Alchymist (96 page)

Rope
chairs hung above each of the scrutators, of course, so they could be hauled up
to safety. Irisis prayed that the enemy would attack. It would be worth
anything to see Scrutator Ghorr swinging in terror on the end of a rope while a
lyrinx slashed and clawed at him. Had there been any way of summoning the
enemy, she would have done it without hesitation.

Anything,
even the belly of a lyrinx, was better than the disgraceful death being planned
for them. A host of chroniclers and tellers stood by to record the shameful
scene. Beside them, at the front, were half a dozen artists at their easels. It
was their job to portray every moment of the trial, and to capture the agony on
the faces of the criminals as they were executed. For as long as they endured,
the Histories of Santhenar, and the personal Histories of every family
involved, would tell of their disgrace and ignominious end.

A
horn blared. The master of the executions made the sign of a blade being drawn
across a throat. Absolute silence fell. Chief Scrutator Ghorr came forward.

'Recorders
and witnesses,' Ghorr said in that low, carrying voice, 'for these vile traitors
there can be no formal inquisition. We are deep in enemy territory and cannot
afford such niceties for those who would give comfort to the enemy.

Nevertheless,
the process laid down for this situation will be followed to the letter.

'I
must be brief, for even now the enemy could be on their way. The Council of
Scrutators has appointed me to summarise the evidence. In each case, I assert
that the prisoners are guilty of treason, and other capital crimes too numerous
to list. The penalty for such wickedness is flaying, selective disembowelling
while maintaining life, and, finally, dismemberment. Ultimately, the body parts
shall be distributed to feed the lowest of carrion eaters.'

He
paused to scowl at the prisoners, and then at the assembled witnesses, though
to Irisis he seemed to be striking a pose for the tale-tellers and the artists.
How she despised the man.

'However,'
Ghorr went on, 'the formalities of trial must be preserved. Let it not be said
that the scrutators are above the law.'

You
stinking hypocrite, Irisis thought. A hundred thousand times, when it suited
you, the scrutators have acted as judge, jury and executioner, so don't pretend
otherwise for the sake of your own place in the Histories. She was drawing
breath to scream it at the world when Flydd elbowed her in the ribs.

'Don't!'
he hissed. 'It won't do you any good at all.'

'It'll
give me the satisfaction!'

'The
scrutators have unique forms of excruciation, should you prove recalcitrant. To
make an example they may take you back east, tormenting you all the way—'

'It'd
be worth it.'

'Oh,
Irisis, you have no idea! Nothing is worth what they can do to you. Just shut
your mouth and pray for the quickest possible death. I'm looking forward to
mine,' he added in a low voice.

'Surr!'
she whispered, shocked.

'I
mean it. I've fought the long fight and been defeated. The present is a bitter
failure, a reminder of a futile life. All my hopes, and all my work, have come
to nothing. There's not a thing I can do now and I no longer have to carry the
burden of the world. I can let it go at last and go to my death with dignity.
I'll embrace it.'

Embrace
it?'

Since
the scrutators tortured me as a young man, I've not had a day without pain. Not
even poppy syrup can cure it now. Death is the end of all pain and I long for
its release.'

Irisis
shivered and said no more.

'. . ,
therefore,' Ghorr was going on, 'before I pronounce sentence, I call upon the
assembled witnesses to confirm the guilt of the prisoners. Witnesses, should
any one of you disagree with the verdict, you must come down and state your
case for the prisoner, after which the other witnesses shall vote on the merits
of the case. The scrutators will, of course, abstain from the vote. Should the
vote be for the prisoner, that prisoner will be freed. If the vote goes against
the prisoner, guilt is confirmed and the sentence will be carried out as soon
as the remaining trials are finished.'

Ghorr
motioned to the master of the executions who, with a flourish, presented him
with a scroll and bowed low.

'No,
man, that's your job!' Ghorr's low voice carried as far as Irisis. 'Get on with
it! We've a war to win.'

The
master of the executions dropped the scroll and scrabbled on the canvas for it,
looking uncomfortable. He held the scroll out in front of him. 'Pilot Inouye,'
he said in a nervous whine, 'the Council of Scrutators, in formal assembly, has
found you guilty of treason. Does any witness disagree with the verdict?'

'I
beg leave—' Flydd began.

'Denied,'
said Ghorr.

No
one else spoke. After a lengthy pause, during which the master of the
executions scanned the rows of witnesses, he turned to Ghorr and said, 'Since
no witness has come forward to oppose the verdict, the sentence is confirmed.'

'Say
it to the witnesses,' hissed Ghorr, 'not to me, you damn fool! The scrutators
must appear impartial.'

Turning
to the witnesses in front of him, the master of the executions said, rather
more loudly than was necessary, 'Pilot Inouye has been found guilty of treason.
Take her to the place of execution to await her fate.'

The
little pilot was dragged away to a pen surrounded by barbed ropes, plus at
least twenty guards, weapons at the ready.

'Sergeant
Flangers,' said the master of the executions. 'The Council of Scrutators, in
formal assembly, has found you guilty of treason. Does any witness disagree
with the verdict?'

After
another lengthy pause there was a stir in the crowd and someone shouted,
'Sergeant Flangers is a war hero, awarded the Star of Valour for heroism beyond
the call of duty during the Siege of Plimes. I contest the verdict.'

Ghorr
scowled. 'Come down, witness. State your case for the defence.'

A
soldier moved down through the ranks, wearing the uniform of a high officer.
'My name is General Galliman, and I was the commanding officer of the garrison
at Plimes during the onslaught by the enemy two years ago. Sergeant Flangers
was instrumental in saving the city. Ten times he fought off an attacking force
of lyrinx, slaying nine of them and fighting alone for more than two hours when
the remainder of his squad was dead. Though sorely wounded, he held the breach
against the enemy for most of the day, and remained at his post until
reinforcements broke through the enemy lines to relieve him. His Star of Valour
was confirmed by the full Council, and it is not the only instance of his
heroism, which should be an example to us all.'

The
master of the executions turned to Ghorr for the rebuttal.

Ghorr
smiled thinly. 'I am well aware of the case, for I personally awarded Sergeant
Flangers the Star of Valour. But not even the greatest hero can be exempt from
the justice of the scrutators. Sergeant Flangers has since turned on his own
kind, conspiring in the escapes of Irisis Stirm and Fyn-Mah, and later, Xervish
Flydd and the detestable Cryl-Nish Hlar. He fired on a Council air-floater and
destroyed it, causing the deaths of many men and grievous injuries to Scrutator
Klarm.

here.'
Ghorr indicated a big-headed dwarf of a man sitting to his left, one little leg
supported by metal calipers. 'Scrutator Klarm only escaped death by a miracle.
And Flangers committed this treasonous act even after his air-floater had been
ordered to surrender.'

'As I
understand it, surr' said General Galliman, 'Sergeant Flangers was obeying a
legitimate order from his superior, Perquisitor Fyn-Mah.'

And
as I understand it, General Galliman, Sergeant Flangers was aware that
Perquisitor Fyn-Mah had been ordered to surrender her air-floater by a
representative of her lawful superior, Acting Scrutator Jal-Nish Hlar, and that
she had wilfully and treasonously disobeyed that order. Master of the
Executions, put the judgment to the witnesses.' 'I beg leave to defend Sergeant
Flangers,' said Flydd. 'Denied!' snapped Ghorr.

'I
appeal to the witnesses,' said Flydd, turning to face them. 'Sergeant Flangers
is a soldier with a perfect record. The Siege of Plimes was not the only battle
where he displayed courage far beyond the call of duty. I can name a dozen
other struggles, not least the fall of Thurkad, and the first battle for
Nilkerrand, where he was equally bold, equally heroic. What say you, witnesses,
may I speak for my man? Yea or nay?' After a brief hesitation, there came a
great roar of 'Yea!' Ghorr was furious, but there was little he could do. He
signalled to the master of the executions.

'You
may speak,' said the master of the executions, 'but you have only one minute.
Make it to the point.'

'One
minute.' Flydd licked dry lips; he'd prepared a case but there was not the time
to put it. 'My argument is simply this: Sergeant Flangers obeyed a direct order
from Perquisitor Fyn-Mah, who was following written orders I had given her
while scrutator and commander-in-chief of the army at Snizort. These orders
took precedence over any orders from Acting Scrutator Jal-Nish, or Scrutator
Klarm, whom I outranked. Equally, Flangers had no option but to follow her
legitimate orders, for he is a man who loves his country and always does his
duty, no matter the cost to himself. His action in shooting down the
air-floater was correct in military law and therefore he is innocent.'

Indeed
it was not,' said Ghorr. 'You had been stripped of your rights and privileges
the previous day, and therefore every order you had made was void.'

'Perquisitor
Fyn-Mah cannot have known that,' Flydd said, and so my orders still held.'

'The
law has been changed,' Ghorr said hastily. 'Ignorance is no longer an excuse—'

'When
was the law changed?' Flydd thundered. 'Show us the chapter, the page, the
line.'

'How
dare you, a non-citizen, question me! It is as I have said. Besides, Fyn-Mah
had been told of your fall and still disobeyed the representative of Jal-Nish,
and subsequently Scrutator Klarm, who was in command of the air-floater she
ordered to be shot down. Was that not so, Perquisitor Fyn-Mah?'

After
a hesitation, she said, 'It was so.'

'I
cannot—' Flydd began.

Ghorr
cut him off. 'You've had your say, more than you were entitled to. Be silent or
I'll have you silenced.'

Flydd
met Flangers's eyes. Flangers gave a single shake of the head. Flydd bowed his
own. He could do no more.

Ghorr
motioned to the master of the executions to get on with it.

'Witnesses,'
yelled the master of the executions, 'you have heard arguments for the defence
by General Galliman, and the chief scrutator's telling rebuttal. You have heard
Flydd's appeal dismissed. Raise your right hand if you disagree with the chief
scrutator, and therefore deny the verdict:

A
considerable number of hands rose. 'The clerk of the executions will tally
those who disagree,' said the master of the executions. Out of the corner of
his mouth he added, 'Clerk, get their names.'

Once
the clerk had done, the master said, 'Witnesses, raise your right hand if you
agree with the chief scrutator and therefore confirm the verdict.'

A
forest of hands rose. The clerk tallied them and handed his slate to the master
of the executions.

He
scanned the list, then said, 'The verdict is confirmed.

three
hundred and eighty-one votes to two hundred and forty-four. Sergeant Flangers
has been found guilty of treason. Take him to the place of execution to await
his fate.'

An
impassive Flangers bowed to the master of the executions, to the recorders and
the witnesses, and finally to Flydd, before being led away by a group of
soldiers who strode beside him like an honour guard.

In
short order the remaining twenty-eight prisoners, including Yggur's guards and
servants, an expressionless Fyn-Mah, a furiously struggling Gilhaelith and a
coldly remote Yggur, were condemned and sent to the execution pen. Some wept,
some cursed, some pleaded for their lives or invoked the names of beloved
wives, aged mothers or little children. The witnesses were unmoved. Flydd
attempted to speak for each of his people, but was denied every time, on the
grounds that a prisoner could not be advocate for his fellows. No one spoke in
their defence.

The
only prisoners not on trial were Malien and Tiaan, but both were tightly bound,
and Malien had been gagged as well, lest she use the undoubted power of her
voice to attempt an escape.

Finally
it was Irisis's turn for trial. For some reason, she clung to the fantasy that
her sentence would be set aside.

It
was not to be. Not a single witness came forward to defend her.

'I
beg leave to defend Crafter Irisis Stirm,' said Flydd.

'Denied,'
Ghorr replied. 'For the reasons already stated.'

The
master of the executions raised his voice. 'Since no witness has spoken up to
oppose the verdict, the sentence is confirmed. Crafter Irisis Stirm has been
found guilty of treason. Take her to the place of execution to await her fate.'