“If that’s all…?”
“That’s all.” I nodded and departed.
After checking with Schorzat and Kahlasa, I donned my winter cloak and made my way to the duty coach stand, where I had to wait for a quint for Davoryn and another coach to take me to Madame D’Shendael’s.
Juniae D’Shendael’s town-dwelling-and it was hers in the same fashion that Ryealte really belonged to Iryela-was by far the most modest High Holder dwelling I’d seen, a three-story structure a mere thirty-five yards across, behind a walled front garden and before equally walled rear grounds. On the south side of the property was a drive that led to a covered portico, and that was where the duty coach came to a halt.
A young woman in livery, rather than a footman, opened the coach door. “Welcome, Maitre Rhennthyl. Madame is expecting you.”
Another young woman in livery opened the door to the dwelling and escorted me to the small study on the north side of the foyer.
Juniae D’Shendael stood beside a high straight-backed armchair upholstered in a pale blue velvet. At an angle to it was another identical chair, with a low marble-topped table between the two. She wore pale green velvet trousers, a cream blouse, and a darker green velvet jacket. “Greetings, Maitre Rhennthyl. To what do I owe the honor of this call?” She gestured to the chair adjoining hers.
I inclined my head politely, before I replied with a smile, “To your grace and intelligence, of course. And to your writings.”
“You do me great honor, and offer excessive flattery.” She settled into the armchair.
“The honor is deserved, and some of the flattery.” I took the other chair.
She laughed, almost girlishly. “I am certain you did not come here to flatter me. You could do that on Vendrei. In fact, I would be pleased if you did. What did you have in mind for today?”
“To learn what I could from you.”
“From another, I might ask how you could learn from a mere woman. Given your wife and your handling of the Ryel affair, I will not.”
“The Ryel affair? I had not realized-”
“Oh, most have forgotten, because it is convenient, but I found it rather interesting that the series of incidents that befell that family left the only even-headed and competent heir, and considering that heir was a woman, and considering that only one person had both the ability and motivation to orchestrate those events…”
“You would understand all of that, of course,” I replied. “And that brings up the matter at hand, which is why you offered that opening.”
Her face presented a pleasant, almost insipid smile, but there was a glint and a hardness in her eyes. “You may continue.”
“You may recall some weeks back, there was an explosion at the Midroad branch of the Banque D’Excelsis. When I was investigating I received an unsigned message in an exquisitely calligraphed hand. I’ve seen that same hand twice since, but the message suggested I investigate several fund transactions of purportedly dubious nature. Two I could not, for various reasons, but when I began to look into the circumstances surrounding the death of the clerk associated with an apparent embezzling, I came across several interesting facts.” I looked evenly at Juniae.
“You do have an interesting way of putting matters, Maitre Rhennthyl. From what you have said, one could not possibly discern what, if anything, you might require of me, or even if you do.”
“The clerk was deathly afraid, terrified, in fact, of water, so much so that he would not even walk the river promenade. Yet he drowned. He also had two lovers, both of whom were men. One of them had red-and-silver hair cut in a military fashion, and often picked him up in a severe black carriage trimmed in brass. This older lover also lavished clothing on the clerk. Now, only a clerk or someone highly placed in the banque would have known the details of certain funding transactions, but at the time I received those details, the clerk had been dead for some time.” I smiled.
She nodded slowly. “You do not seem to need me in the slightest.”
“No…but there is somewhat more to this, and were it merely an intrigue to embarrass or remove a possibly corrupt Councilor or subcommander, I would consider letting matters lie. Unhappily, there is another aspect to this…and one far more serious. The attacks on Imagisle itself do not appear to have been the work of Ferrans but of those within Solidar. The funding used to lease the barges and tug that carried the bombards came from a numbered account. I cannot go into the details, but that account required two people to access it, and one of them was an individual with red-and-silver hair. The other individual has vanished without a trace. In addition, though the barge lease was counterfeit, all the forms and authorizations were authentic, as were the procedures, and the munitions were Naval issue.” I shrugged. “You can see why I might be concerned, and why I am trying to discover if the individual in question is operating out of personal motivation or whether he has ties to the other explosions and attacks that have been confirmed as Ferran in nature.”
“You do face an interesting dilemma, and, from your approach, one might guess that, certain as you may be, elements of your evidence are less than iron-clad in their solidity.”
“There is also the possibility that not all of what has been presented to me is accurate in terms of the implications of financial transactions involving those in the Council and the Civic Patrol.”
“You still have not indicated what I might contribute to this…situation.”
“Madame…I would prefer not to press you.” I emphasized the word “prefer” ever so slightly. “Yet any information you might provide that would assist me in dealing with matters would be appreciated.”
Juniae smiled politely. “Let us say that, were I to write a novel, not that I would ever stoop to anything so frivolous, I might posit as a villain of sorts a character of great charm and wit, one whose hair might be that mixture of fire and age that can so lead men astray. As with all too many who end up deviating from their heritage, this villain’s family would have fallen from high places, through cruelty and villainy of another and through no fault of his own. He believes that, because no one offered mercy or assistance to his mother and her children, he is under no obligation to reciprocate to others. He places himself where he can learn much about everyone, and he charms men and women alike, generally using them gently, often so gently that they do not know they are being used. Some who do not bend to his whim face ruin if they reveal what they know, yet they are powerful enough that he cannot destroy them without risking his own position, and useful enough that there is no reason to try. Yet never are there any firm links back to him. It pleases him to use seduction equally on men and women, as if to illustrate his control, and those he has seduced range from young and potentially powerful High Holders to clerks, and all tend to regard him with fondness. Such a villain, of course, cannot be brought before the bar of justice, because he has compromised so many that were such even contemplated, either the villain or the accuser, if not both, might well soon be found dead.” She paused. “Do you not think that such a fiction would result in a marvelous villain?”
“I do indeed. Except…what would motivate such a villain? Most villains seek wealth or positions of power, yet…”
“Oh, such a villain would be wiser than that. Wealth and position are merely means to controlling others. Few suspect one who serves his land faithfully and never seeks to stand in the light, even as he destroys those he views as enemies.”
“Who would he see as enemies? Everyone?”
“Oh, no. Perhaps an officer of the Civic Patrol who receives a regular…retainer…for once not looking into certain irregularities, but who may not remain…bought…or a Councilor who is a supporter of that officer’s superior…or an imager who pursues the patterns that few others see and whose revelations, were they to come to light, might destroy all he has wrought.”