Imager’s Intrigue

50

By midday on Vendrei, under a sunny sky, the walks and streets around Imagisle and L’Excelsis were clear enough that I could take a duty coach to Third District station. I did so, partly because I owed it to Alsoran to make an occasional appearance, and partly because I realized once again how isolated I could easily become at the Collegium. I also wanted to know what was filtering out of Patrol headquarters to the captains.

Huensyn had the duty desk when I walked into the station.

“Maitre Rhennthyl…you’re in luck, sir. The captain’s in his study.”

I stopped. “How are things going these days?”

“It’s Third District, sir. Not too much of the strong weed. No deaths this week, either. Been quiet the last week or so except for some smash-and-grabs up on the Avenue D’Artisans near the Plaza. Oh…and a brawl at Kornyn’s last Samedi.”

“No more explosions or hellhole drug dealers?”

“No, sir. Not a one.”

I gave Huensyn a smile and crossed the foyer to the captain’s study, where I stepped in and closed the study door before sitting down. Alsoran didn’t look as tired as he had the last time I’d been there, but there was a large stack of papers on his desk.

He shook his head, then grinned. “Hate all the reports the subcommander wants. Somehow, it’s different when you’re the one who has to fill them out.”

“Is he still asking for the counts on elveweed deaths?”

“Of course. We don’t have many-none this week-but when did anything ever get taken off a report? They just keep adding.”

“What has he added now?” I asked with a smile.

“Offenses by outlanders.”

I frowned. “Who’s an outlander? Someone who doesn’t speak Bovarian well? Someone with darker-shaded skin, or pale white skin?”

“All of those and anyone else who doesn’t fit.” Alsoran snorted. “I told the patrollers not to call anyone an outlander unless they can’t understand Bovarian. We’ve got folks whose grandparents came from Stakanar or Gyarl, and they’re as Solidaran as you and me.”

“Have you heard anything back?”

“I got a query two weeks ago. Cydarth suggested we weren’t recording all the outland offenders. I wrote back that we questioned every offender thoroughly, but we didn’t seem to have many outlanders.” Alsoran grinned sheepishly. “I also said that was probably because the previous captain had removed a large number of the criminal outlanders and no one had taken their place.”

I laughed. “Be careful. You’ll replace me as Cydarth’s least favorite captain.”

“Already have, sir.”

“Do you have a lieutenant yet?”

“No. I think they’re still trying to work out filling the captain’s slots in the other districts. So far, that hasn’t happened. No one’s told me anything.”

“You remember the elver girl who wasn’t, the pretty one?”

“Oh…the one you thought had been dumped in Third District? We never heard anything. I think you were right about her coming from somewhere else.”

“Have you had anything else like that?”

“No. I did have a brief talk with Horazt the other day. I told him you and I had talked. All he said was, ‘Good.’ I think he worries that, without your showing an interest, Jadhyl and Deyalt will take over his section of the taudis.”

“They won’t. Jadhyl’s too smart for that. He’s also patient.”

“Ah…what about the woodworks…?”

“And the paper mill? There’s no reason to change things. They bring in silvers. Seliora’s family doesn’t stop doing things that make coins.”

“That’s good.”

We talked for a while longer, mostly about patrollers and the Patrol, but I didn’t learn anything that might bear on the Ferrans or Artois or Cydarth, and I left after another half glass.

I got back to the Collegium at two quints past ninth glass, and checked with Kahlasa. We actually had all the evaluation forms from the Maitres at Imagisle. That meant that we could decide who might be the best for the mission. So she and I went into Schorzat’s study and told him.

“How do you want us to do this?” Schorzat asked.

“Each of us makes a list. Then we get together and talk over our choices and the reasons for them. After that, we work out a list we all agree on, and I give it to Maitre Dyana. She approves it or makes the last set of changes. Then we send the notices.”

In going over the forms, I found that I trusted the evaluations of some masters-such as Ghaend, Jhulian, and Kahlasa-more than others. From my juniors, I decided Eamyn and Shault had the abilities and determination, even though Shault was younger than I would have liked. I also felt he needed the experience, beyond both Imagisle and the taudis, and that exposure to the Navy might give him a better perspective on the Collegium.

When the three of us got together again after lunch, we discovered that we only had a handful of differences that were comparatively easy to sort out. At a quint past second glass, I handed the list we’d come up with to Maitre Dyana.

She didn’t take long to study it. “You have two on the list. Should you have more?”

“Because I’m known to be demanding and a perfectionist, you mean?”

“That has been said.”

“No. Haugyl and Marteon simply aren’t as good. Ralyea is borderline.”

“Would the experience do him good?”

“I don’t know. He’s almost timid.”

“Give him the chance. We’ve got enough timid ones hiding in the workshops.” A wintry smile came and went. “How will you notify the ones on the list?”

“I thought to send each one a notice about their selection and the briefing tomorrow. I’ll send another note to any master with juniors, advising them who of theirs have been chosen. I’ll have all those out within the glass.” I paused. “Unless you’d rather sign them.”

“Your signature will be fine, Rhenn.”

I understood the reasons for that as well. “I thought you’d open the briefing for those who are going.”

“That’s at ninth glass, is it not?”

I nodded. “Then I’ll say a few words and turn it over to Dartazn for a few more moments. He won’t say anything more of a substantive nature except that they’ll get more detailed training on board the frigate. He’s working with Chassendri today. Her ideas are proving very helpful.”

“Even though she has doubts?”

“We all have doubts of one sort or another.”

“What are yours, Rhenn?”

“I have two. The first is that we’ll buy time, but that we’ll create even more Ferran determination to bring us down.” I shrugged. “I tell myself they already feel that way.”

“They’ve certainly acted as if they do. What’s the second?”

“That we’ll provoke all Terahnar into uniting against us. Not immediately, but as they think about what we did.”

“We won’t have to worry about that unless your plan works. If it does, they’ll think twice…and fret for years before acting.”

“They will act, sooner or later,” I pointed out.

“Sooner, and it will be your problem, but you’ll have time to consider how to handle it. Later, and you’ll have to prepare a successor. All life is solving problems that create other problems requiring yet other solutions.” She smiled politely. “Do you need anything else from me?”

While her words were undoubtedly correct, they also suggested why the Maitres of the Collegium had, behind their measured calm, something approaching amusement at the “crises” of daily life.

“No, Maitre.”

With Maitre Dyana’s approval on the final selections, I went back to my study and began to write. It took close to two glasses to write them all out, but I did have the duty prime take them and place them in the proper letter boxes. After I finished, rather than head home immediately, I went over to the dining hall to see if Ralyea, Shault, or Eamyn might be there.

Shault and Ralyea were. In fact, they were standing opposite the letter boxes, already with the notices in hand. They both looked up when they saw me. Neither moved.

I motioned for them to join me.

“Can you tell us more, sir?” asked Shault.

“You’ll find out more at the briefing tomorrow, at the same time the others who were selected do. I will tell you that Maitre Dartazn will be in charge of you, and that I expect you two, and Eamyn, to learn everything you possibly can from him, no matter how strange or difficult it may seem. Is that clear?” I looked sternly at Shault.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. I’ll see you at the briefing tomorrow.” I offered a pleasant smile, and then left them standing there.

The air had gotten far colder, and my ears and face were almost numb by the time I stepped into the foyer of our house, only to have Diestrya launch herself at me and wrap her arms around my legs.

“Dada! Play plaques with me!”

That was a request to which I could gladly accede, even as I wondered how many of those junior imagers would return…and how many had once been young and trusting like my daughter.