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on a stake and brought to Torantall where it hung, for years, from the southern gate, until the
bleached skull itself disintegrated one stormy night in winter.
The Tribe had outlived the purpose for which it was formed, but Emelasuntha kept it alive.
By nagging and bullying she appropriated the necessary funds, first from her father and later
from her brother Kurtigaill, to keep the group operational. She acquired several remote do-
mains cheaply all over Zyntrea, where the Tribe could exercise in relative privacy. She used
the organization mainly as her personal instrument to eliminate nobles who she thought were
potential risks to the throne and who her father and brother were too weak hearted or too
scrupulous to tackle.
Later when she had married the high king of Ximerion, one of the first things she arranged
was the acquisition of the house with the walled garden at the outskirts of Ormidon. Later a
few others followed. From early on the Tribe had begun infiltrating the Royal Administration
and keeping tabs on a variety of important and less important people in the kingdom of
Ximerion. By now its network had become nothing less than vast, and the Tribe had agents
on almost every level, except the most high, of the administration, the military and the govern-
ment.
Sobrathi wasted no time. She had arrived in the late afternoon and had ordered a hot bath
to be prepared. Meanwhile she went to the Master of the House. She needed no documents
since she knew all the names of Anaxantis's friends, and the few things that were known
about them, by heart.
The next day, shortly after midday and about an hour before Hemarchidas entered Ormid-
on by the northern main gate, The Master of the House came to her room with the first results
of his investigations.
We're still investigating and speaking to our contacts. Things seem to be a little more
complicated than we thought they would be. There is one clear cut case however, Bortram
Gronnick. His father owns a medium sized farm in Great Tracthon, a village some fifteen
miles to the north west of Ormidon. He bought it twenty eight years ago with a loan. In two
years the loan should be payed back in full. However, since he had no collateral at the time
he couldn't get the money from a regular banking firm or the more reputable lenders. He
signed a contract with some stringent clauses. Basically the land serves as collateral and pay-
ments have to be on time. Even one late payment gives the firm the right to exact the remain-
ing sum in its entirety or, failing that, to confiscate the land.
Aren't such contracts illegal?
They are now. You see, my lady, twenty eight years ago the previous king was still on the
throne, and this kind of arrangement was completely legal. In the last years of his reign the
present king already managed most of the affairs of the kingdom. Corruption was rife in many
sectors and the then prince Tenaxos did all he could to eradicate most of it. The rapacity and
irresponsible behavior of banks and great financial firms, coupled to a virtual absence of strict
legal instruments, made that a lot of the common people became the victim of absurdly strin-
gent, even unscrupulous contracts. Tenaxos put an end to all that and had laws enforced to
protect the subjects of the crown, and particularly the weaker ones, from being exploited. For
Gronnick it came too late, I'm afraid.
The new laws were not made retroactive?
That was the compromise. The dynasty was still is very young, and he probably
didn't dare antagonize the great financial institutions. Don't forget that many noble Houses are
silent partners in some of the greatest banking firms. And regimes tend to fall when financial
backing is withdrawn.
Do the Gronnicks have difficulty in honoring their financial obligations?
Not until recently. But since the last harvest things went downhill. They have had to dip
into their reserves for months to make the payments on time because not enough money is
coming in. Even with their son Bortram sending most of his pay home.
They had a bad harvest?
No, not at all. In fact, you could call it an abundant one. But so was everybody else's. Or-
midon is their main area of distribution, and produce was overflowing the market in such
quantities that prices plummeted. They barely broke even. As far as we can estimate, at the
going rate their financial reserves will be depleted in about three to four months. At that time
the firm will foreclosure. For them it's a golden opportunity. Twenty eight years ago the land
wasn't developed and now it is. They received payments all those years and in a few months
they will own the land and be able to sell it for at least seven times what it was worth initially.
No wonder banks get rich. I should tell this to my friend Merrick, but he probably would be
mad at me for thinking him capable of such highway robbery.
Merrick, My Lady?
Never mind. An acquaintance of mine.
Is it really necessary for both of us to be here, Landemere? Obyann grumbled. I'm
freezing my ass off.
Since it's the first one, I thought it best we welcomed him together. Besides the others
aren't arriving for another week, so it will be just the three of us until then. Better to start off on
the right foot, Arranulf answered. We could go wait in the sentinel house, if you want. I'm
sure the guards won't mind. Or we could wait in the antechamber of the tower.
They were standing on the inner court yard, wearing their brand new uniforms. Black
boots, gray pants, dark red tunics with the dragon crest above their hearts and matching, fur
lined mantles.
As luck would have it their wait was a short one. A wagon, driven by an ancient servant,
entered the gates. A young man descended, looked doubtfully at his surroundings and sighed
resignedly. His face was longish, with big gray eyes that gave him the look of a puppy whose
food bowl has just been snatched away from him, and a sensitive mouth that seemed per-
manently about to quiver. The effect was reinforced by his lank, brown hair that fell upon his
shoulders and his small, slender stature.
They're sending us children, Landemere, Obyann said. Just look at him. He's twelve if
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