carefully at the general. “Do you recall your time in Turslenka when Astiras visited the slave girl Metila?”
“Who? Oh, yes, the slave girl.” Teduskis slowly sat back down and chuckled. “Gave him a right old welcome.” He grinned and stared into the middle distance. “We need to train up more men to put down the Bragalese insurrection. How many men can you raise to help us?”
Vosgaris felt uncomfortable. Teduskis’ mind was wandering and who knows what he was thinking. He tried to steer himself back onto course. “Metila seduced the emperor?”
“What emperor? You mean the fool on the throne at the moment? I don’t know if she did that! Thetos says she helped seize Turslenka from the Duras. They’re a dangerous lot; don’t trust them one little bit.”
“Sir, who knows about Metila and Astiras?”
“General Koros, you mean? That’s a secret; I’ve been sworn to secrecy and won’t tell anyone, not even the emperor. Sorry, but I can’t help you any further. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got things to attend to.”
Vosgaris saluted and slowly left. Outside he sighed. The deterioration in Teduskis’ mind was going too fast. He wasn’t going to be of any use for much longer. One thing he had found out though; Teduskis had babbled too much about the incident and it was probable that was where the leak had come from. The problem was to find out whom he had babbled to.
He decided to grasp the thorn and go to the person who would be most angry about it. The empress.
He got an audience fairly quickly, and once he had insisted on speaking alone with her, the handmaidens and servants were dismissed. “Now, Captain, what is this all about? I do have things to do and you being mysterious isn’t being helpful.”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but I have to speak to you about the – regrettable relationship of the emperor and the slave girl in Turslenka.”
Isbel’s face tightened at once. “No, Captain, I do not wish to discuss that with anyone. If that is what you are here for then I must ask you to leave.”
Vosgaris sighed. “Sorry, ma’am, but I’ve been tasked by the emperor to find out who wrote that letter.”
“I’m not in the mood, Captain, now please leave or else I’ll be forced to insist.”
Vosgaris slowly produced the authority from Astiras and passed it to her. “I don’t want to do this, ma’am, but I think there is someone here, probably more than one person, who wishes to spread harm to the Koros. I have to find out whom.”
Isbel glared at the letter, then thrust it back at him peremptorily. “Very well, it seems that I have no choice. What exactly is it you want from me?”
“Do you have any idea who could possibly write that letter? You saw it, of course, and I presume you didn’t recognise the handwriting? Somebody wrote it who is well educated and writes neatly. Someone else probably slipped the letter under your door yesterday, most possibly a servant. A scribe?”
“I have no idea, Captain. Do you know whether the emperor is intending to merely silence the messenger? He didn’t seem to be upset at having fornicated with that woman – I knew there was something wrong with her, I could feel it! – but rather he’s angry at it coming out.”
Vosgaris shook his head slowly. “I can’t say, ma’am – I must admit it came as a surprise to me when he told me this morning. I wondered why the two of you seemed – distant – yesterday.”
Isbel puffed out her cheeks. “Not as surprised as I! All the time I could have – “ she caught herself.
Vosgaris guessed what she was about to say. “I wouldn’t have said no, ma’am.”
Isbel shot him a sharp look and Vosgaris looked over her shoulder and stood to attention. “Captain, I do not wish to discuss these matters right now. I’m not in the right frame of mind. Perhaps in time to come we can speak of this, but
“Who? Oh, yes, the slave girl.” Teduskis slowly sat back down and chuckled. “Gave him a right old welcome.” He grinned and stared into the middle distance. “We need to train up more men to put down the Bragalese insurrection. How many men can you raise to help us?”
Vosgaris felt uncomfortable. Teduskis’ mind was wandering and who knows what he was thinking. He tried to steer himself back onto course. “Metila seduced the emperor?”
“What emperor? You mean the fool on the throne at the moment? I don’t know if she did that! Thetos says she helped seize Turslenka from the Duras. They’re a dangerous lot; don’t trust them one little bit.”
“Sir, who knows about Metila and Astiras?”
“General Koros, you mean? That’s a secret; I’ve been sworn to secrecy and won’t tell anyone, not even the emperor. Sorry, but I can’t help you any further. Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got things to attend to.”
Vosgaris saluted and slowly left. Outside he sighed. The deterioration in Teduskis’ mind was going too fast. He wasn’t going to be of any use for much longer. One thing he had found out though; Teduskis had babbled too much about the incident and it was probable that was where the leak had come from. The problem was to find out whom he had babbled to.
He decided to grasp the thorn and go to the person who would be most angry about it. The empress.
He got an audience fairly quickly, and once he had insisted on speaking alone with her, the handmaidens and servants were dismissed. “Now, Captain, what is this all about? I do have things to do and you being mysterious isn’t being helpful.”
“I’m sorry ma’am, but I have to speak to you about the – regrettable relationship of the emperor and the slave girl in Turslenka.”
Isbel’s face tightened at once. “No, Captain, I do not wish to discuss that with anyone. If that is what you are here for then I must ask you to leave.”
Vosgaris sighed. “Sorry, ma’am, but I’ve been tasked by the emperor to find out who wrote that letter.”
“I’m not in the mood, Captain, now please leave or else I’ll be forced to insist.”
Vosgaris slowly produced the authority from Astiras and passed it to her. “I don’t want to do this, ma’am, but I think there is someone here, probably more than one person, who wishes to spread harm to the Koros. I have to find out whom.”
Isbel glared at the letter, then thrust it back at him peremptorily. “Very well, it seems that I have no choice. What exactly is it you want from me?”
“Do you have any idea who could possibly write that letter? You saw it, of course, and I presume you didn’t recognise the handwriting? Somebody wrote it who is well educated and writes neatly. Someone else probably slipped the letter under your door yesterday, most possibly a servant. A scribe?”
“I have no idea, Captain. Do you know whether the emperor is intending to merely silence the messenger? He didn’t seem to be upset at having fornicated with that woman – I knew there was something wrong with her, I could feel it! – but rather he’s angry at it coming out.”
Vosgaris shook his head slowly. “I can’t say, ma’am – I must admit it came as a surprise to me when he told me this morning. I wondered why the two of you seemed – distant – yesterday.”
Isbel puffed out her cheeks. “Not as surprised as I! All the time I could have – “ she caught herself.
Vosgaris guessed what she was about to say. “I wouldn’t have said no, ma’am.”
Isbel shot him a sharp look and Vosgaris looked over her shoulder and stood to attention. “Captain, I do not wish to discuss these matters right now. I’m not in the right frame of mind. Perhaps in time to come we can speak of this, but
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