Chương 284: Pynut Insists

This is a red-letter week for me. Or would the local equivalent be a red number? In any case, I've already arranged one kidnapping as bait for an ambush, I have a daylight assassination planned for tomorrow, and this weekend I'm getting rid of Yheta, at long last. It's only Twoday afternoon and I'm swamped. Not just swamped, but also wired. I've been on edge for over twenty-four hours. I did not realize how hard it was going to be on my nerves to set up an ambush and then walk away.

I can't stay at the Ebonder stronghold and just camp out waiting for him. Even if I didn't have social obligations and murders to take care of, I'm expected to attend school full-time. That doesn't mean that half my concentration is not fixated on this at all times. It was bad enough that around midnight I had started the Gyre spinning to let me know when Meadwhite moved to take the bait, and then scoped it with the Seer's Signet so I can peek at the coin any time I want.

Being able to remotely ascertain that I haven't already missed the action has calmed me some, but I'm still distracted all the time. This is really important, and while we should have every detail sewn up and every angle covered, Meadwhite has proven many times that he's very slippery. I think anyone that learns to evade death itself has proven that, but this one in particular has tricked me too many times. And the longer I wait, the more worried I get.

Every hour since we stole Belisa is another hour he is preparing and planning how to beat our ambush. Obviously, our odds get worse the more time he has to prepare. But, this week is not entirely about death, murder, traps, killing, ambushes and enemies. I've also got a chance to assemble something positive that is going to save a lot of lives without sacrificing others. So that's why I'm on my way to chat with the career criminals.

"Wait, no, explain that part again," Kurumi said. I chuckled.

"That part is only as important as you make it. These men are shifty, shady, and they are inclined to use violence to get their ways. They are motivated only by personal avarice, and habituated to exploit lawful systems for their own benefit. But other than that, they are basically just teamsters." She looked at me askance.

"Not 'basically'. Really, those are just teamsters." I have picked her up outside of the track field, she is freshly showered and her dress fits her like she put it on hastily. I reach over and straighten her seams and shoulders.

"And you assured me that you have adequate experience and accommodation for the ways of teamsters."

"I do," she said.

"But mostly I want to know everything there is to learn about those balance projections you had me double-check for you, you manipulative schemer."

"Moi?"

"Stop that," she snapped.

"The innocent act isn't as cute on you as you think it is. I know that you do not make mistakes in arithmetic and there was no need for me to check your work. You just wanted me to see those revenue-over-cost numbers. Either just to brag, or to entice me. Well, I'm enticed. I want to see what you've got going on. And if that means a closed-door session with teamsters, then so be it." [Quest Checkpoint: Backroom Backslide, +1 XP] I watched her for a minute, the set of her face, the brightness of her eyes.

My intuitions acted up.

"You're going to try to cut the Lautan business consortium in for as big a share as possible."

"Damn right," she said.

"There is a potload of money here, enough to go around. And from what I've seen, you and your teamster friends have done a damn fine job of things. The rail, the depots, the support industries. But support industries require support industries too, and that sort of work isn't interesting to these kinds of people. My people, however, have a lot of patience for setting up an array of businesses that will only scrape small profits year-over-year.

Because enough of those will actually make a significant amount of money, that you and your people would be leaving on the table." I nodded.

"And gods forbid we leave money on the table."

"Damn right." So anyway, that's why I brought my math-project partner with me to a meeting of gangsters, smugglers, racketeers and traffickers. She was terribly squeamish when we went to a dungeon to deal with traps and undead, but a room full of people whose livelihoods were built on the right people getting stabbed? For this, she has no hesitation. That's not to say that I'm going to give her the full understanding of this situation.

I am fine with letting her believe that my job here is to coordinate and negotiate with unsavory characters to get them to do unsavory things on my behalf for the betterment of the kingdom. But I also need to keep her from seeing the side of me that does, in fact, murder people who become too inconvenient to me. It's okay for her to see the strong side of me that is capable of violence, but not the side of me that will use violence.

"All right," I sighed.

"I'll bring you along. My usual rules apply: don't make a scene, don't undermine me. I'm bringing you along so you can get profit opportunities for your family. If you add to my troubles I'm going to shrink you down and keep you in my pocket for the rest of the meeting." She laughed airily. I reached into my satchel and pulled out the shrinking salve. I could see her eyes recognizing this from our meeting with Digger Djim. Her laughter trailed off. She looked at me with a hard consideration.

"I don't think you would," she said.

"But I will respect that threat anyway. I agree to your terms."

"Good," I said.

"And at some point I may ask you to give us the room. It will not take very long." I passed her the blackhart mask and we crossed through light unending into the alley next to a seedy tavern in a disreputable street in a nice part of town. The real estate in this place had a bad reputation but was still expensive. Insert your own joke about prom dates here. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Kurumi stayed close behind me with her hand on my shoulder as she tried to watch over both her shoulders at the same time. Thick woolen cloaks and cowls appeared over us both, and my skin and hair were tinted in tones of brown. I opened the door with a shove of my hand, and led her straight to the back room, reserved for our meeting. This time, nobody in the place even looked up at us. I learned my lesson bringing Kurumi into the adventurer's tavern.

She had attracted too much attention by looking at everyone like they were going to kill her and cook her. The cloak's hood kept her movements from being so obvious. So now when I brought her into a place where everyone wanted to be unnoticed, they did not notice her aggressively noticing them. The only reason I've even brought her is that quest marker. This feels like such a bad idea. Sheltered schoolgirls have no business getting involved in shady business deals with hardened criminals, except for me obviously.

When the door slid open and I stepped in, I got a round of nods from the men at the table. Kurumi got looks of curiosity, but a much warmer reception than my first time. During my first face-to-face with these delinquents they were pretty harsh until Yheta vouched for me. But having assurances in one sixteen-year-old girl, they were less mistrustful of another. I pushed the door shut and dispelled cloaks.

"Gentlemen, this is Kurumi Lautan, of the Lautan Business Consortium. Leader in all but name, she brought them record-breaking profits last year without a whiff of impropriety. She will be helping to facilitate the front side of the business. She has extensive experience working with 'teamsters'. I wanted all of you to have at least one meeting with her before we push this venture any further, for purposes of disclosure. This will not be materially affecting any arrangements of promises already made."

I watched a few motions of tension settle out. They've learned my promises are good. I turned to her.

"Kurumi, let me introduce the esteemed businessmen that have already signed on for our shared venture." So I went around the room and put a face, and a name, to each of the ledger entries she had already seen, with a quick word about how their business interests are going to interact with hers. She fell into the pace rather quickly, comparing their needs to her assets and double-checking placements and schedules.

I handed her a few pages of paper and a pencil and put her on one corner of the table with four or five of the gangsters that were always pushing me for assurances and reassurances, so she could allay their chronic nerves while they mutually worked out a working solid business plan. There's something about trying to run a regular business that straddles the bounds of the law that just makes some people very trepidatious.

I am a prudently cautious gal, but once I'm sold on a plan I don't sulk around asking everyone to soothe my worries. Huh. Do I have harder edges on me than these felons? While she tied up that side of the room, I moved around to where Pynut and his viziers were sitting. They had been mostly quiet during Kurumi's introduction, because their concerns had little to do with the public-facing side of the business.

"Gentlemen," I said, with a respectful nod. Just enough of an incline.

"I trust you are all well?"

"Well enough," one hard-eyed fellow with deeply-lined cheeks said.

"You know someone's hiring assassins to kill you?"

"I have heard, and it's under control, thank you. Mister Pynut, I imagine news has reached you from Daropp?"

"Lewot Snairlin is dead," the stocky man said slowly.

"Seems he had ambitions he couldn't pay for. Pockets too shallow for his plans. A shame for him." He had a lot going on under his hat, and most of it seemed unhappy. I nodded along, my own face very serious.

"This will put our partnership on a higher profile. Tied together by the heir of Snairlin is one thing, that's easily ignored. My presence is not known to anyone not in this room, other than Yheta himself. But if he's just become the head of Snairlin's merchant branch, he's going to be under scrutiny that he was not under before." Pynut looked at me with beady dark eyes.

"You grasp intricacies quickly," he said.

"How sometimes a windfall for one, is a threat to others." The way he said that made it very clear how much he hated having others become a threat to him. Yheta's windfall promotion was going to have a domino effect.

"Quite right," I said, matching his tone.

"Look, I don't mind being your angel investor, bringing plenty of opportunities for all. I can handle the construction and outlay of the infrastructure," I said, as if relaying something that has taken a lot of my time and thoughts. Hard subjects.

"But, if attention falls on Yheta, his proximity to me will not go unnoticed. And if his very overt role negotiating the routes comes to associate him with your networks, it could bring too many eyes on you, as well. We've got a well-timed plan, and outside interference could spoil everything." We don't say out loud that it's illegal as hell. We just reference that "timing" is importance and "interference" should be avoided.

"This is why Lewot never left his house," said a gangly man with a bad beard, shaking his head regretfully.

"He at least knew that visibility was everything."

"The timing of this puts us in an awkward position," I pointed out. Deliberately understating. Pynut grumbled.

"Awkward, nuts. This is dangerous. If his promotion puts your spotlight onto us, everything flushes. For all of us." I grimaced.

"That... is absolutely right. You've put it better than I have." Complimenting him for verbally raising the stakes.

"So we discuss Yheta's role in this partnership?" The gangsters glanced at each other, communicating quietly. Pynut hunched forward, and put his fists on the tabletop. They were pudgy hands but he had boxer's knuckle on both hands, all eight joints. A violent man that works with his hands.

"Perhaps," he said, looking to the others for their support, then over to me, "his role in this partnership is done. He's finished his part, hasn't he? He coordinated, and we're here."

"His valuable contributions are over, and now he represents a risk?" I suggested, as if working this out for the first time.

"Just so," the gangster said. I ran a finger back and forth across my chin, mock-thoughtfully.

"Same page. So, do you know what has occurred to me? Under the circumstances, it might be possible that Lewot's debts, and the consequences of them, could devolve onto Yheta's head now that he's head of the family business."

"Debts do often do that." He looked at me, craftily.

"You know, princess, you've already given so much to this association, I feel bad about asking you for your help again. But maybe you could see your way to being the one to let Yheta know that his services with our partnership are at an end." My hands stilled.

"You think that's a good idea?" I asked, glancing at the various murderers and miscreants arrayed before me. Pynut's voice lowered.

"I would insist, Your Grace. It would really help us all to believe that you are just as committed to this endeavor as we are." Translated: they want me to kill someone for them to (a) prove my loyalty and (b) give them some blackmail leverage over me. And, now they even think it's their idea. These men are very good at smuggling and defending their businesses. They're not as good at delicately guiding a conversation in the directions they prefer.

I lean back, pressing my fingertips together as I look around at them. Kurumi's voice was a murmur from the corner behind me. I let out a long, gusting breath.

"Well, if you insist, then." The people have spoken.