Treachery's Tools

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  “Have there been any threats against the Collegium, or has anyone made any statements that would have greatly offended anyone?” asked Obsolym. The use of the word “anyone” was a courtesy, since everyone knew that only Alastar could have made any statements, offensive or otherwise.

  “Not that I’m aware. I’ve made no statements to the factors, High Holders, or Rex Lorien about any of the problems facing them, except that the Collegium is interested in a solution fair to all.”

  “Some High Holders might interpret that as being against their interests,” offered Arion.

  “That’s possible,” replied Alastar. “The High Council met yesterday, but I’ve not heard any word about what they discussed or proposed. In all likelihood, there will be more petitions or appeals of rulings made by justicers against High Holders. There appears to be a concentrated effort by a number of High Holders to reclaim privileges and rights they believe they had prior to the imposition of the Codex Legis by the first Rex Regis, and especially to remove themselves from the jurisdiction of the justicers except to settle disputes between High Holders. So far, Rex Lorien has not acted on any of the petitions.”

  “That sounds like they want each High Holder to be rex over his holding,” observed Shaelyt.

  “It appears that way,” agreed Alastar.

  After a moment of silence, Tiranya asked, “Are those High Holders acting on their own, or is the High Council behind this?”

  “It’s possible, even likely, but we don’t have any proof. What is clear is that a number of High Holders want to keep the factors subservient. The factors are getting tired of being discriminated against, and a number of them likely have a greater stockpile of golds than do many High Holders.”

  “Are you suggesting that the High Holders are trying to escape their debts by getting the rex to invalidate the Codex?” asked Arion.

  “Not all High Holders, but enough to cause more than a little trouble. We’ll need to watch this closely.” Alastar wasn’t about to get into the squabbles between the sins of High Holders and factors at the gaming table, not unless that situation worsened. He turned to Gaellen. “Have any more students come down with the green flux?”

  “Only one more. So far.”

  “Good.”

  The remainder of the meeting dealt with more mundane matters, such as the cleanliness of the rooms used for instructionals, and ended in less than a quint.

  As soon as Alastar left the conference room and returned to his study. Maercyl appeared in the doorway to the anteroom. “Oestyl just returned, Maitre. Factor Elthyrd would be more than pleased to see you at his factorage at first glass.”

  “Thank you, Maercyl. If you’d arrange for my mount and escorts at half before the glass.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Almost another glass passed, and there had still been no messages from Lorien, and that worried Alastar a great deal, even as he concentrated on checking the progress of the various primes and seconds, and the reports from the maitres who instructed them. Just before ninth glass Maercyl brought in a sealed envelope.

  “It’s from Factor Estafen, the messenger said.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alastar opened the missive and began to read.

  Maitre Alastar—

  I apologize for the haste of this message. I have not the time to make it precise and neat. I’ve just received word that Factor Hulet was killed his morning when he went to see High Holder Laevoryn at Laevoryn’s town dwelling here in L’Excelsis.

  I do not know the circumstances. I do know that one of the missing young men was Enrique D’Hulet. He was Hulet’s nephew and ward. Hulet was his guardian. Word is that Laevoryn’s son lost over 200 golds to Enrique on Mardi evening at Alamara’s. Later that night Enrique vanished.

  Patrol Commander Murranyt is on his way to ascertain what happened. I thought you should know immediately.

  Estafen D’Factorius

  Alastar reread the short note, then looked to Maercyl. “Send for Maitre Cyran immediately.”

  Cyran must have been nearby, because he stepped into the study within moments. “Was another factor’s son snatched?”

  It’s worse than that.” Alastar handed the note to the Maitre D’Esprit. “You can read for yourself.”

  “You’re right,” said Cyran when he handed the single sheet back to Alastar. “What do you need from me?”

  “In about a glass, I’d like you to try to find out from Murranyt just what happened between Hulet and Laevoryn—or what Laevoryn claims occurred. See if you can discover what the commander thinks happened as well.”

  “You don’t think that will be the same?”

  “Do you?”

  With a sardonic smile on his lips, Cyran shook his head.

  “I’m guessing from what Estafen wrote and from what Hulet said yesterday that Laevoryn’s son snatched and likely killed Hulet’s nephew and that Hulet confronted Laevoryn and that Laevoryn killed the factor. There’s also the possibility that Laevoryn somehow ruined the missing nephew’s father. Hulet was fond of the young man. I could tell that from the way he acted when he reported his disappearance.”

  “Do you know anything about High Holder Laevoryn?”

  “Outside of what I’ve told you? No. If you can find out more, that would be good.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thank you.”

  Once Cyran had left, Alastar made quick visits to talk to Thelia and Obsolym, but neither could add any information about either Enrique D’Hulet or High Holder Laevoryn.

  Noergyn and Coermyd were waiting with the gray gelding when Alastar left the administration building. After crossing the east bridge, the three headed south on the East River Road and covered the distance of somewhat less than a mille to Elthyrd’s factorage in little more than a quint and a half. When he reined up before the small central building flanked by large two-story warehouses, Alastar was reminded just how close the factorage was to the water, although the barges tied to wharves were empty, as if they’d been recently unloaded or were about to be loaded.

  After dismounting, he handed the gelding’s reins to Coermyd, then walked into the small building. Once inside, he stood for several moments before Elthyrd appeared.

  “You’re early.”

  “There weren’t as many wagons on the East River Road.”

  Elthyrd gestured toward a doorway to the right and behind the long counter.

  The two entered the spare study that held little more than a table desk, a small bookcase, and chairs, two before the desk and one behind it. Elthyrd settled behind the desk. “You asked for this meeting.”

  “I did. Have you heard from Estafen this morning?”

  “Yes.” Elthyrd’s voice was wary.

  “About Hulet?”

  “You asked for the meeting before I found out. How did you know?”

  “I didn’t. I asked for the meeting before I knew. I was worried that Hulet was going to have problems. He stormed out of my study yesterday because I wouldn’t immediately do something about his nephew’s disappearance.”

  “He didn’t always think before he acted. I warned him about that when he became chief factor … told him there were times to act and times to wait. Have to know the difference between those times.”

  “What do you think the Factors’ Council will do next?”

  “We’ll meet tomorrow. I can’t say what will happen. There are a lot of hard feelings building.” Elthyrd paused. “What will the Collegium do? What will you tell Lorien?”

  “That there are hard feelings building.” And that the High Holders are asking for trouble.

  “That’s all?”

  Alastar laughed softly. “Of course not, but I’m not about to advise him on what to do beyond denying the various petitions High Holders have made to attempt to exempt themselves from all laws except those laid down by themselves on their own holdings.”

  “They’ve actually petitioned Lorien on that?”

&n
bsp; “They haven’t been quite that direct. There are several petitions dealing with exempting them from justice decisions requiring them to pay factors and…” Alastar paused as he saw Elthyrd stiffen. “Hulet didn’t mention that to you?”

  “He only said that they were trying to weasel out of their debts.”

  “They’re also trying to extend their privileges of low justice to include capital and major offenses so that the only disputes involving High Holders that would come before any justice would be those between High Holders and those could only be determined by the High Justicer.”

  “I would suggest, Maitre, that you demand Lorien deny those petitions.”

  “As we both know, it will just delay matters and make it harder if I demand anything. I would prefer to advise him on what would happen if he approved those petitions. One almost immediate result would be that scores of factors would be unable to pay significant amounts of their tariffs to him because they cannot collect just debts from High Holders. I might even be able to suggest that he should revise the Codex Legis to require forfeiture of lands and property held by High Holders for failure to pay debts.”

  “I’ll leave the details to you, Maitre, but the factors of Solidar won’t stand for the kind of high-handed arrogance that the High Holders are engaging in. We do have our ways of making that known.”

  “What? Close all the exchanges to High Holders?”

  “That would only be the beginning. They’re not nearly as self-sufficient as they think they are.”

  “Can I hint at that to Lorien?”

  “Whatever will get him to listen.”

  Alastar nodded. “One other question. I’ve heard that Vaschet has received orders for a rather large quantity of rifles. Do you know anything about that?”

  “Not directly. We did sell him some fine grade walnut several months ago, in Mayas, I recall.”

  “For rifle stocks?”

  “Walnut’s used for cabinetry mostly, but since Vaschet isn’t in the cabinetry trade…”

  “Do you have any idea who’s buying the rifles?”

  “I asked him why he wanted walnut. His answer was ‘Because I do.’ I didn’t press.”

  Alastar chuckled. “With an answer like that, I wouldn’t push, either. Is there anything else I should know?”

  “Can’t think of anything at the moment. I know where to find you if I do.”

  Alastar stood. “Thank you.”

  “More than welcome. Try and get Lorien to be reasonable.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Elthyrd walked out of the factorage with Alastar and watched as the imagers rode away and back toward Imagisle. By a quint before second glass, Alastar was back in his study.

  No messages had come from either the High Council or Lorien, and that was anything but good. Cyran did not return until two quints past third glass, by which time Alastar was getting more worried, not so much about Cyran, who could certainly take care of himself, but about what the delay portended.

  “What did you find out?” asked Alastar, standing as soon as Cyran entered the study.

  “It’s as bad as you thought. Maybe worse.” Cyran settled into the middle chair. “Murranyt asked … well, he demanded that I tell no one but you and requested that you keep the information to yourself for now.”

  Alastar nodded as he reseated himself. That meant what Murranyt thought had occurred was not what Laevoryn had told him.

  “High Holder Laevoryn claimed that Hulet forced his way into Laevoryn’s mansion and attacked him. Laevoryn shot Hulet in self-defense. That’s what he told Murranyt.”

  “Did Hulet have any weapons?”

  “Murranyt didn’t know. Hulet was shot from above, because Laevoryn claimed he had to retreat partway up the staircase because of Hulet’s vehemence.”

  “Because Hulet forced his way in, no one is going to challenge that claim.”

  “Murranyt didn’t say that.”

  “He doesn’t have to. The High Holders will stand behind Laevoryn. Lorien isn’t about to pick a fight with the High Holders over something like this. It’s going to enrage the factors. Elthyrd as much as said that. He knew about the killing, but not the circumstances. When he finds out from Estafen the rest of what happened, he’ll likely be even more furious.”

  Cyran raised his eyebrows.

  “According to Hulet, who is the missing young man’s guardian as well as his uncle, Enrique was swindled out of his patrimony by Laevoryn or his father. Hulet also hinted that Enrique had won a sum from Laevoryn’s son just before his nephew disappeared. Estafen’s note said the sum was two hundred golds.”

  “That’s an enormous sum to be wagered.”

  “But it’s a pittance to a High Holder. Sums like that change hands every night at Alamara’s.” At the same time, Alastar recalled that Factoria Kathila had told him that Laevoryn was one of the less well-off High Holders, and he wondered if Laevoryn was also one who owed Estafen golds.

  “But a son losing that much to a factor’s ward, not even a son…?”

  “It’s more likely the scorn the son would face, both from his peers and his father, that he’d been so badly bested by a mere merchant brat. I doubt we’ll ever know whether that played a part.” You might discover if Laevoryn is one of those hovering on the brink of ruin. “Did you find out anything more about Laevoryn?”

  “Murranyt was surprised by the house. It’s expansive enough, he said, but it’s in an older area north of the Boulevard D’Este. Laevoryn doesn’t believe High Holders should engage in commerce. He made some comment that his family wasn’t about to soil their hands by stooping to factoring or manufacturing, and that no mere grain factor was going to get away with attacking him.”

  “Anything else?”

  “I talked to Heisyt later, but he didn’t know anything, except there had been word that young Laevoryn spent a lot of time at Alamara’s and wasn’t that good at either plaques or bones. He did even worse at Tydaael’s. He also said it wasn’t a death worth looking into, not over a pair of spoiled brats’ gaming.”

  “It sounds like Murranyt doesn’t want a fight with a High Holder. I can’t totally blame him. Even if Laevoryn’s son was a natural gaming dupe, and likely Enrique couldn’t resist the temptation of fleecing him. Not when his uncle had probably made him well aware of how his father had lost everything.”

  “Have you heard anything from our beloved Rex Lorien?”

  “Not a word. If I don’t hear anything by tomorrow morning, I’ll have to ride to the chateau and chase him down, if I can. Sending messages that I want to see him is worse than useless when he doesn’t want to see me, and I’m not about to put what I need to tell him in ink.”

  “I can see that,” replied Cyran.

  Immediately after the senior imager left, Akoryt appeared, just to let Alastar know that a small holder from the east of L’Excelsis had appeared with his eleven-year-old son, who was clearly an imager, and that he’d apprise Alastar of the boy’s talents in a day or so.

  Alyna arrived in the study at two quints past fourth glass. “How was your day, dear?”

  “Outside of the fact that the chief factor was shot and killed after bursting into High Holder Laevoryn’s mansion, or that the reason he did was that Laevoryn’s son likely murdered Hulet’s beloved nephew because the nephew fleeced young Laevoryn at bones? Or that the factors are ready to do something drastic against the High Holders? Or that Lorien’s likely dithering over the High Holder petitions? Or that there’s no trace of poor Frydrek? Not too bad, otherwise. And I’ve probably skipped over a few things. How was yours?”

  “Only moderately exasperating. Some seconds who still don’t want to learn basic geometry, and two thirds who burst into tears whenever I suggest that they should have known the answers to the questions I asked. One boy and one girl, by the way.” Alyna sat down in the chair closest to the window. “Now … tell me all the details you left out.”

  Alastar did, and what he said took more
than two quints before Lystara and Malyna appeared in the doorway.

  “… and it’s just a matter of time…” He broke off when he saw the two girls.

  “What’s just a matter of time, Father?”

  “What happens after what has been a very long day. Speaking of time, we should be heading home for a good dinner.”

  “You always leave us out of the interesting parts.”

  “You’ll find out why when you get older.” Because the interesting parts are the ones that are often dangerous.

  Lystara looked from Alastar to her mother and then back to Alastar. “Will you tell us then?”

  “Yes.”

  “How much older do we have to be?”

  “When you’re a maitre on your own.”

  “Father … that won’t be for years.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Your father’s right,” Alyna said firmly but quietly. “It’s time to go. You two can lead the way.”

  Neither Alastar nor Alyna said anything as they left the administration building and walked through the damp heat of the late afternoon up the west side of the double avenue on which the cottages for married maitres were located. The tall trees shading the stone-paved road kept the sun off them, but Alastar was still sweating within moments of leaving the building. He concentrated on trying to hear the conversation between the two girls.

  “… always does that.”

  “So do my parents,” replied Malyna. “I wish I could do concealments like you can.”

  “Father and Mother would know. They always know.”

  Alastar smiled to himself. That feeling wouldn’t last.

  Zaerlyn rose from where he had been sitting on the east side of the front porch as the four walked toward the steps. “This evening I won’t keep you waiting.”