Storm Glass
Page 63
“Bold.”
“Not necessarily. There’s always been a black market for certain Ixian goods—swords, tea, linen, spices. When we had no political relationship with Ixia, the officials at the Citadel turned a blind eye to the sales of Ixian merchandise. Once we negotiated a trade treaty with them, all the ‘contraband’ became readily available. It was no longer a problem.”
“What are they selling now?” I asked.
“Diamonds.”
The gemstones were a hot commodity in Sitia. Many riches were mined from the Emerald Mountains, but, so far, no diamonds have been found.
“The Commander keeps a tight control on the sale of his diamonds to Sitia, so there must be a new mine,” Zitora said.
“With diamonds being sold on the black market, there’ll be all sorts of problems.”
“Correct. What kind of trouble?”
“Another lesson?” I asked.
“I can’t pass up an opportunity to teach. You’re my first student and I endeavor to be a good mentor.” She rolled her hand in the air urging me to continue.
“All right. The black market diamonds will be cheaper, so buyers will go to them instead of the legitimate sellers. Word of diminishing sales will get back to the Commander, and he’ll want to know why. If the Sitian Council doesn’t stop the illegal sales, it could strain our relationship with Ixia. Plus, the money is going to the Moon Clan to pay for a potential coup.”
Each clan decided how they chose their Councillor. A few clans held elections, others followed family lines and the rest had committees who made the decision. The Moon Clan used a matriarchal system. It was understood the Councillor’s daughter would be the next Council member, but birth order didn’t always match the best candidate for the job. On occasion, sisters fighting for the position have been recorded in their history.
“There’s more,” Zitora said.
I thought about the people buying the diamonds. “Bigger chance for deceit. With more diamonds available from various sources, the buyers could be conned into purchasing glass.”
“Can you tell the difference?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never touched a diamond before.”
“I have one for you to examine.”
“Why?”
“Fisk needs someone he can trust to help him find the black market diamond sellers’ source.”
“Why would he care?”
No answer from the Master Magician.
Putting myself in Fisk’s place, I tried to see the situation from his point of view. “His customers are getting conned, which brings suspicion on the Helper’s Guild. And having the Citadel’s guards arrest all the sellers wouldn’t stop the source from going to another town to sell his diamonds. And the arrests would upset the legitimate people in the market. Fisk could lose business.” I considered for a moment. “Better to have everything resolved without the general population knowing about it.”
“Right. So we find the source and trace the new diamonds back to their point of origin before we arrest anyone.”
Her serious tone and emphasis on the word new caused my heart to squeeze a warning. This was no longer a hypothetical discussion. “Who will trace the source?”
“We have a magician in mind to act as our buyer, but she’ll need an expert with her so she doesn’t follow the wrong trail and end up with glass. Fisk trusts you. So does Yelena. She agreed with this plan.”
“I…But…”
“You’ll have the perfect cover.” When I didn’t respond, she continued. “Diamonds enhance magical powers. You need many large stones together to increase the magic, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a rich magician to buy a bunch of diamonds.”
A sense of having been maneuvered into a corner washed over me. I wanted to be part of the Keep’s network of magicians. Wasn’t this exactly what I would be asked to do when I finished my training? I could say no, but I would probably never be considered for another mission. However, my mission for the Stormdancers had bordered on a disaster, and still wasn’t resolved.
“What about Sir and Tricky?” I asked. “They haven’t been found yet.”
“The magician you’ll be working with is strong enough to handle them.”
Last question. “Who’s the magician?”
“Pazia Cloud Mist.”
19
I GROANED. Pazia detested me as much as I disliked her. It would be difficult to become a team and convince a black market diamond seller to reveal his source.
“What’s the problem?” Zitora asked.
“She thinks I’m worthless. A One-Trick Wonder,” I blurted.
“You’re not…” She paused. “Hearing it from me won’t change your perceptions. If you want to believe you’re a One-Trick Wonder, fine by me. Just don’t say it to me ever again. Understand?”
Stunned by her order, I drew in a breath before replying. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Zitora leaned forward in her chair. “You’re an adult now, Opal. In order to be successful with this mission, you’ll have to overcome your differences with Pazia. She’s a strong magician. Maybe a Master. I’m certain she will behave in a professional manner toward you, especially since you’re going to pretend you’re best friends when you meet the diamond sellers today.”
“Today?” Why did troublesome events have to happen so fast? Why couldn’t I digest the information first, and then spring into action?
“Not necessarily. There’s always been a black market for certain Ixian goods—swords, tea, linen, spices. When we had no political relationship with Ixia, the officials at the Citadel turned a blind eye to the sales of Ixian merchandise. Once we negotiated a trade treaty with them, all the ‘contraband’ became readily available. It was no longer a problem.”
“What are they selling now?” I asked.
“Diamonds.”
The gemstones were a hot commodity in Sitia. Many riches were mined from the Emerald Mountains, but, so far, no diamonds have been found.
“The Commander keeps a tight control on the sale of his diamonds to Sitia, so there must be a new mine,” Zitora said.
“With diamonds being sold on the black market, there’ll be all sorts of problems.”
“Correct. What kind of trouble?”
“Another lesson?” I asked.
“I can’t pass up an opportunity to teach. You’re my first student and I endeavor to be a good mentor.” She rolled her hand in the air urging me to continue.
“All right. The black market diamonds will be cheaper, so buyers will go to them instead of the legitimate sellers. Word of diminishing sales will get back to the Commander, and he’ll want to know why. If the Sitian Council doesn’t stop the illegal sales, it could strain our relationship with Ixia. Plus, the money is going to the Moon Clan to pay for a potential coup.”
Each clan decided how they chose their Councillor. A few clans held elections, others followed family lines and the rest had committees who made the decision. The Moon Clan used a matriarchal system. It was understood the Councillor’s daughter would be the next Council member, but birth order didn’t always match the best candidate for the job. On occasion, sisters fighting for the position have been recorded in their history.
“There’s more,” Zitora said.
I thought about the people buying the diamonds. “Bigger chance for deceit. With more diamonds available from various sources, the buyers could be conned into purchasing glass.”
“Can you tell the difference?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never touched a diamond before.”
“I have one for you to examine.”
“Why?”
“Fisk needs someone he can trust to help him find the black market diamond sellers’ source.”
“Why would he care?”
No answer from the Master Magician.
Putting myself in Fisk’s place, I tried to see the situation from his point of view. “His customers are getting conned, which brings suspicion on the Helper’s Guild. And having the Citadel’s guards arrest all the sellers wouldn’t stop the source from going to another town to sell his diamonds. And the arrests would upset the legitimate people in the market. Fisk could lose business.” I considered for a moment. “Better to have everything resolved without the general population knowing about it.”
“Right. So we find the source and trace the new diamonds back to their point of origin before we arrest anyone.”
Her serious tone and emphasis on the word new caused my heart to squeeze a warning. This was no longer a hypothetical discussion. “Who will trace the source?”
“We have a magician in mind to act as our buyer, but she’ll need an expert with her so she doesn’t follow the wrong trail and end up with glass. Fisk trusts you. So does Yelena. She agreed with this plan.”
“I…But…”
“You’ll have the perfect cover.” When I didn’t respond, she continued. “Diamonds enhance magical powers. You need many large stones together to increase the magic, so it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a rich magician to buy a bunch of diamonds.”
A sense of having been maneuvered into a corner washed over me. I wanted to be part of the Keep’s network of magicians. Wasn’t this exactly what I would be asked to do when I finished my training? I could say no, but I would probably never be considered for another mission. However, my mission for the Stormdancers had bordered on a disaster, and still wasn’t resolved.
“What about Sir and Tricky?” I asked. “They haven’t been found yet.”
“The magician you’ll be working with is strong enough to handle them.”
Last question. “Who’s the magician?”
“Pazia Cloud Mist.”
19
I GROANED. Pazia detested me as much as I disliked her. It would be difficult to become a team and convince a black market diamond seller to reveal his source.
“What’s the problem?” Zitora asked.
“She thinks I’m worthless. A One-Trick Wonder,” I blurted.
“You’re not…” She paused. “Hearing it from me won’t change your perceptions. If you want to believe you’re a One-Trick Wonder, fine by me. Just don’t say it to me ever again. Understand?”
Stunned by her order, I drew in a breath before replying. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Zitora leaned forward in her chair. “You’re an adult now, Opal. In order to be successful with this mission, you’ll have to overcome your differences with Pazia. She’s a strong magician. Maybe a Master. I’m certain she will behave in a professional manner toward you, especially since you’re going to pretend you’re best friends when you meet the diamond sellers today.”
“Today?” Why did troublesome events have to happen so fast? Why couldn’t I digest the information first, and then spring into action?
