Mykella shook her head but directed the gray onto the narrow lane along the east side of the water, little more than an alleyway that ran north from the bridge across the river that she had not taken. On the far side, Mykella noted two large walled areas within which stood several low buildings. Grayish smoke swirled upward from wide brick chimneys. As she looked more closely, she saw that protruding from the walls above the river were large clay pipes from which thin lines of brownish-grayish fluid flowed into the river.
“What are those?” she asked, pointing.
“Rendering yards, tanneries, where they turn animal fat into oils, skins and hides into leather…”
It was almost midday when Mykella ordered her escorts to head east to the next boulevard and begin the return to the palace.
Once she was back in her formal study, she wanted to look at the rules for metalworks, tanneries, and rendering yards. There was something she’d heard years before.… Had her father said that they weren’t supposed to let their wastes flow into the rivers, or that they shouldn’t be allowed to do that? He’d been talking with Joramyl, she thought, but …
Either way, she needed to know.
10
Once Mykella returned to the palace, after signing the recopied missive to the Landarch of Deforya, it took her only a fraction of a quarter glass to find the book that held the rules for sewers and rivers, but more than three-quarters of a glass to locate the sections dealing with rendering yards and tanneries. To her, at least, the wording seemed clear.
… no liquid waste from carcasses, offal, or other sources used by a rendering yard shall be permitted to enter either the sewers of Tempre or its waterways. Such wastes shall be mixed with dirt and clay and carted to the old open mine to the south of Tempre, or to another locale as designated by the Minister of Highways and Rivers …
Similar wording applied to metalworking shops and facilities.
So why aren’t they doing that? Are these rules out of date? Are there other rules? Except that Chalmyr had said that the rules hadn’t been changed so long as he’d served—and that was more than fifteen years. Among other things, she needed to bring that up with Porofyr’s remaining subordinates. She didn’t have much time to think about that because Chalmyr brought in a sealed letter from Khanasyl.
“Just wait,” she said as she broke the seal and began to read.
Dearest Lady-Protector,
Your kindness in immediately contacting us is most appreciated and in keeping with the courtesy extended by both your father and your late uncle …
Mykella’s lips twisted at the mention of Joramyl, certainly a reference made to highlight without saying so the First Seltyr’s displeasure at having to deal with a mere woman.
… and we would be most pleased to call upon you at the first glass of the afternoon on Duadi in order to discuss those matters of mutual concern and importance to the future of Tempre and its factors and Seltyrs, in particular, since upon commerce rests the entire foundation of the land. Previous Lord-Protectors have all benefited from this understanding, as have the people of Tempre.
We look forward to meeting with you.
“We?” murmured Mykella. “Khanasyl sounds like he’s the Lord-Protector.”
“Lady?” inquired Chalmyr.
“I was talking to myself. Khanasyl will be here at first glass of the afternoon tomorrow.”
“Very good. When would you like to meet with your ministers?” asked Chalmyr.
Ministerial meetings—she’d forgotten about those. Her father had mentioned them as tiresome necessities. “What about first thing in the morning?”
“Eighth glass, Lady?”
She’d thought seventh glass, but nodded.
After he returned to the anteroom, she scanned the sewerage rules again and the smaller volume that held later changes. She found nothing that allowed liquid wastes in rivers or streams. She took out the map folio again, but less than a quarter glass elapsed before Chalmyr again rapped on the door.
“A letter from High Factor Lhanyr.”
I can hardly wait. Mykella took the envelope from Chalmyr and broke the green wax seal, extracting the single sheet of heavy paper and beginning to read.
Dear Lady-Protector—
I do appreciate your courtesy in writing. I must say that I was not totally surprised to receive your letter so soon after recent events because I was a great admirer of your father’s honesty and of his concerns for Lanachrona. Your actions suggest similar concerns, for which I am grateful.
Unless I hear otherwise, I would be pleased to call on you at the third glass of the afternoon on Duadi, and I look forward to that personal meeting.
Mykella read the letter again. After the condescension in Seltyr Khanasyl’s words, she was relieved at Lhanyr’s approach. It doesn’t mean you can trust him … only that he’s more civil. He could be more devious than Joramyl. Still … she could hope for more.
She looked up at Chalmyr. “Lhanyr will be here at third glass tomorrow.”
The scrivener nodded. “Your father was always pleased to meet with him.”
“I hope I will be. I take it that his meetings with Khanasyl were more of a trial?”
“He never said, Lady. He did occasionally look weary afterwards, but that might have been my imagination.”
“We’ll have to see.” She paused, then added, “Thank you very much, Chalmyr.” She could tell that the scrivener was being polite, and that his impression was that those meetings had been more than a trial.
Later that afternoon, after dealing with letters of appointment for officials she had retaining, she “retired” to her chambers, but only to reclaim her riding jacket and gloves before she slipped down to the darkness and out toward the west once more. This time, from what she could determine, she managed to emerge from the darkness somewhere around sixty vingts west of Viencet. From there, it appeared she might be only a vingt from the highway, not that it would do much good when there was a gorgelike gully between the hillside where she could still draw on the darkness and the road. But … perhaps … if she explored even farther west …
She shook her head. She wasn’t as tired as she had been when she’d first begun using the dark ways, but she was still cold and tired. You can only do so much at once.
She eased back into the darkness and back to her private study, where it took her almost half a glass huddled in a quilt before she stopped shivering … barely a quarter glass before dinner.
When she stepped into the family dining room, Salyna was waiting, just inside the door.
“What did you do today? I came by late this morning. You weren’t there.”
“I had to see High Factor Hasenyt. Someone set fire to one of his warehouses.”
“That’s because he supports you,” said Rachylana from behind Mykella.
“We don’t know that.” Mykella moved toward her place at the table. “I did find out that someone paid one of his watchmen to do it.”
“I didn’t know you knew torture…”
“Rachylana!” snapped Salyna.
“I don’t. He wasn’t very bright, and I can be very persuasive—without force, unlike some.” Mykella slipped into her seat, where she filled her goblet with the red wine in the carafe.
Her sisters sat quickly.
“What’s for dinner?”
“A mutton stew,” replied Salyna. “With onions and potatoes … and dark bread.”
“That’s a winter meal,” said Rachylana.
“I need a heavy warm meal. I’m cold.” Mykella’s words were pleasant.
“You’re not eating enough,” Salyna said.
“Thank the moons you’re both fortunate you can eat so much,” commented Rachylana.
“Mykella’s thinner. You can see it,” persisted Salyna.
Rachylana looked closely at her older sister. “You are. I wish I had that problem.”
Muergya appeared with a large casserole and a basket of steaming dark bread
&nbs
p; “What did you do today?” Mykella asked, after serving herself, not directing the question at either of her sisters.
“I rode over to the Southern Guard headquarters and talked with the commander about training women for light duties. I pointed out that would free more guards to fight.”
“Women won’t do that,” offered Rachylana.
“The ones without families or futures might prefer to be guards than harlots.”
“The Guards shouldn’t accept women like that,” countered Rachylana.
“Why not? They accept men who’ve spent time in the workhouses and work camps so long as they haven’t seriously injured anyone.”
“What did the commander say?” Mykella interjected quickly.
“He said that it had to be more than an idea. Before he could think about it seriously, I’d have to plan it out carefully, and you would have to approve it.”
“In practical terms, so would he.” Mykella took a careful mouthful of the casserole, finding it very hot.
“You wouldn’t think about that seriously, would you?” asked Rachylana.
Mykella finished swallowing and followed that with some of the red wine. “I’ll look at anything that makes sense and might help Lanachrona. We’re short of both Southern Guards and golds. If you have any ideas that will help with either, I’ll consider them, too.”
“You might sell all those dresses Cheleyza left,” suggested Rachylana. “One way or another, she won’t be using them.”
“That’s a possibility,” replied Mykella evenly, “but there won’t be many who could or would want to purchase them, and we’ll likely only recover a silver on a gold. I’ll need to talk to Lord Gharyk about the proprieties and legalities.”
“You could close down her villa. Don’t you have to pay everything now?”
“I do, but some of the grooms and servers have served the family for years, and I don’t want it to fall apart. In time, someone else in the family may need to live there. Reducing expenses there is a good idea, though.”
After spending another half glass with her sisters dining, and in forcing herself to eat more than she usually did, and another glass in the family parlor with Salyna, Mykella returned to her own quarters, locked the doors, and slipped down to the depths of the palace. As soon as she emerged, she immediately shielded herself before moving toward the Table. Warily, she eyed it. For a moment, she thought that the still-bright pinkish purple flicked, but nothing happened.
Should she try to see if someone watched from wherever that Alector had been? Efra—that was the name of the world. Where in the heavens was such a world? One of the planets that circled the sun? She shook her head. The old writings had said that the Alectors came from beyond the stars, and that had to be farther than the worlds that circled their sun.
She concentrated on the idea of Efra—and the mists appeared … and parted, but revealing only a seal of some sort with two crossed light-torches—except that they weren’t quite that, but more like scepters that were also light-torches. She kept looking, but her head began to ache, and she closed her eyes and stepped back.
The Table flared brighter, then subsided. Did I do that?
She studied the Table again, but nothing changed, although it was a touch brighter than it had been before she had tried to reach Efra, wherever it was. After several moments, she began to search for people through the Table.
Areyst was at a desk in whatever quarters he had, since his surroundings were not those of Southern Guard headquarters, while Porofyr was studying a ledger and frowning. Cheleyza was in a tiny room, writing on a portable scrivening box by the light of a dim and smoky lamp. Hasenyt and his wife sat across a table as he shuffled pasteboard cards, while Lord Gharyk and Jylara sat before a hearth with dying embers.
Before long, Mykella eased her way upward through the stone and back to her private study. At times, most times, the Table showed little of value.
11
On Duadi morning, Lord Gharyk was the first to arrive, at a quarter before eighth glass, but Mykella had decided not to see any ministers—or those acting for ministers—before she met with them all. Next was Cerlyk, since Forester Loryalt had not returned from his inspection tour, followed by Duchael, the assistant minister for Highways and Rivers, and finally Areyst, who arrived just before eighth glass. Then Mykella invited them all in to sit around the old circular cherry table in the corner of the study that was also the southwest corner of the palace.
“Lord Gharyk … why don’t you begin?” suggested Mykella.
“Ah … yes, Lady-Protector. We are working on the report to detail the changes necessary to return the justicing system to a more efficient and equitable system.”
“If you could explain, in general terms, the problems I asked you to address…”
“There are several … the first is that the justices and civic patrols in other cities do not report on what offenses are taking place or what sentences have been meted out for what offenses. The second is, I have recently discovered, that certain offenders are being executed here in Tempre both before judgments are sent to the ministry and in some cases when those judgments are never reported.” Gharyk moistened his lips.
“Thank you.” Mykella could see why Gharyk was nervous. To her it looked very much as though executions were taking place as much to silence the offenders and keep the reports from the palace as to carry out justice. But pointing that out at present would serve no purpose. “I look forward to reading the report.” She looked at Cerlyk. “Sub-Forester?”
“Yes, Lady-Protector. As I informed you earlier, Forester Loryalt is touring…”
Mykella kept a pleasant smile on her face for the nearly half glass that Cerlyk detailed the state of the Lady-Protector’s forests and the decreased potential for immediate timber revenues.
When he had finished, she turned to Duchael, who had squirmed in his chair from the beginning of the meeting. “If you would begin by reporting on the condition of sewers in Tempre, Assistant Minister Duchael.”
Duchael offered a smile and cleared his throat.
As he spoke, Mykella sensed apprehension and fear.
“Lady-Protector, the ministry’s priorities under Lord Porofyr focused on the maintenance of waterways and the improvement of towpaths along the Vedra and the lower reaches of the Vyanna…”
“I understand that, and I’m most certain that those are in excellent condition. That is why I inquired about the situation with regard to sewers.” Mykella smiled pleasantly.
“The situation in Tempre … is … uneven. The sewers in the eastern part and southeastern part of the city function well. There are few complaints about odors.…”
Mykella listened as Duchael explained the soundness of the eastern sewers, then held up her hand, and asked, “What about the sewers in the western part and center parts of Tempre, especially those bordering the South River?”
“There have been some complaints in the past, Lady, but not recently.”
Mykella nodded. “I’d like to see the details when we meet next tenday. By the end of today, I would also like the names of the chief sewer inspectors in Tempre, and the name and position of whoever is in charge of sewer repairs and maintenance, the engineer.” Her eyes fixed firmly on Duchael, then shifted. “Commander Areyst?”
“Lady…” Areyst inclined his head.
His pleasant smile vanished. “We have begun the repositioning of the Guards to deal with possible exigencies created by the unusual nature of your succession. It would appear that the major shifts in companies will be completed in two weeks, three at the outside. Stepped-up intensive training for the majority of First, Second, and Third Company will begin next Londi, but half a company will remain in Tempre. Different squads will comprise that half company as the others are rotated through the training in Viencet.… Commander Choalt will report directly to Viencet, most likely by next Duadi…”
When Areyst had finished, Mykella waited a moment. “As you know, the events lead
ing to my succession began when I noted the diversion of more than two thousand golds in tariffs received from factors and Seltyrs. That is one of the reasons why, for the moment, I am also acting as Finance Minister. By checking records not previously available to me, I’ve discovered additional and significant diversions of golds by the previous Finance Minister. That might also be a reason why his widow fled Tempre. Needless to say, I am not pleased to find that such diversions took place, but I also understand the difficulties that would have been involved with trying to bring such matters up. Those difficulties no longer exist, and such diversions will not be tolerated.” She smiled coolly. “You might wish to pass that on to any who might be tempted.”
Behind his pleasant demeanor, Duchael was close to shuddering, his fear palpable to Mykella. Gharyk was apprehensive, but not in the same fashion as Duchael. Cerlyk remained attentive and concerned but not fearful. Areyst was attentive but definitely pleased.
“Now … do any of you have any questions of me?”
“When might you be appointing a Minister of Highways and Rivers?” asked Duchael.
“I will be meeting with several High Factors and Seltyrs over the next weeks. It would be premature to make a decision without hearing their views first. If only to know whom not to appoint. “In the meantime, I trust you will carry on.” Mykella smiled again.
“Yes, Lady.” Despair welled from Duchael, although it was well-enough concealed that only Areyst seemed to notice.
“Lady…” began Cerlyk, “there is a problem on some of the private lands along the Vedra between Borlan and Dekhron…”
“Yes?”
“Some have been reported to have planted water oaks instead of true oaks; most likely because the water oaks grow more quickly, but when they harvest, they are only harvesting the true oaks. In time…”
“We’ll be short of true oaks. When?”
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