“In a manner of speaking.” She stood, setting her hand down on the great stack of ledgers Haroon had brought in. “I took the liberty of examining the accounts of the province over the past ten years.”
Mustred rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Lady Savine, we have been preparing those very accounts for many years before that—”
“But the nature of finance, commerce, industry and law has transformed in that time.” And these old fools had barely even noticed. “I have done a great deal of business here. Here and in Midderland, Starikland, Styria and beyond. I see many opportunities for new revenue.”
At the word “revenue,” Mustred and Clensher’s brows shot up as though hoisted by a single chain. They were like any other investors, in the end. The bottom line was all that really mattered.
“With your kind permission, I would meet with some interested parties—owners of land, mines and mills, operators of penal colonies—with a view to raising more taxes.” She gave Leo’s shoulder the gentlest of reassuring touches. “I am confident you will be pleasantly surprised.”
“A pleasant surprise would be a nice change.” Leo put his hand on hers and looked across at the old men. “Where’s the harm in trying?”
Savine gave the old windbags of Angland her sweetest smile. “Where indeed, my lords?”
“Master Arinhorm, what a tonic to see an old friend!” The sounds of the workmen putting new windows into the façade echoed faintly from outside as Rabik showed him into the room. “I apologise for all the commotion, I am making a few changes. Bringing things up to date.”
Arinhorm leaned to kiss Savine’s hand. “Lady Savine, it’s—”
“Your Grace.”
He winced ever so slightly. “Of course, Your Grace, I apologise. It’s… a lot to get used to.”
“Consider it from where I sit! Whoever would have thought I might find myself Lady Governor of Angland?”
Arinhorm sourly worked his mouth. “Not I.”
“I daresay when I turned down your scheme for increasing the efficiency of mines, we supposed we would have nothing more to do with one another. Now fate forces us to become partners regardless.”
Arinhorm frowned over at Zuri, who had the book open on the desk in front of her. “Partners?”
“Partners, Your Grace,” corrected Zuri, without looking up.
“You and your investors in the coal, iron and copper mines of Angland are making great profits,” said Savine. “I know because Selest dan Heugen never stops boasting about it.”
“We have had… some success.”
“I delight in it. But while you have been thriving, others have suffered. My husband has been obliged to fight a costly war against enemies who would do us all harm, and the demands of the Crown never cease. Angland has been most welcoming to you and your partners. Not to mention all manner of mill owners, landowners, builders and innovators. It is time to spread the burden.”
Arinhorm delicately cleared his throat. “Your Grace, these are our mines. They were made successful through my hard work and my investors’ risk.”
“I understand the principle, I have done a little investing myself. Of course you own the mines. Apart from the ones I own, which are failing for lack of your new pumps. You own the mines, you own the ore mined from them, no one would deny it.”
“We are not pirates!” threw out Zuri, with a grin that might have sat quite well on a pirate.
“But you do not own the rivers and roads that carry that ore to the sea, nor the docks on which that ore is loaded for transport to Midderland. Those belong to my husband.” Savine opened her eyes very wide, as though the realisation had but that moment dawned. “Why—I suppose that means they belong to me?”
Zuri fluttered her lashes, all innocence. “So much to take care of.”
Arinhorm was looking more and more uncomfortable. “We pay towards their upkeep.”
“Token amounts, as we both know,” said Savine. “We have gone over the books, Master Arinhorm. I get the feeling that the worthy old gentlemen who have been in charge of Angland’s government do not fully understand the books. But we do. And we see all kinds of ways to make things more… equitable. Ways for the industries of the province to contribute to the common good.”
“And if I refuse?”
Savine shrugged. “I suppose you can always fly your ore across the Circle Sea.”
Arinhorm was moving from discomfort to anger. Savine rather enjoyed seeing it. “We will simply cut off supply! In no time, the foundries of Midderland will be clamouring at you to turn the tap back on.”
“By all means let your ore rot in your warehouses, but then of course the price of ore will rocket, and I imagine my failing mines will not be failing very much longer.” Savine spread her arms comfortably across the back of the chaise. “So you see, whichever door you open, Savine’s in first. In business, Master Arinhorm, you must be realistic.”
Zuri pressed one hand to her breast. “You have to be realistic.”
“Here is our suggestion. You will pay duties for every ton of ore moved over every mile of my husband’s province. You will also sign over to him a one-tenth interest in all your concerns.”
“But… you acknowledged they’re our mines!”
“Of course.” Zuri nodded earnestly. “And, by my calculations, nine-tenths of them still will be.”
“This is robbery!” he spluttered at her.
“I said we are not pirates. Robbery is a much broader category. But the heading in my book is for…” She ran her finger down the page and tapped neatly at an entry. “Patriotic contributions.”
“There,” said Savine. “Doesn’t that sound better? Something we can all take pride in. You will also fit your pumps to my mines at your own expense. Then we can allow you to operate.”
“Allow…?” Arinhorm stared at her, open-mouthed.
“Allow, Your Grace,” corrected Zuri, with impeccable timing. Savine had heard it said that it is best to beat opponents fairly, but she much preferred beating them with the deck stacked wildly in her favour.
“It has been a great regret,” she said, “that I let your scheme slip through my fingers simply because I find you personally detestable. I am so pleased we got the opportunity to do business together in the end.”
“I will go to your husband!” snarled Arinhorm.
“You will go to the Young Lion… to complain about his wife?” Savine gave Zuri a pitying look.
Zuri gave one back. “I imagine a man would be lucky to come away from that interview with his teeth.”
“I have friends on the Open Council!” snapped Arinhorm.
“I have dozens of them,” said Savine with a sigh. “That’s how I know how little good they do.”
“I will go to the Closed—”
“Let me spare you the wasted effort. The Closed Council want revenue, and they have asked my husband to find it, so he has asked me to find it. I am doing so, with the enthusiastic endorsement of everyone who counts. Speak to your investors, by all means, but my honest advice is to pay up before you make me squeeze harder. You’d be amazed at how powerful my grip has become since I married the Lord Governor. I would hate to accidently crush someone completely but…”