Eritopia

Preparing an Army

'Wake up, Dad.'

'Huh?'

Beetle woke with a start. He groaned. His head hurt. Through half-open eyes, he could see it was daylight. He heard voices and felt a tug on his shoulder.

'What the–?'

He rolled over and lifted his head to see better. The faces of three men stared down at him.

'Is this him?' one was saying. Beetle thought he recognised the voice.

'That's him.' That voice sounded familiar too. A quick doubt flashed across Beetle's mind. Then, as his head cleared, he said, 'Is that you, Martin?'

'Get up, Dad. You're embarrassing yourself.'

With Martin's help, Beetle rose. His clothes were damp, and it was a chilly morning. He had been sleeping under a tree, half-covered by a pile of leaves.

'Martin, what are you doing here?'

'Looking for you,' his son said. 'It appears one of the men you met last night is a friend of Tom's here.'

A tall man next to Martin raised a hand. Beetle looked at the other figure standing behind his son.

Jano.

Martin continued. 'We knew someone would be looking for us. Didn't think it would be you. How could you betray me, and the others here? For coin, drink, favours?'

'No, no, son, you got it all wrong,' Beetle pleaded as Martin pulled him onto the path.

'I was trying to find you, to warn you the King and Melos were looking for raiders. They told me there was an army coming. We found evidence by the river, near the old bridge.'

'Of an army?'

'No, not there anyway. The soldiers couldn't find anyone, although one of them said it was animals, and—'

'Stop gabbling.' The tall man spoke. 'Jano says you were full of stories about the Palace last night. What do you know of this Melos and his influence on the King?'

'Well...,' Beetle dithered. It was a relief seeing his son, but it triggered something in his mind. He remembered what Melos had said: "What you have to do to save him."

He told them of his audience with Barnabas, how Melos seemed in charge, the King subservient to him. He left out his own conversation with Melos.

'What about the army, the guards?' Tom asked.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, are they prepared?'

'For what?'

'For an invasion of course.'

'Well, there are lots of 'em,' Beetle said. 'Training new recruits from the City every day. Generally, they seem lazy, though. Not much to do.'

Tom Tall nodded. 'So, the King is preparing an army. While ours is nowhere near ready.'

'Ours?' said Beetle. 

They ignored him. Jano drew Tom Tall aside and spoke to him. Martin held Beetle's arm as if to stop him from leaving.

'You did a job on me,' Beetle said.

Martin looked at him.

'Led me a merry dance. I would've been waiting outside the 'ouse for hours.'

'Serves you right.'

'Your friends won't help you,' Beetle said. 'That Melos, he wants blood. I was trying to help you, son. Get you out of this mess.'