I meet Trayven in the room of the inn where he has been staying in the Malornian town of Daveen. He offers me a seat in the chair at the rickety wooden desk, and he sits on the bed under the window. I pull out my list of questions.
“Cities, definitely. I hate wilderness life; always have.”
He scowls. “I volunteer to attend the prince on his futile trek through the wilderness and report back about his every move.” His voice is mocking. “Of course, it made no difference in the end whether I volunteered or not.”
“Being used.” He sighs and picks at the woolen blanket on the neatly made bed. “That’s the dangerous thing about working in the palace. You’re basically giving Regent Rampus access to your life, to use it for whatever he wants. It pays well, though, and if you’re lucky you’ll never have to do anything but your actual job. But you never know when you might be ordered to do something else, and it doesn’t matter how you feel about it. You’d better do it well, or you may not live to regret it.”
“In a village in the foothills of the Impassables.” He lowers his gaze as though ashamed to admit it. “I lived there till I was fifteen, and then finally I couldn’t take it any more and ran away to the capital.”
“I’m a servant in the palace in Sazellia, or at least, I was until the incident with the prince. I don’t really know if I still have my job now or not, and I don’t think I want it if I do.” He looks worried. “When I ran away to the city, I first found work in an inn a lot like this one. Cleaning the rooms, serving food in the dining hall, that sort of thing. Did that for six years and was pretty happy with my life. Nothing glamorous, but I was in the city, and that’s what I’d always wanted. Lots to see and do, new people to meet all the time, it didn’t get as cold in the winter, and you never had to worry about Mountain Folk. I should have just stuck with that, but I met a girl who worked as a maid in the palace, and she told me stories about how grand it was. I heard they had some positions open, so I went and applied, and next thing I knew they had hired me. I worked there as a servant for twelve years, and at first I liked it a lot. But then King Kerman died, and things started to change. High Councilor Rampus became Regent Rampus since the prince was too young to rule yet, and he was stricter than the king had been. Bad things happened to people who made mistakes or didn’t do their jobs right. Not just their pay getting docked the way it used to be. The regent would give them strange and dangerous things to do. I don’t know most of the details because nobody ever wanted to talk about it, but you’d see how worried they were, and sometimes they’d be gone on errands for days or even weeks. And it wasn’t just us servants, either. It was the same with high councilors and nobles and everyone. It started gradually, but after a few years with the regent in charge, everyone was afraid to cross him. A few people tried, but then their family members died, or their businesses failed, or now and then they’d just disappear. But as long as you did what you were told, things went well for you, so I didn’t worry. At least, not until recently.” He sighs.
“Right now?” He gestures around at the tiny room with its bed, desk, chair, and closet. “I’ve been living here for the last few weeks, in between expeditions to the foothills. It isn’t much of a home, but at least I’m alive and have a roof over my head. I hate the camping I have to do on each trip, but it’s nice to know I’ve got some place to come back to. I hope when this is all over I can go home to Sazellia again, but it depends on whether I find what the regent wants and he forgives me. I’m sure I’ll have to look for another job, but at this point, I’ll be content just to keep my life.” He shivers and pulls his cloak tighter around himself.
Trayven’s face turns red before he can even reply. “It was about three months ago. There was a banquet at the palace, and I was serving wine to the guests after the meal. Everyone was listening to the minstrel as he sang one of those historical ballads he’s always coming up with; it was really exciting, and I couldn’t help listening too as I went around with my tray of wine goblets. I should have been paying better attention to what I was doing, but when that minstrel sings, it’s like there’s a magic spell in the room. If you’ve ever heard him, you’ll know what it was like. But the spell broke pretty fast, let me tell you, when I fumbled with my tray right as I was serving the regent and the whole thing slipped out of my hands .” He shakes his head at the memory. “Eight silver goblets hit the floor with the loudest crash you’ve ever heard, and wine splashed all over him and me and everyone else sitting close by. I wished it was the floor itself that had shattered so I could just dive into a hole and let it swallow me up. I’ve never felt so humiliated in my life – or so terrified. I was sure the regent was going to have my head then and there. You should have seen his expression. But that isn’t his way. He had my job switched so I was emptying chamber pots and scrubbing latrines after that. And then when Prince Korram announced this plan of his, of course I was the one who got picked to go with him. I suppose the regent must have asked around and found out that I grew up in the foothills and knew about wilderness living, so it made sense, but I know it was his way of getting back at me.”
Trayven is instantly defensive. “I didn’t do it to be mean. If Prince Korram hadn’t sent me away, I never would have. But how was I supposed to go back to Regent Rampus without him? Did he think I could just return to the regent and tell the regent I’d failed in the task he assigned me? He would have had me executed for certain! I tried to explain that to the prince, but he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t want me around any longer, probably because he had plans of his own up there in the mountains that were different than he’d told people, and he didn’t want anyone finding out. So all I could think to do was to go hide somewhere, start a new life in another part of Malorn where the regent wouldn’t find me. And for that I needed money.” He glares at me as though I’ve accused him of something. “I had no choice!” He thumps his fist against the pillow. “But how was I supposed to know that Dannel would find out and come after me for it? And now the regent’s going to have me executed anyway, unless I succeed in my new mission.”
“I hated it, mostly. I mean, being with the prince was all right. He’s the quiet sort, which is what I prefer. He doesn’t make pointless conversation for the sake of hearing himself talk, like some people do. And he learns fast. I figured I was going to have to wait on him hand and foot, but he wanted me to teach him everything I knew about wilderness survival, and as soon as he’d learned, he did his share. Hunting, fishing, lighting a campfire, finding the spots that made the best campsites, even loading the mules. It was like he couldn’t wait to get out of the palace and try life in the wilderness, just the opposite of me. He loved sitting by the fire at night roasting meat on a spit, and all I wanted to do was get home to where I could sleep in a real bed and buy a supper I didn’t have to catch and skin myself. Worst of all, he wanted to find some of those Mountain Folk. The boy had some crazy idea he could get them to help him, but anyone who’s grown up in the foothills knows those savages don’t help anyone but themselves. And then when we actually found some, he insisted on camping close by and spending every day with them, talking to them, trying to get to know them.” Trayven’s voice is filled with disgust. “They’re filthy and ignorant and they smell as bad as the goats they keep. When I was a boy we always had to watch out for them, especially in winter when they come down low to escape the snow on the higher peaks. They would steal crops and eggs from our chickens, and then either run away like the cowards they are or threaten us with their spears if we tried to stop them. I hate those vermin! The whole time we were camped by them, I always felt like they were watching me. As worried as I was when the prince sent me away, in some ways it was a relief to leave.”
“Oh, politics don’t matter much to me. Prince Korram’s a decent person, but he’s young and foolish and probably won’t make much of a king. Regent Rampus is smart and always knows what he’s doing, but he’s dangerous and cruel and I don’t know what kind of king he’d be either.” Trayven glances over at me worriedly. “You won’t tell him I said that, will you?” I assure him I won’t. “So personally, I don’t care, as long as I can stay out of both of their ways. I suppose they probably both want my head now. Fortunately, only one of them is likely to live past the next few months, and then things will be a little simpler.”
“That I won’t find what I’m looking for. I’m afraid all the time; I hardly sleep at night. But if that Dannel fellow is right, I can redeem myself for what I did – as long as I succeed now. I just hope he is telling the truth and the regent will forgive me. It’s my only chance.”
How would you describe yourself?
He shrugs. “I’m a hard-working man. I know how to take care of coffee, and I like a good strong mug of it to start the day.” He takes a sip of his. “I love my wife and children, and I think our friends would say I’m a good neighbor.”
What are your hobbies?
“I like to hunt. Lots of animals move down here to the foothills when it starts getting really cold up on the higher slopes. We get plenty of deer in these parts, especially; in fact, they’re a worse problem for our garden than the Mountain Folk. Sometimes my neighbor and I will take our bows and sit out at night watching for them. My wife makes a real good venison stew, and we smoke the rest of the meat to eat in the winter.”
Do you prefer cities or the countryside? Warm weather or cold?
He scratches his head. “I’ve never been to a big city like Sazellia before. I think I’d like it, though. I always enjoy the trips to town when we go sell our coffee. Mountain life is good too, but it has its disadvantages.” A troubled expression crosses his face. “Mountain Folk being one of the main ones, of course, but we sometimes get wolves or bears around here too, then there’s the fact that the nearest town where we can buy supplies is nearly a day’s ride away. And I like warm weather a lot better. Winters are pretty severe up in the mountains. Of course this is just the foothills, but we still get snow every now and then, and the wind blowing off the peaks gets colder than anything you can imagine. Besides, when the weather gets cold, the Mountain Folk move to lower elevations.” He shudders. “We do all we can to keep out of their way, but we can’t stop them from coming to us.”
What is the one sentence you would never say?
“I’d never say to those Mountain Folk, ‘Come help yourself to my garden vegetables or fruit without paying for them.’ But they’re always trying to.”
What makes you angry?
“Being robbed.” He scowls. “My family and I put a lot of work into our gardening. Thank goodness the Mountain Folk don’t care for coffee, since that’s our livelihood. But we have a little kitchen plot with vegetables and fruit trees that my wife and daughters care for while I’m tending the coffee bushes. We rely on that to get us through the winter, but those thieving Mountain Folk try to take whatever they can get their hands on.”
He stares at me. “How did you know? We all promised not ever to tell anyone outside the village. I mean, I don’t know if the law really applies when it comes to Mountain Folk, but just in case, we didn’t want the authorities to get word. After all, it was an accident. I never meant to shoot the girl. You don’t know what it’s like having those savages charge at you with their spears brandished; and I have my family to protect, not to mention our home and crops.” His voice is anguished now. “But she was somebody’s daughter, and the sight of her lying there – I mean, I don’t know what I would have done if it had been one of my girls who –” He breaks off and turns away with a shudder, biting his lip. “It was the worst moment of my life. I was just trying to scare them away, but then there she was coming at me, and I panicked.” He sighs. “Such a horrible memory. I wish every day that I could somehow go back in time and change what happened. I should have just let them take my apples. Of course, then they’d only get bolder and come and steal from us all the more. Still, that would be better than having her death on my conscience.”
Click here to read my interviews with characters from my book In the Enemy’s Service.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/
This is a map I created using Smart Notebook software to show the fantasy world in my Annals of Alasia series (Prince of Alasia and In the Enemy’s Service). It’s still a work in progress; I’m currently writing two more books, so I’ve been adding cities and other features to the map as I think them up. Also, I must confess the map isn’t entirely to scale, although I do hope to fix that eventually as I go back over certain details from the first two books.
One other detail worth noting: the bridge across the Grenn River northeast of Sazellia does not yet exist at the time of my two currently published books.
This is the final interview I’ve done with characters from my second novel, In the Enemy’s Service, due out two weeks from tomorrow. Take a look at the first one, the interview with Anya, to read why I’ve been interviewing people from my world and where I got the idea in the first place.
1. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
Dannel chuckles. “I love my job! There’s nothing like the thrill of successful deception. Of course, that’s only a small part of what I do. I’m in the intelligence business, and deception is just one of the means I employ. It’s quite fulfilling, negotiating for the best possible price and then delivering critical information, usually to desperate people. But I offer other services too. If you ever need anyone taken out of the way, for example, I’m sure we could work something out.”
Dannel affects a look of surprise. “You have more than one question? You’ve only paid me for one answer.”
2. Do you have any friends? Significant others?
3. What is your idea of success?
“Infiltrating a target group, finding out exactly what I need to know while making them think they’re the ones I’m helping out, and convincing them to pay me for whatever I tell them I’m doing for them. Then simply disappearing afterward; and – depending on the mission – they might never see me again before they feel my dagger between their shoulder blades. And then returning to my grateful employer and getting paid even more to deliver the information I’ve learned, all the while planning the best time to sell him out to his enemies.”
4. What do you hate?
He doesn’t seem to have heard me, his eyes darting back and forth among the other patrons of the tavern. I resist the urge to glance behind me to see who he’s watching. Finally I realize why he hasn’t answered. Counting the questions remaining on my sheet, I reach into my pocket and hand him eight more coins. He counts them silently before sliding them into his own pocket.
5. What do you do in your spare time?
“Plan out the next job. Design disguises. Keep an eye on people and situations to see how I could use them for profit.”
6. What did you have for breakfast?
“Today? Venison and fried potatoes at the Alasian army camp. They’ve been on short rations since the Invasion, so there wasn’t much of it. I bought some bread and fruit as soon as I got into Almar.”
7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.
“No. Pets mean attachment.”
8. Do you believe in luck? Why?
“Of course I do. I make luck. The ingredients are careful preparation and quick thinking.”
9. What is your favorite scent? Why?
He considers this for a moment. “Skin paint.”
10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
“Charity.”
11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
Dannel’s eyes grow distant. “It was a long time ago, back near the beginning of my career. I was working for a group of seafaring raiders; you know, the ones who attack coastal towns in those fast little ships, steal what they can, and then disappear among the rocky offshore islands. They were paying me to help identify the best targets. Long story short, the Alasian navy finally caught up with them, and there was a battle off the northwest coast. I was on one of the raiders’ ships at the time; they were outnumbered, and we got boarded. We all jumped overboard and tried to swim for shore, but most of us were caught and hauled on board one of the navy vessels. It was winter, and I was wet and freezing and terrified I’d get killed or stuffed in a prison along with the raiders. I was very young back then,” Dannel explains apologetically. “But I managed to work it out in my favor. I talked the captain into a deal, and ended up trading the location of their base for my freedom, a set of dry clothes, and ten gold coins.” He sighs, remembering. “I still regret not demanding twenty.”
This is an interview with the character Eleya, midwife and physician’s assistant in the Alasian palace in my novel In the Enemy’s Service. For an explanation of why I’m interviewing my characters, click here.
As I cross the palace courtyard toward the clinic, Eleya meets me at the front door. “Come in, come in. It’s freezing out there!” A light whirl of snowflakes follows me through the door as she hurriedly shuts it behind me. “Come on upstairs to the sitting room. We can talk there without being interrupted.”
1. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
“Most of the time I do. I enjoy helping my husband Tonnis and our friend Dal in the clinic. The job I’m really trained for, which I don’t get to do as often, is midwife; I love helping to bring children into the world. Lately, though, most of what Tonnis and I have been doing is just helping the Malornians.” She sighs. “They killed hundreds of our people, and here we are helping heal their injuries and keep them healthy so they can mistreat more of us any time they like.” She shakes her head hopelessly. “But after all the threats they’ve made, what else can we do?”
2. Do you have any friends? Significant others?
“Not as many friends as I used to have. A lot of them were our coworkers here at the palace, and most of those are buried out back now.” She pauses to fish out a handkerchief and blow her nose. “But of course Tonnis is still here. I don’t know what I’d do without him. And young Anya lives with us now; she’s become almost like family in the last couple weeks. I’ve enjoyed teaching her to do simple tasks around the clinic; to knit – it’s almost like having a daughter.” Eleya smiles fondly.
3. What is your idea of success?
“Helping sick or injured people recover. Helping a mother bring a healthy baby into the world.”
4. What do you hate?
“People who hurt others on purpose.”
5. What do you do in your spare time?
“I like to knit, especially with Anya. In the evenings or when the soldiers aren’t keeping an eye on us, sometimes we’ll all sit and knit and talk down in Wennish’s room. In the past, sometimes Tonnis and I would read together up here, but I doubt we’d be allowed to take books from the palace library now.”
6. What did you have for breakfast?
“Bread with butter and jam, a couple slices of pear, and spiced tea.”
7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.
Eleya smiles. “I love cats. While I was growing up, my sisters and I always had at least one. But I haven’t had a pet since I’ve been married. Unfortunately, Tonnis doesn’t care much for cats, and besides, it wouldn’t work well to keep one here, where we live above the clinic.”
8. Do you believe in luck? Why?
She considers this. “No, I don’t think so. I believe in good and evil. When people do evil things, like the Malornians have done here, some might call it bad luck, but I think that takes the blame off those who deserve it. What we call good luck usually comes through people’s hard work and perseverance.”
9. What is your favorite scent? Why?
“Warm peach pie, maybe. I used to make it a lot, before we moved here.” She chuckles. “I haven’t done much cooking in years – being able to eat three meals a day in the palace dining hall, Tonnis and I are spoiled – but now and then on my day off I’ll go to one of my sisters’ or cousins’ houses and cook with them. Peach pie is still my specialty.”
10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
Eleya thinks this over. “Once I saw four children riding a donkey down one of the main streets here in Almar. That wouldn’t be so unusual, except that it was during a heavy rainstorm, and the poor things were doing all they could to keep from getting wet. They’d gotten ahold of a wooden board, and the last girl was holding the back edge of it, trying to balance it over all their heads with one hand while holding on to her brother’s waist with the other. The little boy in the front had both his hands in the air to support the board, which stuck out past him and sheltered most of the donkey’s head, too. It was the girl behind him who was reaching around him to hold the reins. But the board was nearly as wide as it was long, so other people on the street kept having to dodge or they’d be hit by one edge or the other.” She stops to chuckle. “The funniest part was, three of the children didn’t even seem to realize they were doing anything odd. They were singing some song about the joys of rain and springtime at the top of their little lungs, and in three different keys, I might add. Only the oldest boy looked embarrassed, like he wished he could disappear right off of that poor donkey’s back.” She shakes her head, still chuckling. “Children are so much fun. Just thinking of it makes me miss my nieces and nephews.”
11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
Eleya’s smile fades, and abruptly her mood turns serious. “There’ve been a lot of frightening things since the Malornians came. The night of the Invasion was bad enough, but yesterday… yesterday eight people –” Her voice breaks, and she pulls out her handkerchief once more to dab at her eyes and blow her nose. “They were our friends, and most of them – well, half of them – hadn’t even done anything. I’ll never forget the look on Talifus’s face as he –” She breaks off again, shuddering, and I wait awkwardly while she buries her face in her handkerchief, her shoulders heaving silently. “It’s awful,” she whispers finally. “Just awful. We don’t know when they’re going to stop, who’s going to be next. The only thing left to hope is that Prince Jaymin is still safe and that he has some sort of plan. Otherwise, I’m afraid things are only going to get worse.”
Click here to read my other character interviews.
This is an interview with the merchant Karro, father of the ten-year-old protagonist in my novel In the Enemy’s Service. For an explanation of why I’m interviewing my characters, take a look at my interview with his daughter Anya.
Glancing at my directions to double check the address, I knock on the front door of the house I’ve been directed to. It’s a two-story brick building in a middle-class neighborhood in Sazellia, the capital of Malorn.
1. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
“Oh, yes. I wouldn’t want to be anything but a merchant. I love to travel, and I enjoy making new contacts, striking bargains, picking out the best goods and planning the best places to sell them. I’ve been training my son Arvalon, who’s nearly ready to join me in the business, and it makes me so proud to see him learning and enjoying it too.”
2. Do you have any friends? Significant others?
A shadow seems to pass over his face. “My wife passed away ten years ago. But my son and daughter are the joy of my life, and we have a large extended family here in Sazellia. With my business, it’s been easy to make friends almost everywhere. In fact, I’d say I have friends in a dozen different towns back in Alasia, and nearly as many in Malorn.”
3. What is your idea of success?
Karro smiles. “Striking a good bargain. Buying a cartload of goods from someone who’s glad to get it off his hands for that price, then finding just the right people to sell it to somewhere else for just enough profit to make it worth it, while they consider it an amazing bargain and can’t wait to do business with me again.”
4. What do you hate?
He considers this. “Being cheated into buying damaged or low quality goods, though that doesn’t happen often. Heavy rain when I’m out on the open road. Being talked back to by one of my children or nieces or nephews.”
5. What do you do in your spare time?
“I’ve tried to spend as much time as possible with Arvalon and Anya since they lost their mother. I try to do some of the things she used to do – plan picnics, take them fishing or out to play on the beach in summer or in the snow in winter. In the evenings the three of us often cook dinner together, and sometimes I’ll read aloud to them afterwards.” He chuckles ruefully. “Arvalon thinks he’s getting too old for such things, and I suppose in a way he is, but Anya still enjoys it. Sometimes I’ll pull one or both of them out of school for a few days if I need a hand on one of my longer business trips. I really think the life experience and time with their father will do them more good in the long run than sitting in a classroom.” He sighs. “I’m glad I brought Arvalon along this time, but I would have brought Anya too if I’d known what was going to happen. Our family has never been separated for this long before, and I’m not sure how long it will be before we’re together again.” His expression is worried.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.
“I have two horses, if you can call them pets. They’re work animals. My wife liked cats, so we had a few back when she was alive, before Anya was born. When I was a boy, I kept turtles.”
8. Do you believe in luck? Why?
He hesitates, and I see that his expression has grown uncomfortable. “I don’t know. I suppose so. I mean, I would probably have said no if you’d asked me a year ago, but….” His voice trails off. I wait expectantly, and finally, reluctantly, he goes on. “A few months ago I had what I can only describe as a run of very bad luck in my business. You know, deals turning sour, customers cancelling orders for no reason I could understand. Finances got tight, and I was worried. I couldn’t figure out why everything was going wrong all at once. I had to make some difficult decisions.” He fidgets, running his fingers idly along the arm of his chair, and as I watch him, he won’t meet my gaze. “So, do you have any more questions, or was that all?”
9. What is your favorite scent? Why?
Karro seems relieved to be on a safer topic. “The tang of salt air, perhaps. I spent most of my childhood here in Malorn where my father is from. As you may know, Malorn only has a few miles of coastline before the mountains get in the way, and what there is is mostly rocky. The water is all swampy and silty around the Grenn Delta, so it isn’t exactly an ideal place to enjoy a day at the beach. But every now and then we’d travel to Alasia to visit my mother’s parents, and they lived close to a beautiful beach, perfect for sandcastles and swimming and all sorts of fun. Sometimes we’d see dolphins out in the surf, or seals sunning themselves. That beach was one of the reasons I chose to move to Almar almost as soon as I was grown.”
10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
Karro thinks this over for a while. “I’ve seen a lot of interesting things in my travels, but strange?” Then he chuckles. “Ah, I know. A few years back I was crossing the Grenn River on the ferry, heading back home to Alasia with a cartload of Malornian coffee. It’s always a little frightening, standing by the horses on that big flat raft, hoping they don’t spook and capsize the whole thing, while the ferrymen pull you across on their pulley system. I always try not to look down at the water so close to my feet, but this one time, my attention was caught by a glimpse of something moving. You may not believe this, but it was a shark – a huge one, too; the biggest I’ve ever seen. Its dorsal fin cut through the water not three feet away, and the water was so clear I could see its whole body. It was longer than my cart; longer than the whole raft. I suppose it was lost, maybe disoriented in the fresh water, trying to find its way back down to the ocean. Don’t ask me how it managed to get thirty miles upstream from the coast.” He shakes his head in wonder. “I think about it every now and then, wonder if it ever did make it home.”
11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
Immediately, Karro grows uncomfortable once again. His gaze shifts to the floor, the fireplace, the tightly shuttered windows, but he doesn’t look at me. Finally he licks his lips and starts to speak, pauses, starts again, and stops. I wait, and finally he tries again.
This is an interview with the character Talifus, the Alasian traitor who betrayed his kingdom in my novel In the Enemy’s Service. For an explanation of why I’m interviewing my characters, click here.
Lieutenant Talifus has agreed to meet with me in a tavern in the city of Almar, not far from the Alasian royal palace. When I arrive, he is already seated at a table with a tankard of ale, staring morosely into its depths. He barely nods as I sit down across from him.
“Questions, eh? Fine, go ahead. You won’t tell the Malornians anything I tell you?” I assure him I won’t.
1. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
Talifus scowls. “I hate my job. Those stinking Malornians tricked me! Before the Invasion I was a captain; they promised to promote me but instead I got demoted to lieutenant. I have to work under Captain Almanian. I should have been his superior by now.” He sighs angrily. “Not that I liked my job all that much even before. You know, I never really wanted to be on the palace guard. As a boy, I always pictured I’d join the army, where there’s plenty of room for advancement. It only goes up to captain in the palace. What more is there to strive for when you’re already at the top?”
“So why did you join the palace guard in the first place?” I prompt.
“Well, King Jaymin put me on it, and you can’t really say no to the king. Though I see now that I should have. He was nearsighted enough to think he was doing me a favor, I suppose. You see, my father was captain of the guard years ago when his father – Jaymin II – was on the throne. The two of us sort of grew up together here in the palace, but we were never close friends. Our fathers died in battle together when we were both sixteen, and I suppose Jaymin III thought he owed me something. He knew I was a good fighter, so after they crowned him king he gave me a position on the palace guard. I pretended I appreciated it – what else could I do? – and started working my way up the ranks, and here I’ve been ever since. Until the Malornians offered me the chance at something better, and then broke their promises, those filthy stinking liars.”
2. Do you have any friends? Significant others?
“Not anymore. All the Alasians I know hate me, and the Malornians don’t trust me. Nobody respects me anymore.”
3. What is your idea of success?
“Promotion. Power. Wealth. All of which I was supposed to get after I helped them invade.” He glares at me as though it were my fault. “I gave up everything to help the Malornians. Everything! And what did I get in return? Broken promises and demotion.” He slams a fist down on the table. “It’s all Captain Almanian’s fault. He’s ruined my life.”
4. What do you hate?
“Those filthy Malornians, of course. Almanian, especially. Someday I’m going to make sure he gets what he deserves for what he did to me.” Talifus takes a swallow from his cup and thumps it angrily back down on the table, ale sloshing over his fingers.
5. What do you do in your spare time?
“Try to plan ways to get even with them. And drink.” Talifus wipes his hand on his breeches, still scowling. “It’s their fault I started drinking. I hardly touched a drop until the day that messenger approached me with Regent Rampus’s offer and I began planning how to help them invade. Now I can’t seem to stay away from the bottle. I never used to be like this. Well, not as much.”
6. What did you have for breakfast?
“I didn’t have breakfast today. My stomach was acting up after last night’s wine. I’ve still got a headache.” He mutters something under his breath about “that cursed Almanian”.
7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.
“No. I don’t like animals.”
8. Do you believe in luck? Why?
“Yes. I’ve had nothing but bad luck for weeks now.”
9. What is your favorite scent? Why?
This makes him pause. “I don’t know. Fresh oatcakes, maybe. My parents and I, that used to be our favorite breakfast together in the dining hall when I was a boy. As we sat and ate, my father often used to talk to me about the future, about the army career he was going to help me get, about all the power and privileges I’d have when I was an officer.” Talifus sighs. “It never bothered him that I didn’t want to follow in his footsteps. He had contacts in the army who he was sure would help get me on the fast track to success. We often talked about it at breakfast before he went off to work, and I still associate oatcakes with the promise of a bright future.” He sighs again. “Now that all the Alasians here have to do what I say, I sometimes make Lutian cook them for me even when they’re not on the day’s meal plan. But for some reason they don’t seem to taste as good anymore.”
10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
Talifus’s eyes grow distant. “You don’t expect to see a company of hundreds of soldiers moving in complete silence. I don’t know how they did it that night. Wrapped their boots in cloth, maybe, to muffle the sound of their footsteps. And it was a dark night, perfect for their plans: no moon, and the sky was overcast. I was expecting them, but even so, I hardly realized they were coming until they were right there before the palace gates in a silent throng. Not a single footstep, not a whisper, barely the slightest rustle of movement. If it hadn’t been for the torches by the gate, I would hardly have known anyone was even close by. And yet there they were, ready to change my life and Alasia’s.” He sips distractedly from his tankard. “You wouldn’t think life-changing events would slip in so silently. Maybe that’s why it seemed so strange, so out of place. You’d expect an invading army to charge in with trumpets and war horses and battle cries. You don’t expect them to just appear out of the darkness like a horde of ghosts in front of your home.”
11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
Talifus looks away, and for a moment I think he isn’t going to answer. When he speaks again, his voice is lower, and I have to lean forward to hear.
“It was that same night, of course. The night of the Invasion. There were four of us guards who knew what was about to happen, and I had arranged the schedule so that two of us were on duty at the gates and the other two at the main door, ready to let the Malornians in.” He chews his lip, fiddling with the handle of his cup. “You ever have one of those moments where it seems like your future is teetering on the edge of a blade? You need to make a quick decision, and you know that one way or another your life is never going to be the same afterward. And you’re terrified you’re about to make the worst mistake of your life.” He sighs heavily. “Not that I really had much of a choice by that time, you know? I had already agreed to help them. The arrangements had all been made. They’d paid me an advance – not a terribly big one, considering everything I was doing for them, but they’d promised a lot more would be coming afterward. And now there they were, waiting outside the gate while I stood guard up top, and I had a split second where I almost….” His voice trails off and he closes his eyes, shaking his head hopelessly. When he lifts his tankard for another gulp of ale, I see that his hands are shaking.
“But I did it, of course,” he continues finally. “I had to. I had to! They would have killed me if I’d backed out of the deal then, and the other three would have let them in anyway, so what would have been the point? I had no choice, really.” It isn’t clear whether Talifus is trying to convince me or himself. “Almanian was there at the front, and I led him across the courtyard and into the palace, showed him and his men the way through the corridors. I’d tried to keep the duty schedule as light as I could that night, but I had to assign some guards to each floor or it would have looked suspicious. We killed them all. We had to. I didn’t want to do it, but there was no other way. And I didn’t realize the Malornians were going to kill everyone, even those off duty and asleep. That part wasn’t my fault! And when Almanian made me lead the way to the king and queen’s room, I – I – I -” Talifus breaks off again, his voice anguished, trembling all over now. “I swear I didn’t know what they were going to do! The messenger hadn’t said anything about that part! I never thought they’d harm King Jaymin. Just take him captive, maybe, along with the queen; make him a puppet ruler in their new government, or something. How could I have known? How could I? You can’t blame me for what they did!” His head sinks into his hands and he groans. “I’ll never forget that moment, waiting outside their door with Lasden while Almanian went in. By then it was obvious, but what could I do? Lasden was watching me with his sword ready like he knew I was having doubts, and their people were all around. I couldn’t have done anything if I’d wanted to. I wouldn’t have stood a chance. There was no point in trying.” He buries his face in his hands again. “It wasn’t my fault,” he moans once more.
I wait, but for a long time Talifus remains motionless. Finally he fumbles for his cup and drains the rest of his ale in one gulp. Glancing across the room, he catches the bartender’s eye and gestures with the empty cup. The man hurries over with a pitcher to refill it, and Talifus raises it again, sucking the contents down almost desperately, as though he thinks the only solution to his anguish lies at the bottom of the cup.
Finally he pauses for breath and looks up, seeming surprised to see me still sitting there. “You’re done, aren’t you? Leave me alone now, all right?” Without waiting for me to leave, he turns back to his ale.
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| This is about how I picture Rampus. |
This is an interview with the character Rampus, regent of Malorn and conqueror of Alasia in my novel In the Enemy’s Service. For an explanation of why I’m interviewing my characters, click here.
Pushing my way through the heavy blue curtain that hangs across the entrance, I step into the throne room of the Alasian palace. Regent Rampus sits on the ornate golden throne in the center of the room, watching regally as I approach along the red carpet.
“Thank you for being willing to meet with me, sir,” I greet him, stopping before the throne. “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.”
He waves his hand expansively. “What better way for the people of Alasia to get to know their new ruler? By all means, ask what you will.”
“Very well, sir.” He does not offer me a seat, so I pull out my pencil and parchment and prepare to write standing up.
1. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
“Of course I like my job.” He laughs as though this is a stupid question. “Regent is the most important job there is, except for king, of course. But since his royal highness Prince Korram is still too young to take on that position, I gladly offer him the benefit of my counsel and services.
The young prince is so grateful for my years of experience and the load I daily shoulder on his behalf. All of Malorn benefits along with him, of course, and I humbly submit that our kingdom has thrived under my management as never before in its history. And now Alasia and its citizens are beginning to experience the benefits of my leadership as well.”2. Do you have any friends? Significant others?
The regent laughs again. “Need you even ask? All of Malorn is my friend. My kingdom loves me, as Alasia soon will too. Any man in Malorn would do anything I asked of him. Any woman I smile at falls in love with me. The wealthy and powerful sit at my table; the wise and skillful lay their riches of knowledge and talent at my feet. All the resources of both kingdoms are at my disposal now. It’s all mine!” His eyes are alight and his voice has been growing in intensity, but abruptly he seems to remember where he is, and his gaze focuses on me once again. “And of course I use it all in the service of Prince Korram, soon to be King Korram. The dear boy has been like a son to me since his father died.”
3. What is your idea of success?
“Complete power, of course. Again, to be used in the service of my prince.”
4. What do you hate?
“People who stand in my way.”
5. What do you do in your spare time?
“Enjoy the benefits of my position.” He smiles, fingering the intricate designs carved into the gold on the arms of his throne. “Look around you. Life is full of little luxuries for those capable of earning them.” He leans back on the velvet cushions, obviously comfortable and satisfied, then seems to recollect himself again and quickly sits up. “But of course that’s only when my long day’s labor is done, and even then I spend most of my spare time trying to think of more ways to serve my kingdom – both of my kingdoms – and my prince.”
6. What did you have for breakfast?
“Eggs, sausage, warm oatcakes with some delightful sort of syrup, and three kinds of fresh fruit from the palace greenhouse.” Rampus smiles again. “Quite a treat in winter, wouldn’t you agree? A small example of those benefits I was speaking of. Oh, and I had a cup of that sweet spiced tea that they make over here. Supposedly the late royal family was fond of it; I thought partaking of a local beverage for breakfast would be a nice tradition for Alasia’s new ruler to carry on.”
7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.
The regent gazes thoughtfully into the distance. “I kept a hawk for nearly fifteen years. Trained it myself and used it for hunting. You don’t know anything about grace and power until you’ve watched a hawk bring down its prey. I always admired its deadly speed, its unfailing accuracy, its efficient use of that hooked beak and razor talons to shred some helpless creature’s flesh.”
8. Do you believe in luck? Why?
“No; I believe in power. People who sit around waiting for good luck never get anywhere, but with enough power – wisely applied, of course – a person can do anything.”
9. What is your favorite scent? Why?
The regent’s expression grows dreamy. “There’s something about walking into a banquet hall where a feast has been prepared in my honor. It doesn’t even matter what’s being served – the mingled aromas are almost intoxicating.” He inhales deeply as though smelling them now. “For some reason other people’s feasts never smell as good. When I received word that the Invasion had been successful, we had quite the celebration back in Malorn. You should have smelled the royal banquet I ordered for the occasion.” But then his smile fades into a frown. “It would have been a perfect celebration, commemorating a practically perfect victory, but then that fool Arden had to go and ruin my evening.”
“Arden, sir?” I venture.
“The palace minstrel. He was supposed to prepare some music in my honor – that is, in honor of what our army had accomplished in Alasia. Instead he decided to be clever and sing some dreadful ditty denouncing me as a butcher and calling for a quick end to my rule and victory to my enemies.” The regent glares down at me as though it was my fault. “He completely ruined my celebration!”
10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
Regent Rampus’s expression darkens still more. “People who think they can defy me and get away with it. Like Arden. But I showed him; I had him thrown into the dungeon, where he can rot until the end of time as an example to anyone else who may be tempted to follow in his footsteps. And he’s lucky to have gotten away that easy.”
11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
The regent glares at me again, still in a bad mood. “Frightening things don’t happen to me. I make frightening things happen to other people. To those who defy me. To those who get in my way. To those who think they can keep me from attaining everything I want. Everything!” He rises to his feet in anger. “Tell that to your readers! Tell them that no one can stop me, no one can stand against me, no one had better dare to ever try to thwart my plans. Or they’ll regret it, and they don’t know what fear is until they have felt my wrath.”
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This is an interview with the character Almanian, a Malornian military captain in my novel In the Enemy’s Service. For an explanation of why I’m interviewing my characters, click here.
“Come in,” Captain Almanian calls when I knock on his office door. I open it and step inside, finding myself in a lamplit room that was looks as though it was once a small sitting room for palace guests, now turned into an office. The captain sits behind a large desk covered with a map and several sheets of parchment.
“Have a seat.” He waves me to a chair before the desk. “Let’s make this quick; I have a lot to do today.”
“I understand,” I assure him. “Thank you for being willing to meet with me.” I pull out my list of questions.
1. Do you like your job? Why or why not?
“I do my job.” His voice is expressionless, and he leaves it at that. I wait, but nothing else is forthcoming, so I go on to the next question.
2. Do you have any friends? Significant others?
“Not here in Alasia. I have friends and a wife back home in Malorn. Our two daughters are both grown and married.”
3. What is your idea of success?
“Victory.”
4. What do you hate?
“Incompetence. Laziness. Insubordination. People who are supposed to have joined my side but refuse to cooperate and follow orders.” From the annoyance in his voice, I can tell Captain Almanian is thinking of someone in particular.
5. What do you do in your spare time?
“When I have a moment to sit down by myself, there are always maps and reports to study. I’ve also been looking through different parts of the palace over the last couple of weeks, trying to familiarize myself with its layout and get a better picture of what Alasians are like as a people. It’s fascinating how much you can learn from what you find in an art gallery, a throne room, a royal suite, not to mention a library.”
6. What did you have for breakfast?
“Steak and eggs and weak Alasian coffee.”
7. Did you ever have a pet? Describe it.
“My wife keeps a couple of cats at home. I don’t care much for them, but as long as they stay out of my way, we get along all right.”
8. Do you believe in luck? Why?
“I believe a good soldier makes his own luck.”
9. What is your favorite scent? Why?
The captain frowns as though the question irritates him. “Scent? I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Fresh coffee, maybe. The Malornian kind, of course. I’ve got to ask around and see where to buy it here. There must be merchants who bring it over.”
10. What is the strangest thing you have ever seen?
He considers this for a moment. “People who refuse to accept change,” he replies finally. “Look at Alasia, for example. The citizens know there’s no going back to the way things were, so you’d think they’d settle down and accept our authority and the many advantages of Malornian rule. And yet we continue to face uprisings and rebellion, which only make things worse when we have to crack down harder. I don’t blame the people for being angry about what happened; for hating
us, even. But how will it help them to keep struggling even when it’s obviously too late to save their kingdom?” He shakes his head. “Pride is a funny thing.”
11. What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?
Captain Almanian shrugs again. “It’s always a little frightening planning a campaign or working out a battle strategy. Lives will be lost one way or another, but how many usually depends on how I decide to do things. The men under my command have all accepted the risks, of course, but there are often civilian casualties too. It’s unfortunate when that occurs, as it had to here in Alasia, but sometimes that’s what it takes to accomplish a mission. And like it or not, we all do what we must.”
He pushes back his chair. “Speaking of which, I have to get back to work. I hope this has been helpful.” Rising to his feet, he gestures to the door, signaling that the interview is at an end.