What did the empire need a warlock for, really?
Annis had apparently followed a similar line of reasoning, because at that point in his thoughts she said, “Do you think the Vondishman might be looking for another warlock?”
“I don’t know,” Emmis said. “He might be. Is there some important magic that they need done?”
Annis turned up both palms. “Who knows?” she said. “The Imperial Council does not exactly send bulletins to all its neighbors.”
One of the Lumethans asked her a question in Trader’s Tongue before Emmis could think of anything more to say. Annis replied, giving Emmis time to mull over his theory.
If the empire had sent Lar to fetch them a new warlock because Vond had been Called, they presumably had some use for a warlock. Their first, Vond himself, had apparently used his magic to conquer the seventeen kingdoms that now made up the empire named for him.
So did this mean they wanted a new warlock so they could expand the empire further? That was probably what Annis and the Lumethans would think; they were already worried about a new wave of Vondish conquest.
Emmis thought that if he were going to embark on a career of magical conquest, he wouldn’t use a warlock. Yes, the Calling meant that eventually he would go away and you would have the empire to yourself, but what happened if the Calling got to him in the middle of a battle? Your magical support might suddenly fly away on you, which would probably not do anything to increase your chances of living a long and happy life as emperor.
Witches weren’t powerful enough to be conquerors, and generally had fairly strict rules about what they would and wouldn’t do, in any case. Theurgists couldn’t do anything the gods considered evil, and while the gods’ standards sometimes seemed arbitrary, conquering other countries would almost certainly involve violating them. Demonologists — well, demonologists were scary. You couldn’t trust demonologists, or the demons they more or less controlled. A demonologist might decide that he’d make a better emperor without you, or one of the demons might decide you looked tasty. Scientists and herbalists and ritual dancers and all the other minor schools of magic — well, people considered them “minor” for a reason.
No, if Emmis were going to take up conquest, he would hire wizards. Wizards didn’t have to argue with gods or demons, they had all the magical power one could want, but the Wizards’ Guild wouldn’t let them be rulers themselves, so you didn’t need to worry about being deposed by your magicians. And if they got out of hand in some lesser way and the Guild wouldn’t intervene, you could cut off the supply of the ingredients they needed for their spells — a wizard without his bottles of dragon’s blood and boxes of mummified toads wasn’t any more of a threat than a witch.
Of course, the Guild might not allow them to take the job in the first place.
Emmis glanced around the room to see if there were any wizards around; he didn’t seriously intend to ask about Guild rules, but he was just wondering...
And there was Lar in the door, heading for the stairs. The hat was unmistakable.
Emmis got to his feet so quickly he almost knocked over his chair. “Time to go,” he said. “My money?”
Annis pushed over the remaining coins, and Emmis snatched them up before hurrying after his employer.
“Your excellency!” he called, shoving the coins into his purse.
Lar turned at the foot of the stairs. “Oh, there you are!” he said.
“I’ve been waiting here for some time,” Emmis said.
“Oh? I went out to see the city. I went to the market, and to the docks to see the ships. I’m sorry if you were worried.”
“Oh, I wasn’t worried,” Emmis said. “Just eager to get on with things. I found you a house to rent, over near Arena Street.”
Lar smiled, and started up the stairs. “Good,” he said over his shoulder. “And a meeting with the overlord?”
“Well, that’s a little more difficult,” Emmis said, following Lar up the stairs. “I have to go back tomorrow and talk to the guard at the palace again.”
Lar glanced back at him, and Emmis quickly added, “But I’m sure we’ll manage something.”
“I am the representative of an empire,” Lar said. “I know it isn’t much of an empire compared with the Hegemony of Ethshar, but still, it would be reasonable for the overlord to see me.”
“I know, I know!” Emmis said. “And he will, I’m sure. It just may take a while to arrange.”
“But you have a house?”
“Yes. We can move you in this afternoon, if you want, though of course you’ll have to pay a month’s rent first.”
“Of course.”
“I didn’t hire a wagon for your things because I thought you might want to see it first,” Emmis added. “I mean, you weren’t very specific in your instructions, so you may not find it suitable.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will be reasonable,” Lar said.
“I’d be happier if you looked it over before bringing everything.”
“If you want.” They had reached the top floor, and the ambassador was reaching for the key on his belt.
“By the way,” Emmis said, glancing back down the stairs, “I thought you might want to know — there are some other foreigners here asking about you.”
Lar stopped, key in hand, and turned to look at Emmis. He cocked his head to one side, and his hat tipped, looking as if it was about to fall off.
“Are there?”
“Yes,” Emmis said. “I talked to them while I was waiting for you.”
“And what did you tell them?”
“That you are the Vondish ambassador, and you hired me to find you a house to rent.”
“You said nothing of warlocks?”
“What is there to say? You haven’t told me why you want to meet warlocks.”
“These foreigners — do you know where they are from?”
“Lumeth of the Towers and Ashthasa, they told me.”
“Ah. G’dye zas.” He turned his attention back to the door, sliding the key into the lock. A moment later he had it open and had stepped inside; he gestured for Emmis to follow him.
Emmis obeyed.
The ambassador looked up at him, then leaned back out the door, looked both ways, and closed it, gently but firmly. He tossed his hat on the bed, then turned back to Emmis.
“How much,” he asked, “are they paying you to spy on me?”
Chapter Five
Emmis didn’t bother pretending to be shocked. “A fair price,” he said. “Do you really need to know exactly?”
“If I am to match it, yes.”
“Why would you need to match it? You already hired me, and you’re paying me far more than they are.”
“You did not tell me about them to start the bidding?”
“No. I told you because it’s your business, and I work for you.”
Lar cocked his head to one side. “Then you won’t... I don’t know the words. Dargas ya timir?”
“You’re my employer,” Emmis said. “I’m working for you. I’m also letting them pay me for talking to them, because you didn’t tell me not to, and nothing you’ve told me seemed to be a secret. If there is something you want me to keep secret — well, you can always just not tell me, or we can agree on a price at the time. Some secrets I wouldn’t charge for; others, well, I hope you have plenty of silver. If you’re planning to assassinate the overlord, and you’re fool enough to tell me, I don’t think you could carry enough silver to keep me quiet. If you don’t want me to tell them what you ate for breakfast, well, I’ll throw that in for free.”