Alutar: The Great Demon Read Online Free Page B

the next five minutes so you do not have a lot of time, but it is more than sufficient for what you have to do. Did you remember to bring the Ertakan tunic?”
    The sergeant merely nodded.
    “Remain as you are,” ordered Lord Zachary. “Count to one hundred when you hear the door close and then be quick about your business. The three soldiers who recruited you will meet you this evening with the rest of your gold.”
    Sergeant Batt trembled as he listened for the closing of the door. When he heard it close, he started counting while taking off his Spinoan military tunic and pulling on an Ertakan one. When he reached a count of one hundred, the sergeant let out a long nervous sigh and turned around. He exited the small waiting room and proceeded along the hallway until he reached the queen’s small sitting room. He eased the door open and walked in.
    “I am not to be disturbed until I call for you,” snapped the queen without even looking up to see who it was. “Leave me.”
    A throwing knife slid into Sergeant Batt’s trembling hand as he slowly crossed the sitting room to get closer to the queen. He did not want to miss his target. Unexpectedly, Queen Samir’s head snapped up and she glared at the soldier.
    “I said to leave me,” she shouted.
    Sergeant Batt had no choice now that she had seen him. He threw the throwing knife at the queen’s chest, and the queen screamed as the knife struck. Shouts immediately rang out along the hallway outside the sitting room, and Sergeant Batt panicked. He turned and bolted out of the room, hoping that the only thing anyone remembered seeing was his Ertakan military patch. The plan called for him to kill the queen silently and retreat to the waiting room to change tunics once again, but he never made it that far. A soldier tackled the sergeant, and they both slid along the floor. Before the sergeant could get to his feet, a dozen soldiers surrounded him with their swords pointing at his chest. With bells clanging loudly and horns sounding in the distance, the soldiers dragged Sergeant Batt away. A short distance away, Lord Zachary watched it all happen, confident that Sergeant Batt would never equate the Vinaforan Lord with the Ertakan sergeant who had hired him.
    When the commotion was over, Lord Zachary turned and walked towards the main doors of the palace. He was not surprised when guards at the door informed him that the palace was sealed and no one was allowed in or out without the permission of General Vladin. The Vinaforan noble was escorted to a large dining hall where dozens of other visitors were already waiting to be interrogated. An hour later, Lord Zachary was escorted to a small office where Colonel Fodor sat behind a desk. The two guards who escorted the noble left the room and stood in the hallway outside.
    “What is the purpose of your presence in the palace?” asked the colonel.
    “To visit with Queen Samir,” answered Lord Zachary.
    The colonel had appeared weary and bored when Lord Zachary entered the room, but his demeanor instantly changed with Lord Zachary’s mention of visiting the queen. He sat up and stared at the Vinaforan.
    “What business do you have with the queen?” asked the colonel.
    “We were discussing the wedding plans for Prince Samuel,” answered Lord Zachary. “Can you tell me what this is about?”
    “Were discussing?” echoed the colonel. “Are you saying that you already spoke to the queen?”
    “I spent an hour with her,” replied Zack. “Ask her yourself.”
    The colonel called for the escorts outside the door, and they immediately entered the room.
    “Take this man to General Vladin,” instructed the colonel as he held out a hastily scribbled note to the general. “He will want to perform the interrogation personally.”
    Zack was escorted down the hall to a large office. General Vladin waved the Vinaforan to a chair and ordered the guards to wait outside. He read the note from Colonel Fodor and nodded before