ON Tridi morning, Dekkard immediately scanned Gestirn, but the paper had no mention of a mysterious body being found in the Hillside area. Then again, the body might have been discovered too late to make the morning edition.
Or the other two came back and found the body and removed it. That had both upsides and downsides.
After reading yet another story about poor crop yields, not only in Guldor but in Noldar as well, Dekkard set aside the newssheet and poured café for himself and Avraal, who looked at the newssheet when she arrived.
Dekkard shook his head, and Gaaroll said nothing.
The three left the house a sixth earlier than usual and avoided Jacquez on another circuitous route to the Council Office Building. Even so, they arrived just after Margrit and Roostof had opened the office.
“You’re early, sir,” said Margrit cheerfully.
“It might be a long day with the debate on the Security act,” replied Dekkard.
Margrit handed him two messages. “These just arrived.”
“Thank you.” Dekkard gestured for Avraal to enter his personal office, then followed her in, closing the door. He set the gray leather folder on the desk, opened the first message, from Obreduur, and began to read.
Steffan—
Fredrich has suggested that you give the opening statement on the background for the Security and Public Safety Reorganization Act, including the abuses that the Act is designed to remedy and the provisions that address those abuses. I agree with his recommendation. No one knows the Act better than you, and you speak well.
Dekkard handed the message to Avraal, then opened the second one, which, unsurprisingly, was from Hasheem, saying that he’d recommended Dekkard to do the introduction to the bill and that the Premier had agreed. “The second one is from Hasheem. It says the same thing.”
“So you’re the councilor who’s the voice of Security reform.” Her voice was cool.
“Otherwise known as the designated target,” he replied dryly. “As Naralta predicted.”
“Did you have any idea it would be this bad?”
“Not until they attacked the house.” Dekkard paused. “But I should have realized that it could get that way after what happened to Markell. I just didn’t think it would happen over a legislative proposal.” He shook his head. “There’s nothing you can do here at the moment. You could come back and meet me for lunch.” He extended the keys to the Gresynt.
“You won’t leave the office?”
“Not until you return.”
“Promise?”
“Only if Obreduur and Isobel Irlende escort me to the floor.”
“I’ll be back in time to go to lunch with you.” She leaned forward and took the steamer keys.
Once she left, Dekkard quickly read through the letters and petitions, then gave them to Roostof. After that, he took out the background material, including Roostof’s notes, and settled down to create a set of talking points to summarize the act and the reasons why the Council needed to pass it. Coming up with something he was comfortable with took over two bells.
He’d just finished a few minutes before Avraal returned.
“Did you learn anything new from Carlos?”
“Not much beyond what we already know. Obviously, I didn’t mention last night. I did mention the possible assassin in the university bell tower. That bothered him. He said that political struggles usually didn’t end in attacks on councilors.”
“It just might be that his removal of Marrak escalated the struggle,” Dekkard said.
“But that was essentially in return for an attack on us.”
“For Commercers, that doesn’t count,” replied Dekkard dryly. “Only attacks on them matter.”
“Enough,” declared Avraal. “You need to eat before you face the mountain cats.”
“They’re more like Atacaman desert serpents.”
She shook her head. “We’re leaving.”
No one noticed as they walked from the office, although Dekkard thought he saw Saarh entering his office. When they reached the Council Hall and the councilors’ dining room, Dekkard opted for the three-cheese chicken and Avraal had the chilled spicy tomato soup. After that, she escorted him to the councilors’ lobby before making her way to the spouses’ gallery.
Carrying the gray leather folder that he hoped he wouldn’t need, Dekkard entered the Council chamber a good sixth before first bell, and seated himself at his desk at the rear.
Other councilors filed in, one of whom was Pajiin, who stopped beside Dekkard’s desk and asked, “Are you going to speak?”
“I’ve been asked to give the opening statement on the act before it’s opened to debate.”
“Aren’t you the fortunate one?”
“The Premier’s likely trying to keep Craft targets to a minimum.”
“Why don’t they target him?”
Dekkard managed not to frown, thinking, surely, Pajiin understood that. After the slightest hesitation, he replied, “Too obvious. Besides, they need a strong Craft Premier that they can vilify in the future.”
“You think they’re thinking that far in the future?”
“Do you think they’re not?” asked Dekkard, his voice low, but sardonic.
Pajiin offered a soft bark of a laugh, then moved to his desk and sat down.
Several minutes passed before the single long chime sounded, and the lieutenant-at-arms thumped his ceremonial staff, followed by Obreduur’s statement that the Council of Sixty-Six was in session.
Haarsfel moved to the lectern on the left side of the dais. “The matter before the Council is the Security and Public Safety Reorganization Act, as reported from the Security Committee and presented to the Council. Offering the opening statement for the committee is Councilor Dekkard, who offered the original version of the act. Councilor Dekkard.”
Dekkard walked to the dais and stood beside, not behind, the lectern to the right of the Premier’s—or presiding councilor’s—desk, then inclined his head. “Thank you, Floor Leader Haarsfel.”
For a moment, Dekkard said nothing, just surveyed the chamber. “As all of us know, over the past several months, we have seen illegality and a pronounced lack of competence in the Security Ministry. I won’t list all the problems; they should be familiar to everyone. In order to address these issues, the Security Committee accepted a draft proposal, which the committee then debated and amended, and I have to give credit to the honorable Councilor Villem Baar for the improvements he especially made to the legislation. The main thrust of the Security and Public Safety Reorganization Act is to return Security to its primary purpose of maintaining civil law and order…”
Dekkard took less than a sixth to introduce the act, then inclined his head to Haarsfel.
“Thank you, Councilor Dekkard, for a concise summary of the need for the act and its basic provisions. The Council has two bells for debate on the bill itself, followed by two bells, if necessary, for debate and vote on the five amendments registered with the majority floor leader.” Haarsfel turned to Hansaal Volkaar, the Commercer floor leader. “You requested time to speak against the bill.”
“I did. We have a number of concerns about the proposed act, in particular, the speed required for implementation…”
The statements, by Commercer councilors and two Landors, largely repeated the issues raised by Baar in the Security Committee hearings on the bill, and, after each, Haarsfel requested that Dekkard reply.
Given what Dekkard had learned in dealing with the issues in the Security Committee, his responses, he felt, were better and more concise.
Little more than a bell passed before Saandaar Vonauer, the Landor floor leader, turned to Haarsfel and said, “We have no more requests to speak.”
“Then open debate on the proposed act is closed, and the Council will address the amendments registered for debate and consideration. The first amendment registered is to strike paragraph B of section one, and all the language dealing with the transfer of Special Tactical Force to the Army. Councilor Baar, you registered this amendment. Would you care to explain the rationale for the amendment?”
“Thank you, Floor Leader Haarsfel. I would.” Baar moved to stand behind the right lectern. “The Special Tactical Force was created to deal with levels of unrest beyond the capabilities of everyday Security patrollers. With the rise of the New Meritorists and the level of violence they have brought to the streets of Guldor, we find it neither timely nor wise to remove the STF from the Security Ministry. Perhaps in times to come, it could be considered, but at present it is unwise and ill-considered.”
When Baar finished, Haarsfel looked to Dekkard. “Would you care to respond, Councilor Dekkard?”
“Thank you, Floor Leader, I would.” Dekkard moved to where he stood beside the right lectern. “The honorable councilor from Suvion has conveyed the impression that the transfer of the Special Tactical Force from the Security Ministry to the jurisdiction and discipline of the Army removes the ability of the government to use force against large demonstrations. That was never the purpose of the act. The purpose was to turn an undisciplined force that fired on women and unarmed demonstrators into a better-disciplined force. There is nothing in the act that prohibits the use of the STF against large-scale and armed demonstrators, once the Army deals with the deficiencies manifested by past STF behavior. In the interim, the Army is perfectly capable of dealing with such contingencies. The unspoken reason behind this amendment is to maintain an armed force effectively controlled by the party in control of the government, and that reason goes against the letter and spirit of the Great Charter.”
Dekkard thought he actually saw a nod or two when he finished.
Following the vote to adopt the amendment, which failed with only twenty-eight councilors supporting it and thirty-eight opposing it, Baar then spoke, in turn, on the remaining three amendments: to retain armed Special Agents as part of the new Ministry of Public Safety; to disallow criminal charges against Special Agents if they acted under the orders of a lawful superior; and to extend the implementation date of the act by four months.
The debate and votes on the amendments took more than a bell, and, in the end, all three additional amendments were rejected. The one vote that surprised Dekkard was the one on granting immunity to Special Agents, because only ten Commercers and one Landor voted for it.
Did Baar offer that just so that the Commercer leadership could claim they tried to protect rogue Special Agents? Not that they’d ever admit they ever used rogue agents.
Although Haarsfel had allotted four bells for debate and for the vote, it was only a third past third bell when he announced, “There being no other amendments registered with the clerk, and no pending requests for time, the question before the Council is on the passage of the Security and Public Safety Reorganization Act. The vote is for or against the proposed legislation. All councilors have a third in which to register their vote and deposit a plaque.”
As Haarsfel finished speaking, Obreduur gestured, and the deep gong rang once.
Dekkard waited until most of the councilors had voted, then walked to the Craft Party’s plaque box. There he picked two of the colored tiles, one signifying yes, one no, then walked to the double box set on the front of the dais, where he placed the yes tile into the ballot slot and the other into the null slot.
Villem Baar was one of the last to vote, and as he turned from the ballot box, he looked to Dekkard and gave the slightest of nods.
Finally, the deep chime rang again.
“The vote is closed,” declared Obreduur. “Floor leaders, do your duty.”
The three floor leaders watched as each voting tile was removed from the ballot box and placed in one of two columns in the counting tray. Then the clerk wrote the vote totals on the tally sheet, and each of the three floor leaders signed the sheet. As the majority floor leader, Haarsfel carried the tally sheet as he stepped onto the dais.
“Those councilors approving the passage of the Security and Public Safety Reorganization Act, twenty-nine Craft councilors, ten Landor councilors, and five Commerce councilors, for a total of forty-four.”
Forty-four? Dekkard had never expected that kind of margin, but that just might be so that the Commercers could later claim—when the troubles began—that the Craft Party had been given support on the first major legislation and that the Commercers certainly hadn’t obstructed the Crafters.
Dekkard was still sitting at his desk as Obreduur announced, “There being no other matter to be considered, the Council is hereby adjourned.”
Dekkard stood slowly, then turned.
As he walked toward the councilors’ lobby, Hasheem joined him. “Congratulations, Steffan. It’s not often a junior councilor drafts a bill, successfully guides it though committee, and gets it passed with enough votes to override a possible veto by the Imperador.” The older councilor smiled and asked humorously, “What do you plan next?”
“The committee could investigate how the New Meritorists obtained the several tonnes of dunnite it took to destroy fifteen regional Security offices.”
“Isn’t that almost irrelevant now? Without the STF and the Special Agents, the new Ministry of Public Safety won’t need those buildings.”
Dekkard shrugged. “Possibly. What if the New Meritorists have more? Or they try again? If we don’t know how they obtained that dunnite, how can we stop them from getting more?”
Hasheem’s brow wrinkled into a frown. “Minister Manwaeren explained that at the Security hearings, and he was telling the truth.”
“He was certainly telling what he believed to be the truth, but the so-called investigation took place months after the theft. The New Meritorists had to have obtained that dunnite months earlier, if not more than a year. Why didn’t the Navy report the accident? Was there even an accident or only a written report of the accident, slipped into the files well afterward to cover someone’s tracks? Minister Wyath resigned as soon as Obreduur became acting Premier. He certainly wasn’t asked those questions, and certainly not with an empath present.”
“What do you suggest?” asked Hasheem. “That’s hardly a subject for a hearing.”
“Just ask Security to produce the report. Then contact the Navy officials who ostensibly made the report. Ask them to provide the report they made to Security about dunnite on those dates. If the report they supply matches, that ends the inquiry. If they deny the existence of the report, then there’s a problem—and a need for a hearing.”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
You mean, talk it over with Obreduur. “And if we don’t look into it, and the New Meritorists blow up something else?”
“You make a very good point, Steffan. For now, enjoy the moment.”
When assassins are still after me? “We’ll do what we can, Fredrich. Thank you.”
Avraal was waiting just outside the councilors’ lobby. “You were magnificent!”
“Not that good,” he protested. “All the facts were on my side.”
“You made that obvious. Not everyone could. Obreduur was pleased. So was Hasheem.”
“Hasheem congratulated me. Then he asked me, almost humorously, what I planned next. I suggested looking into how the New Meritorists got all that dunnite. He didn’t seem pleased.”
“I’m not sure I am, either. We’ll talk about that later.” Avraal motioned in the direction of the courtyard.
Meaning that worries her more than a little. As he walked beside Avraal, he decided to change the subject. “I did promise Gaaroll we could pick up her clothes on the way home.”
“That’s probably a good idea. Then she can run more errands so that Bretta and Illana don’t have to.”
“Is anyone concentrating on us?”
“Not that I can discern.”
On the walk back to the Council Office Building, while they saw several councilors at a distance, those they saw were little more than faces to Dekkard.
Dekkard had barely stepped into the anteroom of his office when Roostof appeared, an anxious expression on his face. “Sir, what happened?”
Dekkard smiled. “The Council passed the act with forty-four votes. Thank you for drafting it so well.”
“Luara helped. She tightened up the legal language better than I could have.”
Dekkard walked to the doorway to the main staff room, looked to Colsbaan, and said, “Thank you for what you added to the Security reform act. The Council passed it with forty-four votes.”
“Svard did most of it, sir.”
“He said you made it better. For that, you deserve thanks as well.”
“He’s kind.”
“He is,” replied Dekkard, “but he doesn’t give credit where it’s not due. So thank you.”
Colsbaan smiled, if shyly.
Dekkard turned his attention back to Margrit. “I’ll go through the responses as quickly as I can, but I promise to be out of here by a third past fourth bell.”
“I’ll stay out here,” said Avraal.
Dekkard hurried into his office and began to go through the typed responses drafted by Roostof and Colsbaan. As usual, most were acceptable, if not better, and he added personal notes to more than a few. Three others he made more extensive corrections and changes to, and those would have to be retyped.
He actually stepped out of the inner office at a sixth past fourth bell, handing the stack of responses to Margrit and saying, “I did promise.”
She smiled and handed a large envelope to Dekkard. “This just arrived by messenger from the Premier.”
A message from Obreduur wasn’t totally unexpected, but Dekkard was surprised that it had come so quickly and in such a large envelope. He opened it, only to discover two smaller envelopes—one addressed to “Steffan” in a hand that Dekkard recognized as that of Obreduur, and a second one addressed to “Avraal and Steffan” in a second hand.
Dekkard handed the jointly addressed missive to Avraal and opened the one addressed to him. As he had half suspected, it contained a note card engraved with the emblem of the Council and the words “Office of the Premier” beneath. The handwritten message was short.
Steffan—
From beginning to end, you created and managed the Security and Public Safety Reorganization Act with an expertise rarely seen in the Council, guiding it through the various hazards—in and out of the Security Committee—to successful passage.
My heartfelt thanks and appreciation for your skill and perseverance.
It was signed “Axel.”
Dekkard nodded. A note of appreciation and praise that could appear on the front page of Gestirn without adverse repercussions.
His eyes returned to one of the phrases in the handwritten note—“guiding it through the various hazards—in and out of the Security Committee.” He handed the note card to Avraal and pointed to the phrase.
“Interesting,” she replied.
Meaning that we’ll talk about that later. “What was in the other envelope?”
“An invitation from Ingrella to an early dinner on Findi at fourth bell. I’ll write an acceptance when we get home, and we can send it by messenger tomorrow morning.”
Dekkard turned back to Margrit. “We’re leaving now.”
At those words, Gaaroll immediately rose from her small desk, and followed Dekkard and Avraal out of the office. Since it was after fourth bell, the second-level hallway contained only a few scattered handfuls of people, mostly staffers, although Dekkard thought he glimpsed Breffyn Haastar and an aide heading down the main staircase.
When they stepped out of the west doors of the Council Office Building, under the sheltered entry roof, Dekkard turned to Gaaroll. “Do you sense anything?”
“No, sir, not any real strong feelings.”
Dekkard still found himself scanning every possible place that might harbor a sniper. He saw that Avraal was concentrating as well. Neither said much until Dekkard was driving south on Imperial Boulevard.
“Aletina’s first?” he asked.
“Unless you want to double back,” replied Avraal sweetly.
Dekkard winced, but said, “I was just thinking about dragging out the process.”
“Be our guest.”
Dekkard didn’t even shake his head. When the time came he turned right off Imperial Boulevard and then into the small parking area behind the shop. Then he looked to Gaaroll.
“Do you want either of us to come in with you?”
“I’ll come get you if I have trouble,” she replied.
Dekkard fretted, but in less than a sixth Gaaroll returned with the first sets of tailored garments.
“You didn’t have any trouble, did you?” asked Avraal.
“Not after I showed my Council passcard and staff pin.” Gaaroll grinned shyly. “They make a difference.”
Dekkard then drove to Julieta, where, again, Gaaroll had no difficulties, emerging with the remainder of the garments Dekkard had purchased for her.
Rather than go by Imperial University, Dekkard turned east on Altarama Drive past the Obreduurs’ house and then wound his way through East Quarter and farther east until he came to Jacquez, where he turned north.
As he crossed Camelia Avenue, he asked, “Nincya, do you sense anyone with strong emotions?”
“Not ahead of us. Over to the left a few blocks, though.”
“The Erslaan Patrol Station, most likely,” said Avraal.
Two blocks south of Florinda Way, Dekkard turned west for a block then north before turning east on Florinda. Once he had the steamer in the garage, he took a slow deep breath.
“It gets to me, too,” said Avraal, her voice barely above a murmur.
Gaaroll carefully gathered her garments and led the way into the house.
“I’m in the kitchen!” called out Emrelda, adding, even more loudly, “Great surprise.”
The three hurried into the kitchen.
“You’re a little late,” said Emrelda from where she stood at a side counter. “How did your day go?”
“The Council passed Steffan’s Security reform act with enough votes to override a veto by the Imperador,” Avraal replied immediately. “He was brilliant in explaining and defending it. The Premier sent him a note congratulating him, and Ingrella sent another inviting us to an early dinner on Findi.”
“The dinner means more than the note,” said Emrelda.
“We’re a little late because we stopped to pick up Nincya’s new clothes,” added Dekkard.
Gaaroll looked down at the garments she still held, but Dekkard thought he caught a trace of a smile.
“Well, nothing at all happened at the station today. No bodies or brawls in Southtown. No reports of missing people. Rather interesting, I thought.”
“That might suggest other implications,” said Dekkard.
“Take your blessings where you can,” suggested Emrelda dryly. “Dinner’s a chicken mushroom casserole. Nincya, go hang those up. By the time you do, dinner should be ready.”
“I’ll get drinks,” volunteered Dekkard.
Once Gaaroll left, Emrelda said quietly, “I meant it. Erslaan is well patrolled, and people in Hillside report everything. Unlike Southtown, where the first person to ‘find’ a body is a sanitation shovelhand.”
“Then someone removed him before anyone could report the body,” said Dekkard. “They don’t want Security patrollers involved.”
“That’s the way I see it,” answered Emrelda.
“Go get the drinks,” added Avraal gently.
Dekkard did, and the casserole turned out to be excellent and filling, but then, Dekkard knew, almost anything either sister prepared was that way.
After dinner, while Gaaroll modeled her new office garb for Avraal and Emrelda, Dekkard went out to the veranda. A light and cold rain had begun to fall, and he sat there, thinking.
After a time, Avraal appeared.
“How were the clothes?”
“She almost looks like a different person.”
“Is she pleased?”
“She doesn’t say much, but yes.”
“Good.”
Avraal sat in the wicker chair next to Dekkard. “Do you think it was wise to mention investigating the dunnite so quickly?”
“We need to know. Hasheem will doubtless talk it over with Obreduur. It’s up to them, but I think the New Meritorists had some help. I still think Minz is involved, but the fact that Suvion Industries hired Ulrich bothers me as well.”
“With both of them involved, that could make you even more of a target.”
“If Minz is behind the assassins, do you think it will make any difference?”
“Probably not, but we don’t know for certain if he’s the one.” Avraal shivered. “It’s getting cool out here.”
“We don’t have to stay here.” Dekkard immediately rose.
“We do have to do something else, though.”
“Oh?” Dekkard looked intently at Avraal as she stood.
“Not that.” She smiled gently. “Or—not just yet.”
“What?”
“We need to read a little more of Ingrella’s book, so we can talk about it on Findi.”
Dekkard nodded, not quite glumly.
“It’s still early,” said Avraal, an amused tone in her voice.