uchy, and even has them serving under his banner."
He looked at Meinora and Konar.

"The roads of the duchy are no longer safe. Raiding parties appear at
every wooded stretch. Nor can we even be certain that the couriers have
gotten through to Dweros." He shook his head.

"I, of course, am loyal to the Duke. But my forces are few. My barony
has been a peaceful community, having little need for arms."

Meinora smiled encouragingly. "Yet there are fighters here," he said,
"and in plenty."

The Baron looked at him curiously. "Where? I have no knowledge of such."

Konar leaned forward. "If you can help us get the Duke's approval, we
can raise an army which ten Bel Menstals would fail to withstand."

"The Duke's approval?"

"Certainly." Konar waved his hand. "Look over your walls, Excellency.
You have burghers. There are armorers, merchants, with their caravan
guards, artisans, even peasants. Here, today, are gathered more
able-bodied men than Bel Menstal could raise, were he to search out and
impress all the hill tribes."

"But, to arm these Commoners? And would they fight?"

"To be sure. Given reason, they will fight like madmen."

Meinora leaned forward, speaking rapidly. "For long years, they have
suffered from the road and river taxes of Bel Menstal, as well as from
the insults and blows of his officers. Many of them have been
imprisoned, and held for ruinous ransom. Others have been tortured and
killed. Under the serf, they would suffer additional taxes, until they
were driven from the land, or themselves reduced to serfdom and even
slavery." He waved at the town.

"Caravans would be halted and stripped of both goods and coin. All this,
he has done before, but on no such scale as he would were restraining
hands removed." Meinora spread his hands.

"The Duke has only to promise, under his solemn oath, to rid the land of
robbers, to allow the merchants and artisans to police the land, and to
form those guilds and associations which they have long petitioned for
their own protection. For these things, they will fight."

The Baron leaned back in his chair. He had heard some of these arguments
before, but had ignored them, thinking that they were mere special
pleading from interested merchants. Now, they were being presented by
men of his own station.

And the situation was urgent. Drastic measures were necessary. Under the
gaze of the two, he felt a change of thought. The whole thing was
possible, of cours