L. Modesitt - Scholar

After a time, Quaeryt paused from eating. “By the way, as I told Scholar Princeps Zarxes on Samedi, I need to obtain more garments to replace those lost in my travels. He had said you had a marvelous tailor…” Quaeryt let the words hang.

“Naxim is quite good. His shop is on the lower level on the east side. I imagine he will be there soon, if he is not already. Did Nalakyn manage to find you?”

“He did indeed.”

“Excellent. I would have hated for you to leave before talking to our students. Whenever they can hear from a scholar who has traveled far and wide it is most beneficial.”

“You would seem to be such a scholar yourself,” observed Quaeryt.

“My travels have been largely in the library, except, of course, for a brief time when I served the Khanar.”

“Might I ask which Khanar?”

“Rhecyrd. That was a most unfortunate time. He had great plans, but … there are always those who will turn to treachery when their personal ambitions and whims are thwarted.”

“From what Sarastyn has conveyed, that could imply that either Tyrena or Rhecyrd…?” Quaeryt raised his eyebrows.

“Sarastyn has always been a romantic at heart, but romance should not cloud one’s view of reality. Tyrena was too young to rule. She refused to see that, and then…” Chardyn shrugged.

“You think that she was the one who planned the assassination of Chayar’s envoy?”

“Who else? She was the one who drafted the invitation for the envoy to come to Tilbor, on the pretext that she might be available as young Lord Bhayar’s consort.”

Quaeryt nodded slowly. Chardyn had a plausible point, because Bhayar had been betrothed, but not married, to Aelina at the time, and there was no doubt that Chayar could well have set aside his son’s betrothal to unite Tilbor and Telaryn without a war. Except … there had been no such letter arriving in Solis. Of that, Quaeryt had been certain, because Bhayar had mentioned that the Khanar had rejected that possibility. Bhayar had never mentioned names to Quaeryt, only the terms “Khanar” and “his daughter.” So Chardyn’s words were likely an indirect probe. “Was she intelligent and attractive?”

“She doubtless still is, but the man who wed her had best be most cautious.”

“You had mentioned that she fled and married a Bovarian High Holder. They are known to keep their wives well in line.”

Chardyn laughed. “I would hope so, for his sake, and because she is the type who needs to be on a tight rein.”

Quaeryt smiled and continued to eat.

After breakfast, he left Chardyn and found the bursar of the Ecoliae, to whom he tendered enough coppers to pay for the next several days, including more for the feed for the mare, which no one had mentioned, while letting drop that he intended to remain at least through the coming Solayi. Then he took the steps to the lower level and to the tailor shop. Naxim was a tidy man. That Quaeryt could tell the moment he had walked into the small space. He was also not that busy, because, after measuring Quaeryt, he promised to have two sets of scholar browns ready by Meredi afternoon. The price was not inexpensive, but not unreasonable at seven silvers for the pair.

Then Quaeryt hurried up to the main level and to the student assembly hall on the west end of the building, where Nalakyn stood outside the double doors, waiting, along with Zarxes.

The scholar princeps smiled. “I’d thought to increase my knowledge of Solis as well, Scholar Quaeryt.”

“I trust I can add at least some small tidbits to your vast array of learning, sir.”

“I’m most certain that you can, though they may be small, indeed.”

Two more students hurried into the hall, nodding politely as they passed.

“I believe we can begin,” said Nalakyn, turning and entering the hall, where he stood beside the doors until the other two scholars entered, then closed the doors.

Zarxes moved to the side of the hall and turned, where he waited. Quaeryt took a position near the front, before thirty students standing in front of benches.

Nalakyn stepped up beside Quaeryt, brushing back his limp gray hair absently. “You may be seated.” When all the students were seated, he went on. “I have a special lecture today for you. Scholar Quaeryt is here from the Scholarium Solum in Solis, and he will be telling you about Solis and Lord Bhayar.” With a nod to Quaeryt, he stepped aside.

“Young scholars,” Quaeryt began, “you have often heard that a little knowledge is most dangerous, and I am about to impart what little knowledge I know about Solis and Lord Bhayar. I hope it is not too dangerous for being so scant. I agreed to do so with the understanding that I studied in Solis at the Scholarium Solum … and not anywhere close to the palace of Lord Bhayar … although I must say that it is a grand palace that sits on a hill high enough to overlook the harbor without being particularly close to the water or the piers. The Scholarium is much older, and it sits on a smaller hill much closer to the harbor, which has advantages … of sorts.

“A few of you, or more, may know that Solis is not the homeland of Lord Bhayar. He and his father, Lord Chayar, were born in Extela, in the mountains of hot mist and fire, and Lord Chayar is the one who spent his life concentrating on truly uniting Telaryn.…” From there, Quaeryt gave a brief summary of the various campaigns and battles waged by Chayar’s grandsire Bhaeyan to physically control Telaryn, followed by the political reforms of Chayar’s father, and then the efforts of Chayar-except those involving the conquest of Tilbor-as well as the shifting of the capital to Solis and the rebuilding of the harbor there, before going on to describe the government under Bhayar. “… he has but a handful of ministers, one being charged with the maintaining of rivers, roads, canals, and ports, another with the collection of tariffs, and a third with the operation of the messengers and couriers that serve Lord Bhayar, and a fourth in dealing with envoys and communications with other lands…” Quaeryt paused and nodded at Lankyt, whose face bore a puzzled expression. “Yes?”

“You did not mention what minister is in charge of armies and armsmen, sir.”

“No … I did not. Lord Bhayar himself controls those. His regional governors and his marshals report to him directly. That was the practice of Lord Chayar, and his son has continued it.”

“How does he make his will known?” Lankyt persisted.

“He has couriers. I mentioned those before. He also has special companies of armsmen, raised in the mountains, or so it is reported, who are very loyal, and who will remove any official who displeases him. Those who make mistakes are either exiled or sent to unpleasant duties in even more onerous locations. Some even have returned to grace. Those who steal from the Lord or the people are executed.” Quaeryt paused. “So it is said. I do not know if that is the case here in Tilbora.” He looked to Nalakyn.

“The governor is very strict,” admitted the preceptor. “I have not heard about theft going unpunished. He has executed his own soldiers for stealing from the people. Those he has caught, anyway.”

That would suggest that few are stealing much, but you’ll have to see, thought Quaeryt.

“The Scholarium Solum is both similar to and different from the Ecoliae.…” Quaeryt went on to explain in great detail about the scholars in Solis, and then about the port city and capital itself.

He answered more than a score of questions before he finally turned to Nalakyn. “I could talk a great deal longer, but I suspect I’ve already gone on too long.”

“Oh … no. It is time to stop, but I’m certain that everyone learned a great deal.”