“I would have liked to. I owe them both more than I’ll ever be able to repay.”
“We never repay. We only pay for those who follow, and what you did saved others, just as what he did saved you.”
There was truth in that, but I would have liked to have acknowledged the debt publicly. Still…was that because…I almost shook my head. Master Dichartyn wouldn’t have cared about the public statements. In fact, he would have asked if I’d have wanted to speak to show my gratitude in order to prove something about myself. He would have been right, I suspected.
“You’ve been reading the newsheets, I presume?”
“I have.” What I’d read had confirmed my worst suspicions, what with explosions occurring all over Solidar, targeting grain facilities, ports and piers, and several main ironway bridges, including the one over the Aluse just north of Solis, which would delay and restrict the shipment of iron to the shipworks there. In the cities that had been receiving the stronger elveweed, riots had occurred in both taudis and non-taudis areas-with the exception of L’Excelsis, but L’Excelsis had suffered half a score of explosions. In Cloisera, the Jariolans had been pushed back fifty milles, and their coal fields were now under Ferran control. In Otelyrn, the Stakanaran army had seized a large section of western Tiempre.
“What is not in the news is that Suyrien was shot yesterday. The assassin fired a sniper’s rifle from a distance at his estate. The shooter was never observed. Suyrien may not recover, but if he does, he will not be in shape to act as head Councilor.”
“Hadn’t Suyrien just returned from visiting High Holder Ruelyr? I’d heard that Suyrien was less than pleased with something Ruelyr had done.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t know what it was, other than that Suyrien felt it wasn’t in keeping with the responsibilities of being a High Holder. I wondered, though, because Ruelyr holds the lands that include some of northern part of the Sud Swamp, and that might be an ideal location for growing the stronger elveweed.” I watched Dyana closely as I finished.
She nodded slowly. “That is useful information, of which I was unaware. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Another problem is that Caartyl is acting as head of the Executive Council in place of Suyrien. That will not last, one way or the other. Caartyl claimed the post because Glendyl had to go to Ferravyl to deal with difficulties in obtaining iron for his rolling mills.”
“How does he stand on the blockade?”
“Caartyl supports it. He and the guilds don’t like the Ferrans any more than the Jariolans. He’s said that the factors of Solidar would prefer to replace all the guild members with steam-powered factorages manned by low-paid laborers.”
There was something about that…but I couldn’t grasp it.
“The High Holders have already selected Fhernon to fill Suyrien’s Council seat,” Dyana continued. “They’re petitioning the High Judiciary to have Councilor Ramsael take Suyrien’s position as head of the Executive Council. They claim that Caartyl was not selected in a formal Council session. To complicate matters more, several factors’ associations are petitioning to have the High Holders’ petition set aside until the next formal meeting of the Council, which is not scheduled until the eighteenth of Ianus.”
That was more than a month away. “They haven’t decided to meet formally any sooner?”
“That can only be decided by either the full Council or the unanimous vote of the Executive Council.”
I should have remembered that, but it had been several years since I’d last studied the Council’s parliamentary procedures. “I can’t say I’m surprised.” My greatest concern was that matters would get worse, especially without the moderating influence exerted by Maitre Poincaryt. No matter how capable and knowledgeable Maitre Dyana was, even as Maitre of the Collegium, the fact that she was a woman would weigh against her, particularly in dealing with High Holders. She certainly had the knowledge and understanding, because she’d come from a High Holder family, and she was a powerful imager; but she might have to use far more force, or the hidden threat of it, on the Councilors. I only knew that Ramsael was Alynkya’s father and had been slightly patronizing to me years before. Fhernon had commissioned several pieces from NordEste Design and had behaved with dignity and restraint, but that didn’t really tell me much about him.
“We won’t take an official position on any of those issues, except that the Justiciary rule quickly on the law itself. You present another problem. There is no way you can return to being a Civic Patrol captain and take on the duties before you here at the Collegium.”
“You don’t have to announce that immediately. Tell Commander Artois that I’m needed here for the time being, given the destruction and deaths here, and that in the interests of the Civic Patrol, Alsoran should act in my stead. Artois already has two lieutenants doing that for dead captains. I’m nowhere close to dead.”
“Why do you suggest that?”
“To keep Cydarth from replacing Alsoran. If they think I’m coming back, and even if they don’t, it will make that harder. Alsoran looks easygoing, but he’ll do what’s right. I can make it harder for them by dropping in to see Alsoran once. It doesn’t have to be for long.”
“That seems reasonable, and it will support Artois. Just don’t trot out there until you have full shields and full control.” Dyana nodded. “Aelys has already removed all of her husband’s personal items from Dichartyn’s study in the administration building, and it is ready for your immediate use. I suggest you settle in there as soon as possible.”
“Is she staying here?”
“No. She could, but neither of the girls is an imager, and she has a sister in Extela to whom she is very close. Also, the stipend she’ll receive, while not miserly, will go much farther there. She and the girls are leaving on the ironway later today.”
I suspected Aelys would just as happy to be away from Imagisle.
“You’ll also have to take over as preceptor for those junior imagers that Dichartyn was mentoring. You’ve effectively been doing that with Shault, but there are four others. Only Shault isn’t a tertius.”
I frankly hadn’t thought about taking on being a preceptor, since I’d only had to assist with Shault because of the circumstances of his past. Still…that wasn’t urgent. “Did you find out anything from Sea-Marshal Geuffryt?”
“Nothing anyone can act on. Not yet.”
“Would you mind I kept in touch with him?”
“I’d appreciate it if you would.”
“You’d like me to build and maintain contacts with the various military types, then?”
“Since Dichartyn did…” She raised her eyebrows.
“He didn’t mention those contacts. He did mention his liaison with the Civic Patrol. I’d prefer to wait a few days before dealing with Artois and Cydarth, though.”
“That might be for the best.”
“I’m still concerned about Caartyl.”
“You don’t care for him, do you?”
“From what I can tell, he’s been plotting since I was with Council Chateau security. You might see if Schorzat or anyone knows anything about a factor named Alhazyr-”
She looked at me, and I realized that was my job, among other things that I really hadn’t thought through. “More along your lines, Maitre, Juniae D’Shendael has been close to Caartyl-”
“I know. I’ve already talked to her. She was actually worried about you. She was playing Caartyl as part of her effort to change Council procedures to allow women Councilors.”
“You knew her when…before.”
“Yes.” The single word closed further discussion of Madame D’Shendael. After a pause, Dyana continued. “I’ve been able to avoid specifics about how the barges were destroyed.” Her voice turned wry as she continued. “Draffyd already suspected. He merely asked if I wanted the fact that you’d done it not mentioned. I asked him how he’d come to that conclusion. His answer was rather direct. He said you’re the only one who could have. He also said that if you weren’t a Maitre D’Image already, you would be soon, assuming you took better care of yourself.” She stopped, as if waiting for a response.