Guardians of the West

don't think so," he replied.
    "It was a dispute over land," Javelin pointed out, "and some people get very intense where land is concerned."
    "It was only a pasture," Kail recalled, "and not a very big one. The man has more land than he can keep track of anyway."
    "Why did he go to the law, then?"
    "It was the other man who brought the matter to my father."
    Barak came back into the room. "Anheg," he said to his cousin, "Greldik's here. He's got something fairly important to tell you."
    Anheg started to rise, then looked around. " Have him come in here," he said shortly. "I don't want anybody thinking that I've got any secrets."
    "We've all got secrets, Anheg," Queen Porenn murmured.
    "My situation is somewhat peculiar, Porenn." He pushed his dented crown back into place from where it had slipped down over one ear.
    The bearded and fur-clad Greldik pushed past the guards and came into the chamber at that point. "You've got trouble at home, Anheg," he growled bluntly.
    "What kind of trouble?"
    "I just came back from Jarviksholm," Greldik replied. "They're very unfriendly there."
    "There's nothing new about that."
    "They tried to sink me," Greldik said. "They've lined the tops of the cliffs on both sides of the inlet leading up to the city with catapults. The boulders were coming down like hailstones for a while."
    Anheg scowled. "Why would they do that?"
    "Probably because they didn't want me to see what they're doing."
    "What could they be doing that they'd want to keep that secret?"
    "They're building a fleet."
    Anheg shrugged. "Lots of people build ships in Cherek."
    "A hundred at a time?"
    "How many?"
    "I was busy dodging boulders, so I couldn't get an exact count, but the entire upper end of the inlet is lined with yards. The keels have all been laid, and they're starting on the ribs. Oh, they're working on the city walls, too."
    "The walls? They're already higher than the walls of Val Alorn."
    "They're even higher now."
    Anheg scowled. "What are they up to?"
    "Anheg, when you build a fleet and start strengthening your fortifications, it usually means that you're getting ready for a war. And when you try to sink the ship of a man known to be friendly to the crown, that usually means that the war is going to be with your king."
    "He does have a point, Anheg," Barak said.
    "Who's in control at Jarviksholm right now?" Garion asked curiously.
    "The Bear-cult," Anheg said in disgust. "They've been filtering into the town from all over Cherek for the past ten years."
    "This is very serious, Anheg," Barak said.
    "It's also totally out of character," Javelin pointed out. "The cult has never been interested in confrontational politics before."
    "What kind of politics?" Anheg asked.
    "Another way of saying open war with the crown," the Drasnian Chief of Intelligence explained.
    "Say what you mean, man."
    "An occupational peculiarity," Javelin shrugged. "Always before, the cult has tried to work from within -trying to gather enough support to be able to coerce the kings of the Alorn nations to follow their policies. I don't think they've ever even considered open rebellion before."
    "There's a first time for everything, I guess," Hettar suggested.
    Javelin was frowning. "It's not at all like them," he mused, "and it's a direct reversal of a policy they've followed for the past three thousand years."
    "People change sometimes," General Brendig said.
    "Not the Bear-cult," Barak told him. "There isn't room enough in a cultist's mind for more than one idea."
    "I think you'd better get off your behind and get back to Val Alorn, Anheg," Greldik suggested. "If they get those ships in the water, they'll control the whole west coast of Cherek."
    Anheg shook his head. "I have to stay here," he declared. "I've got another matter that's more important right now."
    Greldik shrugged. "It's your kingdom," he said, "at least for the time being."
    "Thanks, Greldik," Anheg said drily. "You have no idea how that notion comforts me. How long will it take you to get to Val Alorn?"
    "Three -maybe four days. It depends on how I catch the tides at the Bore."
    "Go there," Anheg told him. "Tell the fleet admirals that I want them to move out of Val Alorn and take up stations off the Halberg straits. I think that when this council is over, I'll want to take a little journey up to Jarviksholm. It shouldn't take much to burn out those shipyards."
    Greldik's answering grin was positively vicious.
    After the council adjourned for the evening, Kail caught