Part 8 (1/2)

Dythya stood to the left of the doorway, across from the pages, waiting for Anna.

”Come on in, Dythya.” Anna nodded toward the doorway, then led the way into the room, still cold despite the low fire in the hearth.

The Regent cleared her throat, wondering whether to crack the window to dispel some of the smoke, or to leave it closed and hope the chimney's draw would improve as the receiving room warmed.

Dythya stood, waiting.

Anna looked at the platter on the worktable, with a sliced and already browning apple, hard white and yellow cheese, rock-hard imitations of crackers, and, thankfully, a small loaf of dark bread fresh enough that it still steamed in the chill air. Then she turned to Dythyn. ”Where do we stand?”

Dythya extended a sheet of brown paper. ”This is the reckoning you requested, lady. The top part shows the coin on hand, the recent receipts, and the liedgeld owed. The bottom shows what we have spent since the harvest, what we have received, and what I would guess we will have to spend before the next harvest.”

Anna gestured to the seat across from hers. ”Please sit while I study this.” In turn, she seated herself, and took one of the apple slices and chewed it, then reached for another.

Almost absently, she coughed, trying to get her throat clear, before singing the water spell to ensure the water in the pitcher was pure. Clean water was scarce anywhere in Defalk, as she supposed it was in any medieval-type culture. Even before she finished, she felt dizzy.

d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n! d.a.m.n! One lousy water spell, and she was reeling. Anna forced herself to set down the paper and eat several mouthfuls of the hot bread, and two slices of cheese. After filling her goblet, she followed the cheese with a swallow of water, and then more of the apple slices, and more bread.

Finally, as the worst of the dizziness began to subside, Anna checked the liedgeld owed. Arkad of Cheor hadn't paid. Neither had Gylaron of Lerona. Dencer had paid half. So had Lord Sargol. after sending a complaining scroll. Lord Via.s.sa of Fussen had died, and his twin sons were still sorting it out, probably with blades, and liedgeld was doubtless low on their priorities. Four other lords had various reasons for not paying.

Then she laughed, ironically. The holding of Mencha had not paid. As the Sorceress and Lady of Loiseau and as Brill's successor, she owed herself, as Regent, liedgeld, and she probably couldn't raise it, although at two hundred golds, it was less than half of what almost all the others owed.

”My lady?”

”Dythya.. . I owe myself liedgeld, and I doubt I can raise it. I've let some of those who wished to remain continue to live there, but there's not even anyone there now to run the lands.”

”You owe liedgeld?”

”I ended up as the Lady of Loiseau and holder of Mencha.”

Dythya's mouth went into an 0. ”1 am sorry. I should not have put that on the list.”

Anna shook her head. ”I'm not angry. It's another problem. I probably needed to look into that as well.”

Along with eveiything else. Who can I get to manage the place? Surely a good manager could raise enough for the liedgeld and even some coins for my personal use.

Who could she have manage Loiseau? What had happened to Gero, Brill's personal a.s.sistant? Or Serna and, her daughter Florenda? Anna remembered how good Serna's breads had been. Quies, the stablemaster who had thought Farinelli would be a good mount for her-he and his son Albero, who'd taught her the basics of using a knife-they'd been among those who had pet.i.tioned her to allow them to return to Loiseau. But some of the others, she'd scarcely thought of, and they were people, too.

She forced her mind to the paper before her. ”Have the golds for the Ranuan Exchange left?”

”Three days ago, lady. Even with good roads, it would be another five days to Ranwa, and two on the river. With the ways as they are...” The accountant shrugged.

”A month?”

Dythya looked puzzled, and Anna corrected herself.

”Two weeks? Or four?” From what Anna could figure. months didn't exist on Erde, just seasons, each twelve weeks long. That made the Erdean year shorter by a month than the year on earth, she figured, since she couldn't tell any real difference in the length of the day. With twenty gla.s.ses in a day, a gla.s.s was longer than an hour, but how much longer? Who knew?

''It is possible.”

'We've done what we can. Now, we need to send a scroll to Lord Birfels, telling him that we have taken steps to ensure that he can obtain seed grain. If he has any more trouble, be should let me know as soon as possible.”

”I can have that scroll for you to seal this afternoon, lady.”

”Good. I take it you feel that its important” Dythya nodded.

”So do I.” Especially since Birfels and Geansor are the only ones I even halfway trust in the south of Defalk. ”And we probably ought to send one to Lord Geansor as well. Is there any other lord who might have that sort of concern? Oh, Lord Hryding,” she answered her own question before Dythya could speak.

”Sorry.”

”Perhaps Lord Sargol of Suhl,” suggested Dythya.. ”There are rumors.”

”Can you do that?”

”It will be done, lady.” Dythya rose as Anna did.

Once the accountant or bursar or whatever Dythya was-minister of finance?---once she left, Anna turned to the now cooler bread and cheese, forcing herself to eat more than her stomach said it wanted by concentrating on how thin and almost anorexic she'd appeared in the mirror, and how dizzy the simplest spell had left her. By the time she finished the apple slices and four more chunks of cheese, each mouthful was an effort each swallow leaving her feeling as though she would gag.

”Arms Commander Hanfor and Lord Jecks are here.” Her mouth full, Anna motioned Resor to send the two in. She stood and swallowed, grateful to put off eating for a few moments more.

”Lady Anna.”

”Lady Anna,” Jecks said a moment behind Hanfor. ”Please be seated.” She gestured and sat without wait- ing, knowing both men would stand until she took her seat at the table. She looked at Hanfor. ”1 never did ask you about the Sand Pa.s.s fort.”

The graying arms commander smiled. ”The Ebrans repaired most of the outer walls befqre they left. Lady Gatrune's levies included some masons...”

Anna nodded, recalling the big woman who had been the first landholder, as administrator for her late husband, to recognize Anna's regency.

”...and Alvar managed to get the test of the rents in the outer walls patched, and one more quarters' block usable. The Ebrans had restored two. The walls won't hold off more than brigands ”But that's an improvement, and we won't have to worry about an attack from there for at least another year.”

”Perhaps next fall, Alvar could finish the job,” Hanfor said.

”Do you think we should put a small force there?” Anna asked, looking from Hanfor to Jecks.

”We do not have many armsmen here in Falcor,” pointed out the white-haired lord.

”I wasn't thinking about the best armsmen,” the sorceress said. ”Just a few to keep an eye out, and to show that the regent cares about the area.

Jecks and Hanfor exchanged glances.

Then Hanfor nodded. ”A squad with a graybeard who has seen enough, perhaps.” He paused. 'They will need some silvers for supplies.”

”Figure out how many and talk to Dythya.” Anna didn't shake her head. Everything she thought about cost silvers, but an abandoned outpost on the eastern border wouldn't help impressions at all, not even if Ebra were still prostrate. ”Have we heard about those blades in Encora?”

”Not yet, lady. I would not expect a reply for another week at the earliest.” Hanfor inclined his head slightly.

Jecks nodded.

”I've been thinking about roads,” Anna ventured.

”You have mentioned them.” A glint entered the arms commander's eyes.