Young Lord of Khadora (16 page)

The visitor smiled as he nodded. Lord Quavry scribbled a note and presented it to the visitor. “This is the name of the person whom you will get accepted on Lord Marak’s staff. Present it on the way out and you can make arrangements for his travel.”

The visitor rose and bowed his way out of the Meeting Chamber. “This plan is risky, Lord Quavry,” Marshal Yenga declared. “Too much rests on that fool. The military angle is acceptable, but everything else is on shaky ground.”

“You have only the military angle to worry about,” stated Lord Quavry. “With my spy in place, that fool becomes expendable. In fact, you should ensure that he dies in the battle, so I do not have to break my word. I would never accept him as the Lord of Fardale.”

“What if he does offer the same deal to Lord Burdine?” the Marshal quizzed.

“I will know if he does,” chuckled Lord Quavry. “I intend to invite Lord Burdine into this operation. There will be no question of border infringement if Lord Burdine files a grievance at the same time as we do.”

“You intend to split the Fardale estate with the Litari?” the Marshal asked shockingly.

“Certainly not,” laughed Lord Quavry. “All the Litari will do is file the grievance. They will not be involved with the fighting or the spoils. What I can offer Lord Burdine is something he wants very much, though. He wants to cut the Ragatha Clan off from the outside world. He has already denied them the right to cross his lands, but they worked out some deal with the Situ to cross Fardale. If Lord Burdine helps me in this matter, I will stop the Ragatha Clan from crossing what would become Sorgan territory. There is little doubt that Lord Burdine will then take steps to claim Woodville for themselves and kick the Ragatha out of the area.”

“I will issue orders to close off Fardale from Lituk Valley immediately,” saluted Marshal Yenga.

Kasa walked into Lord Marak’s study and sat down, piling a stack of papers on the Lord’s desk. Marak looked up at the young woman and smiled as he noticed his assistant had decided to let her short, black hair grow longer.

“Another pile of papers?” Marak quipped. “I sometimes think having an assistant is an invitation to a greater workload.”

“This pile you will enjoy,” beamed Kasa. “Our spy has uncovered a great deal on Bursar Tachora and his company, Khadora Grain Importers. I think you will find it quite interesting.”

“When am I going to meet this spy of yours?” Lord Marak asked.

“He never meets with clients in person,” explained Kasa. “I have never seen him. We have an elaborate routine, which allows us to transfer information. If I deviate from the routine, I may never hear from him again.”

“Still,” insisted Lord Marak, “I am not comfortable dealing with someone who is not known to me. Send him the request for a meeting again. Now, what have you got on Tachora?”

“I have the complete financial records for Khadora Grain Importers,” grinned Kasa. “Every financial transaction they have ever made is listed here. They have been using the company as a place to store their profits. In past years they had to carefully time the receipt of grain so they could sell it to pay for the next shipment. This year that will not be necessary. They have enough reserves to pay for all of the contracts with Fardale without selling any grain to pay us.”

“That only indicates that their scheme was profitable,” sighed Marak. “Why does this knowledge make you smile so?”

“Because I have a plan,” Kasa beamed. “The contracts we hold with Khadora Grain Importers do not require any prepayment of fees to us, with one exception. If they sell the contracts to someone else they are required to pay us in full even if the crop is not harvested yet.”

“I fail to see how that can help us,” commented Marak. “Tachora would not think of selling the contracts to someone else. That money is going to be his retirement fund when Fardale fails, which he is sure will happen this year.”

“Ah, but he would sell the contracts,” smiled Kasa. “If he feels that this year’s crop will never be harvested, the contracts are worthless to him. If, however, he is offered an enormous profit to shed the contracts now, he will jump at the chance.”

“Well,” pondered Marak, “that would get us some money to work with, but we would still need to fulfill the contracts.”

“Not necessarily,” chuckled Kasa. “I am proposing that we buy the contracts ourselves. I have taken the liberty of forming a company to accomplish this very task. It is called the Ksaly Company and it will offer a contract to Khadora Grain Importers which I am sure Tachora will accept.”

“Buy the grain ourselves?” mused Lord Marak. “We do not have the funds to pay for our own harvest. Ksaly Company . . . what is that supposed to mean?”

“Ksaly is an Omungan word meaning one-legged bird,” laughed Kasa. “The literal translation does mean much, but it is used humorously to indicate something which is worthless, like the inability of a one-legged bird to kick its opponent. As for the money, we will never pay Khadora Grain Importers. The contract we will offer will guarantee Tachora full payment on delivery of the first shipment. Ksaly Company will hold Khadora Grain Importers harmless for any shortages on the contracts, a phrase which Tachora will love. Buried in the pages of standard legal terms will be a clause which will deny Khadora Grain Importers any payment whatsoever if they have foreknowledge that the contracts with the grower can not be honored.”

“Wouldn’t Tachora notice the clause?” questioned Marak.

“Tachora’s barrister is unaware of Tachora’s position with Fardale,” gleamed Kasa. “He will not see any thorns to warn Tachora about and I will make sure that Tachora is in a hurry when he goes to sign the contract.”

“How are you going to manage that?” inquired Marak.

“Tachora will have to notify you that he will be away from the estate on an overnight trip,” explained Kasa. “When he does, you will be delighted and tell Tachora to let me accompany him to the city. You will explain that I have business on your behalf in the city and you do not wish me to travel alone. He will want to sneak off to meet with his barrister so that I will not find out what he is doing. There is an arms merchant in the same office as Tachora’s barrister. I will allow enough time for the barrister to describe the contract before I visit the arms merchant. When Tachora sees me, he will hastily sign the agreement and leave before I see him there. The rest will be easy.”

“You are a very dangerous woman,” Marak smiled admiringly. “We will get all of the money back that Tachora and Lashendo stole from Fardale and we will be free of the contracts which could devastate us.”

“Yes,” agreed Kasa, “and we will be free to negotiate real contracts for the grain.”

“See to it immediately,” ordered Marak. “We have a Council meeting now which I must attend. Let me know when to expect Tachora’s request to travel to the city.”

Lord Marak escorted Kasa to the door and then he proceeded to the Meeting Chamber. The room was already full with the members of his Council of Advisors and he hurried to his chair at the head of the table. Sitting down, Lord Marak extracted his notes from a pocket and took a few moments to scan the list of topics he wished to discuss.

Marak scanned the faces of the attendees and stopped when he saw the new Assistant Bursar sitting in the chair reserved for Bursar Tachora. “Assistant Bursar Mogry,” opened Marak, “where is Bursar Tachora?”

“He asked me to sit in for him,” Mogry explained. “He thought it would help me be a better assistant to him.”

“Those may be his thoughts,” stared Marak, “but they are not mine. When someone sits on this Council I expect him to be here, not send a replacement. This Council will wait while you fetch the Bursar and relay my orders for him to attend. Do not tarry.”

The red-faced Assistant Bursar rose awkwardly and scampered out of the Meeting Chamber. Lord Marak used the delay to review his list of topics.

“Forgive me, My Lord,” Tachora apologized as he took his seat at the table. “I thought the exposure would be good for Mogry.”

Lord Marak simply nodded and turned his attention to Seneschal Pito. “Seneschal, can you bring the Council up to date on estate matters beginning with the rebuilding effort?” ordered Marak.

“Certainly, Lord Marak,” rose the Seneschal. “The rebuilding has proceeded faster than anyone could imagine, thanks to the efforts of many volunteers. We are just finishing the last three homes and people have already moved out of the barracks and into the new homes which are finished. There have been some minor complaints with the homes, but I am glad to report that they were resolved quickly.”

Marak was pleased with the number of nodding heads around the table. The guilds who would normally object to the volunteer efforts had actually welcomed the help after Lord Marak volunteered his own time.

“The grain fields are erratic,” continued Seneschal Pito. “Some of the fields are growing better than I have ever seen them grow while others are dismal failures. There does not appear to be any pattern as to which fields will produce and which will not, although most of the producing fields are on the outskirts of the estate.”

“Are we any closer to getting the yield we will require to fulfill our contracts?” Marak asked while covertly watching Tachora for any signs of reaction.

“No,” sighed Seneschal Pito. “We are getting more yield than expected from some of the fields, but we will still be far short of our commitments. I would like to add, Lord Marak, that the low yield is not due to the Fardale workers, but the soil. As most here are aware, I was very vocal in protesting your policy of freeing the slaves. I would like to acknowledge to everyone that I was wrong. Our workers’ attitudes could not be better, nor could their productivity. I have not witnessed one incident of laziness or indifference since the program began.”

“Thank you for your acknowledgement, Seneschal Pito,” nodded Lord Marak. “What other items need to be addressed today?”

Lectain Zorkil rose to address the Council as the Army’s representative. “Lord Marak, we are still having reports about Kywara sightings. It is never more than three at a time, but each sighting brings them closer to the mansion. The guards get nervous each time and I think it will ease matters if we ask them to keep their distance.”

Marak smiled at his new Lectain while he wondered what the Kywara were up to. He had no reason to doubt Tmundo’s word and did not believe the Kywara were a threat, yet they had to be coming closer for some reason. The Chula were known for avoiding contact with flatlanders, not walking up to their door. Perhaps it was time for Marak to pay another visit to Tmundo and ask him what he was doing.

“Lectain Zorkil,” decided Marak, “I want you to stay after the Council session and I will discuss this with you further. What other items do we have to discuss?”

“I have received a suggestion to reopen one of the fields,” contributed Bursar Tachora. “The field in question borders the Sorgan estate. Perhaps it can be of use in meeting our obligations.”

“That field has very poor soil,” offered Mage Klora. “Lord Lashendo ordered it abandoned after the yield was so poor that he determined we were wasting manpower working it.”

“If Lord Marak would permit it,” interjected Pachoma, a slave turned field laborer, “some of us would like to experiment with crops that may grow well in poor soil. This barren field sounds like the perfect place to attempt it. We would tend to it on our own time and the children could help.”

“Excellent,” agreed Marak. “The field is open for anyone who wants to tend it during their own time. If you can come up with a saleable crop that is better suited to our terrain, it will be welcomed.”

Several minor matters were brought before the Council and were easily resolved. Lord Marak dismissed the Council and asked Seneschal Pito and Mage Klora to remain. When the rest of the Council had filtered out of the room, Marak pulled a large map of Fardale off the wall and spread it over the table.

“Show me where the sightings have been, Lectain Zorkil,” Marak instructed.

Lectain Zorkil took coins from his pouch and started placing them on the map. Before he was done, the Seneschal interrupted him by pointing to three of the coins.

“When were these sightings?” Pito inquired as the Lectain continued to place his coins.

“They were all in the last week,” answered Zorkil. “Why?”

“My Lord,” sparkled the Seneschal, “I said there was no pattern to our fields that are producing well. I was mistaken. Lectain Zorkil has placed a coin on each of the producing fields. Only the last three represent fields that are performing poorly. Is it possible that the Kywara are doing something to enrich the soil of our fields?”

“If they are,” added Mage Klora, “ they are better mages than we are.”

“No disrespect intended, Mage Klora,” smiled Marak, “but I think that is exactly what they are doing. I suspected as much during the meeting. I requested that Tmundo help us with our fields. At the time I was requesting that he teach us how to improve the soil and he flatly refused. I think that after watching our peaceful efforts to improve ourselves, he has decided to help us covertly. Lectain Zorkil, you will issue orders for all Army personnel to wave at the Kywara whenever one is seen. They are not to be interfered with in any way. Let them walk right up to the mansion if they wish. Mage Klora, if you should happen to be around during one of these sightings, take a bucket of fresh water out to the Kywara visitors and offer it to them. Let them know that they are welcome and appreciated.”

“As you wish,” Mage Klora replied.

“Lectain Zorkil, Seneschal Pito, that is all,” stated Marak. “I think we are finally getting somewhere.”

After the two had left, Marak turned to his head mage. “Klora, I want to start meeting with your group everyday if you can spare the time from your other duties. Twice a week is not enough and we have a lot of ground to cover.”

“The mages will be thrilled, Lord Marak,” she replied. “We would also like to step up our schedule, but were afraid that you did not have the time available. Should we meet this afternoon?”