Now she met with all three together…after having already met in turn with each member of the Triumvirate separately, carefully playing on their fear and mistrust of one another to create unseen fissures in their relatively new alliance. That work done, it was now time to bring her message home.
“I believe we can agree,” she said, locking eyes with first Morov then Zoltan then Maladola, “that we simply cannot have Kaya—a debt-forgiving outsider—as our guildmaster.”
She received a nod of confirmation from each.
“Therefore,” she continued, “we must take advantage of her being offworld to…slide the guild out from under the control of her proxy, Tomik Vrona.”
Now Morov shook his head and wondered aloud, “I do marvel, milady, how your own assistant has slid out from under your thumb. Was that good management, I ask?”
Teysa smiled. “Perhaps you’ll recall, my dear Pontiff, that my late grandfather Karlov and the Obzedat has had me confined—trapped, really—within these apartments under house arrest. A condition the Triumvirate has maintained since their passing, restricting my ability to manage guild problems…like Vrona. And since our previous failed attempt to oust Kaya, recent events have forced Tomik to spend much time elsewhere, thus escaping my influence and my management.”
“This cannot be denied,” Zoltan said to the other two, having been primed to believe that allying with the Karlov heir would elevate him above his two partners.
“Indeed not,” said Maladola sharply, who’d been warned that Morov sought to limit the prestige of her sacred office.
Hence, Morov, caught off guard by the lack of support from his allies—and fearing, per his private consultation with Teysa, that the other two might team up to edge him out of power—was forced to concede, “Well, erm, yes. I…see your point. It is a situation we could perhaps rectify in good time.”
“That would be appreciated, of course,” Teysa said. “But even I must acknowledge we have more serious issues before us at this moment.”
Looking relieved that she was not yet insisting on her freedom, they all nodded like parrots, spouting words like “Quite” and “Assuredly” and “Without a doubt.”
Hiding her smile behind a stern and serious façade, Teysa continued: “We’ve all been very diplomatic up to this point, but let’s speak frankly now. If we intend to plan another coup—for harsh as that word sounds, it is exactly what we need—then we must be confident of the full support of the guild in this coup’s aftermath. Agreed?”
“Quite” and “Assuredly” and “Without a doubt.”
“Meaning we’ll need the power of the Triumvirate’s offices and the Karlov name that I alone can provide. We’ll need the influence I have—and the pressure I can wield—over the lesser families. The Morovs excepted, of course, as I’m sure, Armin, that your unquestioned authority over your cousin Lazlo and your great-aunt Esperanza will be enough to keep them in our corner,” Teysa added diplomatically—while unsubtly reminding Armin that he wasn’t the only Morov in town.
This time the pontiff offered up the “Quites” and “Assuredlys” and “Without a doubts” all on his own.
“Unfortunately, none of our influence and preparation will be worth an Izzet tinker’s damn if, from the moment we succeed, the four of us begin infighting. It seems essential that we agree on the new guildmaster, that we choose her or him from among our party now.”
This, as intended, caught all three off guard. No “Quites” or “Assuredlys” or “Without a doubts” were heard.
“Let me start by removing myself from consideration. All I want for my cooperation in this endeavor is a legal and binding magical guarantee of my freedom. To be signed here and now, in this room today. I do not believe that is an unreasonable request.”
Relieved that they would not have to fight Teysa Karlov for guildmastery, the “Quites” and “Assuredlys” and “Without a doubts” returned in full force.
“I appreciate your indulgence, truly. You’ll find the documents are prepared and ready on that table.” Teysa snapped her fingers, and four identical scrolls magically unrolled, while four identical pens magically dipped themselves in four identical inkwells and then hovered in the air, waiting. It was a flourish of unnecessary magical nonsense designed to maintain the great Triumvirate’s sense of their own illustrious importance, while simultaneously maintaining the momentum of her play—and her ploy.
It worked.
Ever the dashing gentleman, the vampire rose first and signed.
Not to be outdone, the angel followed suit.
Morov seemed slightly more reluctant, and Teysa briefly wondered if she had overplayed her hand with him. But it soon became clear that his reluctance had more to do with the effort it would take to launch himself out of his soft-cushioned chair than any other more pertinent scruple. So Teysa set a good example by milking the need for her cane as she hobbled over to sign her scroll. Morov, demonstrating how much more vibrant he was than the young-seeming Karlov heir, groaned like the old man he was and pushed himself onto his feet, strode to the table and signed with his unwithered hand.
Good. That’s done.
“Thank you,” Teysa said, once all four had resumed their seats. “Now, which of you three will lead the Orzhov into what I’m sure will be a grand new era of orthodox prosperity?”
The Triumvirate regarded one another with daggers for eyes. She had successfully made each one so suspicious of the other two, the outcome seemed inevitable. Still, she prompted it.
“Come now, my friends. Even as we sit here, Acting Guildmaster Vrona manages our diplomacy, our manpower, our assets. Certainly, we can at least come up with a temporary solution to our leadership issues.”
Maladola took the bait. “Since with these contracts just signed, you have agreed to waive any permanent claim to power, you could be our temporary solution, Teysa. You could replace Vrona as acting guildmaster until the three of us have had the opportunity to settle this question among ourselves.”
“No, no,” Teysa protested. “I will not be your whipping boy. I will not be the straw man for you three to tear down as a show for the oligarchs and the rank and file.”
“My darling Teysa, that is not our intent,” said Slavomir. “If you remain neutral, we will support your rule for as long as necessary.”
Morov weighed in with a caveat: “As long as you agree to step down when the time comes.”
Teysa waved her hand at the table and the scrolls upon it. “I have no choice on that front, as you very well know, Armin. But I can choose not to expose myself to this treachery. You seek to catch me up, to use me as your pawn in whatever game you three are playing. I cannot yet see to the bottom of it. But I can tell you that Teysa Karlov is no one’s pawn.”
All three issued strong denials. In fact, since Teysa had previously pledged her allegiance to each in turn, they all were beginning to love this idea. To adore it. Each one believed that Teysa Karlov would act as an apparently independent temporary guildmaster, while secretly and subtly forwarding her or his agenda until enough power had been consolidated to overthrow the other two, at which point Teysa would be contractually obligated to step down and hand the guild over to her secret ally.
The meeting went on for twenty more minutes as they “wore her down,” until with tremendous bitterness, suspicion and reluctance, she finally, begrudgingly acquiesced to their wishes.
“I will hold you to your promises today,” Teysa said.
“Quite” and “Assuredly” and “Without a doubt.”
Sitting back in her seat, Maladola said, “With the issue of ascension out of the way—”
“Temporarily out of the way,” Teysa cut in edgily.
“Temporarily, yes. The question now becomes how to proceed. Should we assassinate Vrona?”
Seeming to calm down, Teysa also sat back and shook her head. “I’ve checked every bylaw, every statute, and I’m confident that won’t work,” she said. “His spirit will remain acting guildmaster even after death, and when Kaya returns, she’ll simply get everything back. We’d have gained nothing and shown our hand.”
Morov scowled: “If we can’t kill him, then what?”
Teysa looked to Zoltan and said, “If we can’t kill him…we enthrall him.”