L. E.Modesitt - Imager’s Intrigue

“Why not? We might as well get on with what ever you and the Collegium have in mind.” Geuffryt’s tone was arrogantly dismissive. He leaned forward and extracted the pen, writing the single word and then signing his name below, before sliding the card across the polished wood to me.

“Thank you.” I replaced the pen stand before picking up the card and blowing on the ink lightly until it was dry. Then I looked at what he had written and nodded. Superficially, the script was different from the note in my leather, but I could see that there were certain similarities that could not be totally disguised. Again…not quite enough proof, except for me.

“Now…” I drew the word out. “I briefed Sea-Marshal Valeun on the materials which strongly suggest that Assistant Sea-Marshal Geuffryt had a part in the bombardment of Imagisle.” I turned to Geuffryt.

He didn’t look surprised, but he didn’t say anything.

“From your reaction, I can assume that he has at least summarized the findings.”

“There’s absolutely nothing there,” replied Geuffryt offhandedly.

I had to admire his ability to dismiss the matter, but I just smiled. “Oh…I disagree strongly, and so does Maitre Dyana, and so will the Council, especially when combined with the documents that Commander Artois and the Civic Patrol discovered in the building that the latest Ferran agent to be discovered exploded around me.” I touched the folder. “It truly is amazing how far the Ferrans penetrated into Solidar and even into L’Excelsis itself. The subcommander of the Civic Patrol vanished the night these documents came to light, as it were.”

“What are these documents?” asked Valeun, not quite idly.

“There was the note for twenty-five thousand golds to the late Councilor Glendyl, another for ten thousand golds to Factor Broussard. Then there were all the payments to the two Ferran front organizations, Mahrun Barge and Cartage and Cholan Freight and Transport, and we’ve verified that they shipped the explosives they stole from the depot to various points across Solidar.” I smiled again. “Some of these operations had been running for at least four years. This does bring up the question of how a handful of imagers could discover all these connections in a few weeks when Naval Intelligence apparently was unable to discover them.”

“You are the one with the answers, Maitre Rhennthyl, pray tell us.” Valeun’s voice remained calm.

“In a moment. In addition to those, of course, was the hidden chest with over four thousand Ferran-minted golds in it.”

That brought a momentary frown to Valeun’s otherwise placidly smooth forehead.

“Oh…I’m not under any illusions, Marshal. I have no doubts that Naval Intelligence knew about much of this for some time. In fact, I have a note in the folder here, initialed and dated, that proves just that, and, in fact…”

I coughed and bent forward, easing the sidearm out of my waistcoat even as I extended light shields against all four walls of the room for long enough to do what I needed to prepare. That didn’t affect the light inside, just the ability of anyone to observe, since I was going under the assumption that someone might be watching. “You see, Geuffryt,” I said, straightening, but keeping the weapon concealed, beneath the level of the desk and on the side away from Geuffryt, “the Sea-Marshal knows you used your position to strike against the Collegium, but he’s covered up for you.”

“Oh, you can’t-

At that moment, I raised the sidearm and fired.

The single shot-aimed by imaging-went through Valeun’s forehead, as I dropped the light shields.

Geuffryt gaped and started to lunge from his chair toward me.

That was long enough for me to image pitricin into his brain and fire the pistol into the floor. As soon as he hit the carpet, between the chairs, I knelt and placed the weapon in his fingers, and let them release it. I checked to make sure he didn’t have a sidearm, but he didn’t. I hadn’t thought he would, because they weren’t worn inside the Naval Command or in non-combat situations, but it was best to make sure.

Then I straightened, and imaged the traces of powder off my grays and onto his sleeves while calling, “Help! The Marshal’s been shot!” I also dropped the light shields and rushed around the desk to where Valeun lay back in his heavy chair.

The door opened, and the clerk-rating and a guard armed with the same kind of pistol I-or Geuffryt-had used rushed in. Behind them came a smooth-faced junior commander, most likely the officer detailed to observe from hiding.

“Marshal Geuffryt…he shot the Sea-Marshal.” I tried to look bewildered before pulling myself together. “I didn’t think he’d react like that.”

The two ratings looked blankly at me. That was fine. The commander’s eyes were narrowed and wary.

“Is the Deputy Sea-Marshal around?”

“Ah…” The clerk-rating gaped.

“If he is, summon him at once.”

The commander nodded to the clerk-rating, who hurried off.

I stepped away from Valeun’s body, but I kept holding full shields.

The commander stepped forward.

“What is it, Commander?” I asked politely.

He started to speak, then shook his head. “Nothing, sir. This…it was so unexpected.”

I shook my head in return. “Treachery always outs, and it’s never pleasant when that happens.” Then I looked squarely at him.

“No, sir.” He straightened.

Neither of us, nor the guard, spoke after that, not until Deputy Sea-Marshal Caellynd hurried into the study. His eyes took in the scene. Then he looked to the guard. “You can leave. Close the door.”

“Yes, sir.”

Once the door shut, Caellynd turned to me. He was obviously surprised, if not totally shocked.

“What happened?”

“I came to present evidence that Geuffryt was involved with the Ferrans and particularly with the bombardment of Imagisle. The Sea-Marshal had seen some of the evidence earlier, but he was not convinced, perhaps because he could not believe a trusted high Navy officer was involved. When I began to mention a note found in the ruins of the Ferran agent’s building, Geuffryt shot Valeun and then turned the gun on me. I was so surprised that I stopped him with imaging. The gun went off anyway. If I’d had a moment longer…but he was standing so close to me that if he’d actually fired, my shields wouldn’t have been that effective.”

Caellynd gestured to the commander. “Is that correct?”

“Sir…”

“The Maitre’s not ignorant, Commander. He has to know you were watching or listening.”

“Yes, sir. The conversation was exactly the way the Maitre reported it. The shot happened so quickly I only saw the Sea-Marshal jerk back and the other two move the way the Maitre said.”

Caellynd nodded. “You may go. Before you do anything else, write up exactly what you saw and heard.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the commander departed, and the door closed behind him, Caellynd asked, “Why do you think Geuffryt reacted as he did?”

“I can only surmise. It could be that the Marshal had told him of the previous evidence, and that he didn’t believe it was sufficient to implicate him. The Sea-Marshal had declined to act unless the Collegium could provide more proof. You may have heard, on Lundi, a building exploded around me. That building housed a Ferran agent, and the Civic Patrol found more information linking him to the explosions. They also found a note warning this Vyktor that I was looking into his operations. The handwriting was disguised to some degree, but too many letters looked like Geuffryt’s, and when I started to bring this latest evidence out, Geuffryt shot the Marshal and tried to shoot me at close range. He knew that imager shields aren’t nearly so effective close to a weapon.”