William King - Shadowblood

“Amongst other things. How did you get into the Serpent Tower?”

“In a cart, hidden among supplies.”

“And that was before the Tower vanished.”

“You know it was.”

“And yet even after the Tower vanished, you managed to escape along with the Queen. That is quite a feat.”

“We used an ancient escape device.” Joran raised an eyebrow. Rik understood now why the Inquisitor was not wearing a mask. His features were very expressive, and at this moment they expressed mocking disbelief.

“It was fortunate you knew how to do that?”

“I was told how to use it.”

“By Asea?”

“No, by a Serpent Man whom Ilmarec had enslaved.”

“Why did he do that?”

“He hated Ilmarec and wanted revenge.”

“How did Ilmarec make the Tower vanish?”

“You would have to ask him.”

“I would love to. Sadly he is not available for questioning. Witnesses claim the entire tower rose into the sky.”

“That it did.”

“Asea was attacked by a Nerghul while you were in Morven.”

“Yes, she was.”

“Do you know who sent it?”

“Why should I?”

“Perhaps she mentioned her suspicions to you. It is the product of the darkest sort of necromancy.”

“I am willing to believe that.”

“Very kind of you to say so.” For the first time a hint of annoyance appeared in Joran’s voice, and with it a measure of threat. Rik wondered if he was going to call for his henchmen and order him dragged off to the cellars.

If that were the case, Joran himself would be dead in a very few heartbeats. As soon as he made the decision, Rik relaxed. He was committed to a course of action now. He was not powerless; whatever happened here he would share his suffering with this arrogant fop who had under-estimated him.

Joran’s head tilted to one side as if he had noticed the change come over Rik. Perhaps he had. The Inquisitor probably had several centuries of experience interrogating humans. He pushed his chair back a little, as if he was the one who felt threatened. He took a deep breath and steepled his fingers, the very picture of a Terrarch in control of himself and the situation. Rik wondered what magic Joran knew and whether it could protect him. He could not help but feel that the Inquisitor had made a mistake by agreeing to talk to him alone. Perhaps Joran had begun to realise it too.

“Yes,” said Joran, after a long pause. “The darkest sort of necromancy, a sort they are most familiar with in Sardea.”

“I have never been there.”

“And yet you know the Lady Tamara.” Shock surged through Rik. How did the Inquisitor know about that? He kept silent, staring at Joran, waiting for some cue. Joran’s smile widened a fraction. He gazed at a point somewhere over Rik’s shoulder. It was all Rik could do to keep from turning his head to see if someone was sneaking up behind him. He did not want to take his eyes of the Inquisitor though.

“You talked to her in secret at the House of Sardontine.” Rik felt almost like laughing in spite of the trap opening at his feet. He had feared the Inquisitor would accuse him of many things, but being a Sardean spy was not one of them.

“Who told you that?”

“The Inquisition has eyes and ears everywhere. You were seen to disappear into Lady Sardontine’s chambers. Most people assume you were having a tryst with the Lady herself. I have reason to think that you were consorting with one of the Dark Empire’s most effective agents.”

Joran smiled. “Does Lady Asea know about that?”

“Well?” asked Joran. “Does Asea know?”

“Does it matter?”

“It might. If, for instance, she has been dealing with the Sardeans and you were merely her agent, then perhaps you could save yourself by telling us the truth.”

“Is that how it goes?”

“I don’t know. Enlighten me.”

“Asea has not been dealing with the Sardeans.”

“Yet she met with Malkior in Harven. We know this. So did you, as a matter of fact.”

Was Joran merely fishing? What did he really know? “I met him at a ball given by the Harven Council of Merchants.

“Of course, what else did you think I meant?”

“Nothing. I was merely stating a fact. If by having contact with the Sardeans, you mean meeting someone at a ball, I am sure many other people must qualify for that as well.”

“You are not in any position to get clever with me, youth. Let me spell things out- in Morven, you met with Tamara and Jaderac. So did Asea. In Harven you met with Tamara’s father, Lord Malkior. Here in Halim you personally met with Tamara again. Shortly after all of these events, Queen Kathea was assassinated, by Lord Malkior, who it is claimed you then killed. Have I summarised events correctly?”

“Yes.”

“You can see that it would not take much effort on any fair minded person’s part to put a somewhat sinister interpretation on these events.”

“I can think of other interpretations, such as the truth.”

“Ah, the truth. At long last we get to it. So tell me what is the truth of these matters?”

“Tamara and Jaderac were already at Morven. They had business with Ilmarec, were trying to win him over to the Sardean cause. They were not then the enemy. We were not at war with Sardea.”

“That has changed. What makes you think Malkior killed Kathea?”

He told me so, Rik wanted to say, but common sense kept him polite. “He was there. He had blood on him. He boasted of what he did.”

“To you. There are no other witnesses.”

“I am surprised that you cannot produce some. You seem to have them for everything else.”

“I am not sure I like your tone.”

“And I am not sure that I like yours. Perhaps we can both do our best to be polite under the circumstances.” Rik wondered if the Inquisitor was really as shocked as he looked. It was possible he was not used to being talked to in this fashion.

“Your patron is very powerful, and her influence shields you to a certain extent, but it is unwise to make me angry.”

Rik knew that was undoubtedly the case. He bit back a hasty retort and spread his hands apologetically. “I do not like being accused of being a Sardean spy. All my life I have been a loyal subject of the Queen. I swore an oath to serve her as a soldier.”

He sounded quite sincere, even to his own ears, and he suspected it was really the case. He was loyal to Asea and the army, and he supposed when push came to shove he was loyal to Talorea as well. If humans had to live under Terrarch rule then better there than Sardea, that was for sure.

Joran pushed his advantage. “What did you talk to Tamara about?”

“She wanted me to kill Asea. She offered me quite a lot of money to do so.”

“You admit you talked with an agent of a foreign power about assassinating a high noble of the realm.”

“It seemed like the best way of finding out what she wanted. As your spies have no doubt informed you, Lady Asea is still alive.”

“You are starting to be insolent again, young man.” Joran stressed the word man as if it were an insult. Rik paused and took a deep breath, calming himself, unwilling to be provoked further, to cede the advantage in this interrogation.

“I resent the insinuation that I might actually wish to do harm to my patron, the one who shields me, as you have pointed out, from your wrath.”

“Does Asea know of your discussions with Tamara?”

“Of course- who do you think told me to go ahead with the meeting?” That was something a Terrarch would have no trouble believing. Humans were notoriously incapable of independent thought as far as they were concerned.

“So you are saying that Lady Asea ordered you to make contact with an agent of a foreign power.”