Treachery's Tools

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  In the course of his departure, Subcommander Hehnsyn also removed close to 1,000 of the spare heavy rifles and a considerable amount of ammunition. Both battalions marched south. Scouts report that they appear to be continuing along the river road in the direction of Caluse.

  Caluse? As soon as he thought the question, Alastar was afraid he knew the answer, but he wasn’t about to say anything until he had confirmation from Wilkorn.

  Following our discussion this past Mardi, Vice Marshal Vaelln and I began a thorough review of procurements and transfers of field officers over the past year and a half. It appears that the majority of field grade officers and company commanders in the two battalions are either junior sons of or otherwise related to various High Holders. I would not have considered the matter earlier, but it appears the fact that Commander Aestyn is the second son of High Holder Breussyrd may also bear on the gravity of the situation.

  Aestyn—the commander who requisitioned a thousand more rifles—and who is in command of the post at Ferravyl? The more Alastar was discovering, the less he liked the picture that information was painting.

  The remaining two battalions here at headquarters remain completely loyal, and we stand ready to support the rex in any fashion that we can. I trust you will convey this to him, since I felt using your services might be more reliable.

  When he finished reading, Alastar handed the sheet to Lorien.

  The rex read through it, his face seemingly flushing more with each word. “This … it’s outrageous! How could they…?”

  “You’re the one who ordered Wilkorn not to replace Hehnsyn … as I recall,” said Alastar icily.

  Lorien glared again, but did not speak.

  “You’re fortunate,” Alastar said calmly. “If that cannon shell had not exploded at the Chateau D’Council, I expect that both those battalions would have arrived here to reinforce those shooters. That was likely the original plan.”

  “Why are they heading to Caluse?”

  “To join up with the regiment commanded by Aestyn at Ferravyl and the other rebels, likely already on the way from Ferravyl … and to make use of all those stolen rifles … and the thousand others Aestyn requisitioned earlier this year, supposedly for maintenance purposes. If I’m counting correctly, the rebels are backed by a considerable number of High Holders and have no less than three thousand trained troopers armed with heavy rifles and heavy rifles enough to equip another two thousand men.”

  “I told you that the High Holders were nothing but trouble,” declared Lorien.

  “And I agreed with you, and suggested that you not give into them.”

  “What good did that do?”

  “It may have hurried their plans and resulted in the death of four of the chief conspirators, among other things.”

  “That’s not enough.”

  “It’s better than their being able to cause more trouble,” Alastar pointed out.

  “If you don’t have anything else to add, I’ve had enough trials for today.”

  Alastar didn’t argue, but inclined his head, then turned and left the study.

  When Alastar stepped out through the main entry of the chateau, a Solidaran officer stepped forward and inclined his head. “Maitre Alastar … Major Luerryn. We’ve deployed two companies to protect the rex and the chateau. Marshal Wilkorn sends his apologies for not being here personally, but he suffered a broken arm and some formidable bruises in the explosions.”

  “I’m very glad you’re here, Major. The marshal’s letter indicated that the rebel battalions were headed south. Is that still the case?”

  “We believe so. We’ve posted scouts well south of L’Excelsis on the West River Road that leads to Caluse to alert us in the event that changes.”

  “I appreciate that. I’m certain that Rex Lorien will as well.”

  “Is there anything else you’d suggest, sir?”

  “Not at the moment. Now that you and your men are here, we’ll be returning to Imagisle. If you need assistance of the kind we can provide, don’t hesitate to send a messenger.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  When Alastar reached the bottom of the steps and then mounted, Cyran looked at him inquisitively.

  “We’re heading back to see what else has happened.” And what else you’ve overlooked. There had to be aspects of what happened that Alastar didn’t know or had overlooked because even two regiments of rebels weren’t enough to overthrow Lorien, and whoever was behind the rebellion had to have known that. Alastar also had the sinking feeling that he might just have played into their hands by killing the four councilors.

  How could you have known? Because it was too obvious? Too easy?

  He turned the gelding eastward and started down the stone drive toward the ring road, half-dreading what might be waiting for him at the Collegium.

  23

  When Alastar finally reined up outside the administration building on Jeudi afternoon, it was already two quints past fifth glass, and he found Alyna striding out to meet him even before he began to dismount.

  “Are you all right?” she asked immediately.

  “I’m fine. A bit sore.” And that’s an understatement. Alastar wouldn’t have been as sharp as he was, he suspected, if he hadn’t drunk the entire second water bottle of dark lager on the way back from the chateau.

  She studied him intently. “You’re stiff. I can see that, but your eyes aren’t pink. That’s good.”

  “I was good. I managed to drink my lager. What about you?”

  “No more attacks since we routed the riflemen in midafternoon.”

  “Good.” Alastar turned to Cyran. “Since there haven’t been any more attacks here, have everyone ride to the stables, and then return here for a brief meeting. Oh, and gather as many senior maitres as you can find.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Ah … would you mind taking the gelding and have the ostlers unsaddle and groom him.”

  Cyran laughed. “I think we can manage that.”

  “Thank you.” Alastar handed over the reins, then turned back to Alyna. “We might as well walk to the conference room.”

  “We can. Now … what happened at the chateau?”

  “Not as much as could have…” From there Alastar gave her a brief account of all that had happened, as well as what he had learned from Wilkorn’s message and from Major Luerryn, ending up with, “All that suggests an effort well planned by a High Holder not on the High Council.”

  “By someone who at least half-expected the possibility of you removing the High Council,” replied Alyna. “That means they’ve thought this through. They may even have wanted the council removed because that would leave the High Holders leaderless … and willing to follow whoever was ready to lead.”

  “Which means I’ve been set up.” Again.

  “Removing Cransyr and that lot wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to Solidar,” commented Alyna dryly as they walked toward the administration building.

  “No … but it suggests that our real problems may be just beginning.”

  “There’s another aspect to that,” Alyna said slowly. “Bettaur is missing. So is Ashkyr.”

  Alastar just raised his eyebrows. He wasn’t totally surprised, not the way matters had revealed themselves over the past few days. But Bettaur? Right now? “Are you certain he left? That something didn’t happen to him?”

  “Two horses and riding gear are missing.”

  “Why would he go now?”

  “It has to have something to do with this revolt. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  “When do you think he left?” Alastar opened the door for Alyna.

  “Sometime soon after you did. Petros noticed the extra mounts were missing, and he came and asked how many imagers were with you. It took about a glass to discover who wasn’t accounted for.”

  “You think his asking to be transferred to Westisle was just a blind of some sort?”

  “It could be…”
r />   “Have you talked to Linzya?”

  “Only briefly. I thought it might be better if we both did. She didn’t know that he was gone until I told her.”

  “After the meeting, then.” Alastar turned and walked to the table desk in the alcove off the entry foyer where the duty maitre or the secondus assisting him was always posted after fifth glass. He recognized Davour. “Where’s Maitre Chervyt?”

  “He’s eating, sir. He said he’d be back in less than a quint.”

  “When he gets back, I’ll need you to find Tertia Linzya. Maitre Alyna and I would like a few words with her in my study around sixth glass.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Thank you.”

  Alastar and Alyna continued on, walking down the corridor and then into the anteroom and on into Alastar’s study, where he took off his visor cap and set it on the corner of his desk. “How are the girls?”

  “They’re fine. They’re at the house.” Alyna tilted her head. “Do you think that Breussyrd or Caervyn were the ones who masterminded the revolt?”

  “I haven’t met either, so all I can say is they’re certainly a part of it. I’d wager there are others, including Ryel, most likely.” Alastar had no ideas about who anyone else might be, but he had the feeling that there were indeed others. “We can wait in the conference room.” Leaving his cap on the desk, he walked to the door from his study, opening it for Alyna, and then following her into the chamber and standing beside the chair at the head of the table.

  Before long, somewhat more than a quint after Alastar had returned to the administration building, Cyran and Akoryt appeared, followed by Tiranya. Within moments, all the senior imagers, with the exception of Gaellen, were seated around the conference table.

  “Does anyone know where Gaellen is?” asked Alastar.

  “He’s in the infirmary,” said Tiranya. “One of the juniors fell out of the hayloft in the stables and broke some bones.”

  “Then we might as well begin. I know today has been a long day. Tomorrow will be as well. The first thing in the morning I’ll be taking a small group of maitres back to the Chateau D’Council to see what else we can discover there. Arion, Khaelis, I’d like you two to accompany me, along with two Maitres D’Aspect with strong shields.” He turned to Akoryt. “Perhaps Belsior and Taurek?”

  “Seliora actually has the strongest shields of the Maitres D’Aspect besides Taurek.”

  “Then Seliora and Taurek. Cyran, I’d like you and a strong third of your choice to find Factor Elthyrd and escort him to the Chateau D’Council to meet us there. Tell him it’s a matter of extreme interest to the Factors’ Council. Don’t accept his attempts to decline, and tell him that I told you that. If need be, put shields around him and bring him unwillingly.” Alastar cleared his throat. “For those of you who haven’t heard, a company of riflemen besieged the Chateau D’Rex, and two battalions of army troopers revolted and have left L’Excelsis, presumably to meet up with other rebel army units coming from Ferravyl in support of a revolt led by High Holders. In addition, Bettaur and Ashkyr and two mounts are missing. They apparently left almost immediately after the last of the attackers here fled. Does anyone know why they might have departed.” Alastar looked around the table.

  There were only headshakes.

  “If anyone discovers anything about that let me, Cyran, or Alyna know. For the time being, no one is to leave Imagisle without informing me or Maitre Cyran.” He paused again. “Is there anything I should know? Any questions?”

  “What should we do with those iron shields the riflemen left behind?” asked Taryn. “Petros carted them into the storage yard behind the factorage.”

  “They belong to us. So do the rifles they left behind. The rifles go to the armory, if they aren’t there already. The iron shields can be used any way that makes sense, but, again, see me or Maitre Thelia about it before you do.” Alastar rose. “That’s all for this evening. The group with me will leave no later than seventh glass tomorrow morning.”

  Linzya was waiting in the anteroom when Alastar and Alyna left the conference room.

  Alastar could see traces of red in her eyes. “If you’d come into the study. We need to talk to you. It shouldn’t take too long.”

  “It’s about Bettaur … isn’t it?”

  Alastar nodded, stepping aside and motioning for her to enter the study, where Alyna was rearranging the three chairs that were normally lined up before the desk into an arc. Linzya hesitated, then took the chair on the end closest to the window. Alyna took the chair beside her, leaving Alastar the chair most directly facing Linzya.

  “You know Bettaur has left the Collegium,” Alastar began. “It’s likely he took a mount and that Tertius Ashkyr went with him.”

  “I heard that.”

  “Did he say anything to you recently that might have suggested why he left?”

  “About a week ago, he asked me if I’d mind if we went to the Collegium in Westisle. I told him that if that was what he wanted, it was fine with me. He asked me not to tell anyone because he was going to ask you, and he didn’t want anyone else to know.”

  “Did he say why he wanted to go?” asked Alyna gently.

  “He said he was tired of the senior maitres looking at him as if he’d done something wrong. He also said he would have been a Maitre D’Structure already, like Maitre Arion, if things were fair.”

  “Did he ever say why he thought things weren’t fair?” asked Alastar.

  “No, sir. It had to be the problems he had with Taurek years ago. He didn’t mention it, and it wasn’t my place … I mean, if I brought it up, he’d think that I was…” Linzya swallowed, then snuffled. “He’s always been so good and kind to me. He taught me how to speak better, and how to write a real letter. He’s always been gentle … I didn’t want ever to say anything that would hurt him.…”

  “What about the last few days?” asked Alyna. “Did he say anything that might have indicated he was disturbed or upset?”

  “I don’t remember anything like that. I really don’t.”

  “Did he say anything about Tertius Ashkyr?”

  “He did say he understood how Ashkyr felt. He said he intended to do what he could to help him through his troubles.”

  “Did Bettaur go out much in the evenings?”

  “Almost every night. He’d go out at night and practice. Sometimes so late that I was asleep when he got back. Sometimes not.”

  “Practice?” asked Alastar. “Imaging?”

  Linzya nodded. “I followed him the first few times. It was stupid of me. He went to the south end of Imagisle. He stood there. He did things like imaging fire on the water. He imaged water from the river into a block … and let it fall, except there was ice on the water, and it all splintered away.”

  “You didn’t keep following him then?” asked Alyna.

  “I did for the first few days, but not after that. He was so dedicated. He said he needed to be as strong an imager as anyone, and practicing was the only way.”

  “Did he go anywhere else at night?” asked Alastar. “Do you know?”

  Linzya hesitated, then finally said. “Sometimes … I think. One night he came back and his grays smelled like smoke … like at the inn when I was little. But most of the times he was practicing.”

  “How do you know that?” asked Alyna.

  “When he practiced, he’d smell … well, sweaty, and he’d drop into bed and be asleep almost before I could say a word to him. That’s how tired he was.”

  “Did you ever ask him where he’d been when he wasn’t practicing?” asked Alastar.

  “Not like that, sir. I did say that his grays smelled like he’d been to an inn that one time. He said he’d found out that the steward where he grew up was visiting his son, and he went to see him. He said he wished he hadn’t. I didn’t smell that smoke again.”

  “Has he been practicing ever since you were married?” Alyna smiled sympathetically.

  “Before that, I think. When
he was courting, he’d come to talk to me some nights, but other nights he’d say he had to practice imaging.”

  “Did you two ever leave Imagisle together, besides going to a bistro or places nearby?” asked Alastar.

  “Oh, yes. He was teaching me to ride. He made arrangements with Maitre Petros. He got me a real gentle mare. We’d ride mostly along the West River Road. One time we rode almost to this big mansion. He said it was the chateau where the High Holders met. He said it was too bad that imagers couldn’t live like that. I said we did all right, and that I felt safer on Imagisle. He said that if we lived in a chateau I’d feel just as safe.”

  “Did he say anything else about the chateau?”

  Linzya shook her head. “He told stories about the river and how he had a boat when he was a boy. He had a horse, too. He rode so well. I felt like I was bouncing. Well, at first. I got better. He said so, too.”

  “Was he any different this morning?” asked Alastar.

  “No, sir. He kissed me like always when I left for the imager factorage, and he said he’d see me later. But…” She shook her head, and her eyes brightened.

  Alyna glanced to Alastar.

  “I think that’s all we need to know, Linzya,” he said. “Thank you.” Alastar rose and looked to Alyna, who stood as well.

  “I’ll walk out with you,” Alyna said warmly.

  Alastar watched as the two left, wanting to shake his head. From all that Linzya had said, and from the way she had said it, Alastar had the feeling that Bettaur had indeed been an almost perfect loving husband. So why had he left? Had everything with Linzya been an act? Or …

  When Alyna returned, Alastar asked, “How is she?”

  “You know as well as I do, dearest.”

  “She’s incredibly upset and trying not to show it.”

  Alyna nodded.

  “So what do you think about Bettaur?”