Chapter 20 #2
“So we have been discussing buses, of all things,” Lamorat Lucas put in. He favoured Hallie with a smile and a tilt of his head. “I don’t know why I am surprised that you gave Royns the idea, Miss Talbot. I don’t think he even knew what a bus was a month or two ago.”
“Well, I had certainly never travelled on one,” Royns said cheerfully.
“So, you are going to organise buses for workers to get to the port?” Hallie asked, not sure what shocked her more.
That Royns had listened to her, or that he’d acted upon it, or that he’d gone so far as to discuss it with Lamorat Lucas.
The shock was quickly replaced by excitement and a flare of hope that she couldn’t suppress.
Low city had been devastated when the commercial port had been moved almost twenty years before.
Almost all the commerce had been centred around the port, and, with it gone, the industries and the jobs that went with them had vanished.
From what Royns had said, it seemed that there were plenty of jobs at the city’s port, jobs which might well help the residents of low city.
If only the karlen could actually get there.
As she’d pointed out to Royns, there was no public transport to the docks, and very few karlen could afford to run a car.
“We are,” Royns said, and shook his head, as if he couldn’t quite believe it, either. “It’s taking a little time to organise. We’ve had to import the vehicles, and then they needed to go through security checks.”
“But we should have it all put together by the end of the month,” Lamorat put in. He sounded extremely pleased, which was also a surprise, and made her wonder just how much of a financial interest he had in whatever venture Royns was putting together.
“That’s such a remarkably simple idea. And yet, no one had thought of it before now? Amazing. I’ll be most interested in learning how your venture goes, Royns,” Cotovatre said.
“Now we just need to get the word out to recruit workers in Erset,” Royns said. He shook his head slightly. “We needed to make sure we could get the bus system in place before looking for people to fill them. And so now we have the transport, but no one to take the seats.”
“Well -” Hallie started to speak, then shook her head, remembering Royns’ hesitation about talking business. “Sorry,” she said to Cotovatre. “This is supposed to be a social gathering, isn’t it?”
“You may talk about whatever you please,” Cotovatre said, and touched Hallie’s arm.
“And you’ve sparked their curiosity now, you know.
They won’t leave you alone until you tell them.
” The mischief in the lady’s face made Hallie smile even as Cotovatre excused herself and headed back to the entrance.
Glancing in that direction, Hallie saw that more people had arrived.
She felt a moment’s disappointment at losing her ancestor’s attention, but Cotovatre was the host, after all.
So she turned back and found Royns and Lamorat looking at her with equally expectant expressions.
“You had some ideas about recruitment?” Royns prompted.
“There’s a text-only news network in low city - ah, Erset,” Hallie said.
“It’s been adapted for messaging services on mobile phones.
Almost everyone is signed up. It’s not just news, but also recruitment notices.
You’d need to have someone do the actual interviews and the like, of course, but to get the word out, that’s the best way I can think of. ”
“Fascinating,” Royns said. He dipped into one of his pockets and produced a small rectangle of card with some text on one side in understated black typeface. “This is my personal number. Would you be able to send me the details for this network?”
“I can and I will,” Hallie confirmed, taking the card from him. She had a feeling that he didn’t hand such details out easily and made sure to tuck the card away safely.
“I really cannot believe how much time and attention you are giving this matter,” Hoel commented. He sounded bored, and yet Hallie had the impression that he’d been listening closely, absorbing the information and discussion both before and after her arrival.
“Understanding the details of an operation or supply chain is never wasted time,” Royns said.
There was nothing in his manner or his voice that suggested he was annoyed, but Hallie still somehow got the impression that he didn’t like the younger man.
Which piqued her interest in turn. The impression Royns gave was that he got along with everyone, and it would certainly be prudent for him to keep on good terms with the Conclave and its members.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about Hoel.
On the one hand, she had an instinctive wish for younger and more diverse voices on the Conclave, rather than the traditional image of an older man like Lamorat.
On the other hand, from her interactions with Hoel, he seemed even more steeped in what he considered to be tradition than Lamorat was.
She was quite certain Hoel was more intelligent and attentive than he appeared on the surface, and she’d also seen for herself that he was capable of swift, casual violence.
Overall, she wasn’t sure she liked him at all, and found it interesting that Royns seemed to feel the same way.
Despite having spent far less time with Royns, she’d formed a far more favourable impression of him.
That might partly be due to the fact he was clearly a favourite of Girard’s, and Hallie trusted Girard’s judgement.
“Tell us, Miss Talbot, how does the investigation go?” Hoel asked.
“Ah, I’m not sure what you’re referring to?” Hallie felt her spine stiffen. She wasn’t sure of the protocol, but she was fairly certain she wasn’t supposed to discuss investigator business at an evening reception.
“You and Girard were sent after a dangerous fugitive,” Hoel said, blue eyes sharp on her face. “As I recall, you had an unblemished record of success. May we assume that it is still unblemished?”
“The job is not done yet,” Hallie said, feeling an unwelcome surge of heat up her neck.
It was true. She and Girard were not done yet.
She remembered telling Lamorat Lucas that she’d had ten years of tracking down fugitives and no failures.
She wondered where Hoel was getting his information from.
And then remembered the calls that the director had been getting.
Perhaps Hoel was one of the Conclave members demanding regular, personal updates from Peredur.
“Does that count as a failure in your eyes?” Hoel asked, as if he was interested in the answer.
“Not yet,” Hallie answered, trying for a lighter tone. She took a sip from her drink, which she’d almost forgotten about, and cast about in her mind for a change of topic.
“If you want information on any current investigations, sir, then I believe the director will be here later,” Girard said in his normal, calm tone.
“Or we can wait for the daily, written updates,” Lamorat put in, frowning slightly at Hoel.
“I assume you get the same copies as the rest of us.” Hallie tried to control her expression, not sure why she was surprised that the director, or someone on his behalf, was giving the Conclave daily updates on the investigation.
Not only did the investigation concern the Conclave’s security, but the whole unit of investigators, with all its resources, had been established by the Conclave.
Hallie found she was curious to see the updates Peredur was providing, and then had to hide a grimace, remembering the phone calls.
She’d assumed that the calls were the only updates that the Conclave were getting day-to-day.
But, no, they were getting daily reports and still many of them felt the need to call Peredur. No wonder he was looking tired.
“I prefer going to the source,” Hoel said, favouring Lamorat with a sideways glance. There was no warmth between the two men. That was hardly surprising given how different they were.
There was a brief, awkward pause and Hallie cast about in her mind for something else to say. She was rescued by, of all people, Lamorat.
“Miss Talbot, my wife is here and has expressed her wish to meet you. Would you be so kind?” Lamorat asked.
Hallie was sure her jaw dropped open. Of all the things he might have said, she would never have guessed that.
“I’d be honoured, sir,” she said. The only possible thing she could say.
“And I’ve just seen my parents arrive,” Girard said. “If you’ll excuse me, I should speak with them.”
“Of course,” Lamorat said. “One must never neglect one’s family. Miss Talbot, this way.”
“We should mingle as well, Hoel,” Royns suggested in his genial manner, steering the younger man away. Not wanting to be left alone with Hoel, would be Hallie’s guess.
Wondering just what lay ahead of her, Hallie walked with Lamorat across the room to one of the corners where a few ladies were sitting in the chairs that had been gathered there, leaning slightly towards each other as they talked, clearly having a lovely time to themselves.
Lamorat paused a few paces away and waited for one to look around.