said, ‘Shall we talk?’ He indicated his study.
The Duke said, ‘I think so.’
He removed his cape and handed it to the astonished serving girl who had come to see who was at the door, and swept past her and Karli.
In his study, Roo closed the door. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure?’ he asked.
James sat in a chair opposite Roo’s desk. ‘From the expression on your face when I appeared at the door, pleasure isn’t what I think you feel.’
Roo said, ‘Well, it’s not often we have the Duke of Krondor show up unannounced a few minutes before bedtime.’
‘I can do without the fuss of letting you know I’m coming and throwing your household into an uproar. I don’t need another large meal with all the neighbors invited,’ said James. ‘Truth to tell, I know most of those with estates near here, and you’re among the few with whom I can have an interesting discussion.’
Roo looked dubious. ‘Would you care to stay the night, m’lord?’
‘My thanks for the offer, but I must continue my journey. I’m heading to your homeland, to have word with the Dowager Baroness and her son. She sent assassins to kill Erik.’
‘I was warned,’ said Roo. ‘I was also told you took the assassin into custody.’
‘Yes,’ said the Duke. His features were drawn and he looked as if he had done without sleep for too many days recently, but his eyes were still alert and they studied Roo’s face for a moment. ‘He’s been … seen to. The other man, though, he’s still out and about, and if he’s merely Baroness Mathilda’s errand boy, he’ll be back to Darkmoor by now and she may be hatching another plot. I have plans for you and Erik, so I’m personally going to see she stops trying to kill you,’ he said lightly. Then, with complete seriousness, he added, ‘Neither of you is to die until I say so.’
Roo sat back. There was really nothing more for him to say until the Duke told him what was on his mind. Roo knew he owed James several serious favors for his intervention in Roo’s almost unheard of rise to power and wealth, and he was certain James was here to collect one of those favors. He wouldn’t stop by just to let Roo know he was personally seeing to Erik’s and his safety.
After a moment of silence, James said, ‘I could do with a drink.’
Roo had the good grace to blush. ‘Sorry,’ he said, rising from his chair. He retrieved two crystal goblets and some expensive brandy in a matching decanter from a cabinet built into the wall next to a window overlooking one of Karli’s many gardens. He poured two generous measures, then handed one to the Duke.
James sipped and nodded his approval.
When Roo had returned to his chair, the Duke spoke. ‘I have a favor to ask.’
Roo was surprised. ‘You sound as if you really mean that.’
‘I do. We both know you owe me in a very large measure, but I can’t demand you go.’
‘Go where?’
‘Queg.’
‘Queg?’ Roo’s astonishment was genuine. ‘Why Queg?’
James paused a moment, as if weighing how much to tell Roo. He lowered his voice. ‘Confidentially, we’re going to have our hands full with the Emerald Queen’s fleet when it clears the Straits of Darkness. Nicky’s got some notion of hitting it halfway through, but to do that he’s got to have the bulk of our fleet on the Far Coast. That means we have no way of protecting our shipments from the Free Cities and Ylith when the enemy is in the Bitter Sea.’
‘You want to make a deal with Queg not to raid our shipping?’
‘No,’ said James. ‘I want you to negotiate a deal to hire Quegan warships as escorts for our ships.’
Roo looked like an owl greeted by a bright light. Then he laughed. ‘You want to bribe them.’
‘In a word, yes.’ James sipped at his brandy then lowered his voice, ‘And we want fire oil. Lots of it.’
‘Will they sell it?’
James sipped his drink. ‘Once, no. But they know we have the knowledge of making it, and have had it since the fall of Armengar. What we don’t have is the production facilities. Our agents tell us they have an abundant supply. I need at least five thousand barrels. Ten thousand would be better.’
‘That’s a lot of destruction,’ whispered Roo.
‘You know what’s coming, Roo,’ the Duke answered, his voice equally low.
Roo nodded. There was only one merchant in Krondor who had traveled to that distant land and seen firsthand the destruction visited upon innocents by the Emerald Queen. But there were other merchants with far better connections to be made with Queg. ‘Why me?’
‘You are a well-regarded curiosity, Roo Avery. Word of your rise has spread from Roldem to the Sunset Islands, and I’m counting on that curiosity to tip the balance.’
‘What balance?’ asked Roo.
James set his goblet on Roo’s desk. ‘Queg has many quaint and original laws, and not the least of these is the simple fact that a non-citizen of that mad little Empire had no legal rights. If you set foot on Quegan soil without a Quegan sponsor, you’re property for the first Quegan with a strong enough arm to toss a rope around you and make it stick. If you resist, even to save your life, that’s assault on a citizen.’ He made a rowing motion. ‘How do you feel about long ocean voyages?’
‘How long?’
‘Twenty years is the shortest sentence we’ve heard of.’
Roo sighed. ‘How do I get a sponsor?’
‘That’s the tricky part,’ said James. ‘We’ve had strained relations with Queg lately. Too much smuggling and raiding from our point of view, too little paying of duties for sailing on their ocean from their point of view. Our delegation was expelled from their court four years ago, and it’s going to take a while to get another installed.’
‘Sounds difficult,’ said Roo.
‘It is. But the thing you need to know about the Quegans is that their government serves two purposes: to keep order – by keeping the peasants beaten down – and to defend the island. The real power rests with their rich merchants. The oldest families have hereditary rights to a place on their ruling body, the Imperial Senate. Those with enough money can buy a seat.’
Roo grinned. ‘Sounds like my kind of place.’
‘I doubt you’d like it. Remember, aliens have no rights. If you irritate your sponsor, he can withdraw his protection at whim. That means you have to be very polite. Take lots of gifts.’
‘I can see what you mean.’ Roo reflected on what he had been told for a moment, then asked, ‘How am I supposed to get ashore to make this sort of sponsorship contact if you can’t provide an introduction?’
‘You’re
