Moon's Artifice (15 page)

Narin glanced back at Kesh and gestured for her to keep close. ‘Sir, do I know you ?’

‘Not yet, but you will.’ The man tilted his head, making a show of looking at Kesh. ‘I think we’d both appreciate this word to be in private however.’

‘She does not leave my side,’ Narin warned, fingers tightening on his stave. ‘If this is a private matter, it must wait.’

‘Doesn’t leave your side, eh ?’ the man inquired with a small smile. ‘Now that’s curious. I’d have not said she was really your type.’

Kesh glanced at Narin, confused, but saw in his frown the Investigator was similarly puzzled.

‘I assure you, sir, it is nothing of the sort.’

The man shrugged. ‘Didn’t think so. A bit pale for your tastes, eh ?’

To Kesh’s surprise the comment seemed to make Narin flinch as though he’d been stung by a hornet. Her gaze drifted naturally down to the stave he held and something told her Narin was struggling not to strike out at the man, high-born or not.

‘Your meaning, sir ?’ Narin demanded coldly.

The smile remained on the man’s face. He was handsome in an aristocratic sort of way ; clean-shaven, with pronounced cheekbones and narrow nose that gave him a delicate air, but there was a hard edge that stopped him from looking some court fop.

‘My meaning being that it is a personal matter we have to discuss.’ He pulled a silver cigar case from inside his cape and brandished it like a declaration of peace. ‘But I’m in no rush. Please, see to your young lady first – I would not want to interfere with official Lawbringer business after all. I’ll just wait here and enjoy a smoke, come out any time.’

Narin’s face darkened more, but he was caught in indecision and had no response to the man’s words. Kesh shifted her feet and he turned sharply, stave still raised, before catching himself and lowering the weapon.

‘Very well,’ he muttered sourly. ‘Come on.’

With one final look at the stranger he ushered Kesh inside the compound and dragged the gate shut behind him.

‘What was that all about ?’ Kesh said as Narin checked around at the empty courtyard. A pair of speckled chickens scratched at the ground at the far end, but there was nothing more to see there.

‘I’ve no idea,’ he said distractedly, ‘but the last thing we need is a scene of any sort.’

He looked up to the right just as a middle-aged woman emerged from one of the rooms onto the walkway overlooking the courtyard. Relief flooded across his face. ‘Mistress Sheti, is all well ?’

The woman nodded, fixing Kesh with a hard stare before she replied. ‘All well,’ she declared. ‘Patient’s awake, but more’n a bit confused.’

‘Awake ?’ demanded both Kesh and Narin in the same breath. He shot her a look and reluctantly Kesh closed her mouth again.

‘He’s awake ?’ Narin repeated. ‘Good, maybe we’ll get some answers. Is Enchei up there ?’

Mistress Sheti sniffed. ‘They’re talking now ; Enchei’s performing some heathen magic on him, it looks.’

‘Right – Kesh, please go with Sheti. Enchei is a friend of mine ; he knows as much as I do and he’s not as feeble as he looks. You’ll be safe around him while I deal with whoever it is out there. Okay ?’

‘Wait here ?’ she asked in surprise. ‘What sort of protection is that supposed to be ?’ Panic at being left with strangers flared briefly inside her, but then she remembered who else was in his rooms and hate quickly supplanted it.

‘Enchei is as good as me,’ Narin assured her, ‘and it’ll only be for a few minutes, I promise. You are quite safe. Half of the quarters here belong to Investigators.’

‘Fine, if you say so,’ Kesh said, hand still on her knife.

‘Thank you. Sheti, no one is to stab anyone – especially her,’ Narin ordered, pointing at Kesh. The woman on the walkway gave a start at that, but nodded readily enough. ‘Good. Kesh, I don’t know what’s going on in there ; I don’t know how he’ll react when he sees you, but please – don’t do anything without me, okay ?’

The young woman found herself biting down on her lip at the thought, but she nodded in agreement. The knife would stay close at hand in case the goshe tried anything, but she didn’t want any sort of commotion to draw his friends.

‘Thank you.’ He looked back at the gate, where the nobleman was waiting. ‘Now let’s find out what this fool wants.’

Narin closed the gate behind him and spent a long while checking the street beyond. There were a few people within sight, but only the strange nobleman looked out of place and eventually he crossed the narrow street to face the man again.

‘Who are you ? What do you want with me ?’ Narin demanded, forgetting any semblance of protocol as the man’s words came back to haunt him –
a bit pale for your tastes.

He kept his stave in his hand, unsure what sort of threat was coming but not wanting to face it unarmed.
Does he know ?
Narin wondered as cold dread filled his gut.
How could he have found out ?

‘Now then, Investigator,’ the man said sternly, ‘this might be a private matter, but there’s no need to be rude.’

Narin bit back his reply, remembering Lawbringer Rhe’s words earlier that day. With an effort he swallowed his anger and inclined his head respectfully. ‘My apologies, sir. You’ve caught me at a difficult time, a delicate and dangerous matter.’

‘In which case I shall not delay you long. The young lady is a witness ?’

‘Something like that.’

The man nodded. ‘Very well – my name is Ayel Sorote of the House of the Sun.’

He paused to let his words sink in and Narin felt the dread in his stomach increase. Technically, Narin could describe himself the same way ; he was born into the legal domain of the House of the Sun and remained a lifelong inhabitant of the Imperial quarter, but only high-caste people would do so. Master Sorote was either noble or Imperial caste and as a result, could doubtlessly destroy Narin’s life with a word.

‘My Lord Sun,’ Narin said hoarsely, belatedly dropping to one knee.

‘No need for that. On your feet, Investigator. Prince Sorote will suffice.’

Screaming hells ! Prince ?
Narin thought as he obeyed.
He’s not a nobleman, he’s royal family ! The bastard’s Imperial caste, blood-relation to the Emperor himself !

‘How can I serve you, Prince Sorote ?’

Sorote watched Narin’s face with a faint smile, affecting a thoughtful air. ‘How indeed ?’

‘I … I don’t understand.’

‘Tell me about Lawbringer Rhe.’

Narin frowned. This was about Rhe ? ‘He, ah – he’s the most devoted servant of the Emperor’s law I’ve ever met. All the Lawbringers are dedicated, but Rhe is more than that – there is no place in his heart for anything else.’

‘A hard man to please ?’

‘I suppose so,’ Narin said awkwardly, desperately trying to work out what was going on. ‘He is exacting in all he does and demands perfection from those around him. He’s difficult to please, certainly, but doesn’t refuse to praise and when it is given, you know it is properly earned. My dream has always to be a Lawbringer, to serve the Emperor, and Rhe makes me better in all I do.’

‘Does he indeed ?’ mused Sorote, ‘That is good to hear.’

‘My Lord, might I ask why you’re asking me this ?’

The man shrugged. ‘I was curious to hear how you spoke of him – rather formally, it appears. I’ve heard good things about you, Investigator Narin, interesting things.’

‘I don’t understand, sir,’ Narin said quietly, suppressing the urge to grab the man by the collar and shake him like a rat.

‘You have friends in high places, you have an interesting future ahead of you – a protégé of Lawbringer Rhe is not destined to walk the streets for the rest of his career, certainly not one with political connections.’

‘Lord Vanden Wyvern,’ Narin said dully. Clearly there was rumour of his patronage in higher circles than Narin had imagined.

‘A generous man, so I hear,’ Sorote continued, ‘with a beautiful young wife. The man must have hidden depths ; one must assume so, to have found a bride such as her.’

‘Lady Kine is from a minor warrior caste family, I believe,’ Narin said through gritted teeth. ‘And Lord Vanden is my friend.’

‘Of course, my apologies,’ the high nobleman said soothingly, ‘I did not mean to demean him. You saved his life, I believe ?’

Narin nodded. Hating the lie, the false heroism, he tried not to speak it himself whenever possible.

‘And still modest with it I see – seven men dead by your hand, wasn’t it ?’

He shook his head. ‘The guards had killed several before they died.’

‘It remains impressive none the less,’ Sorote countered, ‘marking you as a man with a future – an ideal man to pair with Lawbringer Rhe.’

‘Rhe’s abilities far outstrip my own,’ Narin said. ‘I have improved under his tuition, but it was luck I survived that ambush on Lord Vanden, while Rhe is an astonishing fighter. With a sword in hand I doubt there are many in the Empire who could stand against him.’

‘And what’s the count of those who’ve failed to ? Thirty ? Forty ? Some are starting to wonder if men of the warrior caste are committing crimes just to test themselves against him.’

‘I have not kept a count, but I doubt it is so high. As for criminals in the higher castes, it’s not my place to comment there. I do my duty by the Emperor’s law.’

‘Of course, my friend, just idle gossip. So, you are a loyal friend of Lord Vanden. The Wyverns are a powerful House, prideful but good to their friends. I’m glad a man of your skills has earned such patronage, the doors it opens for you will be significant.’

‘I want only the chance to earn my position,’ Narin said firmly. ‘Lord Vanden asked for me to be assigned to Lawbringer Rhe, it is true, he told me so himself, but I made it clear to him I wanted to earn my badge alone. I convinced him that the prestige of being apprenticed to Rhe was reward enough.’

‘Most honourable,’ Sorote said smoothly, ‘given how I’m sure Lord Vanden was willing to share everything he possessed with you.’

Narin’s hands tightened. ‘He was more than generous to me.’

‘Indeed he was !’ The nobleman beamed abruptly. ‘However, I have observed that House officials are fickle in their generosity. Sometimes they can wake up of a morning, look over at their wife beside them, and suddenly decide to make an enemy of their friends. Stranger things have happened in this life. It is a treacherous world we live in, Investigator Narin.’

‘I don’t follow you, sir.’

Sorote raised his hands in a gesture of submission. ‘Nowhere to follow ; just a man idly thinking aloud. But I do see a great future for you, given the right assistance, and I am also a man of influence. If you find yourself looking elsewhere for patronage, there are others who admire your devotion to the Emperor. They might be willing to assist one also working for the betterment of the House of the Sun. Certainly, such a man’s loyalty is not for sale, I realise, but we are all prone to our fancies. If the day comes when you find life amid the teahouses of Dragon District not to your liking, do remember you have an acquaintance at the Office of the Catacombs – a modest, but ancient corner of the Imperial household.’

Narin tried not to gape at the man, just as he fought the urges to crack his smirking skull or flee for his life.
The teahouses of Dragon District ?
There had been enough insinuations up to that point already, but that had sealed the deal. This man knew about his relationship with Kine. This man could destroy his life without even trying.

Whether he wanted access to Lawbringer Rhe – a man who could one day lead the Vanguard, ruling council of the Lawbringers – or something entirely different, he’d followed Narin. The Gods alone knew how many times, how long it had been, but he knew enough.

Dead or damned,
Narin thought hollowly.
Whatever he knows, it’s enough to mean I’m his to be used or Vanden’s to be murdered.

‘You’ve made your point,’ Narin muttered.

‘Yes, I rather think I have.’ Sorote offered him a shallow bow. ‘Now I shall leave you to your urgent business, Master Narin. I wish you luck with your investigation and should you ever need my assistance … Well, we may run into one another again. Good day.’

Kesh ascended the stair quickly, intent on confronting the man responsible for her sister’s death, but as she neared the door she faltered. The woman, Sheti, waited for her in silence, fingers interlocked as though to stop herself wringing her hands. The sight drained Kesh’s resolve further as guilt blossomed in her heart. She looked nothing like Kesh’s mother, Teike, but they were both middle-aged natives of the city – it could have been her mother’s apron the woman wore, and her clothes as well except for the more generous proportions of Sheti.

‘Mistress Sheti,’ Kesh said with a small curtsey. Formality came uneasily to Kesh, but it was preferable to an awkward, apprehensive silence.

‘Your name is Kesh ?’ Sheti inquired gently. ‘I’m pleased to meet you. You, ah, you’re caught up in whatever this is too ?’

Kesh’s face tightened and she gave a curt nod. ‘You have Master Tokene Shadow in there ?’

The name elicited a blank look from Sheti. ‘Mebbe,’ she said. ‘He claims not to know his own name, but he’s certainly of House Shadow.’ She hesitated. ‘That’s what his tattoo says, anyway.’

‘He doesn’t know his own name ?’ Kesh demanded, a spark of anger awakening in her belly. ‘And you believe him ?’

‘I believe my friends,’ Sheti said, ‘but I’ve reserved judgement.’ She held out her hand. ‘Please, give me your knife.’

‘What ? No ! There are people trying to kill me,’ Kesh almost shouted. She pointed at the half-open door beside Sheti. ‘Friends of his are trying to kill me – one of them cornered me in an alley and almost …’ Her voice dropped and she looked down at her hands, one now bandaged. ‘I barely got away alive, I can only hope my mother got my message and escaped our house in time.’

‘Then you only convince me more of his honesty,’ Sheti said firmly, hand still outstretched. ‘I’ve been watching over the man for most of the day. If he had anywhere to go – anyone to go to or anything to hide from – he’d have managed it, injured or not. I’m not going to stand in the way of some goshe assassin if he wants to escape ; I like my blood where it is, thank you very much.’

Kesh didn’t have anything to say to that, but under Sheti’s determined look she felt herself wilt. The set of the woman’s jaw was all too familiar and before she’d even realised it, Kesh was reaching for her father’s knife. She pulled the weapon from her coat pocket and stared at it.

Uncle Horote would be angry,
she thought distantly, realising a quick wipe was all she’d thought to give the blade. Its surface was spotted and streaked with half-dried blood, the metal stained red-brown and the leather grip tacky under her fingers.
He always said to keep it clean, always clean.

Horote had been a close friend of her father’s, the man who’d taken Kesh under his wing as she saw out the rest of her father’s term of service, rather than give up the boarding house they’d bought with his bond money. He was still on the merchant line now, first mate on a fast cutter that did the spice run to Sight’s End. She held the weapon out and Sheti took it delicately between forefinger and thumb.

Of course Horote wouldn’t be angry,
Kesh corrected herself.
I’m alive, that bastard goshe isn’t – Horote would bloody well be proud. Remember that, you stupid girl !

‘Thank you,’ Sheti said as she bundled the weapon up in her apron. ‘Shall we go in now ?’

Kesh followed her into Narin’s living quarters. One half was taken up by a stove and table while on the right was a low bed and a battered pair of captain’s chairs. A lean grey-haired man lounged in one, a bowl of milky liquid in his hands, while a larger man, apparently naked bar his bandages, occupied the bed. She stopped in the doorway, hardly daring to go further as the younger man’s battered face looked blankly up at her.

It was him, there could be no doubt. Kesh found herself holding her breath as fear and rage clashed inside her, but then she noticed the change about him. Master Tokene Shadow it was, but something was changed about him.

They had spoken little during his stay at the boarding house – the guests would come and go as they pleased and he hadn’t been one of those looking for a substitute family. Tokene would eat with the rest only occasionally and never lingered to talk to either Emari or Kesh. In her memory he moved with purpose, always moving and always alone even in a crowd.

But there he lay, propped against the wall and looking up at her with a faintly pathetic look of hopefulness. Gone was the swagger, the arrogance and self-assurance. Gone was the sense of purpose, too – the man now looked lost, and without it he was diminished.

‘Irato,’ Kesh muttered, to herself more than anyone else. ‘That’s what they called you.’

‘What ?’ demanded the grey-haired one, pushing himself to his feet. ‘You know his name ?’

Kesh nodded. ‘Who’re you ?’

‘Enchei – friend o’ Narin’s.’

She turned to look him up and down. He was clearly fit and strong for his age, but the wrong side of fifty and had hardly ever been anything impressive. Only a little taller than Kesh, her designated protector wasn’t even armed.

‘You’re Enchei ?’ she said scornfully. ‘If this man’s friends send another assassin after me, you’re going to keep me safe ?’

He grinned, quite unruffled by her disbelief. ‘Mebbe,’ he replied. ‘Most folk tend to underestimate me – I guess that’ll go for assassins as well.’

‘Who’re you ?’ the man in the bed asked. ‘What did you call me ?’

Kesh turned to face him. The goshe hadn’t moved from where he was. For a moment she debated what to do – whether to snatch up a kitchen knife or go for the long-knife lying under the foot of the bed – but in the end she did neither. As great as her hatred was, she wanted answers now ; the moment for wrath had gone and in its place was a numb emptiness.

‘You think I’m buying this memory loss rubbish ?’

‘Who are you ?’

Kesh lunged forward, but before she could grab his throat the old man had caught her arm in an immovable grip. She swung around to try and batter him away, but his arm was as hard as oak when she slammed her fist down onto it. Kesh gasped in pain as she flailed and tried to haul her arm free, but it did no good. After a few moments more she stopped and sagged, drained by her efforts throughout this long day.

Enchei didn’t release her straight away, but used his hold to turn her around so he could look Kesh in the eye.

‘Believe it or not, it’s true.’

‘How in hell’s crater do you know that ?’

He paused. ‘You a pious girl ?’

‘What ? What’s that got to do with anything ?’

Enchei shrugged. ‘I’ve learned a lot over the years, picked up some tricks some priests might disapprove of.’

‘The Gods weren’t what kept me alive today,’ Kesh said angrily, jerking her arm out of his hand as Enchei relaxed his grip. ‘It was a pack of bloody demons that saved me, so I just got a lot less pious.’

He cocked his head at that, looking curious. ‘Sounds like a tale worth hearing. In the meantime though, you’d probably call it heathen magic. I can’t look into his mind or anything, but there are spirits in this world that can brush the surface at least – tell me if anything’s happened to him. This man’s been poisoned, I can tell that much, and it’s torn up his memory something proper.’

‘Poisoned ?’ Kesh said hollowly, recalling what she’d overheard at the free hospital. ‘A poison that took his mind – is it called Moon’s Artifice ?’

Enchei frowned. ‘Sounds like you know more than me. I’ve never heard that name before, what is it ?’

‘It’s what
he
,’ Kesh snapped, pointing at Irato, ‘had in his bloody sea-chest – it leaked out and poisoned my sister.
His
friends murdered her when I took her to the goshe hospital. They said her mind was gone and they should just kill her.’

‘Sister ?’ Irato echoed in dismay. ‘Friends of mine ?’

She saw now he was exhausted and dazed, uncoordinated as though drunk and feeling the weight of her glare like the heat of a fire. Kesh edged closer towards him, glad she had him off-balance and determined to exploit it.

‘Recognise the name Perel ? Father Jehq ?’

He shook his head miserably, pressing the fingers of his free hand against his temple so hard the skin around them went white. ‘I can’t remember anything – the more I try, the more it hurts.’

‘You think I care how much it hurts ?’ Kesh demanded, ‘I’d gladly cut the answers out of you if I could !’

His hand dropped back down to his lap. ‘Right now I’d let you,’ he said, ‘if I thought it’d do any good. I don’t know what else to say. I just don’t remember, I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry ?’

She lunged forward again, caught this time rather more gently by Enchei who wrapped his arm around her waist and patiently held on until she stopped straining against him.

‘You think sorry’s good enough ? My sister’s dead, your friends sent assassins to kill my mother – I didn’t dare go there myself in case they saw me. I had to send someone else to warn my own damn mother that she had to flee for her life ! But you’re sorry ?’

Kesh sank down to her knees, supported only by Enchei as the strength suddenly drained from her limbs.

‘Right, enough of all that,’ Enchei said briskly, lifting her up and manoeuvring her into the seat he’d been occupying. ‘You’re as exhausted as he is, famished too I’m guessing. Revenge doesn’t come on an empty stomach, I’ve found ; you need your strength for it. Sit here a moment and I’ll fetch you something, okay ?’

Kesh managed a nod as she slumped in the chair, eyes still on Irato but too tired to feel much of her earlier hate. When Enchei returned with a wooden bowl overflowing with stew she wasted no time in filling her belly.

As Kesh ate, Sheti took the other seat and Enchei pulled a stool from under the table, positioning it in the middle of the room so he could watch both the closed door and her.

‘So Moon’s Artifice is a poison, eh ?’ he commented while Kesh was draining the last of the stew.

She nodded, too busy to reply.

‘And most likely Irato here was carrying some – would explain all the glass Narin found in the street, then.’

‘What street ?’ Kesh asked.

‘Somewhere in the Dragon District, he heard a noise and thought Irato was attacking him. Turns out he’d fallen off a roof while fleeing something.’

‘Fleeing what ?’

Enchei snorted. ‘Mebbe a God if you believe they’re easy to run from ; more likely one o’ your demons I’d guess.’

‘More than one,’ Kesh corrected after a moment’s pause. ‘The man they sent after me – the bodyguard of Father Jehq – he killed several foxes with ease. He wouldn’t be running from just one.’

Enchei inclined his head to acknowledge her point. ‘The question is – what would matter so greatly to a tribe of demons that they’re willing to lose so many vessels in the pursuit of it ?’

‘Vessels ?’

Enchei nodded. ‘Those foxes aren’t the demons ; it’s what’s inhabiting their minds. The demon’s harder to kill than just cutting the head off a fox, but it doesn’t mean they’ll waste the bodies without good reason.’

‘Enchei, how is it you know all this about demons ?’ Sheti interjected.

He grinned. ‘People round here would think the place I grew up was pretty backward. We had temples to the Gods, but it was remote – where the mountain line met the shore. Places like that, you’ll get demons and spirits o’ all kinds. Without shamans they’ll circle your village like hungry wolves around a herd of deer. In a city they’re much rarer and they keep clear mostly, but they’ve no fear out in the dark wilds.’

‘You’re a shaman ?’ Kesh asked in disbelief.

‘I was a hunter, then an army scout,’ Enchei countered, ‘but I got the sight sure enough. I can read the spirits and hear the demon-voices on the wind. Blasphemy or heresy don’t mean much when some spirit’s got a mind to feed on your soul or creep into your mind.’

‘What’s all this got to do with me ?’ Irato broke in, still sounding weak. ‘A demon did this to me ? A God ? Why would I be carrying a poison that could destroy my memory ?’

‘I’m guessing that’s not what it’s for,’ Enchei said, ‘doesn’t sound a whole lot of use for that, not without raising suspicions. If it was just one dose you kept to shut folk up, witnesses or whatever, I could see it, but enough to poison a little girl with what you left at home too ? It leaked out of his sea-chest, you said ?’

Kesh nodded. ‘There was a lot I think, Emari fell while trying to take the chest downstairs, I heard the broken glass inside it. There must have been enough inside it for dozens of people to be dosed.’

Footsteps came from the walkway outside. Before anyone else could move, Enchei had casually risen and slipped his fingers around the grip of a large kitchen knife left out on the table. ‘Narin ?’ he called.

‘It’s me,’ the Investigator confirmed, ducking briefly at the open window to glance in before he reached the door beside it and came in. ‘All good here ?’

‘Just getting acquainted,’ Enchei said with a small smile. ‘You ?’

Narin glanced guiltily back towards the closed gate of the compound. ‘I’ve no idea. Think I’ve just been threatened, but with the upper classes who can bloody tell ?’

‘Ready for some good news then ?’

Narin looked surprised at that but he nodded readily enough, closing the door behind him and propping his stave against the wall as he surveyed the faces in the room. ‘Been ready for days now,’ he muttered.

‘Mistress Kesh there might have found your moon, of a fashion anyway,’ Enchei said cryptically. ‘If you’re still interested ?’

‘What ? You didn’t mention that at the Palace of Law,’ Narin said, rounding on Kesh.

‘I only just remembered, it’s what they called the poison that took Emari’s mind – Moon’s Artifice,’ she said hotly, staring him down until Narin remembered himself and backed off a shade. ‘Maybe his mind too, if you believe your friend here.’