Assassin's Price

by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

  “Yes, sir. I grew up in Ferravyl. My father is a factor who builds lamps of all types. He was the first to build a lantern that could be used safely in the mines. He even developed wicks for different kinds of oils.” Howal offered a crooked smile. “I did not have those talents, but I loved numbers and writing. So I drafted bills of sale from an early age. I wrote his letters and proposals, and I kept the ledgers … until I came to L’Excelsis, of course.”

  “You were fairly young, weren’t you?”

  “Eleven, sir.”

  Charyn gestured to the stacks of papers. “I’m going to need some help with these. If I gave you general directions for how I wanted to deal with each, could you provide a rough draft?”

  “I believe so, sir.”

  “Excellent. Now, there is one other matter. You will need to remain fairly close to me, at least for a time, in order to have a better idea of how I approach things. We will arrange for quarters for you here in the chateau. You’ll eat with the senior staff, such as Norstan and Churwyl, but, upon occasion, you also may be required to dine with the family.”

  Howal nodded.

  “I think that the next thing should be to introduce you to my mother, and, of course, my bother Bhayrn, and then to Norstan, the chateau seneschal.”

  “As you see fit, sir. I did leave some clothes and gear with my mount.”

  “You can get them after we make the introductions.” Charyn stood. “We’d best get started.”

  Surprisingly, Charyn did not find his mother in her sitting room, but in the music room, playing by herself. For several moments he listened at the doorway, as she finished the piece, something that was familiar, but that he could not name. He’d forgotten how often she had once played.

  When she finished and looked up, he and Howal walked to the clavecin, where she had stood, but not moved away from the instrument.

  “Mother, I’d like to introduce you to Howal D’Ryter,” said Charyn, lowering his voice to add, “Maitre Howal, although you’re the only person who knows that.” He nodded to Chelia. “Howal will be serving as my personal secretary for a time.”

  “I’m very glad to meet you, and that you are here at this difficult time,” replied Chelia. “I hope you will be able to help Charyn through the difficulties ahead.”

  “I will do my best, Lady Chelia.” Howal bowed, just slightly.

  “I’m certain you will. Those who come with your recommendations have always done well. Welcome to the Chateau D’Rex.”

  “Thank you. I’ll do my best to live up to those recommendations.”

  “Have you seen Bhayrn in the last glass or so?” asked Charyn.

  “I believe he’s in the receiving parlor, waiting for Amascarl,” replied Chelia.

  “Thank you,” said Charyn. “We’ll start tracking him down there.”

  Bhayrn was indeed in the receiving parlor, pacing back and forth. A momentary expression of surprise crossed his face as Charyn and Howal appeared.

  “Bhayrn, this is Howal D’Ryter. He will be acting as my personal secretary to help me get through the papers and everything for a time.”

  “I don’t believe you mentioned a personal secretary,” said Bhayrn before turning to Howal and saying, “I’m glad to meet you. My brother will need all the assistance he can muster in the months ahead.”

  “I am here to help in any way I can.” Howal inclined his head.

  “I’m sure you’ll be of great assistance.” Bhayrn smiled pleasantly, then turned to Charyn. “You don’t plan on using the plaques room, do you? Amascarl is bringing two friends so that I can improve my whist game. It appears I’ll need to do something for a while.”

  “The plaques room is yours, except when Mother has her group.”

  “I checked with her already.”

  “Good,” replied Charyn pleasantly. “I need to introduce Howal to Norstan and Churwyl.” As he led Howal back out into the main entry foyer, he added, “Churwyl is the guard captain, and Norstan is the seneschal.”

  “Norstan and Churwyl,” repeated Howal quietly.

  Charyn found Norstan leaving the kitchens.

  “Norstan, this is Howal D’Ryter. He’s the man who will be helping me as a private secretary for at least a time so that I can deal with all the petitions and other papers that have piled up on my desk. Howal, this is Norstan. He is the chateau seneschal and the man who does his best, in spite of all of our efforts to the contrary, to make things run smoothly within the chateau.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Norstan,” offered Howal.

  “I’m glad that Rex Charyn could find a capable personal secretary. I trust you’ll find the chateau to your liking.”

  “I think it will be a challenging position,” returned Howal pleasantly, “and I look forward to working here.”

  “Norstan,” said Charyn, “I’ll need a few words with you after I introduce Howal to Guard Captain Churwyl.”

  “I’ll be in my study, sir.”

  “Good.”

  Churwyl was in the alcove off the main entry foyer that held the duty desk for the chateau guards. As he saw Charyn approaching, he stepped out. “Sir.”

  “Guard Captain, this is Howal D’Ryter. He’s my new personal secretary, and he’ll have quarters here in the chateau. I’ve found that I’ll be needing to do a great deal of work with petitions and other written materials. Howal, Guard Captain Churwyl has been in command of the chateau guards for the last ten years.”

  “I’m honored to meet you, Guard Captain,” offered Howal, inclining his head politely and smiling cordially.

  “Pleased to meet you, Secretary Howal.”

  “If you would pass the word, Churwyl.”

  “You can count on me to take care of that, sir.”

  As they left the duty desk, Charyn looked to Howal. “You’ll need to get your gear. Just bring it to the study and wait, if I’m not there. I have a few matters to take care of.” Then Charyn escorted Howal to the courtyard entry, and explained matters to the guard there before hurrying back to Norstan’s study.

  Norstan bolted up as Charyn entered. “Sir.”

  “I can tell you’re concerned about Howal.”

  “Sir … is it wise…”

  “Howal comes with the best recommendations any young man could possibly have. I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve seen those stacks of papers in the study, haven’t you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ve read through most of them, but almost all of them require some kind of written reply or opinion or decision. That’s one of the many reasons why I decided I needed a personal secretary.”

  “Your sire…”

  “We’re very different, Norstan. You should know that by now. I do want to make one thing clear. I am not bringing in Howal to replace you. He has no knowledge of all the things you do. He does write well, and he writes quickly, and I am going to need that ability in dealing with the High Council and the Factors’ Council of Solidar. I will also need that ability in dealing with the stack of unanswered petitions on the desk. He will not be here forever, but only so long as I need his services. I prevailed upon his present employer to lend him to me, but his future is elsewhere.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Charyn thought he sensed relief in the seneschal’s reply, but his ability to read mixed emotions had never been good, if better than that of his father. “Now, I want him quartered in the guest chamber two doors west of my chambers.”

  “The smaller ones, you mean?”

  “That’s right.”

  “I’ll have the maids ready them immediately.”

  “Don’t disrupt everything. Howal and I are going to be occupied going over papers, most likely ones pertaining to Minister Sanafryt, for a time this afternoon.”

  Norstan nodded. “By third glass, then?”

  “That would be fine.”

  “We’ll see to it, sir.”

  Charyn was back in his study before Howal returned. He smiled wryly as he o
bserved a copy of a newssheet on the corner of his desk. He picked it up and discovered it was Veritum. He also found that the headline of the lead story read “Rex Lorien Killed.” He kept reading.

  … Rex Lorien was shot inside the Chateau D’Rex just after the traditional Year-Turn Ball ended. Those close to the Chateau indicate the assassins wore the uniforms of Chateau Guards … Rumors running through L’Excelsis suggest the assassinations were the work of factors dissatisfied with the failure of Rex Lorien to deal with the ongoing plundering of Solidar merchant ships by Jariolan privateers …

  Charyn continued to read, noting key phrases.

  … both assassins are dead. One died immediately, the other shortly thereafter. The causes of their deaths have not been revealed, but one was reported killed during the attack, and the other died shortly thereafter … first year that the members of the Factors’ Council of Solidar were invited to a gala that has previously been limited to High Holders and the Maitre of the Collegium Imago …

  … the regial family included a distant relative, Malyna D’Zaerlyn, the youngest daughter of High Holder Zaerlyn, who was observed dancing with both Lord Charyn and Lord Bhayrn. Others close to the Chateau have suggested she is also Maitre Malyna, a junior master imager … and just what was she doing at the Ball, given that she is also the niece of the Collegium Maitre …

  So all L’Excelsis knows that now … or will before very long.

  … Lord Charyn is now rex … remains to be seen how he will deal with the High Council and the tariff questions that bedeviled his sire …

  How indeed?

  Charyn scanned the rest of the newssheet and, finding nothing else of immediate interest, set it down, noting that his fingers were black in places. Inferior ink.

  At that moment, Howal returned to the study, carrying a single bag that looked like a soldier’s kit.

  “Just put it beside the conference table. You can use one end for your desk. You’ll have to move things on the few times when the councils meet here, but that’s not very often.” Charyn stood. “We’ll walk down to Minister Sanafryt’s study so that you know where it is, and then I’ll show you where Minister Alucar’s study is, and then Minister Aevidyr’s.”

  Howal nodded.

  When they reached the door to Sanafryt’s study, Charyn opened it. When Sanafryt looked up from his desk, Charyn said, “This is Howal D’Ryter. He’s my new personal secretary. Would you come up to the study in about a quint?”

  Sanafryt nodded.

  After that Charyn directed Howal to the studies of the other two ministers, introducing Howal, but not requesting them to see him later, before returning to the rex’s study, where he gestured Howal to a chair before the desk and then sat down.

  “I really am going to need your writing skills.”

  “That would be best, I think, for both of us.”

  “You won’t be bored, or at least with little to do, and I’ll be able to get more done.”

  “Might I ask why your sire did not have a personal secretary?”

  “He had his ministers draft things, and then he rewrote them.” Sometimes. “He didn’t want anyone besides them, and himself, knowing what was in the various proposals. That included me. That’s why I’ve spent much of the past four days reading through all these papers.”

  “You’re not concerned that I might read them and pass on the information?”

  “The one to whom you might pass such information probably ought to know most of it in any event. I’d appreciate it if that is as far as anything you might report goes.” Charyn picked up the petition on the top of the papers he needed to discuss with Sanafryt. “While we wait for Sanafryt, you can read this.”

  Howal had finished reading when Sanafryt entered the study.

  “You requested my presence.”

  “I did. I read through your opinion on the petition from Factorius Aquillyt in Ouestan. I gather that you feel that the best solution to the problem is to draft a change to the Codex Legis?”

  “That might or might not be the best solution, sir. It is the only solution that will preclude more petitions such as Aquillyt’s.”

  “Have there been others like his?”

  “Not recently, but it is likely there will be more.”

  “Why?”

  “Because the factors are becoming more and more prosperous, and they are going to be less and less willing to defer to the High Holders. They will have the time and the golds to offer more petitions.”

  “And if I side with the High Holders, that will generate more opposition from the factors?”

  Sanafryt nodded.

  “And if I side with the factors, that will generate even more petitions, and each will anger the High Holders?”

  “That is how I would view it, Your Grace.”

  “Then I’d like you to draft the language to change the Codex Legis in a fashion to declare that the seniority, if that is the right term, of rights to streams or other surface waters is based solely on the initial time of use and appropriation, and that such rights follow the land. Those rights must be inseparable from the land—and cannot be transferred without the land. Should the land be split, the water rights are split in proportion to the size of each portion. Also, as of the date of the change, all water rights reside with the land.”

  “Do you want to tie the water rights absolutely to the land, sir?”

  “Of course. Otherwise, we’ll have High Holders and factors holding on to the water rights and charging the later landowners to use the water. That will create even more problems.”

  “Might I ask why you wish to address this in that fashion?”

  “Because every other way I can think of will create more problems. Do you disagree?”

  “I fear I do, sir. What you propose will anger both factors and High Holders.”

  “That’s true. You just told me that this is the first petition on this in some time, but that there will be many more if I don’t do something. I’d rather have all of them angry about something that hasn’t happened, because most of them, except for High Holder Eskobyl, haven’t actually lost any golds or rights so far, and Eskobyl hasn’t lost anything, anyway. He’s just trying to grab something that isn’t truly his. They’ll get over something that hasn’t hurt them a lot sooner than over something that has.” You hope.

  “I’m not aware that High Holders ever get over anything, sir.”

  “You’re likely right, but I’m far more worried about the factors. Now, let’s talk about the next petition, the one about the High Justicer’s judgment that High Holder Vrenean violated the limitations on low justice by imposing recurring times of confinement…”

  Just from the momentary expression on Sanafryt’s face, Charyn knew the remainder of the afternoon would be long … very long. But he wanted to deal with all the petitions as quickly as possible, for quite a number of reasons.

  It was three quints past fourth glass when Sanafryt left the study, looking less than perfectly pleased.

  Once the study door closed, Charyn looked to Howal. “In the future, I’ll be telling you to write out the sort of thing I told Sanafryt. Will that be a problem?”

  “No, sir. You were quite clear.”

  Charyn had the feeling that Howal might not have agreed with some of his decisions, but Charyn had to follow his feelings and what he had learned, knowing he was still going to make mistakes.

  “Pick up your kit. Your quarters should be ready. You’ll be two doors from me.” Charyn stood, then headed out the study door.

  Howal followed.

  Once Charyn had Howal in his chambers, he realized that he was more than a little hungry. He also hadn’t told Palenya about either Aloryana or Howal. So he ordered tea and refreshments up to his sitting room, and then went to find Palenya. She was in the music room, practicing on the clavecin.

  She stopped as he entered, looking at him, but not speaking. She did not rise as he walked to the clavecin.

  “I thought you’d
like to join me for tea and refreshments in half a quint in the sitting room.”

  “I will be there.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  After he left the music room, he wondered at her coolness, and hoped that she didn’t think the tea was so that he could tell her something unpleasant. All he had wanted to do was have something to eat with someone pleasant.

  The tea and refreshments—which included biscuits, cheese, and apples—arrived just before Palenya did. He stood and gestured to the table, then seated himself, watching as she gracefully eased into the chair across from him. For a moment he just looked at her, taking in her brown eyes and smooth dark brown hair. “Thank you for coming.”

  “How could I not?” Her words were warmly ironic.

  “I still appreciate your presence.” He poured the tea for both of them, then took a biscuit and ate it, following the last bite with a swallow of tea. He was hungry.

  Palenya followed his example, except she only took a sip of the tea.

  “Are you feeling better?”

  “Much better than on Lundi.” She paused, then said, “Aloryana left in a coach yesterday morning. She didn’t return. Will she be gone long?” Palenya’s eyes fixed on Charyn.

  “For the rest of her life, except when she visits.”

  “You married her off? She’s only fourteen!”

  Charyn shook his head. “It turned out that she’s an imager. She’s gone to Imagisle to learn how to handle that ability.”

  “I knew something was bothering her.”

  “I think Aloryana knew that for a while. When she found out that Malyna was an imager maitre, she told her.”

  “Your mother was pleased, but sad, wasn’t she?”

  “She was, I think. How did you know that?”

  “I’m a woman.”

  Charyn frowned, thinking, before finally saying, “She did say that Aloryana would have more choices as an imager.”