Relations? I knew that Maitre Dyana was one of the few imagers to come from a High Holder family, but she had never revealed what that family had been. About all I had ever been able to discover was that she had known Juniae D’Shendael when they had both been younger.
“Who is the duty master, Cholsyr?”
“It’s Maitre Chassendri, sir.”
“Is she around?”
“She was in the conference room a few moments ago, sir. I don’t believe she’s left.”
“Thank you.” I turned and headed toward the conference room-usually where the duty masters stayed on Samedi or Solayi if they didn’t have a study in the administration building.
Chassendri stood as I stepped into the open doorway of the conference room.
“I’m glad you’re back. When Maitre Dyana told me about the explosions in Ferravyl…”
“I was wise enough to just use my shields. Do you know why she’s in Rivages?”
“No.” Chassendri shook her head.
“What High Holder family does she come from?”
“She doesn’t like to let that be known…but you should know. Her brother is Zaerlyn D’Alte.”
For a moment, the name didn’t register. Then I winced.
“What’s the matter?”
“Oh…it’s not…it’s just that her niece is going to marry Alhyral D’Haestyr.”
Chassendri looked at me blankly.
“Let’s just say that…” I shook my head. “It’s none of my business.”
She laughed softly. “I’d hate to be the father of anyone who wants to marry your daughter.”
“No one will have to worry about that for years. Did she tell you when she might be back?”
“Late this evening. That was all.”
“Has anything else happened?”
“Besides some inappropriate imaging of an ice sculpture in the quadrangle…no.”
“Not by one of those who I’ve taken over, I hope?”
“No. Young Scammyl attempted to replicate female anatomy that he clearly doesn’t know that well.”
I just shook my head. After a few more words with Chassendri, I left, reclaiming the valise I’d left by the duty desk before walking through the light snow toward our house.
Knowing that it was possible that Diestrya just might be taking a nap, when I reached the door, I eased it open as quietly as possible, almost tiptoeing inside before gently shutting it.
Seliora was reading in the family parlor, and I could feel the welcome warmth of the stove. I just looked at her for a long moment.
Then she looked up, and the book went down, and I had my arms full of a very beautiful woman.
Somewhat later, we settled before the fire, and Seliora asked me what had happened, since the newsheets had only a short story about an explosion.
“Almost as soon as I got there, when someone caught sight of me, they lit off a series of explosions. Most of Glendyl’s works is little more than rubble. Some of the fires burned for almost a full day, and that was in stone-walled and tile-roofed buildings.”
“Did he have any indemnity?”
I hadn’t even thought of that, although I should have. “I don’t know. I’ll have to see.”
“We do. It’s not cheap, either. Years ago, Grandmama worked it out with L’Excelsis Indemnity. She got a whole group of artisans and shop-keepers to go together…” Seliora caught the look on my face, and asked, “What is it?”
“One of the buildings that was destroyed here was their building.”
“They don’t hold their golds there. Their accounts are with several banques.”
“You still might want to have your mother look into it, if she hasn’t already.”
“I’ll ask her.” She paused, then asked, “Was it the Ferrans? The ones who destroyed Glendyl’s works?”
“I’d guess so, but there’s no real proof, except the act itself and the way it was planned.”
“Where did they get the explosives?”
“It appears as though they were stolen from the Navy depot in Ferravyl.”
“That seems rather convenient.”
“Oh…it’s no coincidence. It’s probably why they picked that depot to raid. Glendyl has guards, but he didn’t ever think-or his director didn’t-about the fact that his workers might not be working for him. All the security was directed at keeping outsiders from doing damage, but not much thought was given to those inside.”
“That’s not something most people think about. Look at Odelia and Kolasyn. The only losses they’ve had are from his brother, not from strangers.”
“That’s probably true of Iryela and Kandryl, too.”
“Will you ever be able to prove that?”
“I have no idea. No one’s seen Johanyr since he left Mont D’Glace. He’s vanished.”
“That’s not like him, from what you’ve told me.”
At that moment came a loud cry from upstairs, and our conversation was postponed.
We did not attend anomen services that night. Perhaps that wasn’t showing thanks to the Nameless, but at that point my gratitude was directed to one special other.
45
Much as I disliked forcing myself to get up and exercise on Lundi, I did. But I helped Seliora get Diestrya ready and still managed to be at the administration building before seventh glass. There, I immediately hunted down Schorzat, catching him as he was coming down the corridor.
“The word is that you had a busy weekend,” he offered.
“Except for yesterday afternoon, it was.” I waited for him to open his study door, then followed him inside and closed the door behind us.
“In a moment, I’m going to see Maitre Dyana…”
“As you think best, sir.”
“The Ferrans sabotaged and blew up Glendyl’s turbine works and most of his manufactory buildings in Ferravyl. I do think we need to discuss the matter and what the Collegium should do next.” I smiled. “Don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” Schorzat looked worried.
“Before I do, I need to know a few things.” I paused. “How many imager agents are there in the northern fleet?”
“No more than a score.”
“How many of them can image fire at a distance…a half mille, say, if they can see?”
“Half, perhaps.”
“How many field agents can you assemble who can do that as well?”
“Fifteen at best.”
“How many junior imagers are there in the various collegia who can do the same?”
Schorzat frowned at that. “I wouldn’t know. There might be thirty.”
“That should be sufficient if we use all of them.”
“What do you have in mind, Maitre?” Schorzat asked.
“Winning the war and teaching the Ferrans another lesson.” I smiled again. “Now…I’d like you and Kahlasa to assemble all the material you have on the barges and the bombards and everything else dealing with the attack on Imagisle. I imagine I’ll need it in less than a glass.”
“We can do that.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate it if you and Kahlasa remained available until I get back to you. It shouldn’t be that long.”
“We’ll be here.”
He didn’t sound happy, but, given what had happened over the weekend, neither was I.
For what ever reason, I was in the anteroom before Gherard was, or perhaps he was running an errand. So I knocked and stepped into Maitre Dyana’s study.
She looked up from the papers before her, possibly my report, and flipped a brilliant green silk scarf back over her shoulder, not that almost all of her scarves weren’t brightly colored. “Do you have anything to add to this?”
“A few things. Did you discover anything in Rivages?”
“Only a few more High Holders who no longer are. As we discussed before, that will wait. Is the damage to Glendyl’s works as bad as you initially reported?”
“It’s that bad, if not worse. What I didn’t report was that an inordinate number of workers suffered injuries, illnesses, and disappearances over the last year, and the majority of those hired to fill the vacancies seemed very well qualified. That was what the works director told me. Just before the first explosion, he and I were attacked by two workers using the same kind of heavy rifles that have been used here in L’Excelsis by those we’ve suspected of being Ferran agents. The day after the explosions, Director Huesyt told me that they found incomplete installations of explosives in the parts of the works that weren’t destroyed.” I paused. “Oh…I also sent a message to Frydryk-the young High Holder Suyrien-telling him about the attack on Glendyl’s works and suggesting that he might wish to take a closer look at his shipworks.”