Treachery's Tools (45 page)

“You do have some, I take it?”

“An even half score.”

“That might be enough. Do you remember what Chesyrk attempted.…” Alastar went on to explain, outlining how it might be possible to use one past rebel tactic against the latest rebels.

Less than a quint later, he left headquarters and mounted the gray for the return to Imagisle.

“That didn't take too long, sir,” offered Taurek as the three imagers rode toward the gates.

“Longer than I would have liked, but Marshal Wilkorn does have some capabilities that we can adapt.”
At least, I hope we can.

“Do the High Holders really believe they can win?” asked Taurek.

“Those who are rebelling believe they will lose if they don't fight,” replied Alastar. “The rex has turned down their petitions. Those petitions asked for the reinstatement of their ancient and excessive rights, not that they believe they were excessive.”

“But all of them have so much.”

“Many would have to sell lands to pay those debts, and if they sell enough to pay, they well might not hold enough to be High Holders. They feel threatened, and those with power who feel threatened are always dangerous.”

Seliora nodded, while Taurek just shook his head.

Just before fourth glass, Alastar walked into the anteroom in the administration building to find Cyran waiting for him.

“Come on in.” Alastar motioned for the senior imager to join him in the study. “When did you get back?”

“About a glass ago.”

Alastar shut the study door and asked, “How did matters go with Elthyrd and Meinyt?”

“They're not happy men, either of them,” replied Cyran.

“I don't want them to be happy. I want them to get on with developing a working relationship between factors and High Holders.”

“You made that clear enough. Meinyt is willing to work with Elthyrd, but he wanted me to convey to you that there's little if anything he can do about the rebels, and unless or until they come to terms or are defeated, nothing that he and Elthyrd agree on can be implemented. He did have one good suggestion, and Elthyrd agreed with it.”

“What was that?”

“There should be a council of factors for all of Solidar just as there is a High Council.”

Alastar nodded. “That makes sense. It will probably have to start as a coordinating and advisory group.”

“That's just what Elthyrd said.”

“At least we've got those two talking.” Alastar shook his head. “Now all we have to do is defeat a rebel army that has enough cannon to pound down almost any imagers' shields.”

“They have cannon?”

“That's what Wilkorn believes. Far more than he has, ever since a certain maitre suggested that the cannon at headquarters might best be employed elsewhere.” Alastar's last words carried a certain amount of rue.

“How could you have known?”

“I should have seen that times were changing and that the old ways of the High Holders couldn't last, not unless they changed and became more like factors. Some have, but most haven't, and they're afraid and angry at what's happened, and they blame the Collegium and the rex. They think we've helped the factors at their expense, when all we've done is to keep the High Holders from squashing the factors. The High Holders don't see it that way, of course. Most of them don't, anyway.”

“How soon will they attack, then?”

“Wilkorn thinks it will be at least a week. It might be longer. Cannon slow things down.”

“What do you think we should do?”

“I'd like to have you, Akoryt, Alyna, and me meet tomorrow morning at seventh glass to talk over some of the things we might be able to do. I need to think before we meet, and it might be better if we all do.”

Cyran nodded.

“Has anything else happened?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, that I know of.”

“That's somewhat reassuring.” Alastar's tone was dry. “Then I'll see you in the morning. Leave the door open.”

Once Cyran left, Alastar looked at the master ledger, then shook his head. With the accuracy Thelia applied to the Collegium's accounts, he really didn't need to study the ledger as much as he did, and he certainly wasn't in the mood, anyway.

He couldn't help worrying that, as far as the rebels were concerned, they knew something he didn't, and that bothered him.
Perhaps in the meeting tomorrow …

“You're looking very thoughtful.”

Alastar looked up as Alyna stepped into the study.

“I'm worried, I have to say.”

She smiled warmly. “You've always worried a lot. Did you find out anything more from Lorien? I assume that's where you went. You'd mentioned that at breakfast.”

“I saw Lorien and Chelia, and then went to see Marshal Wilkorn.” He summarized what he had learned. “… and all that means matters are worse than we expected.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“I've confirmed that they're worse. I can't prove it. I may never be able to prove it, but guess who's likely behind all of this?”

“High Holder Ryel.”

Alastar nodded. “And he's likely enlisted Ryentar to the cause, most likely promising that he can be rex.”

“The messenger in scarlet and black? Those are his colors as High Holder Regial? That makes sense, given his attitude. Do you think Ryel has also co-opted Bettaur?”

“It's possible, but I have no way of knowing.”

“That may be, but is there any other explanation?”

“I can't think of one,” Alastar admitted.

“How do they think they can defeat the Collegium?”

“With a great number of cannon.”

“That didn't work last time,” Alyna pointed out.

“We had the advantage then.”

“We did?”

“They were attacking us, and we knew where their positions were, and they didn't know where ours were. They also didn't know what we could do, and their cannon were lightly guarded. This time, their cannon will be heavily guarded, and they may even have two imagers.”

“That shouldn't be enough, and Ryel has to know that.”

“I know that, and so do you, and so does he, and that makes me wonder what we've overlooked.”

“Maybe that's what he wants us to think.”

Alastar shrugged.

“You're not thinking well. Your eyes are pinkish again. Let's go collect the girls and go home. You need some lager and some quiet.”

Alastar didn't argue.

After returning to the Maitre's house, he did indeed have a lager, and then a solid dinner, and it was solid, with potato dumplings, no doubt because the root crops, such as potatoes, hadn't suffered nearly so much as the grains and maize. When the main part of the meal was over, he gave Lystara and Malyna a brief summary of the day's events, beginning with his meeting with Meinyt and Elthyrd, followed by the meeting with Lorien, and then the meeting with Marshal Wilkorn. He did avoid mentioning anything about Ryel and the twisted family relationships, involving Chelia, Ryel, Ryentar, and Bettaur.

Lystara immediately asked, “Why do the High Holders want things to be the way they were? Most people were poorer and unhappier, weren't they?”

Alyna and Alastar exchanged glances before she nodded to him, if with the hint of a smile.

“Most people were, but the High Holders were more powerful, and they could do almost anything they wanted, especially in the parts of Solidar that used to be Tilbor, Telaryn, and Antiago. They also had more of the golds. Now the factors and even some crafters have more golds, and some of the High Holders have less. They don't like that. This isn't true of all High Holders. Your uncle Zaerlyn, for example, has done quite well, but that's because his family has always stayed in factoring and manufacturing as well.”

“Isn't his family ours?”

“We are all part of a large family,” Alastar agreed.

“How many High Holders will join this rebellion, Uncle Alastar?”

“Right now, we know of at least ten, and there are probably another ten, although that's just a guess.”

“That's not very many. There are more than a thousand High Holders.”

“If we don't defeat them, it's enough to unseat Rex Lorien and change the laws, and weaken the Collegium, if not destroy it.”

A puzzled expression crossed Malyna's face.

“Most people really don't care who's rex, just so long as their lives aren't upset and they aren't put in danger or impoverished. They worry more about putting food on the table, clothes on their back, and a roof overhead … and about being able to walk the streets safely. That's a simplification, but it's true for most people. The factors want to be able to build bigger factorages and make more and better things.” Alastar paused for a moment, trying to summarize his answer. “If the High Holders defeat the army and the Collegium, and remove Rex Lorien and make someone else rex, and nothing else changes, most people won't want to fight anymore because it won't gain them anything … and those who wanted to make things better will have been defeated or scattered.”
Or dead.

“That's…” Malyna shook her head, apparently unable to find a suitable adjective.

“That's human nature,” added Alyna. “Only a small fraction of people in any land determine what happens. When the first rex regis decided to unify Solidar, he had only a small army and a handful of imagers. We were fortunate that he had good ideas. Others have had bad ideas. The ancient Naedarans turned against their imagers, and everything collapsed. That's often why it's important to stop people who have bad ideas before they get too far. That's what your uncle is trying to do.”

“But Rex Lorien really isn't that good a rex, is he?” asked Malyna.

“No,” replied Alastar, “but he's better than the kind of ruler that the High Holders want. They want someone who will allow them to do anything they want. They wouldn't even have to follow the Codex Legis.”

“So … all this fighting and killing is just to keep things from getting worse?”

“And to maintain things in a way so that they can get better in time,” added Alyna. “That's important.”

“You're not learning imaging all at once, are you?” asked Alastar.

“I understand that, Uncle Alastar.”

“You're fortunate you do,” said Alyna. “Most people have trouble with that. They either think nothing will change, or they want everything better immediately.”

“Anyway,” concluded Alastar, “that's what happened today, and why we think it happened. So far, at least.”

“You have a few quints before bed,” said Alyna, “and you can play plaques, or read, or talk with us on the front porch.”

“Can we go and see the glowbugs?” asked Lystara. “There are hundreds of them tonight, all around the north garden. They're everywhere.”

“Everywhere?” asked Alastar skeptically.

“Except really near the house. Can I show Malyna? They don't have glowbugs in Rivages.”

Alastar looked to Malyna, then to Alyna. “You don't?”

“No, Uncle Alastar.”

“Almost never,” corrected Alyna. “Not unless the winter was mild, and only a few.”

“There are hundreds out there tonight. You promised. That was a week ago. They won't be that bright many times. You did promise…”

“She is right,” Alyna said with a smile. “They won't last that long.…”

Alastar laughed softly and rose from the table. “Then you should go before they do.”

“Really? We can?”

“As you pointed out, Lystara, we promised.”

Alastar and Alyna followed the girls out onto the front porch and then around to the east side. From there, in the deep twilight, they all could see a haze of points of light spread like a carpet across the grassy slope a good three hundred yards to the north behind the house.

“Remember, you need to move quietly and slowly,” said Alastar. “The glowbugs can sense movement, and if you disturb them, they'll stop glowing.”

“I know that, Father.” With that Lystara hopped down the side steps, followed by Malyna, who wore a bemused expression.

“Should we go with them?” murmured Alastar.

“We can watch from here,” replied Alyna, in an equally low voice. “If they go beyond the hedges in the middle of the slope, then we'll follow, under a concealment.”

“We'd better start now, then,” replied Alastar wryly. “I don't see that Lystara's going to be stopping until she reaches the river.”

The two went down the steps and began to walk after the girls.

“It's a lovely night,” Alyna said. “Just warm enough and the slightest touch of a breeze.”

Alastar felt that it was a touch too warm, and he would have personally liked a stronger breeze. “If there happened to be more of a wind, we wouldn't be seeing all those glowbugs.”

“But the glowbugs are beautiful,” Alyna pointed out. “We really don't see them that often, and we almost never take time to enjoy them.”

Alastar had to admit she had the right of that.

Twilight was fading into early night as they followed the girls, under the faint light of Artiema, three days past full and on the wane. Alastar began to pick up the pace as the girls started up the stone steps in the middle of the grassy slope.

Although Malyna and Lystara were walking evenly and carefully, the point lights from the glowbugs closest to the steps began to fade as the pair climbed step by step.

“You're right,” murmured Alyna. “She won't stop until she reaches the riverwall.”

“Or until she runs into some juniors looking for privacy.”

“Or the monitors patrolling to assure that privacy doesn't go too far.”

The girls reached the top of the steps and kept going. Alastar and Alyna followed and then continued along the stone walk that led to northpoint, the northern tip of Imagisle. Lystara and Malyna stopped suddenly some ten yards from the riverwall. Just as abruptly, the glowbugs in the waist-high hedge bordering the walk below the raised riverwall flickered, starting on each side of the stone walk that led directly to the slight protrusion in the riverwall that was the only indication that it was the northernmost point of the wall. The light-points rapidly darkened on both sides, until there were only scattered glimmers.