My dear Captain Tirolo,
You did a masterful job copying my string book. As a measure of the trust I have in you, keep what you have essentially taken from me.
I look forward to our next encounter.
With my warmest regards,
Pacci Colleto
Quint stared at the note. Was he responsible for the termination of negotiations? It certainly wasn’t clear in the note. In retrospect, Quint wondered if the torn-apart room was a diversion. Amaria complained that her room had been upset, as well. The others didn’t talk to him.
Writing a purely objective report was more difficult than Quint anticipated. He spent the rest of the day blending his opinion with the events as he perceived them until he pondered what to do about his meeting with Pacci Colleto. With all the spies on both sides, Quint would be better off mentioning it.
He began writing and found he could make a credible report by telling most of the truth. The intention to take over South Fenola would stay as an aspirational statement and the offer would make a brief appearance, although to Quint that was the entire purpose of the meeting. He left off the part about the portent because he could make a case that was speculation.
Quint wrote that he didn’t give Colleto an answer as it might color the negotiations. As he reviewed his work, Quint was more comfortable adding this to the report.
With his work done, he went into the living room. Marena had gone, and it was time to find a place for a horse.
The stable was run by a willot who was friendly enough. He recognized the horse as one from a government herd bred for officers.
“You are in the army?”
“Wizard Corps, but assigned to military headquarters,” Quint said.
“Show me a string,” the stableman said.
Quint smiled and cast a liquid light string, letting the light drip onto the straw in front of the stall.
“What is that?”
“Liquid light. I can’t say what will happen to it, but it will continue to light the stable up for a while. Is that good enough?”
“Good enough for me.” The stableman wanted a month in advance and Quint paid it, thanking the man for making room for his animal.
Marena had returned when Quint returned.
“You didn’t have to go in today?”
Quint shook his head. “Will you read the report I wrote? It doesn’t have any state secrets in it, but it is confidential. I want to make sure it makes sense. Until I visited Nornotta, I thought no one read my reports.”
“And that isn’t true?”
“Someone reads them,” Quint said.
Marena took the offered report. It was four pages long, and Quint looked at his landlady while she read.
“You are moving up in the world,” Marena said. “You even had a personal audience with the head of Gussellia. I didn’t see anything wrong with what you wrote, but it is almost unbelievable. Does the Gussellian dictator really want to take over all of South Fenola? It’s been centuries or more since it’s been done and the unified continent didn’t last long.”
“You know your history.” Quint said.
“I had a good education,” Marena smiled “I think your report says what you want it to say. You deserve a good dinner. I’m free tonight, so let me cook.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Colonel Gerocie read through the report twice after calling Quint to her office first thing in the morning.
“Lucheccia won’t dispute any of this?” she asked.
“I was careful to combine my opinion and my observations.”
“Then I will forward this to General Obellia.”
Quint fidgeted in his chair. “Will I remain a captain?”
The colonel laughed. “You will, but your office will stay in the basement.”
“Can I freshen it up?”
“How?”
“Paint the walls, buy a bookshelf and maybe a new chair.”
Gerocie leaned forward. “I’ll give you an allowance to make your office more presentable. You deserve it after your trip to Gussellia.”
