Endgames

by L. E. Modesitt Jr

  Finally, Charyn walked slowly to his mother’s sitting room. He thought his leg didn’t hurt quite so much.

  Chelia looked up from her table desk as he closed the door and then sat down in the chair closest to the desk. “What is it, dear?”

  “Why did Father choose Aevidyr as his Minister of Administration?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Because he’s clearly a tool of the High Holders, and he clearly went around Father, and he’s tried the same with me. I’m not so sure that he didn’t warn Voralch that I was going to remove him and bring him here.”

  “So why haven’t you removed him?”

  “Because I can’t prove it, and I’m not sure who would be better who knows anything.”

  “Do you think your father didn’t face the same problem?”

  “I can see that as far as removing him, but why did he pick him?”

  “I don’t know, dear. Your father didn’t ask me about Aevidyr.”

  “That suggests he did about Sanafryt and Alucar.”

  “Alucar was the landwarden for the lands in Extela. His reports were clear and made sense. He also provided the greatest amount of golds per hectare, and there weren’t any complaints. I suggested your father bring him here after he’d dithered for a year over a replacement for Salucar.”

  “So Alucar has no real allies among the High Holders? Is he even from a High Holder family?”

  “He’s a distant cousin to High Holder Thysor, as I recall.”

  “That makes sense,” replied Charyn dryly. It also explained why Alucar had known who Thysor was when no one else had … and why Alucar was meticulous and also incredibly cautious.

  “What about Sanafryt?”

  “He was the regional justicer here in L’Excelsis. He will bend the law toward the High Holders, but your father said he never broke it. He does give honest answers, if you ask the right questions. At least, your father thought so.”

  Charyn realized, as had happened too often, that he was asking questions that he should have asked far, far, earlier. But that still left the puzzle of Aevidyr. “Father never said anything revealing about Aevidyr?”

  “He never said anything at all, except something to the effect that he hadn’t really had much choice in picking Aevidyr. I asked him why, more than once, and he never answered the question.”

  “Who is he related to?”

  “He was born on the wrong side of the blanket to the younger daughter of High Holder Fauxyn, but he inherited some five hundred hectares of land near Charpen. He was picked as the regional minister of administration in Liantiago by your grandsire a year before his death. He was quite young for the post.”

  “Did the lands come from Fauxyn?”

  “Your father said not. He refused to say where they had come from.” Chelia’s voice was flat.

  “Grandsire?”

  “It’s likely, but your father would never talk about it. I never have, either. Not until now.”

  “Does Aevidyr know?”

  “I’d be greatly surprised if he doesn’t, although I’ve never said a word about it to him.”

  What twisted webs families weave in trying to cover their pasts. That also suggested another reason why his mother had arranged for Palenya to be his tutor and more. “That explains a few more matters.” Like the fact that Aevidyr was a half brother to Charyn’s father and had been fobbed off initially with a few hundred hectares of land. “Who else might know Aevidyr’s parentage?”

  “Unless Aevidyr has let someone know, I doubt that there’s anyone alive who knows besides the two of us. His mother died in childbirth, and Aevidyr’s foster parents lived in Villerive.”

  Charyn nodded, then stood. “Thank you.”

  He walked slowly back to his study thinking how what he had just learned might put an entirely different perspective on his suspicions. In some fashion, Aevidyr had known or discovered his true parentage and leveraged it.

  He was still musing over what he’d learned from his mother when Alucar returned and handed a modest folder to Charyn.

  “These are what Slaasyrn gave me.”

  Charyn leafed through the stack of perhaps ten letters, mostly brief letters from Lorien to Aevidyr. He pulled out two, one a brief note to Aevidyr asking why Aevidyr couldn’t increase the penalties for late payments of tariffs and another demanding that Aevidyr find the funds for repairs to the old regial palace in Solis. “I’d like to keep these two for a little.”

  “That might be for the best, Your Grace. Is there anything else?”

  “Not beyond what we’ve already discussed.”

  As soon as Alucar left, Faelln entered the study.

  “Are there difficulties…?”

  “Not in the city, so far as I know, Your Grace. Factors Hisario and Eshmael are here to see you.” Faelln offered a hint of a smile. “I suggested that they wait in the main foyer.”

  “I’ll see them … so long as they’re not carrying weapons.”

  “We’ll make sure of that, Your Grace.” With a nod, and an expression that suggested Faelln was scarcely displeased with the order to search the factors, Faelln turned and departed.

  A fraction of a quint later, the two factors strode into the study, with Eshmael leading the way.

  “Your guards searched us. Us … members of the Council. That’s insufferable! Absolutely insufferable!” Eshmael’s voice was almost a shout.

  Charyn said nothing, motioning for the two to sit and letting the silence stretch out. Finally, when the two were seated, he said, “As insufferable as being the target of yet another assassination attempt, Eshmael?”

  “It does show a certain lack of trust, Your Grace,” said Hisario evenly.

  “I’ll admit that, Councilor Hisario. But then, who should I trust? I’ve taken measures to make choristers more accountable to their congregations … and I was apparently shot after I did so by the very people I helped. I work out a way to build more warships to protect Solidaran merchant ships, and I’m attacked for not doing more when no one wants to pay more. The factors complain about their losses, but everyone has conveniently forgotten that the regial granaries suffered larger losses than anyone. You asked for the army to stop the destruction, and I’ve given you the army, and for now the destruction has stopped.” Charyn smiled coolly. “What exactly is your problem?”

  “You know very well,” declared Eshmael, his voice now lower. “You used the excuse of destruction and burning to promulgate the law requiring all large manufactorages to pay workers at least two coppers a day, and, on top of that, to limit their workday to nine glasses. Now, I hear that you have clerks checking to make certain all manufactorages are on the regial tariff rolls.”

  “I gave you what you asked for. I also gave the workers a little something, a minute portion more out of all the golds you’re making, just enough for them to feed their families. Where is it written in the Codex Legis that laws should only benefit those with lands and golds? And why should honest factors worry about whether they’re on the tariff rolls?”

  “That’s just the first step toward increasing tariffs,” fumed Eshmael.

  “No. It’s the first step toward making certain I don’t have to come before the Council, likely for several years, if not longer, and ask for an increase in tariffs to deal with the Jariolans.”

  “Why are you doing this to the factors? That’s totally unfair. Why not the High Holders?” snapped Eshmael.

  “Finance Minister Alucar, under my direction, started reviewing the tariffs of High Holders more than two months ago. Those reviews take longer because of the scattered nature of their lands and holdings, but, so far, roughly two in ten High Holders have had their tariffs revised, mostly increased because land or holding acquisitions were not recorded properly.”

  Eshmael had started to open his mouth, then shut it.

  “How many have been reviewed so far?” asked Hisario.

  “Around fifty.” That was a guess on Charyn’s part. “I
t will take a while.”

  “This tariff-roll counting for factors,” asked Hisario, “is it just in L’Excelsis?”

  “We’re starting in L’Excelsis, but Minister Alucar is working out the details for all of Solidar.”

  “Why now?” demanded Eshmael.

  “Because I discovered a number of irregularities, and it seemed much better to clean up the records and then work on better procedures.”

  “If I may say so,” said Hisario, “it’s long overdue. Thank you very much, Your Grace. By your leave…”

  “Of course. Pardon me if I don’t stand at the moment.”

  Eshmael was clearly confused as Hisario escorted him out.

  Charyn thought that Hisario’s reaction was a good sign … but it could also be very bad.

  For a time, he sat and thought over what he had learned and what it might portend.

  Much later, Charyn once more limped to Alucar’s study.

  “Your Grace … you could have summoned me.”

  “All properties over two hundred hectares are required to be recorded here, and not just with the regional governors, are they not?”

  “They’re required to be.”

  “You’re saying that likely not all are. Are they recorded by the landowner’s name, as they are with High Holders?”

  “That is the requirement.”

  “What lands are recorded in Aevidyr’s name?”

  “I would have to look, Your Grace.”

  “Please do, and let me know. I’d appreciate very much your not informing Aevidyr.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  As Charyn slowly walked back to his study, he saw Maertyl coming up the grand staircase. So he stopped and waited for the guard captain.

  “Sir … the guards just returned from escorting Sanafryt’s clerk.”

  “Was there a problem?”

  “Not one for you, I think. I sent Dhuncan and Aastyl. They’re both solid. Dhuncan had to escort the clerk inside to the workrooms of Tableta. When they were leaving, he heard someone saying that the ‘frigging factors’ tried to hush up the wage law.” Maertyl smiled. “I thought you’d like to know. You might not be their target quite so soon again.”

  Charyn shook his head. “Tableta will write something like I took an inadequate step in the right direction and even that the greedy factors tried to hush up. If I’m fortunate, Veritum might be a little more charitable.”

  “The men are proud of you for doing it, Your Grace.”

  I’m glad someone is. “It’s unhappily both the least and the most I can do.”

  Maertyl nodded. “Guards and troopers know all about that. So do the civic patrollers.”

  Charyn was quite sure they did.

  56

  On Samedi morning, Charyn woke slightly later than he had been doing. While his wounds still pained him, especially when he moved them, Maitre Gaellen had stopped by the Chateau late on Vendrei and used a touch of imaging to further clean both wounds, although Charyn had felt nothing. Then Gaellen had told Charyn that both wounds were healing well.

  After rising carefully and going to the window for a quick look out and a breath of the morning air, Charyn was relieved that nothing significant had burned during the night, at least not near the Chateau and, hopefully, not anywhere else.

  A bit later, when he entered the breakfast room, he was surprised to see Iryella sitting at the table with a mug of tea and a platter of egg toast and ham strips in front of her. “You’re up early.”

  “I had a nightmare. I didn’t want to wake anyone else up, and I knew you’d be here before long. If you weren’t, then Aunt Chelia would be before much longer.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. It was a silly nightmare, except it was scary when I was dreaming it.”

  Charyn smiled. “I’ve had nightmares like that. I think most people have.”

  “Do you still have nightmares?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Do you wake up scared?”

  “A few times.” That was certainly true, especially when Charyn had the recurring dream about coming down the grand staircase and getting shot by a faceless guard. Of course, being shot at every month or so likely didn’t help dispel the dream.

  “You’re the Rex.”

  “Bad things can happen to anyone, even Rexes, and nightmares likely come from our fears that they will.” Charyn took the mug of tea from Therosa. “Thank you.” Then he turned back to Iryella. “Most things we’re afraid of don’t happen.”

  “I know that. But some do.”

  Charyn nodded.

  “Do you think the Nameless cares when terrible things happen to people?”

  “I have no idea if the Nameless cares,” replied Charyn. “I don’t think we have any way of knowing.”

  “Neither do I. Karyel says the Nameless allows evil to happen.”

  “That would be hard to prove,” mused Charyn. “If the Nameless stops some evil from happening, we’d never know, because it didn’t happen. Perhaps people do more evil than the Nameless can stop, or perhaps the Nameless leaves us to our own devices, for good or evil.” He caught the momentary look of surprise on Therosa’s face as she set the platter with egg toast and ham strips before him, but simply offered a smile.

  Iryella didn’t seem to notice Therosa’s reaction and replied, “Then whether there’s more good or evil depends on who’s stronger, the good people or the evil people.”

  “Or who chooses to act,” suggested Charyn. “And how.” And when.

  At that moment, Chelia and Karyel entered the breakfast room.

  “Not a word,” said Chelia to Karyel before turning to Charyn. “We’ll need to talk later.”

  “I’ll be in my study.”

  Since Chelia’s entrance and mood had effectively disrupted the conversation between Iryella and Charyn, Charyn finished his breakfast quickly, but without gulping it down, and then made his way up to the study. It was still early enough that only Sturdyn was there, but less than two quints later, an army courier delivered a report from Marshal Vaelln that Charyn immediately read.

  There had been no attempts to burn or damage property on either Meredi night or Jeudi night. On Vendrei night troopers surrounded five men who carried oil jugs. One of the men fired at the troopers with a rifle. The troopers returned fire and killed the man. The others tried to flee. One escaped by diving into the river. One was wounded, and the other two were captured. All the jugs contained highly flammable nut oil. There had been no problems with the two clerks, who had made a total of forty-six visits to factorages or manufactorages on Jeudi and Vendrei.

  Charyn nodded, then went to read the second page, which summarized the latest events in the undeclared naval war with Jariola. Little had changed. Two more new warships had joined the fleet, one first-rater and one frigate. Three Jariolan warships had been sunk, with the loss of one Solidaran frigate, and two more Solidaran merchanters had been lost off Otelyrn.

  As he filed Vaelln’s report with the others, Charyn had the feeling that he just might be making more progress in the war against Jariola than he was in dealing with the struggles between workers, factors, and High Holders.

  He also couldn’t help but wonder exactly what Karyel had done to displease Chelia, but breakfast hadn’t been the place to ask.

  He was still thinking about Karyel when Chelia entered the study and closed the door behind her.

  “You weren’t exactly pleased this morning,” he said evenly.

  “Karyel takes after his misbegotten grandsire. He tried to coerce one of the new chambermaids into his bed. When she wouldn’t cooperate, he threatened her and her family. The last thing we need is another fifteen-year-old spoiled man-child having his way with an unwilling woman and another child born on the wrong side of the blanket, especially now.”

  Another spoiled man-child and another ill-gotten child? Charyn wasn’t about to pursue either, especially not with his mother in the mood she was clear
ly in. “You told him that, obviously. What else?”

  “I also told him that he has his High Holding on sufferance and good behavior.”

  “I was having a good conversation with Iryella when you two came in. She’s a bit manipulative, but seems to have more common sense.”

  “She’s very manipulative, but, as you’ve observed, she does have a head on her shoulders.”

  “You think I should have a talk with Karyel.”

  Chelia shook her head. “Not unless he misbehaves again.”

  “Do we need to look for a very proper and intelligent suitable match for Iryella?”

  “If Karyel continues this way … it’s possible. Finding him a suitable bed partner may be difficult, but better that than where he was headed.”

  “But necessary … as it was for—”

  “You needed Palenya for other reasons, and I never worried about your being threatening or violent.”

  “Just not having an illegitimate heir to complicate matters.”

  Chelia nodded.

  “And what about Bhayrn?”

  “I just told him that he’d have to pay any claims out of whatever holding you bestowed on him. He understood.”

  He understood, but he likely wasn’t happy about that, either. Charyn nodded.

  “Just be cold and very formal with Karyel for the next week or so.”

  “I can do that.” Easily, given that Charyn didn’t even like Karyel.

  With a rueful smile, Chelia turned and left the study.

  Just after eighth glass, Alucar appeared.

  “I thought you should know about what the clerks discovered on Jeudi and Vendrei. They visited forty-six factorages or manufactorages. Six were not on the tariff rolls. Of the six, five would be liable for the lowest possible tariffs, likely just over a gold each. The sixth was a larger manufactorage owned by a Factor Smeadyl that employed at least fifteen workers and might pay as much as ten golds.”

  Charyn had never heard of Factor Smeadyl, but he suspected he’d be seeing or hearing quite a few names he’d never heard before. “That’s one in nine factorages not paying tariffs, a little lower than what you’d predicted, but still close.”