Endgames

by L. E. Modesitt Jr

  His thoughts, however, were on Alyncya. Reading Verse for an Unquiet Time was taking longer than Charyn had anticipated, especially since he had chosen to read it alone in the evenings … and picking three verses that would convey what he wanted was proving difficult. While he was expected, he felt, to return the book with three passages marked, he would have preferred to keep it.

  Perhaps you should copy the poems you mark, as well as several others that might be suitable in some fashion or another. He nodded, then turned his attention to what he might say to Ostraaw.

  When the coach drew up to the massive gates, a guard stepped forward.

  “I’m here to see Engineer Ostraaw,” Charyn called from the coach. “He’s expecting me.”

  After several moments, the guard gestured, and the gates opened.

  As the coach moved through the gates, Charyn was glad he hadn’t had to mention his identity as Factor Suyrien. Sooner or later, word would get out, but the later, the better. Every few days he could keep the charade going would be helpful. He didn’t even want to think what the newssheets might write, but he was resigned to it happening, sooner or later.

  When the coach reached the small building south of the rifleworks and pulled up, Ostraaw stood outside waiting. Charyn immediately got out of the coach and walked over to the narrow-shouldered, wiry engineer. “Good morning.”

  “The same to you, Factor.” Ostraaw looked at the guards and the carriage. “You travel like a man very well off. Or one with enemies.”

  “As I’ve observed before, Engineer Ostraaw, my family is more noted than I am, and members of it have been killed. That tends to make one cautious.”

  “Yet … while you are known at the exchange and by a handful of factors, very little else is known about you.”

  “For the moment, that is for the best. Now, since I am here, we have several matters to discuss. First, if we could survey the two locations you suggested for a heavy manufactorage…”

  “How soon would you be considering building such a facility?”

  “Not until next spring at the earliest. I did say it might be a while, but it will happen.”

  “What sort of—”

  “A heavy machine of some complexity. I’d prefer not to say more.”

  “You know who might buy it?”

  “I know of two buyers already … if it can be designed to their specifications. My personal engineer has built a half-scale working model.” Charyn wasn’t sure that was absolutely correct, since the steam engine required to propel a frigate might be three times the size of what Paersyt had tested, or perhaps two engines of lesser size might be preferable.

  “Would I know this engineer?”

  “I couldn’t say, but you definitely will in time,” replied Charyn with a laugh. “Now … if you could show me the two locations. I worry that the one might be flooded with the spring waters, and that the other might not have enough water flow for power.”

  Ostraaw frowned, then nodded. “I had those concerns as well, but other locations have even greater possible difficulties…”

  Charyn listened as the two walked toward the open stretch of land beyond the rifleworks.

  “The lower site here,” said Ostraaw as he gestured, “has the best access to the river. If you’ll be shipping heavy machines, this might be the better one.”

  “That’s a point to consider,” replied Charyn. “Can we see the upper site?”

  “This way.”

  The lower site on the point was definitely too vulnerable to flooding so far as Charyn was concerned, but as he studied the higher one, he realized something he should have thought of earlier—if Paersyt’s steam engines worked as well as he hoped, he wouldn’t need to rely on water power at all after they’d produced enough engines to power the manufactorage. And if they don’t, you won’t be needing a manufactorage at all.

  “You’re looking rather amused, Suyrien.”

  “The upper site will work better than the lower one for what I have in mind, more than I’d realized. Thank you for taking me through them. I wouldn’t have thought it without seeing it. Now … about the coal.”

  “I’ve tried to talk Karl into a lower price. He’ll have nothing to do with it.”

  “Are there any other factors or High Holders that might provide coal for the old price, or one lower than Karl is charging?”

  “There’s no one on the exchange who’s willing to do so. I’ve heard that there may be some High Holders who have mines not selling on the exchange. No one seems to know who they might be. If you can find out who they might be, that would be helpful. Otherwise…” Ostraaw shook his head.

  “I have a few people who might know more, but it will be a few days, perhaps longer, before I’ll be able to talk with them. Buy whatever coal you absolutely need for the next month. I’ll let you know in the next week or so if I can find a better price or someone who might be able to do so.”

  The engineer grinned. “Estafen said there was more to you than meets the eye.”

  Charyn grinned back. “Since there’s not that much striking about what meets the eye, I certainly hope so.”

  Ostraaw offered a hearty laugh.

  “There is one other matter, and that’s about what we’re paying the workers.”

  “You aren’t thinking about lowering wages?” Ostraaw looked alarmed. “The men work hard, and it can be dangerous at times.”

  “No. Quite the contrary. I wanted to know if you think they’re being paid enough for that kind of work. I understood that Vaschet was using prisoners and paying them almost nothing.”

  “Some of them were, but that ended when Factor Estafen took over. There’s not a man here who makes less than five coppers for each two days he works.”

  “Would it be ruinous to increase wages a little?”

  Ostraaw frowned. “A copper more a week right now would be possible.”

  “Then do it, starting at the beginning of Feuillyt. And if you’d let them know it was a decision by both you and me.”

  “I can do that, sir.”

  “Is there anything else we need to discuss?” asked Charyn.

  “It might be helpful to be able to reach you quicker.”

  “I’m working on that, but it may be a while.”

  “Other members of your … family?”

  Charyn shook his head. “I can assure you that you do not wish to deal with them. They believe that factoring is far beneath them and would treat you badly.”

  “I thought as much. That’s why you’re engaged in something far from your family?”

  Charyn nodded. In a different way, that was true. “It would not have been possible without Estafen. Now … I need to go.”

  “I won’t keep you.”

  The two walked back to the coach.

  Three quints after leaving the ironworks, Charyn was inside Paersyt’s factorage, spreading out the plans for the newest frigate.

  “These are the ship plans for the newest frigate to be built in Solis. I’d like you to take a look at them. I’d be interested in knowing if and how you could add your steam engine to the ship and whether it would work. Or if a pair of engines might work better.”

  “You’re asking a great deal, Your Grace. We’ve done some tests with the Steamwraith, but we’re still working out some problems.”

  “When can I see the ship tests?”

  The engineering factor cocked his head, then frowned. “We should be ready for the next tests … this coming Jeudi, I’d say.”

  “Can you make it early in the morning … seventh glass?”

  “We can do that. At our pier.”

  “Excellent. Now … about the frigate plans?”

  Paersyt shook his head. “Be better if I used these plans as the basis for designing a steam frigate from scratch.”

  “You’re the engineer, but you’ll have to come up with something that the new shipyard in Solis can build.”

  “I wouldn’t design anything a shipyard couldn’t bui
ld. Whether they’ll want to … Shipwrights are very leery of design changes. That’s understandable, because captains and crews could die if they try something different and it doesn’t work. At the least, they could lose considerable amounts.”

  “For a warship, I’m more interested in the speed, strength, and safety.”

  “If I can make it work for a warship, it’ll work better for a merchanter. And if we can, you’ll be even richer.”

  “No … we’ll be richer,” Charyn corrected the engineer. “How long will it take you to build the larger engine?”

  “Might be spring … might be a year … might be two.”

  Charyn shook his head and handed the engineer twenty golds. “That’s for now. Keep sending me reports.”

  It was almost ninth glass by the time Charyn made his way up the grand staircase to his study. He’d barely remembered to remove the exchange pin from his lapel before leaving the coach. While most in the Chateau likely wouldn’t know what it signified, someone might ask, and he preferred not to lie outright.

  “You might want to read the newssheets, Your Grace,” said Wyllum as Charyn walked toward the goldenwood table desk.

  “Oh?”

  “Tableta wrote about your touring the damaged factorages and warehouses. So did Veritum.”

  Charyn decided to start with Tableta.

  Our beloved Rex finally decided to view all the damage created by the factors’ decision to starve workers … Needless to say he inspected the damage, carefully guided by the worst offender of all, Councilor Factor Eshmael. Doubtless, Eshmael laid all the blame for the carnage on workers who are only trying to obtain a living wage. Factors are prospering more than ever, yet they find it necessary to hire mere boys or pay starvation wages to workers …

  The other story of interest in Tableta was one about another protest by the True Believers, this time at the Anomen D’Sud. It only mentioned Charyn in passing, saying that his proposed reforms were clearly minor, since they didn’t seem to be having much effect.

  Similar stories were also in Veritum, but the one about the continuing fires noted that Charyn had suggested the possibility of the Rex setting a fair minimum wage, noting that the matter had only been discussed. The True Believer story didn’t mention Charyn at all, except by implication, by saying that the matter really was between choristers and their congregations, and that the changes in law only clarified that and made the choristers more responsible.

  Charyn set the newssheets aside and looked to Wyllum. “Has anyone been looking for me?”

  “Minister Aevidyr said that he hoped to have a word with you.”

  “I need to speak with Alucar first, but I’ll stop by Aevidyr’s study after that. Is there a list of which factors will be attending dinner on Samedi?”

  “Yes, sir. Should I leave it on your desk?”

  “That will be fine. I hope I won’t be long.”

  Wondering what Aevidyr wanted, and knowing it was likely something else irritating, Charyn found himself marching swiftly to Alucar’s study, almost as if trying to escape. He slowed, then stopped and took a deep breath outside the study door, before opening it and entering.

  Alucar looked up from his desk as Charyn stepped into the study. “Yes, Your Grace?”

  Charyn closed the door, ignoring the chair before Alucar’s desk and remaining standing. “Vaelln sent me a report yesterday afternoon. The level of naval action has depleted stores of powder and shells to the point that the navy won’t be able to maintain operations against the Jariolans by the beginning of Finitas.”

  “I received a similar report from Sea Marshal Tynan.” Alucar fingered his smooth-shaven chin. “We should be receiving tariffs by then, and we might be able to divert some.”

  “Vaelln said he’d be sending me details on where he might be able to cut spending. I got the feeling he wasn’t too hopeful about that.”

  “You’ve had me cut expenses wherever possible … but the regional governors haven’t been as helpful in that regard as they might have been.”

  “I’ve mentioned that,” Charyn said dryly.

  “And as I’ve replied, Your Grace, anyone with whom you replaced them would have similar faults.”

  “Do you still think restructuring the whole regional governing system is infeasible?”

  “Not over time, but at present, yes.”

  “We can’t afford not to support the navy. It will cost us even more in the next two years if we can’t bring this undeclared war to a halt.”

  “I must agree with your assessment. Vaelln won’t need as much in the way of supplies in Ianus and Fevier, not given that winter operations are harder in Jariola.”

  “Unless they just send all their ships south to Otelyrn,” replied Charyn, “where they’ll cost the factors more ships, for which I’ll be blamed. And if Tynan sends some of his fleet after them, that will require even more supplies.”

  “There is some good news,” said Alucar genially.

  “Oh?”

  “The way you restructured the Chateau staffing has cut monthly expenditures by some fifty golds.”

  “But we’re paying the guards more, and some of the others.”

  “It appears that … various people were dipping into the till, so to speak.”

  “I found out about the stablemaster and Churwyl.”

  “They accounted for about half of that. There were ‘supplemental funds’ sent to several regional governors as well, with your father’s approval.”

  “And Aevidyr hasn’t requested any more?” asked Charyn wryly.

  “He did once. I suggested that he should ask you. He decided against it at the time, and then after Voralch absconded with the funds from the regional accounts in Solis, he must have decided not to press.”

  “I can’t imagine why.”

  “Also, Assistant Chorister Faheel came to see me. He needed help setting up new ledgers for the Anomen D’Rex. Apparently, the old ones vanished, along with most of the coins in the anomen strongbox. Faheel did keep records of the offerings and his stipend and expenditures. So constructing new ledgers wasn’t that hard.” Alucar’s voice turned sardonic. “Given the offerings he’s received in total, I suspect that Saerlet made off with quite a few golds.”

  That didn’t surprise Charyn, but it was getting so that very little did. “Faheel seems to be more honest.”

  “Your changes to the law might help keep him that way. I did tell him that I would require a copy of that monthly statement.”

  “Thank you. That was a good idea. And … now I need to see Aevidyr. Let me know if you have any more suggestions for finding the additional funds for the navy.”

  Alucar nodded.

  After leaving and closing the door, Charyn took another deep breath as he walked the short distance to Aevidyr’s study, letting himself in and closing the door.

  “You were looking for me?”

  “Yes, Your Grace. Regional Governor Chaanyk has requested supplemental funds to deal with the damages to the port at Tilbora that were caused by the recent floods there.”

  “That’s something that the factors and High Holders of Tilbor will have to fund, I’m afraid. That’s unless they want me to increase their tariffs.”

  “Isn’t there a reserve fund…”

  “There was … until the Aluse flooded, Liantiago was devastated, and the Jariolans stepped up the undeclared war against Solidaran shipping. That reserve was already low because my predecessor was precluded from raising tariffs … and because of the granary destruction at Tuuryl.”

  “I had hoped to be able to convey better news.”

  Charyn offered a sad smile. “I’d like for that, too, but I can’t send golds we don’t have.” He paused, then added, “And I don’t expect to see reductions in tariff collections from Tilbor as a way to fund repairs. Such an unfortunate occurrence might result in Regional Governor Chaanyk spending a great deal of time in a small space, or something even worse. You might want to make that quite clear
.”

  Aevidyr swallowed. “Yes, Your Grace.”

  “Is there anything else?”

  “The regional governor appointments for Telaryn and Khel … sir?”

  “What about Rikkard D’Niasaen?”

  “He was a local justicer for a time.”

  “And?”

  “The factors support him.” Aevidyr’s voice was flat.

  “But even though he comes from a High Holder family, some well-connected High Holders have reservations?”

  “Ah … yes, sir.”

  “Then offer him the appointment. We can always remove him.”

  “Sir…”

  “You wanted a decision. I gave you one. Prepare the offering letter.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “If that’s all…”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After he left the Minister of Administration, Charyn knew he’d been precipitous, but Aevidyr was right about the fact that the position had been left vacant for too long. He would have liked to have filled the corresponding position in Khel, but so far none of the candidates were remotely acceptable. Would Maitre Alastar have any suggestions?

  It certainly couldn’t hurt to ask about that … and whether the Maitre knew any High Holders who had coal for sale.

  He took another deep breath as he approached Sturdyn and the door to his study.

  44

  When Charyn woke on Samedi morning, he again smelled smoke, and more haze hung over the river to the southeast of the Chateau. He didn’t bother to shake his head. When he finished his morning routine, including the exercises with the guards, at which he was now becoming proficient, and stronger, he felt, he made his way to his study. There he found Wyllum—and a report from Marshal Vaelln—waiting for him.

  “There’s been one change to those who are attending the dinner this evening, sir.”

  “Oh?”

  “Factor Haaltyn—his wife is gravely ill, and he sent a messenger regretting.”

  Charyn paused for a moment, trying to recall who Haaltyn was and why he’d been invited. Then he remembered. Haaltyn was one of the main backers and investors behind the L’Excelsis exchange, and he’d been invited solely so that Charyn could meet him. There was no risk of him discovering that Factor Suyrien was Charyn, because Charyn had never seen Haaltyn, nor even been close to the older man. “I’m sorry to hear that. Would you draft a letter of condolence about his wife that also conveys my regrets on not being able to meet with them both?”