Chapter 3
Natonito was sitting up in a tree when the messenger came to him with a copy of a text from the Imperial troops. Natonito reached up to take the message and talk with the messenger.
�This message was found when your brother-in-law and his militia seized an imperial post. They figured you wanted to see this immediately,� the messenger said.
�Yes, I see,� Natonito replied, reading the message.
The message read, in its entirety, read, �Imperial Headquarters, Lord Sabre. Dear General Maximus: The revolt in Bravia has been most troublesome, and casualties have mounted in recent weeks. Imperial command is worried that this job is beyond your expertise. After all, with 400,000 troops devoted to this mission, we expected this to be a routine crushing of an insurrection. Your reports that you have been hassled to distraction by a rag-tag militia of a few disaffected nobles like that traitor Natonito Albright is disappointing. The emperor informs me that if you do not win a great victory soon that the position may become untenable here. If that happens, your troops and your head will be taken from you. I am writing this to let you know that you are permitted to burn Bravia�s towns and cities down if they are harboring any rebels. When one fights an uncivilized army, there is no sense in fighting civilized. If Natonito loves his land so much, he will agree to parlay with you, at which point you can end the rebellion by killing him yourself, or having him brought in irons to the capital for a treason sentence, if you prefer. The choice is yours, but if you choose wrong, you will lose your life in substitution, because we cannot afford to keep our troops here much longer, especially now that other provinces have smelled our weakness. You have already lost over 50,000 soldiers. You cannot afford to lose much more. Lord Sabre.�
�A highly interesting message,� the messenger said. I read it to myself as I was counting the trees to your post.�
�Have all of the militia leaders read this?� Natonito asked.
�Yes, copies have been sent to them all,� the messenger replied.
�And what do they have to say about it?� Natonito queried.
�They think that General Maximus intends on burning Bravia to the ground, one city at a time. The people of Cork were surprisingly able to fight off the imperial company sent to burn the village. In fact, the captain in charge of the mission was captured by two kids, and the imperial troops have started moving towards Cork to avenge the loss of a crack company to a bunch of farmers. This looks like the beginning of a brutal war,� the messenger said.
�And they whole imperial army is headed towards Cork already?� Natonito said.
�Yes,� the messenger replied.
�They are already going according to plan. We have defeated them in detail, now let us bag the whole army,� Natonito said to himself.
�Bag the whole army?� the messenger said.
�Yes, bag the whole army,� Natonito said.
�How do you intend on doing that?� the messenger said.
�What is it that the Empire wants more than anything?� Natonito asked rhetorically.
�They want your head on a platter,� the messenger said bluntly.
�Yes, and I am going to give them a chance to have it, and then lure them into a trap at Cork. I can�t believe they are going exactly where I planned. I want you to send a message to all of the militia leaders,� Natonito said.
�Alright,� the messenger said.
�How am I going to phrase this in code that would be understood by the leaders and not by anyone else who would get the message,� Natonito said. �Alright, I will write down the message, and you can take it and give it to others. I will explain it to you if you need to know, and if my brother does not get the code.�
�Alright,� the messenger said.
�Okay,� Natonito said as he began writing. ��To the honorable leaders of the Bravian people: The empire has declared war on the Bravian people, by seeking to burn down first Cork, and then the rest of the country, city by city, unless we stop them. As I have previously told you, we are to proceed according to plan. I will enact the mousetrap, and I am to be the bait. Send your militia and whatever Bravian people you can recruit immediately to Cork and hide in the forests. When you see the Imperial troops run into the forests to try to catch me, surround the swamps and destroy all of them you can before they realize they are surrounded and surrender. God speed to you all, Natonito.��
�I think I get the message,� the messenger said.
�Tell me what you think I am saying,� Natonito said with a wry smile.
�You are going to contact the Imperial troops and tell them you are going to negotiate with them over the fate of Cork. You expect the Imperial troops to rush in, thinking that their plan is a success, and then you will lure them into the swamps and cut them to pieces and surround them,� the messenger said.
�Precisely,� Natonito said. �You are clever. Why are you only a messenger?�
�Well, I have no family connections, so I have no spot in the leadership,� the messenger said.
�Well, I could certainly use a mind like that in command,� Natonito said. �What is your name?�
�My name is Wilfred Smith,� the messenger said.
�Well, you�re no mere cannon fodder. I�ll try to remember the name. If we get out of this, I�m sure there are some command posts open for you. We always are in need of more people who are clever and willing to learn and take dangerous tasks like this,� Natonito said.
�Thank you for your flattery,� the messenger replied.
�I am no flatterer,� Natonito said. �I am telling you the truth. Where are you from?�
�I am from Cork,� the messenger replied.
�And what are you doing now, besides delivering messages for the rebellion?� Natonito said.
�I am a student at a small seminary just outside the borders of Bravia,� the messenger replied. �I am finishing my master�s thesis on the three races of Secfenia in the Holy Book.�
�What sort of background do you have?� Natonito asked.
�Do you mean what sort of family do I come from?� the messenger asked.
�Yes,� Natonito answered.
�I come from a poor farming family. My father is a small farmer, and the harshest bigot in Cork, and a drunk to boot,� the messenger answered. �I got a scholarship to go to this small seminary where I studied religion and history.�
�What do you plan on doing after you get out of the seminary?� Natonito said.
�After I get my doctorate, which is what I am doing next, I am planning on working with the Church and trying to help out working class people like myself, if possible. If I could work in education, that would be nice too. We�ll just have to see how it turns out,� the messenger said.
�Well, I wish you luck,� Natonito said.
�Is that all, or do you have another message for me to deliver,� the messenger said.
�Of course I have another message to deliver,� Natonito said.
�Is this one to the Imperial command?� the messenger said.
�Yes, it is, in fact,� Natonito said. �How did you guess?�
�Well, if the Empire is to know where you are, you are going to have to tell them,� the messenger said. �And I can�t imagine too many messengers who are going to know how to get into Cork. This is a rather small town you know. I bet you saw that battle with your ow
�Yes, I did, but the townspeople did it themselves, and I was proud of them,� Natonito said. �I even went in disguise after the battle was over and asked them what they thought of me, and got mixed replies. I take it the cranky guy who called me a punk was your dad. Most other people thought he was helping out Bravia but weren�t sure he was going to win, and other people were very enthusiastic. Many Natonito�s were to be had last night though.�
�What is a Natonito?� the messenger asked.
�You don�t drink much, do you?� Natonito asked.
�No, I don�t,� the messenger replied.
�Well, a Natonito is one shot of Bailey�s Irish Cream, one shot of Kahlua, and one shot of root beer,� Natonito said with a smile.
�Sounds tasty,� the messenger said.
�Indeed, it is,� Natonito said.
�What about that other message?� the messenger said.
�Oh, yes, that,� Natonito said. Writing down on another piece of paper in his southpaw way, he wrote, �To Imperial Command: My conflict with you does not demand that you destroy my fair land. Meet me in the forests outside of Cork for a parlay in a week�s time. Natonito.�
�That should do it,� the messenger said.
�I agree. They�ll think I�m in over my head and rush for the kill, and I will spring the trap on them,� Natonito said.
�And we will have our independent Bravia,� the messenger said.
�Ay, that we will,� Natonito said. �We will all have a few rounds of Natonitos in Bravia then.�
�Yes, that we will,� the messenger said. �I will be off. These messages are urgent.�
�Yes, that they are,� Natonito said. �That they are.�
As the messenger walked off to get his personal carrier, Natonito had to wonder how a young person that bright and clever had not received a comission. He figured that it was his brother�s command that was the problem. After all, snipers who were obsessed with violence could be rewarded, thieves who kidnapped girls from rival lords and sold them to be hookers, but not bright kids from poor families who studied at seminaries. Something was definitely wrong with Oen, Natonito figured. Still, as a leading Duke, Oen would get plenty of glory if they won. The time for decision was near.
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