Part 41 (2/2)
”What else could you expect from a bunch of barbarian Pramans?”
Else did not argue.
”You look like you're coming down with the mumps, Pipe. You were going to say?”
”That people on our side will behave just as badly, given a chance. Like, say, Grade Drocker. Note that I express no disrespect by mentioning the Patriarch or the Emperor.”
Ghort chuckled. ”You hang around with me, you'll end up as big a realist as I am. Where's your better half?”
”A realist? Is that what you call somebody who sees the worst in everybody? Gervase?” Saluda had accompanied Else everywhere the past few days. ”He got bored, I guess. Short attention span.”
”Tell you what, Pipe. I'm never disappointed by people. When are you going to move over to the Collegium?”
”I don't know. Not soon. Even a.s.suming Princ.i.p.ate Bruglioni wasn't blowing smoke. He wants the Bruglioni household shaped up first.”
”And those boys can't do that for themselves?”
”They don't seem inclined to try. Too much like work.”
”Princ.i.p.ate Doneto is thrilled with your progress.”
”I was sure that he would be.”
”Here comes Joe. What's the word, Joe?”
Just Plain Joe rode up on an ambling Pig Iron. Pig Iron looked bored and put upon. Joe said, ”Don't go barking, boss. This old boy's only got one speed.”
Else asked, ”What happened to you?”
Joe's left leg was in a splint. It stuck out from the side of the mule at a strange angle.
”Got hit with one a them fish arrows with the barbed heads. The ones they ties ropes on and use to get sharks. Went in and bounced off the bone. Smarted some. They was able to push it on through and got everything fixed up before it festered. Cap'n Ghort, sir, I don't think you're gonna get much cooperation from anybody. Not even the pirates. They ain't giving up. They promise they'll go away, though. If you let them.”
”I'd let them if it was my call. But I'm not allowed. The mercenaries and the Imperials won't root them out?”
”Cap, even I ain't dumb enough to get myself killed trying to fix something that's just naturally gonna fix itself if I just sit around and wait.”
”And there you have it,” Ghort said. ”And guess who's fault it'll be if the whole city stays shut down because these idiot fishermen won't lay down and die? I didn't watch my back close enough. Doneto let me set myself up to be the perfect scapegoat.”
”I doubt you're perfect at anything.”
Just Plain Joe said, ”Maybe instead of paying them mercenaries day rates you might oughta pay them piecework. Way it works now, sitting on their hands pays them just as much as fighting.”
Ghort said, ”The man may have a point. The money from the levy is going fast but there's enough left for some serious bounties.”
That would not matter, overall. Those Calzirans who had not yet escaped never would. The Collegium and the Patriarch agreed. Not one Calziran would be there to defend his home when war came to Calzir.
”Let you in on a secret, Pipe,” Ghort said, as they strode toward the Castella dollas Pontellas. ”This is one I'm not supposed to know. But I happened to be accidentally eavesdropping when I heard.”
”Accidentally, Pinkus?”
”That would've been my plea if I'd gotten caught. I know how much you love those guys.”
”Uhm?”
”I overheard Doneto talking to his sister's son, Palo. Palo is an aide to the Patriarch.”
”The suspense is killing me, Pinkus.”
”I doubt it. But here it is, just in case, on account of your a.s.s is too big to haul around if you drop dead on me. That regiment of Imperial cavalry showing up right on time. Wasn't no coincidence.”
”No! You don't say.”
”I mean, they weren't headed for Alameddine, after all. They were headed for Brothe from the start. Sublime cut some kind of deal with Hansel. Which explains why I saw Ferris Renfrow sneaking around a while back.”
”Our friend the interrogator from Plemenza?”
”The very one. Bo spotted him. On the Embankment, not far from Krois. Bo lost him there. When I heard about Sublime making a deal I knew why. He headed into the Patriarch's hideout.”
”I believe you. But I don't understand. Why would the Patriarch and the Emperor get together?”
”Sublime? Because he'd get soldiers. Two ways. Imperial allies on the front end and his own men freed from paving to guard against Imperial incursions on the back side.”
”What's in it for Hansel?”
”Good question, Pipe.”
”What can Sublime give him that he can't get anywhere else?”
”More good questions. And we'll see them all answered. If we're clever enough to stay alive long enough.”
”Hey, Pipe! Cap'n Ghort!” Just Plain Joe called. He and Pig Iron were dawdling along ahead of Else and Ghort.
Ghort asked, ”What you got, Joe?”
”Crossing the Blendine Bridge.”
”Oh. Hey! It's that emba.s.sy from the Connec. They want to cut a deal with Sublime, too. I wouldn't want to be Immaculate today. All my pals are fixing to dump me on the s.h.i.+t pile of history.”
Two of Sublime's biggest distractions were about to become something else entirely. Meaning the Patriarch might get to preach his crusade to the Holy Lands after all.
Else needed to visit Gledius Stewpo.
Better yet, he needed to visit Anna Mozilla. There was genuine comfort to be found with the widow.
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