B3 Chapter 24

“Take a seat, Lord Zesh,” Master Orin said with a sly smile.

Lucan glared at him as he lowered himself onto the chair across from his opponents. “If the good master of the Emporium will acquaint me with the ladies?”

“Of course, of course.” Master Orin chuckled softly, then he turned towards the woman who sat beside him. “This is Mistress Yana Rhoswen. One of Varencourt’s highest personages.”

Lucan looked at her, cocking his head. “Does Mistress Yanna lead the Golden Wheel?”

“No,” Mistress Yanna herself answered. “I do sit on the Wheel’s council, however.”

Lucan frowned. “Does the guild have no leader?”

“It does.”

Lucan turned back to the old man. “Why is he not here then, Master Orin?”

It wasn’t Master Orin who answered, but the woman again. “Because if Fendrel was apprised of this, the only thing you would get out of him is a good guffaw.”

“And why are you here?” Lucan said, eying the woman and the girl, who by the resemblance of her features must have been her daughter.

“I am Yanna Rhoswen, as Master Orin has generously declared me, and this is my daughter, Elayne. I sit on the council of The Golden Wheel in my husband’s stead.” Lucan raised a brow, but she continued. “He is bedridden, but he retains his seat on the council by virtue of his holdings. In his stead, I have preserved these possessions and grown them.”

“I have no intention of doubting your mercantile skills,” Lucan said. “What I wonder is why I am treating with only one member of this council…and how many sit on its table.”

“There are nine seats on the council, including Fendrel. If I were to succeed in persuading four of them of your proposal, then it would happen in spite of him. And I have a lot of leeway with my fellow councilmen. That is why you treat with me.”

Lucan moved his eyes to the girl. She was young, having seen thirteen or fourteen winters at most. “And why do I treat with her?”

With a flat look, Yanna Rhoswen said, “Because she is my daughter, and she may one day succeed me.”

It was then that the girl spoke for a time. She scrunched up her nose and looked around. “It’s boring here, Mother.” Then she glared at Lucan. “And this man is smelly.”

Lucan glared back

“Hush,” Mistress Yanna snapped at her daughter. “This is Lord Lucan Zesh.”

“I didn’t know lords were smelly.”

Lucan looked her over once more, wondering if she was perhaps younger than he’d thought, for there was an impudence to her that suggested youth or overindulgence.

“Hush, I said!” Mistress Yanna now stared at her daughter, who stared back. “Listen to what is said and keep quiet.”

She turned back to Lucan and smiled. “Lord Zesh, Master Orin says that you have brought a proposal to us. You claim you can establish a route between our city and your realm through the canal?”

“I do not claim. I know we can establish it together,” Lucan said. “The Empire built the canal for this. It only needs some digging to get it back in order. Fair work on your side and ours would have the route cleared for barges in little time.”

“Safety would be ascertained on your side?” Mistress Yanna said.

“I have already spoken to Lord Ravencroft and to the neighboring knights. The route will be safe.”

“How far will this safety extend?” she asked. “The canal eventually leads to the Walis, yes?”

Lucan gave her a wry smile. “We would only clear the canal up to Silvergate. Any more would be a waste of resources.” He left unsaid that he didn’t want merchants to be able to land past his city. He planned for all those who would use the canal to end up in Silvergate, and from there, they could go wherever they wished. But the convergence of trade had to be in his city.

Mistress Yanna narrowed her eyes. “And from there?”

“They can head west,” Lucan said with a broader smile. “The lands will be safe all the way to Pontis.”

Still tense around the eyes, Mistress Yanna said, “And how can you ascertain this safety?”

“Because we have lately announced The Gray Alliance, a pact among nearly all the lords of the South to preserve our neutrality in the war and to allow trade to flow freely between east and west. Fair tolls will be imposed, nothing overmuch.”

Mistress Yanna rocked back in her seat with wide eyes. “An alliance, you say?”

“Yes. Should any of our number be attacked or coerced by the two warring factions, we will stand with each other. We will also protect the borders of the kingdom as is our duty. Most importantly for you, we have determined that trade must keep flowing between east and west should we wish to survive this coming ordeal.”

“Clear it is now then, clear it is,” Mistress Yanna looked at Master Orin, who appeared equally perplexed. “How long do you imagine this undertaking could take us should we choose to pursue it?”

“My engineer envisioned months with the right tools. Six, or perhaps less if we go to greater lengths.”

“And the costs?”

“We would share them.” Lucan gestured with an open palm. “One can imagine that the guilds don’t lack for coin. We would uphold our end, of course.”

“Clear it is.” Mistress Yanna seemed thoughtful, glancing ruefully at her daughter, who was busy with a seam in her dress, then turning back. “Should you give us your word that your end of this venture is ascertained, then The Wheel–” she paused for a fleeting moment, glancing at Master Orin, “–and allies will bear the cost on this side of the border. Yet…once this canal is open for trade, we would not be able to prevent others, even our own rivals, from using it too. It would bring the whole Union down upon us if we tried.”

“More trade is good for all,” Lucan said with a smile. In truth, he was pleasantly surprised. He’d expected that whichever guild they came to an agreement with would hold all trade through the canal, which would have certainly come with its own troubles. Now, he would get more trade than expected, and from different factions, which assured him that no one guild would be able to puppeteer his markets with whichever prices they wished.

“Perhaps,” Mistress Yanna said. “Yet we would pay for that which would benefit all, some even more than us at times. If I am to persuade my fellow councilmen, then I must bring a fair offer to their table.”

“What manner of offer?” Lucan asked. He did not doubt that the guild would find other ways to keep its foot above its rivals in this venture, but he doubted he would ever know how.

“The Wheel must be afforded some charters if we are to bear the weight of this undertaking on behalf of the Union.”

Lucan cocked his head. “What manner of charters?”

“Tolls and dues,” she said meaningfully. “Plenty of charters may be wrought there. Perhaps some warehousing charters too.”

Lucan shook his head. “The tolls are level among the territories of the alliance. I have no wish to disturb those waters. I may consider giving your guild some warehousing charters in Silvergate, but I doubt Lord Ravencroft would be able to accommodate you even should he wish to.”

Mistress Yanna took a breath, her eyes glazed over in thought. After another look at her daughter that might have in truth been a glare, she spoke. “And the dues?”

“What of them? You will be using our docks, our markets, and our warehouses,” Lucan said.

“The Wheel would need more than a foot up if we are to bear the weight of this undertaking,” she said. “Perhaps we can be spared the dues for a time? Twice the number of months it takes to clear the canal seems a fair offer, yes?”

Lucan scoffed, shaking his head. “That would void our own efforts. I cannot give such a promise. I can yield a tenth of the dues from today to posterity.”

Mistress Yanna gave him an indulging smile, not unlike one he would give to a child. “I must refuse the generous offer, Lord Zesh. I am certain that we can find a more appropriate arrangement, however. Perhaps The Wheel could lend you and Lord Ravencroft coin enough to blunt the edge of this undertaking, then we may have a year without your dues?”

Lucan returned her dismissive smile. “Fear not, Mistress Yanna. “We can bear the costs of this undertaking with ease. Reason has it that we ought to give some leeway to your guild, however. I propose six months with our dues halved to your benefit, and warehousing charters, within reason, of course.”

“Two-thirds of the dues,” Mistress Yanna said. “For a year.”

Lucan shook his head. “That is too much to demand of me, and I certainly cannot demand it of Lord Ravencroft, considering the expenses and duties attached to this undertaking.”

“Then Let The Wheel lend you the coin!”

Again, Lucan scoffed. “We do not intend to be beholden to your guild. We can prepare the canal on our side, and we will need no excess of coin to do it.” They both held each other’s glare for a moment before Lucan sighed. “We only need to reach a sensible agreement, Mistress Yanna. What you ask is simply too much.”

She let out a light breath too, letting her countenance ease. “Very well. Would you find half dues for a year acceptable?”

“Half dues for three seasons,” Lucan said evenly.

With a sweep of her hand, Mistress Yanna said, “No. The Wheel needs something to make this venture worth our while, and I need to bring the council a reasonable agreement, unless you wish for it to be rejected out of hand.” She tilted her head and gave him a cunning look. “And then your plans will be known to the guild, even as they lie fallow until you find another patron for them.”

Lucan pressed his lips. Half dues for a year was not a small amount. He imagined that most trade for the first few months would be from The Golden Wheel, and he suspected that they would carry the goods of some of their allies as their own. He glanced at Master Orin. The Blue Guild would certainly not help for free. After giving himself a moment for clarity of thought, he nodded.

Mistress Yanna clapped her hands. “Splendid. We have an agreement then.”

“The Blue Guild will gladly stand witness to this agreement,” Master Orin was quick to add.

Lucan nodded. “Then may the gods give us a wide berth.”