L. Modesitt - Natural Ordermage

“Do you know why the undercaptain attacked you?” asked Taryl.

“No, ser. I knew he was angry that I had discovered what was happening with the Jeranyi, and he was quite clear in telling me that my investigating was insubordination. He also didn’t want me to tell anyone else.”

“You actually heard the Jeranyi giving orders to attack other merchanting warehouses?” demanded Chaslyk.

“Yes, ser.”

“It appears that all of the workers at the Merchant Association were killed. We did find the remains of the director and a clerk.”

All of them? Rahl had suspected that, but it was another thing to hear it.

“Why do you think that this Shyret was cooperating?”

“Because the warehouse was empty of all goods, ser. I would guess-it’s only a guess-that he sold or moved them and was going to claim everything burned. I’d been drugged, and one of the drivers was killed in an accident. I don’t think it was an accident. Also, one of the clerks before me had just disappeared. When I learned all of this, and remembered that Shyret was going to be moved to another post this year, it made more sense.” Rahl paused. “Oh, there was one other thing. When I was a checker in Luba, another checker who’d been a merchant clerk said he’d been framed. His name was Masayd, and he claimed that a mage-guard supervisor named Ventaryl destroyed certain records and did things for certain factors when the undercaptain told him to, but he didn’t say which undercaptain.”

That brought Chaslyk up with a start.

“I didn’t tell anyone that,” Rahl added, “because I didn’t know who the undercaptain might be, but Masayd thought he was telling the truth.”

Jyrolt nodded. After a moment, so did Chaslyk.

“Why didn’t you trust the undercaptain?”

Rahl shrugged, almost helplessly. “Ser…I wish I could tell you. He kept his shields so tight all the time…oh, and the other things were that he really emphasized that I should keep away from the Merchant Association-but the captain told me not to tell the undercaptain anything, and I didn’t. And when the undercaptain pulled me off the pier while the Jeranyi were loading the pickle barrels-”

“The captain told you not to tell the undercaptain?”

“Yes, ser. He said to tell no one but him anything, and to approach him only in a way that was not obvious.”

Taryl looked to the regional commander.

Rahl could tell that Chaslyk’s anger had almost vanished, but his concerns were far greater.

“Pickles…” There was an actual note of humor in the commander’s voice. “Total disaster averted because a mage-guard smelled pickles.” He shook his head. “Years from now, it will make a great story. Right now…I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to those of us here.”

“Yes, ser.” Rahl couldn’t hide his puzzlement. There was obviously far more going on than he knew.

Chaslyk straightened. “Jyrolt and I have a few more items to take care of, including talking to certain mage-guards. I believe you can handle what else Rahl needs to know, Taryl. If you would excuse us…”

Taryl smiled. “I can do that.” Taryl smiled at Jyrolt. “My congratulations and condolences, Captain.”

Captain? Jyrolt was being made captain of the mage-guard stations in Swartheld? Or somewhere else?

Taryl did not speak until the infirmary door closed once again. “There is more, of course. It appears Shyret was killed earlier, but his body was badly burned. We have found no records, even at his dwelling, but his house and the barn upon his grounds are filled with goods, and there were more than a thousand golds in a hidden strongbox there. We have seized the golds and goods as reparations for the damage created by the Jeranyi and Shyret. Furthermore, all Jeranyi vessels have been banned from all ports in Hamor.” Taryl snorted. “That will do little good because they will simply sell their stolen goods elsewhere, or transfer them to other vessels for consignment sales here, but at times even the Emperor must make great and meaningless gestures.”

“What was the purpose…?”

“Of the attack? If they had succeeded in destroying all the warehouses, they would have reduced trade to a fraction of its volume for some time. A good amount of the Emperor’s revenues come from the tariffs. That would have made it more difficult to fund the efforts against the rebellion in Merowey, and the Emperor would have been required to send at least some warships on patrols and efforts against Jeranyi pirates, and perhaps waste time and effort blockading and bombarding the port of Jera. Any success would have been slight at best, but not doing so would have signified weakness and indifference, and those are even more costly. Using warships against the Jeranyi would have resulted in fewer ships to patrol the approaches to Sastak and the smaller ports in the southwest and would have made it easier and less costly for the rebels to obtain supplies. It also would have raised the prices that the Jeranyi could charge for what they sold. At least for a time.” Taryl paused.

“Ah…ser…” Rahl wasn’t quite sure how to ask what was to become of him, and he was even less certain he wanted to know.

“You’re worried about what might happen to you?” The former Triad mage nodded. “That’s understandable for a junior mage-guard who created one of the largest fires in years in Swartheld, even to prevent a worse conflagration, not to mention killing a superior and disobeying direct orders.”

Rahl tried not to swallow. “I remembered your words, ser…the ones about not taking matters into my own hands, but…if I didn’t…”

“It happens that way, but I’m glad you did think about it first.” Then, surprisingly, Taryl grinned. “You still need some reminders that you have much to learn. It has been decided that your talents are not being used to their fullest here in Swartheld. Also, there will be speculation about how you survived the explosion and who killed Craelyt, not to mention the captain’s disappearance.”

“That had to be Craelyt,” Rahl interjected.

“Without a doubt, but…how could anyone really prove it?” continued Taryl. “Then, too, it would be difficult for any captain, even Jyrolt, to concentrate fully on what he must do to rebuild the port station when he knows that one of his junior mage-guards is as…capable as you are, as well as inexperienced in understanding all that the mage-guards are and must be.”

Was he being sent to Highpoint or worse? Or merely some small village in the middle of nowhere? That might be a relief.

“Several of the mage-guards here were at the least inadvertent accomplices of the undercaptain. Caersyn, Suvynt, and Saelyt have already been sent to new postings. Caersyn is on his way to Highpoint. Now…Jyrolt and Chaslyk will have to interrogate Ventaryl as well, if he’s still around.”

Rahl shook his head. “Accomplices?” He’d suspected Craelyt of something, but what had he been doing?

“Oh, you wouldn’t have known that. Craelyt was an occasional guest of Shyret’s. The director’s house staff confirmed it. We’ll never know everything, but Craelyt was passed over for captain when Gheryk was appointed. We did find a set of instructions for dealing with a large fire in Swartheld in Craelyt’s desk.”

“So he could show skill in handling it and become captain after Gheryk perished in the fires?”

“That’s most likely, but we won’t ever know. Not for certain.”

Taryl still hadn’t said what Rahl would be doing or where he would be posted next. Or even exactly why Taryl was in Swartheld.

“Now…about you. You definitely need more training, but you won’t get what you need here in Swartheld, even if you could stay, and the same would be true of other cities, especially Atla or Cigoerne or even Sylpa. You also are an ordermage from Recluce, and that makes you especially useful for your next posting. The Emperor and the Triad have decided that I will act as their emissary to Recluce and that you will assist me in explaining to the magisters exactly what happened in Swartheld. This is necessary to assure that Recluce does not use its black ships against our shipping or traders and will accomplish several other ends, which we can discuss at length on the voyage.”