support anyone who would not keep the peace and who would not keep the state hard on the course those monarchs had plotted.
Inger wanted to shift course. Her support had col apsed.
She could make no changes. She was a fever that had to run its course.
The only guarantee that Kristen and Bragi would fol ow the desired course was the girl’s word.
Ozora Mundwil er painted her into a corner. Her only exit was to publicly swear to pursue the ideals of her father-inlaw.
She glared at Aral Dantice. Had he shaped this situation deliberately, perhaps with the connivance of Michael Trebilcock?
...
Babeltausque joined Queen Inger for breakfast, at her request. “Tel me you have something positive for me,” she said.
“You wil have to judge.”
“About what happened to Colonel Gales?”
“Those who held him have scattered like startled mice. We did identify a girl known as Haida Heltkler. Miss Heltkler hasn’t been seen since she left the Twisted Wrench with a pail of beer.”
Nathan Wolf had told Inger al that already. “And the butcher was cleared?”
“Mr. Black claims he was framed. He might actual y have been.”
“Who would do that? And why?”
“The girl. She’s his niece. Busybodies in the neighborhood think she might have been getting back for him having taken indecent liberties.”
The sorcerer was alert for any nuance of response. He was sure Inger’s male relatives had taken liberties with her when she was young.
He needed to know how much she would tolerate.
He was safely free of the Duke now. He was in a good place to indulge his own secret needs.
Those had begun to surface the night he looked into the eyes of that girl Haida.
The Queen shrugged. “Is that important?”
“Only in the sense that someone may have wanted the butcher to suffer.”
“It’s an odd thing to be distressed about. But I’l take your word.”
“Most gracious of you. Majesty, we wil continue to look at that, hoping the vil ains give themselves away. Meantime, I must deliver some unhappy news. Mr. Wolf and I have identified the spy.”
“And?”
“The spy is the doctor. He uses Toby as his runner.”
“That can’t be. That old man has never been anything but the castle doctor. He was the castle doctor even while Shinsan occupied Kavelin.”
“I share your disappointment. I didn’t want to believe it myself. I like Wachtel. But there is no doubt. Something must have changed.”
“What could that be?”
“I don’t know. I suggest we ignore it. We gain nothing by arresting him. Let’s keep treating him as a national treasure but don’t let him near anything interesting.”
“Make sure of that and I’l go along.”
“With Toby, too. The boy may actual y be the lead conspirator.”
Inger shook her head, mumbled. Babeltausque suspected that she was hurt by Wachtel’s treason. He wondered, too, why she never had the boy king close by. Fulk was little, sure, and sickly, but he should be suckling the ways of kingship along with mother’s milk. Though he never got near his true mommy’s teat.
Inger asked, “What about the money?”
“Stil missing. Mr. Wolf and I have exhausted every idea we could generate. We’re reduced to doing what everyone else has. Trying to recreate the itinerary of the thieves and search everywhere along the way.”
“Others are looking?”
“It’s supposed to be a lot of money.” Careful to sound neutral, he added, “We may have to accept the possibility that the money has been taken already. Perhaps by General Liakopulos. Or maybe Michael Trebilcock has had it al along.”
Inger snapped, “Keep looking! Never stop looking. That money is our only hope of hanging on here.” A servant brought word that Nathan Wolf wanted to see his Queen right away.
Inger looked at the sorcerer. He shrugged. “Send him in.” Babeltausque was irked. Wolf ’s timing was awful. He had been about to nibble around the edges of his need.
Wolf wasted no time. “Kristen has moved into Sedlmayr.
The Mundwil ers have been taken her in. Sedlmayr’s elders have declared for Bragi. Again.”
“When can we expect trouble?” Inger glanced at Babeltausque. Her look said find that treasure fast.
Wolf said, “We won’t have to, apparently.”
“Nathan?”
“Their strategy, that they mean to preach everywhere, wil be to ignore us.”
Babeltausque observed, “That’s an odd way of doing business.”
“I report what was reported to me. They intend to take a business approach. They wil consolidate the kingdom from Sedlmayr, avoiding any fighting. Looks to me like they’l end up in control of the economy. The Estates wil accommodate themselves to the reality.”
Inger said, “There is something you don’t want to tel me, Nathan. What would that be?”
“I don’t want to upset you more than you already are.” The sorcerer forced a bland face.
“Spit it out.”
“Majesty, the people backing Kristen are making no military preparations. They don’t consider them necessary. They expect us to col apse under the weight of our own incompetence.”
Nathan tried to soften the sting. Likely the people he mentioned themselves named no name but Inger’s.
The Queen said, “We shal disappoint them.” Her look told Babeltausque he was the man to make or break the future.
He left with Wolf, disappointed. He had not managed to lay any groundwork.
Wolf stayed with Babeltausque al the way to the latter’s apartment. “Do not despair, Mr. Wolf. We aren’t yet out of options.”
“Did you get anything from that corpse?”
“No. That was a head game with our enemies. Cunning wil have to make up for what we lack in money and numbers.” Wolf was not reassured.
Babeltausque wondered how long Nathan would endure.
The rest of the Itaskians would fol ow if he deserted .
...
Babeltausque slipped a silver groat to the warder. The man wandered off, probably to the Twisted Wrench. He forgot his keys.
For a month, now, there had been only one prisoner.
The man whimpered when he heard keys jingle.
Babeltausque peered in at Dane of Greyfel s. The Duke’s situation was no longer so grim. He had been moved to a better cel . He had lamps. He ate the same as the garrison.
He had his own chamber pot, cycled daily. He had a smal table, a chair, pen, ink, and inexpensive paper, though he was permitted no communication with anyone outside.
There was fresh straw for the floor each five days.
He had a cot, a pil ow, and a soldier’s rough blanket.
“Doing good for an unpopular prisoner,” the sorcerer observed.
Greyfel s cowered in a corner. He made a mewling sound when Babeltausque rattled the keys.
The sorcerer stared for half a minute, then grumbled,
“Evidently the balance has been rectified. This doesn’t interest me anymore. Be at peace, My Lord.” He returned the way he had come, leaving the keys where he had found them. Soon afterward he left the castle. He did
