“Maitre Rhennthyl has coaches arranged across from the station. You can situate yourselves in any but the first…” Dartazn began to explain.
I listened, waiting, and when he was finished, we walked back through the station.
When we were in the coach headed back to Imagisle, I asked, “Can you tell me more?”
“The Navy was surprisingly cooperative. They seemed to know they needed help as soon as we started to board the
“Maitre Dyana and I took care of that later. Go on.”
“There’s really not too much to say. I had them practice some on the trip outbound, but seawater doesn’t have very good concentrations of what they needed to image. So I had them work on projection imaging of water, just to strengthen their abilities. When we reached Ferran waters, the Navy ferried me to the flagship. I met with the Fleet Marshal himself and explained the general plan. He pointed out where it wouldn’t work, and then we came up with some revisions. We briefed all the gunboat commanders, and they put me on a fast frigate, and dispersed the others among the gunboats.” Dartazn shrugged. “We did the best we could.”
“I don’t think it was anywhere close to that easy or simple.”
Dartazn smiled sheepishly. “I listened intently, agreed politely, and then did what needed to be done. I told everyone that I was following orders…and it worked out. I couldn’t have done it without all the preparation you and Chassendri gave me.” His face sobered. “We lost more than we should have. Some of them were too brave. Ralyea was one of them. He destroyed the naval base and shipyards at Greissyn. He had the gunboat captain make a last run so that he could try a final imaging at the magazines. He was successful, but the explosions were so devastating that some of the shells and shrapnel shredded his boat and turned it into an inferno. The other boat reported that. Was it worth it?” He paused. “What Ralyea did deprived their fleet of a good portion of their reserve munitions and destroyed the second largest naval station. Fleet Marshal Asarynt was very pleased when he heard that.”
Sitting there in the coach, at that moment, he looked much older than I.
“It was devastating, wasn’t it?”
“It was awful. With the sea winds, the fires spread everywhere. The shore was filled with flame and smoke as far as we could see when we headed back to the fleet. You could smell it milles offshore, days later.” He paused. “Things exploded, in places where you wouldn’t have thought there was anything. At times, the snow turned to steam.”
For a moment, he didn’t speak. Then he asked, “How did you know their cities would burn so much?”
“Patterns. Quaelyn’s and Ferlyn’s patterns. Ferrum is heavily forested so that timber and planks are much less expensive. All their commerce is based on competition among factors and merchants, and they want high profits in a short time. Solid stone and brick buildings are costly and take time to build. I wasn’t certain, but it seemed likely that their cities would be likely to burn. It also seemed they wouldn’t spend as much on fire brigades or have as many of them.”
“I don’t think they do…or they did.” After another pause, he asked, “You
“I did. I would have taken your position…if I could have, but Maitre Dyana refused to consider it, almost before I brought it up.”
Dartazn shook his head. “With Master Dichartyn gone, you couldn’t. Even I saw that.”
That might have been, but, especially after seeing what lay behind Dartazn’s eyes, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Yet, in a way, feeling guilty on my part was also an indulgence. So I plowed on. “You’re now a Maitre D’Structure, and you won’t be going back to the Council Chateau.”
“A Maitre D’Structure, sir?”
“Maitre Dyana and I already agreed on that.”
“What will I be doing, sir? I only know security…and what…what we did.”
“We need to have a closer relationship with the Naval Command, the way I once did with the Civic Patrol. Not exactly the same, but you’ll be the master in charge of dealing directly with the fleet and reorganizing the use of imagers on board warships. After all this, I think we’ll be able to persuade the Sea-Marshal to grant you an equivalent rank, something like a submarshal, high enough that you’ll outrank any vessel commander.” I paused. “So far as I know, you haven’t married.”
“No, sir, but…”
“There is a lady?” I smiled.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you think she would mind living at the Collegium in Westisle? I understand that the Naval Command will be moving fleet headquarters there, and due to events here in Solidar while you were gone, we’ll need a new Maitre of the Collegium there. You would have senior master quarters, very spacious quarters, I understand. You would have to come back here, several times a year, though.”
He smiled slowly. “I haven’t talked to Veroniqua, obviously, but I think I…we…would like that.”
I had to be fair. “There’s one other thing.”
“Sir?” His eyes narrowed.
“You’re a bit of a hero, and people will likely be watching you.”
He nodded slowly, then grinned. “So you want me to act the part?”
“It would be helpful, given all the Collegium has been through in your absence.”
“Oh?”
“Councilor Glendyl died after you left, and Assistant Sea-Marshal Geuffryt killed Sea-Marshal Valeun and tried to kill me…” I gave him a quick summary of events, including the role of Vyktor and what we’d discovered about the various Ferran fronts and agents.
When I was finished, he looked at me. “Those are the official versions, I take it.”
I nodded.
“I thought as much.” After a momentary hesitation, he said, “I didn’t mention it to you, because it was obvious you knew, but I never had that good a feeling about Sea-Marshal Valeun. Fleet Marshal Asarynt, though, he was always very solid, very direct.”
“So far, I’ve found Sea-Marshal Caellynd the same way.”
“Asarynt said that he had orders from Caellynd to give us every consideration.”
“I think you’ll find working with the Navy much easier than you might have otherwise, but you will have to work to instill a bit more discipline and respect in the Collegium in Westisle…” I explained about Dhelyn and what had happened.
When I finished, he shook his head. “I promise you. I won’t do anything like that.”
“We already knew that. That’s why Maitre Dyana thought you’d be good there.”
The coach came to a stop at the west duty coach station on Imagisle, and I opened the door and stepped out. Dartazn followed, then retrieved his duffel.
“I won’t keep you. I imagine you’ll want to share your news with the young lady.”
He grinned at me. “She’ll be pleased. I hope she will be.”
“You might also tell her that she may have to accompany you a few places over the next few weeks before you leave for Westisle.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“I’m guessing at this point, but I expect you’ll be attending the Council’s Winter Ball this coming Vendrei-as a guest, not as a security imager. I can’t imagine that the Council would not want to see and congratulate the hero who ended the conflict.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
I had. “You’re fortunate in a way, because everyone will want to meet you, and then you’ll have the perfectly acceptable departure for your position in Westisle, and that will leave the Council with a lasting favorable impression.” And that just might mute less favorable impressions they had of the Collegium as a result of my acts.
“That’s only because they didn’t see what Ferrum looked like after we finished.”
