Despite what Havard had told Lerran, and the agreement they had come to, Lerran decided to respect the appointment with the Mining Group that Kolt had set up for him. Four days after his visitation to the various factions, he rowed ashore from Storm with Silver again, and they trekked across the city of Kedar to the lavish business.
This time, of course, they were allowed to join the line of callers with appointments. It was a swift moving line for there seemed to be a number of representatives that met with potential business partners or workers.
Lerran met with a tall woman with the darkest skin he’d ever seen. She had long, free dark hair, and wore a dark blue dress from her armpits to the beige sandals wrapped around her feet. A coiled copper clasp decorated her right arm, glistening in the sunlight as she unlocked a side office with a set of keys and led Lerran indoors. The office seemed unconnected to the rest of the building, as though appointments with outsiders were too insecure to have direct access to the Mining Group’s base.
Silver and he were given folding chairs to sit in across from her narrow desk. “I am Chief Foreign Overseer Olkitha,” she said. She sipped a wide, ovular wine glass, but didn’t offer her guests anything. “What interests has the Family of Gharo in the city of Kedar?”
Lerran smiled. “Well, first, thank you for scheduling this appointment,” he said.
“The Mining Group has no time or interest in formalities,” she drawled. “This is well known.”
“I’m looking for my brother, Renado,” Lerran said flatly. “He came to Kedar two months ago, and left a few days later according to the other sources I’ve met here. During his time he conducted business with the Tower of Black and Blue because they killed the arms dealer we had planned on trading with, one Yigal.”
“If he left Kedar,” she said, flashing a perfect white smile, “why are you looking for him here?”
“Because he didn’t make it to anywhere else, so far as I can determine,” Lerran said. “I need to get as much information about his visit here in Kedar.”
Overseer Olkitha frowned. “Fine,” she said. “I’m authorized to give you such records, in exchange for a nominal fee, say sixty marks.”
“Sixty?” Lerran asked. “Fifty, then.”
“Fifty,” she said, with a shrug. Even at fifty, her price was enough to limit him in any further interactions of such a nature. He had already stretched their voyage many days longer by sailing for Bellasa before Kedar, and paying the Mining Group fifty marks would leave him rather short on funding until they reached Sheld once more.
“No,” Lerran said. “I’ve enough of a lead already. It’s not worth anywhere near that.”
The Mining Group representative’s frown deepened. “Suit yourself. But believe you me, change is coming to Kedar.” She stood up and patted her shoulder with her hand as a military salute. “Good day, Gharo. And muscle.”
Silver forced a smile; his teeth seemed a little darker than his hair. He led the way out of the small office and into the blazing sunlight. Despite all the towers of Kedar, the light was brighter in Kedar than in most other places. In Lerran’s impression, the city was a place of darkness and light in stark contrast.
“Now what?” Silver asked, as they strode away from the Mining Group’s headquarters. Every cobblestone in this particular street was in perfect condition, and he saw some workers removing a broken one a hundred feet away. The wealth of the Mining Group.
Lerran was already wrapped in thought about that very question, as they walked between columns of white and black. “I think we’ll pay Havard a visit again. See if he knows what that Overseer meant about ‘change a-coming’.”
It was another long hike, and Silver wasn’t above a bit of complaining about it. But he kept close to Lerran and they got there without incident. Instead of being patient with the procession this time, Lerran asked one of the Brothers at their white boundary if he could speak with Havard directly.
Havard agreed to meet with him, and again the two of them stood in that small kitchen in the Lowtown Tavern, but this time Havard began a bit more gruffly. “Thought you’d have set sail by now, Lerran, son of Gharo. What’s the delay?”
“I had another appointment. Didn’t think it wise to disrespect it,” he said. “With the Mining Group, to be honest. Wanted to see what they had to say about Ren and the Vanci Dispatch.”
Havard sighed. “And?”
“They said times were changing here,” Lerran said. “And I wanted to hear what you knew about that.”
“Oh, how’s that?” Havard asked. “I’d like to see you in charge of your Family, like we agreed. You want to make a new deal. I don’t. Everything in Kedar happens for a reason, like I say to my followers, and most times the divines bless me with knowledge of that reason.”
“Right,” Lerran said. “I was more worried about if it was something you didn’t know. I’m leaving Kedar, so it hardly concerns me.”
“That’s true,” Havard said with a grin. The big man had an oddly expressive face, but aside from the smile it was perfectly blank now. He leaned back in his big armchair; in front of him sat a wine glass that he had not touched this time. “Have a good voyage home, my friend. I will be in touch.” With that he stood up and looked to the door.
From Havard’s white rope divide, it was a short walk to the harbour, but a long walk across the marina to their ship. The ocean was grey, and close to the horizon rose rocky islands and ridges of hardy tropical trees. Before leaving, Lerran found a quartermaster to stock their ship for the voyage home. The following day, they would set sail for Sheld; it was a voyage of close to twenty days from Kedar, which would place their arrival on the 12th of the 9th Moon. Then, Lerran would either find Renado waiting or he would at last make his move for the Family.