Malspire

  ***

  Returning to the Lady Ocean, I told my senior crew of the plan and ordered that the ship was to leave within the hour. With me had come ten more marines, a lectrocoder officer by the name of Mister Farnsind, a portable lectroder, which took eight men to man handle into the captain’s cabin, the Lady Lamient who was yet to say a word, and a senior engineer and team who went straight to the Lady Ocean’s engine room with orders to supply any parts needed to get the ship going at once. The Lady Lamient had taken a long leather bag and a ladies hand bag. Otherwise she still wore the simple dress and slippers although she had added a short coat and a square umbrella against the weather.

  The name of the ship had been repainted but I had it washed off with spirits as the paint was still wet. Now she was the Wraith Deep again. In the end it took four hours for the parts to be found and fitted. The engine was not well, but she would do for the mission. The ship was ready. Just as we were about to cast off and head out to sea, there was a call from the pier. I went to investigate and saw the strange Lord Pavantu requesting to board the vessel.

  “Come aboard,” I reluctantly called, and went down on deck to meet my guest.

  “Captain Ardalrion. I thought perhaps I could have a word in private before you leave.”

  “Of course,” I said, ushering my unwanted guest towards the cabin. “But we must make haste.”

  Showing the Secret Servant to a chair, and before the man could open his mouth, I seized the initiative by saying, “How do you know my brother?”

  Pavantu smiled and without even a hint of surprise answered, “He came to me. He had a problem and asked for my advice.”

  I sat down in my chair, watching the spy master.

  “I know you saw us on the pier, Malspire. I have men watching me. I have men watching them and I have a man watching Ajator.”

  “Why?”

  “I am interested in Ajator and yourself. This is why I am here.”

  “Because he will be the Lord Admiral of the Ardalrion Fleet I presume? I can only tell you that Ajator is a loyal servant of the Emperor. He is honest, brave and diligent in his duties. Does my father know you’re watching him? Did he send you?”

  “Your brother is the perfect subject. I don’t doubt his loyalties. Your father did not send me. I do not know how much you know of the Secret Servants but I answer only to the Master of the Secret Servants and he answers only to the Emperor.”

  “Then is my loyalty in doubt?”

  “What do you think?”

  “You’ve trusted my advice and you advised to send out the fleet based on what I told you. Of course I might be a rebel sympathiser and I’ve just laid a trap for the fleet. Only time will tell,” I stated.

  “Indeed. In a couple of days we might lose a major part of the Ardalrion fleet all thanks to a trap you’ve laid, but I doubt it. Even so, the Lady Lamient will see to it that you are the first to die if that be the case.” He smiled.

  “Is that what you came here to tell me? To threaten me?”

  Pavantu did not answer, but instead said: “Do you know Lord Luthis Balegrim? He is my captain as it were, the spy master general. I am a lowly officer who runs his errands. He sits by the Emperor and takes the Emperor’s questions and any that have anything to do with the Ardalrion house and rebellion come to me. I then find the answer and pass it back to my master.”

  “A candid answer for a spy.” I was somewhat taken aback by the man’s openness. He was after all admitting to spying on me and my family.

  “It’s no secret that the Emperor keeps an eye on his subjects, especially those close to him, as is your father. You are no fool, Malspire, and you suffer them lightly which is why I rather like you. I don’t think I need to play games of subterfuge or smoke and mirrors with you as you are a person like myself.”

  I did not like being compared to this man. He was obviously a cunning and clever bastard who would cut his own mothers throat for a step up on the rungs of power. But then, this man probably already knew that I knew this.

  “We are realists, Malspire. We see things for what they are, so if I tell you that I am spying on you and your family, you will accept it as a reasonable course of action for the Emperor to take. There is no malice. Although regrettable, it’s just the way things are.”

  Pavantu looked round the simple cabin, then continued, “As for threatening you, the answer is no. The fact is that I rather trust you. You wanted to know why Ajator and I met. I’ll tell you as I am looking for answers myself. He came looking for the Secret Servants here in Umuron and didn’t find us. My office likes to remain hidden, but when I heard of this I went to him.”

  “What did he want?”

  “He wanted to know about a man named Obein Klarans. Do you know who he is?”

  “No, but I remember Ajator mentioning that name. He asked my brother to join the Ship of Mariners.” Of course. Ajator would not have been able to let the incident with Klarans rest.

  "Indeed. Ajator told me. Klarans also offered him a place in the rebellion."

  "We assumed he was testing Ajator's loyalties. Do you know this man? I think he was seen recently. When in Sulenfir, I had a ship watched. I don't know what it was about the ship. Perhaps I had seen it recently in Umuron. My lookout, Mister Sudlas…"

  "Sudlas?"

  "Yes."

  "Carry on."

  "He spied a man with red hair, a missing ear and two missing fingers. This was the description given me by Ajator."

  "I see. What was the name of the ship?"

  "The Water Horse."

  Pavantu pondered this information as he fingered his cane. "What else did Ajator tell you?"

  “Nothing more.”

  "What did you tell him?"

  "I told him to forget about it. I told him it was a test."

  Pavantu leant forwards. “He told you nothing more? You are brothers. You are twins. You are both very close and very fond of one another. I know this. I know a lot about the both of you. He is obviously troubled by this event, and he told you nothing more?”

  I did not like being questioned like this. Who was this man to question my loyalty or my brother's? "No."

  Pavantu leant back again and steepled his fingers in thought. “Your brother was here not long ago,” he suddenly said.

  “He was?” I had hoped my brother was with the fleet but had not had time to find out. “Is he not here anymore? Will he join the fleet?”

  “He is a captain. He was made captain at the same time as yourself. He was given a frigate called the Sharpblade in Norlan. He married you know?”

  “I did know.”

  “Good. Rather a quick affair I hear. A bit of a scandal, but nothing that won’t be forgotten in a few months.”

  “Then where is he?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I thought it was your job to know.”

  “And so it is, Malspire. So it is. I was rather hoping you could tell me.”

  I thought for a moment. “I should think his crew might not be ready for action yet. He may be on sea trials.”

  “No. Apparently the ship is in good shape as are the crew. The ship and crew have been at sea for a number of years now. Its previous captain was moved to make way for Ajator. All ready for action and eager to give the rebels a broadside. Also, he didn’t report his intentions to the naval office. All I know is that he was given orders and set sail the same day.”

  “Isn’t there a copy of the orders at the Naval Office?”

  “Highly secret. He has the only copy. The Naval Office only has a receipt to show that he picked them up.”

  “Well, what about your spies? Don’t you have a man on his ship?”

  “I do. I only just placed him there though. I don’t have the manpower to have spies on every ship and didn’t have reason to until now. Anyway, the Sharpblade left before I had any news from my man.”

  This indicated that Pavantu probably did not have a spy on the Lady Ocean, although that might be jus
t what the man wanted me to think.

  “Why now?”

  “This is where I start putting the pieces together and the picture it makes… unnerves me. It needs more parts. I found a need for a spy on his ship. You see, someone is already spying on him, and it isn’t me. That is, not directly as it were.”

  “Who else would be watching my brother? How do you know?”

  “That is the question. I know because the interloper is a Secret Servant who was recognised by one of my agents. It would seem that someone else in the service is also watching Ajator.”

  “Is that uncommon?”

  “It happens, but strictly speaking, I am in charge of your family when it comes to answering the Emperor’s queries and I know nothing of this agent. I am looking into it, but at the moment I know nothing about this agent at all.”

  “Lord Balegrim?”

  “Perhaps. But why keep an eye on Ajator without my knowledge? Why not use me as I am meant to be used?”

  “You’ve fallen out of favour would seem to be the obvious answer,” I said with a certain satisfaction, I might add.

  “I doubt that. I understand that it might seem obvious to you, not knowing me, but there is something else afoot and I fear for your brother’s safety.”

  “Why?” I demanded. I did not think that Pavantu had fallen out of favour. He was obviously the perfect man for the job which was why this comment worried me so much. “Why?” I repeated.

  “It’s a hunch. Something isn’t right. Ajator came to me asking about Obein Klarans, and then I find there is a Secret Servant spy aboard his ship without my consent. Then he vanishes on some mysterious errand.”

  “You do doubt his loyalty. You think he has gone to join the rebellion. He would never do such a thing!”

  “I told you, Malspire. As far as I can tell, Ajator is loyal. I have never doubted that and I don’t do so now.”

  I did not believe him. Was this man so stuck in a world of shadows and secrecy that he saw enemies and traitors in everything and everyone? Ajator probably had a very good reason to set out to sea. His orders probably told him to return to Norlan. It was probably my father who wanted him to return for a proper marriage. It had to be something simple, yet I felt deep down that Pavantu might be right and something very bad was going on.

  “What can I do?”

  “If there is nothing more you know then there’s nothing more you can do.” Pavantu watched me. “Perhaps I am being over cautious. I very much hope so,” he eventually said.

  A sudden gush of wind shook the windows.

  “There’s a storm coming,” Pavantu whispered then looked back to me. “Now you must be off. I’ve held you up long enough.” Then, standing up, he added in a harsher tone, “The gods are watching, young Malspire. I hope they favour the Empire this day.”

  We hastened the ship through the harbour and out to sea. The weather was getting worse and men wrapped up against the inclement winds and water. Seagulls called their complaints and seemed to be heading for cover inland. The wave tops started to show signs of breaking. I hoped the storm would not last, but it was an ominous sign. It took a concerted effort to focus on the mission at hand after the meeting with Lord Pavantu. Not only could I not shake the unreasonable fear for my brother that the man had planted, but also the notion that the Secret Servant knew much more than he was letting on.