“And you?” I asked gently.
She smiled. “It couldn’t have worked out better.”
I’d always thought that, but I still liked her to say it. “For both of us.”
“Indeed, and you make a better friend.”
As she entered the drawing room, she gestured to the small table. “Tea will be here shortly I thought you wouldn’t mind that on such a chill morning.”
I waited to say anything more until we were seated at the table. “I have some unusual questions…”
“That means they’re most serious, Maitre Rhennthyl.”
“Most serious, Madame Iryela D’Ryel.” I matched her tone before letting my voice turn serious. “I’ve been trying to find any traces of Johanyr. You haven’t heard from him?”
“No. I have warned all the guards that he’s not to be admitted, either here or at the main estates in Rivages. How could he have just…disappeared?”
“He wasn’t under guard, and he’d lost his ability to image.”
“He’s almost blind, isn’t he? How could he get around?”
I didn’t want to answer that directly. “With great difficulty, I suspect. But there are blind people in every town and city.”
“He isn’t the kind to beg or be helpless. You know that.”
I did indeed. “That’s very true. Has he ever written you?”
She shook her head.
“Was there anyone he was particularly close to?”
“No. He wasn’t even that close to me or to Dulyk or Alynat, and he wouldn’t speak or write to them after he…after he went to Mont D’Glace. He never wrote me, either.” The door opened, and an older woman appeared with a tray.
The tea was cardomom-flavored and welcome, since I wasn’t totally warmed after the coach ride, even with the gentle heat flowing from the drawing room stove. So were the simple morning cakes.
“I had tea sent down to your driver. I’m sorry you had to come out in such weather.”
“The sooner the better. Matters are not that good…oh…I forgot to tell you. An assassin shot Councilor Glendyl yesterday. He almost died, and he’s at the Imagisle infirmary, but Maitre Draffyd thinks it’s likely he’ll recover.”
“Was it the same person as shot Suyrien? Did he get away?”
“Ah…no. He’s dead. I don’t know as there’s any way to tell.”
“Couldn’t they capture him…” Her words died away as she looked at me. “Did you…?”
“I went to talk to Glendyl. He didn’t want to talk in his study and insisted on taking a walk…” I gave her a quick description of what happened.
She shook her head. “If only you’d been with Suyrien…”
“I don’t know it would have helped. They didn’t shoot Glendyl in the head.” I took another sip of tea and a bite of the morning cake. “Have you heard anything about why anyone would want to shoot Glendyl?”
“Me? A mere wife to High Holder Ryel?”
Behind the self-mocking tone was a certain sadness, I thought. “You’ve always seen and understood more than anyone else knew.”
“Except you.” She took refuge in sipping her tea.
I just waited, taking another swallow of tea.
Finally, she said, “There’s been talk for years about how he wants to do away with all the High Holders and break up the big landholdings by applying his so-called value-added tax to lands that don’t produce revenue. That’s foolish when you consider that you can only harvest timberlands once a generation, if that, but he’d tax the land every year when there’s only revenue from it once every thirty to a hundred years. I haven’t heard anyone who thought seriously about actually shooting him, but there’s not a High Holder out there who liked the idea of his being in charge of the Executive Council, even for a month. Even Caartyl would have been better, but I doubt any High Holder would commission an assassination that would hand the Executive Council over to a guildmaster.”
“I can see that. But even if Glendyl did head the Executive Council for the next month, he couldn’t pass tax or revenue matters. That takes two-thirds of the entire Council.”
“What is it, Rhenn?”
I laughed ruefully. “Trouble, of a different kind. I just realized something. I’m sure Maitre Dichartyn knew it, but some of this is very new to me.”
“Why?”
At that point, I realized that I’d never told her what had happened, not in terms of my change of position. I’d assumed she’d known, but I’d never mentioned it, and my presence at the memorial service would have been considered normal, even if I hadn’t taken over Dichartyn’s duties. “Things have changed at the Collegium. Maitre Poincaryt and Maitre Dichartyn were killed in the bombardment. I’m no longer a Civic Patrol captain. The Collegium has recalled me, and I’m now a Maitre D’Esprit.”
“Oh…” For one of the few times since I’d met her years before, Iryela looked disconcerted. “You’re…one of the high imagers, then?”
I knew that was so, but I hadn’t let myself dwell on it. “By default. Maitre Dyana is now the Maitre of the Collegium.”
Iryela laughed. “No wonder Frydryk has been grumbling. A woman heading the Collegium. How did that happen?”
“She was the only Maitre D’Esprit left.”
“That means…you’re the second-ranking imager in all of Solidar. And you’re here having tea with me?”
“I said it was important,” I pointed out, trying to keep my tone light.
“What does Johanyr have to do with all of this?”
“I don’t know. It might be nothing. It’s just that he vanished just before all the attacks on L’Excelsis took place.”
She shook her head. “You think he’s involved, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I worry that he is. Do you know if any of his acquaintances have heard from him?”
“Not that I know of. I used to ask, but he never wrote anyone. I’d think they would tell me if he did now, or if they’d seen him.”
“Do you know if he was friendly with Geuffryt, one of the Naval Command Assistant Sea-Marshals?”
“Geuffryt?” She frowned. “Geuffryt…” Then she nodded. “Geuffryt D’Laevoryn-Alte. He was the youngest son. He was…I suppose he still is…some sort of relative of Juniae D’Shendael. He was friendly enough to Johanyr when Johanyr was still a boy, but he was a good ten years older. He was like a distant uncle. Then his father…he made some bad decisions, and he went sailing one day and never came back. I suppose that was why Geuffryt stayed with the Navy.” She paused. “Why did you want to know?”
“I just wondered. I met Geuffryt several weeks ago and found out that he was a cousin of Madame D’Shendael. He seemed to know about your family.” That was more than a slight exaggeration. “So I thought I’d ask. I’m trying to think of anyone Johanyr might contact.”
“There really isn’t. You know he was always above everyone…until…”
“I was afraid that might be the case.” I smiled wryly. “I’ve also been watching on the other matter. So far nothing has turned up, but we have run across rumors of a few other odd funds transactions, and I can always hope that we can find out what happened.”
“I do appreciate it.”
“I do have one other odd question.”
“Oh?”
“Do you know if there is a complete listing of all the High Holders in Solidar anywhere?”
“The Collegium doesn’t have one?”
“If it does, no one knows about it.”
