Verkan was playing catch-up, visiting his various Greffan businesses, which had been flourishing the last year, while he'd been jaunting back and forth between Home Time-Line and Hostigos. He hadn't been back in Greffa for half a year and reading over the Verkan Fireseed Works ledger he was amazed at the profit it was making, which was surprising since they were practically giving fireseed away. He had had to see that most of this funneled back to Kalvan as part of their licensing agreement. The Verkan Fireseed Works was selling the real Hostigi fireseed. It wasn't Kalvan's fault that most of the fireseed works that had sprung up in Greffa after Kalvan had announced the gunpowder formula had mangled the instructions! Still, most of it was better than the fireseed Styphon's House was still selling in the Middle Kingdoms, which was powdered-not corned and ground-as was the fireseed they sold in the Five Kingdoms.
For centuries Styphon's House had gotten away with selling an inferior product at inflated prices. No wonder there was so little love for the Temple in Grefftscharr or any of the other Middle Kingdoms.
The goods he was importing from Hostigos, as part of his cover as a pack trader, were also making money-especially the casks of Ermut's brandy. He was going to have to be careful. If he continued to amass this much local wealth, he'd soon become a target of King Theovacar. Verkan had already been targeted by the highly born but lightly-pursed nobility. The gentle knock at the door reminded him he wasn't alone.
"Come in."
His assistant Zinganna, Zinna to the locals, stuck her head in the doorway. "Your afternoon appointment is here, Trader."
"Invite him in and bring a flask of Ermut's Best." She gave him a conspiratorial wink and closed the door. Verkan took his alcodote and removed two of his finest glass goblets from the cabinet behind his hardwood desk. The Grefftscharrers were used to the local mead and ale, but distilled liquor tossed them for a loop. Kalvan's brandy was much easier to administer than a hypno-mech and left no traces of First Level contamination for the new Greffa University Study Team to worry over.
Verkan used his First Level total recall to pull up his mental file on Duke Ruffulo. Ruffulo was in his middle years, married with three children. The Duke was the oldest son of one of Theovacar's grandfather's loyalists. The Duke owned a large estate bordering on Thagnor, which explained his leanings toward Theovacar; Prince Varrack was more openly ambitious than the King. While Ruffulo was nominally an ally of Theovacar, he was reportedly no admirer. He was a man with a reputation of stern integrity and honesty, both in the Assembly of Lords and the Council of Merchants; in other words, a good man to win over to the Paratimer's side.
The Duke's estates were reportedly earning more than he was spending, and he only had one mistress, which was unusual for a noble in Grefftscharr-usually they had a dozen or more. How much gold is he going to ask for and why?
It was Kostran's idea to start lending money at a lesser rate than that of the local banking firms and Styphon's Great Banking House to needy nobles. He had been careful not to loan too much, between one and ten ounces of gold. The kind of money a Greffan noble would likely owe to a tradesman, such as a mercer or caterer. Their terms were fair, for Middle Kingdom lenders: interest a flat ten percent-term not to exceed one year-if you put up collateral, or twenty percent if you didn't. Furthermore, Kostran let the grapevine know that the House of Verkan was willing to forgive part of a loan in exchange for political or mercantile favors.
These loans not only undercut Styphon's local influence, but it also provided a source of useful intelligence since most of the nobility spent far more than they collected. After a few goblets of brandy and a small purse of gold, many of them were more than willing to talk his or Kostran's ears off.
Duke Ruffulo entered the room, his back straight as a ramrod and with eyes darting around the room as though he expected one of Styphon's fire-seed devils to materialize.
"I don't bite," Verkan said in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.
Ruffulo shook his head. "I apologize, Trader Verkan. I appear to have forgotten my manners. I've heard so many things about the esteemed Trader Verkan in the past two winters, I wasn't sure what to expect. I am Duke Ruffulo and the Warden of Fireside."
Verkan stood up and bowed. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace. I hope I haven't disappointed you."
"No, not at all. I was expecting something much more ostentatious. Your office reminds me of my own study back in Fireside."
Most of the successful traders and merchants of Greffa aped the nobility to excess; it was a common phenomenon over all the Levels wherever there were titles, including Home Time-Line.
After the required exchange of pleasantries, Ruffulo got to the point of his visit. "I understand that you are able to arrange things."
Verkan nodded. He had helped a few nobles who had earned Theovacar's wrath sell their property and find residences in the countryside, which they could use as boltholes, or even buy estates in Hostigos. Some of the wiser lords were beginning to realize that King Theovacar was not going to be happy until he consolidated his power over the peerage. No one was sure of who might win if it came down to open rebellion, but it didn't hurt to have a hideaway in case things went the King's way.
"I also understand that your word of honor can be trusted."
Verkan nodded, wondering to whom Ruffulo had been talking.
"I recently had an audience with the King. He has charged me with a mission that may well cost me my life, if discovered, and will make me many enemies whether found out or not."
"How can I help, Lord Ruffulo?"
"I will entrust you with ten thousand ounces of gold, which I would like for you to invest for me outside of Grefftscharr. I also have another five hundred ounces of gold for the purchase of a small estate in Wulfula. Here is my draft on the Greffan Trader's Bank."
Verkan took the large parchment, which had the seal of the Greffan Trader's Bank. "Many lords are buying estates in Hos-Hostigos. They are inexpensive due to the war-"
"I'm not worried about cost, I want a refuge for my family in case something dire happens to me. However, I don't want to take them out of the raven's beak and drop them into the panther's mouth!"
Verkan nodded, wondering whether the other lords and merchant princes of Greffa shared Ruffulo's dismal view of Kalvan's plight. He'd put Kostran on it in the morning; maybe they knew something the Paratimers didn't. "I will do as you ask, Duke Ruffulo."
"Thank you, Trader. In return, I will pay you a thousand ounces of gold and should the event that I fear take place, I will give you the deed to Fireside."
"But I'm not buying-"
"I know, but if 'people' believe that I have taken loans out from the House of Verkan it will not only explain my visit, but lead them to the conclusion that I am doing less well than they had formerly believed. I will trust in your honor to see that any money realized from Fireside's sale will be held in escrow for my family to do with as they see fit. Less your usual commission-ten percent, I've been told."
"That is correct. You have my oath, Duke Ruffulo." Nothing wrong with Ruffulo's brain matter, thought Verkan. It would also allow Verkan to take possession in the event of a Throne takeover and stop Royal confiscation of the Duke's estate.
"I will have your property and possessions assessed. Should some unforeseen calamity happen to yourself, I will see that you are compensated at your new estate-or, in the event you are unable to join them, your family is well-provided for."
For the first time since his arrival, the Duke smiled. "I can see my information regarding your wits was not exaggerated." He picked up the goblet and took a sip. "I can also see that the potency of Ermut's Best was not overrated. May both our Houses prosper!"