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Outcasts of Order

Page 81

by L. E. Modesitt Jr


  “You’re right on both counts,” said Korsaen, standing in the doorway. “We were passing by, and I couldn’t help hearing the last.”

  “If we didn’t accept her offer, then what?” asked Lhadoraak.

  “She might have offered you a position at a border post. They don’t pay as well, a silver and a half an eightday.”

  “You were just passing by?” asked Tulya.

  “Actually,” said Maeyora, “we were coming to tell you that Jolika—the governess—would be coming down with Taelya in just a bit. We also wanted to let you know that your daughter is very good at politely taking care of herself.”

  Beltur found himself tensing.

  “Oh?” said Tulya.

  “Korwaen told her that she couldn’t do something because she was a girl. She told him that there were many things he couldn’t do because he was a boy. Before Jolika could stop him, he tried to push her over, but he discovered he couldn’t touch her.”

  Beltur half relaxed.

  “Maenya laughed at him. He wasn’t too happy about that, and he said something like he could make her unhappy, even if he couldn’t touch Taelya, but your daughter stepped in front of him with her shield up and told him it was cruel to hit his sister.” Maeyora’s voice hardened. “He knows better. He won’t be eating with us this evening.”

  Beltur had the feeling that wasn’t the only punishment Korwaen had suffered. He also had the feeling that Taelya would do just fine in Haven.

  “Jolika said that Taelya was very polite the whole time,” added Korsaen.

  “That’s Beltur’s doing,” said Tulya. “He’s been very firm about what she is allowed to do with magery and what is not allowed.”

  Maeyora looked to Beltur.

  “Taelya’s the youngest white I’ve ever known or heard about,” he explained, “and I worried about how she could hurt someone without meaning to. That’s why almost everything she knows is to protect herself and not to attack.”

  “Beltur,” said Maeyora, more warmly, “we’re not angry, except at Korwaen. It was a very good lesson for him.”

  “Very good.” Korsaen paused. “Do you have any more questions? Anything.”

  “Were you looking for us in Elparta?” asked Beltur.

  “Not for you in particular. I knew about the invasion, and often, after a war, or so I’ve heard, there are those who discover they don’t fit in. I’d been looking in Elparta and doing some trading as well, but … well … I wasn’t impressed. Then, when I heard Jorhan was looking to accompany a trader, and he said that there might be a possibility of a young strong mage accompanying him…” Korsaen shrugged.

  “And?” prompted Jessyla.

  “After what you did to those brigands, I was even more interested. I stayed with the trading name because I wanted any decisions you made to be because you wanted to come to Montgren on your own, not because a lord offered something.”

  “How long have you known about how bad things are in Haven?” asked Beltur.

  “I didn’t know that tariffs hadn’t been collected until I got back to Vergren. I knew things were bad and that we needed someone to right them.”

  “So you were really scouting us out,” said Jessyla. “Did you scout out Maeyora as well? She can’t be from Montgren.”

  Korsaen flushed. “I wouldn’t have put it—”

  “He did,” interjected Maeyora. “He was very tactful and gentle about it.”

  Jessyla looked to Maeyora. “I suppose he proposed to you without saying who he was?”

  “He did. I could sense he was more than a trader, but he simply said that he was attracted to me, and that he could offer me a good life. I made him wait two years. He had to make several trips to Ouesthyd before I accepted.”

  “You’re from there?”

  Maeyora shook her head. “I was born in Clynya. Mother persuaded my father to escort her to Ouesthyd before he returned to his homeland. I grew up there. She consorted a grower who had a great ability with pearapples. She still sends us kegs of juice every harvest.”

  “And some pearapple brandy occasionally,” added Korsaen.

  After a long pause, Beltur said, “What questions should I have asked that I likely don’t know enough to ask?”

  “You’ve asked all the questions I would have in your position,” replied Korsaen.

  “I have a question,” said Jessyla. “Why didn’t you and the Duchess do something about Haven earlier?”

  “Because we couldn’t find anyone like the four of you any sooner. We needed people who will be in Haven almost all the time and who can stand up to some rather tough and violent individuals on a personal basis. That requires people who want to make the town into what it could be. In return for the backing of the Duchess and a free hand in governing Haven under the laws of Montgren, you have the opportunity to shape Haven into a place where you, and those like you, will be comfortable.”

  “What if we can’t?” asked Jessyla.

  “I have great confidence in you. I also suspect that all of you feel that you could make things work if you were in charge. This is likely the only opportunity you’ll get. Life doesn’t give that many real choices. Most of what we see as choices are nothing of the sort. I doubt that you really had a choice to stay in either Elparta or Axalt.” Korsaen paused. “Or am I wrong?”

  After a moment, Jessyla said, “I don’t think so.”

  “No,” murmured Tulya.

  “Haven’s been a problem for some time,” said Beltur. “Everything shows that. Why is the Duchess so interested now?”

  “She’s always been interested. It’s a question of both golds and people. All the golds in the world wouldn’t help without the right people. Frankly, Montgren doesn’t have that many golds, and we’re a land of herders, timbermen, and farmers. Almost all of our handful of mages come from elsewhere, as do most of our armsmen.”

  Beltur thought that over. “Are you afraid Hydolar will take over the town and the lands around it?” he finally asked.

  “That’s a possibility if you don’t succeed. Neither Certis nor Lydiar would let the other have that area. They might allow the Duke of Hydlen to keep it if he restored order.”

  “So it’s our job not only to restore order but keep three dukes at bay?”

  “Restoring order will keep Certis and Lydiar at bay, and a strong council will keep Hydlen at bay. That area isn’t that good for much except for pasture and hunting wild boar, and as a trading stop. An honest trader could do well there. Oh, there’s some fertile bottomland in places, but that’s only useful if there’s order in Haven.”

  Beltur finally said, “So we’re a gamble to keep Haven as part of Montgren?”

  “Isn’t everything in life a gamble?” returned Korsaen quietly.

  “I’ve heard that before.” Beltur wondered if Korsaen had played plaques with the gambler who’d had his hands broken, or if the words were just a coincidence.

  “Sayings that get repeated often have truth behind them. The trick is knowing when.”

  “What do you really expect from us?” asked Beltur.

  “To make Haven a safe place for yourselves. If you do that, then nothing else matters.”

  Beltur stiffened. There was no equivocation, no reservation, and nothing hidden.

  “And it will likely be the hardest task you’ve ever undertaken,” added Maeyora, gently.

  Beltur had no doubts that Maeyora’s statement was absolutely true … and that what he and Jessyla faced was the biggest gamble of their lives.

  He looked at Jessyla.

  They both smiled.

  TOR BOOKS BY L. E. MODESITT, JR.

  THE SAGA OF RECLUCE

  The Magic of Recluce

  The Towers of the Sunset

  The Magic Engineer

  The Order War

  The Death of Chaos

  Fall of Angels

  The Chaos Balance

  The White Order

  Colors of Chaos

  Magi’i o
f Cyador

  Scion of Cyador

  Wellspring of Chaos

  Ordermaster

  Natural Ordermage

  Mage-Guard of Hamor

  Arms-Commander

  Cyador’s Heirs

  Heritage of Cyador

  Recluce Tales

  The Mongrel Mage

  Outcasts of Order

  THE COREAN CHRONICLES

  Legacies

  Darknesses

  Scepters

  Alector’s Choice

  Cadmian’s Choice

  Soarer’s Choice

  The Lord-Protector’s Daughter

  Lady-Protector

  THE IMAGER PORTFOLIO

  Imager

  Imager’s Challenge

  Imager’s Intrigue

  Scholar

  Princeps

  Imager’s Battalion

  Antiagon Fire

  Rex Regis

  Madness in Solidar

  Treachery’s Tools

  Assassin’s Price

  Endgames (forthcoming)

  THE SPELLSONG CYCLE

  The Soprano Sorceress

  The Spellsong War

  Darksong Rising

  The Shadow Sorceress

  Shadowsinger

  THE ECOLITAN MATTER

  Empire & Ecolitan (comprising The Ecolitan Operation and The Ecologic Secession)

  Ecolitan Prime (comprising The Ecologic Envoy and The Ecolitan Enigma)

  THE GHOST BOOKS

  Of Tangible Ghosts

  The Ghost of the Revelator

  Ghost of the White Nights

  Ghost of Columbia (comprising Of Tangible Ghosts and The Ghost of the Revelator)

  OTHER NOVELS

  The Forever Hero (comprising Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight)

  Timegods’ World (comprising Timediver’s Dawn and The Timegod)

  The Hammer of Darkness

  The Green Progression

  The Parafaith War

  Adiamante

  Gravity Dreams

  The Octagonal Raven

  Archform: Beauty

  The Ethos Effect

  Flash

  The Eternity Artifact

  The Elysium Commission

  Viewpoints Critical

  Haze

  Empress of Eternity

  The One-Eyed Man

  Solar Express

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  L. E. Modesitt, Jr., is the author of more than seventy books—primarily science fiction and fantasy, including the long-running bestselling Saga of Recluce and The Imager Portfolio, as well as a number of short stories.

  Visit him online at www.lemodesittjr.com, or sign up for email updates here.

  Thank you for buying this

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Characters

  Maps

  Chapter I

  Chapter II

  Chapter III

  Chapter IV

  Chapter V

  Chapter VI

  Chapter VII

  Chapter VIII

  Chapter IX

  Chapter X

  Chapter XI

  Chapter XII

  Chapter XIII

  Chapter XIV

  Chapter XV

  Chapter XVI

  Chapter XVII

  Chapter XVIII

  Chapter XIX

  Chapter XX

  Chapter XXI

  Chapter XXII

  Chapter XXIII

  Chapter XXIV

  Chapter XXV

  Chapter XXVI

  Chapter XXVII

  Chapter XXVIII

  Chapter XXIX

  Chapter XXX

  Chapter XXXI

  Chapter XXXII

  Chapter XXXIII

  Chapter XXXIV

  Chapter XXXV

  Chapter XXXVI

  Chapter XXXVII

  Chapter XXXVIII

  Chapter XXXIX

  Chapter XL

  Chapter XLI

  Chapter XLII

  Chapter XLIII

  Chapter XLIV

  Chapter XLV

  Chapter XLVI

  Chapter XLVII

  Chapter XLVIII

  Chapter XLIX

  Chapter L

  Chapter LI

  Chapter LII

  Chapter LIII

  Chapter LIV

  Chapter LV

  Chapter LVI

  Chapter LVII

  Chapter LVIII

  Chapter LIX

  Chapter LX

  Chapter LXI

  Chapter LXII

  Chapter LXIII

  Chapter LXIV

  Chapter LXV

  Chapter LXVI

  Chapter LXVII

  Chapter LXVIII

  Chapter LXIX

  Chapter LXX

  Chapter LXXI

  Chapter LXXII

  Chapter LXXIII

  Chapter LXXIV

  Chapter LXXV

  Chapter LXXVI

  Chapter LXXVII

  Chapter LXXVIII

  Chapter LXXIX

  Chapter LXXX

  Chapter LXXXI

  Chapter LXXXII

  Chapter LXXXIII

  Chapter LXXXIV

  Chapter LXXXV

  Chapter LXXXVI

  Chapter LXXXVII

  Chapter LXXXVIII

  Chapter LXXXIX

  Chapter XC

  Chapter XCI

  Chapter XCII

  Chapter XCIII

  Chapter XCIV

  Chapter XCV

  Chapter XCVI

  Chapter XCVII

  Chapter XCVIII

  Chapter XCIX

  Chapter C

  Tor Books by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  OUTCASTS OF ORDER

  Copyright © 2018 by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

  All rights reserved.

  Cover art by Mare Simonetti

  A Tor Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates

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  New York, NY 10010

  www.tor-forge.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-1-250-17255-6 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-250-17257-0 (ebook)

  eISBN 9781250172570

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  First Edition: June 2018

 

 

 


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