Industry & Intrigue (56 page)

After the door
closed behind them,
Fiona slowly made her way out of the store and headed back to Tel
and Kendrick. There was no doubt that the woman had been an Arm
assassin. All they had to do now was wait for her to leave and then
Tel could plant the stone on her. Providing Kendrick’s little
device did as he said; Fiona still had concerns about
that.

H
e was smart enough, but his ideas tended
to be overinflated and unrealistic, like he was trying to walk
before he had learned to crawl. They had precious few other ways to
get to the Arm of Assassins, so she hoped it really would
work.

Chapter 55

Tegan
sat across from one of the most
powerful men in Alkos, Minister of Security Austin Blake. The man
had a large, hooked nose on a weathered face and light grey hair.
He looked every bit the elderly statesman in his ministerial black
suit. His brown eyes had a steel resolve that gave him a certain
ruthlessness. She knew it well; she saw the same look whenever she
gazed into a mirror.

Despite
Blake
’s
status, she was the one with power here. Blake was political first
and foremost, which meant he needed her and the vast wealth she
controlled. Unlike her father, Tegan had little interest in
politics, aside from how it could be used to benefit Typhon
Trading.

Her father had heavily
supported Blake and several councilors with similar views,
including Minister
of Industry Marawn Kao. She intended to continue that support, so
long as she could get what she wanted.

“
So you see Ms. Mordain, more
than ever we need your company’s contributions.” The droning sound
of his voice was starting to make her tired, but she bore with it
and waited for him to finish. Never let anyone say she was not
courteous. “Your father understood that better than most men and he
did much to better the empire with his support.”

Every fool and his horse felt
the need to praise her father to the high heavens since his
death
; in
hopes of gaining favor with her no doubt. One would think Cormac
Mordain had been a saint, with all the flattery flying her
way.

“
Our nation is on the brink of
what could be a terrible war and as security is my charge, I must
see to it that we are prepared to defend ourselves.”

Tegan was torn on the
possibility of war. It would certainly boost the
com
pany’s
armaments sales, not to mention lucrative imperial contracts for
military research. But on the other hand, armaments were not the
only aspect of her business. There was the fishing to consider. In
war the government could assert control over ‘vital’ industries,
food for the armies would be one of them.

They would pay for it, but she
hated the prospect
of being paid in bonds and having to wait for the war to be
over to receive the actual funds. In addition, the company
divisions of furs, textiles and ore processing were located in
Araiin and An Shan provinces. War with Galria would rip those
provinces apart, the Creator only knows what would happen to the
Typhon assets.

And finally there was her
husband’s business. He owned t
he second largest bank in Alkos, and he had been
working round the clock. The mere possibility of war had upset the
markets and investors. It would be far worse if war did break
out.

For someone who was in charge
of the
nation’s security, Blake was far too eager for war with
Galria and he was not the only cabinet member with this attitude.
If she was going to support him, she needed to ensure Typhon
Trading benefited beyond favorable armaments contracts.

She nodded and smiled at him as
he finished.
“Of course minister. My father saw the wisdom in supporting
you and I learned a lot from him,” she said. His lips perked up at
the sides. He thought she was going to roll over and give him
whatever he wanted.

“
However there is also something
I need from you.” She watched in genuine pleasure as his eyes
widened and
the smile on his lips vanished.

Not expecting that were
you
, you old
goat
. “I
have recently purchased newly discovered flare-rock mines in north
Naikos. However, I have been told by my surveyor that they are too
remote from imperial settlements to safely set up operations. I
would be most appreciative of any efforts that the Imperial Army
could make in offering protection to my mining operation during
their patrols.” Tegan also had a stake in Southwest Rail, the
largest flare-rock operation, as a minority shareholder. The
flare-rock she mined would require a transportation
network.

“
Is that all?” asked Blake. He
sounded surprised. “
Hells girl, that’s nothing compared to the favors your
father bent me over for in the past,” and he chuckled. His crude
language and tone was vastly different from a few minutes ago.
“Consider it done, there’ll be two army regiments to protect your
operation from agorid incursions. I’ve been expecting that we were
going to expand into north Naikos anyway. This gives me an excuse
to send General Padrec his orders.” He stood up, shook her hand and
left.

If she’d known he
woul
d cave
that easily, she would have asked for more. She could have twisted
him to do something about making sure this new socialist candidate,
Shepard, didn’t get elected. She dismissed it. She had other plans
to deal with that.

She glanced out the office
window.
It
was located at the top of the office block, next to the company’s
munitions plant. This served as Typhon Trading’s main corporate
headquarters, though there were several other factories in Alkos
City.

Her next gu
est arrived an hour later and
this one she greeted with a genuine smile. The tall and impressive
Varko Kulthon sat in the velvet chair opposite and matched her
smile. In spite of his age, he still had a youthful vigor about him
and he positively exuded charm.

“
I heard a rumor that your
company secured a contract with the Red Knights.” He gave her a
small bowing gesture with his head and shoulders.
“
Cicero does
not sign contracts lightly, most impressive Ms. Mordain. Or is it
Mrs? I am aware that you’re married, but you kept your family name
instead of taking your husbands. An odd break from the usual
customs, as far as I know the only ones to practice that are the
matriarchal Killak tribe of north east Kordatia.”

“
Believe me, it had nothing to
do with matriarchy
,” she replied. “My father insisted on my children and I
retaining the Mordain name in the conditions of my marriage. Part
of preserving the family legacy.”

It
bothered her more than it did her
husband, Perriman Adair. He had been more interested in securing an
alliance with the powerful Mordain family and what it could do for
his bank. He certainly hadn’t wasted the opportunity, his Arketh
Commerce Bank had risen from a single branch in Arketh to a
national finance institute, with multiple banks across the empire
and branches in Huffolk and Silund.

“
He never trusted Luthais
to
maintain
a legacy. Not that he can’t father children, Creator knows how many
bastards he’s fathered. But as far as raising heirs, well father
was wise enough to know that Luthais would be useless at that. If
the day ever comes when he has legitimate children, I’ll be making
sure they are put in a proper school and away from his corrupting
influence.”

“
Yet you still allow him to head
up your armaments division,” queried Varko.

“
Father’s
decision
,
not mine,” she said. “And when he isn’t drinking or chasing women,
he does a decent job. Firearms is one of the few subjects he has a
passion for and is willing to put in time and effort.”

Pr
ovided he doesn’t let this affair
with Alyssa Huntington go too far
. Tessa had warned her about the affair,
but Tegan had let it slide for now. Their brother wasn’t so
outrageously stupid that he would blurt out corporate secrets in
the midst of pillow talk.

There was the potential of
scandal to be concerned about, but the heavier load of that would
be on Huntington, not her brother. He wasn’
t the married one after all. She had
a conversation with him about being careful. He had nodded and
agreed with everything she said. She had her security people
keeping track of him whenever he met with Alyssa regardless and
they would inform her if it became a problem.

She
had let herself get sidetracked.
“Enough of my family affairs. You came here to discuss business,
did you not?”

“
Indeed
,” he replied. “Did the information
about the mines turn out to be correct?”

“
Yes
.” She held up the report in her
hand. “This says it’s one of the richest flare-rock loads in
northern Naikos. I should be able to turn a tidy profit once it’s
up and running. And now that we are officially doing business
together, I would assume there is something you would like from
me?”

She had signed a deal with him
that would give her access to the
raw materials of his mining business,
which would give her an edge over her ore-processing
competitors.

“
These flare-rock mines. I
want it to be a joint operation between us. A sixty-forty split in
Typhon’s favor.”

“
Not
fifty-fifty?”

“
I also want support for another
operation that will be based at the mine. I have interests in
Kangur.”

“
Y
ou’re not one of those Cartralan treasure
fanatics are you?” she asked warily. She had known men and women
who had sunk entire fortunes into the dead Cartral Empire out of an
obsession of striking it lucky. Most of those tales ended in
financial ruin and forced liquidation. She didn’t want to be
dragged into a partnership with someone like that.

Varko waved his hand in
dismissal of that
. “Relax, Ms. Mordain. I am no archeologist or explorer. I
am interested in Kangur for the purpose of its mineral wealth. The
agorids may rule it for now but Alkon soldiers and colonists have
been making greater in-roads every day. With more advanced weaponry
from companies like yours, the day is coming when Kangur will be
ripe for exploitation. I want to be in a position to take advantage
when it begins, not wait in line behind everyone scrambling to make
their fortunes.”

A man after my own mind
thought
Tegan.
If he
was twenty years younger and I wasn’t married I might
consider…
She
had surprised herself. She hadn’t thought of anyone other than her
husband in a long time. Perriman did not have a particularly
handsome face, he had sunken eyes and a wide chin, which had filled
out with fat as he aged, but the physical had never been the prime
factor for her

It had always been
his ambition and
sense of business that she felt a connection with. Few men could
measure up to her standards and she considered herself fortunate to
have a husband who did. Varko Kulthon embodied the same combination
of ambition, charm, ruthlessness and business sense.

“
A sound
strategy
,
though you may be waiting a while for the payoff,” she said. Varko
wasn’t the first person to try to reach further into the steppes.
But he could be the first to succeed. “Alright, I will provide
whatever support your exploratory team needs in supplies. I look
forward to a mutually profitable future with you Mr.
Kulthon.”

“
As do I
. And call me Varko, I believe that
we are past formal titles now Tegan.” He extended his
hand.

She
took it. His grip was firm, as she
expected. “Alright Varko, I will. I’m having a small dinner this
weekend at my family mansion. It would be an honor if you could
attend.”

He tilted his head
slightly
in
consideration. “Thank you. I will do my best to be there. If I
cannot make it, I apologize in advance. You know how much time can
be taken up by business leaders of our stature.”

She certainly did. In fact she
made a mental note to pack away her
business notes and head home after this
meeting. She needed to spend time with her children, neither she
nor Perriman had been at home much lately and she didn’t want them
to feel neglected.

Chapter 56

The
metallic device Kendrick held in his
hands made beeping noises and gave off little bursts of steam from
a vent every few minutes or so. After Fiona left the weapons store,
they had waited for the assassin to exit. Fiona pointed the woman
out to Tel and he trailed her, with the intention of planting
Kendrick’s fire stone on her.

The two agents
made their way back
to the entrance of the underground market and waited for the elven
gambler to return. When he finally did, he informed them he had
planted it without the woman being any wiser. Back on the surface
they retrieved their gear and Kendrick rummaged through his bag
until he found his device.