He spread his hands over the maps, coming to rest on one of the red squares just north of Zarin. “Here,” he said. “Two years ago someone broke into a money changer’s house, killing one of his apprentices in the process. The thief left a Monpress calling card, and that was all the local authorities needed. However, anyone who’s spent time studying Monpress knows that, whoever committed that crime, it wasn’t Eli. First off, a money changer’s office is far too small a target. Second, the murder of the apprentice, very unlike him, but the real sign here is the lack of flair. It’s such a simple, unsophisticated crime. Uninventive. For me, that alone is enough to absolve Monpress of guilt in this matter.”
“Impressive,” Hern said, making a good show of actually looking impressed. “Are you going to take all this over to the bounty office, then? Earn a little goodwill from the Council? The northern kingdoms are still rather miffed at you for raising the toll to use your river last year.”
“I calculate my toll based on the damages their drunken, irresponsible barge captains inflict on my docks,” the duke said. “If they have a problem with that, then they are free to reimburse me directly or hire better captains. As for Eli,” the duke said, returning the stack of cards to its place at the top of the map, “I would never dream of giving my findings to a group as disorganized and sensational as the Council’s Bounty Office. If they think they can just throw money at a problem as complex and nuanced as Monpress and make it go away, then they deserve the runaround he’s giving them.”
Hern gave him a sly look over his teacup. “Thinking of collecting the bounty yourself, then? I didn’t think fifty-five thousand was a large enough number to interest a man of your wealth.”
“Do not make assumptions about my interests,” the duke said, sitting back. “Only a shortsighted fool thinks he is wealthy enough not to take opportunities presented.”
“How interesting to hear you say that,” Hern said, sitting up and putting his teacup aside. “As it happens, a new opportunity has just opened up for me.”
The duke smiled and mentally calculated Hern’s timing. Five minutes from arrival to broaching of actual point, faster than usual. Hern must have something big on the line. “How much?” he asked, tapping his fingers together.
Hern looked taken aback. “Edward,” he said, “what makes you think—”
The Duke of Gaol gave him a cutting look. “How much, Hern?”
“Ten thousand gold standards,” Hern said, crossing his legs and draping his arms over the back of the couch. When the duke gave him an incredulous look, he just shrugged. “You asked, I answered. I’ve a rare opportunity here, Edward. Remember what I wrote you a few days ago about forcing Banage to exile his own apprentice to a tower? Well, the girl lived up to her reputation better than I’d thought possible and rejected the deal entirely. Fortunately, I got wind of this before the trial, and just this afternoon I had her convicted of treason.”
“Sounds like a done deal,” the duke said. “Why do you need my money?”
“Well,” Hern said and took another long sip of his tea. “A treason conviction is a serious matter, Edward, especially for a girl as promising and protected as Banage’s little pet. It all happened very quickly and I had to make a few promises the night before to see it through.”
“I see,” the duke said. “And these ‘promises’ add up to ten thousand gold standards? What happened to the thousand I gave you last month?”
“Gone,” Hern said with a shrug. “How do you think I got the signatures for her accusation? Whether they’re Tower Keepers or apprentices, all Spiritualists have an obsession with duty, and that makes getting them to do anything very expensive. Frankly, Edward, you got that trial on the cheap. Any other time and it would easily have cost twice that much to put Banage’s favorite on the spot. But this Mellinor business was such a mess. People were already nice and scared and looking for someone to blame, and who better than the girl at the heart of it?”
“And what does this have to do with me?” the duke said. “So far, all I’ve heard is the usual Spiritualist politics, and I have quite enough politics of my own to deal with. Why should I give you ten thousand standards to fund more?”
Hern’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t get cheap on me, Fellbro. This is as much for your benefit as mine. Fifteen years now I’ve been Gaol’s Tower Keeper, and for fifteen years I’ve been keeping idealists like Banage out of your land. We don’t need to go into what would happen if an investigation of Gaol was requested, but you’d be amazed how fast the Spirit Court’s policy of noninterference with sovereign states can vanish if they judge the cause worthy enough. Such an investigation could be especially troubling if they teamed up with your enemies in the Council, who would love to see a return to lax tariffs and rules of your father’s time. I have worked tirelessly for years now to keep your secrets, and all I’ve ever asked in return is a little monetary assistance in my efforts to reform the Court. Ten thousand is pocket change for a man like you. We both know it, so don’t try and pretend I’m being unreasonable, or else I may have to start suddenly remembering things about Gaol you’d rather I didn’t.”