Neither could offer anything beyond than what I’d gotten from the first, except that they had the idea that Third District was the only one being targeted so far. Whether that was just what they were told or whether it was true…that I couldn’t determine.
When I’d gotten what I could, Alsoran and I went back to the duty desk.
“Sir?” Cemaryt looked up.
“Put it in the orders book that when those two we brought in are transported to headquarters tomorrow, I want four patrollers from here to accompany the wagon.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want them to get to headquarters alive,” I added, although I had my doubts how long they’d last, given my suspicions. I just didn’t want their deaths to occur while they were in Third District custody. “And I don’t want anything to happen to them here.” I looked hard at the duty desk patroller.
“Neither the captain nor I would want anything to happen,” added Alsoran.
Cemaryt swallowed.
We walked back to my study, and I closed the door.
“I don’t like doing that, you know.”
Alsoran nodded. “I know, but they don’t. That’s what they’d expect, and they’d get worse in most stations.” After a moment, he added, “It won’t stop with them.”
“I’ll be working late most nights, but I won’t be here until after ninth glass tomorrow. I have to make a command appearance at the Council’s Autumn Ball.”
“Command?”
“We were asked by the Chief Councilor himself.”
“That’s command,” Alsoran affirmed.
My night duty didn’t even end then, because it was so late that I had to walk all the way to the Guild Square to find a hack to take me back to Imagisle. At least, I didn’t have to walk the whole way. Even so, my feet were aching when I finally stepped into the foyer, but Seliora was waiting with warm mulled wine.
24
Because I knew it was likely I’d be facing a very long night, on Vendrei morning I took my time getting up, although no one without a small child would have considered it late when I rose and greeted my wife and very active daughter. Before all that long, we were off to our various duties.
The newsheets both noted that Ferran forces had moved to positions less than a mille from the border in the areas closest to the Jariolan coal fields. Another grain freighter had caught fire, this time in Kherseilles. I could only hope that the fire had been contained on the pier and not spread, because I worried about Khethila. The Alusine Wool factorage wasn’t all that far from the piers.
As soon as I’d checked the daily reports and duty logs at the station, I headed out to see if I could find Jadhyl. I finally spotted one of his boy lookouts near the corner of Fedre and South Middle, and asked if he’d carry a message-for the promise of two coppers-that I needed a few moments with the taudischef.
While I waited for the message to be delivered, I walked up to the Plaza SudEste and studied the flow of carriages and wagons, as well as the people walking along the Avenue D’Artisans. I thought the traffic and the number of pedestrians was lighter than usual on a Vendrei, but not that much. Then I walked back toward Fedre, where I waited for another quarter-glass before the green-jacketed taudischef arrived with his lookout, who promptly vanished with the two coppers that I tendered.
Jadhyl addressed me, as usual, with his excessively precise intonation. “Master Rhennthyl.”
“Jadhyl, you may recall that I passed word about outsiders creating trouble.”
“I heard something of the sort, but I had also understood that they were looking for patrollers. Why might I be interested?”
“Because we caught two of them last night. It took a little persuasion, but they decided to tell us why they were attacking patrollers. They were promised a gold apiece for every dead patroller shot within the Third District taudis…by someone named Costicyn. Their instructions were very clear. Only to shoot patrollers within the taudis.”
“There were some shots last night, not far from here.” A faint smile creased his lips.
“I was with some patrollers. The assassins were not successful. Two of them died. The other two named this Costicyn…and someone named Sadharyn.”
“I have never heard either name. The last sounds Stakanaran.” Jadhyl tilted his head. “They wish to prove you cannot control your taudischefs, it appears.”
“That’s how it looks to me.”
“What do you wish from me, Master Captain?”
“Just send word if you see taudis-types that don’t belong here. It seems to me that would be in your interests as well as mine.”
Jadhyl smiled, coolly. “Would that others saw matters so clearly. We will see what is possible.”
That was as much as he’d ever say, but if his lookouts saw more assassins, we’d likely be told. “I’d appreciate it.”
I walked the long way back to the station, back out to the Avenue D’Artisans and southwest on it until I reached Quierca, then along Quierca back to Fuosta and up to the station. I studied every block, but didn’t see or sense anything out of the ordinary. One of Horazt’s taudis-kids did give me a half-wave from an alley just short of Fuosta.
Again, the afternoon was the same as every other afternoon, if just slightly quieter, and without any major disturbances. Right after fifth glass, I caught the duty coach back to NordEste Design to pick up Seliora and Diestrya, and then to Imagisle. Because the Council’s Autumn Ball was on a Vendrei and not a Samedi we could leave Diestrya with Klysia, but we still had to feed our daughter and give her a story, if earlier than usual, before dressing.
I wore the black formal wear of a Maitre, with the only adornment the four-pointed open silver star of the Collegium, an adornment required when imagers weren’t wearing their distinctive grays. Seliora had arranged for a gown in black with thin panels of a brilliant crimson, and her formal cloak was also lined in crimson silk. I also wore a black formal cloak, not that I necessarily needed it for the short coach ride to the Council Chateau.
As we walked from the house to the duty coach stop where we were to meet the Dichartyns, I cleared my throat. “You didn’t say anything about the memorial service for Haerasyn.”
Seliora smiled ruefully. “Kolasyn put his foot down. He said they’d have a small service after the viewing at Elysor Memorials. He said there was no point in conducting a public service that would be a charade.”
I nodded. That was certainly for the best, whether Odelia thought so or not. “I’m going to have to leave the Ball early tonight.”
“I thought you might.” Seliora frowned, but only for a moment. “Because you think the drug dealers know you’ll be at the Chateau?”
“That’s what I’m wagering.” I also thought they’d strike later on a Vendrei, assuming that fewer patrollers would be alert, and that I might well have had too much wine, even if I did hurry back to Third District. “None of this is accidental. It’s all planned.”
Seliora raised her eyebrows.
“Not that way,” I said. “The drug dealers aren’t taking directions from whoever is involved with one side or the other on the grain civil war, or from the Ferrans or the Stakanarans, whoever’s responsible for growing the stronger elveweed in southern Solidar. The drug dealers will plan the best way to attack Third District, and whoever’s behind the elveweed is counting on that, just as the Ferrans are counting on the freeholders to create problems with the High Holders and the Council.”
“It sounds like the Ferrans are trying to stir up trouble in Solidar before they attack Jariola.”
“I’d wager on it, even on their involving Stakanar or Tiempre, although I think it’s Stakanar.”
“There’s not too much you can do about it, except in handling matters in Third District.”
“No, there isn’t.” And there wasn’t, except I had the feeling that matters went well beyond Third District. I
