Imager’s Intrigue

65

When I got to my study on Meredi morning, there was nothing in either Tableta or Veritum about Cydarth, and neither newsheet mentioned anything about our northern fleet. While Valeun might be the first to receive news about fleet actions off Cloisera, I was confident that he wouldn’t be able to keep it from appearing in the newsheets. Because there wasn’t any news, it was unlikely that any communiques had yet reached L’Excelsis, but I had no way of knowing whether Dartazn had been successful or whether he’d even been able to conduct the operation. I was definitely getting worried, but there was little I could do about it.

Later that morning, the Council convened for its first true session for the new year. I was there to help Baratyn…and to see if anything interesting was reported or occurred. Nothing happened out of the ordinary, not even an attempt on the lives of one of the Councilors, and that often happened on the first day the Council met. There wasn’t any news circulating there, either, about the war or-as Deputy Sea-Marshal Caellynd had called it-the “conflict.”

The factor’s assembly was still considering a replacement for Councilor Glendyl, although they had already agreed that the new factor Councilor on the Executive Council would be Sebatyon, the current timber and lumber factor from Mantes. No one wanted another Councilor associated even indirectly with shipbuilding, and that eliminated Diogayn, the most senior factoring Councilor, because he owned several ironworks.

I did get home not much after Seliora. Because Diestrya was tired and cranky because she hadn’t taken a nap, we didn’t get to talk until after I had rocked her to sleep while Seliora sang lullabies. Then I eased her into the high-sided small bed, and we tiptoed downstairs.

We just sat down on the settee in the family parlor and sighed, almost simultaneously, loudly enough that we looked at each other and laughed.

“Sometimes…” I offered.

She just nodded.

“Would you like some wine? We do have a bottle of Dhuensa in the cooler.”

“That would be good.”

So I went and got it and poured us each a goblet, and we sat next to each other and had several swallows each.

“I didn’t have a chance to tell you earlier,” Seliora finally said. “Shomyr came up with the sidearm this afternoon. He didn’t know whether you’d need the holster and belt, but they’re both there in case you need them, as well as a small box of bullets. I put them in the high strongbox in the study.”

“The one our little climber can’t reach?” Even if she could, it was locked.

Seliora nodded.

“Thank you…and Shomyr.”

“Can you explain what you can?” she asked quietly.

“It has to do with Valeun and Geuffryt. I’ve told you about how I’m convinced that Geuffryt was the one who arranged the bombardment of Imagisle…”

“I can’t believe anyone could do that just because he thought Maitre Dichartyn and Maitre Poincaryt might be sometimes supporting the High Holder Councilors-even if he wanted revenge. The Collegium only has one vote on the Council.”

“There’s more to it than that, but I don’t know everything. Valeun is protecting Geuffryt, and I have a good idea just who it was that let Vyktor know that I would be visiting him, well before anyone else could have known that it would happen. Even if I could prove that Geuffryt wrote the warning note, it’s only another piece of circumstantial evidence…” I couldn’t help but shake my head.

“So you have to come up with a way to resolve this?”

“Unfortunately, and I’ll have to meet with both Geuffryt and Valeun, and that will be anything but pleasant. Oh…they’ll both be so solicitous and polite and so willing to be cooperative with the Collegium, and if I leave it to Valeun, nothing will happen because he doesn’t want any of it to come out, and Maitre Dyana would prefer not to have anything more come out because discrediting the Naval Command will just make getting Council support for rebuilding the fleet harder, and no one will think it’s urgent, especially if Dartazn’s mission is successful, because they’ll think Solidar has plenty of time.”

“That’s not true, is it?”

“No. Frydryk has the drawings and designs and rights to produce the steam turbines for a new class of warships, but it will take a year, perhaps as many as three, to rebuild the facility, and the Council will want assurances that it can be done, and the shipworks can only build so many at once. It might take ten or fifteen years…and if the Council waits several years before acting, because they want to be sure that the Naval Command is being run correctly…” I shrugged.

“You’ll do what has to be done.” Seliora reached out and took my hand. “That’s all you can do.”

And that was what I feared.