Bright Star

by E G Manetti

  Meeting Chin’s curious gaze, Lilian says, “The beginning of one, Master Chin. I must make Mistress Tabitha’s acquaintance to confirm my understanding of her nature. I will also need to take counsel with a man of remarkable resourcefulness.”

  At Chin’s expression, Lilian hastens on, “No, not Monsignor. The fate of a junior associate is not worthy of Monsignor’s attention. This is mine to execute. It will not hinder Monsignor’s interests in any manner, and there may be some benefit.”

  “I insist that you keep me apprised of your endeavor.” Chin is loath to involve Lucius. He is not about to let Lilian put herself in harm’s way.

  “Yes, Master Medic. My thanks, Master Medic.”

  »◊«

  “It executed exactly as you designed, Monsignor,” Marco delights as he drops into one of the well-upholstered chairs in Lucius’ seating area. With a smile, Lucius pours rich amber liquor into a short glass. Master Trevelyan’s love of single malt has transferred to Lucius and his seigneurs.

  Seventh bell chimes as the light fades in the cityscape beyond the windows. They are well into the Bright Star negotiations. This day, through the Fletcher-Damien conduit, Matahorn was brought to believe that Serengeti would accept the high-end valuation of the Matahorn agra-commodities with a few face-saving sweeteners from the secondary pool.

  As it happens, the Matahorn demand for the agra-commodities did not exceed Lilian’s high-end valuation. The secondary pool contained the Troy saltmarshes. The little drama executed perfectly.

  Marco blustered about the value of the commodities. Seigneur William reluctantly offered Serengeti its choice of a property from the secondary group. Marco held out for two. When Seigneur William agreed, Lilian accessed her slate. For a slow count of one hundred, she contemplated the device. Then Lilian thoughtfully passed it to Marco, pointing out her two recommendations. The deal was struck.

  As soon as the Troy property passed to Bright Star, Lilian, in her capacity as conservator for Desperation Mine and Refinery, acquired the parcel for Blooded Dagger. Before the closing courtesies were completed, Monsignor Lucius Mercio had taken into his possession the last building block for his synthetics venture. A venture that, within five years, will add sufficient wealth to his personal holdings such that Lucius will be able to crush Sebastian Mehta and replace him with a Grey Spear preeminence of Lucius’ choosing.

  Unaware of the synthetics, Marco believes the acquisition of the Troy saltmarshes was but a preliminary trial of the intelligence conduit. Savoring his beverage, Marco inquires, “Monsignor’s conduit is operating as hoped. What is your will for our next maneuver?”

  Sevenday 35, Day 4

  “Monsignor Lucius will not be pleased by your interference between Monsignor Sebastian and his apprentice,” Trevelyan cautions even as he considers Lilian’s intriguing suggestion. Once again, he has invited Lilian to sit with him at his small conference table, only to discover she wishes to recruit him for an extraordinary task. Fraud, then the Troy saltmarshes, and now this. Trevelyan is as fascinated as he is wary.

  “I have no intention of interfering in Mistress Tabitha’s bond, Master Trevelyan,” Lillian hastens to assure the spymaster. “You are correct. Monsignor would be displeased.

  “Nothing I am suggesting violates the terms of the apprentice bond or protocol. Nor will it interfere with Tabitha proving her bond. Taking on extra work to prove one’s worth is encouraged in all associates, as is ambition. Master Trevelyan, all I beg of you is your thoughts on what would best prove Mistress Tabitha’s worthiness and how to make such proof visible to those who may have an interest.”

  “How are you planning to assist her in this?” Trevelyan is as cognizant as Chin of the risk Lilian is considering. His fascination has increased exponentially. Is she subtlety retaliating against Grey Spear for Martin’s attack? It is a remarkably courageous act, but then the apprentice does not lack for courage. Lucius’ prodigy is proving more than extraordinary.

  “In the same manner as we assist each other,” Lilian responds, oblivious of Trevelyan’s suspicions about her motives. She would be surprised and then flattered to discover the spymaster credits her with such deviousness even though it is unfounded in this instance. Lilian’s hatred of Martin did not enter into her decision. Lilian does not bother to identify her consortium. Lilian is certain Trevelyan knows. “We will provide insight into function, not content. No violation of privilege will attach. If it can be done without violation of privilege, we may execute some of her regular tasks as well. There is no stricture forbidding it as long as we do not mislead the Cartel as to her capabilities. I have verified it.”

  “I am certain you have,” Trevelyan responds dryly. He cannot resist, he will know. “Have you no other purpose in this?”

  If not for milord’s grace, it could be me. In fact, there were many who wished exactly such torment for Lilian. Her desire to answer Grey Spear’s ongoing defiance of milord is but additional incentive. Lilian confesses, “There is one, but it is secondary. Monsignor Sebastian is often a thorn in Monsignor’s side. It will please me to plant a thorn in Monsignor Sebastian’s side, which it will most definitely be should Tabitha escape Grey Spear, even more so should she prove worthy of Blooded Dagger.”

  “You claim to serve Serengeti and Monsignor in this.” Trevelyan cannot resist probing further. “That Tabitha will be freed of a cruel master does not enter into it?”

  Once again, the spymaster is dangling bait before Lilian. As it happens, Lilian owns some to dangle in return. After several months of pondering, Lilian is certain she has discerned the meaning of Maman’s vision panel depicting milord and Master Trevelyan. A decade gone, in desperate times, Trevelyan aided milord in his pirate hunting.

  There is naught in the public records to support Lilian’s theory, but if she is correct, it explains a great deal about milord’s trust in the spymaster and deepens the mystery of Maman’s panels. “It is one matter for the strong and powerful to dominate and control the weak to maintain order and hold back the forces of anarchy. However, the Order of the Five Warriors does not endorse the strong using their dominance for the cruel exploitation of the weak. Those are the forces of anarchy. Surely, Master Trevelyan, having fought pirates with Monsignor, you have no liking for the forces of darkness.”

  The slight widening of Trevelyan’s eyes, and a moment of stillness no longer than a blink, provides all the confirmation Lilian requires.

  “How come you by such a thought?” Trevelyan is both amused and dismissive.

  Lilian is not deceived. “My source is erratic and its information often incomplete. In this case, it seems to be true enough. Master Trevelyan, will you aid us in opening this box for Mistress Tabitha?”

  The earnest entreaty in the young woman’s eyes could melt a harder heart.

  Smiling his free-trader smile, Trevelyan responds, “There is a means, and it is even legal.”

  »◊«

  The excessive makeup and complex arrangement of light brown curls do not hide the youth of the woman in the too tightly tailored olive of Grey Spear and the towering stiletto heels that even Rebecca would avoid. Not yet thirty, Tabitha is not at all what Lilian anticipated. After a moment, it occurs to Lilian that possibly nothing in Tabitha’s appearance is of her own choice. Mentally blessing milord for limiting his control games to her lingerie, Lilian casually approaches the other woman in a prearranged corner of the silent and dimly lit Archives. Well after eighth bell, there are only a handful of associates scattered throughout the massive chambers. This remote corner is uninhabited except for the Grey Spear apprentice.

  “Well met, Mistress Tabitha.”

  “Well met, indeed, Mistress Lilian.”

  Lilian has no intention of approaching the matter subtly. “Why did you assist Mistress Clarice this past dry season when Mistress Ann Hunter was tormenting her? Had your aid been discovered, Mistress Ann could have made matters very difficult for you.”

  “I did not know Clarice at
the time, but I was well familiar with the torment Mistress Ann could inflict. I could not resist the opportunity to foil one of her nasty little games. I heartily disliked that crevasse-crawler and I am glad she has been dismissed.” Tabitha discerns no benefit in subtlety, either. “What is your interest in me?”

  “Possibly none.” Lilian will make no commitments until she has tested Tabitha’s nature. That the abused apprentice retained sufficient will for even such a small defiance is remarkable. The source of her strength has yet to be determined.

  The other woman’s politely quizzical expression does not change. This is promising. A little pressure. “My interest is the well-being of Monsignor Lucius’ Cartel. Such an interest is not served by the heralding of the incompetent or the wasting of the worthy. How far are you willing to go to prove your worth? What risks are you willing to take?”

  Lilian’s sharp gaze reflects seven months of Lucius’ influence.

  Tabitha does not flinch under the severe scrutiny of the younger woman. “I will not violate the terms of my bond or privilege. I will not be party to maliciousness against those who have done naught to earn it. Beyond these limitations, there is naught I will not do.”

  Pleased by the other woman’s response and demeanor, Lilian makes her offer. “Very well. You will need to take on a great deal of extra work in the coming months. There are four of us who will assist as we are able, but the work must be yours. Complete it well and you will have options other than that of becoming a Grey Spear associate. If this is discovered before your bond proves, it will not be well for you. Make no mistake. No one is extending a shadow to you. All we can do is open a very small hole in a very tight box. It is yours to work your way through it. What say you?”

  “When do I commence?”

  17. Revelations

  Two and a half centuries ago, in the late eighth century, civil disorder was rampant in the Ten Systems as free-trader dissent clashed with the consolidating power of the cartels. The opening of the Eleventh and Twelfth Systems was a Shade-sent solution to the escalating strife. The new systems presented an abundance of mineral and agrarian resources and were far distant from the core of the Ten Systems.

  To acquire the funds to explore and develop the new systems, the free-traders turned to the Matahorn Alliance. After months of fruitless negotiation, the Governing Council lost patience and broke the deadlock. The free-traders govern their systems without interference from the cartels and the Governing Council. Commerce with the other ten systems is controlled by the Matahorn supply depots that rim the two systems and collect a commission on every import and export. Massively lucrative for Matahorn, the arrangement has kept the two systems independent and amongst the poorest of systems. ~ excerpt from The Foundations of Order, a scholarly treatise.

  Sevenday 39, Day 7

  The park along the Denel River is filled with Seventh Day visitors exploiting the glorious green-season day with its cloudless sky and mild breeze. Pacing Katleen while keeping her eyes on the crowd, Lilian attempts to clear her mind of Serengeti, Bright Star, synthetics and her duties as a Blooded Dagger conservator. The addition of the plot to rescue Tabitha has challenged even Lilian’s impressive capacity; her days are overfull and stretching well into the evenings.

  For the past five Seventh Days, the morning market excursion has been followed by Katleen’s race training in the River Quarter, where unlike the trails of the Garden Center, they are unlikely to be recognized and accosted. As they skirt the Shrine of Sinead Standingbear and veer west to follow the river path, Lilian slows to a resting pace. The deep green river waters sparkle in the sunlight as if the surface is scattered with Vistrite brilliants.

  At the thought of Vistrite, Lilian’s mind shifts to Desperation and her duties as conservator. The wonder of milord’s trust remains unabated. The barely masked scorn of some of the other Vistrite masters is something she must endure. Despite her intentions, Lilian’s mind returns to the recent First Day and her first monthly Vistrite review without milord, who no longer attends now that he has entrusted Vistrite to Seigneur Solomon.

  The large conference chamber on the thirty-fourth storey is directly below the one in milord’s commerce suite, where the Vistrite reviews had been held until this one. Through the glass wall, Lilian notices Seigneur Solomon seated with Seigneur Jurian from Metricelli Deuce. She cannot help thinking it is as if a bear is keeping company with a gazelle, so startling is the difference in appearance between the husky, heavily featured Jurian and the slender, boyish Solomon.

  It is a thought Lilian quickly represses as she enters the chamber. Jurian, the conservative Metricelli Deuce Vistrite seigneur, disdains Lilian. It is a relief that Jurian is also conscientious in his oversight of Metricelli Deuce, only entering Serengeti Headquarters for the monthly review. His masters of Ascendant, Wonder, and Juniper Crevasse studiously ignore Lilian’s entrance, as scornful of her as Seigneur Jurian.

  “Stellar exploration is a great adventure,” Jurian is speaking. “I never thought I would see the day when any cartel endeavor eclipsed Vistrite.”

  “Hardly eclipses,” Solomon denies as he motions Lilian to a place at the base of the table, as befits her status as the most junior conservator of a Vistrite mine and refinery.

  As Lilian settles into her place, the third-bell chimes herald the arrival of Metricelli Prime’s Southern and Great Crevasse Masters, the older of whom speaks. “Your pardon, Seigneur Solomon, we were unaware that the chamber was reassigned.”

  As the men hastily take their seats, Lilian finds censure in the gaze of Jurian and his masters.

  “With the Margovians resident in Crevasse City, Monsignor does well to keep Bright Star under his gaze,” Solomon says, continuing his response to Jurian’s complaint. “Nor does a conference chamber assignment signify aught but that the cartouche is engaged in expansion that will benefit us all.”

  The conference chamber! Lilian surreptitiously eyes the glazed wall that permits her to attend the closed review without milord. The Vistrite masters have lost their monthly opportunity to impress and interact with Monsignor Lucius. Moreover, with the change in chamber location, there will be little opportunity for a chance encounter. The censure of the Metricelli Deuce warriors is explained. They hold Lilian accountable for the change. If she were a warrior, or even a free associate, the glazed wall would not be mandatory.

  “Now that we are assembled, let us begin.” Solomon opens the operational review. It is the fifth Lilian has attended, and the agenda has not altered in decades. The Crevasse reports are presented in order of productivity. After completing his report, the Southern master clarifies several aspects in response to questions from the other warriors as he deliberately ignores Lilian’s signal for attention.

  “Master Southern.” Solomon halts the master’s movement away from the wall reviewer. “You failed to note, Mistress Desperation has a question.”

  Flashing a glance at the sweet-faced Solomon, Lilian finds resolve and a hint of annoyance in his manner. As with Seigneur Marco, the Vistrite seigneur has never failed to offer Lilian the courtesy owed her conservatorship. With this latest defense, Lilian finds herself warming to milord’s kinsman.

  The Crevasse are dangerous. Survey crews, excavation crews, miners, core haulers, all can fall prey to the inherent dangers of digging through rock dozens of miles below the planet’s surface. Annually, a Vistrite Crevasse claims ten percent of the workforce. Periodic efforts to reduce the loss of life reduce productivity below acceptable levels. Above the tolerance, and productivity is also threatened, as the workers begin to abandon the mines in favor of less dangerous work.

  Although Southern’s annualized fatality rate is within tolerance, the worker abandonment rate has spiked to an unacceptable level for the third time since Lilian began attending the reviews. The pattern is unmistakable. “Something is amiss in Southern Crevasse.”

  Glowering at Lilian, the Southern master waves his hand at the reviewer as he sneers, “You obvio
usly have not been attending. Fatalities are but nine point seven three, the figures are clear.”

  Masters Jurian and Wonder make annoyed sounds in support of the Southern master.

  I am the sum of my ancestors. Taking a deep breath, Lilian turns to Seigneur Solomon. “If I may, Seigneur?” Lilian waves her slate at the reviewer. At Solomon’s nod, Lilian executes a few quick taps, and additional data appears. “These are the number absent from duty for more than thirty days.”

  “What of it?” Southern dismisses. “It is a common occurrence.”

  Life within the Crevasse is harsh. It is not uncommon for workers who have finished their segment to take their earnings and disappear into the pleasures of the surface. Most return within thirty days as their earnings dwindle.

  “Your rate is twice that of the other Crevasse,” Solomon notes, his eyes narrowing. “Jurian?”

  “It does seem high,” Jurian concurs, pleased to be asked to offer an opinion on Vistrite matters outside of Metricelli Deuce.

  Lilian continues to tap; the number drops by half. “These are the workers with exemplary records. All hold at least five years of service and have never failed to report for duty.”

  At the beginning of the year, Desperation Refinery Tech Baldric Simmons disappeared without a trace. It would not have been noteworthy except that he was the only person able to identify the traitor behind the Desperation fraud. A traitor Blooded Dagger continues to seek. Since then, Lilian has watched Desperation’s ‘absent from duty’ percentage as carefully as the fatalities. A spike in either indicates a wrong thing.

  Added to the Southern Crevasse fatalities, the missing reliable workers increase the total potential fatalities to twelve point one three.

  “What of it?” Southern bullies. The hulking man dwarfs Lilian as he leans over her. “It is harvest season. We often lose workers at this time of year.”

  “I doubt that such reliable workers abandoned Crevasse wages for the pittance offered citrus pickers,” Solomon interjects smoothly, a threat evident behind the sweet face and inoffensive tone. As Master Southern steps away from Lilian, Solomon continues, “Three times in the past five months, Mistress Desperation?”