“What is your concern?”
“My family has made fine furniture for generations, but those who wish the finest also wish the finest in woods, and many of those woods do not grow in Solidar.”
“That’s true,” replied the councilor.
“Honored councilor, there is an embargo against any woods from Caenen.” Khatyn shrugged helplessly, as if his point were more than clear.
“This is also true. We prefer not to reward Caenen when the Caenenans fire upon our ships. They’ve sunk two merchanters.”
“Honored councilor, the wood itself costs but a fraction of what we make, and even of the taxes we pay. I would not wish our merchanters to be endangered, but what harm is there if I buy wood from an Abiertan trader, or from a Solidaran who bought it elsewhere? The timber is there. It is already cut. It will be sold somewhere. No additional golds go to Caena.”
“Can you not make fine furniture with other woods?”
“I can make fine furniture out of many woods, honored councilor, but without the finest of woods, I cannot expect it to sell, no matter how good the crafting.”
“You are asking me to seek an exception to the embargo?”
“Only for the rare fine woods, sir. Without those, much of our work will not sell, and we will not be able to purchase the fine woods from here in Solidar that go with imported woods.”
“You are telling me that there is no way . . .”
Khatyn shook his head. “There are smugglers, but the tariff agents of Solidar know that any rosewood or ebony comes from Caenen, and those fines and the years in prison would destroy me.”
“I understand your concerns, Master Khatyn, but if I support an exemption for you, how could I not support one for the spice merchants, or the essence traders, or satinrope makers? Before long, there would be no embargo, and Caenen would suffer nothing.”
“Honored councilor,” replied Khatyn, “they suffer little or nothing now. Those goods are still sold, and we must make do with less. We are the ones who suffer.”
“I can only promise that I will make sure your points about the suffering of the crafters of Solidar do come before the Council. That is all that I can offer now.”
“That is all that I will ask, then.” Khatyn’s smile was ironic. “I thank you for hearing me out, honored councilor.”
After I escorted Khatyn back to the main gate, I took an essence importer to Reyner. The councilor did not even acknowledge me, except by title. The second visit was far more like that of Khatyn to Sebatyon, with a written petition, this time against the embargo of tropical oils.
That was how the remainder of the day proceeded, escorting master crafters, traders, and factors to various councilors. Along the way, I got a quick lunch, and during a brief respite in midafternoon, Celista told me that a petitioner headed to see Councilor Glendyl had slipped outside the councilor’s study and cracked his skull on the stones. I wished I’d been that quick-thinking, and wondered whether Dartazn or Martyl had managed that.
When fourth glass rang, the Chateau was closed to petitioners and all outsiders, but it was a good half glass later before they had all been escorted from the Chateau, and close to fifth glass before Martyl, Dartazn, and I took the unmarked duty coach back to Imagisle.
“A little more action today,” said Martyl, “at least for you two.”
“Complaining or relieved?” asked Dartazn.
“Relieved. There’s always the chance that matters won’t go as they should.”
They certainly hadn’t with me, but I just nodded. “This will go on until Jeudi?”
“Tomorrow will be about the same,” replied Dartazn, “but Meredi will be slower.”
“That’s if it’s like the last few years,” added Martyl.
As soon as I got back to the Collegium, late that afternoon, I hurried to Master Dichartyn’s study and rapped on the door. There was no response. While that didn’t surprise me, I did want to talk to him. So I headed back to the reception foyer.
A young imager was at the desk, and he looked up as I neared. “Sir?”
“Are you Beleart?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m Rhennthyl, and I was looking for Master Dichartyn. I needed to convey some information to him.”
“Yes, sir. He didn’t say when he’d be back.”
“If you’d tell him. I’ll keep trying.”
“Yes, sir.”
I’d barely walked into my chambers and seated myself at the writing desk when there was a rap on the door. I decided on full shields before I opened it. A very frightened, very young fellow in imager gray looked up at me. “Sir . . . if you’d not . . . mind . . . Master Dichartyn is in his study and will be for a short time . . .”
“I’ll be right there.”
The young prime trailed me all the way back, then slipped away when Master Dichartyn opened his study door.
“Come in, Rhenn.”
Stacks of papers filled Master Dichartyn’s desktop. I couldn’t help looking. I’d never seen more than a paper or two.
“Yes?” His voice was curt, as he settled back behind the desk. He nodded toward the door. “You had something urgent?”
I leaned back and closed the door.
“Puzzling, sir, and you’ve always stressed caution. I was working on my other assignment over the weekend, sir . . .” I explained what I’d done and what I’d discovered, and described the man who trailed me. “. . . and you’d said that I should eliminate suspects as I could. I’d thought if I could meet this Thelal . . .”
“I’m glad you talked to me. We do have an arrangement with the patrollers for certain kinds of information. They may be able to locate Thelal more quickly than you can, especially if he indeed does have a weakness for the plonk. I’ll have them see what they can tell us.” He paused, and jotted down a few words on a sheet of paper. “Tell me what you’ve learned by trying to track down who shot you.”
What had I learned? “It’s not easy, and it takes time. And one thing leads to another.”
“Why do you think you’ve been assigned to look into your own shooting?”
“Because I’ll have a greater interest in it?”
“Partly. Also because if you don’t, that indicates a certain weakness in dealing with the unpleasant. When it’s your life that’s involved, you’re more likely to learn as much as you can. If you don’t, then you’re not meant to be a master. Even if you are, you don’t know enough yet. That’s not your fault. No one of your age does.”
After the experience at the Council Chateau, I was beginning to feel that I didn’t know enough about anything.
Then he nodded. “You weren’t with the morning exercise group, Clovyl told me.”
I swallowed. I’d totally forgotten about that addition to my schedule.
“Don’t forget it tomorrow.” Master Dichartyn smiled faintly. “It’s more for your protection than anyone else’s. Much more.”
“Yes, sir.”
“One more thing, Rhennthyl. You know that the world doesn’t stop when you leave the Council Chateau? There are still people in L’Excelsis, if you need to talk to them.” He held up a hand. “Not until I get word from the civic patrollers. I just don’t want you to get into the habit of thinking that Samedi is the only time you have to deal with other assignments.”
“Yes, sir.”
How long would it be before I fully understood what I needed to know, what was necessary, and how to do it?
