“That’s what the duke’s own treasury is for,” Marce pointed out.
“Alas, Lord Marce, two years of fighting have depleted the duke’s treasury and also made it more difficult to collect taxes and other revenues. He needs help.”
“He got the help,” Vrenna pointed out. “The parliament authorized the weapons. But it’s also the duke’s responsibility to patrol the space between the Flow shoal and the planet. If pirates are operating there, it’s because the duke hasn’t been doing his job.”
Ghreni turned his attention back to the count. “The duke is aware that asking for this disbursement is unusual. His argument, and I think it’s a good one, is that parliament intended those weapons for the duke, and therefore in allowing these additional funds to go to the duke to repurchase the weapons, you are following their intent.”
“I don’t think that argument is as good as the duke thinks it is,” Jamies said. “As I’m also aware that the imperial garrison here has been told not to intervene in the matter.”
This got a nod from Ghreni. “The duke knows full well that the only noble currently under the protection of the imperial military is you, Count Claremont. He finds that interesting.”
“It’s not interesting at all, Lord Ghreni. As you’ve noted, the Interdependency’s money goes through my offices. The emperox values his money. Which is why I’m not convinced he will be happy to see it unexpectedly diverted. Nor would he be happy with me.”
“The duke is prepared for that eventuality.”
“That’s nice,” Jamies said. “Considering he will not be the one sent to prison for it.”
“Come, now, Count Claremont. Give the duke credit for some intelligence. Remember that we are nine months away from Hub and Xi’an. In those nine months, the duke can crush this rebellion and return with interest any funds lent to him. He will lend his authority to yours to argue to the emperox that you and Chief Han were acting in the best interests of the Interdependency. And in the meantime the duke promises that your loyalty will be rewarded.”
Jamies laughed at this. “There is irony in attempting to bribe someone who you are trying to get money from, Lord Ghreni.”
“The duke believes that money is not the only coin for loyalty.”
“And Chief Han was convinced by this argument.”
“Yes, she was, my lord.”
“So to sum up,” Jamies said, “you wish me to illegally transfer imperial funds to the duke so he may buy the weapons he already bought but lost due to negligence, because the person whom you have already suborned cannot do it herself, and to compensate for executing several crimes against the imperial state, you offer me nebulous, so-called rewards to be determined later, which are not actual money. Is this correct?”
“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Ghreni said. “Nor would the duke.”
“Of course you wouldn’t put it that way. But that’s what you’re asking for.”
“So this means you’re unwilling to help the duke,” Nohamapetan said.
“I didn’t say that,” Jamies said, and Marce, for one, was entirely surprised. A quick glance over to his sister found her unreadable. “I may help the duke. But I don’t want either you or I, or the duke, for that matter, to pretend that we’re doing anything other than this.”
Jamies stood, signaling the interview was over. Marce and Vrenna stood as well. Nohamapetan picked up the hint and bowed. “What may I tell the duke?” he asked.
“You may tell him that I will have an answer for him in a week,” Jamies said.
“With all due respect, my lord, right now, a week is a very long time.”
“Not as long as the fifty years I’ll spend in prison if this all goes sideways, Lord Ghreni,” Jamies said. “That is, if the emperox doesn’t simply decide to have me killed.”
“May I humbly ask that I can say to the duke that he’ll have an answer within five days. Five days, I am sure, would be acceptable to him.”
Jamies appeared to think about this. “Very well, Lord Ghreni. Five days.”
“Thank you, my lord.” He bowed. “If the duke wishes to come see you himself, where may I tell him you will be, these next few days?”
“I’ll be here,” Jamies said. “As I always am. As I always have been.”
Ghreni bowed again, turned, and exited. Marce waited until Vrenna went and closed the office door behind him before speaking.
“You can’t seriously be thinking of doing that,” he said to his father.
“Why not?” Jamies asked.
Marce was gobsmacked.
“You’re buying time,” Vrenna said, coming back up to both of them.
“I am,” Jamies agreed.
“Buying time for what?”
“Until it doesn’t matter anymore.” Jamies pointed at the tablet that Marce was still holding. “I’ve modeled the collapse of the Flow streams, son. It will be years before they’re all gone. But some of them are already about to fail.” He tapped the tablet. “One of the first will be the stream from here to Hub. The model shows it’s already collapsing.”
“How long until it’s gone?” Vrenna asked.
“Another year. But it’s collapsing from the entrance shoal. The best-case scenario has it closing in a month. The worst case is in about a week. After that it will be entirely inaccessible. Any ship that’s here at End will stay here. Forever.” Jamies turned to his son. “Which is another reason you have to go, now. If you don’t go now, you’ll never be able to go.”
“You should be the one to go,” Marce repeated, to his father.
Jamies shook his head. “The duke’s about to be deposed. All the sitting nobles are being watched to see if they’re trying to abandon the planet ahead of his fall. And now I have to give Ghreni Nohamapetan an answer about the money. If I so much as leave this house, the assumption will be that I’m making a run for it. They’re watching me. They’re not watching you.”
“It makes sense, Marce,” Vrenna said. “You’re the only one who can explain this stuff as well as Dad can. And they won’t be paying attention to you.”
“Especially since I’ve made Vrenna my heir,” Jamies said.
“What?” Marce said.
“Yeah, what?” Vrenna said.
“I officially made Vrenna my heir as soon as I knew about the collapse of the Flow,” Jamies said, to his son. “And now you have a public excuse to leave End because you won’t inherit. Even right now no one would question it.”
“I don’t want to be countess,” Vrenna protested. “And I sure as hell don’t want to be imperial auditor.”
“Relax,” Jamies said. “There will be nothing to audit soon.”
“That’s … not encouraging.”
Jamies smiled at his daughter and looked back to his son. “I sold some holdings recently. It should be enough to get you passage on a ship and get you set up at Hub when you get there.”
“How much is it?” Marce asked.
“About eighty million marks.”
“Good lord!”
“Yes,” agreed Jamies. “I may have lied to that Ghreni Nohamapetan character about my net worth. The point is, Marce, now you have means, motive, and opportunity to leave End. Leave. Do it now. Tell the emperox what we know. If we’re lucky, he may still have time to prepare.”