Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
As True and Bram had just received birds from True’s mother, pressing him to return home, the men were reporting on efforts with Carrington, about which they received daily dispatches from the capital.
“He cannot possibly be acting in his own interests,” True noted. “He’s subverting my father’s reign. With this new tax, now he’s targeting Farah and me. It seems his intent is to weaken the power structure of the realm. He can’t be doing this just for jollies.”
“We’ve had a man loyal to you intercept all his missives and read them before sending them on. We’ve had men following him wherever he goes. He says nothing of concern, he meets with no one suspect,” Wallace said.
“You are sure they’ve not been noticed in these endeavors,” True inquired.
Wallace shook his head. “Not a chance. They’re skilled, True. You know that.”
He did. It would be a great surprise if the men chosen for these tasks were noted in carrying them out.
“And Carrington’s secretary?” True queried.
Wallace shook his head. “The same.”
True turned his attention to Luther. “His history?”
But it wasn’t Luther who answered, it was Alfie.
“He studied at the university in Go’Doan, True.”
True locked eyes with his captain.
“They were behind the attack in Fire City,” Alfie reminded him. “And our men in the Thicket report G’Seph disappeared somewhere along the journey from Firenze. This cannot be a coincidence.”
No, it could not.
And on the scale of where someone stood regarding the Go’Doan, Alfie had always been firmly planted in the zone where he did not trust them.
Not in the least.
“And he studied there,” Alfie repeated. “There’s nothing of concern in his background, except that. He has a mistress who he rarely visits who is paid well for services she doesn’t often render. She lives in apartments even more palatial than most accommodation at Birchlire. But this only shares your father pays him too much. As you know, we have a man on her as well, and she enjoys shopping and lunching with friends, evenings at the theater to show off the gowns she’s able to purchase. Nothing in her communications, activities or acquaintances causes alarm. Other than that, the man spends his time with his nose up your father’s arse and treating his secretary like a dog.”
Alfie leaned toward True and finished.
“He is being circumspect now, after the attack in Firenze. This is why we’re finding nothing. But whatever his agenda, it stems from his link to Go’Doan, True. I’d stake my life on it.”
These words, from Alfie, carried a lot of weight.
Therefore, True nodded to his captain and looked around the table, asking, “We have men on the temples?”
“Yes,” Bram answered. “Business as usual. Thus, I’d like to send them in for a search. Though to do that, the edict has to come from your father. That said, this is risky. If it’s done overtly, they would be aware we’re onto them. If it’s done covertly and the crown doesn’t know about it, and our man was discovered, we’d be hard-pressed to explain why we acted without the knowledge of the king. Thus, putting the realm at odds with a nation of priests who most think are harmless, but others subscribe to their beliefs.”
“And what about Gal and Brix?” True pressed on. “Any word from them? Could they infiltrate the Go’Doan temples?”
“No word. According to a pixie sent by Baldrick, they’re ‘deep under,’” Wallace shared. “I don’t know what that means, but I can send a message to Baldrick, see if he can get one to them and set them on the temples.”
True nodded his acceptance of that suggestion, drew in breath, let it out, and sat back.
It was glaringly apparent with his recent proclamation his father would not wish to entertain a request to search the temples from True. Even if the attack in Firenze made it expedient to do so, and the Go’Doan would understand why it was done, and if they had nothing to hide, they would have no protest.
True didn’t endorse the idea that every temple and every priest in every realm should be under suspicion, watched or searched.
But that didn’t mean questions shouldn’t be asked.
And those questions should have been asked in Wodell already.
They had not.
Carrington had used Cassius’s regency to his advantage and True had inadvertently fallen in with this plan by taking this journey for Farah.
He would not change his decision about the journey for Farah.
He’d change the advisor his father trusted.
True had never been “in,” as such, with his father.
Now it was clear, in very important ways, he’d been cast out at the worst possible time for his realm.
“We have a much more immediate problem,” Florian put in. “This gold being demanded, ostensibly for your wedding, is not being taken very well. The pixies report there was a great deal of excitement in the city. Now there’s a great deal of grumbling. So much, it could turn and quickly. Against you.”