Mmrr, on the other hand, seemed quite content. An owner who didnt move around very much suited Mmrr right down to the ground. When Princess Danae was dozing, she was not dreaming up ridiculous things to do to her cat. Mmrr secretly felt that any day that did not involve being dressed up in dolls clothing was a good day. She lay on her little mistresss hip with her front paws sedately folded under her chest, her eyes closed and a soft, contented purr coming from her throat. So long as nothing disturbed her naps, Mmrr was perfectly at peace with the world. The Royal Princess Danae dozed, her mind far more involved with the conversation Flute was holding with Sparhawk and his friends on the Isle of Tega than with her mothers concern over her health here in Matherion. Danae yawned and nestled down with toy and with cat and drifted off to sleep.
Mmrr, on the other hand, seemed quite content. An owner who didnt move around very much suited Mmrr right down to the ground. When Princess Danae was dozing, she was not dreaming up ridiculous things to do to her cat. Mmrr secretly felt that any day that did not involve being dressed up in dolls clothing was a good day. She lay on her little mistresss hip with her front paws sedately folded under her chest, her eyes closed and a soft, contented purr coming from her throat. So long as nothing disturbed her naps, Mmrr was perfectly at peace with the world. The Royal Princess Danae dozed, her mind far more involved with the conversation Flute was holding with Sparhawk and his friends on the Isle of Tega than with her mothers concern over her health here in Matherion. Danae yawned and nestled down with toy and with cat and drifted off to sleep.
Dearest, the letter began. Weve reached Tega, and well be going out into the countryside for a while to see whats afoot. Ill be out of touch for a bit, so I thought it might be a good idea to let you know that weve arrived safely. Dont be too concerned if you dont hear from me for quite some time. Im not entirely sure how long well be submerged in the population here.
The others are growing impatient to get started. Theres no real point to this letterexcept to tell you that I love youbut thats probably the most important point of all, isnt it? Kiss Danae for me.
All my love, Sparhawk.
Oh, thats nice, Ehlana murmured, lowering the note from her husband. They were all sitting in the blue-draped sitting room in the queens apartments, and the arrival of Caalador with Sparhawks letter had interrupted a serious discussion about what they were going to do about the Interior Ministry. Caalador, dressed again in sober brown and carrying a grotesque porcelain figurine from twelfth-century Arjuna, was frowning.
I think you might want to remind the people at the gates of the compound that theyre supposed to let me in, your Majesty. I had a bit of an argument again.
Whats this? Emperor Sarabian asked.
Master Caladors serving as my procurer of antiquities, Ehlana explained. It gives him an excuse to come and go without interference. Ive gathered a whole roomful of assorted bric-a-brac since Ive arrived here.
That brings us right back to the issue we were discussing before you got here, Caalador, Stragen said. Stragen wore black today, and Ehlana privately felt that the color didnt really suit him. He rose and began to pace up and down, a habit the Queen of Elenia found irritating. The Interior Ministrys beginning to flex its muscles for some reason. Were sitting on the Minister himself, so this onset of surliness is probably coming from some underling.
Interior has always liked to throw its weight around, Oscagne told them. The Foreign Minister was wearing western-style clothes again, and he looked distinctly uncomfortable in them.
I think that reinforces the point I was trying to make earlier, Ehlana, Sarabian said. Are you sure we shouldnt dissolve the Interior Ministry right now?
Absolutely, Ehlana replied. Weve got Kolata buttoned up inside the castle here, and weve given the world a perfectly legitimate reason for his presence. Hes still functioningunder our controland thats of enormous value to us. Were playing for time, Sarabian. Were terribly vulnerable until Tynian and Emban come back from Chyrellos with the Church Knightsor at the very least until all the Atan commanders have been advised that they arent supposed to obey the orders of the Interior Ministry any more. We definitely dont want the Atans fighting on both sides if trouble breaks out.
I guess I hadnt thought of that, he admitted.
Not only that, your Majesty, Oscagne added gently. Its entirely possible that Interior would simply ignore a proclamation disbanding them. They have almost total power, you know. Queen Ehlanas right. We cant move against them until were sure of the Atans.
Stragen had continued his pacing. Nobody can subvert an entire branch of government, he declared. There are just too many people involved, and all it would take would be one honest policeman to expose the entire scheme.
Theres no such thing as an honest policeman, Stragen, Caalador said with a cynical laugh. Its a contradiction in terms.
You know what I mean. Stragen shrugged that off. We know that Kolata has dirty hands, but we cant be sure just how far that disloyalty goes. It could be very widespread, or it could be confined to just a few in the higher councils of the ministry.
Caalador shook his head. Taint hardly likely, Stragen, he disagreed. Y gotta have them oz y kin trust out thar when y start givin orders oz runs contrary t reglar policy. Theys gotta be some in th hinterlands oz knows whuts whut.
Stragen made a face. I wish you wouldnt do that, he complained. Please dont use that vile dialect when youre right. It makes me feel inadequate. All right, then. We can be fairly certain that most of the higher-ranking officials in the ministry are involved, but we cant even guess at how widespread the contamination is. Id say that finding out gets to be a kind of priority.
Shouldnt take y moren a couple hunnerd years t do thet, Stragen, Caalador noted.
Not necessarily, Baroness Melidere disagreed. She looked at Oscagne. You once said that the Ministry of the Interiors very fond of paper, your Excellency.
Of course, Baroness. All government agencies adore paper. Paperwork provides full employment for our relatives. Interior goes a little farther, though. Policemen cant function without files and dossiers. They write everything down.
I rather thought that might be the case. The people over at Interior are all trained as policemen, arent they? Oscagne nodded. Then theyd all be compulsive about writing reports and filing them, wouldnt they?
I suppose so, he said.
I dont see where youre going with this exactly, Baroness.
Wake up, Oscagne, Sarabian said excitedly. I think this wonderful girls just solved our problem for us. Someplace over in that rabbit warren at Interior theres a set of files that contains the names of all the disloyal policemen and secret agents in the Empire. All we have to do is get our hands on that set of files, and well know exactly which people to pick up when the time comes to move.
Except for the fact that theyll defend those files to the death, Ehlana observed. And theres also the fact that a move against their filing system would be the same as a frontal assault on the ministry itself.
You really know how to burst bubbles, Ehlana, the Emperor complained.
There might be a way around the queens objections, your Majesty, Melidere said with a slight frown. Is there a standardized filing system here in Matherion, Minister Oscagne?
Good God, no, Baroness, he exclaimed. If we all had the same filing system, anybody at all could walk into our offices and find anything he wanted. Wed never be able to keep any secrets from each other.
I thought that might be the case. Now then, suppose that Queen Ehlana happened to mention to the Emperorjust in passingthat her government had standardized the filing system, and that everybody filed things the same way. Then lets suppose that the Emperor grew very excited about the idea the enormous savings in the cost of government and all that. Then, still supposing, he appoints an imperial commission with extraordinary powers to examine everybodys files with an eye toward that standardization. Wouldnt that sort of justify a thorough search of the offices at Interior?
Its got possibilities, my Queen, Stragen approved. Something like that would hide what were really up toparticularly if we had people tearing up everybody elses files at the same time.
Oscagnes face went absolutely white.
Id sooner take pizen than insult y, little lady, Caalador drawled to the Baroness, but yet still a-talkin bout a chore which it is thatd taken us a good twenty year er more t finish. We got us a hull buildin over that t take aport iffn th Furrin Minister yore is koo-rect bout how many tons o paper they got over t Interior.
We can shorten that a bit, Master Caalador, Melidere replied. All we have to do is question Interior Minister Kolata.
Absolutely not, Ehlana said sharply. I dont want him all torn to piecesat least not until I dont need him any more.
We wouldnt be asking him any sensitive questions, your Majesty, Melidere said patiently. All we want to know is how his filing system works. That wouldnt compromise the conspiracy hes involved in, would it?
I think shes right, Ehlana, Mirtai said. There would almost have to be some sort of trigger-questions about certain subjects that would make our enemies decide to kill Kolata. They wouldnt kill him if all we did was ask him about something as ordinary as a filing system, would they?
No, the queen agreed. They probably wouldnt at that. Her expression was still doubtful, however.
Its all very clever, Baroness, Stragen said, but well be sending Tamul officials into the various ministries to investigate files. How will we know that at least some of them arent on the other side?
We wouldnt, Milord Stragen. Thats why well have to send our own peoplethe Church Knightsin to review those files.