Imager’s Intrigue Read Online Free

patrollers were talking about it.”
    “A wealthy factor from Piedryn was killed, with a note pinned to him, signed by a workers’ group—Workers for Justice—that no one has heard from in years. Have our patrollers keep their ears open. If someone comes into unexplained golds, I’d like to hear about it.”
    “I’ll let them know.” Alsoran paused. “You don’t think that’s it, do you?”
    “Let’s say that I think it’s unlikely that a workers’ group could build, place, and explode a bomb with that much precision.”
    “What about foreigners? The Ferrans haven’t been happy with Solidar ever since the Winter War.”
    “They certainly could find the expertise, but I can’t figure out why they’d target a factor whose lands and wealth come from wheat, corn, and agricultural goods. If they went after a High Holder like Young Ryel, who has factories and mills as well as lands, or after High Holder Shaercyt, who owns most of the port facilities in Westisle…that would make more sense. Or especially a factor like Councilor Glendyl, whose works manufacture engines and locomotives.” I managed a smile. “Anyway, we’re not likely to see anything like that in Third District.”
    “Even with the rag-paper mill?” Alsoran didn’t quite laugh.
    “Even with that.” I grinned back at him.
    The mill was small, housed in a building that incorporated three once-abandoned taudis dwellings a block off Mando, adjacent to Quierca, in what had been the worst part of Third District. It represented an idea Seliora, Mama Diestra, and I had come up with, using the expertise of Factor Veblynt and admittedly, some golds from Seliora’s family. Because it wasn’t close to any streams, and because the re-used water requirements necessitated more filtration and settling tanks, it was small; but after four years, it reliably produced small runs of high-quality writing paper with special designs that were more and more in demand in L’Excelsis. It also employed some thirty-odd local taudis-dwellers, both full-and part-time, largely women who could not work full-time or young men who wanted to learn the trade. The entire operation usually broke even, but the greater advantage was that it had provided some twenty young men—so far—with the skills to work in Veblynt’s larger paper mills, without his having to train them. It also had contributed—along with what Seliora called the “simpleworks”—to improved living conditions in the taudis, and that helped reduce the violence, if not as much as I’d hoped.
    “Then, there’s the continuing bud get problem.” I shook my head. “The commander turned down our request for another patroller. I’m afraid we won’t get one next year, either.”
    “We’re covering the toughest part of L’Excelsis…well…what once was the toughest part of L’Excelsis,” Alsoran said, “and we do it with fewer patrollers than any other district.”
    “I told him that, but he said that since we’ve reduced the number of offenses, we don’t have the same priority as Captain Kharles does in Sixth District, with all of his difficulties with the Hellhole taudis.”
    “We’re supposed to do a bad job so we can get enough patrollers that they can work regular shifts like they do in Second, Fourth, and Fifth districts?” Alsoran’s tone was gently sardonic.
    There was no point in pursuing that. We both knew it. “Before I forget, I’ll be in late on Meredi morning. That’s if I get a report from Jacquet tomorrow. I’ll need to track down some things dealing with the bombing case.”
    “Be careful, sir. Every time you go off to track down things—”
    “I know. Something happens.” Seliora offered the same kinds of warnings. “But this might not be quite so dangerous. I’m just looking for information, and I’ll be on Imagisle.”
    The dubious look I received from my lieutenant suggested that I wasn’t being terribly reassuring. “Right now, I’m going for a walk,