Free Heirs of the Enemy by Richard S. Tuttle

an invitation, but they passed him through without question. Once inside the palace, K’san avoided the rooms full of people. He made his way up to the Grand General’s office, although he knew that Kyrga would not be there. He asked one of the guards to summon Kyrga and waited in the corridor for him to arrive. When Kyrga did arrive, he opened the door and ushered the priest inside without saying a word.
    “I thought we were not supposed to be seen together?” Kyrga asked softly once they were safely inside the office.
    “There is little time for subtlety tonight. Do you have men that are proven loyal to you above all else?”
    “A few,” frowned the Grand General. “What do you have in mind?”
    “Summon them. Four will be sufficient, but they must be loyal, or you will die this night.”
    Kyrga swallowed hard and nodded. He stuck his head out the door and ordered one of the guards to summon the four men he needed. He closed the door and retreated into the office. “What are you planning?”
    “We are going to pay a visit to the emperor,” smiled K’san. “I think he might just relent on the matter of his Grand General.”
    Kyrga was speechless. He wanted to say that he thought the idea implausible, but he was uncertain of the priest’s powers. In the end, he decided to say nothing. A few moments later, the four chosen men arrived.
    K’san simply said, “Let us go now.”
    The four soldiers looked to Grand General Kyrga for instructions.
    “We are going to see the emperor,” Kyrga announced. “Lead the way.”
    The four soldiers asked no questions. They opened the door and filed into the corridor. Kyrga and K’san followed. When they approached the door to the emperor’s office, the emperor’s guards moved to block the door.
    “They must have been warned about me,” Kyrga whispered to the priest.
    “Call your men back and stay at a distance from the guards,” instructed K’san.
    Kyrga issued the commands, and K’san continued forward. He halted directly in front of the two guards.
    “I have been asked to bless the emperor. Will you announce me?”
    “Emperor Jaar is seeing no visitors at the moment,” replied one of the guards. “Perhaps tomorrow.”
    “I see,” smiled the priest. “Tomorrow it will have to be then.”
    The guards relaxed just a bit with feelings of relief at avoiding a confrontation. Their feelings were premature. K’san’s arms streaked out, each large hand grasping one of the guards’ necks. He lifted the guards off the ground and shook their bodies until he heard their necks snap. He dumped the bodies on the floor.
    “Have two of your men dispose of these bodies,” K’san said softly. “The other two are to remain on guard here and admit no one.”
    The eyes of the four soldiers were as large as coins. They stared at the bodies and then at the priest as K’san opened the door to the emperor’s office and strode inside. Kyrga quickly followed the priest and closed the door behind him.
    “What is the meaning of this intrusion?” snarled the emperor. “I left instruction that you were not to be admitted.”
    “Silence!” snapped K’san.
    Emperor Jaar’s face reddened with anger as the priest’s words. He rose to his feet and reached for the cord to summon the guards. Unexpectedly, an invisible force picked him up and slammed him into the wall. His body slid down the wall and crumbled to the floor. K’san strode across the room and picked the emperor up with one hand. He shoved the emperor into his chair.
    “What are you?” the emperor asked fearfully.
    K’san put one hand on the emperor’s head, and Jaar’s eyes closed immediately. Kyrga watched the display with disbelief. He had heard stories of the priest’s power, but he had not truly believed them. He stared with a lack of comprehension as to what was taking place. Neither K’san nor the emperor appeared to be moving.
    “What are you doing?” Kyrga asked softly.
    “Reading his memories,”