizort in haste, leaving behind everything, including
their flesh-formed abominations. They must be dreadfully demoralised by the
destruction of the node as well as the loss of their great city. The Histories
tell us they are slow to recover from their rare defeats. And they have
suffered terrible casualties: twelve thousand dead and half as many unable to
fight.'
    'Our
losses are worse,' snapped Ghorr, 'for we've lost all our clankers as well.
It'll take years to replace them.'
    'Were
we to pursue the enemy now,' said Jal-Nish, 'with our clankers and the
constructs of the Aachim, they would be hard put to save themselves. The lyrinx
are obscenities that flesh-form their own young in the womb. We must eradicate
them to the last child!' He looked as though he would enjoy the slaughter.
    'The
node is exploded, you fool! The field is dead, our clankers useless metal.'
    'I
can save them,' said Jal-Nish.
    Now
he had their attention. 'How?' said Ghorr.
    'I
would bring in bullock teams,' said Jal-Nish. 'And teams of horses, buffalo and
men. I'd put the clankers on skids and haul them to the nearest node field,
north-west of here. It's only seven leagues away, I'm told. Then I'd go after
the enemy with all our strength and strike them down before they have a chance
to recover. From this defeat we can yet snatch victory, and what a sweet
victory it will be. It could turn the tide of the war, Chief Scrutator.'
    Flydd's
voice dropped into the following silence. 'This is folly! The lyrinx are at no
disadvantage at all. They don't need supplies — they've enough of our good
soldiers in their bellies to do them a week.'
    Ghorr
turned on him. 'We'll hear no more of your cowardly words, Flydd. As of now I
strip you of