Iorich
17
1. There were regrettable and even reprehensible actions taken by Imperial soldiers in the village of Tirma on Lyorn 2, 252.
2. Responsibility for these actions must end with the individuals directly involved (see Appendix 23 for names and suggested charges).
3. Any attempt to lay responsibility for this incident on higher levels of the Imperial military order will be inconsistent with justice, and in addition may have long-term negative consequences for the Imperial army, and cannot therefore be recommended (see Part One, point 1).
I signed and sealed the oaths saying that as an Imperial Count I promised not to go anywhere until my case had been dealt with, then was permitted to leave the Iorich Wing. My destination was conveniently close, and by now familiar.
I ran into Daymar on the way to Perisil’s office. I was going to ask him where Kragar was, but I bethought myself to take a look around and there he was. I studied Daymar in his black and gray, and thought about telling him he made a good Jhereg, but he didn’t so I didn’t.
I said, “How did it go?”
“Went well,” said Kragar. “I gave her a good runaround about rumors of new laws, and how could I profit from them, and she gave me a good runaround not answering me. I don’t think she suspected anything.”
“She will when someone asks her why she was out of touch right when they needed her to get to the Empress.”
“They might.” He didn’t seem concerned.
“Thanks,” I said.
“I’m like you, Vlad; it just tickles me to have Aliera owe me one.”
That was a motivation I could understand.
We reached the office. The door was open, and Morrolan and Perisil were there. I introduced Perisil to Daymar and to Kragar, whom he hadn’t noticed come in.
Perisil said, “I’ve just gotten word from the Justicer. They’re releasing Aliera.”
“Good.”
“And they’ll be investigating the events in Tirma.”
“Okay.”
“And Her Majesty wants to see you.”
“Oh,” I said. I cleared my throat. “When does Aliera get out?”
“They’ve already dispatched the release order; she should be out within the hour.”
“Good.”
“Good work, Vlad,” said Morrolan.
“And you. All of us.”
“I should have more chairs,” said Perisil.
“Will Aliera be joining us here?”
“I’ve no idea,” he said.
I nodded. “Because she’d prefer to sit, I’m sure.” That earned me a look from Morrolan.
It was like the old days in Morrolan’s library, except it wasn’t. For one thing, Aliera wasn’t there. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to see her. Most likely, she wouldn’t want to see me. She knew and I knew that, what with one thing and another, thanks weren’t appropriate; but you can’t help when obligation makes you uncomfortable.
But more than that was the uncomfortable feeling that, while it was over, it wasn’t over. We couldn’t all relax and laugh and make fun of each other, because there was too much unfinished. What would happen with the Imperial investigation? Would the Left Hand go after Cawti, as they’d threatened? When would the Jhereg finally get me? And then there was the unresolved matter of—
“Kragar,” I said. “Do something for me?”
“Hmmm?”
“Some asshole was just arrested for impersonating a Phoenix Guard. He was one of the ones who beat me. Find him, learn who his friends were, and break a few bones.”
He nodded. “How are you feeling, by the way?”
“Me? Fine.”
“Oh, you healed?”
“I . . . yeah.”
He let it go. He knows me. They all know me. Sometimes that’s not entirely comfortable. I know them, too, but I don’t mind that part so much.
Morrolan said, “I’ve just heard from Aliera. She went home. Care to join us?”
I shook my head. “I need to speak with my advocate.”
“Oh?”
“Long story.”
He hesitated. “Will you be around long?”
“Unless they catch up to me.”
“I meant, around town.”
“Oh. I’ll get back to you on that.”
“I’ll be going,” said Daymar. “Good to see you again, Vlad.”
“You too.”
“Haven’t seen you much these last few years. Where have you been?”
“Um. I’ll tell you about it sometime.”
“All right.” He waved and vanished; my ears popped. People shouldn’t teleport out of small rooms.
Morrolan was more polite; he thanked Perisil again, bowed, and walked out the door, leaving me alone with my advocate. Oh, and Kragar. I looked around. Nope, just the two of us.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
“Need another client?”
I gave him the short version, and he agreed to take it on, and I paid him. I was starting to feel a bit of a squeeze with money, which was something I hadn’t had to worry about for several years, and thought I’d never have to worry about again. A shame about that. But living on the run can be pretty cheap if you do it right; that’s one good thing about it.
We left it there while I headed over to the Palace to have a little chat with the relatively absolute ruler of the Dragaeran Empire.
I reached the place with no incidents, and there was Harnwood, bowing as deeply as he could without having me think I was being mocked, after which he said, “If m’lord will accompany me, Her Majesty will see you now.”
My goodness. How the fallen have become mighty.
He led me to a small (for the Palace, at any rate) room done in gray marble, with a six-sided marble table at which sat the Empress, nibbling on bread and cheese. As have done millions before me, before I even bowed I couldn’t help but glance at the Orb to see if I could judge the Imperial Mood. I couldn’t, really. It was a kind of rusty brown, which might mean anything.
“Your Majesty,” I said.
There was a soft click as Harnwood shut the door behind him.
“Sit,” commanded the ruler. I did so. “Eat,” was the next command. Now that wasn’t something I needed to hear twice, so I helped myself. The cheese was very sharp, and the sort I’d normally think too salty, but it seemed to work. The bread had a thin, hard crust and an odd slightly sour taste, reminding me of something Cawti had once brought home years before.
“Good, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“It comes from Naarsten County, in the Sorannah. It’s from a special breed of goat, and only the best of the breed. They make five pounds a year, and it only comes here, to the Palace.”
“Impressive,” I said. Actually, the cheese wasn’t that good.
“Yes,” she said. “Other than the cheese, there isn’t a whole lot about this job I like.”
“Makes the compensations more valuable, that there are fewer of them.”
She had another bite of bread and cheese, and nodded. “By now, Aliera should be home.”
I nodded.
“Just like it never happened,” she said.
“Uh huh. What of the investigation?”
“She’ll be cleared of any wrongdoing, I’m sure.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Vlad, a squad of half-drunk, frustrated, angry soldiers in County Nowhere go berserk, and we’re going to blame the Warlord? She wasn’t even there.”
“The squad?”
“One was career military, used to seeing civilians as either inconvenient undisciplined idiots, or else un-uniformed sneak killers. The others were peasant boys who weren’t used to seeing their friends die without having anyone to take their frustrations out on. People fight, people die, because the alternative is to let some local baron set his own tariffs for passage of shipwood, which will outrage the Lyorn who own the forests and the Orca who buy the wood. I can’t risk offending the Lyorn because they’re too high on the Cycle, or the Orca because they’re already looking to form alliances with the Jhereg. So a few peasants have to die. More cheese?”