Retribution (Drakenfeld 2) (33 page)

The queen might set great store by our abilities to protect her daughter but, considering our last few encounters, I wanted something a bit more physical. Our quarters were not half as well protected as I would have liked. So it was time to do something about it. If the official royal guards could not be trusted, so be it. There were other methods of security. And while I had every faith in Leana’s skills – even she could be overwhelmed should numbers be brought to bear – it would do no harm to seek my own private protection to our door, as backup. It was another chore for the morning’s list.

As Leana and Nambu set off for their exercise and to interview Grendor’s friends, I donned my black cloak, pinned my Sun Chamber brooch to my chest, and made sure that the bishop’s ring was deep in my pocket, before heading out into the warm morning air.

The spell of dreary weather Koton had been suffering from when we first arrived had well and truly moved on. Instead a wave of more sultry weather was hanging over the city, a stubborn, grubby heat that reminded me of the worst of Detratan summers.

The first stop was the Crannan Family Bank, which turned out to be a small, ornate stone building situated in the near corner of this prefecture. It looked much like a Detratan temple, with a triangular pediment and two small stone columns positioned either side of a narrow stairway. Its interiors were sumptuous, as one might expect from banks, with astrological frescos and numerous cressets reflecting on a well-polished marble floor.

I conversed with a large man who wore an elaborate crimson robe and who spoke with the authority and wisdom of some religious leader – though the only god he was channelling here was money. He spoke without an accent, like many of the most profound and legitimate moneylenders. Neutrality – visibly showing they possessed no fixed national allegiance – was everything. Bankers wanted powerful people and rulers to know that money was safe in their hands, that the bank could be trusted in any country. Noting I was a member of the Sun Chamber, he spoke to me as if I was his greatest friend, so it was with little trouble that I managed to exchange the credit note and leave with two large purses of money. I did not exchange all of the note’s value, so I kept a leather tab for a smaller denomination on a chain around my neck.

As the day’s temperature increased, I walked towards the large stables to check on our horses. Eventually, I found Sojun in a small workshop around the corner, struggling to repair a decorative saddle.

For a moment he didn’t look up at me, even though he had registered my entrance to his dreary, cluttered workshop. Tools lay on workbenches and the air smelled of ash. The place was so small he seemed to be of even greater stature than I remembered, having to stoop as he went about his work. Eventually he rubbed his hand along the leather and said, ‘A foreigner’s saddle. You won’t find many Kotonese with a need for this.’

‘You ride without?’ I asked.

‘Before we can walk, we all ride without,’ he replied. ‘Though there are more and more who require one. Started with the rich. They insist on saddles for comfort. To me it is just as comfortable to use the bare horse. These things become fashionable. People want to look like the rich. An industry springs up out of nowhere and it pays well. But you’d never catch me on one.’

‘My partner rides without,’ I said, and he raised an eyebrow.

‘I remember there was just the one saddle. Is your colleague local?’

‘Atrewen,’ I said, and he nodded approvingly.

‘Good horse people.’ He rose from his stool and stooped so that he would not bang his head on the ceiling. ‘I always respect those who treat their animals with care and attention.’

‘As do I.’ I reached in my pocket to bring out more money, and handed over two large silver coins. ‘Another payment. I’ll need to use the horses tomorrow – just for the day, possibly the night.’

‘They’re fine animals,’ he replied, taking the money. He walked past me and examined the coins in the light of the doorway. There was something about his tone and mannerisms that made me think he respected the horses more than he respected me.

‘The Sun Chamber wouldn’t provide me with old hacks.’ I tried something of a smile to raise his spirits, or at least the mood of the conversation, but it was difficult to tell if it had any effect on him.

‘We will have both mares ready for you to collect in the morning. They’ve been exercised and given good food, but with the military passing through the prices have gone up somewhat . . .’

He looked at me in a different way then and so I knew to give him another coin. ‘That should be enough to cover your costs.’

Sojun gave a short grunt of satisfaction before stepping through the doorway. Following him outside, I could hear the hammering of a blacksmith. Initially, I had to squint after being in the dreary workshop. Someone walked by and spoke loudly of a business meeting, which prompted something at the back of my mind. When I visited Borta, I overheard that Grendor was supposed to have taken his sons out riding, but Borta had told them that he was delayed at some business meeting.

‘Sojun,’ I said. ‘I don’t suppose you ever dealt with Grendor of the Cape?’

‘Grendor of the Cape?’ Sojun turned to face me. ‘The rich man who ended up dead recently?’

‘That’s him. He was well known in the court of Queen Dokuz. A great naval officer.’

‘Know little about things like the royal court,’ Sojun said. ‘Even less about the sea.’

‘Grendor enjoyed going horse riding with his sons,’ I ventured. ‘I wondered if he may have passed through these stables at any point – if he kept his horses here. You might know of a stable that he dealt with.’

‘These are among the finest stables in the city.’ Sojun stood tall now, and radiated pride. ‘Many a rich person wants to keep their horses here and he was a famous one all right. But I’ve never seen Grendor of the Cape around here, let alone groomed his horse. I can tell you where the other stables are if he stabled them elsewhere.’

‘No, that’s OK.’ There was no need – I could get information on the other stables from Sulma Tan. But there was every chance that Borta had simply told a lie to her children, or perhaps it was the first time they were venturing out on horseback. There might have been friends in the military, too, who could have lent them a horse – any number of reasons came to mind.

‘Well, I just thought I’d ask anyway,’ I replied.

There was some hubbub in the courtyard as a group of twenty soldiers rode in, scaring some of the other animals, their horses’ hooves thumping on the stone, strident orders echoing around the complex. Stablehands rushed out to subdue the animals with soothing gestures, and with impressive efficiency. Some of the soldiers dismounted and gave instruction to the stablehands and various bags of grain were soon brought out.

‘Soldiers are taking all the city’s spare horses,’ Sojun said, and indicated a line of animals being led towards the new arrivals.

‘Why’s that?’ I asked.

‘Trouble on the border,’ he replied. ‘Trouble means reinforcements.’

‘Have you heard what kind of trouble?’ I knew approximately, of course.

Sojun shrugged. ‘Detrata is posturing. Koton makes statements in retaliation. Heard that we brought back our ambassadors last week – that’s closed off talk. It is the way of things. People will cling to their idea of borders – get fussed over lines on a map really. Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe blood will be spilled. It matters little.’

The intelligence behind Sojun’s sudden statement was surprisingly accurate. Part of my fears about the lack of a Detratan king is that a power-hungry senate would glorify Detrata’s lost imperial empire to the public and persuade them that those days could be recaptured – leading to war with the country’s neighbours and destroying the fragile peace that the Sun Chamber had worked so hard to achieve.

We parted and, as I left him, I noticed the girl with whom he had been exchanging lingering glances the last time I was here. She emerged from the mass of soldiers and placed her arm around him; he kissed her back. It was heartening to note the romance that could blossom here, even in the midst of the clamour, and that even a seemingly pessimistic soul like Sojun could find pleasure in the world.

I walked with haste across the city towards the jeweller who had first advised me on the bishop’s ring, and who had provided information on Naval Exports.

The streets were quieter. The sun banked higher.

I eventually arrived at the same green-fronted shop situated down the quiet lane. The shadows were now more emphasized in the better weather. A few cats trotted about the vacant cobbles, before gathering in numbers at the end of an alleyway, and there was a faint smell of rotting food.

As expected, still positioned by the door of Vallamon’s shop was the same muscular guard with the shaven head. I greeted him in a jovial manner, but didn’t expect much in return.

‘You again,’ he grunted. ‘What’s it today then?’

‘How much money do you earn?’ I asked.

He was taken aback by the question and he began to scrutinize me closely, weighing up my comment rather than barking out an instant response. ‘I earn enough. What’s it to you? You another rich man come to rub it in?’

‘Not at all – I’ve a proposition for you,’ I replied. ‘When do you finish work here?’

‘Sunset.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘What’s all this about?’

‘I’m in need of a man of your calibre, and I’ve plenty of money to pay you for the job in question.’

He eyed my outstretched palm, picked up the coin within it and began to scrutinize it.

‘One of those every two days,’ I added.

‘What’s the work?’ he asked. ‘Not many would flash a coin like this. Must be important.’

‘I need a door protecting,’ I said. ‘You seem to be good at that.’

‘I can do more than doors you know,’ he snapped. ‘I served in the Maristanian infantry for ten years. Proper fighting – not on horseback like this lot in Koton. On foot, right in the face of the enemy. And I can write, which is more than most in the army. So what’s so special about this damn door of yours?’

It was only when he mentioned his country of origin that I could detect the long vowels in his accent; otherwise he was speaking perfect Kotonese. ‘The door is located in the royal palace.’

‘Surely they’ve got their own guards, so why bring me in?’

‘They’re not to be trusted.’

His eyes narrowed at the suggestion of the palace, but he remained cool and aloof. ‘What makes you think you can trust me, stranger? We’ve had two conversations, including this one.’

‘You stand outside of a store with Polla-knows how much valuable contents inside – enough to set
you
up for life, probably. It is run by an individual you could overwhelm in a heartbeat. That you’ve worked here for years without having taken anything tells me all I need to know.’

Again he gave nothing but an unreadable, stoic face. ‘Have you got precious stones as well?’

‘Of a kind, but it’s not important you know too many details right now.’

‘How do I know I’m not getting into trouble?’

‘I can’t be sure that you’re not – not entirely anyway – but I’m an officer of the Sun Chamber and this is honest work. All that is important is the fact that the door remains well guarded and that no one disturbs us. Any goings-on during the night are reported in the morning.’

‘Seems easy enough.’

‘Will the lack of sleep be an issue? I’ve known many a guard fall asleep.’

‘No. Vallamon only works a few hours each day, and takes his gemstones back to his home each afternoon. You don’t need to do a full shift when you sell what he sells. Plenty of sleep can be taken around what shifts I do here. Besides, back in the day, in the army, we’d have to work during the night when out on a scouting campaign. An hour’s kip at the most and I coped fine.’

‘Good.’

‘Only there’s something I’m not all that keen on,’ he said.

‘If you can’t do it, then I’d appreciate—’

‘No one said I couldn’t do it. You just don’t come up to a man and offer a coin of that value if there’s nothing . . .
dubious
attached.’

‘Dubious?’ I asked.

‘Yeah. Extra services. You want me to come to your room – I
get
what that means. Guarding the inside. Then more . . . Rich ladies and men have made the same suggestion in the past. Handsome fellows like myself. A lot of stuff goes on behind closed doors in this country – propositions are subtle. Stranger like you might take a while to see that. People have this facade they need to keep and behave well in public. Not like Detrata, where you’re from, where everything’s out in the street. Nah, a man like me, you see, gets looks all the time.’

I did not think him particularly handsome, but I was interested that he held such a high opinion of his appearance. Also, he spotted my accent, which pleased me greatly – it confirmed his mind was sharp.

‘No,’ I said, smiling. ‘I’m sorry to let you down, but I do not wish for you to join me on the other side of the door. I really do want you to stand on the
outside
and protect the
outside
of the door. You’ll have no business coming inside the door unless it’s of absolute importance.’

He held out his hand and we shook, clutching each other’s forearm. ‘Name’s Allius. Allius Golt.’

‘Lucan Drakenfeld, Officer of the Sun Chamber,’ I said. ‘You’ll be getting paid by Free State coin, which means you’ll need to be trustworthy and punctual.’

‘Aye,’ he said, and stiffened his posture as if on parade, as if the memories had returned to his body and a renewed sense of pride flowed into him. ‘You’ll not find a more trustworthy soldier in all of Koton.’

I gave Allius instructions on where to meet me later that evening, and left him standing back at his position guarding the doorway. Though he was merely going to be standing in front of a different door, he was visibly happy at the prospect of a door in the royal palace. I was simply glad of the extra protection.

Sulma Tan, true to her word, was in her office – surrounded by lanterns, her head lowered, parchment spread across her desk. She greeted me warmly, having completed her morning’s task, while I regarded the census map she had made and once again marvelled at the assiduous level of detail. She pointed out where Lydia Marinus’ body had been discovered, and where her house was located. Certainly we could see no pattern to the murders in terms of the city’s geography. They were scattered far and wide.