In Which Bentlefay Acquires Knowledge, and Takes Steps

Sir Bardolph Hingle to Lady Winifred Fleem:

Dear Winnie,

It is good of you to give me court news, and to perpetuate the fiction that I care a fig about anyone in the place besides yourself. Although I suppose the king and queen have kept the nation prosperous and secure for twenty-five years, and the princess is the only person under forty who has ever made me laugh…well, you get my meaning.

I had conversation the other day with a merchant of Hingbach, the upshot of which may be of interest to the king and queen. This man’s business – he travels in fine embroidery and imported laces; I have sent you along a collar for Patkin – brings him back and forth across the Hingbach-Bentlefay border several times a month, and he spends time in both capital cities.

He says there has been considerable talk in Hingbach of increased diplomatic relations with Marshweather, especially in that Marshweather has sent an ambassador for the first time in fifteen years. A very heavily guarded ambassador at that, whose household seems to have been chosen for size and strength rather than diplomacy and manners. Whether this turns out to be bad news for Hingbach or for Bentlefay, I imagine the king and queen will wish to take some sort of precautionary measures.

It is my hope that it turns out to be no more than posturing – personally, I can’t remember Marshweather succeeding at a single thing since their queen died and the borders were closed. However, they have been known to do a great deal of damage in the process of failing, so mind you take care of yourself along with all the other people of whom you have made it your business to take care. It is true that the nation cannot spare its royal family, but I cannot spare you, and I am a selfish old man.

Yours,
Dolph

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Lady Winifred Fleem to Sir Bardolph Hingle:

Dear Dolph,

You are our lucky charm as always. The king is taking steps to investigate the matter you mentioned, and we will look to our readiness here in the capital. He is particularly grateful, and not just for the warning – he has been moping a great deal in the absence of the queen, and this gives him the perfect excuse for summoning her home from Seaward without having to admit that he is lonely. She will see straight through it, but his dignity will be preserved.

The princess asks to be remembered, and says she will let you win at chess if you ever come to stay again. I told her the whole point of letting someone win is making them think they actually did, but she says you are too sensible to mind about that. It is high praise coming from her.

All my love,
Winnie

P.S. Thank you for the collar -- Patkin seems to fancy himself very much in it, and is the object of envy at court for once in his life. I owe you for that!

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Nicholas Rafe to King Davin of Bentlefay, in cipher:

Your Majesty,

I have presented myself at the offices of Mortimer Bleake with Hingbach’s letters, in the character of a disaffected former hanger-on of the court of Bentlefay. I told him I had fallen out of favor with the king for finding too much favor with the queen, and I had fallen out of favor with the queen for not returning her favor, and as the result of the whole thing the queen had sent my favorite guardsman to sea and the king had begun to seat me below the salt. I offered my honor in return for a baronetcy and free access to the barracks, and promised him all the information he might need on the subject of troop movements and castle gossip.

He so obviously wanted to believe me that he trusted me even less on account of it, but in the end he agreed to hear what I had and judge what it was worth and whether I might be worth his continued investment. I told him about the new vessel at Seaward as we had arranged, but I decided it would be better to fudge the numbers rather than to be too honest. With Marshweather being landlocked, exact information about a battleship wouldn’t do them any good, but I wouldn’t put it past Bleake to sell information that he can’t use, and there’s no point in telling the naval kingdoms exactly what we have in our pocket. In any case he isn’t in any position to verify my claims, and he seemed impressed enough.

Bleake didn’t tell me anything directly, but all the questions he asks seem to have to do with preparedness, so I think Marshweather might be thinking about some sort of surprise attack. I’m afraid I gave the impression of a frivolous court caught up in entertainment and dissipation to the detriment of its duties, but I don’t imagine that you care about our reputation in Marshweather.

I will send this through the channels you set up with Hingbach, though I will probably not be able to write very often for fear of interception. I will try and earn my keep by playing the trickster – perhaps I can get Bleake to surround a pig-yard or send in a regiment in ladies’ petticoats or something of that sort. He certainly owes us some amusement for all this trouble.

Sincerely yours,
Nicholas Rafe

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