The Kitsune Stratagem by David A. Tatum

Author:David A. Tatum [Tatum, David A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Fennec Fox Press
Published: 2014-07-01T04:00:00+00:00

“Well?” Kobach asked.

“We have one maybe, and one definite,” Yulaev said. “The others either failed to discover anything, or didn’t approach anyone.” Kobach’s newest spymaster and assassin, Yulaev had proven himself to be far better than his predecessors. He was an expert at setting up traps and had managed to kill well over a hundred men undiscovered. His disguises were so effective that Kobach sometimes wondered if he was a kitsune, but if so Lahti had never said anything about it and Yulaev had never admitted it.

“Give me the full report,” Kobach said.

“Gedig took the bait, as we expected. Went running to the king first thing, not even paying any attention to anyone who might see him. He managed to separate King Heshka from his escort and get him into a room alone. We don’t know how much he told the king, but it’s not like we let any of these people know anything too surprising. It was pretty clear that Gedig intended to tell the king everything he heard, however.”

Kobach nodded with a grimace. Gedig was an institution in the Kassian Royal Court, and despite his age, an opponent to be respected rather than ignored. Kobach bore him no malice, but this bit of news meant that he could pose a serious problem. “I understand. Go on.”

“It is also possible that Czerniak has told Lahti some things, but we have no proof. There are regular periods of time when Czerniak is alone with both Gedig and Lahti, when we cannot observe them without drawing more suspicion than we are willing to deal with. Czerniak seemed to be disturbed by some of the things he heard, and was walking around in a state for several days prior to one of his tutoring sessions with Lahti. Lahti, however, does not appear to have taken any action since then, so it is possible that Czerniak simply focused his distress into his training.”

“Even if he did,” Kobach said, “Czerniak is the only one we ‘tested’ who we cannot do anything about, thanks to his importance to our future plans. We fully expected Lahti to learn these things with or without our telling him. The key will be to contain his efforts to protecting Czerniak, and not the whole kingdom.”

“Lahti is not perfect,” Yulaev said, a gleam in his eye. “He will not learn everything.”

“Well, I certainly hope not,” Kobach said. “That is why I’ve hired you, after all.”

Yulaev glared at him dangerously. “Are you doubting my abilities?”

The very question terrified Kobach. Challenging Yulaev was a very foolish thing to do, even unintentionally. People who did wound up dead, and usually in very painful ways. “No, of course not! I think you are his equal. And as I hold a very healthy respect for Lahti’s abilities, I also hold a very healthy respect to those I regard as his equals.”

Yulaev’s glare turned into a smile, but that smile still made Kobach’s spine crawl. If anything, he felt like he was in more danger than ever.

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