Free Conspiracy by Lindsay Buroker Page A

expected to
further my research under these conditions.” Books gave her a
pointed look. When Amaranthe had first announced the multi-day
training exercise by rail, Books had argued that his time would be
better spent in the city, continuing his fact-finding mission.
She’d almost relented, but she would need everyone to infiltrate
the emperor’s train, and Books would more likely be a hindrance
than a help if he hadn’t practiced with the team. “But,” he said,
“I have been
mulling over the names I’ve recorded thus far, trying to decide who
might be behind the building of these weapons.”
    “ It’s possible this isn’t a
Forge plot. If the weapons are meant to disrupt the city, it could
be a scheme concocted by foreigners, especially if it was timed to
coincide with the emperor’s travels.” Amaranthe tapped her finger
on one of the roots. “Though, you’d think they would have chosen to
move earlier, when he was out on the West Coast, if they wanted to
take advantage of his absence. He’s almost home now. Maybe they
meant to act sooner, but manufacturing was delayed.”
    “ I believe it’s too early
to speculate on motivations—we don’t yet know what the weapons will
be used for. I imagine, though, that setting up this enterprise
required a great deal of funds, both for construction of the
manufacturing facility and for crafting the weapons themselves. And
let’s not forget about the preliminary research and development
that would have been done. Someone well-financed must be behind
this.” Books lifted his journal. “I have seventeen confirmed Forge
names in here and more than thirty other suspected ones. One
controls a metallurgy factory and another mills timber, so they
could easily provide the raw materials. Also, a surprising number
of people on my list are bankers or own shares in banking
interests.”
    “ Fifty people,” Amaranthe
said.
    “ That we know of. I’m
certain there are more.”
    “ So many. Is it
possible...” She nibbled on her lip and gazed at the water wending
its way around rocks and roots stretching into the
stream.
    “ What?” Books
asked.
    “ I certainly don’t approve
of their methods, but if there are so many business leaders in the
city vying for a change in the government... Are we sure we’re
right, Books? I don’t believe it’s wrong to protect Sespian, not
for a moment, but are we—is the throne —standing in the way of
progress?”
    “ The fact that a lot of
people believe in something doesn’t make it right. If they wanted
to effect change, there are legal routes they could have
pursued.”
    “ Really? This isn’t the
Kyatt Islands. You can’t hold demonstrations or print whatever you
want in periodicals. Those with dissenting opinions have to go
underground.”
    “ It’s true that the empire
could stand to adopt more flexibility and offer more freedoms to
its citizens,” Books said, “but murdering people and loosing
monsters on the city isn’t an acceptable method of
protest.”
    Amaranthe didn’t answer him. She was
thinking of all the destruction her team had wrought, however
inadvertently, in her pursuit to protect the emperor and thwart
Forge. She wished she might have a chance to walk into Forge’s
secret meeting room, wherever that might be, and to talk to the
leaders, to see exactly how much they wanted, and to find out if
there was some compromise that might suit both sides. Wouldn’t that
be a better solution than ongoing plots and schemes that put the
city at risk? Or was it too late for negotiations? Maybe she was
crazy for thinking of dealing with such people.
    “ Do you have addresses for
any of the members?” Amaranthe asked.
    “ Some, yes. Business
addresses if not residential ones.”
    “ Keep up the research.
After we’ve helped the emperor, maybe—”
    A shadow appeared behind Books, and
Amaranthe twitched in surprise.
    “ You did not get into
trouble,” Sicarius said.
    Books fell off the root he was sitting