The Prince's Bargain - K.M. Shea Page 0,84

at the proper distance she fought against her rising panic and called out. “Chairwoman Errim?”

The older woman turned around, her smile polite if not pleasant. “Ahh, good morning to you, Apprentice Mythlan.”

“Good morning.” Myth bowed her head to Errim.

“What brings you here today? I haven’t received your release papers from the social translators, so I assume you are still acting as His Royal Highness Crown Prince Arvel’s translator.”

“Yes, ma’am. That is to say, I have the day off…” She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.

Myth wouldn’t have thought she was afraid of much—unfortunately the past few weeks had rapidly corrected that, so the list now included fires in the library and, apparently, asking a supervisor for help.

This is silly. Even if she refuses, what’s lost? Nothing! It will hurt, but if she does help, it’s worth it.

Chairwoman Errim folded her hands behind her back with thinly veiled impatience. “Yes? And?”

“I’m here to ask for help,” Myth blurted out. “I need ledgers copied, and some new trade reports drawn up from all the Fultons’ trade records over the past two years.”

Chairwoman Errim narrowed her eyes, which nearly disappeared in the wrinkles of her face. “This is for the Fulton investigation His Royal Highness is conducting, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Myth said. “We gathered all the information he needed for His Majesty King Petyrr to convict them, but the records were destroyed in a fire yesterday. Fortunately, the main pieces of evidence—two personal ledgers from the Fultons—were kept separate and weren’t destroyed.” Myth held up the satchel for reference. “We have all the information we need between these and the trade records, but the information has to be cross-referenced and written up to prove the Fultons’ faulty reports and illegal dealings.”

“When was the ruling supposed to be?”

“Tomorrow.”

Chairwoman Errim whistled.

“Arvel can’t work on this information now—he’s involved in the investigation of the fires. But if I can’t reproduce the information, the judgment will be canceled tomorrow,” Myth said. “Unfortunately, it’s too much information for me, and I’m a mere apprentice…”

Chairwoman Errim held up her hand, demanding Myth’s silence.

Myth’s heart fell as the chairwoman walked away from her.

She’s not going to help. I expected as much. The trade translators have their own assignments, and we aren’t strictly employed by the Calnorian royal family, so I can’t even guarantee they’d get paid for the work. But I had hoped…

Chairwoman Errim stepped up to the tall podium and picked up the wooden hammer that hung from a leather loop. She smacked the podium, then whistled a loud and piercing note that made every translator, every apprentice, every student, and every Log Master stop and look to her.

“We have a change in our schedule, my children,” Chairwoman Errim drawled. “Our Trade Darling needs help. The Fultons ruined the work she and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Arvel had organized for their investigation.”

It took Myth a few moments to realize she was the “trade darling” Chairwoman Errim had referred to. She shifted nervously, but no one stirred as they listened.

“I want everyone—except for the translators working on the next set of order forms for Lessa and those who are recording copies of the most recent transactions with Lessa—on her work immediately. Students, get your laces tied—you’ll have to retrieve some palace tax reports. Log Masters, we need all trade records we have on the Fultons from the past two years. Translators, we have two ledgers that must be copied in their entirety immediately into Elvish and additional copies in Calnoric. Apprentice Mythlan will give the rest of the details, but it sounds like we’ll need to cross-reference the information between the royal tax reports, our trade records, and what the Fultons claimed they bought and sold versus what numbers they really had in storage.”

Myth’s eyes bulged as the chairwoman continued on, rattling off all the types of paperwork they’d need.

She was so dumbstruck, so shocked, all she could do was stand there.

This wasn’t a reaction I hoped for. I never even dreamed of this as a possibility!

“Oh—you, student. Run off and send word to the governmental translation workshop that we need at least two—no, four—of their best translators to teach us what format our work needs to be in, and tell us if there are any extra forms we need.” The chairwoman finished with a business-like nod, and immediately everyone hopped back to their work.

Myth watched, astounded, as dozens of translators nonchalantly pushed their work to the side, capped their inkwells, and hurried down the stairs, making their