[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
corner.
The next door is the study, announced the majer.
Just outside the study, Mykel saw a body that had been pulled to the side of
the corridor, leaving a series of blood smears on the polished white marble.
He bent down. The dead woman was the one who had accompanied Rachyla. Sir?
Did Fifteenth Company shoot this woman?
No& not that I saw, Captain. She was dead when we got here.
Vaclyn thought he was telling the truth. So who had shot Astylara?Why?
The seltyr s study measured ten yards by fifteen, with bookshelves on all the
walls. Less than a quarter of the shelves held books. Most of the spaces were
filled with decorative objects golden vases, small statues of horses, one of a
pteridon with spread wings, the bust of a beautiful woman wearing an elaborate
golden choker adorned with emeralds and diamonds.
The single desk was of black oak, and completely bare except for an open
ledger.
Page 66
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
At one end of the study in a weapons rack were three Cadmian rifles, all
polished and shimmering. Suspecting that the magazines were full, Mykel
checked. They were, as was the magazine of the rifle lying on the faf end of
the heavy Indyoran carpet that covered most of the marble-floored study. The
splotches of blood on the top of the barrel had dried.
Just beyond the rifle, a bookcase was swung away from the wall, revealing a
chamber beyond. Several books lay on the marble floor. Two were open, pages
loose from where bullets had hit them. Blood was splattered on the floor as
well.
Seltyr Ubarjyr was coming out of that chamber there when we came through the
door. He didn t get his rifle up in time.
Mykel could tell the majer was lying. Ubarjyr had been holding the rifle, but
he d never raised it. He would have tried to make a deal, and Vaclyn wasn t
interested in deals. He wanted the dead body of a rebel landowner. A dead body
with contraband rifles around was much more convenient. Mykel did wonder why
the majer had used a rifle, rather than his beloved knives.
You should look in the chamber, Captain.
Mykel did, although, from Vaclyn s tone, he knew what he would find.
Four cases of Cadmian rifles were stacked on one side of the long and narrow
room. On the other were close to forty smaller cases of ammunition.
Quite a bit of ammunition here, Mykel observed, knowing that the majer would
need an acknowledgment.
There is, isn t there? Vaclyn looked hard at Mykel. What have you learned
today, Captain? The majer s voice was low and hard.
There s more rebel activity here than meets the eye, and it s not just
escaped prisoners.
That is brilliantly obvious. Vaclyn snorted. You could have lost your
entire company! The only reason that you didn t is that these rebels hadn t
learned to use their weapons well. There is a reason for following the Code
directly. From now on, Captain, you take anyone with any contraband into
custody. I don t care if it s the local justicer or the wealthiest grower in
Dramur. Do you understand me?
Yes, sir.
One more incident like this, and I will recommend that you stand
court-martial for insubordination and recommend your dismissal in disgrace.
Yes, sir. Mykel managed to keep his face immobile, furious as he was.
Your talents obviously lie more in direct action, Captain. Tomorrow,
Fifteenth Company will ride to relieve Fourteenth Company, and you will patrol
the area north of the mine, and you will capture or kill, as necessary, the
escaped miners.
Yes, sir.
We will search the rest of the villa. With a room like this, we probably
won t find any more, but we need to look. We ll take whatever wagons the
estate has to transport contraband back to Dramuria.
Mykel searched the hidden room, but found nothing more than the rifles, the
ammunition, and five locked chests, doubtless containing golds, although he
did not break the locks. By shifting them, he could hear and feel the coins
move.
Then, once Majer Vaclyn had left, he went back to the desk and looked at the
open ledger, studying the entries. He saw nothing about rifles or ammunition,
but the number of golds spent on various things, from bolts of cloth to horses
and even iron rods, was staggering. One entry alone for bolts of cotton was
two hundred golds four times more than the cost of a factor s great house in
Faitel.
For Mykel, the question remained why had Ubarjyr risked everything to smuggle
in so many rifles and so much ammunition? It didn t make sense, not with what
Mykel knew.
He shook his head. He needed to get back to overseeing his men. Although he
had assigned squad leaders whom he trusted not to loot, it would be better if
he were supervising what the men were doing.
Page 67
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
27
As both the majer and Mykel had suspected, a search of the estate buildings
revealed no contraband besides that already found in the secret chamber off
the study. It did reveal a hidden storeroom filled with recently sewn uniforms
in green with gold trim and with several score cartridge belts, along with the
leather cut for several score more.
Once Fifteenth Company had gathered the wagons filled with rifles, ammunition,
uniforms, and cartridge belts, Majer Vaclyn had returned the estate to the
care of the steward with severe warnings about supporting smuggling and
handling contraband weapons. Then the majer had accompanied Fifteenth Company,
the prisoners fifteen of the men in the green uniforms and Rachyla and the
wagons for several vingts southward. Mykel had really wanted to talk to
Rachyla, but he wasn t about to try that with the majer around, not when
Vaclyn already thought he d initially let her go because she was attractive.
She was, Mykel admitted to himself, but that had not been his reasoning, not
that he d ever convince the majer. So he kept riding, and listening to Vaclyn.
Some of these growers& they ve been a law unto themselves, and they have to
learn that the Code applies to them just like everyone else& and it applies to
us as well, Captain. I don t want you forgetting that.
No, sir. Mykel wasn t about to forget how Vaclyn thought about that.
After another quarter glass, the majer turned in the saddle once more, his
eyes on Mykel. Here is where I leave you, Captain. I ll be heading directly
to Dramuria to report on , this to the Myrmidon colonel. I expect you to ride
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]