regarding Talth’s business dealings, the warehouse near Bal Marse visited by Lord Ragn, the curiously empty home adjacent to it, and theguards now patrolling the Decath grounds.
He frowned at that, leaning forward a little in his seat. “Well, that’s not like them at all, I’d say. Ragn Decath’s a good man, steady. If he’s scared enough to hire a security force . . .” His frown deepened. “I think you’re right. It’s certainly worth looking into.”
I resumed my account, telling him about the encounter I’d had with Talth’schildren. “The daughter gave me a couple of names. Uh — Emmis somebody?”
“Emmis Corsour?” Cwalo looked incredulous. “The man’s got to be eighty, and he never leaves his farm in Wolt. He’s obsessed with breeding the perfect hen. I don’t think he’s your man. Who else?”
“Kurst, I think?”
“That doesn’t sound familiar. I can’t help you there.” He paused a moment, his gaze scrutinizing.“There’s a complication you’re not telling me.”
I hesitated, looking at my fingers spread wide against my skirts. Cwalo knew about me, but the less said about these matters, the better. I nodded.
“Very well, I think I can guess. Go on.”
I shifted in my chair; I could see water beneath the floorboards at my feet, and gulls cried loudly outside, their voices eerie in the still air.“I need to know more about Talth’s business,” I said. “Have you heard that she was involved in anything . . . ?” I trailed off.
Lips pursed, Cwalo rubbed his bald head. “That’s a broad question. The answer to the specific question you did not ask me is no, but contrary to your opinion of me, I am not privy to everything that happens on our fair nation’s docks. It’s entirely possible she wasinvolved in matters that may have caused her path to cross with some of our . . . unique friends.”
“Durrel said he thought Talth was involved with criminals. But you’re saying she was involved with Sarists?” I kept my voice low.
“No! My girl, you misunderstand me.”
“Imagine that. You weren’t being oblique at all .”
Cwalo sighed and tapped his knuckles against the desk, obviouslytrying to decide whether to tell me something, or how much. I waited, and he finally drew his ringed fingers together in a pyramid before his face. “There are rumors — nothing confirmed, mind you, and no one’s approached me directly — but I’ve heard murmurs of secret shipments in and out of Gerse these last few months.”
“Shipments of what?”
Cwalo shook his head. “No word. Could be guns,could be gold — could be oranges from Talanca, for all I know.”
“But you don’t think so.”
He gave an almost imperceptible shrug. “Hard to say. But at a guess, it’s not guns. The Ceid openly ship supplies for Bardolph, so there’d be no reason to hide shipments of firearms to the Green Army. And we know where the rebels get their weapons.”
He meant himself, on that account. “Gold,then?”
“Well, it’s more likely, but again —”
“It doesn’t explain the magic.” I thought back for a moment, recalling everything I’d learned about smuggling while traveling with Cwalo. “You’re thinking it’s like that woman we met in Wyrst — that widow who sold us her brooch.” She’d wanted an outrageous sum for the thing, its value confirmed when it sparked up at my touch, but couldn’tsay what it actually did . I’d poked at it for a fortnight, but never could coax its secrets from it. Still, there were collectors — a black market in rare, magical antiquities that was so secretive even Cwalo didn’t usually deal with it.
“I would say that’s a distinct possibility. And dangerous enough too. The illicit trade in magical artifacts is risky at the best of times.”
“Andyou think that Talth was involved with these secret shipments?”
“I’m certain that the Ceid are involved; nothing happens in this city without their say, but to what extent your
He frowned at that, leaning forward a little in his seat. “Well, that’s not like them at all, I’d say. Ragn Decath’s a good man, steady. If he’s scared enough to hire a security force . . .” His frown deepened. “I think you’re right. It’s certainly worth looking into.”
I resumed my account, telling him about the encounter I’d had with Talth’schildren. “The daughter gave me a couple of names. Uh — Emmis somebody?”
“Emmis Corsour?” Cwalo looked incredulous. “The man’s got to be eighty, and he never leaves his farm in Wolt. He’s obsessed with breeding the perfect hen. I don’t think he’s your man. Who else?”
“Kurst, I think?”
“That doesn’t sound familiar. I can’t help you there.” He paused a moment, his gaze scrutinizing.“There’s a complication you’re not telling me.”
I hesitated, looking at my fingers spread wide against my skirts. Cwalo knew about me, but the less said about these matters, the better. I nodded.
“Very well, I think I can guess. Go on.”
I shifted in my chair; I could see water beneath the floorboards at my feet, and gulls cried loudly outside, their voices eerie in the still air.“I need to know more about Talth’s business,” I said. “Have you heard that she was involved in anything . . . ?” I trailed off.
Lips pursed, Cwalo rubbed his bald head. “That’s a broad question. The answer to the specific question you did not ask me is no, but contrary to your opinion of me, I am not privy to everything that happens on our fair nation’s docks. It’s entirely possible she wasinvolved in matters that may have caused her path to cross with some of our . . . unique friends.”
“Durrel said he thought Talth was involved with criminals. But you’re saying she was involved with Sarists?” I kept my voice low.
“No! My girl, you misunderstand me.”
“Imagine that. You weren’t being oblique at all .”
Cwalo sighed and tapped his knuckles against the desk, obviouslytrying to decide whether to tell me something, or how much. I waited, and he finally drew his ringed fingers together in a pyramid before his face. “There are rumors — nothing confirmed, mind you, and no one’s approached me directly — but I’ve heard murmurs of secret shipments in and out of Gerse these last few months.”
“Shipments of what?”
Cwalo shook his head. “No word. Could be guns,could be gold — could be oranges from Talanca, for all I know.”
“But you don’t think so.”
He gave an almost imperceptible shrug. “Hard to say. But at a guess, it’s not guns. The Ceid openly ship supplies for Bardolph, so there’d be no reason to hide shipments of firearms to the Green Army. And we know where the rebels get their weapons.”
He meant himself, on that account. “Gold,then?”
“Well, it’s more likely, but again —”
“It doesn’t explain the magic.” I thought back for a moment, recalling everything I’d learned about smuggling while traveling with Cwalo. “You’re thinking it’s like that woman we met in Wyrst — that widow who sold us her brooch.” She’d wanted an outrageous sum for the thing, its value confirmed when it sparked up at my touch, but couldn’tsay what it actually did . I’d poked at it for a fortnight, but never could coax its secrets from it. Still, there were collectors — a black market in rare, magical antiquities that was so secretive even Cwalo didn’t usually deal with it.
“I would say that’s a distinct possibility. And dangerous enough too. The illicit trade in magical artifacts is risky at the best of times.”
“Andyou think that Talth was involved with these secret shipments?”
“I’m certain that the Ceid are involved; nothing happens in this city without their say, but to what extent your
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