Colors of Chaos

XXXVII

CERRYL GLANCED FROM his notes to his half-written daily report to Isork, then at the doorway as Isork himself stepped into the small duty room.

“Ser.” Cerryl stood immediately. “I didn’t know you were coming.” He gestured at the desk. “I was just finishing my report. Gyskas should be here before long.”

“I didn’t come to see Gyskas.” Isork slipped into the chair across the desk. “Sit down.”

Cerryl sat.

“I understand you occasionally still walk with one of the patrols?”

“Yes, ser. Not too often…but every so often. I don’t tell them before that day when, or why…I just do it.”

“Why?”

“Ser…I couldn’t say exactly,” Cerryl fudged, “but…it feels better when I do. People know I’m young, and I felt that they had to know I intended to learn the city and keep the peace.”

“You also walk the section by yourself when you aren’t on duty.”

“Yes, ser. I don’t know that I’m helping much…Nothing seems to happen when I go with any patroller…”

“You’re keeping the peace if nothing happens.” Isork laughed. “When you’re on duty, even when you don’t patrol, almost nothing happens.”

“Ser…you said that people respected the Patrol here. I just wanted to make sure that they still did.”

“Oh, they respect you. So do the patrollers. They see you walking the streets by yourself, checking out things-”

“I’m still trying to learn where everything is,” Cerryl explained. “I don’t want to have my lead patrollers trying to explain where something happened.”

“We need more mages who’ve been through whatever you’ve been through.” Isork shook his head. “Your patrollers call you their tough little sawmill bastard. First new Patrol mage in three years that I can keep. First one who’s either patrolling or where he’s supposed to be, too.” The pudgy-looking but muscular Patrol chief glanced around the room, then frowned. “Don’t let that go to your head. You’ve still got a lot to learn, but you’re on the right road.”

“Thank you, ser.” Cerryl waited, suspecting from the Patrol chief’s body position that Isork had more to say.

After a moment, Isork looked at Cerryl. “I heard you were asking about silksheen.”

Cerryl didn’t bother to ask how the senior Patrol mage knew. “Someone killed a trader and stole some silksheen. It’s costly, and there couldn’t be many places where it could be sold. No one reported anyone missing or any cart being stolen. So I thought people who handled silksheen might know.”

Isork nodded slowly. “Asking general questions discreetly is fine. I’d appreciate it if you would tell me if you find out anything. Silksheen, as I am most assured you have discovered, is only traded by two or three merchants in all of Fairhaven. They are quite close to many of the senior mages.”

Cerryl returned the nod. “I did discover that, and I have no reason to make further inquiries.” Not now, and certainly not in any direct way, not after what I found out so far.

“You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.” Isork rose. “I enjoy reading your reports.” After another smile, he nodded a last time, turned, and left the duty room.

Cerryl swallowed. Not a very good head, not at all.