Ordermaster

LIII

So hot was the midsummer morning, even before the second glass after dawn, that Kharl was blotting his forehead even before he dismounted outside the Hall of Justice and handed the gelding’s reins to Dorfal. He had to admit that on days so warm, he didn’t miss having a beard. Winter might be another story.

“I’ll just be waiting, ser,” offered the young lancer.

“Thank you.” The day was to be his last with Jusof, and it would be short, since Kharl’s audience with Lord Ghrant was set for the glass before noon.

Kharl walked through the double doors into the cooler main foyer and headed up the narrow stairs to the upper level.

Jusof rose as Kharl entered. “Good morning, Lord Kharl.”

“Good morning,” returned the mage. “It’s hot out.”

“It will be warm in here as well by afternoon.” Jusof nodded. “Congratulations on your appointment to Brysta as the envoy. We received the proclamation for posting just half a glass ago, not that we had not heard in secrecy several days ago.” The clerk smiled. “The lord-chancellor’s motives in having you study law are most clear.”

“I think I know just enough to be wary of any laws and those who administer them,” Kharl replied. “Especially when they are not of such honesty as Lord Justicer Priost.”

“That is wise, even for advocates,” said Jusof. “Still, you know morethan you allow yourself credit for. You seem to have mastered the basics of jurisprudence, the very basics, but many who call themselves advocates often know less.”

After almost four eightdays, Kharl hoped he had learned something, but doubted that he had learned much more than to apply what he had already known to the law.

“There is little point in your studying more unless you plan to become an advocate.” Jusof smiled. “You must indulge me if I point out that such seems most unlikely. You have a talent for the law, but I cannot see Lord Ghrant-or your own talents-restricting you to the Hall of Justice.”

The mage nodded.

Jusof handed Kharl two elaborately sealed letters. “The lord-chancellor had requested that the lord justicer and I both draft and sign these letters commending you as a scholar of the legal system to whatever clerks and justicers you may need to approach in Nordla or elsewhere. Lord Justicer Priost was most impressed with your brief on the Lendyl case. It might have used some more polish, but the logic and the precedents were sound. He did say that you might well be wasted as a mage.” Jusof laughed softly.

“But … I’ve never met the lord justicer,” Kharl observed, slipping the letters into a jacket pocket.

“That is true, and that is as it should be. Were the Lord’s mage ever to have met with the lord justicer, many would think that Lord Ghrant might be pressing for something in the Hall of Justice. Lord Justicer Priost has not met with Lord Ghrant, except at very public dinners at the Great House, or at his blind briefings of Lord Ghrant, since he became lord justicer.” Jusof cleared his throat. “That does not mean, in regard to you, Lord Kharl, that he has not been apprised of all you have done, and he was most impressed with your diligence, as well as your understanding.”

“I’ll accept the diligence,” Kharl replied. “I hope the understanding will come.”

“As I am most certain you know,” Jusof said with a dryness just short of the pedantic, “understanding is the virtue most often claimed and least often exhibited. Since you have already shown it elsewhere, I have no doubts it will surface in the law as well.” He smiled once more. “I will not keep you, Lord Kharl, but it has truly been a pleasure to work with you.”

“Thank you.” Kharl inclined his head. “You have been most understanding.”

After taking his leave of the chief clerk and heading back down to the main level, Kharl was still mulling over his surprise that Jusof had been pleased to work with him.

Even after such a short time, the square was even hotter than when he had entered the Hall of Justice, and he was once more blotting his forehead as he and Dorfal rode back toward the Great House.

“You’ll not be coming here any longer, ser?” asked the lancer.

“No. Today was the last day.”

“Will you be heading back to your lands, then, ser?”

“That is up to the lord-chancellor and Lord Ghrant.” Kharl felt uncomfortable with the answer, true as it was, because it was misleading, but he also did not wish to announce what he would be doing on the open streets of Valmurl.

“Yes, ser.”

“Are you going to stay a lancer?” Kharl asked.

“I don’t know, ser. I’ve another two years. Then, I have to decide whether to go for five or leave.” Dorfal laughed. “Undercaptain Demyst was saying that I ought to stay on. Told me that fighting like we been through only comes every double handful of years, and that I ought to take the easy years that follow.”

“Do you want to go back to crabbing?”

“Not really, ser. Don’t know as I see myself as a lancer for years either, though.”

Kharl smiled faintly. He’d never thought about it at Dorfal’s age. He’d just assumed he would be a cooper. Then, that might have been because he’d liked being a cooper, liked the smell and feel of the wood, and the sense of having done something right when a barrel or keg or hogshead had been finished. He didn’t presume to offer Dorfal advice. “I’m sure that when the time comes you’ll do fine.”

Dorfal smiled uneasily.

When they reached the Great House, Kharl dismounted in the front entry and let the young lancer take the mounts. He made his way to his quarters, where he washed up again and changed into his newest magely finery, garb that had been paid for by Lord Ghrant, along with five other sets of clothing deemed suitable for an envoy.

Then he made his way down to the hallway outside the main audience hall, where Hagen found him.

“You look most impressive, Lord Kharl,” offered the lord-chancellor.

Kharl felt more like a traitor bird dressed in the plumage of a raven. “I’m not certain I’ll ever get used to wearing end-day finery all the time.”

“It looks good on you.” Hagen’s smile dropped away. “The ceremony will be very short. Afterward, there will be a midday dinner with Lord Ghrant, Lady Hyrietta, and a few others.”

“You didn’t mention that.”

An impish smile crossed Hagen’s face. “I didn’t? It must have slipped my mind.”

Kharl shook his head. “If Glyan’s experiments with the new wine barrels don’t work, I’ll send a half barrel to you.”

Hagen laughed softly. “I need to go so that I can be on the dais before Ghrant enters.” With a nod, he slipped away.

Kharl stood in the side hallway, away from the audience hall doors, where he could not see who entered the hall nor be seen by them, for another quarter glass.

“Lord Kharl, ser … you’ve been summoned,” called one of the armsmen in the yellow and black of the personal guard.

Kharl walked around the corner and toward the doors. When he was in place, one of the armsmen opened the door, and Kharl stepped through it. The hall had but perhaps a score of people in it, and slightly less than half of those Kharl knew. He had half expected to see Norgen and Casolan, and he did, but he had not expected to see Lady Hyrietta standing behind Lord Ghrant’s shoulder as her consort waited for Kharl to reach the dais. Nor had he expected to see Lyras standing beside Casolan, nor Jusof and Lord Justicer Priost.

He squared his shoulders and walked deliberately forward, halting several cubits short of the dais, as he had seen all the others do at various audiences. There he bowed slightly, and waited.

Lord Ghrant smiled, and Kharl could sense that it was a friendly smile, albeit one with a hint of nervousness behind it. “Lord Kharl of Cantyl, are you a true and faithful subject of Austra?”

“I am, your lordship.”

“Are you willing to serve, to the fullest and best of your abilities, as an envoy of Austra?”

“I am, your lordship.”

“Then, Lord Kharl of Cantyl, you are hereby appointed as the envoy of the Lord of Austra to the West Quadrant of Nordla, governed by LordWest, with all powers and privileges accorded such envoys, and with the responsibilities required by such powers.”

“Thank you, your lordship.”

“Thank you, Lord Kharl, for taking on those responsibilities and duties. We wish you well.” Ghrant nodded.

Kharl bowed twice, then turned and walked from the audience chamber.

Outside, a messenger was waiting. “Lord Kharl, ser, if you would follow me?”

They had traveled but twenty cubits when Hagen appeared.

“I’ll escort him from here,” the lord-chancellor suggested.

“Ah … yes, ser.”

Hagen smiled, and the messenger scurried away.

“How do you feel as an envoy?” asked Hagen.

“Not that different,” Kharl admitted. “A little more worried. What about this dinner?”

“Oh, it will be very social. Just don’t talk about Brysta or magery unless you’re asked. Otherwise, you can talk about anything.”

Kharl resolved to listen more than talk.

After the private dinner, which was completely social and without a word of either Brysta or what Kharl would be doing as envoy, Kharl accompanied Hagen back to the lord-chancellor’s chamber. He was thinking about being an envoy, and all that it might entail.

Two years in Brysta? It could be much less, Hagen had said. However long it might be, Kharl supposed that it wouldn’t be all that bad, certainly not so bad as living between the walls of a renderer’s vats and a tannery as he had before escaping Brysta. He did have to find Warrl and make arrangements to get him to Cantyl. He could see what else he might be able to do for Sanyle and Jeka. He hoped that Gharan had been able to keep Jeka on as a weaver.

Once the door to the lord-chancellor’s chamber closed, Hagen began immediately by handing Kharl a flat leather case, ornately tooled at the edges and trimmed in gilt. “These are your credentials for presentation to Lord West. No matter what some functionary tries to tell you, insist on a formal presentation. Tell them it can be brief, even but a few moments, but it must be public and formal. If they demur, then suggest that you will be making arrangements to return to Valmurl. If they don’t back down, make the arrangements to take passage on the first of my vessels to port there again and learn what you can while you wait.” A wry smile crossed thelord-chancellor’s lips. “It might come to that, but the moment they learn you intend to leave, you’ll get an audience.” He paused. “Now … there are a few more things we should go over. First, as we have discussed, in my dispatches to the residence steward in Brysta, I have not mentioned you are a mage. I would try to keep that from being widely known for as long as possible. Second, you already understand that you should not trust any other envoys, especially the Hamorian. Also, consider that all Hamorian merchants are effectively spies of the emperor, whether they support him or not.”

Kharl frowned momentarily, then nodded. A good mage or wizard could doubtless discover the truth, as could Kharl.

“You are to send back dispatches, but only upon my vessels and only if you or Erdyl hand them personally to the captains. If you feel that a particular captain has been suborned, let me know by a message through another captain. All dispatches are to be sent to me, and you should never mention Lord Ghrant either directly or by reference. Lord Ghrant will read every one, but if they are intercepted, a message addressed to me is less damaging than one directly to Lord Ghrant. He can always claim that he knows nothing …”

Kharl could also understand that, little as he liked the idea.

“ … we have already discussed the token gift you will present to Lord West and your purse and your draw upon the Factors’ Exchange for the expenses of the envoy’s residence and staff. Do not be extravagant, but also do not be foolishly frugal …”

As Hagen went on, Kharl forced himself to concentrate not only on the words, most of which he had already heard in one form or another, but also on the reasons behind what the lord-chancellor said.