Page 46 of The King of Koraha
“Welcome to my monastery,” Lonato said, bowing slightly. “I’m sorry you caught me by surprise. I hadn’t been informed that you were coming.”
Shyla met his gaze, but she resisted reading his emotions. He hadn’t given her any reason—other than calling ithismonastery—to invade his privacy. Instead, she said, “No need to apologize. The King was unable to send advance notice.”
His wide shoulders relaxed, but his expression remained on guard. “How can I help you?”
“I need to talk to you in private.”
“Oh, yes. Of course. This way.” He led her down another twelve levels to his office.
The room was larger than Hanif’s and had much more furniture, cushions, rugs, and wall hangings. To be fair, it wasn’t like the leader of the monks had to adhere to certain rules of austerity. Hanif just liked things simple.
A woman entered and Lonato sent her for some tea. He then invited Shyla to sit down and they chatted about nothing important until the monk returned and set out the refreshments.
When she left, he asked, “What is all this about?”
“Your monks collected the taxes for the last two circuits. Were there any problems?”
“Other than the occasional bandits?”
“Bandits?”
He stared at her as if she was the biggest idiot in Koraha. “Desperate people who attempt to rob the tax collection wagons. They’re never successful.”
“Then, yes, other than the bandits.”
“No.” Lonato leaned forward. “Why? Was there a problem with the taxes?”
A legitimate question, but there was an intensity behind it as if he already knew the answer and was already preparing his reaction to the news. She decided to tell him the truth. However, she would use The Eyes to read his emotions. She suspected it would be the only way to learn his true reaction. “Yes, there was a big problem. Your monks delivered fake coins.”
He jerked back as if she’d slapped him. That wasn’t what he’d expected her to say. At all. He’d braced for another accusation. “Fake coins? Are you sure? Why haven’t we heard of this sooner?”
“Are you aware that the old king died?” she asked, wanting to keep him off balance.
“Uh, yes, of course. The monks are informed right away. What—”
“Did you know the old king was seriously ill the last two and a half circuits of his life?”
“No, but we suspected something was going on with his health.”
That was a lie. He was well aware of the King’s condition. “How long have you been in charge?”
Lonato went immediately on the defensive. “Why is that relevant?”
“I need to talk with the monks who escorted the taxes. If you’re new to the job, then—”
“I was promoted almost two circuits ago. I know the monks that collected the taxes. It takes almost a full circuit to visit each city and then travel to Qulsary so the same group did both rounds.”
The truth. At least that meant fewer people to interrogate. “I’ll need an office or conference room to interview them in.”
“Are you accusing them of stealing?” he demanded. That was what he’d expected her to say before.
“I’m not accusing anyone. The investigation is ongoing.”
“Do you have any of the fake coins with you? They must be excellent forgeries.”
“Why do you say that? Do the monks examine the coins when they collect them?”
“No, they’re secured in chests, but the monks witness all the coins being transferred to the vault.”
