“And what matter is that?” said the others.
“It concerns,” said Khaavren, “the theft of a small sculpture of a tiassa, all in silver, from the collection of Lord Feorae. The theft was carried out as part of a Jhereg scheme aimed against the same Lord Szurke whose attack we have been discussing. That is the connection between them, and so we will be investigating both matters.”
There were general nods from around the table, and the Dzurlord said, “Brigadier?”
Khaavren nodded to him, saying, “Yes, Dinaand?”
“How is it you wish us to proceed, in order to learn more about it?”
“I have directed some of my forces to finding Lady Saruchka. Our main effort will be an attempt to find the silver tiassa. As to how we will go about that, has anyone any suggestions?”
Dinaand said, “I know of no way to locate it using sorcery unless it were to be in our possession long enough to plant a trace spell on it; and if it were in our possession, well, we would not need to locate it.”
“That is true, Dinaand,” said Khaavren, struck by the extreme justice of this observation. “So, then?”
“Perhaps,” said Timmer, “we could send our own teams back to that area and see if there is more to learn. While this will not net us the artifact, it may provide useful information.”
Khaavren nodded. “That is a good plan. See to it.”
“As for finding the tiassa,” said Palaniss.
“Yes?”
“It seems to me that the Jhereg who was behind the false invasion was executed.”
“Your memory does you credit,” said Khaavren, “for that is exactly what happened. And then?”
“I wonder,” said Palaniss, “if a thorough search was ever made of his residence.”
“Ah, that is an excellent thought,” said Khaavren. “Look into it.”
“I will not fail to do so, Brigadier,” said the Dragonlord.
“Are there other suggestions?” said Khaavren, looking around the room.
There were none.
“Very well,” said Khaavren. “You will all, of course, stay in touch with me. Let us be about Her Majesty’s work.”
With that, Khaavren rose, as did all of the others except Timmer, who said, “Your pardon, Brigadier.”
Khaavren stopped. “Yes, Timmer?”
“May I speak with you privately?”
Khaavren sat down and nodded.
One by one, the others filed out of the door through which they had arrived. Pel hesitated, as if he wanted to stay, but in the end he just shrugged and followed the others.
“Well then,” said Khaavren. “What is it?”
“I know this Easterner, my lord. Count Szurke, as he is called.”
“How, you know him?”
She nodded. “Does the brigadier recall the Fyres matter?”
“When Loftis was killed. I cannot forget it. He was involved?”
“He was.”
“How deeply involved?”
“Very deeply.”
Khaavren’s face hardened. “Loftis’s killer was never found.”
“No, my lord. He was not the killer. In fact, he avenged Loftis.”
“His name appears in none of the reports, Ensign.”
She met his eyes. “I am aware of that, my lord.”
Khaavren grunted. He knew very well that, with the sort of inquiries the Special Tasks group was assigned, a certain amount of discretion was necessary. “Was he helpful?”
“Extremely, though it must be added, for his own reasons.”
Khaavren nodded. “What can you tell me about him?”
“He is, or at least was, an assassin.”
Khaavren’s nostrils flared, but he gave no other sign of emotion. “What else?”
“He had the charge of a boy, human, Teckla, under a hundred.”
“Charge?”
“He took responsibility for him. From what I learned, heard, and deduced, Szurke felt responsible for something that happened to the boy.”
“I see. What else?”
“He keeps his bargains.”
“You claim he is honorable?”
“For an Easterner, yes.”
Khaavren nodded. “Very well. What else?”
“He is a known associate of Kiera the Thief.”
“Ah, is he! That brings to mind the stolen silver tiassa.”
Timmer shook her head. “That wasn’t her work.”
“How, you are certain?”
Timmer nodded. “I looked into it. It was sloppy, and signs were left.”
“False signs, were they not?”
“Nevertheless, Kiera would have left none. She especially would not have left signs pointing to Szurke, as they are friends.”
Khaavren nodded, accepting her judgment, and said, “What else?”
“I saw from your report that you speculate he might have had arcane or mundane assistance in the fight.”
“Yes, that is true.”
“I can tell you the nature of that assistance.”
“Ah, can you? I hope, then, that you will do so.”
“He practices the Eastern magical arts, by which means he has two jhereg—that is, if the brigadier will forgive me, two of the animals—who watch over him, and assist him in various ways.”
“What ways?”
“When I saw him, they were often perched on his shoulders, or else flying about watching, and, I have no doubt, magically reporting to him what they saw.”
“This is most remarkable, Ensign. Are you certain?”
“I am.”
Khaavren nodded. “This Easterner is formidable, for one of his race.”
“With this, I agree, my lord Brigadier.”
“Is there more?”
“That is all, my lord.”
“If you think of anything else pertaining to this Easterner, or this mission, tell me at once.”
“I will not fail to do so.”
Timmer rose, bowed, and took her leave; Khaavren returned to his office. He sat behind his desk. Borteliff, who was engaged in placing folders in a file cabinet, looked at him. “Well,” said Khaavren. “We seem to have landed ourselves a thorny problem.”
Borteliff, who would not even permit himself a grunt of agreement, bobbed his head slightly. Khaavren nodded back and returned to other matters.
A few hours later he was still at his desk, the remains of a bowl of soup and a few crusts of bread in front of him when he was informed that Palaniss wished to see him. He directed the Dragonlord be admitted at once.
“Brigadier,” he said.
“Palaniss, you have something to tell me.”
“I have indeed.”
“Well, if you have found the silver tiassa, do not delay, for I wish to know at once.”
“Alas, we did not find the artifact.”
“So much the worse!”
“However—”
“Ah! Ah! You found something, then?”
“It would be strange if I did not, for it was a small place, and I made certain to miss nothing.”
“Was it, then, unoccupied?”
“Oh, no; a Chreotha family had moved in. I had them wait in the street until I was finished.”
“Ah, very good. So then, what did you find?”
“In the floor of the master bedroom was a concealed hole, as one might use to hide valuables.”
“I see. And what was in it?”
“Nothing.”