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Kalir stood uneasily before the doors of Falasmir's chambers. Members of the Guard had rushed up to the palace even before dawn to report on the fire at the docks. But Kalir had elected to wait before awakening his Lord with the terrible news. Instead he first visited the chambers where the Gondorian Captain and his first mate had been housed. His unease, which had blossomed at the report of the fire, grew as he discovered that none of the guards were at their post and settled into a cold fear in the pit of his stomach when he found that their "guests" were not in their chambers.
He located a captain of the Guard and ordered him to find Mithadan, Airefalas and their guards...any or all of them. Then he received more news from the docks, little of it good. The two great corsairs had been destroyed in the fire and many members of their crew lost. The blaze had turned a portion of the docks into smoking debris and had also damaged or destroyed two warehouses. The northern portion of the harbor was nearly impassable due to ships which had run afoul of one another in their haste to escape. The good news was that the fire had been confined to the docks and had not entered the city itself. However, the worst news of all was that the northerners' ship was gone. Some said that it had fled the blaze, but Kalir noted that it had not returned or anchored in safe waters.
So now Kalir stood outside his master's doors, the bearer of ill-tidings. With a shaking hand, he knocked on the door. There was no response. He knocked again, then slowly opened the door. Falasmir was stretched out upon his bed with one of his wives...the new one... where he was snoring loudly. Kalir approached carefully, then reached out to tap his Lord's shoulder. "My Lord..." he whispered. Then he tapped again.
Falasmir spluttered and rolled over, seizing a curved knife from under his pillow as he stood and turned to face Kalir. Then he straightened slowly with a frown on his face. "What," he shouted. "Is so important that you could not wait for me to arise on my own, fool!" The shout woke Falasmir's young wife, who drew the sheets up about her and rushed off to a dressing room with a fearful glance at her husband.
"I bear ill news my Lord," stammered Kalir. He spoke quickly, telling Falasmir of the fire, the damage done and the departure of the Lonely Star, apparently with its captain and first mate. The Lord of Umbar's face turned white, then darkened until it was red as a beet. "Treason!" he screamed. "Treachery and piracy! Have every corsair capable of getting underway take sail and find the Gondorians! Send our ships west and south as well as north. I want prisoners! I want to slay Mithadan myself!"
Kalir bowed and beat a hasty retreat, relieved in part that Falasmir had not slain him in his fury. Within an hour, five corsairs had set sail with full complements of slaves working their oars...
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