“But, I didn’t ask for any display cases.”
“If you don’t like them, I’ll have them taken out, sir. I’d intended them as a gift, to show my appreciation for what you’ve done for me.”
Kren had never received a gift before, and had absolutely no idea as to how to respond to such a strange thing.
“Well, uh, do as you wish, then,” he said.
He found Bronki in her study, sitting at her computer.
“Kren, you can have no idea how refreshing it is to have my mathematical abilities back again! I can think properly for the first time in many weeks! Not only that, but I’ve had some thoughts that I think might be absolutely original!
“They are still fairly vague, but you know, there are times in social systems when very small events can cause very large changes. Like, when a scrubber leaves a wet spot on a staircase, a major leader happens to slip on it and breaks his neck, and so loses two weeks resurrecting before he can get back to the war, and this results in his side losing a battle, which in turn causes the whole war to be lost, which results in the entire nobility of a duchy being wiped out, and world history changes.
“Such things can also happen in the natural world as well, in weather patterns, for example, when a small change in one area eventually causes a large storm to shift course. I’ve been getting an inkling of an idea about a form of mathematics that could handle this sort of thing. I’m thinking of calling it ‘Chaos Theory,’ but I’m still a long way from formalizing it.”
Kren said, “Well, I wish you great success. Is anything happening of a more immediate nature?”
“Yes. I’ve been going over all of these credit cards we collected up last week. There’s a fair amount of money in them, but not nearly enough to be worth risking the wrath of the KUL.”
Kren said, “Why are you worried about them possibly getting mad at you when they have in fact launched three armed assaults on you since the school term began? I cannot imagine what they could do to you that would be worse than that!”
“I’m worried because they aren’t mad at me, yet. Kodo was mad at me. The KUL simply rented him fighters when he paid them to do it. If the KUL was angry with me, you would see many gross of fighters attacking us both from every angle, on every day, and eventually, they would kill us both, and everyone else in my household. In any event, what I have done is simply the same thing that I did the first time around. I’ve blamed it all on the PPG. This time, I picked one of their best corporate vice presidents for my patsy, and she has already been killed, although I don’t know if the KUL or the PPG did it. They can’t seem to imagine that someone would give away money just to get them fighting with each other. The total number of gangland killings in the war we kicked up is now over nine gross.”
“This is good, I suppose. I am really getting tired of all these bits of trash trying to kill me,” Kren said. “They are a murderous bunch, but you really couldn’t call any of them a real warrior. There’s not a challenge to be had in fighting any of them.”
“Well, you are getting paid, as per our agreement. I’ve put two thousand into your account for the two attacks last week.”
“Thank you. But two thousand is no longer a significant amount of money to me.”
“Kren, that is a terrible attitude! An honorable person must always keep to the contracts that she has willingly made, even if they become unprofitable. If you don’t, no one will trust you, and you will surely fail in business.”
“I’m sure that you are right. But I still hope that it is all over now.”
“So do I. But what I really wanted to talk to you about is Kodo’s credit card. I promised you that everything that he had on his person would be your property, but Kren, there was a gross billion Ke in his account! I cannot imagine how he got so much money! Figures that big are normally handled by the dukes, and the other upper nobility, but never by a commoner! And to have it in his credit card account, well, it simply boggles the imagination!” Bronki said.
“And this huge sum is mine?”
“After a fashion. But so massive an amount can’t just be transferred around without anybody noticing it. I mean, the computers handle most of the ordinary transactions without a living person ever knowing about them, unless somebody very good with a computer is curious. But this much, well, if I transfer it, gongs and horns will be going off in the bank’s corporate headquarters!”
“I see. We must therefore insure that the transaction is made with someone who would ordinarily handle such amounts. Someone who is above the normal run of things. Someone whose word may not be questioned.”
“Just who did you have in mind?” Bronki asked.
“I am told that Duke Dennon, who lost so badly with the Senta Copper Mine, is in dire need of money. Perhaps he would have something that he could sell me for that amount of money.”
“All Duke Dennon has is a fine army and an impoverished duchy.”
“I have no use for his army, but perhaps he could sell me some land, if the price was right, of course. Is it possible that you would know how to contact him?”
“Not directly, but a thousand years ago, I was quite friendly with Sala, the person who is now his chief accountant, and we never had a falling out. I could talk to her, if you like,” she said.
“Please do so. And if you can pull this off, I will pay you a billion Ke.”
“On a per gross basis, that’s really not much of a commission.”
“It’s bigger than anything you’ve ever gotten before, and it’s all that I’m willing to pay. Furthermore, you might not get it in cash, but in some other form. Nonetheless, I want you to call your friend this morning. It would be best if the money was transferred before anyone knows that Kodo is missing, and when he doesn’t show up at his college tomorrow, they will start asking questions,” Kren said.
“Very well. I’ll get right on it. Your knowledge of business seems greatly improved.”
“Yes, it appears that I have learned from a master.”
* * *
Kren found that the main door to Bronki’s apartment had been replaced with one much stronger, that the outer doors of the guest rooms had been reinforced, and that a new security door had been added between the guest hallway and the stairwell. He thought it reasonable, after all of the attacks that they had endured lately.
There were a dozen new carpets in the apartment, and the painting that had been damaged by his spear had been restored.
He noticed that the door to the third guest room was open and walked in. Brandee was there, putting small amounts of paint on a large piece of stretched cloth. She was so intent on what she was doing that she didn’t notice him at all. Kren, interested, sat down to watch her.
In a bit, he deduced that she was making a copy of an older painting that was framed and hanging on the wall. It seemed like a tedious method of reproduction, to him. Hadn’t the girl ever heard of a camera?
Bronki came in and said, “Oh, here you are, Kren. Come, we must leave immediately. I’ll explain on the way. Bring your credit card and a large amount of currency. Put on a fresh robe, and wear a different sword than you usually do.”
“What’s wrong with my sword?”
“Nothing, except that it was originally issued by Duke Dennon to one of his soldiers, whom you later ate. The duke might take offense at that, and we are going to see him now.”
They left with Brandee as oblivious to their departure as she had been to their arrival.
Bronki had booked a private cabin on an express MagFloat train, so they could talk without interruptions.
As soon as the door was closed, Bronki said, “Well, I found out why Kodo had so much money in his credit card account. He had organized a syndicate to purchase a major tract of land from Duke Dennon. He was to have finalized the deal last week, but you killed him the night before that happened. Kodo is probably fortunate at this point to be dead, because both the duke and the syndicate members have been desperately looking for him for a week, now. They assume that he has absconded with the money.”