by Ryan McCall
“You Imperial Majesty?” asked Siobhan Mason, his foreign minister, pulling him out of his thoughts.
“Hmm? Sorry,” he said. Lawrence looked down the table at the woman. He was glad to have her here, she was a skilled diplomat. In the past she had managed to talk Silund out of financially embargoing Alkos over colonial conflicts and had secured a trade enterprise in Artropia, the first permanent foreign presence ever to be allowed on the island.
“We have three more days until the Galrians are here. How do you plan to respond to them bringing an armed retinue with their envoy?” she asked.
“I’ll allow them to have it.” She started to protest but he stopped her. “No, it’s only fair. They need to feel secure while they are here. After what happened can you blame them?”
She shook her head. “No I can’t, Your Imperial Majesty.”
“I know, it’s a disturbing thought to allow Galrian soldiers in the town and on our soil, but if we want to rebuild trust with them we don’t have a choice. Relax, Siobhan. It’s a hundred or so soldiers, nothing my Imperial Guard and the Rampart garrison can’t handle. If they truly wanted to cause trouble, they would have tried to bring a lot more across the border, I think.”
Siobhan pulled out the piece of paper she had been looking at regularly since they had arrived. It was the list of demands from the Galrians that they had requested Alkos meet if they could not produce the assassin of Rossiv along with clear evidence.
Lawrence stood up and walked over to her. “I would think you know every word on that to heart by now.”
She looked up at him with tired eyes. “I do, Your Imperial Majesty. I don’t know why I keep looking at it. I can’t help but feel the Galrians want war. To put forth a set of demands as outrageous as this, they have to know we’ll reject it.”
Lawrence took it from her hands. “I think you need to stop worrying about it. It’s filing your head with paranoia. I’m no diplomat, but couldn’t it be that they made such an outrageous list on purpose. They know it will be rejected, but they’ll trade down with us until they get what they actually want.”
Siobhan smiled. He hadn’t noticed before, her face lit up when she smiled, making her look much more beautiful. It reminded him of Clara.
No, damn it. I have to forget about that and focus on diplomacy. Thinking about her will do me no good. That door is closed.
In spite of his best efforts though, on the train journey and for most of his time here, he could not stop himself from recalling his last night in Alkos. The one benefit to the preparations was that it had kept his mind occupied enough to not think about her.
Siobhan frowned. He must have let the emotion show on his face. She pursed her lips, as if she was unsure whether to say anything.
“Your Imperial Majesty, is everything alright?” Her concern for him had outweighed her sense of decorum. He didn’t mind though, he preferred dealing with ministers he could talk to comfortably instead of stuffy bureaucrats like Kao and Blake.
He tolerated them for their experience and capabilities, but he’d prefer if they were more personable. Marawn Kao was usually abrasive. The drakon was the most conservative member of the cabinet and Lawrence suspected he wasn’t happy about all the new blood he had brought in under his rule. He relaxed his face, hoping whatever she had seen was gone. “I’m fine, it’s nothing important.”
There was a heavy knock on the door. “Enter,” said Lawrence. The large wooden door made a groaning sound and Lawrence winced. It was unbalanced, he would have to get someone to fix that. He didn’t want the uncomforting screech ringing in his ears every time the door moved.
Senior Imperial Intelligence operative, Kate Galbraith entered. The woman had the darkest hair Lawrence had ever seen, like the color of the night sky. She kept it short and straight. She was wearing dark blue pants and a black jacket. Not standard clothing for a woman to usually wear, but Lawrence didn’t care. Some women hated dresses while others loved them.
She walked over towards the two of them, without saying a word and placed several folded pieces of paper on the table in front of Siobhan. The intelligence agent had been assigned to Lawrence by Director Talmach before he left Alkos City. She was Lawrence’s link to the wider world. She was in the Foreign Section of Imperial Intelligence and had operatives giving her reports from as far away as Weicarus. She brought him relevant spy reports and diplomatic telegrams.
Siobhan, knowing the drill, picked up the top piece of paper and read it. It was a telegram from the capital and contained a response from the Zefey embassy. She cleared her throat. “It looks like Ze Feros is supporting Galria. ‘The crime committed against the government of Galria requires action and the Caliphate of Ze Feros offers its full support in the demands made to Alkos. However Taliquay does not wish for war and implores both sides to negotiate until a fair settlement for justice can be resolved.’”
“Look at the next one,” said Kate.
Siobhan picked it up and opened it and her eyes widened. “This is a letter sent from Taliquay to Urdov. How in the hells did you get this?”
“You know I can’t answer that,” replied the other woman.
“What does it say?” asked Lawrence.
“Ze Feros has given Galria an essential ‘blank check’ guarantee, regardless of the outcome of negotiations,” said Siobhan. “They are ready to join them in war against us.”
Lawrence grabbed the paper and read it for himself. It was true, the Caliph of Ze Feros had given an alliance and guarantee of support to Galria.
“They’ll commit the larger portion of their forces against Tal Feros. They know that if they declare war on us, Tal Feros would be obligated to honor the defensive alliance they have with us. They can’t resist staying out of war with their traditional enemies involved,” said Kate.
“By the Creator,” uttered Siobhan. “A war like that could easily pull in West Maceon and the Yarali Cities. Not to mention what Silund will do, pick a side or play us against each other.”
“Then this meeting is even more critical,” said Lawrence. His face had developed a determined look. He would not let the entire continent descend into bloodshed.
“Are you considering meeting their demands, Your Imperial Majesty?” asked Siobhan, her voice containing shock at the mere suggestion.
“I don’t know,” replied Lawrence. He sighed, “I just don’t know.”
“You can’t,” she stressed. “They want to send investigators with free reign throughout the empire to search for the assassin; they want to have control over the entirety of the southern border and the ability to conduct searches of our forts. It’s too much.”
Lawrence gave her a hard look. Realizing she had gone too far, she bit down on her lip and was quiet. It was no way to talk the Emperor of Alkos, but he could understand her feelings on the matter.
“I’m truly sorry, Your Imperial Majesty. That was out of place.”
“I think it would be best if the two of you left me alone for a time.”
They both nodded. As Kate was leaving, Lawrence asked, “Could you have the serving boy bring wine. All of this has made me thirsty.”
She nodded. “And one more thing,” he said. “I want a new update from Director Talmach before the end of the day. The security of the empire and the fate of the continent now rests on his agents finding that assassin as quickly as possible.”
Chapter 44
When they finally docked at Longhaven, Fiona was relieved. Kendrick was clearly not fit for sea travel. He had spent the entire trip wailing, moaning and vomiting. She had been ready to hit him. Now that they were off the ship and standing on the rough, wooden docks, his mood had improved considerably. For all of his investigation and forensic skill, he was as soft as a Silund noblewoman when it came to sea voyages.
She stepped off the ship and gave the docks a quick survey. They were in far better condition than she expected. Ships were moving in and out efficiently and the harbor staff were readily available. Th
e walkways in between were clean and free of vagrants. From the tales she had heard about Longhaven, she expected the docks would be shoddy and rundown, tarcaine addicts hanging around, hoping to score from a ship carrying the illicit drug.
“Cleaner than you expected?” asked Kendrick, coming up behind her. He was hauling a large bag and getting a feel for its weight. She had said he was foolish for bringing so much, but he stubbornly insisted he would need it. Fiona was far more utilitarian in her supplies. She relied on her instincts and her 1705 Culsyth Buffalo .357 revolver.
“Uh-huh,” she said, nodding, still looking around in surprise.
“It makes sense if you know how the true powers behind the city operate,” explained Kendrick. “So much of their revenue is based on shipping that it’s in their interest to make sure it runs smoothly. A lot of money is poured into making sure the trade shipping runs like a well-oiled machine. The docks in Longhaven are said to have the lowest level of crime in the city.”
“Visible crime, I’m sure,” scoffed Fiona. “I have no doubt the harbor master and his men are paid handsomely to look the other way when it comes to smuggling.” Kendrick did not have a response to that. As they walked through the docks they were barely noticed. Longhaven was home to all manner of folk, both legitimate and criminal, and Fiona suspected that city residents had learned to not ask questions.
At the top of the stairs from the docks, she finally took her first look at Longhaven proper. This was more what she had been expecting. The houses here were old, but well-maintained. The roads and sidewalks were a different matter, however.
Pot-holes were dotted around randomly, street urchins ran between the crowds; a few were begging for money, others were sitting idly against the walls of ramshackle buildings. She saw one group of slightly cleaner looking children. An older one, who looked to be in charge, was lying back on a set of stairs; the others stood around, as if guarding him.
She saw a scruffy man hand coins to one of the youngsters and the leader let out a loud whistle. Another youngster came running out from the alley and put something in the man’s hand before disappearing again. The first boy went to the oldest and passed him the coins, which he then pocketed in a satchel attached to his waist.
“Children selling drugs,” said Fiona, shock clear in her voice.
Kendrick explained it. “Children can’t be prosecuted as easily, and they get lighter sentences. The drug lords of Longhaven have been at this game for a long time. They know all the ways to bend the system and get as much leeway as they can. When that isn’t enough, they’ll resort to bribery and intimidation. I know it’s hard to watch but this isn’t why we’re here. We can’t fix an entire city.”
“The Imperial government could,” argued Fiona.
“Ha! And what do you think they can do? Send in the troops and occupy the city? Even if they found the political will to do that, what would it accomplish?”
He was right, but Fiona didn’t like his tone and that wasn’t what she meant.
“I wasn’t suggesting for them to send in the army you idiot. But they could increase funding to the city watch and the presence of the Custodian Service. Or-” She stopped herself from saying it, realizing it was stupid.
“Or cut off the drugs at their source. Is that what you were going to say?” he asked. “We both know the elves are as unhappy we are about their precious holy tarcaine being used by heretics. They try to stop the flow as much as we do. Hells they do it better, since in Ze Feros it’s a religious crime to possess tarcaine outside of a church or in the presence of a Kartec priest. They punish it far more harshly and even they can’t stop it.”
He nudged her in the arm “Let’s focus on what we came here to do. Where do we need to go again?”
“Ninety-two Fishbone Lane,” she replied, finally looking away from the child drug dealers. “It’s about five blocks down Shark Quay here.” She pointed to the street running parallel to the docks. It curved around to the left, following the waterfront. “We turn on to Fishbone and then walk four hundred meters.”
As they walked, Fiona took in more of the city. Shark Quay was in better condition than the previous street and was dotted with inns and cafes.
The owners must keep the riffraff away from their establishments.
She also saw several brothels, obvious by the skimpily dressed girls displaying themselves at the entrances. Prostitution was legal in Alkos, though it was strictly regulated, usually having to remain within certain limits of a city and could not heavily advertise its presence.
Another of the laws Longhaven brazenly flaunts. But it didn’t bother her as much as the children; at least the woman were consenting adults. Well, she hoped they were. She wouldn’t put it past brothel operators in this city to indenture girls and force them to work under threat.
She also noticed a larger proportion of goblins and orcs compared with Alkos City. The orcs appeared to be doing physical labor work and the goblins were in service jobs, waiting at the cafes or delivering messages. Outside of an Alkos City factory, this was more goblinoids than Fiona had ever seen, and they still occupied the low-level jobs.
When she had been much younger, Fiona had often wondered why the goblinoids races came to Alkos, knowing the discrimination they would endure. Then a friend had shown her an artist’s impressions of Jaefian cities and told her what the average daily wage was. Compared to those drawings, Longhaven was practically a utopia.
They finally neared the building where they would meet their contact. Behind her, Kendrick was panting with exertion.
That’s what he gets for bringing so much. She smiled to herself, knowing she’d been right.
She looked up at the building. It was five stories high, one of the largest on this street. The windows were all covered in black covers from the inside, though she could see light from between the cracks in it. A set of large metal doors at the front were guarded by a tall and dangerous looking golden-scaled drakon.
“Let me handle this,” she said.
“Of course,” Kendrick said from behind her.
She stepped up to the drakon and spoke the word she had been told to use, “Revenant.”
The drakon stared at her with its pure red eyes before grunting and asked, “You have money?”
She pulled a thick bundle of notes out of her pocket and showed it to him. He appeared to be satisfied and nodded. “Go on in.” He pulled open the door and they entered.
There was a small corridor with another door at the end and another drakon guard. A man with a beaming smile on his face sat behind a counter to the left.
“Welcome, welcome,” he said. “Please check your oversize bag here,” and he pointed to a window in the wall where a young girl was standing. Fiona looked back at Kendrick. He held on to his bag tightly, reluctant to give it up.
“Do it Kendrick,” she said, in a tone that didn’t leave room for discussion. It was his own fault for bringing so much. He scowled and slowly slid the bag off his back. He marched over to the window and handed it to the girl. She gave him a ticket in return.
He turned to the man at the counter. “Everything in that bag best be undisturbed when I get it back.”
The man kept up his smile. “Of course sir. Eldrad’s Casino takes pride in ensuring the satisfaction of its patrons. You have my word that it will not be opened and will be returned in the condition which you checked it.” Kendrick appeared mollified and relaxed, his scowl dissipating. The drakon guard opened the next door and the two spies walked into the main floor of the casino.
The room was huge, taking up most of the building. There was no ceiling in the center and Fiona could see all the way up to the top floor. Every floor was crowded with patrons. On the main floor were dozens of tables, with what looked like every card game in the world. The table nearest to them had a game of Silund Gambit going, but Fiona also saw Twenty-Five, Figure, Drake Dodge and Western Shot.
Looking up the stairs to the right, Fiona could see other, mo
re intricate games on the next floor, involving machines. Fiona wasn’t big on gambling so she didn’t even know the names of them. She considered betting money a waste of time and energy.
The only reason she was here was to meet their intelligence contact. She scanned the room. The director had informed them that the contact would be in the casino’s ground level. Then she spotted him, a pale elf wearing a garishly, black suit with an orange tie holding back his long, platinum hair.
“There he is,” she said and pointed. Kendrick’s eyes followed her finger and he nodded.
Fiona made her way through the crowds and past the various card tables. It was difficult and one clumsy waiter came close to spilling a tray drinks over her. She ducked out of the way and the drinks missed her, crashing to the floor. She kept moving, wanting to waste as little time in here as possible.
She stepped up behind their contact. He was engrossed in a game of Drake Dodge and had a large pile of chips before him. Before she could introduce herself, he held up his hand.
Without looking back, he said, “If you two will be patient, I will be with you in a moment. As soon as I win this hand.”
Fiona was getting impatient but she let him continue playing. She saw his cards, he didn’t have much to show. Only three soldiers, a knight and a warlock. Yet he exuded a confidence that none of the other players did. The players placed their bets and to her astonishment the elf put down fifteen hundred crowns worth of chips.
How could he throw that much down on a hand like that? Each of the players were given a new card by the dealer. They turned them over one at a time. The first man had a soldier and he cursed, he had lost this round for sure. The next was a tall woman with olive skin and golden bangles in her head, a Yarali noble. Her card was a cannon and she smirked. Then came their contact’s turn. He turned over his card, it was the drake, the trump card. The remaining players turned over but contributed nothing substantial.
