The senses the new gods probing. Laerdya arrives in the Republic
Chapter 13.
Neuw Athlin
The tree could sense the new gods’ probes, looking for signs that the Grove of Altensee had survived the Scourging. The new gods had been rushed to their ascension and Haciathra hadn’t been keeping a close eye on the Mortal Kingdoms or the fae as events unfolded. The tree had kept things discreet, careful to use Ald and now the mage brothers as its eyes. That had helped to hide the tree while it remained vulnerable. The closeness of the mana pool to the city meant that the tree could draw on those resources and the acceleration of the grove’s growth meant that the risk to the tree was already diminished somewhat. The tree waited as Ald and Elwin entered the space with Ald pushing his wheelbarrow with another tree. They walked up and Ald said, “You have a gift from the Copperleaf grove. They have given you this sapling to open a tie with you.”
Ald started to dig a hole as the tree contemplated the new development.
Chapter 14.
Chatsrey
Cillia felt foolish, holding the sign at the airport terminal. Her father had sent the telegram asking her to pick up a girl that Bennie had apparently purchased in the Empire. She couldn’t understand why Bennie would do something so foolish as to buy a slave girl, especially as he had that debt because of girl issues already. Cillia had almost sent a message back saying that she couldn’t pick up the girl, but she was curious to find out just what her brother had done.
Standing there, she noticed a short man with a peg leg with an elegant elf lady and a young elfin looking girl. The man stomped over and said, “Miss Findley?”
“Yes.”
“I am Harald Tollings, this is my wife, Naesala and Laerdya, the girl your brother purchased.”
“What did my brother do?”
“The short answer to that question is that he helped save a lot of people’s lives, including mine. The long answer is more complicated.”
“My brother saved lives. That is rather unlike him. He isn’t the heroic type.”
“Up until a few days ago, I wouldn’t have disagreed with that. But that changed. Do you have a car?”
“I was going to use a cab back to my hotel. Do you have anything, Laerdya?”
“Just this.” Laerdya held up a small satchel. “Bennie bought some underthings and a dress for me. I have the clothes that I was wearing when I was dropped into things with me.”
“I don’t have to return home for another two days, so we can do some shopping. You can share the room with me at the hotel.”
“You can both stay at our townhouse until you have to return,” Naesala said. “We want to have some eyes on Laerdya for a while.”
“What’s going on?”
“Get in the car and we will tell you.”
As they got in the car, Harald laughed. “Somebody was hoping you would take a cab back to the hotel, Miss Findley.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think that a lady wanted a discreet chat with Laerdya and set up to arrange that. Me picking you up messed that up.”
“Something criminal?”
“Not at all. The lady does like to play her games.”
“I would not approve of being abducted.”
“The lady gets away with that, because most people are so busy dealing with the matter at hand that they forget that they have been abducted in the first place.”
“We are discussing Mrs. Steelmaker, aren’t we?”
“Yes we are. You must have heard some rumors.”
“I grew up on the Plateau and my father has been President. I know who the players are. Laerdya, I won’t let the lady press you too much. A chat will probably be unavoidable.”
“What is going on here?” Laerdya asked nervously.
“The lady runs the International Service, which means that, among other things, she is the Republic’s spymistress. She is apparently interested in you for some reason. I could probably get you out of town, but it’s probably better to get the interview over.”
“I’m a bit nervous about doing that.”
“I won’t let them get away with anything. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
Sarya looked at Durlan and said, “You missed the girl?”
“Admiral Tollings was covering them. They didn’t take a cab and the Findley girl checked out of her hotel.”
“Then we will have to beard the admiral at his townhouse. Finding out where that girl is from could be important.”
Stacey came into the office and said, “Admiral Tollings is here with Miss Findley and the girl from the wedding. I have set them up with Alais in the meeting room.”
“That should be interesting. I assume that Barry is there as well.”
“Yes.”
“Then, I think that we should meet the girl. Durlan, you come as well.”
Harald grinned as Sarya and Durlan came in and said, “Sarya, I brought the girl to speak with you.”
“That was faster than I expected, Harald.”
“I have things to do here, Cillia wants to take Laerdya shopping before they go to Rillington and convinced me that playing games would just make things more complicated.”
“Thank you, Miss Findley.”
“I wanted to find out what my brother did anyway and you know what questions to ask, Mrs. Steelmaker.”
“I was surprised when I saw the report. You must know that your brother had developed a rather poor reputation.”
“I have heard rumors. He apparently got in trouble with another entertainer in the Empire and was collared. Mother doesn’t want to believe that Bennie would do something like that and dad won’t give me the details.”
“You seem to be more pragmatic than your brother.”
“I have two brothers. Bennie was always the one that got all the attention. That started when dad was President. Deral and I were sent off to boarding schools, Deral took Service as a navy lieutenant and then reenlisted. He’s still in the navy.”
“That’s interesting. Bennie came at my husband as a rather nasty surprise as he was being transferred to the Empire. Other than his being Artur Findley’s son we didn’t look into the family very much.”
Sarya turned to Laerdya and said, “I think that we should get this girl’s testimony. Miss, could we have your name?”
“Laerdya Silver. I am sixteen.”
Sarya looked at Alais and Durlan. “Do you know where you grew up?”
“The Justiciars asked us that. We came from a place called the Village. If it had another name, we never knew it. The lady had brought us there long ago and said that we were safe from the evils in the Empire. She left us to ourselves for the most part.”
“Will your parents be looking for you?”
“They will, but I don’t think that there is much that they can do. The village sees very few outsiders.”
“There are some outsiders, then.”
“There is a caravan that comes through in the spring and another in the late summer. We trade some things that we make for tools and things.”
“How did you get to the wedding?”
“The lady Jumped with us and we were there.”
“Did you know where you were?”
“Other than it was some sort of ceremony, no we did not. We were dropped into the park and told to pull the cords when the wedding couple was near. I went to the elephant to wait.”
“The elephant?”
“There was an elephant attached to a cart covered in decorations and flowers. I think that the wedding couple was supposed to leave using the cart. They were flown away instead. That was when Bennie came and saved me.”
“That explains why Bennie was there,” Cillia said. “He wanted a look at the elephant.”
“Why?” Durlan asked.
“When he was ten or so, a circus came to the Plateau. Bennie wanted to go, but this was when father was running for President and mother wouldn’t let Bennie go and be seen at the circus. So he never got a chance to see an elephant up close and Rillington doesn’t have a zoo, so that wasn’t an option either. Then mother and some other ladies made sure that things like circuses didn’t visit the Plateau while father was President. So, with the elephant at the wedding, Bennie went to look at it.”
“He said the same thing when we were talking,” Laerdya said. “He kept talking to me so that I would not be scared and pull the cord in a panic.”
“Did you know what the cord would do?” Harald asked.
“We were not told anything other than to pull the cord.”
“Miss Findley, I assume that you are planning to take Laerdya home,” Sarya said. “Would your parents make a fuss if we visited?”
“I don’t think so, Mrs. Steelmaker.”
“Good, because more information on where Laerdya lived may come to light and I will want to go over it with her. We will also send her picture and the others that the lady set on the wedding to all the consulates and embassies. Some folk from the Village may come into contact with some of our people. Thank you for your time.”
As they left, Laerdya said to Cillia, “That wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.”
“I hadn’t met Mrs. Steelmaker before. I haven’t taken Service as yet. Perhaps I should apply to the International Service.”
Harald laughed. “They probably would not send you to the Empire.”
“I think that I would do fine just about anyplace. On the other hand, if I were to go to the Empire, I might find somebody to scandalize mother with.”
“You might be surprised if you go to the Empire.”
“At least Bennie got to see his elephant at last.”
“You are lucky that Bennie spent all his money to purchase Laerdya. Otherwise he could have sent the elephant home.”
“I am sure that the zoo would accept the thing.”
“We need to get to the townhouse, where you can pick up my wife and do your shopping while I make a trip to the Admiralty.”
“Why did you return to the Republic?”
“I don’t have the details as yet. There some issues that Secretary Harper and Admiral Steelshaper want to talk to me about.”
“Do you know what they are?”
“I have some hints. I’m not going to say anything more right now.”
“I’ll have to wait until brother sends something about it, then.”
Harald laughed. “I imagine that he will.”
Sarya looked at Durlan and Alais and said, “Definitely Silverin, I take it.”
“The “Lady” was lucky that the compulsions held as long as they did. On the other hand, the Justiciars were on top of things and pulling that stunt with Jorge and Shael spiked the whole thing.”
“If they hadn’t, the Empire would be facing some real problems.”
“The new gods seem to prefer taking Silverin for their little communities,” Alais said. “Considering that the House has been at odds with them from the beginning, the fact that they keep doing that is a surprise.”
“Alais, could you make a trip to the Empire for wedding related matters?” Sarya asked.
“I doubt that anyone will be surprised if I did. I take it that you want what your grandson has on these refugees and any leads as to the village’s location.”
“I do. Durlan, what do you think?”
“I don’t think I have heard the girl’s accent before. The lady is Jastira. I could see if the Brothers have anything about her in the library. Alais, if you would, have Gunag see my grandmother. He should be able to find her through Lady Jessen. There may be family files on Jastira. He should also check ancient property records.”
“Good point,” Sarya said. “I think that we have a direction, so let’s be about it.”
Grotrik and Foldwin looked at the professor that was more than that now and as they always did, shivered internally. The professor said, “I see that things are going well.”
“We have picked up those groups you told us about. They were already protesting the navy and doing things like blocking recruiting tables. We’ve been helping them out and they should be more effective when the term starts.”
“Excellent. How is the hunt for Mr. Ironhead going?”
“He’s up in the Empire at last report. His mother bought some books and other things to send up to the Empire at the book faire. We don’t think that Ironhead will be here in the Republic any time soon.”
“Pity that.”
The thing disappeared and the pair breathed a sigh of relief.