The steward ushered Eltrienn into the amirr's office, then backed out and closed the door. Leonessto Hanorissio beckoned the centurion to sit, then sat down himself and regarded the younger man for a moment. Besides the two of them, only Allbarin was there, sitting to one side of the amirr and a little back, a wise and observant shadow.
Eltrienn knew the amirr well, and it was clear to him that something was wrong.
"Perhaps you're aware," the amirr said, "that your Almite is interested in my daughter. Yesterday they visited in the palace garden, and today he's to have lunch with her and her mother."
"Begging your pardon, Your Eminence, but it appears to me that her interest came first. She invited Brokols to yesterday's meeting—had me carry the invitation to him."
The amirr withdrew his gaze, his lips pursing. "Umh. I shouldn't be surprised."
"Also, Your Eminence, if I may say so, he's not my Almite. As a matter of fact, it seems to me he doesn't need me anymore. Perhaps I should be given another assignment."
The hazel eyes focused on Eltrienn again, and suddenly the mouth smiled. "Ah! And now you bring us to the reason I sent for you. You're the only person in government, so far as I know, who speaks the barbarian language."
Eltrienn nodded. "Not fluently, but functionally perhaps. It's been several years. There are people on the east coast, some of Ettsio Torillo's people, who should be quite fluent in it. If you need someone who speaks the language, one of them might serve you better."
The amirr shook off the suggestion. "They're part of the problem. Not that they caused it; so far as I know, they didn't. And I need someone I can depend on. Namely, I need you. After all, their great chief knows you."
"An upset with Torillo?"
"Upset isn't quite the word. I received a letter last evening telling me that the great chief's brother murdered Torillo's factor, his son, at Agate Bay. With a sword, supposedly in cold blood, while the factor was unarmed. And before witnesses. So the deputy factor, Torillo's nephew, pulled out the entire operation, loaded everyone on two lumber schooners at the wharf there, and went home. That's the report.
"The lumber and charcoal trade are suddenly gone, and if we don't reestablish them, it will cause us all kinds of problems. And our flow of swords to the barbarians has been cut off at the worst possible time.
"That's what I want you to handle."
The amirr sat back and shook his head, exhaling gustily. "As far as that's concerned, I'm going to need someone there soon anyway. There's no doubt, you know, that Gamaliiu is going to attack us. He undoubtedly would have anyway, within a few years—ten at the most. We haven't been invaded since '23; they're overdue. Now it'll be within a year, almost surely. Almeon's emperor plans to invade not us but Djez Gorrbul, within a year; Allbarin has it clearly from Brokols' mind. And the emperor's plan seems to be to incite Gamaliiu to invade us before that. So that the Gorrbian army will be engaged in Hrumma—preferably deep inside Hrumma, I'm sure—when the Almaeic army lands at Haipoor l'Djezzer.
"The assumption is, apparently, that with Gorrbul in Almaeic hands, Seechul and ourselves will certainly fall. Which, easily or bloodily, we will."
He paused. "Do you see?"
Eltrienn nodded. "So we want the barbarians to attack Djez Gorrbul at about the time the Gorballis intend to attack us, and we want them well-armed and eager. Enough that Gamaliiu will keep his army at home."
"Exactly. And that means barbarians with good steel swords, not crude, heavy, bog-iron clubs. Something light and strong. But just when we need to increase the flow of weapons to them, I find out the channel's been completely cut off."
"A question, Your Eminence."
"Yes?"
"Might it not be simpler to send an envoy to Gamaliiu, telling him what the emperor plans?"
"What was done to the envoy my predecessor sent? And if he decided to receive mine, would he believe? He'll think we act from fear of his invading us."
Again Eltrienn nodded.
"I do intend to send one though—a volunteer. Though it feels to me like sending someone to his death. I will not willingly forego a possibility.
"As to how helpful a barbarian invasion might be to us, in truth I don't know. I doubt that the barbarians are organized for such a campaign, and we know they're not experienced at them. Of course, they might be able to keep the Gorrbian army home, or bring it home. But then what? I've tried to imagine how things might develop, what might happen. And I've come up with several scenarios. And I'll tell you, it's much easier to imagine bad than good, given the circumstances. It's hard to believe that the barbarians might reach Haipoor l'Djezzer, and inconceivable that they'd join with the Gorrbian army to fight the Almites.
"While if the situation seemed uncertain for a landing by the Almaeic army, their ambassador in Haipoor might message his emperor, or their admiral, in the way that they have, and they might decide to invade Djez Seechul instead. Or ourselves!
"We could imagine on forever," he finished heavily. "Right now we do what we can. And all that we can. And hope Hrum is pleased with us."
Eltrienn nodded. He felt as if someone had tightened a band around his chest. "I'll get ready to go to Agate Bay then. I'd like to take . . ."
"Not Agate Bay. Not yet. The letter I got was from Ettsio Torillo himself. Hardly an unprejudiced reporter. He wants me to send a military force to Agate Bay to capture and execute the murderer. If I don't do it, he says he'll send a raiding party himself, to assassinate him."
The amirr leaned back, shaking his head, and exhaled gustily. "I want you to ride to Gardozzi Bay and find out what actually happened. Find out, if you can, what led to the murder, and what problems we might have to solve to reestablish trade. And make it clear to old Torillo that I will not stand for his sending any raiding party. Get his firm agreement.
"Take Lardunno with you, to read him. If Torillo won't agree, or if he says he agrees but secretly thinks he might send one anyway, tell him I'll lock him in the Hole of Shame if he has the murderer killed. And I will. Or if you see fit, you can tell him the Gorballis plan to invade, and we need the barbarians as allies. But if you tell him that, make sure he understands that it must be kept secret.
"Then come back here and report to me as fast as you can. I'll want it in writing. How long will it take you?"
"Hmm. Two hundred and fifty miles—if I can have your written authorization to requisition remounts at postal stations, and I leave by noon today, I can be there late the day after tomorrow. Give me a day there, two at most, to talk to people and write things down while they're fresh—I'll be back in six days. Seven at most."
"Then go."
"Yes, sir. And if you'll have someone inform Lardunno . . ."
The amirr nodded impatiently. "As you leave, tell Friimarti to take care of it. Tell him it's my order."
"Thank you, sir."
The centurion turned and left. The amirr looked at Allbarin. "Comment?"
"About Eltrienn Cadriio, nothing. He is direct, he is clean. He says what he thinks, and he thinks linearly to the point, or as linearly as a situation allows. He'll be back in six days with all the pertinent information. Unless he's struck by lightning."
The amirr raised an eyebrow. "I hope you don't see anything like that in his future."
Allbarin allowed himself a small smile. "A figure of speech, Your Eminence. I'm not much of a seer, but if I had to predict, I'd say that that young man will live long, regardless of wars and any other dangers."
"Umh. I suspect you're right,"
"And now, Your Eminence, I'd like to make a suggestion that may seem to intrude into family matters. If I may."
No answer was spoken; there was no nod. The look the amirr directed at his advisor was hard. After a long moment the man continued in his usual calm way.
"I've said I'm not a seer. But I do sense that Ambassador Brokols will prove invaluable to you, to us. And beyond that, I hope you will not discourage any reasonable interest your daughter may show in him."
"Why?" The word was less question than command.
"It seems to me that she has some role to play in all this, too. Though I have no idea what it is, and things sensed so vaguely . . ."
The amirr's jaw jutted; his mouth was a slash. "You were right; you do intrude." Again he exhaled gustily, then relaxed a bit. "Well, when one appoints an advisor, one must expect advice. And when his advice is as good as yours has invariably been, it's probably well not to reject it out of hand. 'Reasonable interest.' Hmh. I'll go this far: I won't forbid her, for a while at least."
He glanced at the clock ticking loudly on the wall, then got heavily to his feet. "My friend, in less than an hour we'll be listening to people asking favors of me; not my favorite activity. Shall we take a swim in the pool before then?"