-Lord Gray, Recollections
net was waiting at the dock when the Splintered Driftwood nuzzled into its slip, guided flawlessly by Jedron, now back in his role as Captain Ilian. Paet had a satchel slung over one shoulder and held it close to his body. Silverdun looked over at Ironfoot. Neither of them had spoken much during the brief trip back to the mainland. Silverdun had been lost in his thoughts, and apparently so had Ironfoot. 'Captain Ilian' hadn't spoken to either of them at all, seeming to understand that they needed the space.
The boat touched the dock with a light thump, and one of the automata tossed a line to Paet, who tied it. Jedron leapt from the boat onto the dock; he and Paet regarded each other, but neither spoke.
'Come on, then,' said Jedron, waving to Silverdun and Ironfoot. 'We don't have all day.'
Silverdun rose and took a step forward, and stumbled. Since the night that he'd been tossed into the pit of blackness, a night that he did not care to remember, he'd felt uncomfortable in his own skin. Oddly, though, at the same time he'd never felt better. Whatever they'd dunked him in appeared to have done him some good, but still ... it was impossible to describe. Jedron had told him that the feeling of strangeness would pass. It was all 'part of it,' but he refused to say what 'it' was, and Ironfoot claimed not to know either.
Silverdun followed Ironfoot onto the dock and stood blinking. The sounds of the seaside assailed him all at once: the shouts of the fishermen, the shushing of the wind through a hundred sails, the calls of gulls overhead. Farther up the pier, a legless man played the ocarina for passersby.
'All went well, I assume?' Paet asked Jedron.
'As well as can be expected,' Jedron said. 'This one,' he added, jostling Silverdun's arm, 'gave me a bit of a turn, though. Someone forgot to tell me that he'd studied potions at Nyelcu.'
Paet's expression didn't change. 'He didn't.'
'I dropped out after a week,' said Silverdun. 'It wasn't for me.'
Jedron glared at Paet, who shrugged. 'Were they successful or weren't they?'
'They were,' said Jedron. His look said don't test me.
'Then we're finished here. Her Majesty thanks you for your service.'
There was a moment of deep tension between the two. Then Jedron laughed. 'You little shit.' He untied the line and then leapt with an astonishing nimbleness back on board the Splintered Driftwood.
For a while Paet stood and watched as Jedron and his crew of mechanical sailors eased out of the marina and into open water. Silverdun and Ironfoot watched with him. No one spoke.
Once the boat had vanished in the waves, Paet turned and looked at Silverdun. 'You think you hate him now?' he said. 'Wait until you've known him as long as I have.'
'Now what?' said Silverdun.
'Now you go home and get settled,' said Paet. 'Both of you. If your training was anything like mine, you're exhausted beyond belief.'
'True,' said Ironfoot. 'I can't remember ever having been so tired.'
Paet opened his satchel and handed them each a sheaf of documents. 'Each of you has a new valet at home,' he said.
Silverdun looked at the documents. On top was a Copyist Guild-certified likeness of a man named Olou, whose title was given as 'Special Services Officer' of the Foreign Ministry.
'Olou's a good man,' said Paet, pointing at the likeness.
'What is he for?' asked Silverdun.
'He'll do all the things that an ordinary gentleman's man would do, and a few things he wouldn't. He'll help you select the proper attire for a given assignment, clean and maintain your weapons, that sort of thing. He'll also supervise the maid and cook. His job is to look out for you when you're at home.'
'A nice perk,' said Ironfoot.
'When you get to your home, give him the sign `The master has returned.' He will offer the countersign, `And there could not be a lovelier day for it.''
'Seems a bit paranoid,' said Silverdun. 'Do you really expect a faux valet might strangle me in my sleep?'
'Stranger things have happened,' said Paet. 'You've become a serious investment of the Ministry. We like to look after our investments.'
'I see.'
'Oh,' added Paet. 'Olou told me your rooms are a shambles, and that he expects you to take better care of your things while he's in your employ.'
