by E G Manetti
“When will you eat?” Rebecca hisses over the sound of water as they cleanse their hands. “Those protein bars of yours can’t be consumed in the time required to expel water.”
“Before eighth bell and after sixth bell,” Lilian returns. “It is naught but four days. Milord is forbearing.”
»◊«
“He is beyond cruel,” Rebecca speaks as she viciously stabs a green on the plate in front of her.
“Rebecca, mind your tongue,” Chrys utters with a quick glance around the crowded lobby café. Such criticism of one of the ranked, let alone His Preeminence, could see them caned.
“How would you voice it?” Rebecca returns with heat. “Her work load is half again that of any other apprentice, or even protégé. He commands her every midday and at least one evening a sevenday, sometimes two. I doubt she finds more than five periods of slumber in a night. Now she’s to be without food for at least ten bells at a stretch, mayhap more if he wishes her after commerce. It’s cruel.”
Rubbing a hand against the back of his head, Chrys admits, “I comprehend it not. Lilian is brilliant. A mind dulled by exhaustion and hunger is of little value.”
“You can’t believe he acquired her for her mind,” says Rebecca with blatant derision. Lucius Mercio’s ardent use of his apprentice is well known.
“Yes, Rebecca, I do,” Chrys returns with all seriousness. “As to the other, Lilian is the first monsignor has ever taken as apprentice. It is not surprising that monsignor indulges in the novelty.”
“I didn’t know that, the first you say?” Rebecca is surprised and a little disgruntled that Chrys has more accurate information than she does. “That’s a bit unusual.”
“More than unusual,” Chrys admits. Chrys is Rachelle’s third apprentice. The second proved his bond two years gone. “Of course monsignor hardly lacks for bedmate volunteers. Were that the sum of monsignor’s will, it is more easily achieved. Lilian’s intellect is exceptional. I cannot fathom monsignor’s purpose in trying her so.”
“Brilliance or loveliness, it matters not. Let’s hope monsignor tires of his game soon, or Lilian is likely to starve to death,” returns the irate blonde.
»◊«
Lucius’ home is a graceful mansion of classical proportions set in elegantly landscaped grounds surrounded by stone walls and re-enforced gates. Located in the newest section of the Garden Center district, it follows traditional warrior design. The main level is given over to opulent reception chambers with the family’s quarters and guest accommodations occupying the second and third levels. The fourth and fifth levels are for the servants, storage and utilities.
Evening tenth bell has chimed as Lucius enters and waves away the attendant. Entering his chambers, Lucius finds Estella relaxing on the lounge, her feet up. She is enjoying an entertainment judging by the muted sounds emanating from the reviewer in her hands.
Releasing his slate, Lucius sheds his jacket and much of the day’s concerns as he goes to his wife, “Estella, is it well with you?”
“I am well, my love,” Estella responds, setting aside her reviewer and raising her face for a kiss. Ten years Lucius’ senior, Estella’s only notable sign of first youth passing are the fine lines at the corners of her bright blue eyes. Her alabaster skin is translucent over sharp cheekbones in a heart shaped face. Platinum blonde hair completes the picture of one the Twelve Systems’ most elegant and admired societal leaders.
“How goes it with the counterfeiters?” the lovely woman continues. The sharp intelligence in her eyes interrogates as dulcet tones do not.
“We have them identified and the location of their facilities. The indictments will issue tomorrow. By the end of the sevenday we will have them all,” Lucius declares with satisfaction.
“Once we have them, it will not take long to identify those we require for the Cartouche R&D efforts. The synthetics lab will be active within a month.” Satisfaction yields to ambition as Lucius contemplates the potential of his new enterprise.
“When do you plan on including Sebastian and Elenora in your design?” Sliding to one side, Estella makes space on the lounge for Lucius to join her. Nothing loathe, Lucius slips his arms around his wife and lifts her close, her head resting on his shoulders.
“I will wait until it is certain the technology will succeed. Then we will require the resources of the Cartel to move quickly before it all becomes public knowledge. I would include Elenora now. You know that I cannot without also including Sebastian,” Lucius reminds his wife. Elenora Odestil, preeminence of Iron Hammer is the third Serengeti governor. If Lucius includes her in his plans and excludes Sebastian it will create far more conflict than benefit.
“Sebastian and his intrigues. After eight years, he has cause to desist. He has experienced exceptional profit from your leadership,” Estella shakes her head in disgust as she speaks.
“Sebastian enjoys his intrigues, true enough. In this, there is too much to be gained. He will not attempt to thwart me. No, it is that Sebastian is too fond of those who agree with him and not fond enough of those who are competent. His organization leaks and I cannot risk news of this endeavor becoming public before all is in readiness,” Lucius replies.
“It will be a small research and development team then. Rachelle, a few handpicked technologists, and Trevelyan to keep all hidden?” Estella murmurs.
“Yes, and Lilian for the analytics,” Lucius confirms.
“Not Nickolas?” Estella is curious, not challenging.
“Nickolas’ mind is too conventional. Lilian’s talents gave rise to this and if there is more benefit to be found, she is the one most likely one to find it,” Lucius says softly as his lips caress Estella’s temple.
“And as she is already involved, you need not include another in the secret,” Estella concludes, tilting her head towards the caressing lips. “You are as clever as always, Lucius. Your Lilian is quite exceeding expectations. You discover no hint of her father’s corruption?”
Estella’s concern is not without merit. It is common for warrior offspring to train in the family enterprises after they reach the age of consent at sixteen. Upon reaching majority at twenty, they are included in ongoing operations. All the evidence indicated that Lilian had been separated from her father during her university years. Some risk remains.
“None. Nor do I expect it. Lilian spent nine years, beginning at fifteen, under the guidance of Dean Joseph. If there was aught amiss in her character, he would have discovered it.” Lucius takes calculated risks and prefers the odds aligned in his favor.
Shifting slightly, Estella observes, “Her mother’s bloodlines are strong enough. The Faesetilis were always known for their discipline and adherence to honor. Gariten must have offered significant incentive to contract an alliance with Helena. Your Lilian has the look of her mother. Did I mention I observed her a while ago?”
“I do not recall so, voice it now.” Lucius reaches a hand to stroke the white blond hair.
“It was at the art museum. Lilian and another of your ravens, a young man, were enjoying midday there,” Estella reveals.
“That would be Chrys, Rachelle’s apprentice,” Lucius concludes.
“Rachelle was quite excited by that acquisition, as I recall,” Estella returns. “Is he proving?”
“So it would seem, he completed his training in six sevendays,” Lucius confirms. “How is it you know that Lilian resembles the Seer?”
“I knew Helena slightly, at the conservatory. She is younger, but we shared a class or two. I have not encountered her in ages. She has been reclusive for years,” Estella explains, “even before her derangement.”
“I do not suppose that helps the situation, now that I think about it,” Estella adds. “Helena would have few friends among the elite. It makes it easier for those who despise, Lilian. I had not realized she had become quite so notorious. Padmaja Volsted was vitriolic on the topic. She is not pleased that Gariten’s family has retained its home in the Garden Center
district where decent folk are forced to tolerate their disgusting presence.”
Smiling at his spouse’s mimicry of the haughty museum patron, Lucius asks, “And how did you address Padmaja’s concerns?”
Her lips curling in an answering smile, Estella, remarks, “As it happens, the number of museum patrons grows excessive. I have been forced to make reductions.”
“Beginning with Padmaja?” Lucius laughs. “You are as formidable as ever, my love.”
“The woman is unbelievably tedious,” Estella returns. “I have been waiting ages for her to give me cause to make an example of her. I suppose I have your Lilian to thank for that. What think you? Will she survive the next three years? The apprentice protocol and strictures must be difficult for one with her upbringing and unconventional mind. Open hostility from her neighbors can only increase the pressure. Will she hold?”
“Truly, I know not,” Lucius admits. “The pressure of her situation is extreme. She has shown remarkable fortitude to date but the strain is visible. She presents model obedience to protocol and stricture. I expected a great deal more difficulty in that area. She has not the slightest understanding of nuance and custom.”
At his wife’s murmur, he offers, “She quoted the canons to me one day.”
Startled from her drowse, Estella exclaims, “She did not!”
Feeling her husband nod, Estella turns in his arms, “Truly? She knew no better?”
“How could she? Lilian is the product of her upbringing and education. That along with her unconventional and prodigy mind is what I require. I will do naught to train her from it.”
“Custom has the force of law in many instances, Lucius. Had Lilian done so with a different master, response to such effrontery would have been swift and harsh,” Estella returns.
“It is a risk,” Lucius acknowledges. “Such a breach with another could cause significant difficulty. Lilian is not the only one bound by custom with the force of law. It is not well that so much be governed so. The Twelve Systems are atrophying under the force of custom. Do you realize, should our synthetics endeavor bear fruit it will be the first significant shift in commerce in over fifty years?”
“I had not, but then it has been almost three centuries since a new system was opened. We are atrophying Lucius. Dean Joseph’s and your unconventional arrangement for Lilian was a much needed change in that custom. If there is aught I can do to assist, it would please me to do so.” Releasing her interest in the Cartel, Estella turns her purpose, “Shall I speak to you of our sons and daughter?”
Chapter 12: Counterfeiters
Once Socraide sealed his alliance with Mulan, his ambition turned outward from the First System. In the Third System, Jonathan Metricelli held formidable control. In the Second System an obscure warlord, Rimon ben Claude, had risen to prominence. Of the Three Systems, the Second was by far the most lawless. When Socraide Prime was three distinct realms, Rimon Prime was fragmented into a score of territories.
When Socraide conquered his second planet, Rimon controlled only half of his first. By the time Socraide allied with Mulan, the brilliant, pitiless and ambitious Second Warrior had consolidated two fractured planets into a cohesive system with a consistent, if harsh, set of governing strictures.
After achieving dominion over the Second System, Rimon Ben-Claude turned his ambitions towards the territories of his neighbors in the First and Third Systems. ~excerpt from The Origins of the Five Warriors, a scholarly treatise.
Sevenday 8, Day 3
“Trevelyan, you have done well,” Lucius smiles at his spymaster as Lilian finishes pouring Trevelyan’s tea. At Lucius’ nod, she places the tea canister on the low table and then resumes her place, standing behind his left shoulder. Ninth bell before midday chimes softly, in time with Lilian’s graceful movements.
“It is my honor to serve Blooded Dagger,” Trevelyan responds settling further into the comfortable chair that is one of five that surrounds the low table. The protocol reviews for the principals of the counterfeit scheme are nearly complete. The reviews for the secondary participants begin within days.
Monsignor truly has the Luck of the First, Trevelyan thinks. If the girl were not so clever and desperate to prove herself, it might have been seasons before the counterfeiters were uncovered. The damage could have been considerable. As it is, the forfeited property of the counterfeiters will enrich Blooded Dagger even further.
“You are about to enhance your service, Trevelyan,” Lucius’ smile increases with anticipation. “You are to hide the counterfeit technology, not destroy it.”
The brief rattling of his cup betrays Trevelyan’s consternation at Lucius’ words. After a moment, he responds, “Monsignor, it is no small thing to hide a fabrication facility.”
Shaking his head, Lucius denies that is his intent, “No, the facilities must be publicly dismantled. What I require are the designs and fabrication protocols along with the genius behind the work.”
For a moment Trevelyan quietly sips his tea as he considers the ramifications of Lucius’ words. There is only one possible explanation for the extraordinary requirement. “Monsignor intends to craft counterfeits.”
“Synthetics, Trevelyan,” Lucius corrects the spy. “Blooded Dagger owns the Vistrite. Do we choose to create a synthetic version, it is our right.”
“To what purpose, monsignor?” Trevelyan cannot help but ask. He can fathom no reason for Lucius to create a substance that could reduce the value of Vistrite.
“Lilian, you may answer Master Trevelyan,” Lucius instructs.
“Yes milord,” Lilian glows with pride at the instruction. It requires few words for Lilian to summarize the benefit of creating synthetics in the remote regions where Vistrite is impractical for simple functions such as doors and lights.
The girl is beyond clever and monsignor’s luck borders on supernatural. As Trevelyan grasps the scope of Lucius’ design, he breaks into laughter, “Monsignor will use the counterfeiters’ forfeited estates to fund the Blooded Dagger synthetics venture.”
“Exactly so, Trevelyan, exactly so,” Lucius confirms. It pleases Lucius no end that the shadeless scum will fund Blooded Dagger’s foray into synthetics.
At the thought of the forfeited property, Lucius turns his attention to Lilian, “Lilian, Seigneur Hadrian has confirmed your analysis. Not all of the profits have surfaced.”
Even knowing what she sought, it required days for Lilian to map the full trail of wealth transfer. She was hampered by several trails that disappeared into the Hebrides and could not be followed even with the fraud warrant. She had hoped the Blooded Dagger Financials Seigneur, Hadrian, could map what she could not.
“The seigneur was not able to discover aught further, milord?” Lilian inquires, disappointed.
“Their operation required considerable investment,” Lucius replies. “Once completed, those flows would have ceased.”
Lilian and Trevelyan both nod. Financial links that were no longer required would be severed to reduce the possibility of discovery.
“Monsignor,” Trevelyan returns to the matter at hand, “Is Mistress Lilian able to provide the details of what must be retained of the synthetic technology? We have not much time. I must secure it before the next round of protocol reviews begins or it may be lost.”
»◊«
“Rebecca, what ails you?” Lilian’s concern whispers in the deserted Archives. Eighth bell has chimed and the Archives windows are dimming as the last of the sun fades. The beautiful blonde has made a third, failed attempt to execute an analysis under Lilian’s supervision. There is a definite tremor in the hands working the slate.
With a resigned shrug, Rebecca faces her friend, “I wasn’t quick enough. Master Martin caught me today.”
Rimon Condemn him! Swallowing rage, Lilian demands tightly, “Are you harmed? What did he do?”
“He came at me from behind while I was distracted by a media report on the reviewer outside the Archives. That crevasse-wallower h
ad a nice grope while he rubbed against my backside and offered crude comments on my body parts.” Disgust and humiliation mingle in Rebecca’s voice.
At Lilian’s tight expression, Rebecca continues, “As unpleasant as I found it, that’s not the source of my concern. Now that he’s succeeded once, he’ll return. He’ll have me into a stairwell next. Sooner or later, it will be seen and he’ll claim consent, mayhap enticement.”
“Could you not free yourself? There are methods to repel attack from behind.” Lilian can think of several ways to break such contact.
Shaking her head in denial Rebecca replies, “I know a few tricks, but that shadeless Servant of Anarchy knows them as well. I lack the martial arts training of a Cartel associate.”
This last is a surprise to Lilian. Rebecca owns a university education. An apprentice with aspirations to a cartel should have embraced martial arts training as a matter of routine. “How comes this?”
Rebecca’s eyes narrow and she shrugs again, “I could barely read when I went to Dean Rupert at the age of fourteen. He wasn’t Dean then, merely Scholar Rupert. Dean Rupert isn’t clever or diligent. He owned one asset, a lovely blonde apprentice who could pass for twelve. When not entertaining the Dean or his patrons, I studied. I didn’t pass my entrance trials until my twentieth year. I’ve had a martial class here and there. I have no hope against a protégé.”
For a moment, Lilian is too stunned to speak. Governing protocols limit indenture to male and female minors who have attained their sixteenth year, the age of consent. Lilian is aware that the poorest of the Twelve Systems’ denizens are not always able to feed their children to that late date. Arrangements can be made, but they do not include carnal rights prior to sixteen.
That a Scholar would be so corrupt as to take a child to bed and then use her to advance his career makes Lilian’s skin crawl. Recognizing that the past cannot be undone, Lilian focuses on addressing the problems of the present. “Let us discover if there is an empty training chamber. I am not a qualified instructor, but I have trained in the warrior disciplines since my tenth year. I may be able to assist you in this.”