Scepters (70 page)

“You
broke into his house. Why?”

“To
recover the golds he’d stolen from the Guard accounts.”

“You
took his savings, according to his boy Lynat.”

“We
found a chest with over three hundred fifty golds in it. Colonel Weslyn did not
come from a wealthy family. Nor did he marry wealth. He’d been a buyer for
Ostar after he’d first left the militia. In fact, according to those who knew
him, he had almost no coin when he returned to the militia as Colonel Clyon’s
deputy. In the less than six years he was with the militia, then the Northern
Guard, his total pay was less than one hundred fifty golds. Would any of you
care to explain how an officer who was coinless managed to purchase a large
house, with a stable, costing over fifty golds, a matched team and a carriage,
and still come up with more golds than twice his pay?” Alucius swept the room
with his eyes.

Not
a single trader even met his gaze.

“What
he was doing, so far as the ledgers show, was to get a good price from you and
from other traders and crafters, then charge the Guard almost twice that. He
pocketed the difference. He disbanded two companies and never told the
Lord-Protector, and pocketed the extra payroll as well. The Guard’s not exactly
in the best position because of this. And neither are you and your businesses.”

“So…
you’re going to increase our tariffs?” suggested Halsant.

“No.
The Lord-Protector was most specific. I have no powers beyond those that
Colonel Weslyn had. Tariffing still rests with the Lord-Protector. My authority
extends just to those matters affecting the Northern Guard.”

“Why
do we have to get involved? Either as factors or as people in the Iron Valleys?”
That came from the dark-haired man in the back.

“You
might recall,” Alucius said quietly, “that the Matrial invaded the Iron Valleys
several years ago, and it was a hard fight to push the Matrites back. Now, the
Regent of the Matrial has refused any terms with Lanachrona and demanded all of
the south back and all of the north, and ten thousand golds. I’d imagine, since
the Iron Valleys have an eighth of the land area of the rest of Lanachrona and
less than a tenth part of the population, our share might only be one to two
thousand golds. Whether we like what was done in the past or not, we are
involved, and the only question is how we deal with it from here on.”

Several
traders exchanged glances.

“…
never should have gotten into this…” came a whisper from the back table.

Alucius
refrained from pointing out that their unwillingness to support the militia
years earlier had created the problem. “We’ve changed the ledger system back to
something resembling the older system, and we will be asking for various bids
in the weeks ahead. We’ve also been strengthening our forces in the west
because it’s likely that the Matrial will attack in the spring. As I mentioned
a moment ago, Colonel Weslyn was indeed lining his own pockets. I’ve asked
several respected traders and crafters to look at the Guard ledgers as well to
attest to what we have discovered. Some of your goods were involved. Because of
the way in which the colonel arranged for purchase of the goods at your
standard prices, you would only get your normal price and would not know of
this.”

Alucius
was lying here, because there was a strong suggestion, both in the ledgers and
from the fear emanating from a number of the traders, that more than the colonel
had been involved, but he could not prove it and doubted that he ever could,
not in a way to be laid before a justicer or the Lord-Protector.

“Unless
other problems arise, of course, I see no reason to dig into the past. We
certainly can’t recover coins already spent. We can only make sure that both
you and the Guard get value for coins in the future.” Alucius offered a smile.

“You’ve
been most forthcoming, Colonel,” Halsant finally said.

Alucius
could sense the worry from the man, worry and an aura of fear that intensified
the purple miasma that drifted around him.

“After
all I’ve said,” Alucius went on, “I’m certain that you’ll all wish to look at
the documents here, and I’ll wait in case you have any questions.”

As
Alucius had suspected, there were few questions indeed, but more than half the
traders did stop to examine the papers and documents. None asked him anything
new.

After
less than a glass, he was on his way back to Northern Guard headquarters, still
musing over the meeting, and why Halanat and Tarolt had not been there. Was it
because they were closely connected with the ifrits and didn’t want Alucius to
know? Or because they thought he was just beneath notice? Or because they
intended to act against him and didn’t want to alert him, knowing that a herder
could sense that?

He
didn’t know and couldn’t come up with any more plausible reasons on the ride
back to Northern Guard headquarters. But he needed to find out. That thought
remained with him as he dismounted and turned the chestnut over to Fewal.

“I
don’t think I’ll be riding out this afternoon.”

“Yes,
sir.”

Alucius
had been back in his study for only half a glass when Feran appeared in the
doorway and stepped inside.

“Lujat
sent another dispatch,” offered the older officer as he sat down on the edge of
the chair across from the young colonel.

“About
what? That he’s short of supplies, payroll, mounts, equipment, and experienced
officers?” replied Alucius dryly.

“It
wasn’t that bad. He has enough payroll and mounts. He also expressed his appreciation
of the recent reorganization—that’s the way he wrote it—of the officer corps.
He said that would be of great help, especially if the Matrites did not attack
in the next few weeks.”

“I’m
glad someone thinks we did something right.”

“He
also wrote that they found several Matrite deserters—dead, without a mark on
them.”

“The
torques. They’ve got them back working, maybe all of them.” Alucius still didn’t
know how, but it wasn’t something he could explain to Feran.

“Can’t
say that I like that.” Feran paused. “How was your meeting with the traders?”

“I’d
guess we’ve reached an unspoken truce, of sorts, except with Halanat and
Tarolt. Tarolt wasn’t there, and Halsant was doing the talking for him and for
his father.”

“You
think that the two older traders not being there means something? That they don’t
want to agree or meet with you? Or that they’re guilty and know that because
you’re a herder, you’d know if you met them?”

“That’s
my guess. I was willing to let it go, if they’d have come, but without seeing
them…”

“You
could always just go see Halanat first,” suggested Feran. “From what you’ve
said, he’s the one who’s been supplying more of the goods to us. Then if he won’t
see you in person… you do what you have to.”

“I’d
already thought that, but I was interested in what you think. I don’t like the
idea of the two most powerful factors in Dekhron avoiding me, as if I didn’t
even exist, or that the Northern Guard doesn’t matter.”

“To
them, it probably doesn’t, except for the coins they get.” Feran’s laugh was
low and harsh.

Alucius
nodded.

“If
you go, I’d suggest an escort,” Feran added. “Four lancers, at least.”

“That’s
too many. Two. Two makes it look as though I’m just self-important. Four
suggests I’m afraid, and that’s not good.”

“Fear
is sometimes wise,” Feran said sagely, before his somber face broke into a
grin.

“I’d
agree, but showing it is not.”

“You
are wearing nightsilk still, I hope.”

“Wendra
brought me two new sets and a stronger vest. She said I’d worn out the old
ones.”

“You
probably did.”

Alucius
nodded. Wendra had made that point by putting her knife through the chest of
one of the older undergarments. She’d also packed the old ones in with Alendra’s
clothes so that Alucius wouldn’t be tempted to wear them. She’d said that she
could use the heavy shears and tailor the unstressed nightsilk into a jacket
for Alendra. They both had understood that need, because Alendra would have to
accompany Wendra out on the stead at least some of the time. Alucius worried
about that as well. It seemed that the older he got, the more worries he had.

“When
will you try to see Halanat?” asked Feran.

“Tomorrow.
The sooner we find out where we stand on all this, the sooner we can work out a
better budget and plan for the rest of the year and next year.”

“I’m
glad you got all that herder training on how to handle coins.” Feran shook his
head as he stood. “It’s easier to deal with the Matrites than ledgers. For me,
anyway.” He gave a last smile as he left Alucius’s study.

Alucius
looked at the stacks of paper. He hoped he could finish up with them in the
next week. Then he could get back to working with Feran on more ways to improve
the Guard. But… without coins and supplies, they couldn’t do that, either.

On
Septi, under a clear silver green sky, promising spring, with the sun nearing
midmorning, Alucius rode out of the Northern Guard headquarters. With him rode
Roncar and Dhaget. He wished he could ride alone, but he’d promised both Feran
and Wendra that he’d take an escort when he could.

He
was glad to be out and riding. After only two weeks as colonel, he was
restless. Was he too young to be a headquarters officer? Too much of a herder
to spend so many glasses behind a desk? He snorted. Did night-rams have sharp
horns? Was the Aerial Plateau high? Was winter at Blackstear cold?

For
all his restlessness, though, he had a job to do, and if he didn’t do it and do
it well, he might never get back to being a herder. He shifted his weight in
the saddle and continued riding toward the river.

Halanat’s
factorage and warehouse were just opposite the wharves on the River Vedra,
almost a vingt west of the White Bull. Whether he’d find Halanat there, he didn’t
know, but it was likely that if he didn’t, he’d learn more by visiting the
warehouse. He might even find out more from Halsant. Although Alucius had his
doubts about that, he thought he should try if Halanat didn’t happen to be
there.

Once
beyond the headquarters gates, Alucius turned the big chestnut to the right and
followed the unmarked avenue toward the trading district, one part of Dekhron
that he had never visited.

The
factor’s warehouse was clearly marked—HALANAT & SONS—with a recently
painted signboard over a building that was old but had been kept in repair. A
heavy wagon was being unloaded through the dock on the west side. Both the
signpost and the wagon bore a painted image of a silver wheel.

A
silver wheel—the design mentioned by the women in Hyalt. That gave Alucius a
most uneasy feeling as he reined up in front.

“Do
you want us to accompany you, sir?” asked Fewal.

“No.
Just wait here. I don’t think I’ll be that long.” Alucius dismounted and handed
the chestnut’s reins to Fewal.

Alucius
stepped up onto the narrow porch, opened the heavy oak door, and paused. Inside
the cavernous warehouse there was little light, save that coming from the open
loading door on the north side of the west end and from the pair of barred and
narrow windows flanking the front door. Pallets, bales, and amphorae were
neatly placed in rows along the stone floor, but without signs or labels. While
there was a slight mustiness to the air, there was surprisingly little dust.

Alucius
caught sight of several figures beside the loading door and started down the
space between two rows of bales toward them. Two men were rolling a hogshead
farther inside the warehouse. The third, who had been watching the unloading,
turned—Halsant.

“Colonel…
I can’t say I expected to see you here. Unless you’re on stead business, and,
in that, I certainly can’t help you. You know we don’t handle nightsilk.”

“I
understand that you never have,” Alucius replied. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Oh…
?”

“You
seem to be doing well these days.” Alucius gestured back at the goods stacked
in the warehouse.

“As
well as can be expected.” After a pause, Halsant asked, “What did you want?”

“Actually,
I was looking for your father.”

“You
know… he’s not that involved in the factoring these days.”

Alucius
smiled politely. “I understood that as well. A number of people have suggested
I should talk to him.”

Halsant’s
eyes flicked from Alucius toward the windows though which the two lancers could
be seen and back to Alucius. “Oh?”

“Yes.”
Alucius waited.

The
trader shook his head and shrugged. “That’s your business, then. He should be
in his study at the house.”

“Thank
you.” Alucius started to turn, then stopped. “I didn’t want to ask when I met
with the Traders’ Council the other day, but could you tell me something about
it? Why it was created?”

“Not
much to say. Once the Lord-Protector dissolved the old council, none of us
really met. We decided we still needed to tell each other what was happening…
the way the traders do in southern Lanachrona. We were stumbling all over each
other… cost a lot of golds. It’s more like an exchange, not really a council.”

“I
take it you become one of those most involved with it?”

“I’ve
been going to the meetings. Most of us have. I suppose I have more to say than
some. We’ve had to go farther and farther in our trading.”

“I
noticed the silver-wheel emblem. Is that just yours, or do all the traders in
Dekhron use that? I could have missed it, but I don’t recall seeing it before.”

“It’s
ours, but it’s new in the last few years. Once we started going south, we
decided we needed an emblem, something that would make us easier to recognize.
It’s not a name, not something tied to the north, you know?”