"Oh…" Wendra set down the ledger. "You need to eat, and I haven't done much."
"There's bread and cheese, I think, and a few other things."
"That's not enough—"
"It will do. It's what I was eating before you came. Besides, what you found already is more important than food." Alucius smiled. "So is your being here."
"I'm glad to be here."
Alucius turned sideways, then leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his lips. "You don't know how glad I am."
She grinned wickedly. "You showed me last night."
Alucius couldn't help flushing.
"Grandpa Kustyl came by a while ago." Wendra's voice sobered, a serious tone.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning. I don't feel right leaving you, but I don't feel right leaving everything on the stead to your grandsire. He gets tired, really tired, if he has to take the flock out more than two days in a row."
"You didn't tell me that."
"You've had enough to worry about."
That was true enough, and now she had told him.
"We need to get you something to eat." Wendra turned. "I can do it if you'll keep holding Alendra."
Alucius readjusted his daughter against his shoulder. Alendra squirmed, as if protesting the change in position, as Alucius followed his wife toward the kitchen.
Still… he was back down in his study in less than half a glass, and Wendra had promised to write down, as she could, all the instances of obvious overpayments. He'd redrafted his request to meet with the Traders' Council on the following Sexdi to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. After he signed and sealed it, he had Fewal take it to Halanat's factorage, since he had no idea where else to send it.
The lancer returned within half a glass to say that the factor Halsant had accepted the letter with little more than a nod.
Kustyl arrived less than a glass into the afternoon, while Alucius was drafting letters requesting the resignations of various officers, mostly captains placed by Weslyn. Interestingly enough, Alucius had already received a letter of resignation from Yusalt. That indicated that either someone had passed the word to the captain or Yusalt had not been quite so clueless as he had first appeared. It also suggested he was far from guiltless.
Kustyl walked into the study, closing the door behind him. This time he did settle into the chair across the desk from Alucius. He smiled. "You got 'em worried. That's for sure."
"Who? The factors?"
"Mostly the folks with golds. Even Renzor's heard, and he's just a coppersmith. They're talking about your facing down Weslyn. Some of 'em claim you're part sander, with skin like theirs. Say that nothing else could have survived the shots you took. A couple say that Weslyn was a crack shot. Maybe three years back, he shot a cutpurse running away from thirty yards in the dark. 'Course, no one knew the cutpurse, and only Weslyn said he was a thief."
"Anyone know any more about that?"
"There was some captain who claimed the fellow had been a lancer working in headquarters who deserted, but nothing came of it."
Alucius nodded. Like so much he'd found, it was suggestive, but hardly proof of anything. "What else?"
"It's what's not happening. No prices are changing. No one's stocking up on things, and folks don't think you'll be colonel that long. Figure someone'll shoot you, or that you'll go back to being a herder, or the Lord-Protector will order you back into fighting the Matrites."
"That's not good."
"Nope. Not all that bad, either."
"Why do you think that?"
"If they were all into this, you'd see more happening, one way or another. People leaving town. Goods being sold."
"That… or they're all in it."
Kustyl shook his head. "Too many loose lips in Dekhron. Way I figure it, it has to be Tarolt and Halanat, and everyone else is trying to stay out of their path."
"What sort of goods do Halanat and Halsant handle?" asked Alucius.
"Pretty much everything except nightsilk. Heard they've been shipping more wine from the south out east, and sulfur to Deforya lately," Kustyl said.
"The sulfur sounds like trouble."
"Your grandsire said you didn't much care for the Landarch."
"He wasn't as bad as the nobles around him. They're in charge now. Before long, the Praetor of Lustrea will be trying to take over Deforya. The Lord-Protector would like to, but he doesn't have the lancers to do it."
"You're getting less cheerful these days."
"Wouldn't you?"
Kustyl laughed. "Never have been. Mairee had to be twice as cheerful."
"I need someone here local to look over the ledgers. Someone who's honest and won't take advantage of the information, but I'd like them to be someone whose word most factors would trust."
"Don't want much, do you?"
"I never do," replied Alucius dryly.
Kustyl laughed again. "I'd say you ought to try Agherat. He's the most honest of Dekhron's usurers."
"A usurer?"
"Who else knows ledgers and coins? You don't need a usurer. Guard doesn't borrow. Means he doesn't gain much by it. He's a cousin of Mairee's—she's got lots of cousins. I can ask him after I leave here."
"If you would."
"I can do that." Kustyl stood. "That's what I've got. Talked to your Wendra. She tell you?"
"You plan to ride back tomorrow morning." Alucius rose from behind the desk.
"Quite a woman, that granddaughter of mine."
"More than anyone knew," Alucius said.
"Except you. You saw that right off, didn't you?"
"I'd like to think I did. I knew she was special. I didn't know why."
Kustyl nodded. "Glad to see she's on the stead. Best herder in the whole family, and she had to get a stead from your family. Glad it was your grandsire's. Almost family, anyway."
"I'm glad it worked out."
"You and all of the north valleys. See you in the morning." Kustyl opened the door and slipped out.
Alucius looked down at the unfinished letter on the desk. Sometimes, the writing that followed the decisions seemed as bad as the decisions themselves.
Chapter 113
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In the grayness before dawn on Decdi, Alucius opened the door to his quarters. He carried Wendra's saddlebags, stuffed full, mainly with clothing for Alendra, but also with his old nightsilk undergarments. He hadn't realized how fast infants went through clothing in cold weather, at least, if parents wanted them to remain relatively dry and odor free.
Wendra followed him, with Alendra in the carrypack across her chest, a pack designed to keep the infant snug, warm, and slightly to the left, positioned so that, if necessary, Wendra could use her rifles. Their breath trailed them like white fog as they made their way down the steps to where Kustyl and Wendra's mount waited. Alucius had saddled her chestnut earlier. The chill was more of midwinter than late winter, and more what Alucius would have expected on the stead, rather than in Dekhron.
At the bottom of the steps, Alucius gave Wendra a last, one-armed embrace and kissed her cheek, then bent and kissed his daughter's forehead. "I wish you could stay. Or that I could have put my other plans into effect." Alucius had already told Wendra that he had asked for permission to move the Northern Guard to Iron Stem, and that the Lord-Protector was considering it. Wendra had understood that he was reluctant to say more until he had a firm commitment.
"I wish I could stay, too. You know it's not for the best."
Alucius did. In many ways, Dekhron was looking to be less safe than the stead, and there was also the problem of Royalt. According to Wendra, Alucius's grandsire was beginning to show his age, and if he were left too long to handle the stead without Wendra—or Alucius—the strain would be too great, and in the end, both Alucius and Wendra would suffer more. Given all he owed to his grandsire, Alucius did not want to place too heavy a burden on Royalt. "Just be careful on the way back, and on the stead."
<
br /> "I will. I always am." Wendra smiled warmly at him.
For a long moment, their eyes and lifethreads intertwined.
Then Wendra turned, and even with the carrypack, mounted easily. After she mounted, Alucius checked the rifles at her knee, making sure—once more—that the actions were clean and that the magazines were full.
He stepped back. "Just be careful," he said again.
"We'll be fine." Wendra looked down at him. "You're the one who needs to be careful."
Kustyl cleared his throat.
Alucius looked at the older herder.
"Agherat said he'd be glad to help," Kustyl said from the saddle of his roan. "No charge. That's something from a usurer, but he didn't care much for Weslyn. He's across and up from the chandlery nearest the bridge. Sign with two coins."
"Thank you."
"Glad to ask for you." The older herder glanced to the north. "Cold but clear on the way back. Wendra'll take care of us both. Better shot than anyone except maybe you, Alucius."
"Let's hope you don't have to shoot anyone."
"Being prepared to shoots better than hoping you don't have to," Kustyl replied wryly, easing his mount around to face the gates.
Alucius walked beside Wendra's mount until they reached the gates and the sentries, where he stopped, watching as they turned northward. Then he started back toward his quarters.
Behind him he heard the sentries.
"… Colonels wife… pretty woman…"
"… herder like him… she can run a stead alone… rifles there aren't for show…"
"… heard tell she was as good a shot as him…"
"… tough folk up north…"
"… could use more of 'em, especially now."
He could use more of just about everything, Alucius reflected, except crooked factors and ifrits—and inept captains. He made his way back to his study.
Once in the study, cold because the coal stove in the main part of the headquarters building had not been fired up for the day—and would not be until he did, since Decdi was end day, when lancers had a day off, except in the field—he sat down behind the desk, thinking over what lay ahead.
He'd promoted several senior squad leaders, and now Egyl was the captain in command of Seventh Company. Feran had taken Egyl and Seventh Company, as well as the two Southern Guard companies, to Sudon, with another promotion order for Estepp to captain and the order dismissing Captain Dezyn. Seventh Company would stay there for some intensive training. Fifth Company, with Faisyn as senior squad leader, had remained at Dekhron to support Alucius.
Alucius still hadn't received any word from Majer Lujat on the situation in northern Madrien, and only about half the northern and western outposts had reported back. So far, thankfully, the reports had been positive and seemingly appreciative of the change in command. That would not last, not if the Northern Guard had to deal with an attack by the Matrites, not when supplies and effective officers were both low.
He took a deep breath and looked at the stacks of paper and charts before him. He could only hope that Sanasus was almost finished setting up the new ledgers and revamping the accounts and disbursing systems.
Chapter 114
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Lunch ana Duadi passed without incident—and without dispatches from anywhere. Alucius and Sanasus checked the inventories of everything against the ledgers, then began to go over the ledgers line by line, sorting out what they calculated had been paid to various crafters, growers, and factors, and what had been recorded as being paid. They'd gone back only two seasons, and the discrepancy was far larger than Alucius had originally thought—more than a hundred golds in four months. At that rate, Alucius calculated a difference of two hundred fifty golds a year. If Weslyn had been diverting that much, where were the other five hundred or so golds that had been "overcharged" in the past four years? Had they gone to Halanat?
He'd brought in Agherat late on Duadi, and the old usurer had clucked and mumbled and muttered, then found almost ten more places where Weslyn had concealed overcharges. "Never liked him. Too friendly. Kind that smiles while he cuts your purse." Those had been Agherat's only words about the late colonel.
After the usurer had left, Sanasus and Alucius had both taken deep breaths.
Alucius might suspect, but the more they looked, the clearer it was that there was no evidence within the Northern Guard records that pointed to misdeeds—except by Shalgyr and by Weslyn. Alucius had no doubt that others were involved—or that, barring some mistake or disclosure, he'd never find proof of his suspicions.
Feran returned to Dekhron on Tridi, striding into headquarters in midafternoon and settling into the chair across from Alucius.
"How was Sudon?" asked Alucius.
Feran grinned. "Captain Estepp said you were the only colonel who'd dare to make him a captain. He also said that he'd even volunteer to take a company against the Matrites, if you needed it."
"Dezyn?"
"He should have been waiting with a letter of resignation." Feran laughed harshly. "Instead, he asked when he'd be promoted to overcaptain because all the heads of training had been overcaptains before."
"How did you break it to him?"
"Not well. I told him that he was lucky you hadn't assigned him personally to a suicide attack against a crystal spear-thrower, and that he could consider himself fortunate to be able to resign, rather than being dismissed or court-martialed for incompetence."
"He protested, of course. That kind always does."
"Not for long. I'd made sure Estepp was promoted first, and called him in." Feran's grin widened. "I've never heard such a detailed listing of incompetence. Never heard one so well presented, either. I did ask Estepp to write it up and send it here."
"To you, I hope. As deputy commander." Alucius handed Feran a sheet of parchment and a set of insignia. "It's official, now. You are number two."
"You rushed that."
"No. I should have done it within the first day, but I dated back to then, so you'll get paid for it."
Feran shook his head. "You do know what lancers think is important."
"I hope so. Put on the new ones."
"Here?"
"Here."
Feran took off the overcaptain's bars.
Alucius looked at the majer's insignia on Feran's uniform collar. "Those look good. Unlike some of us, you look old enough to be a majer."
"That's another legacy I have to bear," Feran snorted.
"You'll handle it fine," Alucius insisted. "Better than I do."
"Not better. Differently. We make a good team."
"As a team," Alucius began, "we still have to figure out how to strengthen all the companies in the west. We haven't heard from Lujat."
"He's cautious. He's probably gathering information on his own, to make sure that you're really in charge."
Alucius hoped so. Again, he was hoping too much.
Chapter 115
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By Quinti morning, dispatches were flooding in from all the outposts and companies. Alucius walked into Feran's study and handed several more to the majer. "I think these are the last. It's almost as if they'd all cross-checked with each other."
"They probably did. Once they saw senior squad leaders getting promoted and Weslyn's flunkies getting sacked, they decided it was real. Estepp sent a note with his report on Dezyn's incompetence. He got a note from Sawyn—he's senior squad leader with Twelfth Company—wanting to know if you were really colonel."
"You think Sawyn… ?"
Feran shook his head. "Senior squad leader is where he belongs. He can get anything done, but he's never had an idea of his own in his life. Captains sometimes have to think."
"I'll be glad when we get the last of the new officers in place."
"Except that's when they've got to get to work." Feran glanced at the reports. "Are you finished with all that work on the ledgers?"
"We had to go back over things after everything that Agherat pointed out,
but we did find a number of other discrepancies. Sanasus has some loose ends, but it's done. At least, everything that we could do."
"And?"
"We figure—it's a guess—but we think Weslyn diverted close to twelve hundred golds. Who got the other eight hundred or so… who knows? The house was only fifty golds, and even with that matched pair of his and the carriage…"
"Only fifty golds for a house? Imagine that. I'd have to save every copper for three years. And that's at the munificent pay of a majer…"
"Then there was the wine. Agherat told me some of the bottles cost a gold apiece. There were two hundred and five bottles."
"A mere hundred golds more," suggested Feran. "That leaves seven hundred. You think it was Halanat?"
"That's my guess, but there's not too much I can do. There's not a shred of proof."
"That hasn't stopped you before."
"Not knowing why, what they did with the golds, or the reasons just might stop me." Alucius cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'll have to be careful. I've got to meet with this Traders' Council tomorrow. They've suggested some place called the White Bull."
"An old tavern on the river. That's not so bad. Things have quieted down. If you don't accuse anyone, they'll probably stay quiet."
"That's what bothers me. I get a cordial letter from Halsant, promising cooperation. Sanasus says that we're getting solid and lower bids for flour and feed. It's as if nothing ever happened."
"You think something is about to happen?"
"Yes. They could be waiting to hear what I have to say, or they could already be planning something." Alucius paused. "What did you think of Majer Lujat's report?"
"He thinks the Matrites are waiting for warmer weather to attack."
"So do I," replied Alucius. "I just hope we can get those companies reinforced, and the new captains have time to get settled and ready."
"That's already happening. We've got good lancers. You wouldn't believe the difference in Seventh Company under Egyl even in a few days. We can send them out to Wesrigg in a week, and they'll be a big boost."
Corean Chronicles 3 - Scepters Page 51