Part 32 (1/2)
Arutha had been up all night. It was evident to James the moment he walked into the Prince's private chamber. From the look of him, William had also been up all night, but James suspected the reason was as different from the Prince's as could possibly be; William's inability to keep a smile from creeping over his face every few seconds provided an obvious clue.
Amos looked his usual self: keenly observant and enjoying any excuse for humor.
Arutha waved James to a chair and said, ”I trust you're recovering from your many abuses of late?”
”Enough that I feel life is worth living again, sire,” answered James, sitting down.
”Good, because there are a few things that need your immediate attention.”
Looking around the room, Arutha said, ”Amos, I've trusted you with my life more times than I care to remember. William, you are a member of my family. That's why I am telling you this. A while ago I gave James the responsibility of establis.h.i.+ng an intelligence corps.”
”About b.l.o.o.d.y time,” said Amos with a grin. ”He's the sneakiest little b.a.s.t.a.r.d I've ever met, even if I do love him like the son I pray I never have.”
James looked at Amos and said, ”Thank you, I think.”
”I wouldn't mind a son,” Amos mused aloud. ”I might even have one or two out there I've not met yet-” he looked at James and laughed ”-but if I do, I'll drown him myself the moment he reminds me of you, Jimmy.”
James replied dryly, ”If you do have a son, I'll have to remember that and help him escape.”
”Enough,” said Arutha. The Prince's usual demeanor was replaced this morning by an even deeper edge, and both Amos and James fell silent. Arutha said, ”No one outside this room is to know this. I include you two for several reasons. The first is if anything happens to me, you'll be able to inform my successor of James's special status. If Lyam sends someone as regent before Prince Randolph is of age, for example.
”The second is that if anything happens to James, I want people who are in place to whom his successor can report.” He glanced around the table. ”We three,” he said to Amos and William.
”Successor,” said James with feigned trepidation. ”I hope you mean should I retire.”
”I mean if you're dead,” said Arutha coldly. ”Some time in the next year I expect you to have recruited enough agents that you'll be able to identify one you think almost as canny as yourself.”
Amos laughed.
”Do not tell anyone who he is, including we three. Well work out a means for that person to identify himself to one of the three of us at the appropriate time. Also, I command you keep your agents as ignorant of one another as possible.”
”Yes, Highness,” said James. ”I've already considered a system that will allow me to have several agents and keep them unaware of each other.”
”Good,” said Arutha. ”And I have some thoughts on the matter as well. Finally, there's one other person who will know you're in this position: Jerome.”
James barely held his groan in check. ”Jerome! Why, Highness?”
”Master de Lacy will be retiring soon, and Jerome is the logical choice to succeed him as Master of Ceremonies. You will need funding for many of the things you wish to undertake, and the Master of Ceremonies' office has discretionary funds for a variety of reasons. Jerome will provide you with the resources you need, subject to my approval.”
James sat back, obviously not happy, but willing to accept the wisdom of the Prince's choice.
”Now, to the matter at hand. The scribes have completed their translations and we now know who was behind the attacks on Prince Vladic.”
”Who?” blurted James.
”His uncle, the duke.”
William said, ”But he and his son were almost killed in the first attempt, sire.”
Arutha said, ”It may be that the attack went wrong, or someone else has a separate agenda, because we also found a warrant for the death of Duke Radswil and Kazamir, unfortunately.”
James asked, ”Are there any signatures to these warrants?”
”No,” said Arutha. ”That would make things too easy, wouldn't it? The warrants all end in more of those cryptic phrases. Perhaps someday we'll decipher them and know who the author of the orders is. But for the time being, we have no clear-cut proof of who's responsible.”
”What are you going to do?” asked Amos.
”Put the duke and his son and daughter under guard, call it 'protective custody,' and s.h.i.+p them back to Olasko, with a long letter under my personal seal to the duke's brother. My only concern in this is preventing war between the Kingdom and Olasko. I'll leave Olasko justice to the rule of Olasko; the archduke can decide who's closer: his brother or his son. He can also worry about who put out the order for his brother's and nephew's deaths.” Arutha sighed. ”I will certainly welcome the moment they leave Kingdom soil.”
James said, ”What of the Nighthawks? Have we finished them?”
Arutha sat back, a look of futility pa.s.sing over his features for a moment, then he said, ”We've wounded them gravely, but they still have agents out there. I think there is someone above that priesthood, one from whom they took orders.”
”The Master,” agreed James. He had recounted to Arutha every detail of his experience with the priests before the demon escaped.
”But it may take them years to recover,” observed Amos.
”We can hope. Still, I want our new intelligence service looking for clues as to the whereabouts of remaining Nighthawks as well as any agents for Kesh, Queg, or anyone else, for that matter.”
”I'll start today,” said James.
”How long do you think this will take?” asked Amos playfully. ”A week or, maybe, two?”
James said, ”Years, Amos, years.” Looking at Arutha he said, ”And I suppose I'd better change my ambitions from Duke of Krondor to Duke of Rillanon.”
Arutha laughed. ”Yes, I suppose you had better, if you're going to build a network in the east some day. But not this week, all right?”
James grinned. ”Not this week, Highness.”
Arutha said, ”We have much work ahead of us, but right now I have to go outrage a duke and ruin an otherwise lovely day for a Prince.”
”One thing, more, if I may, Highness,” requested James.
”Yes?”
”Could you persuade Her Highness to host another of her galas, soon?”
Arutha had been about to rise, and at this request he sat down again. ”Why, squire? You take no pains to hide the fact you would rather be crawling through the sewers than attending one of Anita's soirees.”
William cleared his throat and said, ”Ah, Highness, it's my request, actually. James said he'd ask on my behalf.”
”I don't understand,” said Arutha, looking from soldier to squire.
James said, ”William would like you to confer an award upon Captain Treggar, and then introduce him to some young ladies from good families.”
Arutha looked at William and said, ”Why?”