For Instance, The Character Of The Persons Being Assisted Deserves More Consideration Than Often It Is Given
“Found one.” The Dvanjchtliv wiped the umbrella off in a patch of grass as thoroughly as circumstances allowed and held it over Poiskops Bodan-Tin, who shortly recovered sufficiently to talk, if not to haggle over the compensation for emergency services rendered which neither of his helpers actually wanted. That arrangement persisted until the runner, Iischipl Neurgsivaj according to Ebringsawm, who may have said that to get a laugh out of the Adaban and if so suffered disappointment, returned with a slight Drastlifar hoisted over shoulders which may have been narrow by Brawny Knight standards but no other.
“By the beneficence of the gods, no lasting harm has been done, Stanops,” Doctor Petarun Bavan-Ston reported after his examination. The patient remained perfectly still during it, a testament less to the fortitude of Poiskops than to his wisdom in hiring Subjugators for medical positions.
“Everything to them,” Poiskops responded. That was a religious formula which did not prevent him from acknowledging the instruments gods employed to manifest their blessings. “I thank all you fellows for your help, for as they say, more piteous than the beggar is the man prevented by well-meaning fortune from receiving from others what they in all kindness give. Did anyone see the failure well enough to identify him? This rain, this rain. Obviously I won't ask what you were all doing out here.”
Language and culture notwithstanding, Dirant understood the order and obeyed. “The coincidence is that I left Koshat because I saw someone acting strangely, and yet I came across this attack which had nothing to do with that.”
“We were doing the same,” Iischipl said, “except that, you'll think my words an invention, it was this very fellow here we thought suspicious! That's the cost of doubting someone. The distrust aimed at others is returned five times over.” There was the Drajvignu again. Dirant doubted he even realized he was quoting it.
The Dvanjchtlivs and the Adaban concurred in their description of the Tandish, Brawny Knighty attack, which lent their testimony weight. There was a saying about that exact possibility, Takki had once told him. “When the wolf and the fox sign a peace, the chicken should remember how to fly.” Clearly the chicken represented falsehood while the wolf and the fox were the truth-tellers of those two tribes.
“A Tand? What Tand did I offend, what Tand did I wrong? The consolation has to be that it's some private quarrel and nothing to do with your master,” he nodded toward the Dvanjchtlivs, “or your company's legally protected processes,” and that toward Dirant. I would ask that we all restrict this information to the most relevant people. Security, lawyers in charge of our wills, and that sort of person.”
“Such was my intention from the beginning,” Dirant assured him, and the foxes expressed similar sentiments.
“And so I must of course request the same of you, though I would never declare such a provision were I the intended victim.” With those words did Dirant conclude his summary of the situation for the benefit of Millim Takki Atsa, a security expert who worked for free, disregarding meals and tickets to the occasional show. In Koshat Dreivis however, Poiskops Bodan-Tin alone paid and everyone else might enjoy as he wished. It was better to wish for exactly what he provided, as offending the Stanops was something best avoided.
“I understand that completely. You have to think that's a common occurrence for an oligarch, don't you? How many times do you think someone tries to murder him per annum?” Takki finished her stretching and set up the flat rug shaped like a human she planned to stab repeatedly with a dagger. “I'm still only Advanced in Dagger, and it's a handy weapon in cities,” she had explained.
Her shadow lay long across the park so early in the morning. Nobody else used the place then, since for all the munificence of the Stanops, the citizens still had to work. Tourists did not, and Stadeskosken employees created value simply by existing, or so one might conclude from Poiskops Bodan-Tin's rapid acceptance of the terms set forth by Onerid. Her surprise might have been lessened had she known of its Itinerant Ritualist's role in foiling an assassination attempt, but Dirant had not so informed her. He declined to take advantage of an incidental service he hoped never to repeat. Besides, Poiskops knew.
Dirant sat on a planting wall to watch. “It must vary according to whether the Permissive Council sits that year. Taking into account taxation periods, the annual convoy from Geft, and seasonal turbulence such as the Spring Storm, an average of two and three parts out of ten is my estimate.”
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“I can see that. I'd guess most of those attempts are a man charging at him in the street yelling 'Give me back my money!' and never getting within spear distance. And there's no spear. That's a little different from hiring a Brawny Knight to assault him when he's outside for some reason when it's almost night.”
“That apparently is a habit of his and nothing odd. Mr. Neurgsivaj told us that the doctor's first reaction was to say a malady must have come upon the oligarch during one of his evening walks. That wool man is losing integrity at a rapid rate.”
“Thank you. So who knows about that? Please forget I asked that. It has to be everybody in town aside from us. We do think that Tand was hired by another person I'm going to call the mastermind even if you laugh at me, don't we?”
“We do, erroneously as it may be.”
“All right. I'm glad I wasn't getting out there on my own. Keiminops Bodan-Tin.”
“You think so? It is plausible there is a benefit to him if his uncle dies, and I have no grounds to dismiss him wholly, but the conclusion is swift and the benefits to him not sure.”
“No, I mean, there he is.” She gestured with her dagger, frowned, and gestured with her non-dagger hand. Some actions are rude even if the person in question cannot see them.
Her observation was true. Keiminops Bodan-Tin had not thrown himself into the day-long if not night-long leisure of the dissolute scion depicted in so many periodicals but rather was up early and speaking with a cluster of Drastlifars who smiled at everything he said. Those friends of the family departed one by one, most for the northern gates and a few toward the docks.
“All right, Ressi. The two best times to interrogate a suspect are when he's just gotten up and when he yearns to go to bed. Get everything you can, but most important is . . .” She stabbed a woolen heart, thoughtfully. “Try to find out if his uncle told him about the attack. That will tell us the most about the domestic situation. Do you think it's rude to ask who's likeliest to be voted head of the family if Stanops Poiskops dies?”
“Yes, and so he might enjoy the question. I must feel it out.”
Keiminops Bodan-Tin had just sent the last helpful man off when Dirant wandered over, by chance of course. The chance came from a decision made with coinflip odds whether to arrive before the instructions finished so as to eavesdrop or not. Dirant opted for the latter; that was no way to endear himself to Keiminops, who surely would notice and probably resent it.
“Good morning, Eizesl.”
“Good morning, Sajaitin. This is only a suggestion made to me, but do you have the address of a law firm which deals with arrangements to use proprietary food preparation methods? Oh, just like that? Thank you, Sajaitin.” Keiminops accepted the slip Dirant had prepared beforehand at Poiskops's suggestion. “Now that we've exchanged gifts, we're friends inseparable and eternal. You may not have read enough of our romanticized histories to understand that, but it's true. Does the revelation affect your stance on that other issue?”
“No, because friendship and the demands of society are sometimes opposed, and true friends are aware of that. I have none of those myself of course. As for society, I inquired as you proposed despite knowing you likely did not expect me to go through with it. I found enough support for your position to accept it as standard Drastlifan practice. And so. How may I assist you and what are your merits? I see you are busy in the morning. Is industry a strong point of yours?”
“Sajaitin, sometimes people tell me I work too hard. You see yourself I spent several minutes relaying Uncle's instructions. That's but one example of my activities. I don't have a second I can show you, but we can walk around and wear the serious expressions of serious people.” While Keiminops led them on a stroll, nodding and grunting occasionally, Dirant began his sly interrogation.
“What sort of instructions require a nephew to tell other people how to act? The reverse is more usual, unless the purpose behind it is to accustom the family hangers-on to receiving your commands.”
“Woksan's pointing finger, I never thought of that. I reckoned I needed to carry off my latest enterprise conceived in all optimism and more ambition to have a chance, but maybe . . .” It seemed Dirant was providing information to Keiminops rather than the other way around, but you had to feed cows before you milked them. In any case, it appeared that Keiminops did not believe himself to be the favored candidate in the next Bodan-Tin leadership election. Not until then at least.
Their trip ended at the popcorn pavilion. There must be some message in that, Dirant supposed. What it might be he did not know, and neither was he prepared for Keiminops to pivot and place unyielding hands on his shoulders and to look upon him with eyes that could benefit from a blink or two. They were starting to look terribly red, like a dramatic representation of an avenging spirit. “I can't tell you my plan for sound commercial reasons, Sajaitin. What sorrow! We're expected to say that even though I'm actually excited about it. It's big enough that I can't do it myself, not even with all the Bodan-Tins behind me. They won't be, not even if they catch an illness that gives them Uncle's enthusiasm, and absolutely not as the ship now rocks. The people Egille goes to persuade to cross the ocean beautiful and dreadful both all say they've cultivated the virtue of contentment instead, and where is your Greater Enloffenkir with that history behind it? But I'm not resourceless. I also have friends somehow, and Uncle has friends, which are the same thing. I'm making progress. The most important thing right now is to follow up on the lead Eizeur Helsodenk gave me.”