After that, I left the station and walked back up South Middle to Dugalle. My head still ached, if not quite so sharply. I saw one of the typical taudis-toughs, young with ragged-cut hair. He just looked at me as I walked closer.
“You know Horazt?”
“Yeah.”
I flipped a silver into the air. “That’s yours if you’ll find him and tell him Master Rhennthyl wants to see him. Now.”
The tough stiffened, then looked at me more closely, seeing the gray trousers and black boots for the first time. His eyes went back to the blue patroller’s cloak that I wore.
“I’m assigned to the Patrol for now. He knows that.”
“How do I know-”
“I can get word to Horazt in other ways, but it takes longer. If I have to do that, you won’t want to stay anywhere in L’Excelsis.”
“See what I can do.” He moved away, not quite ambling, but not hurrying too much, not in my sight, anyway.
I waited a good half glass for Horazt, and the sun had already dropped behind the taudis-dwellings south and west of South Middle before he appeared, accompanied by the younger man. As they sauntered toward me, Horazt’s almost-squat form was partly concealed by the black woolen cloak he wore.
“Here’s the silver I promised.” I tossed it over to the younger tough, who caught it.
“Bougyt . . . you can go.”
This time, the younger man hurried away.
“Master Rhennthyl. Must be important for you to come here so late, and to spend a silver just to find me.”
“I thought you’d like to know that your nephew Shault is doing well. He’s very bright, but he’s having to work hard.”
“That’d be good. Not why you came, I’d wager.”
“It’s not. Something happened that could matter for both of us. Five taudis-toughs attacked another patroller and me earlier this afternoon. We were patrolling the west end of the taudis. One’s dead, one’s been charged with assault on patrollers-if he lives.”
“You’re with that Alsoran . . .”
“He said that they weren’t from there, that they didn’t belong to the taudischefs in his round. I’d guess they didn’t belong to you, either.”
“If you know that, why come to me?”
“Because you might be able to tell me if they were Youdh’s men and why he sent them against Alsoran and me.”
“Don’t know.”
I waited, my eyes on the young taudischef, my thoughts suggesting that he’d be far better off telling me.
“Word is that Youdh’s got a deal with Harraf. Do favors for each other.”
“So Youdh’s got deals with the Tiempran priests and the captain?”
“That’s the word.” Horazt shrugged.
“And?”
“Word is that the taudis might get off easy when the scripties come if an imager isn’t around.”
I laughed. “Harraf can’t do anything about the conscription teams. Neither can the Collegium. They’re usually Navy, with naval marines doing the hard work, and they don’t even tell the Civic Patrol or the imagers when they’re coming. Even if Harraf knew, he couldn’t do anything about it.”
“What I figured,” Horazt said, “but I’m just a young taudischef, don’t know sowshit.” His words were delivered with a cheerful banter, but I suspected there was a bitterness behind them that would have curdled fresh cream.
“What will Youdh do?”
Horazt smiled. “Kill the ones who failed. If anyone asks him, he’ll claim that he had nothing to do with it.”
I’d almost expected that. “What would happen if something happened to Youdh?”
“Saelyhd would take over. He’s worse. Stupid and vicious.”
I didn’t need that, either. “That’s too bad. Might be better if he vanished before anything happens to Youdh.”
Horazt looked at me.
I ignored the look. “Will they try again soon?”
“Wouldn’t think so. Youdh wouldn’t want to lose too many with Jadhyl and Deyalt both wanting more territory.”
“They’re the taudischefs to the east of Youdh?”
Horazt nodded. “Best I be going. Good evening, Master Rhennthyl.”
I headed back down South Middle to where I could find a hack to take me back to the Collegium. I didn’t stop looking and studying every shadow in the twilight, not until I was in the coach and well clear of the area around Third District station.
So now what was I supposed to do?
24
Most, but not all, of my headache had departed by the time I dragged myself out of bed in the near-darkness of Mardi morning. I still had no real idea how to deal with Mardoyt and Harraf. I had no proof at all that they were involved, but who else could be? And how did the attacks on Alsoran and me by Youdh’s toughs fit in? Beyond that, I had only the vaguest idea of what to do about High Holder Ryel. In fact, if I wanted to be honest with myself, I was having trouble just staying alive and in one piece . . . and I hadn’t had to deal with anything involving Ryel yet.
I managed not to think too hard about that through the morning exercises or breakfast, but when I got to the Third District station just before seventh glass, Captain Harraf gestured for me to join him in his study. I didn’t close the door, and he didn’t ask me to.
For a moment, he said nothing, just looked at me.
I waited for what he had to say.
“The man you brought yesterday died before he could say anything. It’s a pity you couldn’t have been more gentle. Alsoran does his best, but you as an imager . . .”
“I protected him against gunshots and after that we did our best against five taudis-toughs, Captain. As the report stated, they didn’t say a word to us. They started shooting and then attacked.”
“Surely they must have had a reason.”
“I’m most certain they did, but since neither Alsoran nor I had ever seen any of them before, whatever that reason happened to be was not based on personal contact with us. It might be the result of decisions you or the commander made or just because they were feeling like they wanted to make an example of two patrollers, or because they’re worried a conscription team may be sweeping the taudis before long. I couldn’t say.” I could sense Harraf stiffen, but I just smiled politely. “You certainly have a better idea of such matters than do I.”
“I’m so glad you grant me that, Master Rhennthyl.”
“You have far more experience than I do, sir. I’m here to learn.”
For some reason, he paused at my words, if only momentarily. “That you are. I trust you will convey what you learn to other imagers. Still, it was unfortunate that there was no one to question.”
“Yes, sir.” It was indeed unfortunate-but not for Harraf, I thought.
“That’s all I had, Master Rhennthyl.”
“Thank you, sir.” I smiled and slipped out of his study, wondering why he’d even brought the matter up at all. Was he that stupid to think I didn’t see? Or was I that stupid in not overtly recognizing how much power he wielded in the Third District?
Alsoran was waiting as I walked into the front area of the station.
“How are you feeling this morning?” I asked as we left.
“I’m fine. Still can’t figure out why those toughs attacked us yesterday.”
“It could be that someone told them I was an imager, and they don’t like that.”
“If they’d been from that part of the taudis . . . maybe . . . but they were intruding.”
“Could it be that they wanted to cause trouble for the taudischefs on your round?”
Alsoran considered that for several moments before saying, “It’s possible.”
“But you don’t think that’s it.”
“Nope. Couldn’t say why, though.”
I could, but I wasn’t about to say that it was Youdh’s doing at Harraf’s prompting. Or that if I’d failed to protect Alsoran, matters would have been worse for me and the Collegium.
While there were more people on the streets as we walked the round, especially on South Middle and the Avenue D’Artisans, no one even gave us more than a passing glance, except for the handful of older women who smiled at Alsoran or passed pleasantries.