Ordermaster (69 page)

   
His place at the end of the table was empty, of course. The others stood behind their chairs, Erdyl was to his right, and Demyst to his left. Jeka stood to the left of the undercaptain. She still wore the weaver's blue, but it became her, especially in the soft lamplight of the evening.

   
"Please..." Kharl gestured for them to sit. "I was working on some maps."

"You missed the midday meal, too," Erdyl said.

   
Kharl hadn't even thought about eating then. That might have been why his stomach decided to growl. After he seated himself, he filled his beaker with lager and handed the pitcher to Demyst, knowing that Erdyl would have wine, as the secretary always did.

   
Khelaya set three platters in the middle of the table, the main dish, something like flankaar, closest to Kharl. He served himself and handed the platter to Erdyl.

"Ah ... ser," Erdyl began.

"Yes?"

   
"Just a while ago, there were two warships standing off the breakwater."

   
"Sarronnese, I'd wager," Kharl said, taking a helping of some cooked and wilted greenery he did not recognize. "Did you find out?"

   
"Cevor said they looked Sarronnese. Oh, and the Gallosian envoy has decided to go hunting somewhere north of Sagana."

"Not much to hunt there," observed Jeka.

   
"He's not really hunting," Kharl said, "unless it's for a place to hide from what's coming."

The faintest look of puzzlement crossed Jeka's face, then vanished.

   
"We think that Captain Egen may decide he should be the next Lord West," Kharl said blandly.

"Won't stay lord long."

"Because he's too mean?"

   
"Likes to hurt people," Jeka said. "More people find that out, fewer folks'll support him, or fight for him."

   
Kharl laughed, softly. "You're right about that, but a lot of people could get hurt before people find out. Lord West-the present one-isn't too kind, either." He took a sip of the lager. It tasted flat, but that wasn't the lager, he suspected.

   
They ate in silence for a time. Kharl studied Jeka, trying not to be too obvious. One thing was clear. She watched the others, and copied their manners and how they used cutlery and how they drank. Finally, as he finished the last of the mutton flankaar, Kharl turned to her.

"Is your room all right?"

"It's fine."

   
Fundal appeared in the archway. "Undercaptain ... I hate to intrude, but..."

"Sestalt is here?"

"Yes, ser."

Demyst looked to Kharl. "If you would excuse me, ser?"

"Go ahead."

Erdyl glanced at Kharl. "Ser?"

Kharl nodded.

   
After the two men had left, Jeka looked at Kharl. "You managed that nice."

   
"I didn't manage it. Undercaptain Demyst is trying to hire more guards. He told me that they would be coming this afternoon or evening."

"Don't want your assistant around me, either."

   
Kharl wanted to sigh. Instead, he laughed. "You're right. He said you were pretty. You are. But it bothered me."

"Never said that to me before."

"I shouldn't now," he said. "You told me nothing had changed."

"Hasn't. Woulda been nice to hear, though."

   
Kharl thought he understood. "I'm sorry. I didn't understand. I've thought about. .. everything."

"Friends . .. right now." Jeka looked directly at Kharl. "Please?"

"For now," Kharl agreed. Not that he had any choice, he realized.

   
To the side, there was a cough. Demyst stood in the doorway. "Ser ... I thought you should meet Sestalt."

   
Kharl didn't know whether to be relieved or displeased as he rose from the table. But then, that seemed to be the way everything was headed.

LXXVI

\Jn fourday, Kharl dressed to appear in the Hall of Justice. He wasn't sure what else he could do. He hadn't slept that well, with dreams about Hamo-rian warships bombarding Brysta from the harbor while he staggered through the streets looking for a black staff. He'd awakened from that dream with a start, gotten up, and walked around his chamber before climbing back into his bed. The second nightmare had been worse-Egen had burst into the residence with a squad of his patrollers, looking for Jeka. Kharl had not returned from his presentation to Lord West in time, and found everyone slaughtered. Jeka had been used-horribly.

   
He lay awake in the warm night for a good glass after that, and slept only fitfully, especially after a steady rain began to patter on the roof of the residence.

 
  
As he finished dressing, except for his jacket, he considered the day ahead. The rain continued, steady, but not quite a downpour. Should he still go to the Hall of Justice? He shrugged. What else could he do? Demyst was better at finding guards than Kharl would ever be. Besides, Egen might well be at the Hall for Werwal's trial, and, if he was, that would mean a few days-one day at least, he corrected himself-before any attacks began. Since Werwal's case was second on the docket before Reynol, Kharl had time to eat breakfast before heading to the Hall of Justice-if he hurried.

   
Kharl could sense Jeka and Demyst at the table, and he could hear that they were talking. He paused, then eased the sight shield around himself as he moved toward the archway into the breakfast room.

"Lands and all... why'd he come here?" asked Jeka.

"Lord Ghrant asked him to."
       
s

"Did he have to?"

"I doubt any man could make Lord Kharl do what he felt was wrong."

Kharl appreciated Demyst's words, but doubted their accuracy.

"We in trouble here?"

"That we are. There is no help for that, I fear."

"He's staying here and going to let it happen?"

Kharl winced at Jeka's question.

   
"In Austra, I questioned his actions. I was wrong. When he acts, there is none braver..."

   
Kharl heard steps above. Where he was standing in the narrow archway, one way or another, he was likely to be discovered. He released the sight shield, then coughed before he made his way into the breakfast room.

   
"Don't believe that business about bravery," Kharl said, with a smile. "He was far braver to accompany someone who rides badly and knew little about fighting."

   
"He is also modest," Demyst said to Jeka, standing as he did. "I fear I talked too long. I need to spend some time with Sestalt, and I am awaiting another man who may do as a guard." He nodded to Kharl. "Ser?"

   
"Do what you have to. At the moment, you're getting more done than I am. How are you doing with finding guards?"

"Not so well as I'd like. Sestalt will do, and so will Sharlak."

   
"Take them on, if they'll start today. Can you talk to Mantar, or Fundal, and see if we can get some more mounts and riding gear?"

A sheepish expression appeared on the undercaptain's face. "I was

going to talk to you about that, ser. Already been scouting. We can pick up four pretty good mounts, but they'd be three to four golds each."

   
"Do it. I'll get you the golds after I eat." Kharl was glad that he'd thought about the need for golds and gone to the Factors' Exchange earlier, especially since it appeared that the summer-end rains had arrived. "What about sabres, or crossbows?"

   
"We have enough in the armory here. Fundal had them stowed out of sight." Demyst laughed. "He's most cautious."

"About everything."

   
With a smile, Demyst inclined his head, then slipped out of the breakfast room.

   
Kharl settled himself at the circular breakfast table. As he did, Khelaya appeared with a platter on which were cheesed eggs, thick ham slices, and a basket of bread. "Erdyl said you'd be leaving soon."

"I'll be at the Hall of Justice."

"No good comes from there," replied the cook.

"Not often," Kharl agreed. "Has to be a first time, though."

"When the hot springs of Kayol freeze, maybe."

Kharl laughed.

Khelaya shook her head, then glanced at Jeka. "You want more?"

"No." After a moment, Jeka added. "Thank you."

   
Because he wasn't sure what he could say to Jeka, Kharl took several mouthfuls of the eggs, then a swallow of the cider, tart, as early summer cider always seemed to be.

   
"Why are you going to the Hall of Justice? Thought you'd seen enough of that."

"Werwal.. . he's before Reynol today."

"You going to bust in there with horses, too?"

   
"No. I'll do what I can-if I can do anything. While I'm gone, you can use the library. Practice reading." Kharl kept eating. He didn't want to be late to the Hall.

"That's harder than weaving."

   
"Or you can talk to Enelya. I'd wager that she's still upset about Selda. I won't be back for a while."

"Like last time . .." muttered Jeka.

Kharl winced. "I didn't have much choice, did I?"

"Suppose not."

"I did come back."

"For your boy."

"And for you."

   
Jeka looked down. "Your boy? Undercaptain said you went south... graves there."

   
"Egen and his men. They killed Merayni and Dowsyl, all the children and Warrl." He looked at Jeka, waiting until she met his eyes. "I couldn't let that happen to you."

   
Jeka looked back across the table at Kharl. "Wouldn't. You didn't have-"

"I was supposed to leave you?" asked Kharl. "Let Egen find you?"
   
».

"I could have hid."

"For how long?"
     
\r

"I was a good weaver."

   
"You are a good weaver. You stayed with Gharan, and you might have been a dead one."

"What about Gharan and Amyla?" demanded Jeka.

   
"I told him that if he ran into any trouble to get out of there and come here. If he can't find me, to get a ship to Austra and go to Cantyl. I gave him some golds."

"You only gave me silvers." Her face was deadpan.

   
It took Kharl a moment to catch the hidden humor. "That was all I had then. I gave you half of all I had." He forced a grin. "Do you think you were worth it?"

   
Surprisingly, to Kharl, Jeka looked down at the table for a moment. Kharl didn't know what to say. Finally, he stammered. "I'm sorry."

"No need for that. You're a lord."

   
He felt like pounding the table. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Jeka. "Being a lord-it doesn't mean you hurt people. I don't want to be like Egen."

   
"Never be like that pissprick." Jeka looked up. "You're going to the Hall. What if Egen sees you?"

   
"He won't know I'm the same person. I don't think he'll believe a cooper could come back as a lord."

"Mean bastard. Doesn't forget much."

"Even if he does, he's not going to do anything in the Hall of Justice."

"Better be real careful when you leave."

"He might not be there."

"Why you're going, isn't it? See if he's there?"

"That, and Werwal."

"You really got lands in Austra?"

   
Kharl nodded. "I didn't expect it, but that was how it turned out. You'll like them." He tried to keep his expression pleasant as he realized just what he'd said.

"You think I'm going? Didn't ask me."

"You're coming to Austra. You'll be safe there. You can't stay here."

"Says who?"

Kharl took a deep breath. "I do."

   
"You been right about stuff." Jeka didn't quite meet his eyes. "Still doesn't change things."

"It might be a while," Kharl added. "Things could be dangerous here."

"No worse than hidin' from Egen between walls."

   
"No," Kharl agreed, although he wasn't so sure about that. He finished the last bit of ham and took a swallow of the cider. Then he stood. "I need to get to the Hall."