Omis shook his head. "Without my forge and anvil, I can't set up a free shop. I'll need to find some other blacksmith who needs a partner, if any such exist in the city."
"We're in much the same kettle," Yanados pointed out. "And I don't know of any natural philosophers who need partners."
"It is a rather specialized field of endeavor," Doshi said dourly.
"If we could get across the straits to Esha, we could set ourselves up a college of magicians," Arizun offered. "Outside the port city, it's a wonderfully backward place. We could dazzle the locals with our knowledge, perhaps even get a position in the king's court—"
"I thought you said you came from Mez," Yanados sneered. "The king of Esha is only a puppet of Sabis, and not a terribly wealthy one; he'd spend no money on luxuries such as us. Besides, with the little we've saved from the house, what do we have to impress a patron?"
"Besides that," Doshi added, "do we have enough money to buy passage for all of us across the straits? Or to feed us -afterward?"
For a moment everyone stopped and thought, for the first time that night, specifically about money. The adults promptly checked their belt purses. Arizun also peered into one of the bundles he'd salvaged from the house, and came up with a lame-looking smile.
"Among us all," Sulun concluded, "we have perhaps enough to feed us for a tenday. I think we must forget about crossing the straits."
"There's plenty of employment in the army," Yanados grinned, "Or among the pirates out to sea."
"I rather doubt they'd take a horde of children," Vari sniffed. "What would we do about the children?"
Sulun, who'd been briefly fancying himself as a pirate, came back to earth on that question. What about the children, indeed? For a moment he seriously considered sneaking out of the house before dawn, signing up in the army or going to the docks, leaving his apprentices and friends to manage for themselves. But without his cumbersome books and notes and tools and models, what could he do? He'd make a poor soldier, and a worse sailor, the sort that didn't survive for long. He'd do better begging in the streets of Sabis.
"There's no other way," he said with a sigh. "We simply have to find a new patron, and quickly. Any suggestions?"
There was a long moment's silence.
"Well," Vari finally offered, "Perhaps those very creditors who are hounding after us."
"What?" Omis squawked. "Those vultures picking the house bare already?"
"Think!" Vari insisted. "With the house burned, and the money and servants gone, how will the creditors regain their loans? They'll all come up short, and they'll all be greedy for more. Well now, we have skills to sell, don't we? That makes us objects of value that formerly belonged to Shibari, doesn't it?"
Everyone thought that over for a long moment. It was a grim suggestion, but nobody could find fault with it.
"It would have to be a rich creditor," Arizun said slowly, "One who could afford to take on all of us. Otherwise we'd be separated—and then, who knows when we'd get the Bombard Project done?"
Nobody could fault that either.
"How do we know who Shibari's wealthiest creditors were?" Doshi protested. "Only Shibari himself—and maybe his secretary knew. Shibari's dead, and the gods only know where the secretary is."
"Probably halfway across the straits by now." Arizun considered.
"How do we find out?" Yanados asked. "Perhaps the Hall of Records—"
"Any one of us who shows his nose there might be recognized and seized for Shibari's debts," Doshi warned. "Anyone seized would have to prove he wasn't one of the household slaves. How does a servant prove he's not a slave?"
Another long silence followed.
Omis shoved a set of tongs aimlessly back and forth, then smiled suddenly as inspiration came. "I know who could find out for us—walk right into the Hall of Records and ask to see anything, even bully the clerks around if they don't move fast enough."
Everyone caught on at once.
"Zeren!"
Unnoticed, Teigi/Ziya snored gently in Vari's lap.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was a long, crowded, largely sleepless night, and Arizun was stumbling and yawning when Sulun sent him out in the morning. It was another sweaty, hungry, apprehensive hour before Arizun came back with Zeren in tow. The burly captain strolled through the doorway, surveyed the little bivouac in the middle of the workshop, and shook his head.
"You do look a mess," he grinned. "Still, I'm glad to see so many of you got away—and with how much gear?"
"Not enough to complete the Bombard Project without another patron." Sulun cleared off a table and two relatively clean chairs. "That's what we want to talk to you about. Arizun, did you pick up the food and wine?"
"No, he didn't," Zeren cut off the apprentice's reply. "I told him to save his money. You're all coming to my house for breakfast and, hmmm, a bit of a visit."
"And a bath?" Tamiri asked.
"Bath first!" Zeren laughed. "Come along, the lot of you. Pick up that gear and the children; it's not that far a walk."
He was right; being a mere guard captain and not an aristocrat, Zeren lived in a modest house much closer to the river than Shibari's manse. Nonetheless, by the time the little party had moved themselves and their gear there, washed, changed clothes, and eaten, it was close upon noon. Zeren's lone servant, an aged housekeeper, took one look at the invading mob and discreetly vanished. Vari hustled the children off for a nap, leaving Omis, Sulun, and his three regular apprentices alone with Zeren. The others, for all that they'd helped form the plan, were quite content to let Sulun do the talking.
Zeren heard him out, then leaned back in his chair and thought awhile.
"The problem is," Zeren said finally, "that getting a list of Shibari's creditors isn't easily done. The creditors would have gone to court, to our own dear Minister of Justice, to get permission to seize the property. The Minister of Justice wouldn't handle such petty business himself; he'd shuffle it off to one of his secretaries, and there are at least a dozen of them. The secretary would pass it on to one of his clerks, and there are hundreds of those. As a mere guard captain, I couldn't approach the Minister; he wouldn't give me an appointment—at least not for months, not without a substantial bribe of money or information to interest him."
"I suppose the possibility of the bombard wouldn't be information enough," Sulun groaned.
"Indeed not. He's not interested in things military anyway, looks down on soldiers, considers himself something of a pacifist." Zeren drained his cup and refilled it with half-watered wine. "Of course, that's a fashionable attitude uphill. Folks there can afford enough guards that they need never take a weapon in hand to defend themselves. They assume everyone can do the same."
"Ye gods!" Sulun tugged at his hair. "Are all the wealthy and powerful so brainless?"
"Damn near." Zeren munched absently on a cucumber slice. "That means I'll have to go from secretary to secretary to learn which one got the appeal from the creditors. Hmmm, just as well that Shibari was a noble; if he'd been a common man with common debts, the writ would have gone straight to some minor clerk, and stayed there. Then I'd have to question my way through all several hundred of them, which could take weeks."
"Weeks?"
"If not months. Then again, such a search would be cheap; as a captain of the city guards, I'd have enough power to bully the clerks into giving me the list without having to pay them anything. As it is, I'll have to work my way through a dozen or so secretaries, which should take no more than a day or two. However, I don't outrank that sort; I'll have to pay some sort of bribe: money, or lucrative information, or the promise of possible money to be gained otherwise by helping me. Now, I'm not wealthy enough to bribe a dozen secretaries, and the gods know how many I'll have to go through before I find the one who has, or had, the list."
Sulun rested his head on his hands, and swore.
"Perhaps just the gratitude, and potential favor of a guard captain would be enough to content
them. I wouldn't rely on that alone, though." Zeren leaned forward and fixed Sulun with an intent look. "What sweetening can I offer, what information that would seem valuable to a city courtier, a secretary in the Ministry of Justice? You'll have to tell me. I'm a soldier, and no politician, and I have no idea what that sort would believe."
"Good gods, how would I know?" Sulun groaned. "I'm no courtier, only a philosopher. Petty nobles are as alien to me as they are to you."
"Money and power," Yanados murmured in the taut silence. "They all chase after money and power. How might giving you the list repay some secretary in money and power? Think hard."
"Money and power? Out of the creditors?" Doshi asked, scratching his blond stubble. "Well, any of them has more of either, now, than Shibari does."
"Thieves," Arizun spat, as emphatically as any adult. "Hmmm. Maybe a falling out among thieves? A little thief holding out on a big thief? And the big chief offering a reward . . . Damn, no, that would still require money—which we don't have."
"Still," Sulun considered, "you may have an idea there."
* * *
Zeren strolled through the Hall of Records, Division of the Ministry of Justice, with his polished parade armor clashing softly. The loftily impassive look on his face was beginning to slip into grim boredom, despite his best efforts. He'd been through three secretaries so far, was on his way to see the fourth, and already devoutly wished he were out in the clean stink of the streets. At least by now, he had his carefully rehearsed lines as well memorized as any actor in the city could do. He pushed open the fourth ornate door of the day.
"Guard Captain Zeren Roshi's-son, to see His Lordship, Master Secretary Yidar Fiblen's-son." That part he could practically do in his sleep, especially the salute.
"Indeed?" The wizened petty noble behind the wide table had a manner reminiscent of a lizard. It matched his face and hands, if not his overdecorated robe. "Er, do sit down, Captain."
Stage two: getting comfortable already. A good sign. Zeren sat with an unfeigned sigh of relief, and rubbed a little obviously at his knee. "Ah, thank you. Good to get off my feet."
"Some refreshments, Captain?" the master secretary offered, reaching into a closely placed, and well-stocked, wine cabinet.
Wine already? Better and better. This interview might go quickly. "Don't mind if I do." Hmm, well-made goblets, and not a bad vintage. "Thank you much. This is a finer wine than a poor soldier's used to."
"And may I inquire what brings you to my office? No problems with any escaped prisoners, I hope?"
Ah, so that was his worry. Possibly worth looking into later. "Oh no, nothing like that. It's this matter of Shibari's estate, and his creditors. No doubt you heard of what happened last night?"
"Oh, of course. Tragic business—and so unnecessary." Yidar leaned closer, much like a lizard creeping up on a fly. "Were any of the, er, strongboxes recovered?"
Better and better. "That's exactly the problem, Master Secretary." Now put down the cup and fix the old reptile with an eagle-eyed stare. "We have reason to believe the fire was indeed deliberately set, but not by Shibari himself." Which indeed it wasn't. Poor Nanya.
"No?" Ah, see him hesitate, slowly ease back, uncertain.
"No, indeed." Very stern now. "We suspect that the fire was set as a diversion, by one of Shibari's creditors who had entered the house earlier and found what he wanted."
"Good gods." The master secretary plumped back into his seat, thinking that over.
"Yes. I suspect that said creditor either found Shibari and his family already dead or else . . ." Pause ominously. " . . . helped them prematurely into that state—and then searched the house at his leisure."
"W-what—" How breathlessly eager! "What do you think he found?"
"Considerably more than enough money and valuables to recover his loan." Now smile, grimly. "I suspect he discovered where Shibari's real treasure might be found—and determined to keep it all to himself." Now wait, watch for his reaction.
"Good gods!" the secretary spluttered. "You don't think I had anything to do with that, do you?"
Better than we'd hoped! But keep calm. "Certainly not. You weren't one of Shibari's creditors—were you?"
"Absolutely not." The secretary smiled with reassured confidence. "I could show you the official listing of Shibari's creditors, if you like."
"Hmm, yes, I would like a copy of the listing, if you please." Don't seem too grateful for it, not yet.
"Nothing would be easier." Yidar scribbled briefly on a waxed tablet, then rang a small bell. Almost instantly, a well-trained clerk came in. The master secretary shoved the tablet at him. "Go fetch this document and have it copied, quickly."
The clerk bowed and left. Yidar settled back into his chair. Studying his smile, Zeren would have bet his commission just then that this particular master secretary was skimming sizable sums somewhere out of the Ministry of Justice. Independent debt-recovering, perhaps? Or was it something to do with those missing prisoners he'd mentioned? Worth checking into later.
"Could you tell me, Captain," Yidar leaned forward again, "just how you intend to find . . . the miscreant?"
Now. Drop it now. "I myself was at Shibari's house last night, first making some sort of order out of the crowd of creditors demanding justice and afterward organizing the fire brigade. I had much opportunity, as you can guess, to see just who was present at the front gate when the fire broke out." A grim smile again. "I intend to go visit everyone on this little list of yours and see which ones I recognize on sight—and which one I don't."
"Er, don't?"
"My dear Master Secretary, it must be obvious that whoever was inside setting the fire could not have been outside at the front gate."
"Ah! Process of Elimination!" Yidar seemed terribly proud of using that term. Clearly he'd had some tutoring in proper logic and rhetoric, as befitting a gentleman. "Hmmm, and tell me, once you identify the miscreant, what then will you do with him?"
Oho, see him sniffing the bait! "Why, bind him over for trial, of course." Now shrug, look unconcerned. "I leave it to persons more skilled than myself in such matters to extract confessions."
"And to discover the whereabouts of Shibari's treasure?"
Bait taken! "Certainly. It's most important that the debts be settled."
"But you have no idea of the whereabouts, or nature, or total amount of the treasure?"
See the gears engage, as Sulun would put it. "None whatever." Shrug again. "But then, that's not my department. My business is to catch the thief—and possible murderer—and hand him over to the Emperor's justice. Let others do the clerical work; I'm a guardsman."
"Yes indeed." Yidar smirked. "And a most dedicated one, too."
See him thinking: what a fool, what a dumb clod of a soldier. May the gods help any of Shibari's creditors who fall into the hands of the Ministry of Justice for the next year or more. This lizard will borrow the Emperor's own torturer if he must, hunting for treasure.
Who would believe that Shibari's only surviving treasure is Sulun? Sulun and Omis, and their cleverness, and what they might yet create to save all of Sabis, and more.
The clerk knocked discreetly at the door, then tiptoed in and handed over a short document with its ink still wet. Yidar took it and studied it, frowning in concentration.
"Let me see the original, for accuracy," he snapped.
The clerk look offended, but handed over another, longer parchment.
The master secretary looked from one to the other, and smiled. "There, you see?" he said, displaying them both to Zeren. "All the names and addresses and amounts are there, as is the complaint. It lacks only the clerk's statement and seal."
Zeren was careful to take the copy without snatching at it. "Hmm, yes. I see I'll have a lot of walking and interviewing to do." Gods, yes, there were a lot of them. "Thank you greatly for your help, Master Secretary. I'll remember it."
"Your gratitude is my reward," Yidar almost purred. "You will keep me
informed of the progress of your investigation, won't you?"
"I'll certainly let you know when I've caught the wretch," Zeren promised, easing out of his chair. "Now, seeing how many faces I have to go study, I'd best get on with it. Thank you once again for your invaluable help." He clasped arms formally with the master-secretary, (noting that his arms felt like lizard-skin, too) rolled up the document, and left as quickly as he could.
A single glimpse back from the corridor showed that Yidar was studying the document, memorizing the names of Shibari's creditors, already trying to guess which one of them knew the secret of the dead noble's missing wealth.
Zeren hurried down the corridor, out of the Hall of Records, into the clean city air.
CHAPTER SIX
Idleness was too much a burden for any of them. Vari vented her impatience by marshalling a cleaning-party to dust and scrub Zeren's house. The housekeeper beat a hasty retreat to the tiny kitchen garden. Omis got the duty of marshalling the small children, which was exhausting enough to keep him from undue worry. Arizun and Yanados went out to ply Arizun's old trade of fortune-telling; with a little luck, and the credulity of the average Sabisan citizen, they might charm up enough money to purchase a decent dinner. They would certainly pick up an earful of the latest news about Shibari's creditors and the hunt for the missing servants. Doshi took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep—until Omis, worn out with babysitting, woke him up and gave him the job instead. The children, finding out that Doshi was wonderfully teasable, enjoyed him immensely. Teigi, clinging fiercely to her new purpose and identity, practiced—with variable results—disguising herself as a boy. She insisted on being called Ziya now, and a single scuffle with Tamiri convinced the smaller child of two things: the point was not arguable and Ziya was not safe to tease.
Sulun inspected and reinspected the gear saved from Shibari's house, wandered about Zeren's spartan rooms for a time, then went to commiserate with Omis about being skilled craftsmen bereft of their tools.
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