Part 40 (1/2)
”You're joking.” Uskan seemed to find this genuinely funny, but his dry chuckle trailed off after a moment.
”I saw his gloves on Saint Adom's Day,” Adamat said. ”He's a Privileged and even you, locked in here with your books, will have heard he's one of Tamas's councillors. You trust him, don't you?”
”Of course! I've known Prime Lektor for most of my life.”
”And how much money have the Holy Warriors of Labor donated to the university since the midsummer?”
”What does that have to-”
”Just answer the question.”
”Several million krana. They're the only ones who have really given us any support.”
”Well, right now I'm on a case for Ricard Tumblar, the head of the union, who is another one of Tamas's councillors. Give Tamas a little credit. He's trying to do good by all of us. Don't blame everything on him. You have to look beyond your books, Uskan. If Tamas hadn't been caught beyond enemy lines, I suspect he would have paid a little more attention to the disaster here.” Adamat would have liked to think so anyway. Was he saying all this to convince Uskan, or himself?
Uskan raised his nose indignantly. ”You speak as if he's still alive.”
”He is. I've seen him myself.”
”You just told me he was dead. And now that he is alive. What am I supposed to believe?”
”I only said that it was 'reported' he was dead.”
”To try to trick me into-” Uskan stopped himself with a frustrated sigh. ”There's no need for any of this. What was it you needed to know?”
”Do you know anything about why a person might not have a shadow?”
Uskan blinked at Adamat for several moments. ”What? Well, no. I've never heard of that before.”
”That's too bad.” Adamat tried not to let his disappointment show. Another dead end. Adamat had hoped Uskan, of all people, might have heard something in all his studies. ”Could it be a side effect of being a Knacked or a Privileged? I know you've made a hobby of sorcery studies.”
Uskan rested his chin in the palm of his hand and stared at something above Adamat's head. After several moments he finally said, ”No. Nothing at all.”
Adamat hoped that his old friend was not withholding information just out of spite. ”Anything in any of the books on sorcery in your library?”
”Many of those were destroyed or vandalized before you came looking after your last mystery. You're welcome to look, but I doubt you'll find anything. I can let you into the library, but I don't have the time to help you look.”
”Thank you, but I'm here on more important business, to be honest. I'm curious if you've heard about anyone experimenting with black powder.”
”In what way?”
”Refining it. Creating something better, more destructive. More explosive.”
Uskan tapped a finger on his chin. ”Now, that I can help you with.”
Adamat perked up. A lead? ”Oh?”
”There's a chemical company out on the west side of the city. They make and import gunpowder for the Adran army, and they employ several chemists who make powder of various consistencies and burning temperatures. Very important for artillery, bombs, and all that. I heard earlier this summer that they were working on something called 'blasting oil.' Something they want to use in mining.”
”Do you remember their name?”
”The Flerring Powder Company.”
”Excellent.” Adamat got to his feet. This was exactly what he was looking for.
”There's something else,” Uskan said.
Adamat paused, concerned by the sudden bleakness of Uskan's voice. ”What is it, my friend?”
Uskan stared at his fingers for several moments before answering. ”The vice-chancellor-Prime Lektor-has fled the country.”
”He what?”
”He fled. I caught him here about three weeks ago, collecting things from his office. He cleaned everything out, sold his home in the countryside, and left. He told me that I should flee too.”
”Why on earth would he do that?”
”He said that Adom was dead. Kresimir was coming back and with him something worse. And that we'd all burn for Tamas's mistakes.” Uskan rubbed his sleeve across his eyes. ”The man was my idol, Adamat. I've known him for decades and he's been calm, unflappable Prime. But when I saw him that night, he looked like a madman on the verge of hysterics. He left me here, alone. He said I was the new vice-chancellor if I wanted to be, but told me I'd be dead within months if I decided to stay.”
”Uskan, I'm sorry.”
Uskan sniffed and wiped his eyes once more, sitting up straight. ”Nothing to be sorry for. You're right, I need to look beyond my books. I've been rather fraught since the battle on the campus, but I thought we'd rebuild. I figured Prime would help us create everything anew. And now he's gone.”
”Is there anything I can do for you?”
”If Tamas is still alive... well, put in a good word for the university.”
”Of course.”
Adamat rounded the desk to put a hand on Uskan's shoulder. ”You're right, you know. I shouldn't have gotten involved in any of this. It's hurt the people I love in so many ways.”
”I don't think it's your fault,” Uskan said.
”Thank you for that.”
SouSmith, still leaning on the door frame of the tiny office, cleared his throat.
”Yes,” Adamat said. ”Well, I should get going.”
”Wait.”
Adamat stopped just outside the office and turned back to Uskan.
”You should check a private library,” Uskan said. ”Someone who will have books not accessible to us or to the Public Archives.”