Rex Regis

32

Quaeryt was at the headquarters holding before seventh glass on Lundi morning, meeting with Khaern, Calkoran, and Zhelan in the small study that had become his.

“Matters aren’t looking good, sir?” asked Calkoran in his accented Bovarian, if with a knowing smile.

Quaeryt smiled back. “Why do you say that?”

“You’re here earlier than in weeks.”

“As a matter of fact, there may be some problems.” Quaeryt paused. “I’m going to ask the three of you not to mention a word of what I’m about to say to anyone else, and I do mean anyone. Nor are you to discuss it with each other unless you are absolutely certain that no one can overhear anything you may say. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.” All three spoke as one.

“As you know, Submarshal Myskyl was dispatched to the north of Bovaria last fall. He sent dispatches reporting on his progress in meeting with High Holders until the beginning of winter. Lord Bhayar has received no dispatches since then. He has sent dispatches and couriers north, but they have not returned. Nor has he received any couriers sent from the north. Yet we have good information that Submarshal Myskyl is headquartered at a high holding near Rivages, and that his regiments are there as well, and that they conduct maneuvers on a regular basis. Lord Bhayar has ordered first company and your company, Subcommander Calkoran, to accompany me and whatever imagers I choose on a mission to investigate these circumstances. We are to leave tomorrow morning. I will provide the order and direction of riding tomorrow morning.”

“Not Eleventh Regiment, sir?” asked Khaern.

“Eleventh Regiment is required for duties here in the area of Variana. Lord Bhayar will be providing written orders for the regiment, which you will receive tomorrow. I do approve of those orders, however.” Unlike some.

“Begging your pardon, sir,” offered Zhelan quietly, “but this stinks like month-old fish in midsummer.”

“It does, one way or another,” replied Quaeryt. “It could be as simple-and nefarious-as a small group of Bovarians waylaying dispatch riders going in both directions in order to create confusion and distrust among our forces. Or it could be something else entirely. Our task is to discover what the problem is and resolve it, if we can, and to send word back to Lord Bhayar if we cannot. We can guess or speculate on the reason for the lack of dispatches, but since we do not know, please keep all that among the four of us until we do. You’re to tell the men that the two companies are being dispatched on scouting missions and that you will be receiving complete orders tomorrow. I cannot see this taking less than a month, and possibly two. You may convey that as well.”

“You don’t want to say much, sir,” observed Khaern.

“No, I don’t. And I’d prefer that you say nothing at all. Tell your men the same, and tell them that since we will be likely traveling in areas where we’re less than welcome, and where others might be very happy to attack, letting anyone outside the companies and the regiment know that we’ll be setting out can do no good and could cause casualties.”

All three nodded.

“It still stinks, sir,” added Khaern.

“True, but since when didn’t we get orders that had a certain stench about them?” asked Quaeryt sardonically.

That brought reluctant nods from the three.

“Any questions?”

“What about extra mounts?” asked Zhelan.

Calkoran nodded in agreement.

“Work out what you think is a reasonable number, and we’ll find a way to get them.” Even if it means borrowing them from Eleventh Regiment.

“Supplies?”

For the next quint the three officers offered questions, and Quaeryt did his best to address them.

When they left, Quaeryt summoned the imagers into the study. He looked over the small group, consisting of Baelthm, Horan, Lhandor, Khalis, and Elsior. Then he spoke. “Lord Bhayar has a problem, and that means we have one. In fact, there are several. So … I’d like to go over the smaller problems first. Elsior, you’re acting as a provisional undercaptain. You should be uniformed as one. Ask Major Zhelan what you need to get two sets of uniforms today, even if they don’t fit well.”

“He can have one of mine,” said Khalis.

“Thank you. Work it out as you can. Second-Baelthm, you looked over the Anomen D’Variana. What did you discover?”

“I wouldn’t call what needs to be done there a small problem, sir. We’re not talking about repairs. The walls have huge cracks. It’s been neglected for years, maybe a whole lot longer, and, begging your pardon, sir, the robes and vestments the chorister wears are of the finest quality. So are the furnishings in his private quarters. They consist of a good five rooms for him and his wife and children.”

“You’re saying that the building has been greatly neglected while the chorister has not neglected his own comforts.”

“Yes, sir,”

“How long would it take, say, for you and Horan to put it back in shape?”

“A good week, maybe two … if we could do it at all. Have to replace each section of each wall. Nameless knows if we could even do that without bringing down the roof. Timbers there don’t seem as solid as they should be. If we try to replace the timbers without strengthening the walls, the walls could give way.” The oldest imager shook his head.

Quaeryt nodded. “For now, I’m going to recommend to Lord Bhayar that the reconstruction of the Anomen D’Variana would require too much work and might even result in the destruction of the anomen. I might say that we will consider it once the imagers have greater experience in constructing buildings from scratch.”

“Yes, sir.”

“There’s one other matter. I’d like you to check with Chorister Gauswn on a daily basis while you finish repairing the Imagisle anomen. I’d appreciate it if you’d accommodate him as much as you can.”

“We can do that, sir.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Now … there’s the major problem, and that is the fact that first company and Subcommander Calkoran’s company, and those imagers that I feel necessary have been ordered to investigate the lack of recent communications from Northern Army…” Quaeryt went on to explain the situation, then said, “I’ve decided that Lhandor, Khalis, and Elsior will accompany me and this force, while Baelthm and Horan will remain to continue the work in repairing and building the Collegium structures on Imagisle. In one sense, I’m reluctant to split up the imagers but I feel that Baelthm and Horan can do more good for both Lord Bhayar and the rest of the imagers by remaining here in Variana.

“That’s all I have for all of you for now. Horan, Baelthm … if you’d remain a moment. Undercaptain Lhandor, please stay nearby. I’ll need to talk to you about some plans, possibly the ones you already have or some variation on those … or new ones.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once the imagers who would be accompanying Quaeryt had left the study, he looked at the narrow-faced and graying Horan. “Outside of the fighting, how do you like being an imager?”

“Have to say I like the building and making good roads a lot better than the fighting. Pay’s good, too.”

“This mission to Rivages is likely to take longer than a month, and if you and Baelthm accompanied us, there’d be no work done on Imagisle. There’s also another aspect to this. You know I’ve mentioned building a place for imagers, with quarters for wives and families as well. That’s part of what you’ll be doing. When we return, I’m hopeful that it won’t be too long before we can have those of you with wives and children send for them. We’ll be able to send some coin so that they can make the journey.”

“Sir?” asked Baelthm. “Would we still be paid?”

“Lord Bhayar has agreed to building and supporting the Collegium. You will be paid, but I can’t speak as to future pay scales, only that you’ll get what you’re getting now, but you’ll also get quarters as well.”

Both imagers grinned.

“Because I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, I will have Lhandor provide plans for what you can image beyond the two barracks and stables. As you can, Horan, I’d like you to add to the granite river walls…” After finishing his instructions of what buildings he wanted imaged and in what general order, Quaeryt added, “I’d also like you two to start instructing the new student imagers as you can. If you have any disagreements about imaging, Horan, you’re to defer to Baelthm. Is that understood?”

“I can do that.”

“You’re also not to leave the holding here without ranker escorts. Part of that is not because I don’t think you can protect yourselves, but because I don’t want you to have to use imaging to do so.”

“That makes sense,” offered Horan.

“Do you have any questions?”

“I’d be hating to ask this, sir…” ventured Horan.

“But what are you to do if something happens to me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Keep building the Collegium and gather and teach young imagers. The Lady Vaelora will be able to help you with that. If that does happen, and I hope it doesn’t, have her have Lord Bhayar summon Major Voltyr from Westisle.”

“Yes, sir.” Horan nodded. “That’d be all I wished to know.”

“Once I finish with Lhandor, you can all head out to Imagisle for the day. Pass the word to the others and the duty company … and would you send word that I’ll need to talk to Chorister Gauswn after I’m through with Lhandor?”

“Yes, sir.”

When the two left, Lhandor slipped into the study.

“I’d asked you to draw up some plans for Imagisle a while ago. How far did you get in that?”

“You saw the drawings for the fountain and for the central green … I also did one for a sort of headquarters building … and the ones to adapt the two barracks buildings.”

“What about family quarters? For each of the imagers who has a family?”

“I did a rough sketch and floor plan…”

“Do you have it close?”

Lhandor smiled and lifted the leather folder. “When you mentioned that Horan and Baelthm would be staying here, I went and got all my drawings.”

“Let’s see the rough sketch and floor plan.”

Lhandor opened the folder and leafed through the sheaf of drawings, handing one sheet to Quaeryt and then a second.

Quaeryt studied them, then laid on the desk the drawing that showed the front view of a cottage, with a pair of windows flanking an entry door. “I like this, but I think the door needs to be higher, with two stone steps up to it and with a wider stoop, almost a small porch, with at least an overhang to protect the entry.”

“You’re worried about flooding, sir?”

“More about heavy rains. We’ve largely flattened the isle, although there is a slight slope from the center to the edges. Still…”

In the end, he spent only a quint with the young imager undercaptain before dismissing him with orders to make changes once he returned from the day’s imaging so that if Horan and Baelthm had time, they could start work on a few cottages in the area laid out in the master plan Quaeryt and Lhandor had earlier developed.

Gauswn entered the study when Lhandor left. “You requested my presence.”

“I did. We need to talk over some matters. What do you think about the imaging repairs to the old anomen?” Quaeryt shifted his weight on his boots, suddenly aware that he’d been standing for well over a glass, and that his bad leg was reminding him of that.

“It’s hard to believe how well your imagers are doing. They’ve been most careful, but they’ve also told me that what they’ve done was only possible because the basic structure was sound. There’s only minor rain damage, and the ground there is high enough that whatever floods there might have been in the past didn’t leave any lasting damage.”

“Will it serve you?”

“It’s large enough to serve almost an entire regiment, if all the rankers attended.”

“That won’t ever happen,” replied Quaeryt with a laugh. “Can you teach your students there, once we have quarters ready on the isle?”

“There are several rooms on the main level that would be suitable for instruction. The chorister’s quarters are in the rear and more than suitable. Well … there are no furnishings, of course.”

“Creating them might be a good learning project for the student imagers-under the eye of an older imager-but I wanted to talk to you about another matter. I’m going to have to leave on a mission for Lord Bhayar shortly. Please don’t mention it to anyone. While I’m gone, I’d like you to keep an eye on what happens on Imagisle. If anything seems amiss or strange, I’d appreciate it if you would inform Lady Vaelora. I’ve already told Baelthm to check with you about matters with the anomen.”

Gauswn smiled. “He’s been doing that.”

“Good. That will also give you a reason to watch what’s happening.” Quaeryt paused. “In time, we’ll have more students, and we may need a separate building for schooling, but that shouldn’t happen for a while.”

“It may happen more quickly than you think,” suggested Gauswn.

“If it does, that will show Lord Bhayar the need and value of the Collegium.”

“Collegium?”

“I’m calling it the Collegium Imago. Bhayar hasn’t protested the name.” Quaeryt grinned.

“I still say that the Nameless has a purpose for you, Commander.”

“And I still have to point out that I have no idea whether the Nameless exists or not.”

“Your belief or disbelief doesn’t matter to the Nameless.”

Quaeryt laughed. “If there is a Nameless, you’re right.”

“You have a purpose, and that purpose is too great for the dreams of one man, even one so great as you are.”

“I’m talented, but not great, Gauswn, and I’m doing what needs to be done.”

“Many men have said that in pursuit of self-interest, and they have all failed.”

“I know that. That’s been clear to me from the beginning.” Quaeryt paused. “That’s not quite true. There’s nothing wrong with some self-interest. It’s when self-interest consumes a man or a woman that the trouble begins, and those with great abilities have the most difficulty in distinguishing between necessity and self-interest. I’d submit that failure often comes from that loss of ability to distinguish.”

“Or from the will of the Nameless when self-interest becomes too great.”

“Either way, you and the Eleni and the Eherelani-and events-have made it clear that I must try never to seek power for myself and to dream beyond what I would wish personally.”

“Would that more men thought so.”

But … would that be good if all men and women thought to pursue great dreams? Quaeryt had his doubts. But then … who should determine who dreams great dreams and who should not? “Perhaps.” Quaeryt offered a rueful smile. “In any case, I’ve said what I have to say for now, and I need to send off the imagers for the day. Or, really, the afternoon, since the morning’s largely gone.

“I’ll be here,” replied the chorister, before turning and leaving the study.

In a fashion, you always have been.

After giving final instructions to all the imagers, Quaeryt saw them off with a duty company to Imagisle, then mounted the gelding and rode back to the Chateau Regis, where he found Vaelora in the ministry study they shared, with ledgers piled up around her.

She looked up, an expression between anger and exasperation on her face.

“What is it?” asked Quaeryt.

“There’s no real frigging information on almost any of the High Holders, except their names and the general location of their holdings and, occasionally, the location of a mansion near Variana.”

“We lost a lot as a result of what I did,” Quaeryt said.

She shook her head. “I’ve been sending out the clerks and talking to people. Kharst didn’t have much more than that-except for tariff payment records.”

“How did he-”

“He didn’t! That’s the problem. And the records for factors are all held by the local factors’ councils.”

“We need copies of those records,” said Quaeryt. “We could start by sending dispatches to Meinyt and Kharllon.”

“You’d have to have Bhayar send the dispatch to Kharllon and request the information be sent back to him. Brother dear wouldn’t have a problem with that if I drafted it.”

“No, he wouldn’t. We also have a problem with the Anomen D’Variana. According to Baelthm, the place is practically collapsing, but the chorister has fine raiments and finer furnishings. I’ll have to draft a letter to Amalyt about the state of the Anomen D’Variana and tell him that my builders have inspected the structure and that it has been so badly neglected for so long that any major imaging to attempt to repair such massive neglect could jeopardize the entire structure, and that it would be best if the congregation and the chorister devoted their efforts to raising golds for trained artisans and masons to rebuild it. I may add something about the contrast between the quality of the furnishings and vestments and that of the structure was rather remarkable.”

“You probably should, if delicately, and send a copy to Bhayar.”

“I will … and there are a few other items I need to take care of before we leave tomorrow.”

“More than a few.” Vaelora frowned. “You’re sure about not taking Baelthm and Horan?”

“There’s no point in it. Baelthm can’t add that much, and Horan still isn’t in any shape to do imaging that will kill people. I’m not sure he ever will be. Just as important, they can continue to build Imagisle.” Quaeryt shook his head. “I don’t want that to stop because there’s another problem. There are going to be problems for months, if not years, and if the building stops anytime there’s a problem, we’ll never get anything built.”

“You also need to get enough of it built soon so that people can see it and understand that the Collegium is an accomplished fact.”

“That’s part of creating the impression that the Collegium is more than an imager fighting force.” Quaeryt shook his head. “And I need to stop talking and start writing dispatches, just to get them out of the way so I can complete planning the departure roads tomorrow … in a way that will leave Deucalon somewhat confused.”

“Until he talks to Bhayar.”

“That will still give us enough time … if your brother keeps his word about not saying anything for a day or two after we leave.”

“You have plans, I take it?”

“I do. Let’s hope they work.” Quaeryt pulled out the chair and seated himself at the conference table.