Storms Over Open Fields (Life of Riley Book 2)

by G. Howell

  “Are you going to keep doing that?” I asked.

  “Sir?” she cocked her head.

  “Just... staring at me like that.”

  A slight furrow creased her muzzle. “You were told. That is the reason we’re here.”

  “To watch me. Well, yes, but... do you have to take it so literally?”

  Now she lowered her nose marginally, fixing amber eyes on me. “Sir, I have to take it seriously. I have a duty to do and I will perform it to the best of my abilities.”

  “Uh-huh,” I nodded and scratched my own nose. “I thought your duties were protecting me and making sure I didn’t say the wrong thing to the wrong person.”

  “A.”

  “And that requires you to stand at my shoulder even when – and this is my point - there’s no other person in the room?”

  “It’s my duty, sir.”

  “Yes. Very good. And I’m sure the Guild will put a little gold star next to your name, but it’s still not right. It’s not necessary. What if I have to use the toilet? You’re going to follow me there as well?”

  “Of course.”

  “What?! Come on! “ I protested and took a step forward. She stiffened.

  “Sir, please don’t...”

  “There’s a problem here?” another voice rasped from the other room.

  “If Mikah’s involved in any way, there’s bound to be,” another voice sighed and Chaeitch strolled into view with Rohinia at his shoulder and Rraerch behind him. “What’s going on?”

  “There’s no problem,” Jenes’ahn said placidly.

  “Just that when you said you’d be watching me I didn’t realize that meant you’d literally be standing behind me everywhere I went.”

  His muzzle wrinkled. “Doesn’t the term ‘watching’ imply that?” he asked.

  I tried to reply and strangled on the tongue-twisting Rris words. “You... what about... That’s... that’s not going to work.”

  “Why not?”

  “I can’t... “ I looked at the faces of the Rris surrounding me. “I need some privacy. Sometimes I need to get away.”

  “Really?” he cocked his head. “From what?”

  “From you. From Rris.”

  Silence and stares.

  “Ah, sorry,” I choked, raised my hand in a conciliatory gesture, then lowered it. “I didn’t mean it to sound... not like that.”

  Cheaitch’s ears went back and after a couple of seconds he leaned over to Rohinia. “Constable, may I?” he murmured and took the Mediator aside. Rraerch and Jenes’ahn regarded me quizzically and I looked away, feeling a flush climbing up my neck. What I’d said... was it an insult? Had I insulted my friends and my protectors to their faces. The Mediators I couldn’t give a damn about, but Chaeitch and Rraerch were the nearest to close friends I knew.

  My feet ached. So did the wound on my leg. It was still early, but already I felt tired. Carefully I sat myself down on the edge of the low bed to take some weight off. Damnit all. I didn’t want to insult them and alienate myself... any further. I didn’t want to go through all the mistrust and fear again, and that was what the Mediators were promising. What I’d accomplished with these Rris I felt I’d worked hard for, and now these interlopers were driving themselves in like wedges of pure ego and I resented it. I sighed and looked past the two females.

  Chaeitch and the grizzled Mediator were engaged in urgent conversation over in the drawing room. Rather, Chaeitch was. I could see him talking and occasionally Rohinia made a gesture of acknowledgement. “Ah,” I heard him say. Then a little later he actually looked concerned: “That’s true?”

  A couple of minutes later they returned. Chaeitch gave me a worried look while the Rohinia looked... annoyed. He waved a gesture to Jenes’ahn: a dismissive wave of his hand, “Give Mikah some leash,” he told her and cocked his head at me. “Sir, before you enter a room we will inspect it first and then stand guard near the front door. If there is someone else present, we will accompany you. Is that acceptable?”

  That question carried a condescending undertone. I acted as if I hadn’t noticed and took the question literally. “Thank you,” I nodded, “That is acceptable.”

  His eyes narrowed a fraction, as if he were trying to see if I was taking the mickey. Hah! Let them try and read an alien’s expressions for once. I blinked back and he cocked his head slightly, as if he were considering just that point. “So, you will be cooperative?” he asked.

  I nodded. “Yes. If you are reasonable, I will be too.”

  Jenes’ahn looked at him and he huffed, starting to bristle again. Chaeitch hastily stepped in, “Mikah, be ,” he growled. “They’re trying to accommodate your... eccentricities. Understand?”

  There was a warning tone there. If I was picking up on it, then it had to be quite deliberate. “A,” I sighed, nodding again. “Understand. Sorry.”

  “Alright,” he said and leaned back against the side of the archway through to the drawing room. With one hand he stroked at his cheek tuft. “And before you get comfortable... huhn, her Ladyship wishes to see you.”

  Ohboy. I tried not to let anything show. Hell, I actually tried to control my sweating. “Already?” I asked, trying for nonchalance.

  He waved a shrug. “If you recall there was a schedule. There are a number of very influential people who put a great deal into it. Our original timetable has been slashed to ribbons and there may be a good excuse, but these people don’t wish to hear that. They wish to see some return on their expenditure. He ladyship wishes to see us to see just what can be salvaged out of this whole affair.”

  “Okay,” I said. It was going to happen sooner or later. “When?”

  “Now.”

  ------v------

  “Her Ladyship will be with you shortly,” the steward told us as we arrived outside the door. Even as he spoke, the white lacquered door opened and a trio of Rris emerged. Merchants, from their dress. In the heat of the day they weren’t wearing much, but what they were wearing looked expensive. They saw our party, saw me, and one of them looked like he was going to hurry over, but took one step before his eyes flickered over to the Mediator. He stopped. One of his companions muttered something and then all of them turned and set off down the hall away from us.

  “Please, enter,” the steward told us, ignoring that little byplay and holding the door open.

  The room was big. Like a small ballroom, with an inlaid wooden floor and a great deal of marble about the walls. It was also a bit cooler than the rest of the Palace on that hot day. I noticed that as soon as I stepped inside. The temperature was comfortable for me, but my Rris companions must’ve welcomed the change. There were windows open. In fact the entire far wall was a row of french doors, the panes of clear glass in their white-painted wooden lattices all hanging open onto a sun-drenched terrace The breeze they admitted smelled of grass and dust and hot summer and took the edge off the afternoon heat. All the marble and stone in the rest of the room seemed to radiate a cool that made things a lot more comfortable, which was probably why her ladyship was in there.

  She was seated at a low desk on the far side of the room, just inside the shade of the open doors and engrossed in some paperwork. She didn’t glance up as we entered, but was intent on the marks she was scratching onto a piece of paper. I could see there was a considerable stack of similar papers weighted down on one edge of the desk. Behind us the steward inclined his head and exited the room, closing the door after himself.

  I saw Chaeitch throw a glance my way and then started off across the floor toward her. I followed at my own limping pace, and although I didn’t look around, I knew that Jenes’ahn was right behind me. Neither Rris’ feet made any sound on the marble floor as they padded over the gleaming wood to the three cushions arrayed in front of the Queen’s desk.

/>   “A moment,” Lady H’risnth said quietly, not looking up. The pen in her hand glinted as it scratched over the paper. One of the new fountain pens, I noticed. One of the ones with its own reservoir that didn’t leak all over the place or require refilling every few strokes. Her desk was busy, but not cluttered: a holder with a few old quills and fountain pens, a little paraffin sealing wax heater, and something that looked like a silver chess piece. The stack of papers and envelopes on the edge of the desk was quite impressive, the pile held down with a little stone paperweight. From what I’d seen, most of the Rris Royalties’ duties seemed to involve paperwork. Funny that: the impression I’d had of royalty from back home included pomp and pageantry and gold and extravagant ceremonies and balls. Of course I’d seen some of that: the palaces in Shattered Water and Open Fields were splendid examples of power and wealth, but the royalty who resided in them seemed to devote most of their energy to actually working, rather than just being ornate figureheads.

  Now, she was doing just that, forcing a Mediator to wait and watch while she went about her business. And that was after insisting we appear before her with all haste. Was there a point to it? I wondered, glancing at the mediator. If she was irritated by the delay, there was no sign of it. She was placid and composed.

  The pen scratched across the paper: not putting down marks line by line, but jumping around on the page, scratching in crosshatchings of Rris script. That was something that really confused me about Rris writing: the way it wasn’t entirely linear. To the Rris who’d tried to teach me, to Chihirae and others, going back and modifying tenses and genders with a line here or there with rules that seemed quite arbitrary seemed completely natural. To me it seemed quite confusing. It was a reason learning their written language was so hard.

  A final scratch of the pen, then she shook the paper off, folded it with practiced movements, sealed it with a small dollop of blue wax and then used the little silver ornament to stamp it and placed it on the pile with the others. Only then did her ladyship look up at us.

  “Ah Ties, Mikah,” she nodded her head to each of us, “and constable. Thank you for returning our guest to us. I hope he wasn’t any difficulty.”

  The Mediator inclined his head, ever so slightly. “He has proven to be an interesting challenge.”

  “Yes, quite a handful,” she said agreeable I felt my heart lurch as she blinked placidly at me. Was she going to do something... embarrassing? “But I understand there are new conditions attached to our interviews with him?” She picked up a piece of paper from her desk, unfolded it and her eyes flickered over the scratchings: “There is to be a Mediator present at all meetings involving Mikah and Rris. Any information Mikah might have is to be cleared by the Guild or its representatives before we receive it.”

  “That is correct.”

  Lady H’risnth placed the paper back on her desk. “This is to prevent the distribution of specific information? ‘Disruptive’ is the word you use.”

  “Quite.”

  “Huhnn,” H’risnth rumbled. “Weapons? They’re already specifically listed as subjects that will not be discussed.”

  “Weapons, yes,” the Mediator said, “but perhaps if he were to disclose information that – for example –quadrupled the grain harvest, that could be as bad as a conflict. Grain value would collapse. Farmers would be unable to sell their surplus; would be forced to leave their lands or find some other way to earn a living.”

  H’risnth mused for a second. “That would be disruptive, but not entirely likely.”

  Jenes’ahn flipped a furry hand dismissively: “An example. And about as likely as our visitor here.”

  “Huhn,” her Ladyship coughed again, then snorted, “Hah. Yes. I see. But a lot of very vocal people who’re expecting to talk with him might not be so perceptive. And if he can offer a better, cheaper or safer way of doing something, then I think they would choose not see any reason why they shouldn’t know it.”

  The Mediator blinked placidly. “Hence the presence of the Guild. We try to compensate for their short-sightedness.”

  Her ladyship stared at the Mediator for a heartbeat, then flicked a tufted ear and turned that gaze on me. “And Mikah, how are you faring? There are a few new dressings there, and you are wearing... what is that? Old sacking?”

  “Courtesy of the Guild,” I said. “The bandages and the clothes.”

  “Really,” she nodded toward the Mediator, “you could have done better than that. And the wounds... nothing serious?”

  She knew what most of them were. She knew, but the others couldn’t know that.

  “Scratches,” I said and waved a shrug. “A lot of scratches and a few bite marks.”

  Give her points, she didn’t twitch. And she could give as good as she got: “It really does sound as if you’ve been having a most stimulating time.”

  Right in front of Chaeitch. Right in front of the Mediator! I thought they’d hear my heart lurch and it felt like the whole thing was taking place in a dream; like it was someone else doing the talking. “It was quite... unforgettable,” I replied, not feeling anything.

  Her ears flicked as she looked amused, making light of the situation. “Ah, really? If it was that invigorating, then perhaps we could arrange for you to stay on here.”

  “Thank you, but while it was... memorable, I think once is enough,” I smiled thinly. The others’ heads were turning back and forth like spectators at a tennis match.

  “Ah?” If she’d been human perhaps she would have arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You know, we can be quite hospitable.” And that word carried quite a few connotations in their language.

  “I’ve noticed,” I said, “Thank you, but there is someone I’ve got to be getting back to.”

  She froze, just for a split second. Re-evaluating perhaps. Or maybe regrouping. “Of course,” she inclined her head slightly. “But I hope you will be available over the next couple of days.”

  I looked to Chaeitch, “What’s our schedule? When are we due to head back?”

  “Something seems to have happened to our transport,” he snorted, giving me a hard glare, then waved his hand. “Meantime, we have the option of commandeering a cargo hauler – not a very appealing solution given the size of our party - or waiting for more reliable transport which is due in a couple of days. We’ve decided to wait, so... three days, perhaps.”

  “Ah,” Lady H’risnth smiled. “Then there will be time to placate these individuals who’ve been so insistent on meeting with you. All seem to feel that they’re being slighted by your absence and were getting quite... loud in their protestations. Perhaps a wait has been good for them.”

  “Many of them?” Chaeitch inquired.

  “A few,” she admitted. “Fortuitously, I have a schedule prepared. It is a little crowded, but I’m sure all can be accommodated.”

  She handed across a large envelope of cream parchment. Chaeitch accepted it and opened it, partly looking through the small stack of documents inside. How, I wondered, did you organize something like that without messaging or proper mail or even telephones? Just getting a message to someone on the other side of town and then getting their response back would take hours. I supposed the most effective way would be to just tell people to do something and not take any shit about it. Which pretty much sums up the job of a monarch, really.

  Chaeitch riffled through the papers. “Fortuitous, indeed. A very crowded list.”

  “And not a lot of time,” she responded.

  He sniffed and slipped the stack back into the envelope. “We will do the best we can. However, with these amendments the Guild has dictated I think things are going to take longer. To be honest,” he glanced at the Mediator, “I do find it difficult to see how this will work. You’re so sure you can discern what might prove to be... undesirable innovations?”

  The
Mediator’s ears flicked back as she frowned. “We can prevent any [blatant] exploitation of this information. And we will do all we can to ensure that anything our ward does provide isn’t something that will cause serious problems in the immediate future.”

  Chaeitch gave a thoughtful rumble. “This will take longer. We won’t be able to fit as many meetings in. Our clients will not be pleased.”

  “They can lodge a complaint with the Guild,” Jenes’ahn responded, not seeming in the least concerned.

  “Do many people do that?” I asked.

  She blinked at me. “It depends how much they have to hide.”

  Ah. The other Rris looked a little uncomfortable. I suppose that as a strategy it was effective enough: those who might try to abuse the system aren’t likely to protest against safeguards that might block them when that would draw unwanted attention to themselves.

  “Very well,” her Ladyship sighed. “If the Guild is willing to stand in front of the flames, then you’ll have Cover-my-Tails’ cooperation.”

  As if there were any other choice, but the Mediator inclined her head. “Thank you, Ma’am.”

  Chaeitch’s muzzle twitched. “I don’t have the authority to make that decision for Land-of-Water. But until the appropriate representations can be made to the right people, myself and the embassy will say that we will cooperate.”

  Another tip of the head.

  “Then I will have messengers dispatched to notify those listed that the scheduled meetings will recommence tomorrow at dawn, with the Guild amendments. That is satisfactory?”

  Chaeitch and the Mediator gestured affirmative.

  “And what if this procedure doesn’t work out?” I asked, almost instantly regretting it.

  “Then we will simply have to do something else,” Jenes’ahn replied.

  Something else... I met at her expressionless eyes and swallowed. Hard. I don’t know if she could see it, but Chaeitch certainly could. And I think her Ladyship could also.