Saberhagen, Fred 03 – Stonecutter’s Story

As they were mounting the narrow stairs to their third-floor rooms, the Magistrate suddenly turned to his younger companion and demanded: “Did she say anything to you?”

“Natalia? No. Nor I to her.”

When they had entered their suite and closed the door, Wen Chang asked in a low voice: “Do you think she knows that you were able to recognize her?”

Kasimir considered the question very carefully. “I’m not sure,” he said at last. “But I don’t think so. But I believe that she knew me.”

“Why so?”

“Because she might have been able to kill me. But she didn’t really try.”

“Ah. I see. And you still have, or thought you had, another meeting with her scheduled for today.” The time was now so far past midnight as to be obviously morning.

Kasimir sighed wearily. “That is correct.”

Wen Chang yawned, and shook his head as if he were now too tired to think effectively.

“What am I to do about the meeting?” Kasimir asked. “I expect you should try to keep it. But not until you have had some sleep.”

Kasimir did not awake, stiff and tired, until well past midmorning. At some time while he slept a screen had been put up in front of his couch, and from beyond this ineffective shield he could hear the energetic voice of the Magistrate. Wen Chang sounded like a man who had been up and about for quite some time as he gave orders to the hotel servants who were just delivering breakfast.

Sitting opposite Kasimir at the breakfast table a few minutes later, Wen Chang reported that more news had just come in from Almagro, who had apparently spent a sleepless night after all. Some of the prisoners who had been taken last night had been persuaded to provide some information about the person who had fled the old warehouse with the Sword.

“Good!”

“I am not so sure it is. There is considerable disagreement among their stories. One prisoner confirms that the person he last saw with the Sword was a woman, another insists he saw a man getting away. But both agree on one thing: that certain criminal elements within the city are developing a plan to rob the Blue Temple. Captain Almagro says he has already sent this information on to the Director of Security there.”

“Well,” said Kasimir, “that at least ought to confirm your status as a prophet in the eyes of the Blue Temple. But I wonder if the prisoners are just telling the Captain what they think he wants to hear.”

“It is quite possible. But there is more. The final element in the Captain’s latest communication to us has nothing to do with the interrogation of last night’s prisoners, but still I find it the most interesting. It concerns instead prisoner nine-nine-six-seven-seven, the man who was freed from the road gang by the original Sword-thief. Almagro informs me that nine-nine-six-seven-seven was a rural agitator, convicted of minor political offenses-nothing as egregious as those of Benjamin of the Steppe, we may suppose, or he would have been hanged, drawn, and quartered too.”

Kasimir waited, but there seemed to be no more. He asked: “And what does that tell us?”

“Do you not find it interesting too? And the squad that is to arrest Umar goes out this morning. By the way, I suppose you are still intending to keep your appointment with the Lady Natalia today?”

“I think I must try to do so, though after last night I have the most serious doubts that she will be there. I suppose you are intending to have the White Temple surrounded, and arrest her if she does show up?”

“On the contrary. If we did that we would have her, but we would not have the Sword. Nor, I think, would we be any closer to getting our hands on it. No, I am willing to gamble on finding a better way.”

“Well then, if she appears I will try to open negotiations to get back the Sword, assuming she got away with it last night.”

“Do so. And let your behavior be guided by this fact: She will not risk coming to the meeting unless she hopes to gain something of great importance from you.”

“What could that be, Wen Chang? In the beginning she must have recognized me as an investigator, and made an agreement with me simply to be able to keep an eye on the course of our investigation. What a fool I was!”

Wen Chang did not dispute the assessment. “Perhaps you should have been a trifle more suspicious of her all along.”

“But now what can she and her people hope to gain of great importance? From us?”

“We can hope that she-and the people who are in this with her, as you say-would like to make a deal. An arrangement, whereby we would come into possession of Stonecutter-for a suitable price, of course-after it has filled its purpose in their hands.”

“What purpose are they likely to have for it, except to sell it? And why should she not sell it to the highest bidder?”

“With the backing of Prince al-Farabi, we can make our bid sufficiently high.”

At this point the conference was interrupted by a tap at the door, followed by the appearance of Lieutenant Komi at the head of the stairs. The officer announced that the Blue Temple’s head of security had just arrived at the inn, and was insisting that his business could not wait for even a few minutes. The Director was demanding to see the Magistrate and his associate.

“He’ll wait, though, if you tell me that’s what you want,” Komi added hopefully. No one outside the ranks of its outright worshippers liked the Blue Temple. And even within those ranks, Kasimir had observed, feelings about the upper hierarchy tended to be mixed.

“Keeping the gentleman waiting will serve no purpose.” Wen Chang sighed. “Let us hear what he has to say.”

Komi saluted and retreated to the room below. The Director’s heavy-footed tread could soon be heard climbing the stairs, and in another moment he was in the upper suite. He entered talking loudly, insisting in a domineering voice that something more had to be done to guard the Blue Temple’s few remaining assets. He hinted that the Eylau branch at least now tottered upon the brink of bankruptcy; and if such an institution were to be forced into financial failure, the damage done the whole community would be incalculable.

Kasimir noted that here, in a more or less public place, the Director made no direct reference at all to the Orb of Maecenas.

Wen Chang, for the moment all diplomacy, adopted a soothing manner. He suggested the posting of extra guards around the perimeter of the Blue Temple, and also in any of the rooms that were at or below ground level, where thieves armed with the Sword of Siege should be most likely to effect their entrance.

The Director was not soothed, nor reassured. He protested that such measures were easy enough to suggest, but they cost money, a great deal of money. He demanded to know who the Magistrate thought was going to pay for them.

The Magistrate at last allowed some of his disgust to show. “Considering what miserable pay you give the enlisted ranks of your security forces, the men and women who would actually stand guard, such measures would certainly cost you much less than the fee I would charge you, were I willing to act as your consultant.”

Kasimir considered that this was a good moment to apply some diplomacy himself. He interrupted to announce his departure, and Wen Chang came partway down the stairs with him to offer a final word of friendly caution.

Today Kasimir had not been sitting for long in Ardneh’s chapel before a ragged street urchin approached, tugged at his sleeve, and asked if he were Kasimir the physician. As soon as he had admitted his identity, the boy handed him a folded note.

The physician unfolded the grimy scrap of paper and read its message while the boy stood waiting.

Kasimir-I am not going to model any longer at the Red Temple. Yet I would like to see you once more. If you would like to see me again, follow the bearer of this message. Believe me, I will be sorry if we can never meet again.

In friendship, Natalia

Kasimir read the note through twice, then folded it and put it in his pocket. It seemed to him that the wording of the message gave no indication as to whether Natalia knew that he had recognized her last night-or even whether or not she had been able to recognize him.

He asked the urchin: “Who gave you this?”

The child returned no answer, but turned away silently and walked out of the chapel. Kasimir got to his feet and followed, staying close behind his guide.

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