Darkness Risen (The Ava'Lonan Herstories Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

object, for they will support her Heir. Through that, make it
seem that the Queens are once again united, most endorsing the High Queen and
others actively supporting the Heir when she comes to power. Make them the
first among the Heir’s advocates, so that it seems that she has already begun
to be accepted as our next leader. Let them uphold her the highest. And then,
when we call on the Face to pull back - so do they, and the support that the
Heir counts on because of them will not be there. If we can get the Heir to
become dependent upon us, and that core group above all others, we will hold
the keystone that would undo the power of the High Throne exactly when we need
it.”
    The others murmured in appreciative respect and
acceptance. It was a brilliant strategy that had real possibilities - if the Face could win her way into the Heir’s good graces that way. Even the First
could not refute its appeal. It was obvious, though, that this suggestion had
been thought out before-hand. And not necessarily by the Fifth.
    “There are two holes in that plan,” the First said,
though. “One is our unknown opposition. If the Heir has that support, too, then
our group will not be as effective. It will then become a priority to uncover
this group and undermine them in some way, discredit them in her eyes.” Her
hood dipped forward. “That will take time and effort better sent in other
pursuits. The other is getting the Heir to become so reliant upon the Face and
her supporters. When she finds out that it was the Face who challenged her,
that possibility becomes more than highly improbable.”
    “Not quite so, Sister,” the Fifth said with a mildly
felt smile. “The first has been accomplished, in no small part already. And the
second more likely than you might think.”
    “How so?” the Second asked, her interest covered by
a tone of slight curiosity.
    “It is easy enough to imitate another Tribe’s colors
and designs,” the Fifth said somewhat obliquely, “and a lie is most effective
when mixed in unequal amounts with the truth.” She let them chew on that for a
long moment, then continued. “When it became apparent who the most likely
candidates for our opposition were going to be, groups of our combined warru
forces in our potential adversaries’ Tribe colors were sent out along with many
others in many different Tribe colors to aid in the - search for our beloved,
missing High Heir. If she can see them, she will think that she knows who her
enemies are, or at least, she will doubt who are friends. If she cannot see
them, then whoever is helping her can.”
    Again there were murmurs of appreciation at the cunning
of such foresight and immediate action.
    “And the second imperfection in this little scheme?”
the First sneered in a totally sneer-free voice.
    “Getting the Heir to come to value the word and
voice of our Public Face?” The Fifth settled back and folded her hands into her
lap. “It seems that she became the unfortunate victim of one of our little ‘experiments.’
The poison was in her system long enough to make her sick, if not kill her, for
she has not found her way home by now. That experiment was made by our hand and ‘rita, or the hand and ‘rita of one in our control. She has been
exposed to our influence.”
    The hoods of the others turned to each other as they
silently digested this and the implications it held. They had not read that far
into the consequences of the Heir falling into one of their mutated specimens.
Of course, theoretically, if one has been directly exposed to or invaded by the
‘rita of another, then that other has an abstruse influence over the one,
but... how strong a sway could the poison induce?
    “Enough,” the Fifth answered the unasked question.
“Enough for a small suggestion here and a tiny comment there to have a bit more
weight than they normally would. Enough that, over time, such minuscule nudges
will have a land sliding effort in the direction we