“That may be, sir, but you can win battles. There’s no way you can win in putting a city back together. There’s always more to do, and always someone unhappy.”
Quaeryt nodded. He hadn’t exactly thought of it in that way. He wasn’t sure he wanted to, either.
When he finished with Skarpa, Quaeryt headed out to the courtyard to brief the captain who had the supply duty. He’d decided that the troopers should not make any statements about if or when they might be back to sell flour. They were only to say that any decision on selling more flour was up to the governor. And once the company and wagons had left the post, Quaeryt needed to check with Major Heireg about the situation with supplies and what needed to go with the regiment when it left for Ferravyl.
After that, amid everything else, he still had to come up with another homily before services on Solayi evening.
43
Quaeryt woke up tired on Lundi morning, but relieved that he’d managed to deliver another homily on Solayi evening … and one that stayed within the bounds of what he’d heard and studied about the Nameless and his own conscience. He needed to find a chorister for the post, but the problem there was simple. While there were enough believers to support the anomen when a full regiment was in residence, that certainly wasn’t the case most of the time, and with the state of the province’s finances, he didn’t like the idea of committing golds, or even silvers, to maintaining an anomen that was poorly attended most of the year. That was no doubt why it had been locked and unused when he and the regiment had arrived.
Quaeryt left for the post right after breakfast, knowing that despite the light misty drizzle that enshrouded Extela, Vaelora would be shopping to see what other items she could find for the villa … those most needed, since it would take months, if not years, not to mention more golds than Quaeryt wanted to think about, in order to finish refurbishing the old dwelling.
When Quaeryt reached the post and made his way to his study, he found Pharyl waiting for him in the corridor. “Good morning, Governor.”
“Good morning, Chief.” Quaeryt gestured for the older officer to enter the study first. “Is your visit because of a problem or just to keep me informed?” He tried to keep his tone lightly ironic as he closed the door and took his seat.
“Just to keep you informed. I take it that Commander Skarpa told you that he referred several young men to me as possible recruits?”
“He did.”
“They were quite suitable, all but one. When they discovered that the leadership of the patrol had changed, they suggested that others might well wish to become patrollers. We’ve had several more inquiries, and recruiting looks promising.”
“Good.”
“The work on the station is completed. It’s rough in places, but I can have some of the recruits work on fixing up the small things as part of their training. I’d thought to schedule justicer hearings on Mardi and Jeudi mornings at eighth glass, as necessary. I wanted to check with you first, though.”
“That sounds fine. Until I can find a true justicer, I’ll handle them, but upon occasion, we may have to change the day or time.”
“I thought that might be the case.”
“Do you have any offenders that need a hearing?”
“Ah … not really, sir.”
Quaeryt smiled. “A few disorderly types that you just wanted to lock up for a time and then quietly release?”
“Yes, sir. We’ve started some night patrols, and as we complete more training and retraining, we’ll be putting more men on the streets at night. I don’t think we’ll be able to cover much in the time between midnight and fifth glass … I’ve also asked around, and so has Captain Hrehn, about those factors … the ones whose names were on the list you gave me.”
“Have you found out anything?”
Pharyl laughed, half humorously, half ironically. “Sometimes what you don’t find out tells you more than what you do. Paulam … he’s really a renderer who calls himself a factor, but a few people who reneged on deals with him had difficulties or accidents. Assoul and Dyetryn take advantage of those who have no options. No one seems to know much about Thaltyn. Aerambyr … who knows? They say he’s tough in dealings, but fair. The way they say it, I have my doubts. Then … there’s Lysienk.”
“What about him?”
“That’s what I was talking about. He has a place out west, not that far from the new governor’s residence. Not small, but not too big … but it has high brick walls all around it, and there are guards and dogs inside the walls all the time. Whatever he factors, he handles from there, in a separate building. The thing is, outside of finding out those few things … no one wants to say anything … nothing at all. They know more. They won’t say anything.”
“Nothing?”
“Not a thing.”
Quaeryt nodded. “Just keep listening. Anything else?”
“Just small details … those Pharsi women … they watch every patrol.…”
Quaeryt listened quietly and intently, pleased that Pharyl had been able to accomplish so much so quickly. He had no doubt that Hrehn had been part of the reason as well.
Pharyl had not been gone from the study more than a quint or so when the duty messenger knocked on the door. “There’s a chorister here to see you, Governor.”
“Send him in.” Why would a chorister be here to see me?
“Yes, sir.”
Shortly, the study door opened, and Quaeryt immediately stood.
A trim white-haired man in a dark gray jacket, matching trousers, and polished boots stepped inside. He did wear a short version of the black and white chorister’s scarf. “Governor Quaeryt, I’m Chorister Siemprit.” His smile was wide and cheerful.
“It’s good to see you, chorister. Please sit down.” Out of respect, Quaeryt remained standing until the older man had seated himself, then settled himself behind the table desk. “What can I do for you?”
“Since my anomen is not too far from here, I thought I should introduce myself.”
“Where is your anomen?” asked Quaeryt politely.
“To the west, off the western boulevard. It’s only about three blocks farther west from where you’ve established the new governor’s residence. That was one of my purposes in calling on you-to invite you to join us. When you can, of course. I understand that you and your wife have many demands upon your time.”
“It has been rather busy since we arrived,” Quaeryt temporized, doubting that a mere invitation to worship was the only reason for the chorister’s appearance. “There was the need to reestablish order and provide food.”
“Your immediate generosity to the poor was welcome and most necessary.” Siemprit frowned slightly. “I did wonder why you required the poor to pay for flour and potatoes so soon…”
“We didn’t for the first few times, as you may know. Then we set the price at what it had been before the eruption.”
“Many could not pay that.”
“We were not strict. We provided flour to many for far less.”
“Still…”
“Chorister … unlike some governors, I am not a wealthy man. Nor was there much left in the provincial treasury. Nor, with Rex Kharst threatening from the west, does Lord Bhayar have golds to spare.”
“I suppose that is true…” Siemprit sighed. “It is always a matter of coins, one way or the other. I see you were trained as a scholar, Governor. I did not realize you also were a chorister. Where did you study the ways and works of the Nameless?”
Quaeryt smiled ruefully. “Where I could, chorister.”
“I’m told that you are very accomplished in explicating the ways of the Nameless.”
“I do what I can.”
“Being a governor and trying to restore order to Extela must take a great deal of your time. Yet you are acting as a chorister. Did you ever consider hiring a chorister from Extela?”