Марк Ньютон - Drakenfeld

I searched for the right words, hoping for something more considered. ‘What was he really like, in the months up to his death? I hadn’t seen him for years. We wrote occasionally but it was all rather formal.’

Veron gazed at me with a shadow of sympathy. ‘Full of life.’ He stared into the fountain. ‘A vibrant sort. He was a great observer of other people, so I often felt under scrutiny in his company. A conversation could be more like a board game. But when we became accustomed to one another we dined now and then at each other’s houses, but he had his wits about him and rarely said too much. Me, on the other hand, once I get a cup of wine in my hand you’d do well to shut me up.’

‘Full of life,’ I repeated. ‘An active man.’

‘Quite the athlete in his youth, so he liked to tell me. Yes, he kept active. Though, it is worth saying that in his final months he lost a little of that colour.’

‘Do you think he could have fallen ill?’

The senator weighed up the question in his mind, and I grew increasingly curious about his manner: the way he’d look around the house for distractions, or pick up ornaments and eye them in the light of a lantern.

‘That isn’t unlikely,’ Veron said. ‘He was quieter. He was seen out far less often – and you know how important it is in Tryum to be sociable. We all know each other here. Social circles keep us together – they help maintain some sense of order, as we all keep an eye on each other’s affairs. So, yes, perhaps an illness could well have claimed him in the end.’

‘The physician said it was his heart.’

‘That sounds about right,’ Veron agreed. ‘We had a good team of people there that day, as well as folk from the Pollan temple. I’m not a medical man, but I can tell you’re curious about his death. You think it suspicious, hence the questions.’

‘I have a healthy suspicion of most things.’

‘You’d make a good politician. But listen, let’s not talk about such depressing matters, not on your first night back in Tryum. We should be welcoming you to the city, young man. I’m glad another Drakenfeld is here to maintain some sort of order. You’ve good blood in you.’

‘Are the cohorts any good at policing the streets?’

‘They are what they are,’ Veron replied. ‘They change personnel regularly, they can be flaky and unreliable, they can bring their vendettas with them and cause more trouble than they’re hired to prevent. I’d like to change them if I could. They’re hardly cut from the same cloth as the mighty Sun Chamber.’

‘Do they report to you directly now?’

‘Yes, Licintius wanted more discipline, but not the military sort – tends to offend the hoi polloi when you have men with swords running about the place. Bad for morale. Besides, despite his friendship with Maxant, Licintius isn’t a fan of the military. No, each senator can organize his own policing for the district these days, which works rather well – given how competitive we all are, no one likes to have a high crime rate on their watch.’

‘Which is probably why you’re glad another Sun Chamber officer has arrived.’

‘That’s not the only reason. Your father had many good wines, too, so I’m anxious to see they’re not wasted.’

I laughed and took another moment to assess the man. He seemed capable of being honest enough to be charming, though one could never tell with politicians.

‘Now, I’m hungry for news – I read briefs from time to time, but they lack clarity on these matters. I’ve heard about an end to campaigns abroad for Detrata’s army. Are all the soldiers returning?’

Veron became animated. ‘Yes, and what a relief! More than that, the return of General Maxant is nothing short of a triumph. He came back to the city a night or two ago and celebrations have been scheduled by King Licintius for tomorrow evening. While the city will have plenty of food and games, there will also be the affair in Optryx. It’s almost like the heady days of the Detratan Empire two hundred years ago.’

‘And look how that ended.’

‘Peace came eventually.’

Once the Empire had dissolved… It was strange how people could speak of the past as if they had actually lived through it. ‘You sound rather relieved about Maxant’s return though.’

‘I am,’ Veron continued. ‘Maxant’s freed up a grain route from Mauland. Shipments are already heading our way. We’ve wilting fields all over Detrata – many of the senators wondered how we would feed the lower districts. Not only has Maxant secured food, but he has secured a nation in the name of the Vispasian Royal Union, and Detrata gets priority over the food.’

‘So, Maxant has finally defeated the Maulanders.’

‘Mauland’s king is now subject to Vispasian laws. It is said that Maxant defeated an army of one hundred thousand Maulanders with a force half that. Many of the defeated warriors and communities are being shipped back as slaves as we speak.’

‘A rarity for the Union,’ I said.

‘Think of the labour!’ Veron said. ‘They’re all rather pale-skinned and weak-looking, so they say. It does not appear to be a particularly sophisticated culture, up in that cool northern climate. A lack of sunlight will do that to you.’

The children of Tryum were often told stories about the violent citizens of Mauland – the Maulanders would get you if you didn’t study hard, or eat your supper – so to hear that the primitive society had fallen to General Maxant was a stunning concept. ‘Maxant is quite the hero, then. I look forward to the celebration.’

‘I’ll say,’ Veron replied, smiling. ‘King Licintius was almost weeping when he announced the news to the Senate. King Licintius and his old friend General Maxant have given Detrata a flavour of old times. The king needed it, too – there’s a vicious streak of republicanism developing in the Senate, so this will ease his woes.’

‘Are you of a republican persuasion?’

‘I can be. I can be a royalist too. I find if one is more versatile in beliefs, one’s career lasts longer, but there’s a strong desire in the Senate to return to past glories.’

‘Empire building?’

‘Perhaps. I’ve not seen anything myself, but the rumours are strong that neighbouring royals are nervous. Maxant has taken an army to the edge of our world. If I were them, I’d be nervous too. Anyway, more immediately, we’ll have street tables throughout the city with whatever food can be spared from the city’s stores – which will do his popularity no harm.’

‘If I was feeling suspicious I’d say such offerings would be to buy public favour – just like those old imperial days.’

Veron gave a hearty and warming laugh. ‘With such cynicism you could easily have a place in the Senate alongside me.’ He took another sip of his wine and contemplated the fountain for a little longer. His smile never left his lips.

We spoke of political matters a little longer, of the importance of Maxant’s return from Mauland, of King Licintius’ sister Lacanta, who was said to be eyeing up Maxant for marital union.

We said our goodbyes and he invited me to his large house on the side of Polyum that bordered Regallum, a phenomenally wealthy street – he took the trouble to tell me that fact.

It was getting late. Leana had not yet returned, but she was more than capable of looking after herself. I stood at the front gate of the house a little longer after Veron left, smelling the city air, gauging the mood of the streets, and watching those intoxicated with alcohol navigate their way along the pavements.

Finally it was time to head to bed. I’d chosen to convert one of the guest rooms into my own – my childhood room had long since been transformed into a pantry, and it didn’t seem right to sleep in a dead man’s bed. It was a quiet spot at the rear of the house, nearest the gardens, with a small window high up in one wall. A candle glowed beside my bed, and the rest of the room remained unfamiliar and in shadow. Lying there, contemplating the day’s events, something did not sit well inside me. It was very probable that I was experiencing some form of denial about my father’s death – he was, after all, a man who stirred up such odd and conflicting feelings – but it did not seem right that he was dead.