When Dainyl finally discovered it, the entry for the encounter with the ancients was brief:
21 Duem 1743
First squad lifted off from temporary quarters in Scien at one glass after morning muster, with Majer Noryan taking operational control. The squad flew a line abreast centered on the North Road with half-vingt spacing. Second squad lifted off a fifth of a glass later. A half glass after the flight began, Kagayn noted a green globe of light on a rocky peak to the south of the road, located at vingt-post 37 from Scien. When he investigated, a flash of green light surrounded him and his pteridon. Zuluya followed, and there was a second flash. When the light faded, both pteridons and Myrmidons had dropped from the sky, and two pyres burned on the ice. Majer Noryan ordered the remaining Myrmidons from first squad and all Myrmidons from squad two to mount a concentrated skylance attack on the peak and the globe of light. Under the concentrated power of nine skylances, the green globe exploded into shards that appeared to be frozen flame. These vanished before striking the ground. Third Company encountered no further difficulties during the road sweep, but no sign of the missing Cadmian company was discovered this day.
That was all Noryan had written, and there were no other references to the ancients or anything like them.
Dainyl frowned. He was certain that the reports he had seen two seasons earlier had indicated the pteridons had been lost in separate incidents. He continued to look through the reports, but found nothing more.
Finally, Dainyl replaced the reports and stood, convinced that he had found all he would find. Alcyna and Noryan had reported the incident, and the majer had reported what appeared to be a proper response to an attack. From his own encounters in Dramur, Dainyl was certain that Noryan was either mistaken or lying about the ancient’s destruction. What bothered him more was that Alcyna had believed that the ancient had been destroyed. His own problem was simple. To charge the two with either incompetence or falsification of reports would prove nothing and create an argument about precisely how the pteridons had been lost. In addition, it might well require revealing the extent of his own Talent, and capabilities he had concealed for years. Such a revelation would immediately make him a greater and more immediate target for both Zelyert and Shastylt than Alcyna…and could well lead to having all three, as well as Brekylt, looking to create an unfortunate accident for one Submarshal Dainyl.
Before too long, he would doubtless have to reveal such, but now was not the time, not when there were two “official” reports—at least as he recalled. He saw no point in acting immediately, not until he rechecked the records at headquarters. With a wry smile, he left the majer’s study and walked toward the duty desk to meet Undercaptain Veluara for his tour of the lower level of the eastern residence. More properly, he supposed, he was a guest or visitor, since he had no real authority except over the Myrmidons, and he would be seeing the administrative areas of the east, dealing with five of the six branches of the Duarchy: Finance, Transport, Engineering, Trade, and Education. The sixth branch, of course, was Justice, and all functions associated with it in the east were handled by Alcyna and her subordinates.
The High Alectors of Justice, Finance, and Transport were located in Elcien and reported directly to Khelaryt, the Duarch of Elcien, while the other three were in Ludar and reported to Samist, the Duarch there. Each branch had an eastern regional alector, corresponding in position to Alcyna, and each reported on a day-to-day basis to Brekylt, but any High Alector could override Brekylt if he felt it necessary.
Dainyl could not remember that ever occurring and, from what he’d observed, doubted he ever would. Either Brekylt or the high alector who disagreed would resign—or suffer an accident. He snorted. The Duarches—and especially the Archon—valued the appearance of consensus highly.
Since the morning remained somewhat chill, Dainyl had worn his flying jacket over his uniform. The sky was a clear silver-green, but the wind out of the northwest was brisk, more like late winter than spring.
Undercaptain Veluara stood waiting by the duty desk. She also wore a flying jacket, fastened almost to her neck.
“Good morning, Veluara.”
“Good morning, sir. Are you ready?”
“As ready as possible.”
She turned and started for the archway to the main front entrance. Dainyl followed.
Outside, young Granyn stood waiting beside the duty coach. “Where to, Submarshal, sir?” asked the Myrmidon, opening the door.
“The residence, for the administrative sections.”
“West portico, sir.”
Dainyl gestured for Veluara to enter the coach. A fleeting expression between confusion and consternation flickered across her features before she stepped up from the mounting block and into the coach. Dainyl followed, and Granyn closed the door, then vaulted up to the driver’s bench.
“Which courier flight is the hardest?” Dainyl asked as the coach pulled away from the entrance to the headquarters building. “In the east.”
“I don’t know as I could pick one route, Submarshal. The ones to Norda and Passera are bitter in the winter. The longest route is the one to Sinjin in the summer. We’ve never had to do that one more than once or twice a quint, though. The route to Passera runs every Quattri.”
“That’s a day and a half each way.”
“Yes, sir. It’s almost eleven hundred vingts.”
“Have you ever gone through the Spine of Corus except by the passes?”
“No, sir. You’d run the risk of flying out of the lifeforce levels. Why…” Veluara broke off whatever she might have said.
“I was thinking about the ancients. Supposedly, they like high and cold places. Have you ever seen one?”
“Yes, sir, but only from a distance.” She frowned. “Didn’t I tell you that?”
“You may have.” Dainyl had been concentrating with his eyes and Talent, and decided that Veluara was definitely lying about how closely she had seen an ancient. He had wondered that when he had first asked her. “You told me you weren’t with the squads that had lost pteridons.”
“That’s right. None of Fourth Company was, and I would have recalled that.”
The last words were odd, Dainyl reflected, but he smiled. “I can imagine that it would be hard to forget an ancient.”
The coach turned onto the wide avenue that led to the eastern residence, and Dainyl caught a glimpse of the east wing. Unlike the Palaces of the Duarches, or Myrmidon headquarters, where only alectors were permitted, the lower level of the residence was open to any who had business there. That was a necessity, since intelligent landers were the backbone of the day-to-day administration of Corus and since the various decisions and permits were issued directly from the administrative section of the residence.
As Granyn slowed the coach at the stone circle before the west portico, Dainyl studied the residence. The west wing alone extended a good hundred yards and was at least forty yards deep. The east wing was a mirror image of the west. Surely, among all the alectors in the residence, there should be someone that Dainyl knew. If not, he would have to come up with another stratagem.
Once the two Myrmidons stepped from the coach on the main level of the west portico, Veluara looked to Dainyl. “I’d thought it would be easiest to begin with engineering, sir. It’s closest to the portico, and there aren’t many in the engineering section here. Most of the engineers in the east are at Fordall, near the manufactories. There are some at Dulka also.”
Dainyl smiled politely. Everyone in Elcien referred to the manufactories as being in Alustre, yet they would have been discomfited if anyone had suggested that the manufactories in Faitel were in Elcien. It was just another manifestation of the chauvinism that pervaded the western capital cities, he suspected.
He glanced back at the mounting blocks, where another carriage had drawn up, and two landers, one white-haired, had stepped out. The younger man gesticulated angrily, then lowered his arm after several words from the older. While Dainyl wondere
d what the exchange had been about, he returned his attention to the undercaptain.
Veluara turned right toward the first archway. There were no guards, and she opened the golden oak door.
Dainyl stepped through the doorway and into a corridor with polished white granite floors, and lined with doors that stretched a good hundred yards. “If most of the engineers are elsewhere, what do the ones here do, then?”
“Convey the requests of the High Alector of Engineering and take requests and grant permits, I would imagine.”
They passed three doorways on the left, and three on the right. The doorways on the right were closed, but those on the left were open, and in each study were two desks, with a lander at each, apparently reading reports or, in one case, studying some sort of building plans. Through his Talent, Dainyl could sense that at least one of the studies to the left held an alector.
Veluara stopped at the fourth door on the left and opened it for Dainyl. Inside was a gray-haired lander woman, seated at a table desk in a small foyer. To her right was a closed doorway.
“Yes? Might I help you?” The assistant smiled brightly, although Dainyl sensed little warmth behind the expression.
“I’m Undercaptain Veluara, escorting Submarshal Dainyl. He’s here to see the supervising engineer.”
“Just a moment.” The woman rose quickly, hurried to the door, opened it a crack, and spoke. “The submarshal from Elcien is here to see you, sir.”
“Send him in, Selya. Send him in.”
Selya opened the door and stepped back, still offering an empty smile.
Veluara followed Dainyl, closing the door behind them, then stepping forward and to the side. “Supervising Engineer Jostyl, this is Submarshal Dainyl from Myrmidon headquarters in Elcien….”
“Ah, yes. High Alector Brekylt had passed the word that you might stop by.” Jostyl was slightly taller than Dainyl, but far more angular and much thinner. His face was narrow, especially for an alector, and his deep-set eyes were a light violet. “Please, please sit down.”
Dainyl took one of the wooden armchairs across the table desk from the engineer.
“I must say that I’ve seldom been visited by a Myrmidon of such rank before, and certainly not in recent years. What can I do for you?”
“I’m not certain,” Dainyl offered with an open smile. “Marshal Shastylt felt that I should have a better feel for what occurred east of the Spine of Corus and meet some of the key people in Alustre.”
“How key I am…” Jostyl shook his head.
“I understand that the majority of the engineering and manufactory activities are in Fordall. How does that affect what you do?”
“We handle the requests from towns and cities for major repairs and engineering improvements, structures like bridges and access causeways. We also inform the local regional alectors in the east…”
Dainyl listened as Jostyl explained, interjecting questions of his own, as appropriate.
“How many alector engineers are there in Fordall?…
“Is any expansion of the manufactories in Fordall planned? Especially of the facility producing rifles?”
At that question, Jostyl frowned. “None. There is absolutely no need for additional production.”
Dainyl mentally marked the reaction before continuing his questions.
“Is there any thought of a high road from Sudya or Tylora to Sinjin?…”
As Dainyl finally stepped out of Jostyl’s study and past Selya, close to a glass after they had entered, he could sense the assistant’s eyes on him—as well as a combination of anger and resentment, yet he knew he had never seen the woman before he had stepped into the study.
“Education is the next section, sir,” offered Veluara once they stood out in the main corridor.
“That’s fine.” Dainyl noted a few landers walking along the corridor, but all moved to avoid the two Myrmidons.
Veluara introduced him to the supervisor of education, and after a short conversation, because Dainyl needed less information, they walked through the section, also small, with but three alectors and twelve lander assistants. After two sections, and two glasses, they had covered roughly seventy yards of the long granite-walled corridor. Dainyl had seen less than ten alectors, and none that he knew, and learned little he had not already read or understood.
“What section is next?”
“That would be trade, sir. The rest of the west wing is for trade. The east wing is largely finance, and, of course, the supervisors and staff for the residence itself. The regional alector for transport is in Prosp for the week, I understand, but his chief assistant is here. His name is Zulanyt….”
Dainyl concealed a smile. Surely, there could be only one Zulanyt. Then, Zulanyt had been several years older than Dainyl and less than perfectly friendly when they had shared tutors.
After the pleasantries had been exchanged, and before Dainyl seated himself in the small study occupied by Zulanyt—an alector shorter and broader than Dainyl—the submarshal turned to Veluara. “Undercaptain, Zulanyt and I go back a long time. We have a few things to talk over. I certainly don’t want you forced to listen to us reflect. Why don’t you take the coach back to headquarters, and then send Granyn back to wait for me?”
“Ah…” Before she said another word, Veluara realized that Dainyl’s questioning suggestion was a polite order. “Yes, sir. I’ll send him right back. Are you sure you won’t need anything else? You haven’t toured finance…”
“I’m sure Zulanyt can introduce me.”
“I can do that,” affirmed the older alector, who continued to smile pleasantly until Veluara had left the small study, closing the door as she departed.
Dainyl maintained his own smile, even as he studied Zulanyt.
“You’ve certainly gone farther than anyone could have possibly imagined.” The smile vanished. “What do you want? You certainly didn’t stop by to chat. As I remember, I was never particularly warm to you, and I can’t imagine that you recall me with great kindness.”
Dainyl laughed. “No. I can’t say that you provided me with the warmest of recollections. But I was curious as to how you got from Elcien to Alustre.”
“By sandox and coach, like any other low-level alector who isn’t a Myrmidon.”
“But why did you choose the eastern region?” Dainyl arched his eyebrows, thinking that Lystrana could have arched either one—and to greater effect.
“It’s where bright young alectors without connections go to become noticed, especially if they don’t want to become Myrmidons. Didn’t you know that?” Zulanyt’s voice dripped irony. “Do you know how much you’ll be detested, if you aren’t already?”
“Because I’m the exception, the alector with few connections who made it to second-in-command of the Myrmidons, the one the senior alectors will name to prove that it’s ability that counts and not relationships and connections? I assume that’s what you meant.”
“You’re far more cynical than you used to be.”
“Aren’t we all?”
“You didn’t answer my question,” Zulanyt pointed out. “That’s definitely a trait of an alector on the way up.”
“No. I’m still slow about some things. I was sent here to see what is happening. You were always quite willing to tell me—and anyone else—what we didn’t wish to hear.” Dainyl shrugged. “I felt it couldn’t hurt to see if you still felt that way.”
“You realize that High Alector Brekylt will be interested in why you stopped to see me and dismissed your escort? That undercaptain worships the stones Alcyna stands upon and is already reporting that we’re talking. By tonight, Brekylt will know as well.”
“Then tell them the truth, that I was prying and trying to find out if anything untoward is happening. Is it?”
“It always is, everywhere in Corus. It always has. You should have learned that by now,” replied Zulanyt.
“There’s a difference between a nephew or niece being preferred for an assistant’s posi
tion over someone less known and whether the regional alector or eastern submarshal is concealing the reasons for the disappearance of…shall we say, entire companies. Or whether a Cadmian garrison is being moved because certain individuals don’t care for cold weather.”
“I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“You’re the chief assistant to the eastern regional alector for Transport. What can you tell me about the elimination of the high road coach service between Pystra and Scien?”
“There’s nothing secret or untoward about that, Dainyl. There wouldn’t even have been anyone in Scien in the winter for the past ten years if it hadn’t been for the Cadmian companies there. It was a terrible place to locate a town. So when your High Alector ordered the Cadmians to Norda, and everyone else left as well, what reason was there to send coaches there?”
“Did any of your drivers see the ancients?”
“Ancients?” Zulanyt’s voice turned incredulous. “They died a long time ago.”
“Not all of them,” replied Dainyl dryly. “One of them was seen just before a company of Cadmians disappeared riding to Pystra on their way to Norda. That’s why I wondered if your drivers had seen anything. They travel the routes regularly and would be likely to notice anything that changed.”
“No one ever reported anything. You’re sure that there are still ancients?”
“A few have been reported by reliable sources.” Dainyl paused only slightly. “Can you tell me if passages on the coaches are up or down in the past year?”
“Passages for alectors are about the same. Those for landers and indigens are down, perhaps by a fifth. Why did you ask?”
“Did the drop-off occur in the fall and winter, or earlier?”
“As I recall, it was in the fall and early winter, and passages have been normal for the last quint.” Zulanyt looked squarely at Dainyl. “You still aren’t answering my questions.”
“I was curious as to whether lander passages dropped off before there was unrest along the Spine of Corus, at the same time, or afterward.”
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