The Burning Crown (Stone Blade Book 4)

by James Matt Cox

  "She is an incredibly skilled burner," said Karr, "Brightcrown's nets are tricky at the best of times and we're allies. She did have internal access, true, but all the Lithigrove subcontractors gird their internal nets as much against each other as they do attack from the outside. She had warez specifically sharpened to take them down and she did so precisely. You can't buy that at a datamart."

  "We have more than that," said Blue, "She claimed to represent some anonymous company that Lithigrove tentatively identified as Ion Skies Limited. The commercial registry at the Merchant's Guild verified that the company existed. She might or might not be associated with them but that really isn't relevant. It might even be a distraction.

  "Think, Piotr. She is more than a skilled burner! When she entered Lithigrove she fit herself in so well that even the most dedicated House workers accepted her as their own. As our own! Not only was she friendly toward certain Houses, she was hostile toward their rivals. Then, when she changed locations, she changed her apparent House allegiance as well.

  "No one within Crown worlds or its people can feign alliances that well. For truth, McReelys don't care for House Sjoerd. I've met some Sjoerds and they're nice enough, but I could never feel as comfortable with one of them as I do you, much less make them believe I did! Lady Sneak made herself feel ordinary and mundane to any she met!"

  Karr didn't like that implication but he followed it.

  "Why Lithigrove," he asked.

  "They're a major contractor," she replied, "They do most of their business outside the Crown."

  "Aye," he said, "The majority of that is with Lanniver. Heaven's flames! Could they have hired her? Why would they do that? Surely if something went amiss they'd notify us."

  "I don't know, Piotr, but think on it. The possibility exists but Lithigrove does do business elsewhere. But if Lanniver did not hire her, perhaps one of the other League contractors did. If not them then their competition. Perhaps Granwald. I know they don't manufacture starships but they have partners and subsidiaries who do. It could be another interest completely; one looking to disrupt profit and productivity."

  Blue started to continue but Karr held up his hand. Ideas clicked into place and the facts began lining up in support of them. It made sense! It made a horrible, twisted sadistic sense, and that pointed to one conclusion.

  "I know what she wants," said Karr. The words came hard but the cold implication behind them drove them forward. "Heaven help us, we were wrong, Lacy! Utterly and absolutely wrong."

  "How..."

  "Perhaps she does work for Lanniver, perhaps a competitor or even on her own. That does not matter. I know who hired her and I know why. House Varl hired her and with a specific goal in mind!

  "Of all the things we suspect we know for certain sure she attacked Brightcrown! She caused a critical disturbance that will take time to repair... Hell's frost!" An idea occurred to him. "Lacy, who is to say Lady Sneak stole data?! We assumed that because of her activity, but what if the opposite is true? What if she planted data within Brightcrown's nets?"

  "Feces! That would be... That could be catastrophic! No. They have archives, Piotr. Above and beyond what is required by law! It wouldn't be that easy."

  "Aye, but she is that skilled! Even if not, even if all those queries were for naught, she did cause the disruption! What if that was her true goal? How many other nets and cores within Lithigrove might she have poisoned without their knowledge?"

  "But to what end? She could easily have done so, but why? What is her benefit? The very thought of that is frightening but it does not seem likely."

  "Likely enough if her goal is the disruption of Lithigrove! Consider it, lady. If she caused sufficient friction between the Houses making up Lithigrove, what would happen? What would happen if she drove a wedge between Lithigrove and even a few of its customers?"

  "Their would be difficulties."

  "Aye! Now consider Brightcrown, Lithigrove's bulwark of honesty and ethics. Suppose the honor of Brightcrown was impugned. Suppose its competency was called into question. What would happen then?"

  "Their productivity would drop!"

  "The company would fail! Whether the other Houses like it or not, Lithigrove rests on Brightcrown honor and Brightcrown ethics! With the question of Moot censure and the numbers of incidents on record against Brightcrown..."

  "Wait, Piotr! What incidents?"

  "The loss-recoveries! They may not be the fault of Brightcrown, but Brightcrown has recovered a disproportionate amount of merchandise from them! How much of it went to Lithigrove? Remember the manifest Sir Allan voided. The one we have!

  "Ordinary things but almost all of them of interest to one company or another at Lithigrove! What concerned Sir Allan was the lack of documentation, even though such was not required! A trivial matter, true, but still of concern to him. If rumors of Brightcrown suspicion, whether founded or not, were to reach the ears of Lithigrove..."

  "The company..."

  "Lithigrove would fail, dear lady! The Houses making it up would break into squabbling factions and lade their workers with such precaution as to double their costs, or more, and reduce the production to a quarter of what it should be! What would happen when the tension mounted afterward?"

  "They could not honor their contracts!"

  "Exactly. And when Lanniver terminated theirs?"

  "Lithigrove would shatter!"

  Karr powered up his terminal and ran a fast calculation.

  "The economic impact would be significant but recoverable," he said, "Near-catastrophic in the short-term but still recoverable in the medium to long."

  "Truth. Less so for the Great Houses but still bad."

  "Aye. That is economic, though. What would happen when Brightcrown received the blame for making it fail?"

  Blue paled at this.

  "Moot censure would be the least of their concerns," she said, "That could... Could..."

  "That could spell the end of the Great and Noble House of Brightcrown," he finished, "and that of its allies as well."

  The two of them sat in silence a long time.

  "So what do we do now?" Blue broke the silence at last.

  "We stop her. We stop her and compel her to reveal all that she knows!"

  "Do you actually think she will be on Fallstar?"

  "Doubtful," he said, "I fear we've jumped at the conclusion she set us far too eagerly. There is no knowing where she will be now."

  "Truth," said Blue, "but all of House McReely will have their eyes open for her! The more urgently once I contact them."

  "But she is a fadescale," said Karr, "Dangerously so. We know how well she can blend into those about her."

  "She is clever and cunning," said Blue, "but so far she has no knowledge that we know aught of her. To her mind, the best we have is what Lithigrove remembers of her 'official' visit."

  "Truth," said Karr. Then, with rising cheer, he took Blue's hand and kissed it. "Truth pure and simple! She also knows nothing of the two of us. For certain she will know that someone will take up her trail but she cannot know how close we are, or that we were already following it before she acted! No one with whom we've talked would reveal us or reveal our concerns. We may know little of her or her masters but they know nothing of us!"

  "Truth and pure, Sir Knight," said Blue, "Nor, might my pride be excused, does she know aught of McReely eyes and ears or of the dedication and resolve of the Noble House of Edders!"

  Karr heaved a relived sigh. "You speak truly, dear lady! The fall of House Brightcrown is a dreadful thought to have but as yet we've lost nothing, for truth! Our trail is still before us, we've only to find its end the more quickly!"

  ***

  Chad Sir Moumar, Order of Shining Steel and Outremin's junior, entered Fadding's chamber and bowed properly. As always, his face held no expression.

  "Good day, m'Laird," he said, "They've left."

  Fadding nodded, unsurprised. "Thank you, Sir Chad. Did they leave anything behind?" />
  "No, my Laird. Naught but a bad smell and a mess."

  Fadding offered a brief smile at that, uncertain of whether his knight was joking or serious.

  "Very good, sir knight. Did they leave for Fallstar?"

  "Yes m'Laird. According to their flight plan and restocking manifest. They're not traveling leisurely, either."

  "Good riddance, then." Fadding didn't speak the thought but he knew they'd go nowhere else. "Message Sir Beau with the usual precautions. Inform him of the guests he'll soon be seeing and tell him to observe them but to take no action against them, direct or by proxy."

  "Yes, m'Laird." Moumar turned to leave.

  "One moment, Sir Chad," said Fadding with sudden inspiration, "Tell Ryan to let slip through devious channels that Binkor-Sud and Snughblak might find something of interest on Fallstar. No specifics but he is to inform them of our guests' hasty departure. Tell him to be creative."

  "Aye, m'Laird." This time Moumar's face almost smiled. None of House Varl's knights cared for their guests or the way they treated their Laird!

  This time Fadding did smile as Moumar left. What story his chief of communications and Moumar would concoct he knew not, but he knew it would cause concern and consternation both for Tobart and for the Houses he named.

  As Moumar left, another man scuttled through the door before it closed. When Fadding saw him he pasted on his most polite smile.

  "Good afternoon, Laird Fadding." Darrel n'Guirro, League Adjunct to the Crown, bowed sloppily and smiled.

  "Good day to you, Signor n'Guirro," replied Fadding, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

  Fadding left the man standing. An insult, but one subtle past n'Guirro's ability to comprehend.

  "I have news of possible interest to you."

  Fadding carefully didn't let the smile slip at that. He didn't know if n'Guirro meant the insult or gave it through ignorance. From the man's expression it could be either.

  "I've heard rumors of a possible League investigation here. I do not know if they are of concern, or even if they are true but I thought you might want to know. Nothing official has passed through my office but the unofficial indications are significant."

  "Indeed so, my friend," said Fadding, "Such matters are always of interest."

  "You're welcome, Laird Fadding."

  n'Guirro turned and left without dismissal or ceremony. That irked Fadding. He wanted to teach the man proper respect the proper way, but not now. Later. Later, when his patient labor yielded its sweet fruit.

  Chapter 12. Meetings

  Ted Ionoski reviewed the report on his terminal. Again. He had less than he needed but well more than he wanted. He looked across the table at the man sitting there. That worthy, one Richard Ambith, sat, outwardly at his ease. It took far less skill than Ionoski had, though, to see past that surface and into the desperate apprehension that permeated him. Let him soak, thought Ionoski. He kept his stare level until Ambith looked down.

  "You are certain of this, Ambith" said Ionoski.

  "Yes sir. Absolutely. That's why I came so far before I asked for sanctuary."

  "By our charter and articles of agreement with the Crown worlds, I should just send you home."

  Ambith didn't quite squirm at that. "That... That's not my home any longer, sir."

  "I see. Tell me again why you didn't just fade into the League somewhere else."

  "What he did... What they did was wrong, sir! I don't know what Roger... I mean Sir Parl, knew and he did his best to keep me from it, Heaven bless him. We were looking at things a long time, sir, and he wanted to keep me clear of it. But they don't work that way. They six-sigmas murdered him for it and they would have me, too."

  Ionoski tried to find a positive sigma-line from the situation. Not his fault, but Ambith merely added to the problems piling up on Ionoski's plate. The chip Ambith thought so damning could be interpreted so, or exactly opposite. Fortunately, one of Ionoski's friends intercepted the man and sent him to Ionoski. He had little room for choice but Ambith didn't need to know that.

  "I shall take your request and your report under advisement," said Ionoski, "Be assured I shall investigate it thoroughly and if you are speaking falsely you'll face more than extradition to Crown authority! Until then I offer sanctuary."

  Ambith wilted with relief. "Thank you, sir. Thank you!"

  "You will also do everything within your power to help me with my investigation."

  "Yes sir! Gladly, sir!!"

  ***

  Micah sat near a window in the very large and well-stocked library attached to Fallstar's Hall of Lore. He had trouble distinguishing the librarians from Lore students and even House blood! The members of Hose Lore cared little for that, though, and Micah suspected them of taking amusement at his ignorance. He found them all eagerly helpful, though, so he didn't mind their jests.

  He spent most of his time away from Outremin here, studying Precedence and Peerage along with more Crown history. In addition to that he worked to extract every fact he could about House Brightcrown and its allies. He knew what Kidwell had and some of what she planned to do. Not all of it, but he knew her well enough to fill in the details.

  Of all the Houses associated with Lithigrove, Brightcrown came first followed on close order by Hallings, Binkor-Sud and Toms-Watt. Hallings held the largest share but they also assumed overall management as well as of small and diverse items and systems. Large numbers of small things, thought Micah. Binkor-Sud managed the finances for the company and charged a hefty fee for it and Toms-Watt mostly supplied support and personnel for the numerous other subsidiaries.

  Indirectly, House Varl exerted a large influence over the Houses within Lithigrove, mostly through its connections to Binkor-Sud and its allies. Though Micah found much of what Varl did quite distasteful, he simply could not picture it sabotaging its ties to companies outside the Crown. If anything, he thought, House Varl would want them stronger.

  He found Brightcrown's history fascinating. Most Crown citizens, even from opposed Houses, looked up to Brightcrown as a paragon of virtue and unequivocal dedication to the Crown and all its peoples. That didn't mesh with what Kidwell found so Micah dug deeper. He did find that Brightcrown always worked to uphold and obey the law but that didn't necessarily sum up to merit. Examined unto themselves, many Brightcrown actions indicated a harsh and unyielding House. A House willing to sacrifice its own blood, it seemed, in order to preserve its reputation.

  Micah's trip to the asteroid factory still gnawed him with curiosity. He concealed his probes into the possible location of that system but he came up squelch each time. More precisely, he found entirely too many candidates for that system. Even when he narrowed it to those close enough to use an existing LINC beacon it helped little. Without exact stellar and spectral measurements the system was nothing more than a star with a lot of asteroid belts!

  At least now he had help! Kidwell also occupied a carrel here, not close but enough so for him to spot her. They didn't speak but they did converse through an external site. He'd sent her and Thompson a message when he left for Fallstar, they sent him one when they arrived. He found it far too strange for coincidence when the three of them ended up on the same planet. He considered arranging a meeting but, with nothing more than he had, it would serve no real purpose. Instead they arranged the usual network of drops, message points and other communication resources.

  Kidwell had more data in terms of amount, but Micah had an undocumented star system with an asteroid factory in full operation. He also had a plan of unspecified detail to bring forth the demise of House Brightcrown. Micah had no doubt it would take Ionoski or Ferrel to decide whose data trumped and, knowing Kidwell, the necessity of that decision was axiomatic!

  "House B is looking bad," read Kidwell's report, "Traced all but a few defective units to them. Trail led to Fallstar. Data included, read then eat! Sent copies to T via sneaky paths. No other news. If House V asks, I used T's company for credentials. Since House V and B
are not best of friends, suggest you dig for rich dirt."

  For truth, thought Micah. Outremin might be close to Varl's Laird but he was even closer with any substantive information. Most of what Micah gathered concerning House Brightcrown consisted of spleen and slights, supposed or real. He did manage to find a few tidbits and rumors by mingling with some of House Varl's other guards, but as yet they didn't fully accept him. Though officially his brethren now, some of them even avoided him. None liked his outsider status, and Outremin's hand-picking him didn't help matters at all. Still, this was far from his worst assignment and now Kidwell and Thompson were close at hand.

  "That well is deep and small," he messaged back, "Will take time."

  After a while Kidwell half-smiled, rose and left.

  ***

  Blue rose, dropped her datacubes in the return bin and started for the door. At times it seemed fate conspired with them instead of against! After half a day to ground and make House contacts, she and Karr received stunning news. Against any odds in the same universe as sanity, Lady Sneak, aka Vera Kittley, was here on Fallstar!

  Nor did Blue deceive herself into calling it coincidence. The sly vix came here for a solid reason. If she was here then something important, critical, was here as well! They now had a lot more information concerning her, too. She and her accomplice arrived just before their ship unlinked and she brought her accomplice with her. Until now Karr suspected the man as nothing more than his appearance as a hired assistant. Her urgent plea to the others in her house had McReelys throughout Crown space watching the starports for new arrivals and snapping holos at need.

  When one young man, barely out of his teens and busy earning his title, spotted Kittley he wasted no time alerting others. After Blue confirmed the woman's identity, the local Trademaster put all of his resources at her disposal. That even impressed Karr. More important, though, Lady Kittley now went nowhere without at least one pair of McReely eyes observing her!

  Outside the library Blue nodded to a lady watching her kids play skiffle nearby. She nodded back, gathered her kids and the four of them began noisily following Kittley.