S. Turney - Interregnum

“Commander?”

The man edged into the room and Sabian spotted Darius standing behind him. The commander rose, aware instantly that Cialo was right beside him.

“Doctor, come in.” Reaching out, Sabian lit another lamp he’d noted in the next alcove when he arrived. The light in the room increased to an easier level though the doctor hesitated, Sabian noted, before moving into the room. Darius, right behind him with a hand on his sword hilt, had a face like thunder. The doctor smiled uneasily but his voice betrayed no fear.

“You wanted to talk to me commander?”

Sabian’s teeth flashed in the lamp light. His hand made two small, subtle gestures that only Cialo would understand and with quiet speed the man sidestepped the doctor and joined Darius in cutting off the exit. The sergeant folded his arms for a moment but then smiled broadly and picked up a heavy bladed shovel-axe from the corridor.

The commander stepped forward and grasped Velutio’s physician by the tunic, gripping a handful of linen and twisting, bringing the man close to his face and lifting him onto his toes. If only the doctor could have seen the predatory smiles on the two men behind him blocking the exit.

“Doctor,” he growled, “you will begin by telling me who you have been signalling from that room. You will then tell me exactly what you have said. I want to know who else on the island knows about you or is in league with you and how and why you found it necessary to poison one of my men. If you answer me readily and I think you’re telling the truth, you may even leave this building with all your limbs. If you lie to me even once, I will give you to the sergeant, who knows how to deal with traitors.”

The doctor swallowed nervously. Behind him, Cialo muttered something to Darius and they both grinned. The word ‘gut’ was the only one that Sabian caught and, but from the doctor’s expression he’d heard also. The man spluttered; his face had gone red.

Sabian smiled and bunched the tunic a little tighter. “You can talk now, doctor. It’s your turn.”

The man shook his head as best he could in the tight clinch. “I really don’t know what you mean commander. I’m just a doctor here with a pa…”

Sabian tightened the knot, almost cutting off the man’s breath, but after a moment he let go of the tunic and the doctor dropped back to the floor. A wave of relief broke on him but too soon for when he looked up, Sabian was drawing a sword from the scabbard at his side.

“You can’t do this,” the doctor demanded. “His lordship will have you crucified!”

The commander smiled, looking up at the doctor with his head still bowed. The flash of his cruel eyes matched by the twinkling of the blade in the lamp light were truly menacing and Darius had to give the doctor some credit; some people would be weeping for mercy by now under that gaze. Sabian realised that the doctor truly believed he would abide by whatever the man said just because of their joint allegiance to Lord Velutio.

“Is that your last word on the subject?” he enquired. The next sentence would seal it so he waited, his eyes and blade still glittering unpleasantly in the guttering light.

“I’ll see you pay for this” the doctor declared haughtily.

Behind the doctor, the sergeant’s deeper voice said “I doubt it!”

Sabian saw Cialo raising the shovel blade in the light of the tunnel. The sergeant was clearly incensed and meant to bury the shovel in the doctor’s head. Darius’ sword was also out. The commander sighed. “Put your weapons down gentlemen. Neither of you’re going to harm him.”

He saw Cialo blink as the shovel faltered. Darius’ sword dipped toward the floor and Sabian turned his back on the man with deliberate slowness, noting as he turned the sleazy victorious smile on the doctor’s face. The smile was still there as Sabian picked up speed in his turn and the sword flicked out. The smile was still there as the blade cut through muscle and sinew and cleaved the bone. The smile was still there as the head bearing it rolled across the floor and into the gutter leading to the main drain.

He let the blade drop toward the floor and smiled coldly over the slowly collapsing body at the two in the archway.

“That’s my job.”

The rest of the corpse slumped against the wall, leaking out onto the floor. A torrent of red pumped from the neck and pooled behind dams of broken plaster and tile before running in rivulets into the drainage system. The commander stepped back toward the doorway, kicking the head gently and knocking it back toward the body.

Sabian cleared his throat. “Cialo, I’m going to have a little word with the men in the morning. I want to make sure that this piece of shit had no friends among our companies. Darius, you might as well head back and get something to eat. We’re going to be quite busy tonight I think.”

The young man shook his head. “I’ll help you get rid of this first and anyway I think that whatever you’re in now, I’m in too. You can probably rule out any conspiracy among my island kin. None of the prisoners would be reporting to Velutio, I can assure you.

Sabian stood still for a moment and then nodded. He wasn’t so sure.

“Ok. Let’s throw him in the sea and then go get something to eat while we talk.”

A short while later the remains of the highest paid doctor in the greatest city in the world disappeared into the sea with two splashes unheard by any but those responsible and the few bats flitting around the trees. Out across the bay amid the twinkling lights of Velutio, one flashed repeatedly, invisible to the unaware and completely unanswered.

Sabian was in his full kit when he strode into the square, his armour gleaming in the bright sunlight and his sword swinging idly by his side. Darius stood, as seemed his automatic place these days, behind the commander’s shoulder. He wore the standard kit he used for sword practice or hunting; brown and grey leathers. Cialo and Iasus snapped to attention and the six companies of men behind them followed suit with an ear-splitting crash.

The commander stood for long minutes, his countenance cold and dark. Behind him his new ally shared the commander’s visage, as did the two sergeants. Sabian let them sweat at attention for a few minutes before he spoke.

“I’ve called this parade to give you some news and an ultimatum.”

The companies didn’t move but he had no intention of letting them stand at ease. A few cast curious glances in the direction of Darius without moving their heads. It hadn’t escaped anyone how much time the young man was spending in the commander’s company. Sabian paused a moment and then continued.

“The doctor from the city will no longer be treating you for any minor abrasions or construction injuries during your tenure here. He went for a swim last night without his head.”

He emphasised the last words to increase their shock value and had the desired effect on more than a few soldiers. Without the commander having to utter a word, Iasus bellowed “Stay at attention!” Those who’d slumped a little came rail straight again instantly.

Sabian cast his eyes around the Ibis courtyard windows. No one. Good. He’d sent the elders to examine the bath house and the rest of the population had duties assigned elsewhere. This sort of meeting had to be conducted in some privacy.

He rounded his shoulders and began to pace slowly backwards and forwards along the line of men as he went on.

“The doctor betrayed both myself and the loyal troops of the army to someone back in the city. He murdered Ursus yesterday which is why you may have wondered where he was today. In the end the doctor paid the price traitors always pay!”