The Burning Crown (Stone Blade Book 4) (20 page)

"I heard the rumors, of course," said Quinby, "but as m'Laird Brightcrown did not seem disturbed, neither should I be. So I thought."

"But he is concerned, Sir Rolf," said Blue gently, "He is very much concerned but, as are all of House Brightcrown, ever hesitant to ask his friends for assistance."

Quinby and Worthington both looked chagrined at that.

"But we are always eager to give it at need," said Karr, "whether asked or not. Is there any way to determine where the intruder actually went?"

"Unfortunately not, Sir Piotr," said Quinby, "For truth, were it not for the redundant slow archive links we'd not have what little we do. She was skilled far in excess of any of Varl's agents, or those of his coterie, I trow. She was almost as skilled as Prince... ahem. She was very skilled. She had a deft and subtle touch, as well. The false traces she planted were most sophisticated."

"Is it possible Binkor-Sud or Imix could have fielded her?"

"Doubtful, Sir Allan," said Blue, "House McReely has considerable intelligence on their assets in that regard. The only House even close to her level of sophistication is Lore and they've shown very little inclination or interest in matters outside themselves. It might be one of their young students, but that it should happen exactly when it did... No. Not likely at all."

"Thankfully," said Karr.

"Aye," said Worthington, "But the implications are most disturbing."

"Truth," said Quinby.

"It raises the wager," said Karr, "but it also helps our mission. Sir Rolf, are you certain she took only the data you've given us?"

"As much so as I can be, Sir Piotr. None of the others reported aught close to the degree to which our cores were compromised. They might well downplay the damage but... other sources... have validated this. There is also the woman herself.

"I interviewed as many of the workers as I could and they all told the same story. None of them recognized her specifically, though some of them felt as though they should have. To some she felt like an old friend. Yet for all of that none could describe her appearance fully. We are fortunate to have the caster images that survived. We also found no trace of her comm casts."

"That was a ruse," said Blue, "and a bloody good one. She planted her first module with her entry card. It took time to work so she distracted the guard with her 'conversation.' She allayed his suspicion and even earned his sympathy. After her card had time to work she finished her 'call' and entered without ado. Then she reinforced her deception whilst she compromised any net she desired. No, Sir Rolf, she is from no House of the Crown."

Quinby's expression fell despite his effort to hide it.

"Not to worry, my friend," said Karr quickly, "The data you've given us fits nicely with what we gathered until now. It gives us a solid direction and goal and it reinforces some of our more tentative conclusions. We were planning a trip anyway, this just confirms the urgency of it!"

Quinby nodded, reassured if not comforted. "Is there aught we might do to help?"

"There is." Blue handed him a datacard. "House McReely will be alert for this woman. If she visits you or returns to Lithigrove try to delay her. I've given you contact information for tomorrow, before long McReelys will always be close. You as well, Sir Allan. We'll have you contacted; if you chance to observe her please let us know. If you can pass the word to others of your House that will help as well."

"Be at peace, Sir Rolf," said Karr, "House Brightcrown shall not fall as long as there is one drop of Edders blood unshed!"

"Or McReely!"

"Halm's words to his comrades," said Quinby, "Very well, my friends, and blessings upon the mighty and faithful Houses of Edders and McReely! We shall shore our resolve and stand ready for battle: for freedom, Crown and King!"

***

"This is going to splash messy orbit-wide, isn't it." Blue didn't ask, she stated.

"For truth," replied Karr.

"It's odd," she said with a bit of irony, "House McReely prides itself as much for the information it can gather as for its trade, but we tend to miss consistently the mischief and malice that happens in the upper Peerage."

"That is a blessing on House McReely," said Karr, "or a balance against pompous fools like Snughblak or Toms-Watt. Or even some of Edders blood. Besides, m'lady, that's why I'm here."

Blue curled her lip and shook her head.

"The new data does help, though," she said, "We were already aimed at Fallstar and this bally well confirms it. It also gives us a lot more information to go on. It seems Lady Sneak is interested in the same thing we are."

"Aye. We still have no idea on who she is but at least now we know where to look."

"If not for what."

"That we can try to discover, my lady. Perhaps Signora Sneak will lead us to it. We'll have ample time for it soon."

***

True to Karr's word he and Blue spent most of their trip to Fallstar studying and re-studying their data. The ship, an Edders fast courier, held what equipment the two of them could think to request. None of the crew knew anything of their mission but they had no trouble sensing the urgency there. They warmed quickly to Blue but learned just as quickly not to challenge her at cards!

"I've narrowed the queries again," he said, "What do these all have in common?"

"Minus the two or three outliers? They all involve Fallstar, company or planet. The which we knew already, Sir Knight."

"Patience, dear lady," he said, "Exclude the outliers. They never did show any statistical significance. Now assume the connection."

She did so, though by now she should have had them memorized!

"Done," she said.

"Now try a stochastic comparison against the Brightcrown voids."

That was new! And somewhat obvious but of potentially little or no value, depending on the query genetics he tried.

"What are you thinking, dear?"

"Nothing productive," he said, dismissing most of a query he just built, "I'm trying for non-linearity. So far we haven't found anything Varl or its allies would want. We know tacitly that Lady Sneak isn't from the Crown or its Houses."

"One of the Houses might have hired her," said Blue.

"Doubtful. If we take the most likely suspects, Varl et. al., they would already know whatever she might have found. If we assume a non-allied House then where is their gain? True, there is much of value in the Brightcrown data but why should they go to such lengths to acquire it? The value she stole is nothing they could not have discovered through other less excessive means. No, dear lady, Signora Sneak is from outside the Crown and working at the behest of an interest there."

"I asked Jackie to dig into her company and find out all he can about it," said Blue, "That might tell us something."

"If it does exist," said Karr, "If it exists past the local level, that is. It would be exceedingly difficult to forge a company that checked as valid, but not impossible. She certainly has the skill to do it and likely the resources as well."

Blue reached over and shut down Karr's display.

"What..."

"You wanted non-linear, let's think non-linear! Forget the data for a moment. Forget what Lady Sneak took and concentrate on what we know of her. What is that?"

"She is an incredibly skilled burner," said Karr, "Brightcrown's nets are tricky at the best of times and we're allies. She did have internal access, true, but all the Lithigrove subcontractors gird their internal nets as much against each other as they do attack from the outside. She had warez specifically sharpened to take them down and she did so precisely. You can't buy that at a datamart."

"We have more than that," said Blue, "She claimed to represent some anonymous company that Lithigrove tentatively identified as Ion Skies Limited. The commercial registry at the Merchant's Guild verified that the company existed. She might or might not be associated with them but that really isn't relevant. It might even be a distraction.

"Think, Piotr. She is more than a skilled burner! When she entered Lithigrove she fit herself in so well that even the most dedicated House workers accepted her as their own. As our own! Not only was she friendly toward certain Houses, she was hostile toward their rivals. Then, when she changed locations, she changed her apparent House allegiance as well.

"No one within Crown worlds or its people can feign alliances that well. For truth, McReelys don't care for House Sjoerd. I've met some Sjoerds and they're nice enough, but I could never feel as comfortable with one of them as I do you, much less make them believe I did! Lady Sneak made herself feel ordinary and mundane to any she met!"

Karr didn't like that implication but he followed it.

"Why Lithigrove," he asked.

"They're a major contractor," she replied, "They do most of their business outside the Crown."

"Aye," he said, "The majority of that is with Lanniver. Heaven's flames! Could they have hired her? Why would they do that? Surely if something went amiss they'd notify us."

"I don't know, Piotr, but think on it. The possibility exists but Lithigrove does do business elsewhere. But if Lanniver did not hire her, perhaps one of the other League contractors did. If not them then their competition. Perhaps Granwald. I know they don't manufacture starships but they have partners and subsidiaries who do. It could be another interest completely; one looking to disrupt profit and productivity."

Blue started to continue but Karr held up his hand. Ideas clicked into place and the facts began lining up in support of them. It made sense! It made a horrible, twisted sadistic sense, and that pointed to one conclusion.

"I know what she wants," said Karr. The words came hard but the cold implication behind them drove them forward. "Heaven help us, we were wrong, Lacy! Utterly and absolutely wrong."

"How..."

"Perhaps she does work for Lanniver, perhaps a competitor or even on her own. That does not matter. I know who hired her and I know why. House Varl hired her and with a specific goal in mind!

"Of all the things we suspect we know for certain sure she attacked Brightcrown! She caused a critical disturbance that will take time to repair... Hell's frost!" An idea occurred to him. "Lacy, who is to say Lady Sneak
stole
data?! We assumed that because of her activity, but what if the opposite is true? What if she
planted
data within Brightcrown's nets?"

"Feces! That would be... That could be catastrophic! No. They have archives, Piotr. Above and beyond what is required by law! It wouldn't be that easy."

"Aye, but she is that skilled! Even if not, even if all those queries were for naught, she did cause the disruption! What if that was her true goal? How many other nets and cores within Lithigrove might she have poisoned without their knowledge?"

"But to what end? She could easily have done so, but why? What is her benefit? The very thought of that is frightening but it does not seem likely."

"Likely enough if her goal is the disruption of Lithigrove! Consider it, lady. If she caused sufficient friction between the Houses making up Lithigrove, what would happen? What would happen if she drove a wedge between Lithigrove and even a few of its customers?"

"Their would be difficulties."

"Aye! Now consider Brightcrown, Lithigrove's bulwark of honesty and ethics. Suppose the honor of Brightcrown was impugned. Suppose its competency was called into question. What would happen then?"

"Their productivity would drop!"

"The company would fail! Whether the other Houses like it or not, Lithigrove rests on Brightcrown honor and Brightcrown ethics! With the question of Moot censure and the numbers of incidents on record against Brightcrown..."

"Wait, Piotr! What incidents?"

"The loss-recoveries! They may not be the fault of Brightcrown, but Brightcrown has recovered a disproportionate amount of merchandise from them! How much of it went to Lithigrove? Remember the manifest Sir Allan voided. The one we have!

"Ordinary things but almost all of them of interest to one company or another at Lithigrove! What concerned Sir Allan was the lack of documentation, even though such was not required! A trivial matter, true, but still of concern to him. If rumors of Brightcrown suspicion, whether founded or not, were to reach the ears of Lithigrove..."

"The company..."

"Lithigrove would fail, dear lady! The Houses making it up would break into squabbling factions and lade their workers with such precaution as to double their costs, or more, and reduce the production to a quarter of what it should be! What would happen when the tension mounted afterward?"

"They could not honor their contracts!"

"Exactly. And when Lanniver terminated theirs?"

"Lithigrove would shatter!"

Karr powered up his terminal and ran a fast calculation.

"The economic impact would be significant but recoverable," he said, "Near-catastrophic in the short-term but still recoverable in the medium to long."

"Truth. Less so for the Great Houses but still bad."

"Aye. That is economic, though. What would happen when Brightcrown received the blame for making it fail?"

Blue paled at this.

"Moot censure would be the least of their concerns," she said, "That could... Could..."

"That could spell the end of the Great and Noble House of Brightcrown," he finished, "and that of its allies as well."

The two of them sat in silence a long time.

"So what do we do now?" Blue broke the silence at last.

"We stop her. We stop her and compel her to reveal all that she knows!"

"Do you actually think she will be on Fallstar?"

"Doubtful," he said, "I fear we've jumped at the conclusion she set us far too eagerly. There is no knowing where she will be now."

"Truth," said Blue, "but all of House McReely will have their eyes open for her! The more urgently once I contact them."

"But she is a fadescale," said Karr, "Dangerously so. We know how well she can blend into those about her."

"She is clever and cunning," said Blue, "but so far she has no knowledge that we know aught of her. To her mind, the best we have is what Lithigrove remembers of her 'official' visit."