Gauswn looked at Quaeryt for several moments before speaking. “Only the Nameless is infallible. The rest of us must do the best we can.”
And sometimes I wonder about just how infallible the Nameless is, thought Quaeryt, if there even is a Nameless.
“Sir…?”
“Yes?”
“Subcommander Ernyld-I understand he is the chief of staff for the marshal-he approached me about conducting services…”
“Go ahead … but you really don’t need my approval. You might let Khaern and our other officers know also.”
“I’d thought to. You aren’t doing services…?”
Quaeryt shook his head. After all that I’ve done…? He forced a smile. “I need to be going.”
Gauswn smiled back.
Quaeryt just shook his head and hurried out to join the imagers and the duty company for the ride south to the north road and then east to Imagisle.
A half glass later, once the imagers were on Imagisle, Quaeryt decided that the first task was to build up the isle, especially the low spots on the east side, rather than have them work on buildings. First, he laid out what needed to be done. Then he undertook some moderately heavy imaging himself in lifting a layer of small boulders and large rocks into the flood pond, leaving a drainage channel and letting the displaced water flow back into the river, until the ground was level with the surrounding area and all the stagnant water was gone. After the other imagers had done another rotation of imaging in fill, he imaged in another large layer of rocky fill.
Before leaving them, he put Baelthm in nominal charge of the work.
As Quaeryt rode back toward the Chateau Regis, he hoped he could keep up that pattern for at least a week. By then, with luck, they might be done with the heavier earthworks, and the imagers could begin to put together the roads and initial buildings the Collegium would need. That will also give you the time to determine what buildings, besides barracks and stables, should be built first … and where. He also wanted to see what settling there might be, although his initial plan was to locate heavier buildings on the rockier and solid sections of the isle.
He reined up in the side courtyard of the Chateau Regis by slightly after first glass, turned the gelding over to the duty ostler, and hurried to the main floor chambers set aside for the Ministry of Administration.
Drawing a concealment around himself, he eased into the first chamber, where Vaelora was going over the ledgers with a pair of new clerks.
“If you have a question about where to make an entry, first look in the instruction book…” Vaelora held up a slim volume bound in red leather.
Quaeryt smiled. The folder had been a sheaf of papers until he bound them by imaging and turned the leather crimson.
He let her finish her instructions before dropping the concealment and clearing his throat.
“You’re back for the day … or just for a while?” she asked.
“For the day, unless Lord Bhayar decides otherwise. I thought we could try to finish the codes … or make an effort on them.”
Vaelora nodded, then turned to the clerks. “Tylasor … you’re to go through those papers and sort out all those dealing with stables, mounts, and fodder and anything else dealing with horses. Remember … the entries have to be in separate categories. Grain and fodder, gear, and that includes shoes and the costs of farriers; and the acquisition of mounts. Don’t forget to debit mounts that die or are sold to the knackers or renderers…”
Almost half a quint passed before Vaelora and Quaeryt were alone in their own ministerial study.
“How are they coming?” he asked.
“Slowly. The army clerks did the best they could, but…” She shook her head. “It will be a year before we have ledgers that are even close to accurate.”
“That’s what happens in a war … and when the land you conquer didn’t have good accounts to begin with … and none of them have survived.”
“Not in readable fashion.” Vaelora frowned just slightly. “I was looking over the part of the code we talked about last night.”
“Limiting the justicing rights of High Holders? What about it?”
“We need to make it clear that Bhayar isn’t really taking away their existing rights, but clarifying what has always been the practice.”
“That’s why we decided to differentiate between high and low justice.”
“There needs to be a better explanation about why the code is just setting forth what the practice has always been,” Vaelora said.
“Even if the most powerful High Holders had a tendency to ignore it?” asked Quaeryt almost humorously.
“That’s why…” Vaelora broke off, shaking her head. “You write it, then.”
“I did. You’re right. It could be better, but you try this time.”
Second glass came and went, as did two revisions of the introduction to the section on high and low justice before they were both satisfied with the wording.
They had turned to the revisions to the definitions of high crimes and treason when there was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” Quaeryt managed to keep the irritation from his voice.
“Commander, sir … Lord Bhayar would like to see you at your earliest convenience.”
“Me? Or Lady Vaelora? Or both of us?”
“You, sir. He didn’t say why.”
“I’ll be right there.” Quaeryt sat up, laid his pen on the rest, and looked at Vaelora. “You know more about this than I do anyway.”
“You write better.”
Quaeryt shook his head, then stood. “You write better. I write more plainly.”
“You don’t write that plainly. Neither of us does. That’s part of the problem.”
She’s right about that. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be.”
“I’ll not be holding my breath, dearest.”
They both smiled, and then Quaeryt walked to the study door, opening it behind him, closing it, and nodding to the waiting squad leader.
When Quaeryt entered the study, Bhayar looked up from the conference table, stacked with papers … and an old map. “When will you be able to take over the Bovarian treasury?”
“At least a month, and that’s if we can use Deucalon’s guards.”
“Why can’t you just use your troopers?”
“Because that’s a very bad idea, and it will be worse once things on Imagisle become obvious. I don’t think you want the head of the imagers having physical control of the treasury. It’s one thing to keep records and set forth the laws, but you need control of those golds here. Everyone should know that they’re your golds, under your control, and that they’re not being passed out by a Pharsi imager.”
“For an officer Deucalon worries about being too ambitious, you certainly aren’t grabbing at golds or power.” Bhayar’s voice was dryly sardonic.
“I want enough power to protect the imagers and to set up the Collegium so that future imagers will always be protected by their service to the ruler.”
“That’s another question. I can’t really go on being Lord Bhayar of Telaryn, Tilbor, Bovaria, and Antiago … and Khel … if that idiotic High Council ever agrees to terms.”
“You’ve already said that the combined lands would be called Solidar. Why not call yourself ‘Lord Bhayar, Rex Regis’? That way, you’re still Lord Bhayar, but you’re asserting that you are the rex of all lands.”
“Hmmm…” Bhayar fingered his smooth-shaven chin. “That might work. I’ll have to think about it, though.”
Quaeryt waited.
“This imager business,” mused Bhayar. “I must say that I have my doubts about why this Collegium is necessary.”
“It’s most necessary, sir. Where do your doubts lie?”
“You and most of your imagers can do great things, yet you continue to insist that they need the protection of your Collegium. I’m hesitant to dispute you. I’ve learned that you are usually right when you feel strongly. Could you explain why you feel this strongly? In a way that I could explain to others?”