The Paladin Caper by Patrick Weekes Read Free Book Online Page B

near-destruction, the city was almost entirely devoid of children. Pyvic wondered how many schools had closed.
    There were more flags hanging from the doorways, though, and that was something.
    The guards at the archvoyant’s palace knew Pyvic on sight, and, after a quick and perfunctory check with a glamour ward, he was allowed inside. He made his way through the gardens and into the palace, where the archvoyant’s steward directed him to the meeting already in progress in what Pyvic remembered as the breakfast room.
    “Captain Pyvic,” Archvoyant Cevirt said as Pyvic came in. “Didn’t quite dodge this one, I see.”
    “My apologies, sir.” Pyvic ducked his head to the dark-skinned man in the archvoyant’s robes, and to the other members of Cevirt’s cabinet. “Caught up in a case.”
    Cevirt raised an eyebrow. “There’s a fresh pot of case on the table. Pour yourself a cup and join us. We’re going to shove a few more schools into this Republic, and you’re going to use those justicar skills to help me find the money for it.”
    Pyvic sighed and settled in with the other men and women at the large table. The room itself was lovely, open to the fresh air on one wall with a beautiful view of the morning sun, and the kahva was significantly better than it was at the justicar station. The other men and women were experts in their own field, merchants and bankers and guildsmen, and all of them were at least as busy as Pyvic was.
    It was several hours of work that Pyvic would rather have spent tracking down the enemies of the Republic, but, on some level, it was also like solving a puzzle, and while Pyvic didn’t understand how all the money moved, he had a good eye and could point out things the guildsmen occasionally missed. The servants brought more kahva and expensive pastries, and, around midday, Cevirt sat back, stretched his lower back until something cracked audibly, and gave a long wincing sigh.
    “Ladies, gentlemen, I believe we have something to take to the Voyancy.”
    “Learned aren’t going to like cutting the flamecannon upgrades on the port-city walls,” Lady Heflin said, shaking her head.
    “And in the days when Archvoyant Silestin could stroll into the Voyancy chambers in his colonel’s uniform and nobody could say no, that would carry more weight.” Cevirt smiled. “Today, though, I have generals who will argue that fortifying the walls is just waiting for an attack, and the airship I’m throwing their way will be sweet enough to cover the taste of approving a few damned useless schools . Thank you, all.”
    “I’d watch out for the road concerns,” Heflin added. “Apparently roads off in the outer provinces are falling right into the earth.”
    Pyvic blinked. “Really?”
    “Some old tower near the Westteich estate collapsed.” Heflin shook her head. “Traders passing by said it looked like there’d been old crystals down in a cavern. Must have caved in.” She knocked on the table. “Here’s hoping the rest of the ancients’ crystal marvels stay functional.”
    “Gods willing,” Cevirt said with a small smile.
    The cabinet members filed out, and Cevirt gestured for Pyvic to stay after they had gone.
    When they were alone, Cevirt looked over across the table, his face unreadable. “How are you doing, Pyvic?”
    Pyvic nodded at the question. “As well as can be expected, sir.”
    “I miss her, you know,” Cevirt said.
    Pyvic forced a smile. “I didn’t imagine you wouldn’t, sir.”
    “Loch was her father’s daughter. If she were still alive, she’d’ve been at this table this morning helping children who can barely afford shoes get a decent education.”
    “Technically, if she were still alive, she’d be in an Imperial prison, sir.”
    Cevirt chuckled. “Not the first time she’d broken the rules to do what she thought had to be done.” His smile faded. “I helped her enlist, you know.”
    Pyvic gathered the papers on the table up and rapped them