Nexus of Change (Tasks of the Nakairi Book 2)

by K. E. Young

  "Yes. I believe Mero may be right." His eyes twinkled. "The term you were looking for is Edut-Naysiru. An Atlani name. In trade tongue, it translates to knowledge keeper. They are the keepers of the archives and libraries, but even more, they have a mandate to protect that knowledge and to increase it. Some spend their whole lives away from their libraries, roaming the world collecting books, or recording knowledge passed down through spoken word and song such as the stories of the Dogaren. They collect scraps of information and put the pieces together, making something new.

  "It requires knowledge of many subjects and even non-Drakkeni accord them great respect. Many consider Lady Sam a knowledge keeper for her work recording the histories of the Arboren and the stories of the Karthim, and Lady Sara for her work on the Mage-King archives. However, while they are called Edut-Naysiru, they are not. For them, the title is honorary. The training for an Edut-Naysiru is rigorous and they do not have it."

  I considered him intently, rubbing my lip with one finger. "And how can you be sure of that? Have you asked them?"

  A soft laugh rumbled from him. "I have. I was Edut-Naysiru before the Emperor assigned me to my current task. It's one of his reasons for choosing me. It gave me the respect needed for the role I took here. Respect I would not otherwise have earned yet among Drakkeni due to my youth. I spent time with both Sara and Sam recording their findings for the library."

  My mind reviewed the questions he had asked and the pieces fell together. "I'm going to hit him. Mero set me up. This was another job interview wasn't it?"

  Geran's eyes were merry. "It would seem so, although it was a surprise to both of us. He was correct though. You are Edut-Naysiru. I'll notify the council to add your name to our rolls."

  With that, he took back the chronicle and retied the intricate knot. Leaning back in his seat he eyed me for a moment, smiled, and said, "Our meeting did not progress the way I imagined, but I think I am glad for it. For the first time, I have real hope that Mero's darkness will fade. Thank you. If you have any questions or wish to go over the chronicle further, I will be available to you at any time."

  With that, he rose to his feet and left. I stared into the flames with my thoughts running in circles, trying to sort out my mixed feelings for a long time. The racket of one of the messenger boys running down the hallway outside roused me from my reflection. Focus, Kendra. You have too much to do.

  I determinedly rose to my feet and resumed the task waiting on Mero's desk.

  Chapter 8

  Day 6: 44th Day of Sanctuary, 3866

  When the bell rang for lunch I put aside the current stack of reports I was fiddling with and ran down to the dining hall. Mero hadn't shown up at the office and I wasn't certain if the council meeting was running long, or if he had gone back to his quarters.

  He showed up halfway through lunch, still in his carry chair. His pissed expression cleared when he spotted me.

  "Kendra! Just the person I was hoping to see. Have I ever mentioned how much I despise council meetings? What did Hanat say?"

  I swallowed the fruit I was chewing on, "Earth mage. He wants me to take lessons for two hours a day starting tomorrow morning. He says it's essential I learn quickly. A rather alarming thought to my mind."

  Mero nodded as he shifted from the carry chair to his normal seat and accepted the stool a servant brought for his leg. "Nakairi are always here for a reason. Hanat knows this well. He just wants to make sure you're prepared when the time comes. I wouldn't worry too much though. The Goddess brought you here because she knew you could do what no one else can.

  He directed a curious glance my way. "Before we get back to work, would you care to go back to my quarters and sort through your bags and see what you want put in the vault? Anything else you can just leave there since you'll be moving in permanently after the wedding."

  Yes! I could finally get my toothbrush! "Please. Some of the jewelry should be appropriate for tonight as well."

  We traipsed back to his quarters amid the low-voiced heckling of the guards. Some of their comments had Mero laughing helplessly despite his grumbled threats of retaliation. If was obvious that his relationship with his household was more like family than employer and employee.

  He directed me to the closet where he had stashed the sacks and handed me his keys. My keys were in my pouch to keep them safe so I didn't have to go back to my room for them. I unloaded the courier sacks and then dumped the contents of the backpack out on the rug in front of Mero's seat. He swore when he got a good look at it all. Grams had been wealthy and didn't trust banks. As a result, she kept the greater part of her wealth in the form of jewelry, precious metals, and gems.

  My brother had gotten the house, the furniture, and the cars while I got all the girly stuff. Unfortunately, the girly stuff was worth a whole lot more and he hadn't thought it was fair. Never mind that I had always been there for Grams while he had mostly ignored her. He hadn't even paid her back for the tuition money she had loaned him even though he could have easily afforded it. My brother was a schmuck.

  While I sorted my loot, Mero asked Koris to grab an empty chest from the treasury.

  It took the better part of fifteen minutes to sort through it all. I put it into piles I mentally labeled 'Keep', 'Store', 'Raw materials', and 'Get rid of it'. I didn't take much time considering each item. Most of this stuff was far more ornate than I was comfortable wearing. I prefer to wear little or no jewelry and when I do, I prefer that it be simple so there were only a handful of items in the keep pile. Most of them were snap judgements of 'pretty' or 'ugly'.

  The jewelry had originally been stored in individual cases but there had been nowhere near enough room in my bags for them so I had shipped the boxes separately. I hadn't wanted the jewelry where baggage handlers or mail carriers could 'lose' it and I definitely didn't want to give my brother the opportunity to redirect it. I hadn't trusted him since he stole the money Grams had sent me for my sixth birthday.

  Mero reached out as I was finishing up and snagged the antique gold, diamond, and pearl tiara I had just dropped on the 'Store' pile. "Was your family royalty?"

  "Not this generation. Some generations back though, yes. Most of my world has shifted to elected leadership so a royal or noble lineage doesn't get you anything special anymore. Everyone earns his or her rank regardless of birth. Mostly. Some buy it. My family can trace back over seventeen hundred years. My lineage includes some of the greatest warriors and statesmen my world has ever known. Kings, queens, emperors. Some who inherited the title, others who earned it on the battlefield." One of Gram's passions was genealogy.

  Mero's expression was equal parts impressed and doubtful. "Well. It appears that I'm marrying nobility. It makes no difference to me but it could make things easier for you here at court if they knew. Those members of the court who aren't dragonlords may be more willing to accept you. I would suggest that you wear this tonight. Only royal blood would wear a crown here and the fact this is neither new nor local will have weight. I've never seen anything like these stones."

  I nodded and explained pearl formation to him while I picked out a necklace, bracelets, and earrings that would go with the tiara. Fortunately, my gown for tonight was to be the ivory one trimmed with gold and teal. The gold and cream of the pearls would work well with it. The jewelry was a lot more ostentatious than I was comfortable with but fit with the dress and the occasion.

  Mero pointed me at a box in his dressing room I could use for the jewelry I wanted to keep out and wrote up an inventory of the items I wanted to store. I wrote up an inventory of the items that could be broken down or sold and the raw materials. When we were done, Mero loaded the chest up, including a bag holding the 'get rid of it' pile.

  When Koris had left with the chest, I unpacked my duffel. This time it wasn't jewelry, it was other items. Some inherited from Grams, others items she had been holding for me while I was in college but I hadn't retrieved yet. I had packed the duffel tight with carved hair sticks
of wood, metal, and stone, embroidered silk scarves, carved horn combs, and a silver-backed mirror & brushes, an embroidered black velvet cloak, and a few other small items including my precious toothbrush.

  There was also a stack of real saris, beaded and embroidered in gold, silver, and a variety of glass and semi-precious stones. One of them was an ombre chiffon in navy and white. I doubted that I could get away with wearing it to the party tonight instead of my court gown, but I wondered what Mero thought. There were also a few blouses and petticoats to go with the saris. I looked up at Mero with a grin, grabbed my choices and said, "I'll be right back," and ran into the bedroom.

  "Kendra, what are you doing?"

  "I thought I'd give you a taste of one of the countries from my birth world." I stripped and put on the blouse and petticoat. The sari took longer because precision was necessary. I remembered Gram's lessons on how to wrap several styles, but the Nivi style was my favorite. Gram's instructions had come in handy a time or two when I was in college dressing up for costume parties. I thought it was funny at the time to dress up in the fashions of India when the only indian blood I had was Navajo and Osage. The sari I had used then wasn't even close to being as nice as this one so I was a lot more careful this time. When I was done, I looked in the mirror and took my hair down as well. Once my appearance satisfied me, I walked out to show it off.

  He looked more than a little stunned. I wondered if the bare midriff held a part in that. "Well, what do you think? Would the court throw a fit if I wore it?"

  He sighed. "Absolutely not! No! Every man at court would mob you and I'm not in any shape to defend you right now. I forbid it!"

  "O-kaaay. Noted." I smiled, "So I model it just for you then."

  Mero gave a small smile of his own, mollified. "That would be acceptable. Come here. Let me see you closer."

  I walked right up to him. He examined the sari in detail. Felt the material, inspected the pleating and made note of the pins tucked out of sight under the edges of the blouse and petticoat. "It's just a single length of material isn't it?"

  "Yup. A traditional Indian sari. My grandmother spent time there after my grandfather died. All the time I was growing up, she would travel there for a quarter of every year. She always had the best stories when she got back. I never got the chance to visit myself. Most of the saris she brought back are silk but this one is chiffon so it's a little sheer."

  Anis arrived with another icepack. She stopped abruptly, gape-mouthed in surprise as she spotted me in the sari.

  "Hello, Anis. Mero was just telling me I would cause a riot if I wore this. What do you think?"

  She blinked a few times before responding. "I can see why he says it would cause a riot. It bears a strong resemblance to a Therysi dance costume. They're just as sheer. Yours is more ornate and there is more to it, but some men might not notice that part. It looks beautiful on you though. You should show this to the seamstress. Maybe she can make something similar but without the… bare bits."

  "Well, since I'm making my own style here I might as well. I had forgotten just how comfortable a sari was. The blouse could use some work though." I tugged at it. Grams and I had been the same size, but I had a lot more muscle so the fit wasn't perfect. This blouse had a solid back so there was less adjustability to make it fit my shoulders.

  Before I could even change back into my uniform, the seamstress arrived for the final fitting. Anis helped me to fold up the sari and put it into the satin sack Grams had stored it in then put my other belongings away.

  The seamstress helped me into the gown and fussed over the fit. She had done her job well though so there was only one item she needed to fix. The gown was beautiful and matched what I had imagined. Even better, I could move in it. I did a slow-speed kata to check for binding or interference and approved the fit.

  I changed back to my uniform. The seamstress promised to have the hem done in just a few minutes. We discussed my ideas for the wedding gown and I modeled the sari for her while she worked and when she was done, we started the sketches. She left when she was sure of what I wanted and promised to have it done before the full moon, whenever that was. She also promised to have Mero's wedding tunic done too.

  Deciding it was time to return to working on the damned reports, I headed back to the office with Mero in his carry chair toddling along behind. I had finished sorting the reports from the previous half year into arena and chronological order before lunch. Now it was time to start on my summaries. Yay.

  I had just finished reading a report when I realized that Mero was silently staring at me. I turned to him. "You're rather quiet. Bored?"

  He chuckled. "Oddly enough, no. You make the most entertaining expressions sometimes when you read those. I was just wondering what was going through your head."

  I snorted, "Mostly wondering where they learned to spell, some of them are highly imaginative but hard to puzzle out. In other cases, I'm wondering when they'll get to the point or what they were smoking. One of your agents shows signs of being a hopeless drug user."

  "Ah, that would be Kalim. He isn't, he just plays the part very, very well. An intelligent man, but he doesn't like to come out of character in case it trips him up at a bad time."

  If the man had to play a hopeless drug user to get his information, then the people he was dealing with had to be… touchy. And more than a little paranoid too. "Understandable. He at least can spell."

  "So how are you sorting them?"

  "The first pass was by the arena-of-operation, then by date. I'll admit, I had to ask Thal about the calendar. I wasn't expecting months to be seven weeks long. Now I'm going through each report building the summaries."

  "My last assistant decided that sorting them by the author was appropriate. He wasn't my assistant for long. I still haven't cleaned up the files yet though. I'm hoping that you can do that at some point. Not soon though, there's too much going on."

  "Like the reception tonight?"

  "Oh yes! I wonder what you'll make of Sebas. I got to know him when I went to Dartha to take care of some business for Geran. Interesting man. He would have made a good assassin. Watch what he says though. He chooses his words with exceptional care. He never says a single word without a reason so pay attention. Something that would be meaningless and inconsequential with anyone else will have weight and meaning with him. He's soft-spoken, never raises his voice or loses his temper, but ruthless. Never threaten him."

  "Anyone else I should watch out for?"

  "I'll brief you on them as they make their appearances. Meanwhile…" he pointed at the stacks of reports in front of me.

  I grinned and got back to work. He may be my fiancé and lover, but he was also my boss. That thought gave me pause. My life in this world wasn't following any of the rules I had lived with all my life, but it seemed to be working out for me. I was happier here than I had ever been in my life aside from summers with Grams.

  Since I had grouped them by area of operation, it made finding the trends easier. It was while I was going through the reports for Marin that I found the first issue. Two reports from the same time span from two different agents, each of which told radically different versions of the same event.

  I looked through all of the Marin reports, picked out all of those from the two agents, and matched them with other agents. Repeatedly, the reports told different interpretations of the same events. One agent consistently downgraded the seriousness of events and information or gave unrelated information.

  "Mero, I think one of your agents in Marin has either been turned or has been spotted and is being fed false information."

  "Eh? Show me."

  I showed him the reports that clued me that there was an issue and then the trend summary I'd been making for these reports. After examining the first reports and my summary, he asked for all of them and started reading. Meanwhile, I combed through the Marin reports for any contributing data and handed those to Mero as well. He was still poring over them so I continu
ed with my task. When I finished the report on Marin, I passed it to him and went on to Porthis.

  "This is why I needed someone to do this. Thank you! I'll be sending someone to look into it. Once I know what's going on with Kris I'll know whether to cut him loose or bring him home."

  I frowned. "I think it would be a good idea to check on the others first. They could keep watch on him to see who contacts him. I doubt Marin has compromised the others, but we can't be sure until we verify them. I can't imagine Kris hasn't been though, not unless he's an oblivious moron."

  "Good idea. I also must get someone in place to take over."

  "Yes. If Marin is making the effort of either turning your agents or feeding them misinformation, then they're up to something worth hiding. They want your attention elsewhere, otherwise, they would just leave him alone."

  Mero nodded. "Possible. I think my lack of action due to the disorder in my office would lead them to think their misinformation had worked if that's the case. Fortunately, I'll only have double-duty for a few more days. I'll be glad to pass the Prime Minister duties back. Then I can focus on this."

  I worked for another hour, then checked his knee. The swelling was reduced and exhibited less tenderness so I gave it a gentle massage. Mero complained that it hurt but he didn't swear even a little so it couldn't have been that bad. Even though there was still swelling, it looked much less puffy after I finished and we started with the icepack again. Mero flexed his knee a little and seemed pleased that it hurt less than he expected. I told him to stop and smacked his head when he didn't listen.

  He grinned and pulled me into his lap, tucking my head under his chin and cuddled me for a while. The arrival of Koris and Anis with a tray interrupted us. "Working hard I see." Koris laughed.

  "Yes actually. Kendra's discovered an issue in Marin. I must send someone to check on Kris. There's something not right there."