my duties?”
“I’ll have to look over the work-sheets.” Eyvant’s tone became brisk and brassy. “Our principal job is inspection of the inns—checking cleanliness, cuisine, courtesy. You’ll take an orientation course, then go out and train in the field. Promotions come slow, I warn you.”
Jubal heaved a sad sigh. This was not the career he had in mind. Better than nothing? Perhaps.
Eyvant asked idly: “What is this parcel we are about to secure?”
Jubal’s hesitation was imperceptibly brief. Nai the Hever had not specifically enjoined silence, but by the very nature of things discretion was surely in order.
On the other hand, he was not anxious to antagonize his immediate superior. “I think it contains fabric—perhaps a garment.” So much Eyvant Dasduke would notice for himself.
“A garment? Whose garment?”
“This, I believe, is what Nai the Hever wishes to determine. You yourself are a Full Inspector?”
“Yes, quite.” And he grudgingly went on to say: “It is not a prestigious occupation, but Dasdukes have no great influence in Wysrod. We are Drune Tree folk.”
“How do Departments D1 and D2 occupy themselves?”
“D1 maintains industrial safety. D2 controls price and quality standards. D4 regulates weights and measures. D5 makes property evaluations. D6 of course is the Thariot Internal Police Force. D3 is the most inglorious of the lot.”
“Why then did you select D3 for your career?”
“I might ask the same of you.”
Jubal gave a starkly honest response. “It was the best I could get.”
Eyvant looked out the window of the hack. In an even voice he said: “The work has certain compensations. As an inspector you will travel everywhere across Thaery and meet a multitude of people.”
“And my salary?”
“You will start at seventeen toldecks a week, with travel expenses in the field.”
“Seventeen toldecks! That is not a large sum!”
“Our budget is low; we meet it by paying poor salaries to the juniors.”
Jubal sat limply back in the seat. Nai the Hever had used the word ‘sufficient’ rather than ‘generous’; at Wysrod an ear for such distinctions was clearly indispensable. “How much do I earn as a Full Assistant Inspector?”
“Your rate is then twenty-nine toldecks.”
“Then, finally, when I achieve Inspectorship?”
“You might earn forty or fifty toldecks a week. Much depends upon the man.”
They arrived at the Point Sul depot. Jubal secured the parcel and placed it in the custody of Eyvant Dasduke; the two returned down-hill and out upon the Marine Parade. At the Sea-Wrack Inn Jubal chose to alight. Eyvant Dasduke gave him instructions: “Report to Chamber 95 tomorrow morning at the first hour. A Sub-Inspector will supervise your training.”
The hack rattled down the Marine Parade. Jubal went to the balustrade and looked out over Duskerl Bay, where the locks were admitting a beautiful purple-hulled felucca 19 of two orange kites… Seventeen toldecks a week. Instruction in the lore of bathroom drains and soiled linen. Junior Assistant Inspector Jubal Droad, alert and keen to pay his respects to Lady Mieltrude of Hever…
Eyvant Dasduke entered the office of Nai the Hever by a disguised door. Nai the Hever unsealed the parcel and spread the contents across a table.
There were four articles. First: a brick-red jacket cut to an odd loose-shouldered, pinch-waisted pattern.
Second: trousers, vertically striped yellow and silver, loose about the hips and knees. Third: shoes of glossy dark green leather with rakish ankle-flaps, a long pointed toe, a sole of twin resilient disks under the heel and ball of the foot. Fourth: a hat of dark red velvet, cocked and creased into a complicated shape, with a rosette of yellow ribbons at the side.
“Do you recognize these?” asked Nai the Hever.
“I have seen similar in the files. I recall no exact correspondence.”
“Ramus Ymph wore them down from off-world.”
“How do you know
“I’ll have to look over the work-sheets.” Eyvant’s tone became brisk and brassy. “Our principal job is inspection of the inns—checking cleanliness, cuisine, courtesy. You’ll take an orientation course, then go out and train in the field. Promotions come slow, I warn you.”
Jubal heaved a sad sigh. This was not the career he had in mind. Better than nothing? Perhaps.
Eyvant asked idly: “What is this parcel we are about to secure?”
Jubal’s hesitation was imperceptibly brief. Nai the Hever had not specifically enjoined silence, but by the very nature of things discretion was surely in order.
On the other hand, he was not anxious to antagonize his immediate superior. “I think it contains fabric—perhaps a garment.” So much Eyvant Dasduke would notice for himself.
“A garment? Whose garment?”
“This, I believe, is what Nai the Hever wishes to determine. You yourself are a Full Inspector?”
“Yes, quite.” And he grudgingly went on to say: “It is not a prestigious occupation, but Dasdukes have no great influence in Wysrod. We are Drune Tree folk.”
“How do Departments D1 and D2 occupy themselves?”
“D1 maintains industrial safety. D2 controls price and quality standards. D4 regulates weights and measures. D5 makes property evaluations. D6 of course is the Thariot Internal Police Force. D3 is the most inglorious of the lot.”
“Why then did you select D3 for your career?”
“I might ask the same of you.”
Jubal gave a starkly honest response. “It was the best I could get.”
Eyvant looked out the window of the hack. In an even voice he said: “The work has certain compensations. As an inspector you will travel everywhere across Thaery and meet a multitude of people.”
“And my salary?”
“You will start at seventeen toldecks a week, with travel expenses in the field.”
“Seventeen toldecks! That is not a large sum!”
“Our budget is low; we meet it by paying poor salaries to the juniors.”
Jubal sat limply back in the seat. Nai the Hever had used the word ‘sufficient’ rather than ‘generous’; at Wysrod an ear for such distinctions was clearly indispensable. “How much do I earn as a Full Assistant Inspector?”
“Your rate is then twenty-nine toldecks.”
“Then, finally, when I achieve Inspectorship?”
“You might earn forty or fifty toldecks a week. Much depends upon the man.”
They arrived at the Point Sul depot. Jubal secured the parcel and placed it in the custody of Eyvant Dasduke; the two returned down-hill and out upon the Marine Parade. At the Sea-Wrack Inn Jubal chose to alight. Eyvant Dasduke gave him instructions: “Report to Chamber 95 tomorrow morning at the first hour. A Sub-Inspector will supervise your training.”
The hack rattled down the Marine Parade. Jubal went to the balustrade and looked out over Duskerl Bay, where the locks were admitting a beautiful purple-hulled felucca 19 of two orange kites… Seventeen toldecks a week. Instruction in the lore of bathroom drains and soiled linen. Junior Assistant Inspector Jubal Droad, alert and keen to pay his respects to Lady Mieltrude of Hever…
Eyvant Dasduke entered the office of Nai the Hever by a disguised door. Nai the Hever unsealed the parcel and spread the contents across a table.
There were four articles. First: a brick-red jacket cut to an odd loose-shouldered, pinch-waisted pattern.
Second: trousers, vertically striped yellow and silver, loose about the hips and knees. Third: shoes of glossy dark green leather with rakish ankle-flaps, a long pointed toe, a sole of twin resilient disks under the heel and ball of the foot. Fourth: a hat of dark red velvet, cocked and creased into a complicated shape, with a rosette of yellow ribbons at the side.
“Do you recognize these?” asked Nai the Hever.
“I have seen similar in the files. I recall no exact correspondence.”
“Ramus Ymph wore them down from off-world.”
“How do you know
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