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“The Veiled Alliance has nothing to gain in attacking my house guard. We are not political. Their enemies are defilers, not merchants. Clearly, they stalked defilers, not you. They must have spotted their quarry and launched their attack before you blundered into it.”
“But, my lord, the captain was killed.”
“An accident, no doubt,” said Ankhor. “He was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. You do not even know who killed him. From your description, it is clear that spells were exchanged. The Alliance has always been careful not to injure innocent bystanders. Defilers have no such scruples. Varos could have been killed by one of the Alliance or one of the defilers they were after. Either way, it was almost certainly a mistake. You were just caught in the middle. Varos was a brave man and a good fighter, but much too headstrong. Well, I had planned to replace him, anyway. This merely simplifies the task.”
“My lord, I will do my utmost to do you credit,” said Matullus, bowing respectfully.
“You?” said Ankhor. “What makes you think I am offering you the job?”
Matullus looked up and blinked with surprise. “But… my lord, as Captain Varos’s second-in-command, I… I naturally assumed—”
“Only fools assume things, Matullus,” Lord Ankhor replied. “A wise man knows, and if he does not know, he takes the trouble to find out. You would do well to remember that. You are young yet and do not have enough experience. No, this constant skirmishing between the defilers and the Alliance has become too troublesome. Something must be done, and the job calls for a top-ranked professional.
“I had already sent for Captain Varos’s replacement, and he is to arrive shortly. But until Kieran assumes his duties, you will act as temporary commander of the house guard. Try not to get any more of them killed, if you can manage it.”
?
??Kieran, my lord?” said Matullus with surprise. “Kieran of Draj?”
“You know of him, then?”
“I know his reputation, my lord,” Matullus said. “What mercenary does not? But I heard he had retired.”
“I was able to induce him out of retirement to lead my house guard,” Ankhor said, “so you had best prepare the men. If everything I’ve heard of him is true, you can expect Kieran to crack the whip from the very moment he arrives. He sounds like just the man we need at a time like this. Now, go clean yourself up. You stink of blood.”
“Yes, my lord,” said Matullus, bowing and backing away several steps before turning to leave.
Once outside, he heaved a sigh of relief. It could have been much worse. It stung his pride to be so summarily dismissed from consideration as the new captain of the house guard, but at the same time, he had been passed over for nothing less than the very best.
Kieran of Draj was a living legend among mercenaries, a veteran campaigner who had covered himself in glory and achieved the dream of every mercenary, to retire a wealthy man. And he had done it before he had reached his fortieth birthday. Matullus wondered how much Ankhor had offered him to tempt him out of retirement. It must have been a princely sum. To be second-in-command to a man like Kieran of Draj would surely make his reputation. And a reputation was worth money in this business. Matullus smiled. Lord Ankhor had not blamed him for the death of Captain Varos, and it could well be the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him.
* * *
“I had not known you’d hired a replacement for Captain Varos,” Lyanus said after Matullus left. “How long ago did you reach that decision?”
“Oh, some time ago,” said Ankhor, dismissing the question with a wave of his hand.
“You normally consult me on such matters.”
“Your knowledge of trade is second to none, Lyanus,” Ankhor replied, “but hiring mercenaries is a bit outside your field of expertise. Why, do you disagree with my decision?”
“No, my lord, I know nothing of this Kieran of Draj. I was merely curious… But, as you say, the matter is outside my expertise. Still… I might have been effective in conducting the negotiations. I am sure I could have saved the house some money in concluding arrangements with this man.”
Ankhor smiled. “Oh, I doubt that, Lyanus. And that was no slight to your bargaining abilities. Kieran stated his conditions clearly, and they were absolutely non-negotiable.”
“May I inquire what they were, my lord?”
“One hundred thousand gold pieces for one year of service, with half payable up front and the rest in equal monthly installments.”
Lyanus’s jaw dropped. “One hundred thousand in gold!” he said with disbelief. “But… but that’s outrageous!”
“Yes, it certainly is,” said Ankhor. “And at the end of the first year, the contract is subject to renegotiation.”
“And you mean to tell me you agreed to these incredible demands?”
“I imagine Kieran was no less amazed than you when I accepted his terms,” said Ankhor with amusement. “He expected me to refuse, of course. That was why he named so ridiculous a sum. He had no wish to come out of retirement, especially not to command the guard of a merchant house. This is a man who had distinguished himself in war. However, once he stated his terms and I agreed to them, he had no choice but to accept. Otherwise I could have accused him of dealing in bad faith, and that would have besmirched his reputation. A man like Kieran lives and dies by his reputation.”
“But, my lord…why?” Lyanus said, aghast. “You could easily have hired an entire battalion of mercenaries for such a sum!”
