Page 35 of The Study of Magic
“What do you need us to do now?” Ari asked.
Valek gestured to the piles and cabinets. “Pick a spot and start searching. I’m looking for any mention of the Criollo factory, warehouse, and magic. Names, dates, deeds. Anything.”
Janco eyed the overflowing conference table. “I’d rather search the caves.”
“If you find any evidence they were using them, then you can go back to check them.”
“This is not what I imagined you spent your time doing,” Janco grumbled as he pulled a chair up to the table.
“You thought all I did was midnight raids, smash and grabs, and stopping assassination attempts?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s about ten percent of my job. The other ninety percent is sitting, reading, watching, collecting information, anticipating, guarding, and waiting. Lots of waiting.”
Janco shuffled through a few folders. “I’m already bored, and I haven’t even started.”
Ari picked one of the corner cabinets and sorted through the contents. They worked in companionable silence—something Valek thought would be impossible with Janco in a room. Although… Valek considered. The captain might just be talented enough to appear as if he was working when, in fact, he was fast asleep.
* * *
Adviser Dema arrived close to dinner time. “I checked through all the information we’ve collected, but I didn’t find any mention of an Adviser Alea.”
Too bad, but Valek hadn’t thought it’d be that easy.
“However,” Dema continued. “I did find payments to Mogkan’s team.”
“Team?”
“Don’t get too excited. I couldn’t find any names or even how many people were part of this team. Perhaps Mogkan had a record of them?” She looked around at the messy piles. “Do you want some help with the search?”
“Doesn’t the Commander need you?” Valek asked.
“Not tonight. He’s working with General Ute.”
Janco jumped to his feet. “You can tackle the table and I’ll get us some grub.”
Valek clamped down on a protest. Dema’s attention to details would be useful and his stomach agreed with Janco. They needed food.
They worked late into the night and all the next day. Dema assisted in their search when she had free time. After each pile was assessed, it was moved to the hallway.
In the middle of the third day, a loud bang sounded followed by a string of curses. Janco crawled from underneath the table clutching a stack of folders. “I found something!”
“Is it about Alea? Or Mogkan’s team?” Valek asked.
“No.” Janco set the folder on the table. “It’s a delivery list for the Criollo factory.”
Valek scanned the pages, noting the mention of the deliveries of Criollo to the Commander’s castle. They matched his recollections. Then he spotted a schedule of transports to the other Military Districts. Except, the first two shipments had been sent to only the manor houses. While the third had included stops at all the garrisons with a resupply dropped off at the manors. Valek stilled. That meant?—
“What’s wrong?” Ari asked.
“Mogkan’s been sending Criollo to the generals.”
“We already know that,” Janco said.
“The caravan we encountered wasn’t the first one. The generals have been receiving shipments since the middle of the cold season. Which means?—”
“They’ve been eating it all along,” Ari said.
