OEW

"The dowager is loaning you her secondary alchemy equipment for one month, along with a stack of fine vellum and ink, which is yours to keep. The Speaker of the Left sent you a pack of ingredients and seeds from her island estate. The Speaker of the Right sent you a card with a crude gesture drawn on it... The entire council of elders, as a whole, sent an inquiry of findings from 'their' historical ruins with a note stating that you may expect sincerity of equal measure in finding your lost articles as they expect from you on the findings report... Xia's surviving grandniece sent Morrel 100 gold and a personal letter. That is all," the secretary read out nervously.

Reigning in his rising blood pressure, Orison said, "Take this down and send it with the evening post... Dictation, madam. Grab a sheet of paper and your ink!... I thank you, Speaker of the Right, for your continued and unwavering sincerity. Speaker of the Left, your admirer awaits any personal favors you may have for him... Granny Xia, I will not waste the opportunity your generosity has bestowed to me... City of New Fvaris, once the culprits behind the disappearance of my personal items have been found, please feel free to openly use or wear them with pride so that I know who to thank for bringing thieves to justice. As for the glorious city's inquiry, the learned and prodigious archmage of Frost Fort will, no doubt, be more than willing to take time from his pursuits to address your concerns with far more knowledge and wisdom than this lowly student of the arts can provide."

With as much respect and difference as she could project, the nervous secretary said, "Legate Cantrip, when will Lady Mother Droya be resuming consulate operations? The rest can wait til-"

Orison smiled serenely, causing the secretary to shudder. "My good lady, please continue reading the reports. My mother will be here when she has finished with family matters."

Nodding she swallowed dryly and continued. "Logistics has sent a note of debt to the total of-"

Orison grabbed the opened wax seal document and tossed it into the metal bin to the side of the desk before hitting it with a fire shot. "Send the bill of services and personal resources rendered in operation to logistics, along with a copy of the sick room reports and make sure the separate building material invoice letter is written large enough for them to read the detailed and itemized columns."

He called for Morrel. "Sorry for interrupting your training time with Rithus. I need you to arrange a trip with Captain Nadir to the trade warehouse. Pick his account book apart, show him the real number, collect the difference and then split it in half with him after telling him there was 'nothing wrong with his books after all'. Let him know I took care of logistics' discovery of errors on his behalf. Give the half we collect to Captain Nadir for payroll."

Morrel said, "You would have gotten far more if you had waited another week or two."

Orison said, "Hopefully in another week or two this will be pocket change again and the headache it represents for you and me both won't be worth the bother. Besides, it'll keep Captain Nadir off our collective a**es for awhile. It's not my fault his unit has swelled to fifty plus with barely a full set of equipment for every other soldier. He knows damn well that the legate whose coming wants to hit my funds and then claim the write off for himself. Too bad, neither the captain nor the replacing legate needs to know I just claimed them today. If Nadir doesn't piss me off, I'll even honor it."

Morrel said, "You'll never get another copper from them so you're just going to pay yourself from the taxes and send them unauthorized bills?"

Orison nodded, "And normally that would get me imprisoned but with so much on the line that they weren't expecting, Centerland will swallow my little theft with a smile. Not only that but if they took me to court I'd be able to drag a few senators' dirty deeds to light as well. We collected all the evidence. Most of which can be seen in the bill of services I sent... My taxation theft isn't even five percent of the total fraud we were left to try and cover. Medical supplies, building material, equipment and payroll, you name it and it was stolen from.

"Long story short, I was sent to fill a pothole they made in a new empire trade route. My inheritance and death combined would have done it too. Seeing that I'll survive, they'll try to lever against their own crimes to bury me anyway. A friend of a 'silent friend' gave me all the proof I need to switch places with them if they dare to push even one more time. After reading my bill, the spies in logistics will let them know it. I hope they do keep pushing, though. I can't wait to own their assets in tribunal."

Morrel shook his head, "And what happens if you die? Your mother isn't a mage with special connections. She'll rot in Gray Cliff."

Orison smiled sadly, "You think I wouldn't make sure she's taken care of? Worst case scenario there's a set of rustic little cabins in the Northlands for mom, you, Rithus and even Gan. My brother even has some gold squirreled away to help you guys get by if need be."

Eyebrows raised, Morrel said, "When did you get that done?"

"I didn't. My brother did. When I was staying at his house, he stopped by one night to let me know some things and part of that was a promise to take care of mine if something happened to me here... Now, I was warned they look like sh*t. No one's lived in them for a long time but there's forest, game and a three day travel by foot to the nearest village. All the bugs and privacy even the most wanted criminal could hope for."

Morrel nodded then said, "One step ahead. That's tolerable. Try for three... With any luck, I'll have to pull toenails and teeth to get the real ledger."

Chuckling, Orison said, "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

Morrel smiled, showing a fresh filed and resin coated set of teeth once more. "Oh, no. I feel a strong desire to torture a Centerland patrician today."

"Well, don't wear yourself out too much. Any day now a clan princess could be stopping by to reward the bravery of her knight in enchanted leather a little more intimately," Orison said.

A little more serious looking than Orison expected, Morrel said, "I'll have the ability to perform my duties satisfactorily."

A little perplexed, Orison muttered to himself as Morrel went about his task, "Ooookay."

After spending some more time with the secretary 'flattening hooks and cutting sinkers', Orison took a nap until fifth bell after midday. As prearranged, Droya woke Orison after consulate hours were over to mull over gains and losses. The three scrolls that he had made in the late night to early morning gained them three hundred in the coffers under the table, with one scroll safely tucked into one of Droya's secret stow away spots.

"Imagine my surprise. Captain Nadir smiled and nodded my way in broad daylight! It wasn't until I got back here that I found Morrel had shook down the trade officer today." Droya said, bemused.

"How did that go?" Orison asked, still shaking a bit of grogginess off.

Droya beamed. "You couldn't have timed it better if you wanted to. Captain Nadir forced the door of the trade officer's personal office open with secret stash cubbyhole uncovered and black book right on his desk! The fool had just taken a bribe from a smuggler. The trade officer and smuggler are locked up right now."

Orison frowned in suspicion. "What was being smuggled?"

Droya said, "Morrel said it was drugs and medicine that wasn't cleared for trade."

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Orison went to the sentry tower. "At ease soldier. I need to see the seized goods."

Centurion Calix, aka 'Hefty', said, "The captain said-"

"Sh*t! He said sh*t, Hefty. I need to see the goods." Orison bellowed.

Reluctantly, Calix led him to the 'evidence locker' was. Within seconds, Orison identified the items as cure and after treatment for a particularly painful and crippling disease that made joints stiff for those that survived, capable of turning healthy young men into 'grandpas' barely capable of taking care of themselves if left untreated too long.

Orison rushed down to the holding cells and ran some healing over the swollen face of the 'smuggler'. "When was the first victim and how well is it contained?" Orison asked immediately.

Almost crying with relief, the young Centerlander with a conspicuously deep tan and narrow eyes said, "Finally, a question I can answer... A little over four weeks ago and it's in village for now but who knows what will happen if people start running out of food. Look, the Speaker of the Ri-"

Orison said, "I don't care who funded it or what they will do if you're not released because we don't have to find out... Hefty, let him loose and give him his stuff back. The Captain will be pissed but I'd rather be in that cell right now than him. It's that serious."

Orison ran back to the consulate and begged the 'Stupid Horse' scroll from his mom with quickly repeated apologies and promises as he ran back. While the 'smuggler' was loading up scroll version Stupid Horse, Orison gave him the breakdown of how it worked. Captain Nadir caught sight of the 'escaping prisoner' but couldn't rally the entry guard fast enough to stop the fleeing merchant.

As Captain Nadir began stomping towards Orison, the young mage said, "If the next thing out of your mouth is stronger than a calmly stated 'why?' the row we are about to have today will be legendary in the history of a** chewings.

Captain Nadir clenched his jaw so tightly for a moment that Orison imagined he heard the cracking of tooth enamel as the captain asked why in a voice that rumbled like distant thunder.

"Disease, moderately contagious and set to sweep right towards us through New Fvaris... How do I know? The medicine, the direction he's beating that summoned horse and because I F***ING asked!" Orison started calmly and ended red faced and screaming.

Nadir stood stonily as Orison took a couple of deep breaths to calm his screaming nerves then said, "Lets finish this conversation in your office. I'll explain properly."

With both of their rages flaring, it took no time at all before they were in Nadir's office with the aid dismissed.

The captain led, "Five minutes, Orison! Avoiding disrespect and putting a fool's cap on me, yet again, would have only taken five minutes."

Orison said, "No, it would have taken five minutes to get your attention, who knows how long before you were willing to talk to me and who knows how much talking before I could convince you. Comfortably based off past examples, I'd put that at about an hour or so...

"Did you notice I gave that merchant a scroll worth 150 gold just to get him to his destination a little faster? That was to make up the difference and put him ahead maybe an hour instead of getting there nearly half a day later. Do I strike you as being that generous for no reason?"

Orison let Nadir have a lead to rant and rage himself out while he thought of his next step. "Yeah, I hear you. I could tell you about an extra half a day of suffering. I could tell you about how many more untreated could end up spreading it out of desperation for help or relief. I could tell you of people drowning in rivers trying to quell the fever and spreading the disease down stream. Likely, you'd not care about the little details that don't affect you or the consulate so I'll get to that.

"In a half a day, many things can happen but the most important of those is the people who will have been beyond saving, either their lives or a recovery that would grant them the ability to return to working and providing for their families instead of being a burden. What matters is the excuse it provides to Revivalist sympathizers. What matters is that Summerland Domain is waiting in the wings for their chance to get what Centerland is getting now. What matters to me, is that you'll split the earnings exactly as I instructed Morrel and you'll return the trade officer to his post with a warning to look the other way on smuggled medicine, ALWAYS, because we can't afford the consequences."

Nadir said, "I represent Centerland law. I can't look the other way when a crime is committed blatantly."

Tiredly, Orison said, "What you can't look the other way from is a little over 300 gold you'll have to give back... Alright, give it to me along with an extra 100 since that was what the guy took from my pocket directly from my tax exemption day celebration."

Nadir scowled and said, "What are going on about now?"

Orison said, "Well Captain, since you are a 'by the books guy that can't overlook the law', I have to record it along with the empire's proper share of reclaimed goods and money. 119 gold was stolen from me directly and reclaimed with the help of me and my own people. 296 gold belongs to Centerland logistics in the care of the empire's military fund."

"I could have you relieved of post duty and awaiting trial for releasing a fugitive." Nadir said coldly.

Orison began smiling benevolently and said, "You could but after I was exonerated for doing so within the breadth of my power as diplomatic exercise with just cause, I'd have you hanged for treason."

Nadir frowned and threatened, "You wouldn't live long enough to see a courtroom."

"We'll make great bedfellows in the mass grave the consulate will turn into before a week's out...All over 300 f***ing gold coins, you stubborn tw*t. Release the trade officer and give him half the money back." Orison spoke soothingly.

The captain growled, "I'll have you cough up every last copper of it plus interest before we're done, Legate."

Orison said blandly, "Don't act like you're doing me a favor I owe you for. Even if I didn't talk you into releasing him they'd only send another just like him or worse and that one would arrive alert and scheming against you before he even unpacked."

Nadir said, "I don't know what kind of fresh faced recruit you take me for, Orison, but I've served under monsters and with idiots and schemers my entire career. I'd be just fine. You need to worry about yourself and the lack of support you actually have."

Orison nodded and said, "You're absolutely right, Captain. I'm tired of playing around. Two thirds of the resources you and your men spent, enjoyed and have, came directly from my pocket... My inheritance and holdings have been keeping this place running since day one and we've got nothing but grudging support and complaints from you. I am one headache away from claiming hardship and sewing up the bloody hemorrhage this security unit has turned out to be."

Nadir sneered and said, "You'd leave everyone here to fend for themselves for two months while you have to live with them?"

Orison smiled and said, "Everyone? No. Just the ones who don't pay allegiance to me, directly."

"You can try but it's empty allegiance. As soon as a single official steps off a boat they'll be back in formation and watching passively as you swing." Nadir scoffed.

Orison calmly stood up and walked to the door, "You're the one drawing lines in the sand. If you hadn't done a single thing more than be a captain to your men not a damn thing would be different in this place except the relationship between my family and you... And here you were, worried that bad superiors would ruin Cray. How long ago were you ruined?"

After making sure that the grateful and repentant trade officer was released with his empty purse refilled, Orison directly passed on his message about 'medicine smugglers'. He went back to the consulate and had the secretary and Morrel create a current and future week sheet of expenditures showing Centerland and Cantrip family's share of pay in large, bold and circled totals. While they were doing that he used Transcribe to create a copy of the consulate's account ledger.

A quarter of an hour into supper, Orison walked into the dinning hall, posted the current and future week's sheets onto the wall then laid the copy of the ledger under it on a stone table formed and carried in by a golem. Seeing the soldier's curious eyes on him, he smiled at all of them tiredly. With a 'help yourself' gesture to the papers and the ledger, he had the golem carve the word 'transparency' on the stone table then got in line to eat the same thing the soldiers were having. While Orison slowly ate, mind turned to the night's planned ghost hunt, Claudius and Corvinus joined him.

Only a small number of soldiers were savvy enough to understand the ledger but a great deal could understand the two sheets which only had one small and one large column apiece. It didn't take long for the few to verify to the many how everything 'looked' and that got the 'old timers' to start telling stories about what it was like before a little boy and his mom stepped into a run down and trampled fort. Everything, both good and bad, was laid bare to all the soldiers in the dinning hall that evening, admittedly with embellishments and wrong assumptions but the gist of what Orison wanted to convey made it through.

By the time that Orison handed his tray over to the washer, he'd received a pat on the shoulders or a whispered word of gratitude from nearly half there. The majority of the soldiers who didn't know him personally were no longer glancing at him with indifferent eyes. Some admired and some feared, depending on what they were told but there were very few that didn't carry some form of respect and by the next morning there wasn't a single soldier who didn't know the small but eventful history of the consulate or who was responsible for it's current state.