by David B. Coe
Stavel started to move on, nodding once to the peddler. Kayiv followed.
“Do you come down here often, Chancellor?”
“Only when my duties to the emperor allow.” Stavel didn’t look at the minister, and his tone carried little warmth. “You?” he asked, seemingly as an afterthought.
“Not nearly as often as I would like.”
They walked a short distance in silence before Stavel paused briefly to look at some silver work, mostly women’s jewelry, although there were some blades on the cart as well. Kayiv found himself eyeing a necklace that only a turn or two before he might have considered buying for Nitara. Looking up, the minister realized that Stavel had left him, and he hurried to catch up.
“Is there something I can do for you, Minister?” the chancellor asked as Kayiv joined him at yet another cart. “Because if there’s not, I would rather have this time to myself.”
Again the minister hesitated, afraid of what he was about to do. “As it happens, Chancellor,” he made himself say, “I do have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“I was wondering if you had ever discussed with any of the other chancellors the emperor’s decision to begin the invasion early.”
What little color Stavel had in his face vanished. He stepped away from the vendor’s display, then turned to face the minister again. “Why would I discuss it with anyone?” he asked, his voice low and tight.
“I think you know.”
“The high chancellor’s claim that the recommendation had come from all of us.”
“Precisely.”
“I’ve said nothing of it to anyone. You told me at the time that you had discussed the invasion with the high chancellor in private just after our discussion that day. You told me that this was merely a misunderstanding.”
“Yes, I know I did.” He swallowed. Then, “I lied to you.”
Kayiv had expected the chancellor to respond in anger. Instead, he looked terrified. “I don’t want to hear this,” he said, backing away.
“I believe you should.”
“Why?”
“Because this matter bears on the safety of the empire, indeed, of all the Forelands.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The high chancellor and I spoke that day of a personal matter, one that had nothing to do with the emperor or the invasion. I told you otherwise because at the time I favored the decision to begin the invasion sooner than originally planned. It’s a lie I’ve since come to regret, not necessarily because I think the invasion should be delayed, but because I fear that the emperor is being deceived. If he’s been led to believe that this counsel came from all of us, who knows what else he’s been told.”
Stavel glanced about, then gestured for the minister to follow him. They walked in silence a good distance until they had left the marketplace and stepped onto a narrow byway between a pair of small stone buildings. “You fear that the high chancellor is lying to him?”
“I’m not certain. I think it’s possible. To be honest, Chancellor, I don’t think much of the emperor. I find his lack of wisdom . . . disconcerting. If Dusaan does steer him toward certain decisions at times, it’s probably justified. But that’s all the more reason for the high chancellor to consult the rest of us. If the emperor needs guidance, best it should come from all of his Qirsi, rather than just one man.”
“The emperor chose Dusaan as his high chancellor, Minister. Regardless of how we feel about the man, we have to accept that choice and live with it.”
“I know that,” Kayiv said. “And I don’t question the high chancellor’s right to offer counsel to the emperor on his own. But when he claims to speak on behalf of all of us, that’s a different matter. Clearly Dusaan feared that his own recommendation with respect to the invasion wouldn’t be enough to convince the emperor. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered lying about it. He’s using us to mislead the emperor, and I don’t like it.”
“Then tell him so.”
The minister shook his head. “I’m afraid to. I’m but one minister, and I have no desire to stand alone against the high chancellor. I’d soon find myself cast from the palace.”
“So you thought to have me fight this battle for you? I don’t think so.”
“The emperor spoke to you—you’re the one who brought Dusaan’s lie to my attention in the first place.”
“Yes, but still—”
“You’re a chancellor, and you have a good deal of influence with the other chancellors. Were you to inform them of what Dusaan had done, how do you think they would respond?”
“I don’t know.”
But Kayiv could see from the man’s expression that this wasn’t completely true, and he pressed his advantage. “They’d be angry, wouldn’t they? They’d want to confront him, to ask him why he had offered such counsel without first speaking to them.”
“I fear Dusaan as much as you do. He has the power to banish any one of us from the palace, minister and chancellor alike. It’s true that I’ve been here longer than the rest of you, but that won’t save me if I anger the high chancellor.”
“That’s why you should speak of this with the others. If you speak for all of the chancellors, he can’t do anything to you, not without Harel’s approval. And I doubt very much that he’ll wish to raise this matter with the emperor.”
The chancellor stared at him for several moments, as if attempting to divine his thoughts.
“Why are you doing this, Minister?”
“I’ve already told you. I don’t like the idea of the emperor being deceived this way.”
“I think there’s more to it than that.”
Kayiv looked away. “You’re wrong.”
“Am I? You and I have never seen eye-to-eye on any matter of importance, and you’ve just said yourself that you question Harel’s wisdom, that you don’t worry about the high chancellor ‘steering him toward certain decisions.’ Thus I find it hard to believe that you’re suddenly concerned about the veracity of all Dusaan tells our emperor.”
Kayiv had expected that it might come to this, though he had hoped with all his heart that it wouldn’t. Already, he was putting his life at risk. But thus far he had done nothing irrevocable. In the next few moments, however, all that would change. There would be no turning from this path, no escaping the Weaver’s wrath if Dusaan learned of his role in this.
“Believe what you will,” he said, allowing his fear to creep into his voice.
“Very well. Keep your purpose to yourself. But you’ll have no help from me.” Stavel turned and started to walk back toward the palace.
Kayiv let him take three or four steps, then called to him, by name rather than by title. He looked around, as if searching for the emperor’s men, then walked to where the chancellor stood waiting. “I’ll tell you, but you must swear to me that you won’t speak of this with anyone else.”
“You have my word.”
He took a long breath. “I fear that there’s more to the high chancellor’s deception than merely a desire to have his counsel hold sway with the emperor.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come now, Chancellor, surely it’s occurred to you as well.”
“I don’t—” Stavel stopped abruptly, his eyes growing wide. “You think he’s a traitor!”
“I’ve wondered if it’s possible, yes.”
“Simply because he lied to the emperor about the invasion?”
“As I told you, I fear that he’s lied to the emperor on other occasions as well.”
“Do you know this for certain?”
“No. But think about it, Chancellor. Why would he lie at all?”
“Perhaps it was done in error.”
“I’d considered that, but have you ever known the high chancellor to make any other errors of this sort or this magnitude?”
Stavel frowned. “No, I don’t suppose I have.”
“Neither have I.”
“But still—”
“You’ve spoken of this with the master of arms?”
“Yes. And he’s concerned about it as well. We all should be. What if the high chancellor made this recommendation knowing that it would doom the invasion to failure?”
“Qirsar save us all!”
“You see now why it’s so important that we address this matter as quickly as possible. It may be that I was right when I told you that this was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Certainly I hope so. But if there’s more to it than that, we need to know, and we need to warn the emperor.”
“Then we shouldn’t confront Dusaan at all. We should go straight to Harel.”
Kayiv had to keep himself from looking pleased. “Do you really think so?”
“Of course. If the high chancellor is a traitor, and we raise this with him, he’ll find some way to continue his deception. By going directly to the emperor, we deny him that opportunity.”
“And if he’s not a traitor, if this is all just the result of an honest error?”
“Then we will have disturbed the emperor and angered the high chancellor for no reason. But under the circumstances, that seems a small price to pay.”
Kayiv nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose you’re right. So you’ll speak of this with the other chancellors.”
“Yes. And I think you should say something to the ministers. It would be best if we all went to the emperor, lest we seem to be dividing into factions.”
This the minister hadn’t anticipated, though he realized immediately that he should have. There were only five ministers among the emperor’s many Qirsi, and of course one of them—Nitara—was allied with Dusaan. If he approached the emperor with Stavel, speaking for the other ministers, the high chancellor would learn of his betrayal. Indeed, he would probably hear of it from Nitara long before word of this reached Harel.
“The ministers don’t have much influence with the emperor, Chancellor. I’m not certain that there would be much point in involving them.”
Stavel smiled. “I understand that you’re afraid, Minister. So am I. But we’ll do this together. It will be safer for all concerned.”
He was desperate now. “What if there are traitors among the ministers?”
Stavel narrowed his eyes. “Do you have reason to believe that others in the court are traitors?”
He almost told him. It was a measure of how frightened he was of Dusaan that he even considered it. And it was a measure of how much he still cared for Nitara that he answered as he did.
“No, I don’t.”
“Then it’s a risk we’ll have to take, Minister. You should also speak with the master of arms again. We’d be in a far stronger position if he was with us.”
Kayiv nodded. “I believe he will be.” There was nothing more for him to say. A few moments later he and the chancellor parted company, Stavel continuing his walk through the marketplace while the minister returned to the palace, glancing about all the way, expecting at any moment to see Nitara, or worse, Dusaan.
By nightfall of that same day, there was talk in the court of a mysterious discussion taking place among the chancellors. Already Stavel had honored their agreement, and Kayiv had little choice but to call together the ministers as well.
They met the following morning in Kayiv’s chamber. It was early, too early judging from the weary faces of his fellow ministers, but Kayiv had wanted to speak with them well before the ringing of the midmorning bells.
“What’s this about, Kayiv?” asked Gorlan, the oldest of their group and the one who had served longest in the palace.
“We’ll wait a few moments more,” he answered, eyeing the door. One was still missing. Nitara, naturally.
“Is this about the chancellors?”
“Not about them, no. But we’ll be discussing the same thing they did.”
Gorlan nodded, as did the other two, Rov and B’Serre.
A few moments later, at last, someone knocked at the door, and at Kayiv’s call to enter, Nitara let herself into the chamber. Her hair was braided and her eyes seemed to glow like torches. She sat as far from him as she possibly could, perching on the sill of his window like some pale dove.
“We’re all here now,” B’Serre said. “Tell us what’s going on.”
Kayiv nodded, his eyes flicking toward Nitara. He wasn’t exactly sure how she would respond to all of this.
“Nearly a turn ago, Chancellor Stavel came to me, having just spoken briefly with the emperor. It seems the emperor was under the impression that the suggestion to move up his invasion of Eibithar had come from all his Qirsi.”
“But we never discussed it.”
“Hence Stavel’s concern.”
“You say this happened a turn ago?” Gorlan asked.
“Yes.”
“And we’re just hearing of it now?”
“That was my doing. I thought the decision a wise one, and though it seemed clear to me that the high chancellor had taken some liberty in presenting this counsel to the emperor, I saw no harm in it. Since I had spoken with the high chancellor about another matter just after that day’s discussion, I told Stavel that he and I had talked of the invasion and that the emperor must have misunderstood and assumed that all his Qirsi were privy to our conversation.” He shrugged. “Stavel accepted this and I assumed that the matter was closed.
“Yesterday, however, Stavel and I spoke of it again, for the first time since that day a turn ago. It seems that he hasn’t forgotten the high chancellor’s transgression.”
“Nor should he have,” Gorlan said, his voice hard. “If the high chancellor wishes to give advice to the emperor, he should do so. But he has no right to speak for us without soliciting our opinions first. And frankly, Minister, I’m disappointed in you. I would have thought that you’d feel as I do about this, and that you would have come to us far sooner.”
Kayiv did his best to look contrite, though inwardly he was pleased. When Nitara related to Dusaan what had been said here, she would surely include Gorlan’s rebuke. “You’re right,” he said. “I should have. I apologize to all of you.”
“What does Stavel want to do about this?” Nitara asked.
Kayiv looked at her, their eyes meeting for the briefest of moments before he had to look away again.
“Is he content to raise the matter with the high chancellor and ask that in the future we be consulted before he takes his suggestions to the emperor? Or does he intend to do more than that?”
“Well, I’m afraid there’s more to it than just the chancellor’s pique. He fears that Dusaan has done this on other occasions, and he’s begun to question if the high chancellor’s behavior might be rooted in more than just arrogance.”
“Meaning what?” Rov asked.
But glancing at Nitara once more, Kayiv saw that she already understood. Her cheeks had flushed, and she was shaking her head slowly, as if warning him not to answer.
“Meaning that he believes the high chancellor might be a traitor.”
“Demons and fire!”
“I believe the chancellor has allowed his fears to overmaster his judgment,” B’Serre said.
Nitara nodded, glaring at Kayiv. “I agree.”
Kayiv remained silent, as did Gorlan, who didn’t appear at all surprised by what had been said. Kayiv couldn’t be certain, but he sensed that, like Stavel, the minister had his own doubts about the high chancellor’s loyalty.
“So Stavel wishes to speak with the emperor,” Nitara said.
“I believe he does. I also think he wants all of us to accompany him, so that he isn’t forced to voice his suspicions alone.” He considered mentioning the master of arms, but quickly thought better of it. Best not to reveal all to Nitara just yet.
“I won’t do it!” she said. “The high chancellor is no traitor, and I won’t be party to any attempt to br
and him as such.”
“I feel the same way,” B’Serre said. “If we had proof that he had betrayed the empire in some way, that would be one thing, but all he’s done is claim falsely to speak for the rest of us.”
“ ‘All he’s done’?” Gorlan repeated. “Surely you don’t condone it.”
“No, I don’t, and if Stavel wants to bring this up with the high chancellor, I’ll be more than happy to support him. But this is hardly grounds for calling the man a traitor.”
“Is that how you feel as well, Rov?”
The man stared at his hands, a troubled look in his bright yellow eyes. But after some time he nodded. “I guess it is. I don’t like that he lied to the emperor, especially about this. But I’m not ready to accuse him of treason.”
Kayiv nodded. “Gorlan?”
“It seems I’m more disturbed by this than are the rest of you, but I won’t stand alone against the high chancellor, particularly if it means questioning his loyalty.”
“All right,” Kayiv said, masking his disappointment, “I’ll tell Stavel that we’re not willing to go to the emperor with this.”
“I do think we should speak with the emperor,” Gorlan said quickly. “He should know that we didn’t all agree with Dusaan’s counsel regarding the timing of the invasion.”
“It’s not our place to go directly to the emperor,” Nitara said, sounding slightly desperate. “We should speak of this with the high chancellor himself, and tell him that in the future we would prefer that he come to us before making such recommendations on our behalf.”
Gorlan shook his head. “That’s not good enough. What if the high chancellor has misrepresented us before? What’s to stop him from ignoring our protests and doing it again?” He looked around the chamber, as if seeking support from the rest. “Don’t you think that we ought to inform the emperor of what Dusaan has done?”
Kayiv was more than happy to let Gorlan argue the point for him, and he remained silent.
For quite some time all of them did.
At last, Rov gave a reluctant nod. “He should probably know. I don’t relish the notion of going to the emperor without Dusaan’s knowledge, but in this case it might be justified.”
Gorlan turned to B’Serre, an expectant look on his lean face.