Treachery's Tools (6 page)

“Thank you for the invitation. And, yes, I do prefer dark lager.”

“Excellent.” Cransyr motioned toward the door of the study. Unlike some High Holders, who continued to wear doublets and hose, Cransyr wore an ivory shirt, with a bright green cravat, and a dark green jacket and trousers. His boots were black. He waited for Alastar to begin to seat himself, then did so at the same time.

In moments, an older woman appeared with a tray on which were two beakers of dark lager. She presented the tray to Alastar, who took the beaker fractionally nearer.

“We share the same preference in lager,” said Cransyr mildly.

“So it appears,” replied Alastar, suspecting that, while the High Holder might prefer dark lager to light, Cransyr most likely preferred wine to lager. Once Cransyr had a beaker in hand, Alastar raised his own beaker. “With my appreciation.”

The two sipped.

Alastar found the lager excellent. He wouldn't have expected it to be otherwise. “Outstanding.”

“I'd hope so.”

“You suggested there are matters we might discuss.”

“Ah, yes.” Cransyr took another sip of lager before setting the beaker on the low table before him. “Matters that might affect the Collegium. Not that most matters, it appears, do not affect the Collegium in some fashion. I'm certain you have been following the questions of tariffs … and harvests.”

“This year's harvests in the middle of Solidar have been largely ruined from what I can tell, although those in the east, especially around Piedryn, have been excellent. It's still early for the harvests in the northeast.”

“Some High Holders have petitioned the rex, individually, of course, and not with the blessing of the High Council, for relief of their tariffs. You are, I understand, aware of such petitions?”

“I am aware such petitions have been made. I have not seen any of them, nor is it likely that I ever will.”

“I am also aware that, if he has not already done so, Chief Factor Hulet will approach you and Finance Minister Alucar in an effort to oppose any reduction in tariffs for High Holders.” Cransyr smiled faintly. “He might even suggest reducing tariffs for factors, while raising them for High Holders.”

“I don't know of a factor or High Holder who wouldn't be happier with lower tariffs.” Alastar let a trace of irony creep into his voice. “The last time there was a problem with tariffs and no agreement could be reached, matters did not end well for anyone.”

“We're not opposed to being tariffed fairly, Maitre. We are opposed to being tariffed unfairly. As High Holders, we have certain responsibilities that the factors do not have. We must provide more than wages. For those who live on the holding proper, we provide everything. Even those who have factorages on their lands provide housing and clean water and provisions for disposing of waste. Here in L'Excelsis, those who work for the factors must find their own housing, and the rex pays for roads, sewers, and even the water that flows from the public fountains. To pay for such, he uses the tariffs of both High Holders and factors. So the factors pay for such but once, while the High Holders pay twice.”

“I wasn't aware that High Holders paid as much in wages as the factors do.”

“When one considers housing, roads, and the ordered life on a holding, what workers get is about the same. That doesn't take into consideration the fact that our workers always have access to food and provisions, even when they have no coppers.”

Alastar decided not to mention the fact that the “allowances” for food on most High Holdings valued basic goods at far higher levels than were the actual prices in L'Excelsis and other towns and cities. “What about the fact that the base levy for High Holders is fixed, regardless of what improvements have been made on the holding in terms of buildings, factorages, and the like?”

“That's what's in the Codex. It's been there for over four hundred years. Changing it because of a bad year isn't the best of ideas. If Rex Lorien does want to make changes in the Codex, then perhaps he should also change some of the provisions pertaining to factors. The High Council would be pleased to make suggestions there … in the interests of fairness, of course.”

“I don't believe I suggested anything such as changes.” The last thing Alastar wanted to do was to be caught in a position between the High Holders and factors, or either and Lorien. “I did note that the way tariffs are assessed on High Holders differs greatly from the method of assessment on factors … and it would seem that there is less difference, in terms of how each creates income, than there once was.”

“There is one very basic difference, Maitre. A High Holder cannot sell off large portions of his lands and remain a High Holder. Nor can most holdings be divided between offspring. A factor can sell and buy as he wishes. That was and remains the rationale for fixing the base level of annual tariffs.”

At that moment, Alastar realized something that he should have known years earlier, not that it would have made the slightest difference in what had transpired—that the tariff increases mandated by Lorien, and supported by the Collegium, had in fact struck the factors harder, because the increase was on the variable part of the tariff for High Holders, and not on the total, while it applied fully to both sections of the factors' tariffs.

“Don't look so surprised, Maitre. I assumed you knew that.”

“I knew that,” replied Alastar pleasantly. “I just had a twinge in my jaw. I was surprised. I was also thinking that, in a fashion, the rex is essentially a High Holder, since he is limited in what he can pass on to any children besides the one who succeeds him.”

“Neither he nor his sire have seemed to have the same concerns as the council does,” said Cransyr sardonically.

“Oh, but they have. Like you, they have wished to keep what they have and give up as little as possible. And that is true of the factors as well. The problem is, as you well know, that if no one gives up anything, roads cannot be built, navies maintained, smugglers halted … and many other matters would languish.”

“That is true enough, but tariffing High Holders out of existence serves little purpose. I would suggest more revenue would be obtained, with less adverse consequences for all Solidar, by tariffing more highly those factors who have amassed hoards of gold because they underpay their workers and claim that they pay every idle relative, when in fact they pocket those golds, in order to reduce the profits they report to the Minister of Finance.”

“You don't think terribly highly of some factors.”

“Should I? Some of the most profitable factorages are stinking cesspits. You won't find anything like that on any High Holding.”

Alastar was afraid, on that matter, Cransyr was largely correct.

“Even those factors who offer decent working conditions,” Cransyr went on in a tone that suggested there were few such factors, “think nothing of the fact that most of their workers live in the worst of taudis, where cutpurses and villains of every stripe abound.”

From what Alastar had learned from more than a few young student imagers, living conditions on many High Holdings were not much different from those in the worst of the taudis in L'Excelsis, except that there were fewer cutpurses, and also fewer young men who'd been suspected of such and who had “vanished” or “fled.”

“You make good points,” Alastar said mildly.

“You don't sound exactly convinced, Maitre.” Cransyr's voice was dryly sardonic.

“I will admit that I recall too vividly the last time tariffs became an issue on which no one would yield.”

“Both the factors and the High Holders agree now that tariffs should not be raised. We disagree on whose tariffs should be lowered.”

“I can certainly convey your feelings on that to Rex Lorien, assuming you have not already done so.”

“The council has conveyed its feelings to the rex. He has acknowledged our concerns and promised to give them the fullest consideration in light of all matters that must weigh in any decision.”

Alastar could well imagine almost exactly those words coming from Lorien.

“In brief,” continued Cransyr dryly, “he is likely to do nothing to alleviate the concerns of the more distressed High Holders. That being the case, the High Council would be even more concerned should he grant any form of relief to any factors or if he should, the Nameless forbid, add additional burdens to the excessive tariffs already paid by all High Holders.”

“You've made your position quite clear,” Alastar said with a cheerful tone he didn't feel.

“I fail to see that you have a position, Maitre, or that if you do, you have even intimated what it might be.”

“The position of the Collegium remains, as it always has been, in favor of laws and actions that benefit all Solidar.”

“I do not see, if you will pardon me, that you have articulated any such policies or actions.” Cransyr's tone remained dryly sardonic.

“That well might be because I have not heard any such policies being put forth,” replied Alastar, keeping his tone genial. “I have heard much about how either factors or High Holders wish to improve their position and how whatever the other has suggested is not in their own interest. I have yet to hear anything which goes beyond the interests of either, and I can only see that, at present, anything advocated by the Collegium would be attacked by anyone who perceived their interests as being affected adversely.”

“Then perhaps you should offer an action which is indeed impartial.”

As if anything impartial would be received as such
. Alastar smiled, as warmly as he could. “Perhaps, in time, we shall. It might be best that the High Council and the Factors' Council consider additional possibilities first.”

“Some might consider that a threat, Maitre.”

“The Collegium endeavors not to make threats. We would prefer not to impose upon others unless they make it necessary.”

“You are not offering much in the way of guidance, Maitre. Some might call that arrogance.”

Alastar wanted to sigh. He did not. “I will observe that it takes a certain amount of golds to govern and administer Solidar. Rex Lorien has been far more prudent than his recent predecessors. He has reduced the amount of golds required for the maintenance of the Chateau D'Rex. He has cut the size of the armies in half, and moved the bulk of their forces where they are more effective in carrying out their duties. He has strengthened the navy and eliminated almost all piracy in the waters around Solidar. This has increased tariffs on trade, much of which was paid by merchants not from Solidar. He has made the justicers and the civic patrols in towns and cities far more impartial—”

“All of that benefits the factors and merchanters and costs the High Holders,” interjected Cransyr tartly.

“He has greatly improved all of the main roads throughout Solidar,” continued Alastar, not mentioning that the Collegium had also been helpful in that respect, particularly in improving the roads linking L'Excelsis to other towns and cities, especially those nearby. “And he has eliminated the use of tariff farmers, and the surcharges they imposed on both High Holders and factors. Tariffs are only a copper on a gold higher than they were ten years ago.”

“You're choosing your facts carefully, Maitre. Tariffs are six coppers on a gold higher than they were fifteen years ago.”

“And there had been no increase in tariffs for fifteen years before that. An increase of six parts on a hundred over thirty years is scarcely excessive.”

“To you and the Collegium, perhaps, since you pay none.”

No, we've all paid in blood and exile from the rest of Solidar, and in trying to keep you and too many High Holders from destroying Solidar with your greed.
“There are different means of paying. Golds are by far the least onerous. I suggest you also keep that in mind.”

“Tariffs are only paid in hard metal, Maitre.”

“I think you're missing something, Cransyr. I leave it to you to discover what that might be.” Alastar rose, leaving the remainder of the lager he'd barely sipped.

“Another of your famous cryptic utterances.” Cransyr did not rise and actually leaned back in his chair, almost languidly. “I will relay it to the council.” He paused. “Removing another High Councilor because he did not bow to your whims, Maitre, might not be advisable.”

“Removing
another
High Councilor?” Alastar laughed. “I wasn't aware that I'd removed any. I did put a pair of daggers through a councilor's boots, but that was after he tried to kill me.”

“I was referring to High Holder Guerdyn.”

“Guerdyn died of his own accord, as I recall. There was neither a mark on his body nor a trace of poison. All that is well known.”

“Every High Holder knows you were responsible.”

Alastar shook his head. “A comparative handful of High Holders believes that, but no one else does and, more to the point, no one else cares.”

“The High Council cares.”

Alastar smiled politely again. “The High Council should also care about what is best for Solidar, because that is far more in their interest than what did or did not happen thirteen years ago.”

“We shall see.”

“That is true. I do appreciate your taking the time to make me aware of how the council feels, as well as your forthrightness in expressing it. I can only hope that you will consider all the matters involved before making any final decision.” Alastar nodded politely.

“I would hope the same of you, Maitre. Good day.”

Alastar nodded once again, then turned and left the receiving study. He smiled politely to the footman as he left the chateau, then mounted the gray. He had more than a few forebodings, given Cransyr's attitude and views. He hadn't expected much different, but Cransyr's polite implacability suggested that a clash between the High Holders and the great factors was inevitable … and that, for whatever reason, Cransyr was trying to goad the Collegium into reacting. On the surface, that didn't make sense, suggesting that there was much Alastar didn't know. Cransyr's attitude might be as simple as the fact that he only had one year left as head of the High Council, unless three of the other four councilors agreed on his continuing, and that might happen given that two of the other High Councilors, Olefsyrt and Staendyn, were largely dependent on the revenues from sales of grain, and other land-related produce. With High Holder Souven leaving the High Council at the end of the year, the only High Holder remaining with a more practical view was Meinyt.