58 Gremurr Mines

When he left Ishalem, Omra was so pleased with the progress of the canal and the potential alliance with the Nunghals that he ordered the captain to sail to the Gremurr mines. The soldan-shah had complete faith in what he was doing, and it was foolish to wait to construct his armored war fleet. He wanted to be ready with his ships as soon as Kel Unwar completed the excavation.

He also wanted to visit his half-brother. Omra had not seen Tukar in the fourteen years since his exile. He hated the political reasons that had forced him to remain estranged from his poor brother, but treacherous Villiki was long gone. Omra was the soldan-shah, and he could make his own decisions. Tukar should have been pardoned years ago.

During the voyage, Omra opened several record scrolls and studied the columns of numbers, assessing just how many tons of iron and steel the mines had produced under Tukar's management. This one operation was responsible for more vital metals than all five soldanates combined—and right under the noses of the Tierrans.

It was ironic that when Ondun created the world, He had placed so many valuable metals on Tierran lands, while leaving Uraba nearly barren—no doubt to challenge the resourceful and intelligent descendants of Urec's crew. Though Tukar had gone to the rugged northern coast in disgrace, Omra was certainly satisfied with the work his brother had done in the intervening years. Now he had to find some way to show his appreciation.

The thought of his estranged brother made Omra ponder how Aiden and Urec must have felt about each other, separated for so long on their voyages. Over the many centuries, their followers had experienced a great schism, but how did the brothers themselves actually regard each other? And what about Joron, the brother who had remained behind in Terravitae?

It was time for Tukar to come home.

Soon the Middlesea coast came into view, hazed with smoke and the sharp brimstone smell of refineries. When the soldan-shah's dromond arrived at the docks, flying the unfurling-fern banner, the Gremurr workers and guard staff were astonished. Soldan-Shah Omra had never set foot here before—had never, in fact, touched Tierran soil at all.

Tukar and his bald workmaster raced down to the docks, trying to adjust their already clean clothes on their way to greet the important visitors. Workmaster Zadar fitted a formal sash across his chest, looking worried. Tukar, however, wore a wild grin as he trotted along the dock.

Omra disembarked to stand before his brother and found himself at a loss for words. Tukar looked much older, his features roughened by the hard years here, but Omra could still remember him as a boy. As Tukar opened and closed his mouth like a fish trying to sing, Omra embraced him. “Brother, it has been too many years!”

Zadar looked relieved that the soldan-shah had not come to express his displeasure. The mine guards and Uraban soldiers stood in awkward ranks, clearly unaccustomed to military drills. Only a skeleton crew of armed guards remained with the slave workers, who had paused in their labors to stare at the spectacle, until cracking whips forced them back to their tasks.

Tukar blurted, “I haven't seen you since… I wanted to apologize for what my mother did. I had nothing to do with it.”

“I know that. Even without the letters you wrote to me, I know that.” Villiki had always schemed for her son's benefit, willing to kill Omra so that Tukar could advance. But her plot had failed. “She can no longer harm us. It is time for me to meet your wife and son.”

In Tukar's private residence, Shetia worked with their only household servant, an old man named Firun, striving to prepare the best meal with the supplies she had on hand. She managed a worthy fish dinner made with a few local spices and berries picked from bushes in the canyons; old Firun served the meal with as much formality as he could muster.

Rummaging through his possessions, Tukar found an old sealed bottle of brandy, which he presented with great ceremony. “It's the best I have, Omra. I'll share it with you.”

The soldan-shah smiled and relaxed on the cushions. “If we like it, I'll send you a case on the next ship from Olabar.”

Tukar flushed with embarrassment. “I didn't mean to beg. I have everything I need—”

Omra waved aside his brother's concerns. “It will be my pleasure.”

After Shetia's merchant father had paid a significant fee so that she could marry Tukar, Omra had never taken the time to meet her. As he got to know the woman, he found her pleasant and certainly devoted to his brother. Their son Ulan, his nephew, was both energetic and shy, and he seemed awestruck once he realized who the visitor was. The boy made a point of showing the soldan-shah his puppy, and Omra laughed as the dog licked his face. Shetia took her son and the puppy away so the two men could talk.

As they relaxed together, Tukar peppered his brother with bashful questions about things he remembered from Olabar—the tangerine trees in the palace garden, the silk merchants who brought colorful cloth from Yuarej, the old man who made the best grilled lamb down in the marketplace. Omra could hear the wistfulness in his brother's voice.

Firun shuffled in bearing a serviceable but plain silver pot of steeping tea. Shetia poured the tea while Omra described his remarkable project to dig a canal across the isthmus. Tukar was astounded. “Cutting the two continents apart? It cannot be done!”

“Kel Unwar believes he can succeed, and I've seen the excavation so far. You haven't witnessed the explosive power of Nunghal firepowder.” He paused as another thought occurred to him, and he made a mental note to ship some of the explosives here, where they could also prove useful in blasting rock for the mines. The workmaster would have to show the mine prisoners how to mix the chemicals here.

Tukar bit his lip, deep in thought. “If such a canal could be dug, if ships could sail directly from the Middlesea to the Oceansea, then all of the armor plates we produce could be delivered directly and immediately.” His face lit up and he stared at Omra.

The soldan-shah said, “That is why I came to Gremurr,
brother—to give your workmaster a new mission. We can armor Uraban warships right here, at the mines, and then sail them directly through the canal to the Oceansea. When we return to Olabar, I will send several large ships up here, so their hulls can be plated with Gremurr iron.”

“We have one large vessel in the docks right now,” Tukar pointed out. “We could start with that one!”

Omra had seen the sturdy vessel when his dromond pulled up to the docks. The cargo ship could just as well be used for carrying soldiers and weapons. “Agreed. That will be my first great armored warship to sail through our completed canal at Ishalem.”

“But what if Kel Unwar doesn't complete his task? All of that metal will have been wasted.”

“He will not fail. Judging by his progress already, he will be done before the year is out. When your ship is fully armored and done, Zadar can rechristen her the Golden Fern and send her to Olabar.”

“The Golden Fern, that is a good name.” Tukar bobbed his head, but he looked a little hurt. “Zadar is a fine supervisor, but… do you not trust me with this job?”

Omra finished his tea and sat back, content, utterly unable to hide his growing grin. “Certainly, brother. But you won't be here. You're coming back with me to Olabar. It is time you took your place in the palace again.”

The expression of joy on Tukar's face nearly overwhelmed him. He opened and closed his mouth several times. “I never thought… I had stopped dreaming of it. My wife and son deserve to be there. They have been so patient with me.”

Omra felt a sweet warmth fill his chest. “I think we should open that brandy and celebrate.”

But Tukar paused and sat back down. He swallowed hard, nodded slowly to himself, and came to what must have been a very difficult decision. “Not yet, Omra. Yes, I long to go back to Olabar. I will be very happy there… but my first duty is to Uraba. These mines are my responsibility, and you have just brought us a tremendous new task. I will go home across the Middlesea, and bring my family with me—but only after I see the armored war fleet to its completion.”

“That is not necessary. I will make certain all the arrangements are made.”

Tukar shook his head. “I insist. It is one final way for me to show my loyalty. Those ironclad vessels will destroy the Aidenists. Then Shetia and Ulan, and everyone else in Uraba, can have peace at last.”

Omra saw that his brother would not budge. “I admire your dedication. All right, see this mission to its end, and then come back to the palace. We will have fine quarters waiting for you there.”

“I won't let you down, brother.” Tukar snapped his fingers to call his servant back. “Meanwhile, we can open the brandy.”