Imager’s Intrigue

60

On Jeudi morning I woke up only sore in a few places, not enough to change my morning routine, a routine that had doubtless contributed to my surviving the events of the previous day. I did hurry to the administration building, since I wanted to brief Maitre Dyana as soon as possible. I was there before she was. So I sat in her anteroom with Gerard reading the morning newsheets.

Both reported on the story of my river swim, but on the second page. The front page of Tableta featured a story based on “unauthenticated information” that suggested that the northern fleet was preparing for a major offensive against the Ferran fleets. A number of highly placed sources suggested that such an effort, if indeed true, was incredibly risky in midwinter, given the potential for storms and high seas. The lead story in Veritum was about the military situation in Otelyrn, and how the lack of Solidaran fleet presence had allowed Stakanar, an ally in all but name of Ferrum, to seize the most valuable territory of Tiempre.

The story about my accident was short and direct in both newsheets. A coal wagon had been stolen right on the streets of L’Excelsis, the driver coshed and trussed up, but somehow, the hitches had been loosened and the wagon released and hurtled downhill into the Collegium coach. The team had been found a block away, largely unharmed. Civic Patrol Captain Subunet of First District suggested that the thieves had panicked after the wagon had gotten away and headed downhill. The damage had been limited to the coal wagon and to the imager coach and its occupants. The single passenger in the coach had been thrown into the river with the coach, but had escaped and swum through the icy waters to safety. The driver was still missing and possibly drowned.

I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Once again, as had happened too often in the past, an innocent man had died because people were trying to kill me. Yet, with all that was at stake, I didn’t see that my becoming a recluse on Imagisle was in anyone’s interests, except Cydarth’s and Vyktor’s…and the Ferrans’.

At a slight cough, I set down the newsheets and rose to greet Maitre Dyana. “Good morning, Maitre.”

“Good morning, Rhenn. Do come in.”

I did follow her into her study. I also made sure the door was firmly closed.

She set several folders on the desk, then looked at me. She did not sit down, but flipped the end of the gold and green scarf back over her shoulder. “I am glad you left a note, Rhenn. It would have been rather disconcerting to discover those events in Veritum this morning.”

“Since escaping from a coach in icy water, swimming a quarter mille in that water, and climbing an ice-encrusted iron ladder does have a tendency to exhaust and chill one, I trust you might understand why I did not choose to wait for you, especially since Gherard had no idea when or if you would be returning, and especially since I had already waited almost a glass.”

“It must be the position. If I closed my eyes, I could easily have been talking to Maitre Dichartyn.” She sighed and seated herself. “You might as well sit down.”

I took one of the chairs before the desk.

“Please tell me what was not in the note.”

I did, all about Cydarth and his sudden and out-of-character cheerful stalling and the link to the Banque D’Ouestan.

When I finished, she said, “You’re doubtless correct, but there’s no proof at all. Exactly what do you have in mind?”

“Looking farther. I need to see if I can find out more about the Banque D’Ouestan, especially about their agent here. I have some indication that he lent Glendyl 25,000 golds almost a year ago.”

“Is there anyone Glendyl doesn’t owe?”

“I don’t think he owes the Banque D’Rivages or the Banque D’Excelsis,” I replied dryly.

“Glendyl isn’t likely to hold onto his works or anything else, except he won’t let go of anything willingly, and that won’t be good for Solidar or the Navy.”

“From his behavior and attitude…it shouldn’t be surprising if he loses everything. Besides, it might be better if someone else took over the engineworks.”

Dyana shook her head. “Nothing good is going to come of that. Be very careful.”

“I don’t intend to do anything else dealing with Glendyl.” I didn’t point out that I’d already done all I could.

“That would be best.”

“Oh, there is one other matter concerning the Banque D’Ouestan. This was discovered by Maitre Khalasa…” I went on to summarize the findings Kahlasa had presented to me.

“What do you intend to do?”

“I’d like to look a little farther. Like so many things, there’s little enough direct proof.”

“Isn’t it always? Let me know when you find out more.” Dyana shook her head, ruefully. “I trust you read the other stories in this morning’s newsheets?”

“I did.”

“How would you interpret them?”

“As an indication that the retirement or ill-health of Sea-Marshal Valeun might be beneficial to all Solidar.”

“What good would that do if his successor feels the same way, or, more important, that most of the junior marshals feel that way?”

“Then I need to determine what our options are.” I could be wrong, but, after having met Deputy Sea-Marshal Caellynd, I had the feeling he had to be an improvement over Valeun, but that was another thing I needed to determine.

“Or if we have any. Change for the sake of change is not a particularly good policy, especially if it creates even greater distrust of the Collegium.”

“Greater distrust would not be good.” I nodded politely, even as I worried about keeping what we had when it didn’t seem to be doing that much good for either Solidar or the Collegium.

After I left Maitre Dyana, the first thing I did was have Schorzat send a message requesting a meeting with Sea-Marshal Valeun for Vendrei, suggesting a certain urgency. Then I met with Kahlasa and asked her if she could check what she had discovered with the false transport companies to see if there happened to be anything in common with the false barge lease for the vessels used in the attack on Imagisle.

Next, I went back to my study to think.