More than one thing. Why hadn’t he been shot at when he had been walking along the east side of the chateau and through the garden? He’d been far more exposed then. Or hadn’t the sniper recognized him because of the guard jacket and cap … until the guards in the courtyard obviously deferred to him? Still …
He shook his head. “Howal … if you’d come here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You were on my right, and we were just inside the gates when the sniper fired. The first bullet hit your shields, didn’t it?”
“It did, but I think it might have been a little high. My shields extend a ways from my body.”
“The second shot went over our heads and hit the wall just above the lamp bracket. That’s even more to the right. I don’t see how the shooter could have fired from across the ring road, unless he was in a building. Do you?”
Howal looked down at the courtyard and then to the east, clearly measuring with his eyes. “I’d have to agree with that.”
“And given the angle from which the bullet came, he couldn’t have been standing on the drive or north of it … Or even in a building across the ring road.”
“You’re saying he was standing in the garden. Not too far below the walk.”
“That’s what it seems like to me. But there was no one there when we walked by. At least, I didn’t see anyone. Did you?”
“No, sir. I was looking carefully, too.”
“That means that the shooter was waiting there, crouching down behind one of the topiaries. But why did he wait so long to shoot?”
“It might be because, if he shot when we were closer, he wouldn’t have had as much time to get away.”
“That’s one possibility,” said Charyn. “The other is that whoever it was … the guards thought he belonged there.”
“You think it was another chateau guard?”
“That’s what comes to mind, especially after what happened to my father. At this point, it could be any of a number of guards.” Charyn let the window hangings fall back into place, darkening the room despite the fact that all three lamps were lit. He walked to the desk and sat down. “I didn’t mean to start the morning this way. Well … let’s see what Tableta has to say.”
The newssheet didn’t mention the meeting at the chateau, but there was a short story mentioning the naval engagement with the Jariolan warships near Jariolt. He’d barely finished reading Tableta when Churwyl arrived in the study.
“What did you find out?” asked Charyn, who did not motion for the guard captain to take a seat.
“Someone was in the lower corner of the garden, behind one of the trees. The tracks in the snow show that he stepped out to take the shots.”
“How did he get in there?”
“He could have climbed over the wall along the ring wall. We found fresh bootprints there in the snow. It’s old snow, and it’s hard to tell even how big the boots were.”
“Just how did he get there without your guards noticing him?”
“You can’t see that corner from the posts at the courtyard gates or from the front entry.”
“If he couldn’t see the courtyard gates, how could he possibly have gotten a shot so close to me?”
“He hid out of sight. Once you walked past, he moved farther uphill in the garden to where he could see the gates. There are tracks to that point. Then he retreated the way he had come and climbed over the wall. He probably stayed behind the wall until a wagon or carriage came by and then ducked behind them to cover his escape across the ring road. He left the rifle behind.”
“And no one saw him get away?”
“No, sir. I looked for someone when I heard the shots, but I never saw anyone, and I wanted to find out if anyone had been hit.”
Charyn supposed he couldn’t blame Churwyl for that. “Is the rifle one of ours?”
“No, sir. It doesn’t have one of our numbers. I checked.”
“Why?”
“After what happened to Rex Lorien … I wanted to make sure. The rifle is the same kind as ours. That’s also why I checked. But it’s not. It looks … well, it looks a little different … like the ones the brownshirts used in the revolt. There were a lot of those around at one time.”
“Did you find anything else?”
“No, sir.”
“And none of the guards saw anything?”
“No, sir.”
Charyn felt like yelling at Churwyl. Instead, he took a deep breath. “That will be all. See if you can find anything else.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the guard captain left, Charyn wondered how many times he’d told Churwyl to find out more, not that Churwyl ever seemed able to do so.
“Sturdyn,” Charyn called out, “have someone tell Minister Aevidyr that I need to see him.”
While he waited for Aevidyr to appear, Charyn walked to the window, eased the hangings back, and looked down at the rear courtyard. It was empty, except for the two guards by the gates, just as if nothing had happened.
“Minister Aevidyr, Your Grace.”
“Have him come in.” Charyn turned and waited, then motioned for the older man to sit down before seating himself.
“You asked for me, sir?”
“I did. Please check with Minister Sanafryt to see if he has sent a letter to the regional governor of Khel with the change in the provisions of the Codex Legis dealing with the seniority of water rights. Sanafryt should have noted that the change supersedes and invalidates his decision on the petition by…” Charyn had to rummage through the papers on his desk to find the right one. “… Factorius Aquillyt from Ouestan against High Holder Eskobyl.”
Aevidyr frowned. “Normally—”
“I just got shot at this morning. I’m not in the best mood. I’m not asking you to write anything. After we’re done here, I just want you to find out if Sanafryt sent out the letter. If that would upset you, then just tell him that I need to see him.”
Aevidyr stiffened. “I can do that, Your Grace.”
“Good. Now, tell me about the regional governor of Khel … everything you know.”
“Warheon is the second son of High Holder Khunthan…”
Charyn couldn’t say that he was exactly surprised, but he kept listening.
“… has been very effective at assuring that tariffs are collected on time and forwarded to L’Excelsis … has the best collections from factors … his wife is the youngest sister of High Holder Basalyt…”
“And I suppose his son is married to the sister of the previous High Councilor from Khel?”
“Ah … to the daughter of Draalan, the High Councilor before Khunthan’s predecessor.”
Charyn nodded.
When Aevidyr finished, Charyn simply said, “Thank you. If you’d tell Sanafryt I’d like to see him.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
In less than half a quint, Sanafryt was in the study facing Charyn, who remained standing.
“Minister Aevidyr said that you wished to see me?”
“I wanted to know if you’d dispatched the water-rights change to the Codex Legis to the regional governors.”
“The copying was finished yesterday. I’m working on the letter to Regional Governor Warheon.”
“Good. Let me see it tomorrow, before you send it.”
“Perhaps I should re-draft it for your signature.”
“I take it that you weren’t going to specifically tell Governor Warheon that the change in the law overrides his decision on Factorius Aquillyt’s petition…”
“I hadn’t thought it necessary…”
“Given the way High Holders think, it is. To make it perfectly clear, perhaps you should also draft a second letter that overturns his decision. And draft a letter to Factorius Aquillyt so that he knows as well.”
“Do you plan to act as your own Minister of Justice, Your Grace?”
“Only if you make it necessary that I do so. I value your legal knowledge and understanding, but I do have this feeling
that it should serve Solidar and not any one group. If you do not agree, of course, you are perfectly free to offer your resignation.”
“I have only offered what I have felt was the best advice, Your Grace.”
“I do understand, Sanafryt. Believe me, I do.” What Charyn really wondered was whether Sanafryt was also receiving funds from elsewhere. “I’d like to see all those letters by first thing tomorrow. I know you can do that. Please don’t disappoint me.”
For the first time, Sanafryt looked worried, if but for a moment. “Yes, Your Grace.”
“Thank you.” Charyn offered what he hoped was a warm smile, but once Sanafryt had left the study and closed the door, he turned to Howal. “Did Sanafryt look worried?”
“More than worried, I would say, sir.”
So it wasn’t just your imagination.
Chorister Saerlet arrived promptly at the first glass of the afternoon. His round face looked more drawn than Charyn recalled, and his dark black hair was somewhat disarrayed, as if he’d walked through the wind and not bothered to comb or smooth it down.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace.” Saerlet glanced toward Howal.
“Howal is my personal secretary. He’s been an enormous help in assisting me in dealing with all the petitions and papers I found awaiting actions.” Charyn motioned to the chairs and seated himself. “What brings you here today?”
“I wanted to know if the memorial service was to your satisfaction, and, of course, that of Lady Chelia.”
“It was. You did exactly what she requested, and she was pleased that you did. My apologies for not sending you a missive confirming that. Things here have been … somewhat stressful.”
“I’m most sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”
“Not unless you might know who it is who keeps taking shots at the regial family.”
“Oh … dear. I had not heard…”
“It just happened a little while ago. You wouldn’t have heard. Someone fired several shots from the ring road, but he disappeared before anyone actually saw him. Somewhat like whoever left that missive for me in your anomen.”
“There were so many people there, Your Grace. I never saw any of the congregants even approach the pulpit … but I told you that.”
“You did. Did anyone else?”
“Ah … one of the ushers did.”
“And?”
“He was approached by a man who handed him an envelope. The man said it was a note of condolence for you. It was light enough that it could only be a letter. He didn’t think anything of it.”
“Does he remember what the man looked like?”
“No, Your Grace.”
Something was gnawing at Charyn. It took him a moment to realize what it was. “Usually there aren’t ushers in an anomen.”
“That’s true, but for something like this, we have members of the congregation act as ushers. So many people, you understand.”
“Why did you wait so long to tell me?”
“I didn’t know until last night. The usher read about threats against you in the newssheet, and he thought about the envelope and told me what happened. You’d told me there was a threat…”
Charyn nodded. Unfortunately, what Saerlet said made sense. It also revealed that whoever had been behind that threatening letter was very familiar with the procedures for memorial services at the Anomen D’Rex. “Thank you. I do appreciate your letting me know.”
“I am very sorry, Your Grace. I just didn’t know.”
“Under the circumstances, I can understand that.”
For a time after Saerlet left, Charyn just stood by the window, thinking. He had a feeling that it all made sense, except he couldn’t figure out how.
At fourth glass, he went to the kitchen to arrange for dinner for two in his rooms. Then he went to find Palenya. As he’d hoped, she was in the music room, apparently sorting sheet music and arranging it in the special cabinet designed just for that purpose.
When she saw him, she set down the sheets she held and hurried toward him, stopping just short. “Are you all right? Hassala said someone shot at you.”
“They almost hit Howal. Churwyl couldn’t find the shooter. Neither could any of the guards.”
“The guard captain couldn’t find a fresh-baked loaf in the kitchen if it was pointed out to him with a pitchfork.”
“You don’t think much of him.”
“None of kitchen help or the maids like him at all. They’ve told me he hires guards whose parents pay him for the privilege.”
Charyn knew, if only from the way Hassala smiled when he asked for dinners for two, and from the fact that those meals were often better than what was served in the dining room, that Palenya was on good terms with Hassala and the others. “What else?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
“It’s more than enough, but I can’t dismiss the entire senior staff all at once.”
“The entire staff?”
“Not the cooks or kitchen help, or the ostlers, or you, but … well, you should know. The ones who are taking advantage of their position. Among the more senior people, that’s almost everyone, except for you and Hassala, from what I can tell.”
Palenya smiled faintly. “I’m not as good as you think. I’m taking advantage of you just by staying.”
“And I’m taking advantage of your lack of opportunities, even more of you than you are of me. If you’re going to be honest, you should see that.” He looked directly into her eyes.
After a moment, she looked away.
Charyn smiled as warmly as he could. “It’s been a long day. I’d really like to sit at the clavecin and play the duet with you … and then have you work with me on the nocturne. I’m tired of petitions, letters to obstinate regional governors, ministers who take forever to do things that Howal and I could do in less than a day … that is, if there were two of us. That doesn’t even count the factors and High Holders.” He shook his head. “No wonder Father was always in a bad mood.”
“I can do that … if you’d really like to.”
“I very much would … and I’ve arranged for dinner for the two of us.”
She laughed gently. “It’s not as though I could say no.”
“You could, and I’d honor that, but I hope you won’t.”
“You mean that.”
“I do.”
“There are times when I might like to turn you down. Not today.”
Charyn smiled and gestured toward the clavecin. “Shall we?”
40
By Vendrei morning, Charyn felt better. Spending the night with Palenya had definitely improved his mood, although just spending time and talking with her had helped the most. But one remark of hers still stuck with him, the fact that Churwyl was paid by the parents of the men he hired. That didn’t surprise Charyn. It seemed as though half the senior staff, if not all, were trying to make golds off their positions. What bothered him were the differences between what Churwyl had said about hiring the traitor guards and the fact that he was being paid off. The guard captain had represented himself as looking for the best, but it was more likely that he’d just wanted to recruit more guards to fill his own wallet. Could he have been paid off for another purpose?
He was still pondering that when he sat down at the breakfast table across from his mother. He also realized that he and Howal had never finished the final version of the letters about tariffs to the two councils. “Good morning, Mother.”
“You look a little pensive this morning.”
“There’s a lot to be thoughtful about.”
Chelia lifted her mug and took a swallow of tea. “I think it’s time for you to move into the regial quarters.”
“I don’t want to displace you.”
“I appreciate the thought, dear, but remaining where you are would do great disservice to both of us.”
“Because everyone will think I’m your tool? And that I’m not in control?” Charyn laughed softly. “No rex is really in
control of Solidar.”
“Are you just saying that to excuse yourself from acting?” Chelia’s voice was level.
He shook his head. “I’ll certainly do what I can and what I think best, and those who owe position and power to me will follow my direction unless they see a greater self-interest and feel that they can escape the consequences. That doesn’t mean I can stop certain forces greater than any of us.”
“Such as?” Chelia’s tone of voice was between skeptical and sardonic.
“The imagers, for one. The growth of the power and wealth of the factors. The shortsightedness of both the factors and the High Holders. The continuing piracy of Jariola. That, I might stop in time, but certainly not immediately.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t direct those forces to some extent.”
“I might have, a little, on Meredi when I did get both councils to agree on a small increase in tariffs, enough to create a shipyard and to build more warships.”
“That’s a start.”
“What do you honestly think of Sanafryt?”
Chelia raised her eyebrows. “Why do you ask?”
“Because he was not happy when I insisted that he enforce a decision I made about water rights. I changed the Codex Legis so that all Solidar was under the same rules, and those were the ones that were the most fair. He tried to avoid telling Governor Warheon that the governor’s decision against a factor had been overturned. That would have required the factor to file another petition to get the law enforced against the High Holder who had usurped his water rights.”
“Sanafryt has always supported the High Holders. Your father knew that. He didn’t often oppose Sanafryt’s legal rulings because he knew that would cause more trouble. Sanafryt didn’t go against what was specifically in the Codex.”
“But he shaded things in favor of the High Holders wherever it wasn’t obvious?”
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