severe."
"But you stowed away, yer balmy scupperswill! I had nothing..."
"That won't matter to them, captain," interrupted Ambith, "The Guardsmen will simply impose massive fines and possibly confiscation of your fine ship. The other Houses, though... You represent an embarrassment to them, captain. They do not... appreciate humiliation of that sort.
"If, however, you elect to accept me as a passenger you will receive your payment. You don't know my name, you can forget my appearance easily and you three are the only ones who need know I am aboard. I'll gladly stay in my cabin and you or one of these two fine sailors can bring me my meals. No one will be the wiser and you can continue trading profitably on any Crown world."
The captain stared at Ambith a long time. Then, finally he nodded and offered his hand.
"Safe passage, then, an' you stay in yer cabin. Laker'll bring you yer rats an' no one else knows yer aboard." This last he also directed at the other two. "That an' you validate these," he shook the chits in his other hand, "as soon as you know yer outside the Crown!"
"Thank you, captain." Ambith shook the proffered hand then well and truly relaxed.
Now back in the same cabin in which he stowed away, Ambith began mulling over Parl's last few words. He regretted what little he left behind but not enough to face certain death for it. After the long hours he and Parl spent chatting in the small ship's bridge, Ambith felt honored to have known the man. He'd like to have met his roommate, but no. Impossible.
Ambith finally concluded that Parl told him to escape. He hoped he'd accomplished that. He would certainly feel more certain when he did have Crown space half a dozen links behind him, but that would come later. Then he would see to avenging his friend's death. Ambith knew he could do nothing by himself but, by the stars, he'd find someone who could!
***
Fyrelm rubbed his eyes and examined the numbers again. And again he felt the seeds of frustration take root and sprout. The data simply did not make sense! House Brightcrown and all of its allies cleared good profit on most of their ventures and the few losses barely made a dent in the gains. They all operated properly within the laws, gave fair trade and enforced it where necessary. All who swore fealty to them prospered within their jobs and lives and the House Ombudsmen had little enough to occupy their time. Yet still Varl outpaced them!
Varl's legally recorded and taxed profits and ventures summed properly and no auditors Fyrelm found could find aught of concern. Even the less-than-legal revenues flowing into House Varl checked, albeit with a margin of error apropos the reliability of the intelligence about them. Yet even with a higher error than a House Larner solicitor could justify, the sigma lines still did not match!
Despite everything Fyrelm could find House Varl still showed more wealth than they should have, and subtle indications hinted that they had access to even more. Nor did Fyrelm ignore House Binkor-Sud, House Snughblak and the numerous lesser Houses associated with them. They too seemed to have some unknown and untraceable source pouring wealth into them. None of his other agents found anything even half a milli off the beam and he had no Parl to find him more.
Hints of rumors flowed to Fyrelm, now that he knew to search for them. Though tantalizing in inference, even the least-vague of them lacked anything he could latch onto and track. The thing strongest about all of them was Moot censure of House Brightcrown. Did he not know better Fyrelm would suspect his foes of creating the rumors simply for their own sake.
Not that they hadn't tried that tactic before: conflict between Houses took many forms, from blatant and straightforward to subtle and devious. Over the centuries House Varl tried its hand at all of them. Though damnably hard to fight directly, simple revelation of the truth made false rumors, implications and suggestions
"But you stowed away, yer balmy scupperswill! I had nothing..."
"That won't matter to them, captain," interrupted Ambith, "The Guardsmen will simply impose massive fines and possibly confiscation of your fine ship. The other Houses, though... You represent an embarrassment to them, captain. They do not... appreciate humiliation of that sort.
"If, however, you elect to accept me as a passenger you will receive your payment. You don't know my name, you can forget my appearance easily and you three are the only ones who need know I am aboard. I'll gladly stay in my cabin and you or one of these two fine sailors can bring me my meals. No one will be the wiser and you can continue trading profitably on any Crown world."
The captain stared at Ambith a long time. Then, finally he nodded and offered his hand.
"Safe passage, then, an' you stay in yer cabin. Laker'll bring you yer rats an' no one else knows yer aboard." This last he also directed at the other two. "That an' you validate these," he shook the chits in his other hand, "as soon as you know yer outside the Crown!"
"Thank you, captain." Ambith shook the proffered hand then well and truly relaxed.
Now back in the same cabin in which he stowed away, Ambith began mulling over Parl's last few words. He regretted what little he left behind but not enough to face certain death for it. After the long hours he and Parl spent chatting in the small ship's bridge, Ambith felt honored to have known the man. He'd like to have met his roommate, but no. Impossible.
Ambith finally concluded that Parl told him to escape. He hoped he'd accomplished that. He would certainly feel more certain when he did have Crown space half a dozen links behind him, but that would come later. Then he would see to avenging his friend's death. Ambith knew he could do nothing by himself but, by the stars, he'd find someone who could!
***
Fyrelm rubbed his eyes and examined the numbers again. And again he felt the seeds of frustration take root and sprout. The data simply did not make sense! House Brightcrown and all of its allies cleared good profit on most of their ventures and the few losses barely made a dent in the gains. They all operated properly within the laws, gave fair trade and enforced it where necessary. All who swore fealty to them prospered within their jobs and lives and the House Ombudsmen had little enough to occupy their time. Yet still Varl outpaced them!
Varl's legally recorded and taxed profits and ventures summed properly and no auditors Fyrelm found could find aught of concern. Even the less-than-legal revenues flowing into House Varl checked, albeit with a margin of error apropos the reliability of the intelligence about them. Yet even with a higher error than a House Larner solicitor could justify, the sigma lines still did not match!
Despite everything Fyrelm could find House Varl still showed more wealth than they should have, and subtle indications hinted that they had access to even more. Nor did Fyrelm ignore House Binkor-Sud, House Snughblak and the numerous lesser Houses associated with them. They too seemed to have some unknown and untraceable source pouring wealth into them. None of his other agents found anything even half a milli off the beam and he had no Parl to find him more.
Hints of rumors flowed to Fyrelm, now that he knew to search for them. Though tantalizing in inference, even the least-vague of them lacked anything he could latch onto and track. The thing strongest about all of them was Moot censure of House Brightcrown. Did he not know better Fyrelm would suspect his foes of creating the rumors simply for their own sake.
Not that they hadn't tried that tactic before: conflict between Houses took many forms, from blatant and straightforward to subtle and devious. Over the centuries House Varl tried its hand at all of them. Though damnably hard to fight directly, simple revelation of the truth made false rumors, implications and suggestions
Similar Books
