As he rode away, he considered what Aextyl had said about Grelyana … and that concerned him, especially given how they had pressed the factoria in dealings over the villa.
Upon his return to the post, Quaeryt checked to see if he had received any dispatches, but there were none, and he made his way to his study. There he wrote down the names of the factors mentioned as difficult by Aextyl. Once Pharyl was a bit more settled in as chief, Quaeryt wanted to have the chief make a few inquiries about each of them.
Almost a glass later, as he finished reviewing the master ledger showing expenditures, the duty ranker knocked on the door of the small study. “There’s a fellow here to see you, sir. He claims he was a justicer, gave his name as Tharyn Ashsyn.”
“I’ll see him.”
A few moments later the door opened, and a slender man stepped inside, wearing a tailored gray tunic and matching trousers. His polished boots were gray, and he wore a large gold ring on his right hand. He inclined his head. “Governor.”
“What can I do for you?” asked Quaeryt, gesturing to the pair of chairs before the desk.
The man sat down and smiled, revealing slightly yellow teeth. “I heard that you’re looking for justicers, Governor. I might be able to help you out.”
“In what way?” asked Quaeryt politely.
“Being that I was low justicer for Extela under Governor Scythn, I bring some experience that might be helpful to you.”
“I’ve heard your name, but not much more.” Quaeryt smiled. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
“I grew up west of here in a little place called Wesron. My da was a smallholder, and I was the youngest. So when I was old enough I came to Extela and became a patroller. Worked my way up to patroller first.” Tharyn shrugged. “That’s just the way it happened.”
“What have you been doing lately … since the eruption?”
“Waiting to see what happened. I was thinking about moving to Solis, but I heard you might need a justicer or two.” Tharyn smiled broadly. “If you know what I mean.”
“When did you become a justicer?”
“I was a patroller first for Chief Besant. That was under Governor Thailwyt. I told Governor Scythn that he needed someone who understood patrolling for the low justicer position. He thought about what I said, and then he appointed me.”
Quaeryt doubted it had been anywhere that direct or simple. “From a justicer’s point of view, how do you think the Civic Patrol was doing under the last chief?”
“The chief really kept ’em in line. Have to say that.”
“I’d heard that the size of the patrol decreased some.”
“No … it was always the same size, like around six patrols … leastwise while I was a patroller.”
That was interesting, if true, thought Quaeryt, and it suggested that the previous chief hadn’t changed matters so much as continued past practices. “Where did most offenses happen? In what part of Extela?”
“Oh … the southeast … all those Pharsis … always a problem…”
Quaeryt continued to ask questions for another quint before he finally said, “Thank you for coming in. I haven’t made any decisions yet, and it was good to have the benefit of your experience.”
“You’re kind to see me, Governor. I would make a good head justicer. Knowing what I know, if you know what I mean.”
“I do indeed.” Quaeryt stood. “I do.” And I don’t like at all what I know.
Once the door closed, he sat down with a long deep breath.
Tharyn hadn’t exactly impressed Quaeryt. And he wants to be the head justicer?
The encounter reminded Quaeryt that he still had to do something about the case involving Hyleor, and that meant he had to talk to the factor. Another thing to take care of on Jeudi.
After a moment he looked down at the thin maroon-bound volume on the desk. Among other things, you have some reading to do.
39
With Vaelora occupied in supervising repairs and cleaning of the governor’s residence, as well as trying to locate kitchen equipment, pots, pans, and sundry other necessities for turning the villa into a functioning residence, Quaeryt left the post early on Jeudi to visit Hyleor. The only problem was that the spice factor had been traveling in the mountains to the north to purchase early spring herbs-or so his wife claimed-and was not expected to return until sometime late that afternoon or evening.
Quaeryt then rode to see how the repairs were coming on the east bridge and was gratified to see that the first timbers were being set in place. He was less gratified to learn from Major Dhaeryn that the cost of the timbers and planks would exceed 450 golds, and that more stonework would be necessary on the west end of the bridge before the last supporting timbers could be laid and braced.
On his return ride to the post, he swung by the patrol station, although he did not stop. From the outside, it looked complete, but he couldn’t tell if the cells had been finished.
Two quints past the first glass of the afternoon, the duty squad leader hurried into Quaeryt’s study to deliver a dispatch from Bhayar. As soon as the man left, Quaeryt opened the missive and began to read. After all the felicitations and appreciation of what Quaeryt had done so far there was just one other paragraph, stark in its simplicity.
More Bovarian troops continue to move toward Ferravyl. Regardless of any difficulties you may have, Third Regiment is to depart Extela no later than Lundi, the sixteenth of Mayas, and to move with deliberate speed to Ferravyl. Because this may change at any time, Third Regiment should be prepared to depart any day after the fifteenth of Avryl.
The seal and signature were those of Bhayar.
When Quaeryt went to find Skarpa, who had effectively taken over the post commander’s study, he waited until Skarpa had finished with Major Chaestyn before stepping into the study and closing the door.
“That dispatch that just came in? Bad news?”
Quaeryt handed the single sheet to the commander.
Skarpa read through the dispatch and handed it back before speaking. “It looks like we’ll be fighting by midsummer, if not sooner.”
“I’d wager on sooner. I just hope that the engineers will finish the bridge repairs in the next week or so. I am glad that the aqueduct is done.”
“Is there anything else urgent you need from the regiment?”
“Besides replacements for fifty patrollers, trustworthy justicers, more clerks, tariff collectors…” Quaeryt shook his head. “So much was buried in lava and ash and burned that I don’t really even know what else I need. I can’t trust most of those who might know, and the ones I can trust are so busy that they can’t do much more.” And your wife is trying to put together a governor’s residence single-handedly as well.
“You seem to be managing it so far, sir.”
“Only with the help of the regiment. We need more patrollers, and soon.”
“Pharyl and Hrehn can take care of that.”
“If they have time.”
“There are bound to be young men who need work. With Pharyl and Hrehn, all you need is some coin, and I imagine you have enough of that. Beginning patrollers can’t cost you much more than trooper recruits.”
After talking more with Skarpa, Quaeryt felt slightly less overwhelmed and returned to his study to try to think through what else he needed quickly from the regiment. Slightly before second glass, Pharyl appeared at his door, slipping into one of the chairs before the desk.
“How are things coming?” asked Quaeryt.
“The cells are finished, and three of them already are in use. We’re feeding them bread and cheese and watered ale.”
Quaeryt hadn’t even thought about feeding arrangements, or dealing with prisoners, but there was no help for that, even if he still weren’t certain what he would do about justicers. He feared that he’d have to act as one, and after having read little more than a third of Ekyrd Huelsyn’s treatise On Law and Justicing, he was already painfully aware of too many things in law about which he knew nothing. “What are the offenses?”