Yes, sir!
Good. Lord Diarmats vision of cocurricular would see you at the Imperial Palace for three days of each week, duty cycles notwithstanding. He specifically states some concern with your overall martial training and your deplorable self-indulgence; he wishes all trace of these deficiencies to be dealt with immediately.
Three days of each week? What about my beat?
You would obviously not be patrolling for the duration.
And the duration?
That was not specified, although I believe the implication is that his lessons will last until he is satisfied.
Or Im dead?
If you feel thats more likely.
Almost ashen, Kaylin grasped at straws. And thethe other letter?
There is apparently some miscommunication among the members of the Dragon Court; given the relocation of the refugees and the absence of Lord Sanabalis from the Palace for much of each day, that is understandable. He glanced at the second letter. Breathe, he said without looking up.
She tried.
Lord Sanabalis apologizes for any inconvenience his request might cause the Hawks, but his request is, for Lord Sanabalis, quite urgently stated.
The Hawklord wasnt known for either his kindness or his cruelty. Kaylin was privately wondering about the latter. While it was true shed interrupted a critical meeting at a very bad time, it was also true that the interruption wasnt her doing.
He would like to see you seconded to the Imperial Court as an attaché.
A what?
I believe he means a general aide of unspecified expertise. His request, however, would clash badly with Lord Diarmats.
Why?
He wants you as a full-time aide for an unspecified length of time. You would not report to Sergeant Kassan; you would report directly to Lord Sanabalis. The Hawklord lowered the hand that held the letters, and his irritation receded; the color of his eyes, however, was almost cobalt. Your duties to the Court at this time would take you directly into the fiefs.
The fiefs? But
There have been some issues with the resettlement.
CHAPTER 3
Issues? Kaylin said, her voice sharpening. What do you mean, issues?
I? I mean nothing. Lord Sanabalis has failedentirelyto make explicit what those issues or concerns are. He has, however, stated unequivocally that the strangers, or at least one or two of them, would be comfortable, or perhaps comforted, by your presence. He acknowledges, of course, that the needs of the Halls of Law take precedence in this case, and that the jurisdiction ishazy. He also feels, should we grant his request, Corporal Handred should accompany you. The Hawklord looked at Kaylin.
While I feel it inadvisable to annoy Lord Diarmat, three thousand homeless strangersnone of whom speak Elantran or Barraniseem, to me, to be the greater concern. While the fief of Tiamaris is not within the purview of the Halls of Law, if accommodations cannot be safely made, the strangers will no doubt become our problem, one way or the other.
I will therefore accede to Lord Sanabaliss request, and I will write my regrets to Lord Diarmat. I will not, however, attempt to get you out of his extracurricular lessons. Is that understood?
Kaylin nodded.
Therefore, if you must be lateor worse, miss onehave a reason with which even the most punctilious of people can find no fault.
Such as being dead?
That would, was the wry reply, be acceptable, but I think it goes a tad far. He exhaled. Report to Lord Sanabalis directly upon leaving the Tower; he will have further instructions. Where it is possible, make your reports to Sergeant Kassan at the end of the day. He will no doubt have some issues with your placement, and this will mollify him somewhat. It is the only concession I can afford to make at this time.
Kaylin nodded and offered as perfect a salute as she could.
I will mirror Sergeant Kassan to let him know of your reassignment. He placed one palm on the surface of his slender, tall mirror; the officethe one she usually called home when she wasnt dealing with nervous, angry, or insane peopleswam into view. At the center of that office, in image, as in life, was the bristling golden fur of a Leontine. Sergeant Kassan, the Hawklord said in brisk, clipped Elantran.
What, Marcus said, catching the same glimpse of Kaylin that shed caught of him, has she done this time?
At the moment? She has apparently made herself all but necessary to the Dragon Court. Lord Sanabalis has seconded her for ancillary work in the fief of Tiamaris; I have granted the requested redeployment. Please have Corporal Handred report in; I believe hes in the outer office.
Im losing two Hawks for how long?
Im certain that, after deliberations with Lord Sanabalis, Private Neya will be able to answer that question.
Marcus growled. His eyes shaded toward copper, and his fur began to stand up, increasing the size of his face. Kaylin, used to this, lifted her chin, exposing her throat. The Hawklord, however, was unmoved by this display of annoyance, and really, given Marcus, it was second-rate. He gestured briefly at the mirror, and Marcuss image dissolved in a sea of silvered waves.
The Hawklord then turned to Kaylin. I have an interrupted meeting to resume. Please tell the Barrani Hawks to get back to work on your way out.
Severn wasnt waiting for her by the time she reached Marcuss desk; Marcus, however, was. He was also aware that the appearance of Kaylins partner would end most conversationalthough Marcuss idea of conversation suited most definitions of interrogation Kaylin had ever run across. Caitlin said you had two letters.
Kaylin winced and nodded. Yes, sir.
The second letter was also from a Dragon Lord.
Yes, sir.
Marcus growled.
Lord Diarmat, she offered, aware that while this was what he wanted, it would in no way mollify him. She was right; hed created three new runnels in the surface of a desk that already looked as if insane carpenters had gone on a drinking binge and then tried to have a carving contest.
The letters content?
I didnt read it; it was sent to Lord Grammayre.
Is Lord Diarmat going to be annoyed at your new assignment?
Yes, sir. But with any luck he wont be annoyed at the Hawks.
Ill speak with the Hawklord when hes done. Corporal Handred is waiting. He growled before Kaylin turned. Try not to antagonize Lord Diarmat, Private. Hes not known for his abundance of goodwill. He is also famous for his utter lack of anything that could remotely resemble a sense of humor.
With good damn reason. She managed not to say this out loud, but did turn to jog her way to where Severn was standing in order to leave an impression of good behavior intact.
Sanabalis was, of course, waiting for them in his usual rooms. Food was alsoas it often waswaiting with him, albeit on small tables near the very heavy chairs that occupied the room. Sanabalis was, for a change, seated in one when they arrived.
Corporal, Private, he said, gesturing toward the food. There may not be a reasonable opportunity to eat later on in the day; I suggest you avail yourself of whats here.
Kaylin took a chair closest to the food. She often wondered howor whatDragons ate, because shed never actually seen them do it. Today was not to be the exception, but as she was hungry, food at home being sparse because of the insanity of her schedule and the fact that the market was either closed when she managed to crawl out of the office, or sold out of anything that looked remotely edible, she ate.
Severn joined her, but ate less. What, he said, while eating, is the difficulty in Tiamaris? The borders of the fief have stabilized, havent they?
Tiamaris is still hunting down Shadow remnants and infestations within the fief boundaries; the few that he has failed to destroy are subtle.
Very little destroyed the appetite of people whod scrounged through fief garbage in their childhood, which is why Kaylin could continue to eat. Around a mouthful of something, she said, Shadows arent known for their subtlety.
He frowned. You are well aware that that is not the case. Your experiences in the High Halls and in the Leontine Quarter are solid evidence that subtlety is not beyond their scope, nor planning.
She gave him the point. Are the problems caused by the Shadows?
Not in their entirety. I know youre aware of the various building projects Tiamaris and his Tower have undertaken. What you are perhaps not entirely cognizant of is where the funds for that reconstruction have come from.
Funds?
Funds. Money.
It was true. Until Sanabalis had, in fact, mentioned funding, she hadnt given it a thought. Her experience with fieflords had made clear that the lords of the fief were never strapped for cash; it was just anyone else who lived under them who had difficulty. Tiamaris had dismantled Barrens old tried-and-true method of bringing gold into the fiefs by strongly discouraging anyone who stepped foot across the Ablayne without a clear purpose. In only one of those cases had the discouragement caused friction with the Halls of Law, and in truth, not much.
Kaylin would have happily watched Tiamaris burn to ash anyone whod made use of Barrens previous, very illegal services. Shed have brought marshmallows. Youre right. I have no idea at all where the moneys coming from. If I had to guess, Id say hes using Barrens money, or what was left of it.
It would be a reasonable guess. It would not, however, be entirely accurate. He is using Barrens money, as you call it. He is utilizing the people of the fief, as well, and some of that money has gone to their pay. But the damage done to the fief during the breach of the barriers was extensive, and most of the border-side buildings were destroyed, either during the incursion, or afterward, depending on the contamination.
Meaning Barren didnt have enough money.
Meaning exactly that.
But Tiamaris is still building.
Yes. There have, however, been a few significant difficulties.
Kaylin started to eat again, but she did lift a hand before the Dragon could continue. Please tell me that this has nothing to do with the Exchequer and his alleged embezzlement.
Sanabalis was notably silent. He was also, however, grimly pleased with the comment, in the way that teachers often are when a student says something unexpectedly clever. You see the issue.
She did, and she bit down on the bread a little too hard. The treasury doesnt have the money.
The treasury is, by no means, approaching insolvency. But the funds are greatly reduced for projects of an unspecified nature. In emergencies, tax levies could be raised
I know this one, was the grim reply. Ive done tax collector lookout before. This was the polite phrase for guarding the tax collectors, who had the dubious distinction of being the most despised men in the City, bar none. The Emperor cant raise an unspecified levy without the Caste Courts bickering like starving dogs. He cant, in this case, raise a specific levy without causing idiots to cross the bridge in resentful fury with torches.
Severn, often quiet, said, It would, on the other hand, rid us of dozens of idiots; the Swords would probably be grateful in the long term.
I concede that the Emperor would not be distressed to see them go, either. Be that as it may, there has been a slowdown in the purchase of the materials required for the reconstruction. Tiamaris has, of course, his own funds, but these have been appropriated. The issue of food was initially problematicbut I forget myself. The food is entirely an internal matter.
In theory, so is the reconstruction.
Indeed. The investigation into the Exchequer is not going as well as the Emperor had hoped. He steepled his hands beneath his chin, teasing wisps of beard before he continued. The funding is not the only problem, and frankly, were it, your presence would not be required.
Got it. Shadows, then? She watched his expression. Its not just the Shadows.
No. The strangerswho call themselves the People in their own tongue, which we may adopt as their formal racial designation in the archiveshave their own customs and their own experiences in dealing with Shadow, and those customs are not in accordance with fief customs.
Meaning?
They walk around more heavily armed than any previous fieflords thugs, they are between seven and eight feet tall, they are silent and while they are not immediately violent, they are not friendly. They do not keep curfew, which, given their size and ability with their weapons, is not actually an issuefor them. It has led to some speculation on the part of the humans living in the fief that they are Shadows themselves, or in league with the Shadows.
Kaylin winced. And since there are Shadows, of an unspecified and subtle nature, running around the fief
Very good. You now understand most of the difficulties.
I do.
But? He used the Elantran word for this.
I dont understand why it requires your presence in the fief. The fief of Tiamaris demonstrably already has a Dragon Lord of its own, and from all accounts hes a damn sight more effective at scouring the streets for Ferals and other nightmares than any of the previous fieflords before him.
Sanabalis nodded. Your point is taken, he said, rising. I have one meeting before I am free to leave the Palace. I will leave you both here, and return when I am able to depart.
He didnt answer the damn question, she saidbut only after the door had been closed for a good five minutes. Even Dragon hearing had its limits.
You noticed. Severn was frowning, but it was a slight frown.
What?
I dont think he thinks your presence in the fief of Tiamaris is necessary. Before she could speak, he held up one hand. I think he wants you there. Why?
She grimaced. Id like to think I was necessary or useful.
But?
Diarmat also asked that I be seconded to the Palace. To him, directly, for more intensive lessons.
This occurred at the same time?
If I had to guess, Sanabalis actually wrote out his request first. Buthe probably had some idea of what Diarmat would demand. You dont know what hes like, Severn.
I have a very good idea of what Lord Diarmat is like.
Is he still alive only because hes a Dragon and theyre so bloody hard to kill?