The Burning Crown (Stone Blade Book 4) (21 page)

"Truth," said Karr. Then, with rising cheer, he took Blue's hand and kissed it. "Truth pure and simple! She also knows nothing of the two of us. For certain she will know that someone will take up her trail but she cannot know how close we are, or that we were already following it before she acted! No one with whom we've talked would reveal us or reveal our concerns. We may know little of her or her masters but they know nothing of us!"

"Truth and pure, Sir Knight," said Blue, "Nor, might my pride be excused, does she know aught of McReely eyes and ears or of the dedication and resolve of the Noble House of Edders!"

Karr heaved a relived sigh. "You speak truly, dear lady! The fall of House Brightcrown is a dreadful thought to have but as yet we've lost nothing, for truth! Our trail is still before us, we've only to find its end the more quickly!"

***

Chad Sir Moumar, Order of Shining Steel and Outremin's junior, entered Fadding's chamber and bowed properly. As always, his face held no expression.

"Good day, m'Laird," he said, "They've left."

Fadding nodded, unsurprised. "Thank you, Sir Chad. Did they leave anything behind?"

"No, my Laird. Naught but a bad smell and a mess."

Fadding offered a brief smile at that, uncertain of whether his knight was joking or serious.

"Very good, sir knight. Did they leave for Fallstar?"

"Yes m'Laird. According to their flight plan and restocking manifest. They're not traveling leisurely, either."

"Good riddance, then." Fadding didn't speak the thought but he knew they'd go nowhere else. "Message Sir Beau with the usual precautions. Inform him of the guests he'll soon be seeing and tell him to observe them but to take no action against them, direct or by proxy."

"Yes, m'Laird." Moumar turned to leave.

"One moment, Sir Chad," said Fadding with sudden inspiration, "Tell Ryan to let slip through devious channels that Binkor-Sud and Snughblak might find something of interest on Fallstar. No specifics but he is to inform them of our guests' hasty departure. Tell him to be creative."

"Aye, m'Laird." This time Moumar's face almost smiled. None of House Varl's knights cared for their guests or the way they treated their Laird!

This time Fadding did smile as Moumar left. What story his chief of communications and Moumar would concoct he knew not, but he knew it would cause concern and consternation both for Tobart and for the Houses he named.

As Moumar left, another man scuttled through the door before it closed. When Fadding saw him he pasted on his most polite smile.

"Good afternoon, Laird Fadding." Darrel n'Guirro, League Adjunct to the Crown, bowed sloppily and smiled.

"Good day to you, Signor n'Guirro," replied Fadding, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Fadding left the man standing. An insult, but one subtle past n'Guirro's ability to comprehend.

"I have news of possible interest to you."

Fadding carefully didn't let the smile slip at that. He didn't know if n'Guirro meant the insult or gave it through ignorance. From the man's expression it could be either.

"I've heard rumors of a possible League investigation here. I do not know if they are of concern, or even if they are true but I thought you might want to know. Nothing official has passed through my office but the unofficial indications are significant."

"Indeed so, my friend," said Fadding, "Such matters are always of interest."

"You're welcome, Laird Fadding."

n'Guirro turned and left without dismissal or ceremony. That irked Fadding. He wanted to teach the man proper respect the proper way, but not now. Later. Later, when his patient labor yielded its sweet fruit.

Chapter 12. Meetings

Ted Ionoski reviewed the report on his terminal. Again. He had less than he needed but well more than he wanted. He looked across the table at the man sitting there. That worthy, one Richard Ambith, sat, outwardly at his ease. It took far less skill than Ionoski had, though, to see past that surface and into the desperate apprehension that permeated him. Let him soak, thought Ionoski. He kept his stare level until Ambith looked down.

"You are certain of this, Ambith" said Ionoski.

"Yes sir. Absolutely. That's why I came so far before I asked for sanctuary."

"By our charter and articles of agreement with the Crown worlds, I should just send you home."

Ambith didn't quite squirm at that. "That... That's not my home any longer, sir."

"I see. Tell me again why you didn't just fade into the League somewhere else."

"What he did... What they did was
wrong
, sir! I don't know what Roger... I mean Sir Parl, knew and he did his best to keep me from it, Heaven bless him. We were looking at things a long time, sir, and he wanted to keep me clear of it. But they don't work that way. They six-sigmas murdered him for it and they would have me, too."

Ionoski tried to find a positive sigma-line from the situation. Not his fault, but Ambith merely added to the problems piling up on Ionoski's plate. The chip Ambith thought so damning could be interpreted so, or exactly opposite. Fortunately, one of Ionoski's friends intercepted the man and sent him to Ionoski. He had little room for choice but Ambith didn't need to know that.

"I shall take your request and your report under advisement," said Ionoski, "Be assured I shall investigate it thoroughly and if you are speaking falsely you'll face more than extradition to Crown authority! Until then I offer sanctuary."

Ambith wilted with relief. "Thank you, sir. Thank you!"

"You will also do everything within your power to help me with my investigation."

"Yes sir! Gladly, sir!!"

***

Micah sat near a window in the very large and well-stocked library attached to Fallstar's Hall of Lore. He had trouble distinguishing the librarians from Lore students and even House blood! The members of Hose Lore cared little for that, though, and Micah suspected them of taking amusement at his ignorance. He found them all eagerly helpful, though, so he didn't mind their jests.

He spent most of his time away from Outremin here, studying Precedence and Peerage along with more Crown history. In addition to that he worked to extract every fact he could about House Brightcrown and its allies. He knew what Kidwell had and some of what she planned to do. Not all of it, but he knew her well enough to fill in the details.

Of all the Houses associated with Lithigrove, Brightcrown came first followed on close order by Hallings, Binkor-Sud and Toms-Watt. Hallings held the largest share but they also assumed overall management as well as of small and diverse items and systems. Large numbers of small things, thought Micah. Binkor-Sud managed the finances for the company and charged a hefty fee for it and Toms-Watt mostly supplied support and personnel for the numerous other subsidiaries.

Indirectly, House Varl exerted a large influence over the Houses within Lithigrove, mostly through its connections to Binkor-Sud and its allies. Though Micah found much of what Varl did quite distasteful, he simply could not picture it sabotaging its ties to companies outside the Crown. If anything, he thought, House Varl would want them stronger.

He found Brightcrown's history fascinating. Most Crown citizens, even from opposed Houses, looked up to Brightcrown as a paragon of virtue and unequivocal dedication to the Crown and all its peoples. That didn't mesh with what Kidwell found so Micah dug deeper. He did find that Brightcrown always worked to uphold and obey the law but that didn't necessarily sum up to merit. Examined unto themselves, many Brightcrown actions indicated a harsh and unyielding House. A House willing to sacrifice its own blood, it seemed, in order to preserve its reputation.

Micah's trip to the asteroid factory still gnawed him with curiosity. He concealed his probes into the possible location of that system but he came up squelch each time. More precisely, he found entirely too many candidates for that system. Even when he narrowed it to those close enough to use an existing LINC beacon it helped little. Without exact stellar and spectral measurements the system was nothing more than a star with a lot of asteroid belts!

At least now he had help! Kidwell also occupied a carrel here, not close but enough so for him to spot her. They didn't speak but they did converse through an external site. He'd sent her and Thompson a message when he left for Fallstar, they sent him one when they arrived. He found it far too strange for coincidence when the three of them ended up on the same planet. He considered arranging a meeting but, with nothing more than he had, it would serve no real purpose. Instead they arranged the usual network of drops, message points and other communication resources.

Kidwell had more data in terms of amount, but Micah had an undocumented star system with an asteroid factory in full operation. He also had a plan of unspecified detail to bring forth the demise of House Brightcrown. Micah had no doubt it would take Ionoski or Ferrel to decide whose data trumped and, knowing Kidwell, the necessity of that decision was axiomatic!

"House B is looking bad," read Kidwell's report, "Traced all but a few defective units to them. Trail led to Fallstar. Data included, read then eat! Sent copies to T via sneaky paths. No other news. If House V asks, I used T's company for credentials. Since House V and B are not best of friends, suggest you dig for rich dirt."

For truth, thought Micah. Outremin might be close to Varl's Laird but he was even closer with any substantive information. Most of what Micah gathered concerning House Brightcrown consisted of spleen and slights, supposed or real. He did manage to find a few tidbits and rumors by mingling with some of House Varl's other guards, but as yet they didn't fully accept him. Though officially his brethren now, some of them even avoided him. None liked his outsider status, and Outremin's hand-picking him didn't help matters at all. Still, this was far from his worst assignment and now Kidwell and Thompson were close at hand.

"That well is deep and small," he messaged back, "Will take time."

After a while Kidwell half-smiled, rose and left.

***

Blue rose, dropped her datacubes in the return bin and started for the door. At times it seemed fate conspired with them instead of against! After half a day to ground and make House contacts, she and Karr received stunning news. Against any odds in the same universe as sanity, Lady Sneak, aka Vera Kittley, was here on Fallstar!

Nor did Blue deceive herself into calling it coincidence. The sly vix came here for a solid reason. If she was here then something important, critical, was here as well! They now had a lot more information concerning her, too. She and her accomplice arrived just before their ship unlinked and she brought her accomplice with her. Until now Karr suspected the man as nothing more than his appearance as a hired assistant. Her urgent plea to the others in her house had McReelys throughout Crown space watching the starports for new arrivals and snapping holos at need.

When one young man, barely out of his teens and busy earning his title, spotted Kittley he wasted no time alerting others. After Blue confirmed the woman's identity, the local Trademaster put all of his resources at her disposal. That even impressed Karr. More important, though, Lady Kittley now went nowhere without at least one pair of McReely eyes observing her!

Outside the library Blue nodded to a lady watching her kids play skiffle nearby. She nodded back, gathered her kids and the four of them began noisily following Kittley.

"I have news, Lady Blue," said Karr, lofting the hover as soon as Blue strapped in, "Laird Fadding's dirty right hand is here."

"Outremin?!"

"Aye. Of late he has been a frequent visitor, sometimes for long stays and other times short. This time he seems in no hurry to leave. That's the sum of what I have but I do believe coincidence has just shattered into shards."

"Truth and plenty, Sir Knight," replied Blue, "All our data plus Kittley and now Outremin? Truth indeed! Have you word from our Houses or Brightcrown?"

"Just that Laird Brightcrown is facing a pond full of minnowsharks. Rumors of censure have reached the streets. Ordinary folk are now taking them as fact yet still they have no substance to them. House Brightcrown now has few allies save Gladius, Edders and McReely. Some few still speak words of fealty but their actions belie them.

"There were also rumors of a League investigation into Lithigrove. House Edders is looking into that, but not to the point of risking their charters. Rumors surrounding that indicate that certain Houses will receive light treatment if any, while others will bear the brunt of it. It is known that a high League official visited Varl, Binkor-Sud and Snughblak along with some of their allies."

Blue's mouth tightened. "Did Brightcrown receive this courtesy?"

"Nay, m'lady, nor Edders or McReely. Rumors said even Gladius received none."

Six-sigmas trouble, thought Blue. She didn't want to consider League action against her House or any of its allies. That Gladius received no visit boded ill for the Crown itself! Of all the many Houses, only Lore and Loosk maintained greater neutrality and uniformly friendly relations with all!

Blue and Karr found Kelsey McReely waiting for them back at McReely Hall. The young Junior Apprentice Trader, and the one who spotted Kittley, had a great amount of news and a great deal more enthusiasm about conveying it.

"We have data on Outremin's crew," said McReely, "He arrived on a standard small courier or priority cargo ship. The kind usually used for transporting emergency medical supplies or..."

"Go on," prompted Blue gently.

"Oh. Sorry. He had three crewmen with him. Outremin, that is. One was his pilot-astrogator. That's Wygnan Amal. He's been with House Varl for fifteen years now. He started there after he was discharged from the Elder Guard. He was a pilot, and a good one, but he used his position for some sort of personal gain. We think it was smuggling but don't have any hard data for it.

"The second one is his engineer Brodie Zaba. He enlisted in the Hall of Merchants as a junior ship technician when he was seventeen. He learned a lot but never got more than an average rating from any of the merchants. He qualified well on all his tests, though, and as soon as he completed his training obligation he swore fealty to House Varl."