I whispered, “Do…do you really think so, ma’am? That there’s a…what, a thief about?”
“I do. Someone must have learned what Nusis had in her safe, snuck in, opened her safe, and took it, leaving another key in its place. Then the twitch came, forced Nusis to open her safe, then killed her…yet when they seized their treasure, they realized it wasn’t the right key. Someone had beaten them to it. The twitch then understood they were in a tricky spot—robbed of their prize, and now fearful we might now realize the true nature of the thing they sought. So they carefully shut the door and wiped it with alcohol, removing any blood, hoping we might not deduce what could have been worth murdering and robbing poor Nusis over.”
I tried to think through this, my mind spinning. “What makes you so sure the twitch themselves didn’t leave that key as a fake?”
“Because they went to the trouble of cleaning both the exterior and interior of the safe after they killed Nusis. The twitch is methodical, and careful—they don’t normally make mistakes that require cleaning. So…why would someone so careful manipulate and clean a safe after they’ve already robbed it? Why create this mess for themselves? The easiest answer is that they did not get what they sought and wished to hide that they’d ever sought it at all.”
“But…why would the Hazas risk so much over a reagents key, ma’am? And why would someone bother stealing it first?”
“Well, that assumes that the key you originally found actually was a reagents key,” she said. “And I’m now convinced that it wasn’t! I think it was something else entirely…Nusis herself was even puzzled by it. We asked her to identify what kind of key it was, and none of her tests could tell her—because it wasn’t a key at all, you see.”
“Then what was it?”
“The missing third you overheard Fayazi Haza discussing!” said Ana. “Something terribly important. The heart of all the sin that hangs over this canton, and perhaps the whole of the Empire. Now—get me to Vashta, quickly. For I know what we must do.”
“And what’s that?”
“Tell her that someone is going to try to kill Fayazi Haza,” said Ana simply.
* * *
—
“A…A THREAT AGAINST Fayazi Haza’s life?” said Vashta, horrified. “Again? Truly?”
“I’m afraid it is, ma’am,” said Ana. “There is a third assassin, and they struck again tonight. I am convinced that they mean her ill.”
Vashta paced the Iudex tower atrium, her face stricken, her black Legion’s uniform tinkling softly as all her heralds clinked against one another. “And…and this is who killed poor Nusis?”
“I am still unsure of that, ma’am,” said Ana. “But I think I can identify them. To do so, I will need to confer with Madam Haza, along with her engraver—for he has likely engraved many memories that may be useful to us in our search. Can we summon them here, to the Iudex tower, first thing tomorrow? The faster we move, the likelier we can ensure her safety.”
“I…I can, certainly,” said Vashta. “But, Dolabra, this is ill-timed…The leviathan approaches. The canton will likely devolve to chaos as it nears.”
“And that would be the best time for an assassin to strike. We must resolve this quickly. And, if she does agree to come, I would recommend giving Madam Haza the utmost protection. Any Legionnaire you can spare must be present, ma’am, along with Captain Miljin.”
“Of course. Yet is there no more you can tell me? I mean, who is this killer? And what is the nature of this threat against Fayazi Haza?”
“I cannot offer you anything of great certainty, ma’am. But I believe her engraver’s testimony can illuminate that. Now, with your leave, ma’am, Din and I must prepare for our interview tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Certainly. Certainly…”
I led Ana up the stairs, the whole of the tower creaking about us in the night wind.
“Just wish to comment, ma’am,” I said, “that, ah, I’ve no idea at all what’s going on anymore.”
“We build a trap, Din,” said Ana. “Vashta herself said that the only thing that would make Fayazi jump now would be if we said there was another threat to her life.” She grinned. “And that is what I just told her.”
“You lied to her, ma’am?”
“Oh, I did,” said Ana. “But not about that. There is a threat to Fayazi’s life—yet not the sort anyone expects.”
“Then…what did you lie to her about?”
“Well, for starters, I know who the third poisoner is, Din. And I now know how those ten Engineers died. And I also know what that reagents key truly was—and where it is now. I do feel a bit bad for lying to Vashta about all that, but…well, there is so much corruption in this canton that I worry an errant word from her could ruin my plot.”
We came to her door. I opened my mouth to say more, but she raised a finger.
“No time to explain, Din,” she said. “I must prepare my rooms for tomorrow, for I worry that all this could very well go awry. But listen, boy…” She gripped my arm tight. “I am going through this door, and after that, you are to never open it again, understood? Not without my saying it’s safe. Is that clear?”
“I…I don’t understand, ma’am,” I said, now thoroughly bewildered. “Why?”
“Do you understand that you shouldn’t open this door unless I tell you, child?” she hissed. “Yes? Then do as I say! I’d tell you why, but I’m sure you’d just try and stop me, and that would imperil many lives.”
“I’m your engraver,” I said indignantly. “Shouldn’t I be told of your schemes?”
“You’re right—you are my engraver. You are here to look, and see. So be down in the atrium first thing tomorrow, and be ready to look and see! And bring your sword. For if my conjectures prove true, we shall unmask a murderer—and a great deal more than that. Or we shall get all our throats slit.” She grinned again. “Now sleep, boy—if you can.” Then she shut the door.
CHAPTER 37
| | |
IT WAS DAWN WHEN I heard the first footsteps from the tower entrance. I looked up from where I stood before the adjudication chamber, my hand resting on my sword, then relaxed when I saw Captain Miljin stumping up, his long scabbard swinging by his side.
He nodded to me. Then his eye danced down to my fingers, which still tarried near the grip of my weapon. “You’re jumpy, Kol…What’s all this about, then? Got a message from Vashta to be here. I thought it’d be about poor Nusis, but…something about an attempt on Fayazi Haza’s life?”
“Or one that’s coming, sir,” I said. “Ana seemed sure of it. Fayazi Haza herself will be here shortly to be interviewed.”
He gazed up the tower stairs. “But Ana’s not here yet.”
“Still in her rooms. Before you ask, no, I’m afraid she hasn’t told me her plots, sir. I’ve no idea what she’s playing at.”
He snorted. “Perhaps today’s the day she finally tells us what’s been bubbling away in that brain of hers.” He turned as six Legionnaires trooped into the atrium. He shook his head. “Just had to happen as the leviathan grows perilously close. Let us hope we all survive it.”
We entered the adjudication chambers, the Legionnaires taking position at the doors and windows. We waited in silence, and then there came a rumbling of carriage wheels. Commander-Prificto Vashta swept in, followed by Fayazi Haza, attired again in her silvery robes and delicate veil, and flanked by her engraver and her axiom. Fayazi looked nearly as shaken as she had when I’d seen her staring down on me as her carriage had taken me away. Her Sublimes, as always, were utterly inscrutable.
“Where’s Dolabra?” Vashta demanded of me. “Is she not here yet? I thought she would be waiting!”
I opened my mouth to speak—but then I heard a door slam in the tower beyond, followed by small, careful footsteps. I bowed, excused myself, and exited to see Ana slowly, carefully descending the stairs, blindfolded as always, one hand trailing on the wall.
“They all there, Din?” she asked softly as she came to me. “Vashta, Fayazi, and her two Sublimes?”
“They are, ma’am.”
“And how do they look?”
“Rather rattled, ma’am.”