“They won’t find that so easy as kicking a bunch of ghouls’ arses!” Arthnar snapped, glaring at the wizard, and Varnaythus shrugged again.
“Possibly not, but I don’t think either of them is the sort to be dissuaded just because a task looks a little difficult. Neither one of them would be where they are right now if they thought that way. And with Kilthan and the rest of Silver Cavern ready to cover their expenses and ship all the weapons, armor, and food they need through their brand-new canal, well-”
He shrugged a third time, and Arthnar gritted his teeth. Master Talthar was correct, of course, he thought sulfuriously. He knew exactly how Tellian would react to the sort of arrangement he had with Cassan. The Baron of Balthar, for all the surprising flexibility he’d displayed over the last few years, was a Sothoii of the old school where his personal honor was concerned. And then there was Bahnak, as pragmatic and ruthless a hradani warlord as had ever lived, and one likely to reflect that a single sharp military campaign or two would ultimately cost him far less than years of extorted “tolls.” And none of that even considered Kilthandahknarthas, who was quite probably the most ruthless-not to mention the wealthiest — of the three and, as Talthar had just pointed out, had a short way with bandits. But still…
“From all I’ve heard and all my agents have been able to discover,” he growled after a moment, “they’ve practically finished their damned canal- and their tunnel-already!” He hawked up a gob of phlegm and spat it noisily into the battered spittoon beside his chair, then glowered at his visitor with profound disgust. “So to hear you tell it, no matter how it works out, I’m screwed. That being the case, why should I risk a single pimple on my arse for that idiot Cassan?”
A reasonable question, Varnaythus conceded silently. Not that I have any intention of admitting that to you.
“Because there’s one way you might be able to not simply maintain your current arrangement but make an even better profit off of it,” he said instead.
“Aye?” Arthnar arched a skeptical eyebrow. “And how might that miracle be brought to pass?”
His tone was a bit less abrasive than it had been, and Varnaythus could almost literally see the thoughts working through the brain behind the Fire Oar’s brown eyes. Cassan might go out of his way to avoid any official knowledge of Varnaythus’ true nature, but Arthnar knew perfectly well that “Master Talthar” was a wizard. He probably didn’t know he was a Carnadosan, as well. In fact, Varnaythus had been at some pains to convince him that Talthar was actually a renegade Spearman in the service of the Purple Lords, although he frankly doubted Arthnar would’ve cared a copper kormak even if he’d known “Master Talthar” had been dispatched from Trofrolantha itself. On the other hand, he did know at least a little bit about the…special abilities Master Talthar could bring to the table, since he’d made use of them himself in the past.
“It’s all a question of who controls the new route,” Varnaythus told him now. “I think you’re right; it’s progressed too far for anyone to stop it now. And I don’t think my…employers to the south, shall we say, are going to be happy about that.” He held out his right hand above the table, palm down, and waggled it from side to side. “In fact, I think they’re going to be very un happy, but I believe I’d be able to endure their sorrow if it happened I’d been able to make even better arrangements for myself somewhere else.” He smiled at Arthnar. “And by the strangest coincidence, I believe I may have found a way to do just that.”
“Have you now?” Arthnar sat back, running the fingers of his right hand through his beard and considering his guest speculatively.
“If it should happen that Tellian and Bahnak’s expedition into the Ghoul Moor suffered a sufficiently unfortunate accident, it might well put the entire project back for several years.” Varnaythus’ smile grew thinner and more sharklike. “I doubt even that would manage to stop it in the long term, but it would probably be the best-case outcome from my employers’-my current employers’, I mean-perspective, and I’ve made certain arrangements which may actually be enough to bring it about. I’d say the chances are at least close to even, in fact, although I’d never be foolish enough to promise they’ll succeed. If they do, however, I’m sure everyone will be happy to maintain our existing relationships. On the other hand,” he waggled his hand again, “my arrangements may not succeed, which is why I think Baron Cassan’s plan has something to recommend it. If something should…happen to King Markhos and Prince Yurokhas-something tragic and unfortunate, you understand-and if Baron Cassan had been able to reach an understanding with Baron Borandas before that happened, then it’s almost certain either Cassan or, more likely, Yeraghor would end up being named Crown Prince Norandhor’s-I’m sorry, King Norandhor’s-regent. And if that should happen, then the Crown would step in and demand control of the entire canal.”
“And you actually think that might happen? ” Arthnar gave a crack of scornful laughter. “Yeraghor and Cassan might- might! — be able to force Tellian to surrender his stake in in it if they control the Great Council, but Bahnak and Kilthan?” The Fire Oar shook his head. “Either one of them alone would tell those two piss-ants to pound sand! Both of them together would invite them to bring their damned army down the Escarpment and try to enforce that little ‘demand’ of theirs!”
“Really?” Varnaythus cocked his head. “You think Bahnak would risk the destruction of everything he and his father have spent their entire lives building? Because that’s what any Sothoii army would really have in mind if it came ‘down the Escarpment,’ and Bahnak would know that as well as you and I do. And then there’s Kilthan. Do you think the King Emperor would thank the head of one of the Empire’s trading houses for embroiling the Axemen in a war with the Empire’s most important ally over a trade route? ”
Arthnar looked suddenly more thoughtful, and Varnaythus leaned back in his chair and rested his forearm comfortably on the table.
“Bahnak might,” the Fire Oar said after a moment. “He’s hradani, and he’s stubborn, and with all the northern clans united at his back, he’d probably figure-rightly, I think-that he’d have a damned good chance at beating the horse boys, especially with someone like Cassan commanding them in the field. But I hadn’t thought about the King Emperor. He wouldn’t thank Kilthan for dragging the Empire into that kind of a position, would he?”
“I think that’s probably putting it mildly,” Varnaythus agreed. “And if Kilthan wound up advising Bahnak to accept the Crown decree in return for a smaller but still quite tasty slice of the pie, Bahnak’s probably a practical enough fellow to take the advice. After all, it’s going to be a very large pie, isn’t it? Large enough that Kilthan, Bahnak, the Sothoii-and you-could all carve off bigger chunks than you’ve ever seen before. It’s not that Cassan has any objection to Axeman merchants being able to trade directly with the Spearmen without having to go through the Purple Lords, you know. It’s not even that he has any objection to the Axemen making money hand over fist. He only objects to all of the profit from that money going into Tellian’s purse instead of his own. And he’s a reasonable man. All of you could make quite a comfortable profit off of the trade, and it would still be far cheaper for the Axemen-and the Spearmen, for that matter-than the existing arrangement.”
Arthnar nodded, slowly at first, and then more rapidly. It wasn’t a nod of agreement, Varnaythus knew, but it was one of understanding.
The Fire Oar took another thoughtful swallow of ale, then gave the wizard a very sharp look, indeed.