How many had been converted?
How were they chosen?
What traits made them easy victims for the brain worm that the Sitorian spies infected them with?
The scope of this development was starting to look much bigger than I originally anticipated, and as much as I wanted to continue the investigation, I wasn't the best equipped for it. I needed to update General Lesten so he could contact the commanders of the ground forces in Podana and other parts of the country and alert them to the problem.
The Sitorians had been converting our people for nearly two decades, and we had been none the wiser.
I gathered my notes and headed for the General's office, which was located at the far end of the command center.
"I'm here to see General Lesten," I told his aide. "It's about the ongoing investigation."
The aide used the intercom to announce me and waved me through.
The General looked up from a stack of papers when I entered. "Ravel. What do you have for me?"
I laid the files on his desk. "A disturbing pattern emerged. All of the converts we have in custody attended one of two summer training camps in Podana. Camp Snow Peak or Camp Green Valley. On a hunch, I contacted the administrators of these camps and asked them to search their records for Terris Windars, who was a suspect in the bombing in Skywatcher's Point. He's originally from Podana, and I'm willing to bet that he attended one of these camps."
"How long has this been going on?" Lesten asked.
"Based on the ages of the converts, at least seventeen years. Possibly longer. The oldest one we've captured was recruited at twelve."
"Twelve." Lesten's jaw tightened. "They've been converting children for almost two decades right under our noses."
I nodded. "I blame vanity, sir. Elucians think that they are the best at collecting intelligence and sniffing out Shedun, but apparently, we are not."
"How did they do that?" The General asked. "How can an Elucian child who is taught from infancy that the Sitorians' ultimate goal is the complete and total annihilation of all Elucians and dragons fall prey to their propaganda?"
I was asking myself the same question, and the only thing I could come up with was mental instability. Adolescents were vulnerable, with raging hormones contributing to violent mood swings, and in some cases, depression and suicidal thoughts. Some felt worthless, not deserving of love and appreciation, and others were bullied by other kids. It didn't take much for a manipulative adult to give them an alternative that made them feel part of a cabal, special. Adding drug addiction to the mix almost guaranteed successful results.
I chose not to share my musings with the general because I was no authority on the subject of adolescent psychology, and I might be completely off.
"We should consult professionals," I said instead. "They are recruiting children, and it's too delicate a subject to attempt without the proper training in child psychology."
Lesten pursed his lips. "Psychology is a lot of hogwash. Every reasonable person knows wrong from right."
"That might be true, but we can't treat children like soldiers."
"I disagree. Discipline starts in the home. Parents today are too lenient, and they are raising weak children."
The last thing I wanted was to get into a discussion about parenting with Lesten. We were both bachelors who knew nothing about raising children.
"There is more," I said to change the subject. "The detainee who was targeted at twelve was approached because he had access to the ingredients needed to manufacture the drug. His father was a metalworker, and he became a supplier for the other converts. As it turns out, the drug artificially grants them the ability to hear the dragon call if consumed right before the ceremony."
Lesten's eyebrows rose. "That's possible?"
"According to the prisoner I interrogated this morning, yes. The drug doesn't just produce euphoria and religious delusions. It temporarily opens the telepathic channel that is otherwise closed. It's enough to pass the initial screening at the pilgrimage, but it's not good enough to pass the tests leading up to the Day of Volition, or to bond with a dragon."
Lesten frowned. "What if they can get their hands on more of the drug? We could have riders who are converts."
"The guy who was recruited because his father was a metalworker continued making the drug right here in theCitadel. So, it would seem that it wasn't good enough to open the telepathic channel consistently."
The general looked relieved, but then he frowned again. "There is nothing to say that they didn't convert genuinely gifted Elucians. We might have cadets and riders who are traitors."
"It's possible," I agreed. "But they are not looking for the talented ones. I think the failure is by design. It places the converts in support positions throughout our installations, where they can gather intelligence and sabotage operations while waiting for orders."
The general was quiet for a long moment, staring at the map I'd marked with locations. "We need to investigate every summer program in Elucia. Not just in Podana, but everywhere. If they did it there, they could be doing it elsewhere."
