“You’re right on both counts,” said Korsaen, standing in the doorway. “We were passing by, and I couldn’t help hearing the last.”
“If we didn’t accept her offer, then what?” asked Lhadoraak.
“She might have offered you a position at a border post. They don’t pay as well, a silver and a half an eightday.”
“You were just passing by?” asked Tulya.
“Actually,” said Maeyora, “we were coming to tell you that Jolika—the governess—would be coming down with Taelya in just a bit. We also wanted to let you know that your daughter is very good at politely taking care of herself.”
Beltur found himself tensing.
“Oh?” said Tulya.
“Korwaen told her that she couldn’t do something because she was a girl. She told him that there were many things he couldn’t do because he was a boy. Before Jolika could stop him, he tried to push her over, but he discovered he couldn’t touch her.”
Beltur half relaxed.
“Maenya laughed at him. He wasn’t too happy about that, and he said something like he could make her unhappy, even if he couldn’t touch Taelya, but your daughter stepped in front of him with her shield up and told him it was cruel to hit his sister.” Maeyora’s voice hardened. “He knows better. He won’t be eating with us this evening.”
Beltur had the feeling that wasn’t the only punishment Korwaen had suffered. He also had the feeling that Taelya would do just fine in Haven.
“Jolika said that Taelya was very polite the whole time,” added Korsaen.
“That’s Beltur’s doing,” said Tulya. “He’s been very firm about what she is allowed to do with magery and what is not allowed.”
Maeyora looked to Beltur.
“Taelya’s the youngest white I’ve ever known or heard about,” he explained, “and I worried about how she could hurt someone without meaning to. That’s why almost everything she knows is to protect herself and not to attack.”
“Beltur,” said Maeyora, more warmly, “we’re not angry, except at Korwaen. It was a very good lesson for him.”
“Very good.” Korsaen paused. “Do you have any more questions? Anything.”
“Were you looking for us in Elparta?” asked Beltur.
“Not for you in particular. I knew about the invasion, and often, after a war, or so I’ve heard, there are those who discover they don’t fit in. I’d been looking in Elparta and doing some trading as well, but … well … I wasn’t impressed. Then, when I heard Jorhan was looking to accompany a trader, and he said that there might be a possibility of a young strong mage accompanying him…” Korsaen shrugged.
“And?” prompted Jessyla.
“After what you did to those brigands, I was even more interested. I stayed with the trading name because I wanted any decisions you made to be because you wanted to come to Montgren on your own, not because a lord offered something.”
“How long have you known about how bad things are in Haven?” asked Beltur.
“I didn’t know that tariffs hadn’t been collected until I got back to Vergren. I knew things were bad and that we needed someone to right them.”
“So you were really scouting us out,” said Jessyla. “Did you scout out Maeyora as well? She can’t be from Montgren.”
Korsaen flushed. “I wouldn’t have put it—”
“He did,” interjected Maeyora. “He was very tactful and gentle about it.”
Jessyla looked to Maeyora. “I suppose he proposed to you without saying who he was?”
“He did. I could sense he was more than a trader, but he simply said that he was attracted to me, and that he could offer me a good life. I made him wait two years. He had to make several trips to Ouesthyd before I accepted.”
“You’re from there?”
Maeyora shook her head. “I was born in Clynya. Mother persuaded my father to escort her to Ouesthyd before he returned to his homeland. I grew up there. She consorted a grower who had a great ability with pearapples. She still sends us kegs of juice every harvest.”
“And some pearapple brandy occasionally,” added Korsaen.
After a long pause, Beltur said, “What questions should I have asked that I likely don’t know enough to ask?”
“You’ve asked all the questions I would have in your position,” replied Korsaen.
“I have a question,” said Jessyla. “Why didn’t you and the Duchess do something about Haven earlier?”
“Because we couldn’t find anyone like the four of you any sooner. We needed people who will be in Haven almost all the time and who can stand up to some rather tough and violent individuals on a personal basis. That requires people who want to make the town into what it could be. In return for the backing of the Duchess and a free hand in governing Haven under the laws of Montgren, you have the opportunity to shape Haven into a place where you, and those like you, will be comfortable.”
“What if we can’t?” asked Jessyla.
“I have great confidence in you. I also suspect that all of you feel that you could make things work if you were in charge. This is likely the only opportunity you’ll get. Life doesn’t give that many real choices. Most of what we see as choices are nothing of the sort. I doubt that you really had a choice to stay in either Elparta or Axalt.” Korsaen paused. “Or am I wrong?”
After a moment, Jessyla said, “I don’t think so.”
“No,” murmured Tulya.
“Haven’s been a problem for some time,” said Beltur. “Everything shows that. Why is the Duchess so interested now?”
“She’s always been interested. It’s a question of both golds and people. All the golds in the world wouldn’t help without the right people. Frankly, Montgren doesn’t have that many golds, and we’re a land of herders, timbermen, and farmers. Almost all of our handful of mages come from elsewhere, as do most of our armsmen.”
Beltur thought that over. “Are you afraid Hydolar will take over the town and the lands around it?” he finally asked.
“That’s a possibility if you don’t succeed. Neither Certis nor Lydiar would let the other have that area. They might allow the Duke of Hydlen to keep it if he restored order.”
“So it’s our job not only to restore order but keep three dukes at bay?”
“Restoring order will keep Certis and Lydiar at bay, and a strong council will keep Hydlen at bay. That area isn’t that good for much except for pasture and hunting wild boar, and as a trading stop. An honest trader could do well there. Oh, there’s some fertile bottomland in places, but that’s only useful if there’s order in Haven.”
Beltur finally said, “So we’re a gamble to keep Haven as part of Montgren?”
“Isn’t everything in life a gamble?” returned Korsaen quietly.
“I’ve heard that before.” Beltur wondered if Korsaen had played plaques with the gambler who’d had his hands broken, or if the words were just a coincidence.
“Sayings that get repeated often have truth behind them. The trick is knowing when.”
“What do you really expect from us?” asked Beltur.
“To make Haven a safe place for yourselves. If you do that, then nothing else matters.”
Beltur stiffened. There was no equivocation, no reservation, and nothing hidden.
“And it will likely be the hardest task you’ve ever undertaken,” added Maeyora, gently.
Beltur had no doubts that Maeyora’s statement was absolutely true … and that what he and Jessyla faced was the biggest gamble of their lives.
He looked at Jessyla.
They both smiled.
TOR BOOKS BY L. E. MODESITT, JR.
THE SAGA OF RECLUCE
The Magic of Recluce
The Towers of the Sunset
The Magic Engineer
The Order War
The Death of Chaos
Fall of Angels
The Chaos Balance
The White Order
Colors of Chaos
Magi’i o
f Cyador
Scion of Cyador
Wellspring of Chaos
Ordermaster
Natural Ordermage
Mage-Guard of Hamor
Arms-Commander
Cyador’s Heirs
Heritage of Cyador
Recluce Tales
The Mongrel Mage
Outcasts of Order
THE COREAN CHRONICLES
Legacies
Darknesses
Scepters
Alector’s Choice
Cadmian’s Choice
Soarer’s Choice
The Lord-Protector’s Daughter
Lady-Protector
THE IMAGER PORTFOLIO
Imager
Imager’s Challenge
Imager’s Intrigue
Scholar
Princeps
Imager’s Battalion
Antiagon Fire
Rex Regis
Madness in Solidar
Treachery’s Tools
Assassin’s Price
Endgames (forthcoming)
THE SPELLSONG CYCLE
The Soprano Sorceress
The Spellsong War
Darksong Rising
The Shadow Sorceress
Shadowsinger
THE ECOLITAN MATTER
Empire & Ecolitan (comprising The Ecolitan Operation and The Ecologic Secession)
Ecolitan Prime (comprising The Ecologic Envoy and The Ecolitan Enigma)
THE GHOST BOOKS
Of Tangible Ghosts
The Ghost of the Revelator
Ghost of the White Nights
Ghost of Columbia (comprising Of Tangible Ghosts and The Ghost of the Revelator)
OTHER NOVELS
The Forever Hero (comprising Dawn for a Distant Earth, The Silent Warrior, and In Endless Twilight)
Timegods’ World (comprising Timediver’s Dawn and The Timegod)
The Hammer of Darkness
The Green Progression
The Parafaith War
Adiamante
Gravity Dreams
The Octagonal Raven
Archform: Beauty
The Ethos Effect
Flash
The Eternity Artifact
The Elysium Commission
Viewpoints Critical
Haze
Empress of Eternity
The One-Eyed Man
Solar Express
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
L. E. Modesitt, Jr., is the author of more than seventy books—primarily science fiction and fantasy, including the long-running bestselling Saga of Recluce and The Imager Portfolio, as well as a number of short stories.
Visit him online at www.lemodesittjr.com, or sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Characters
Maps
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
Chapter XII
Chapter XIII
Chapter XIV
Chapter XV
Chapter XVI
Chapter XVII
Chapter XVIII
Chapter XIX
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XXIII
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVI
Chapter XXVII
Chapter XXVIII
Chapter XXIX
Chapter XXX
Chapter XXXI
Chapter XXXII
Chapter XXXIII
Chapter XXXIV
Chapter XXXV
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter XXXVII
Chapter XXXVIII
Chapter XXXIX
Chapter XL
Chapter XLI
Chapter XLII
Chapter XLIII
Chapter XLIV
Chapter XLV
Chapter XLVI
Chapter XLVII
Chapter XLVIII
Chapter XLIX
Chapter L
Chapter LI
Chapter LII
Chapter LIII
Chapter LIV
Chapter LV
Chapter LVI
Chapter LVII
Chapter LVIII
Chapter LIX
Chapter LX
Chapter LXI
Chapter LXII
Chapter LXIII
Chapter LXIV
Chapter LXV
Chapter LXVI
Chapter LXVII
Chapter LXVIII
Chapter LXIX
Chapter LXX
Chapter LXXI
Chapter LXXII
Chapter LXXIII
Chapter LXXIV
Chapter LXXV
Chapter LXXVI
Chapter LXXVII
Chapter LXXVIII
Chapter LXXIX
Chapter LXXX
Chapter LXXXI
Chapter LXXXII
Chapter LXXXIII
Chapter LXXXIV
Chapter LXXXV
Chapter LXXXVI
Chapter LXXXVII
Chapter LXXXVIII
Chapter LXXXIX
Chapter XC
Chapter XCI
Chapter XCII
Chapter XCIII
Chapter XCIV
Chapter XCV
Chapter XCVI
Chapter XCVII
Chapter XCVIII
Chapter XCIX
Chapter C
Tor Books by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
OUTCASTS OF ORDER
Copyright © 2018 by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Mare Simonetti
A Tor Book
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First Edition: June 2018