“Yes. . failed.”
Soen straightened to stand upright, considering the implications of what he had just heard. “It’s been a long time since a well failed. Some of these Fourth Estate lords go to the frontier without knowing what is required to survive. Still, I don’t see why you need me to. .”
“It wasn’t just one well that failed, Soen,” Ch’drei said. “This wasn’t just some mistake made by a careless House Lord. The Aether in the entire region collapsus, and a number of Houses in the Province have fallen completely.”
“Fallen?” Soen’s left brow rose in surprise. “One House falling is a potential catastrophe. . but the fall of multiple Houses at once is unimaginable.”
“The warding glyphs that link the Wells are meant to prevent such a cascading failure-severing the connection to the collapsus Well before any damage is done,” Soen mused. “How could they fail in multiple Wells at once?
“According to the Occuran, the Wells all across the Western Provinces not only collapsus completely but inverted for a time, but we do not know enough,” the Keeper continued. “Communication from the Frontier has failed both from the Occuran and the Myrdin-dai, but from the little we know as many as a dozen Houses could have fallen-and that could be an optimistic number. The glyphs must have worked eventually or the entire Empire would have gone dark.”
“What about containment?” Soen asked, his mind still racing through the possibilities.
“Again, we don’t know-and that is why you must depart at once. You have to discover the cause of this and secure its truth. If knowledge of any vulnerability to the system of Aether Wells were to become commonly known. .”
“I agree,” Soen mused with a frown, “but if even a dozen or so Houses have fallen, the number of slaves released from their Devotions alone. .”
“I’m only interested in the cause of this collapse-not a few ‘bolters.’ If any slaves have something to do with this, then, of course, hunt them down.”
“And the problems of the Occuran and the Myrdin-dai are related?”
Ch’drei shrugged. “Beyond doubt-but that is for you to discover.”
Soen nodded. “How do you want the rest of the slaves handled?”
“If they can be usefully enthralled again, then ship them here for new Devotions; otherwise kill the broken ones,” Ch’drei said though she was not really interested. “I’ll leave that to your discretion. It is good policy, makes us a profit on the resale of the slaves, and maintains our rather ruthless image.”
“I’ll need a Quorum.”
“You may take two Codexia of your choice.”
“Qinsei and Phang, then, if the choice is mine,” Soen nodded as he thought. “And the four Assesia?”
“I should think that Yarou, Shonoc and Wreth would be honored by the task. Perhaps you could also take young Jukung as your fourth?”
Soen smiled once more. He knew Jukung was a spy for Ch’drei. This assignment was important enough that the Keeper wanted a second set of eyes to report to her.
Who trusts anyone anymore. .
“So the Myrdin-dai provide the transport and means to allow us to solve a mystery for their rivals, the Occuran,” Soen chuckled. “We garner favor with both and neither is the wiser.”
“Everyone profits,” Ch’drei smiled. “Especially us.”