"Anyone there who thinks he can do better is welcome to take over."

"They have no concept of the realities here. But that isn't the point. Part of your job would be to make them understand. I've been reminded, recently, that you haven't reported yet. They know you're alive only through secondary sources."

"I was told to report when I had something to report. I haven't, yet." Ignoring Stewpo's point about the educational aspect of his mission.

"People in power want to know what's going on. They have decisions to make. They need information. They squeal like wounded swine when they don't have it. I'm not interested in making their lives easier, though."

"I understand," Else said. "The enemy of your enemy is your ally."

"But never a friend. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly. Before we worry about the shape of our end of the world we need to rid it of the threat of the west."

Gledius Stewpo said, "You might be too bright for your kind of work."

"No doubt. And here you are, a hound baying at the behest of a false G.o.d. Yet you show no shame."

"I hope these aren't the end times where we have to find out which one of us is the deluded devil-worshiper."

Else replied, "None of that matters. Not now. If Sublime preaches a crusade against Calzir..."

"The Collegium will approve a punitive expedition against the pirate ports because of Starplire, but that's all. Which is too bad. If Sublime bogged down in Calzir he'd be too busy to do any mischief in the Holy Lands."

"As long as I'm here, why don't I do a report that you can pa.s.s along?" Else did not mention that he had reported before. "If I can dictate it. It's a long story."

Later, report done, Else said, "I need one more thing. As a Bruglioni henchman. An accountant. A wizard with numbers who can ferret out bookkeeping deceits. The Bruglioni staff have been stealing their masters blind using bookkeeping tricks. I'm trying to make my name with them."

Stewpo nodded. "I'll see what can be done."

POLO SAID, "YOU FOUND PAPER. GOOD.".

"In the Deve quarter. But they said, with war possible, the supply won't last. Big price increases are coming."

"War. Yeah. They want to see you about that. Right away."

"Why? They spend all their time hiding out. I can't ever get hold of them when I need something."

"And that's bad? Paludan is happy with you."

"Really? I'm making it up as I go, Polo. They never told me what to do, they just hired me to do something. So I'm doing what obviously needs doing. And wondering why the second richest family in Brothe lives in a dump. How do they stay feared and respected? There's n.o.body here to respect or fear. Is that a secret? You say they're waiting for me now?"

"Not as such. They're in the private audience. Playing chess."

"What are they up to?"

"Divino was here for a while. It might have to do with the pirate problem."

"Divino? That's the uncle who's in the Collegium?"

"Yes. Princ.i.p.ate Divino Bruglioni. You've probably met him without realizing who he was. He comes around here a lot."

"Take this stuff to our quarters. Then get Madam Ristoti to send me something to eat. In the private audience. I haven't eaten all day."

"You didn't see your lady friend?"

"I was looking for paper. And learning my way around that part of town."

"All business, eh?"

"Always, Polo. That's how you get ahead in the world."

GERVASE SALUDA HAD HIS BACK TO THE DOOR WHEN ELSE ENTERED the private audience. The room was twelve feet by sixteen, big by peasant standards but small for a working room in the Bruglioni citadel. There were few furnishings. One chess table. Four chairs, two in use already. A fireplace, not lighted. Paludan Bruglioni sat opposite Gervase, scowling fiercely at the chessboard.

"Yeah, Hecht. You're here. You were out and around today, right?"

"I went to the Devedian quarter to get paper. For the boys' lessons. I took the opportunity to find out more about that part of the city."

"You heard what happened at Starplire?"

"Only the bare bones of the story. I have blond hair. People talk to me only as much as they need to, to separate me from my money. I didn't hear much war talk, though."

"You must not have been listening. There's a lot of war talk. Uncle Divino says the Patriarch may preach a crusade. And the Collegium will let him have it."

That startled Else. "Really?"

"Really. Most of them lost family at Starplire. But there're more pressing problems."

"Yes?"

"The Collegium, according to Divino, began tracking the Calziran pirates after the news from Starplire. The pirates are more numerous, more organized, and more centrally controlled than anybody suspected. The Starplire raid was a rehearsal."

"This is more disturbing by the moment."

Gervase Saluda said, "Indeed. Pull up a chair. Let's talk."

Else did as he was told. "Go ahead."

"The pirates are thinking about attacking Brothe next. They see no reason to expect much resistance. The only soldiers in town are the Brotherhood. There aren't a hundred of them, right now."

"The Calzirans know all that?"

"They do."

"Do they know we know they know? No. I take that back. Are their captains intimate with the Instrumentalities of the Night? Would they think that somebody here knows what they're doing?"

"Their leaders ... might. The Collegium is no secret."

Paludan interrupted. "That's not why we're here. We have to worry about family protection and property preservation."

"By which you mean?"

"We have properties all over the city."

"You won't be able to protect everything. You might not be able to protect anything if you don't know what's likely to be attacked. Consolidate here. Everything you don't want stolen or vandalized and anyone you don't want killed. Better yet, move to the country until the raiders go away."

Gervase said, "That wouldn't be the best option, politically."

Paludan added, "We're Bruglioni. We're obligated to defend the city."

"How? Your army is me. Plus four gatekeepers and some kids who haven't figured out which end of a sword you're supposed to grab."

"Everybody has that problem. The nearest Patriarchal garrison is at Bober, four days away. The nearest soldiers could be here in two, but that would be the Imperial garrison from Gage. Which includes the Empire's best-just in case Hansel decides to swoop down on Brothe."

"So we're afraid Imperials might be more trouble than Calziran pirates?"

Gervase snorted. "No. But Sublime might see it that way."

Paludan agreed. "If the pirates do come, Sublime will just hole up on his island and wait them out."

Else said, "I won't live long enough to understand Brothen politics. That looks like a huge opportunity for Sublime's enemies."

"It is. Uncle Divino and his cronies will take advantage if that happens."

"So both parties might just let the rape happen? One out of cowardice and the other for political gain?"

"I don't know. I do want a soldier's professional opinion of the situation."

"I'll see what I can find out. Ah. Madam Ristoti. Thank you. But I think I'm done here now, so I'll just eat in the kitchen."

He looked to Paludan Bruglioni for permission to leave. After a dark scowl, Bruglioni nodded.

ELSE WENT OUT EARLY. NO ONE FOLLOWED. HE VISITED THE Arniena compound first, where he managed a short audience with Rogoz Sayag and his father. Inigo Arniena joined them briefly.

Else moved on to Bronte Doneto's establishment Just Plain Joe was on duty at the gate. He whisked Else inside.

"They got some good food here, Pipe," Joe reported. "An' plenty of it. This's the best job I ever had. Except for having Ghort as my boss. He's a real a.s.shole sometimes."

"That's all us officers, Joe. When we have to get some use out of a guy like Bo, every day, after a while it turns you sour."

Joe laughed. "I got you."

"How's Pig Iron?"

"Livin' in hog heaven, Pipe. He's got it twice as better than I do. This's it. Yo! Here's Captain Hecht."

Pinkus Ghort was serious about being Doneto's number-one man. He had six professional soldiers brainstorming responses to a possible Calziran attack.

"Wow!" Else said. "I have a hundred-year-old man named Vigo Caniglia and three other men, none trained and only one young enough to be of any use. Plus some kids, the oldest being sixteen."

"Way I hear, Pipe, these Five Family types are so d.a.m.ned cheap, you're probably better off. Even though the poorest can afford a whole regiment if they want. We were fools when we thought we could make our fortunes here. Though some of us got lucky."

"Any useful news?" Else asked. "What I've got is, the pirates might be coming to Brothe. And n.o.body thinks there's much we can do about it. I'm supposed to tell the family what to do."

"You know about as much as I do. The Princ.i.p.ate ain't my pal no more. He's all busy with schemes and conspiracies and not giving the guy who has to do the heavy lifting anything to work with."

"He say what his cousin's going to do?"

"No. But I'd put my money on him hunkering down, waiting out the storm, then using it as an excuse to start a crusade. He wants a crusade, bad. He don't much care who against. Come over here. Check this map. If you were a half-a.s.s mob of plunderers used to fishing for a living, where would you make your landing?" Ghort had a nice map of the city laid out.

"I wouldn't come all the way up here. I'd take fire from the bridges and fortified islands."

"But if you unship down here you'll get hung up in the tenements. Where the streets are narrow and tangled and there's nothing worm stealing."

"What's this here? I haven't been downriver from the Castella yet."

"Monuments. Plazas. Memorials. Mostly over a thousand years old. More plazas. Lots of squatters because there isn't anybody to run them off. It's not a good place for fighting."

"How about the north bank? Would they land there first?"

"Then cross the bridges? I might try that if I knew how feeble we are. It would make for an easy debarkation. But not much plunder. The big churches and family holdings are south of the river."

"These Calzirans are mostly fishermen and coastal traders, right? So they'll just be a mob. They could be panicked."

"We're looking at what might be some pretty big numbers, though. Got any ideas?"

"Sure. But we don't have the people. We'd need experienced soldiers. There's n.o.body out there but the Brotherhood."

"That we can see, Pipe. Or that enemy spies can see. But how about all those squatters out there? A lot of those guys came to Brothe hoping to join the armies the Patriarch hasn't gotten around to putting together."

"Ho! Pinkus, you aren't half as dumb as you put on. Why don't we take a walk? I know somebody over at the Castella."

"Anybody I'd know?"

"Sure. Redfearn Bechter. He made it out of the Connec. I ran into him the other day. He might listen long enough to think you're on to something."

"Grade Drocker is in charge over there, now. He's tight with Sublime. Sublime might not want the city to be able to defend itself."

"Drocker, eh? I thought Hawley Quirke was number one."

"Sublime got Quirke recalled to Runch. Quirke wouldn't kiss his a.s.s."

"I thought the Brotherhood was big on being its own boss."

"They're big on crusades, too. Sublime says he's gonna give them some. The Special Office is all fired up."

"THERE'S A PLAN IN PLACE, NOW," ELSE TOLD PALUDAN, DIVINO Bruglioni, and Gervase Saluda. Divino Bruglioni was the man Else had seen with Gervase and Paludan before. Divino did not seem as old as an uncle ought to be. "I spent all day running hither and yon, seeing men I knew from the Connec. We figured out how to handle a pirate attack. The Bruglioni would have to contribute four thousand, two hundred ducats and any skilled fighters who can work with the Brotherhood. Which would be me. The Madisetti, the Arniena, and Bronte Doneto's subclan of the Benedocto have all agreed already. I'm supposed to enlist the Bruglioni."

Paludan had trouble breathing. The Princ.i.p.ate sat quietly, considering Else. Gervase gasped. "Forty-two-hundred ducats?"