Роберт Беннет - Foundryside

“And you…fought your way out?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Yes,” she said defensively.

His large, dark eyes flicked over her small frame. “All by yourself?”

“I’m decent enough in a fight.”

“What fishery was this?”

“By the Anafesto Channel.”

He nodded, thinking about this. “Anafesto, eh. Well then,” he said. “Let’s go have a look, then!” He shut the door and climbed into the pilot’s seat.

“Look where?” said Sancia, startled.

“To the Greens,” said the captain. “To this fishery of which you speak. Presumably there will be dead bodies inside — yes? Bodies that might suggest exactly who paid you to rob my waterfront?”

“Wait! You…you can’t take me there!” she cried. “Just hours ago there were dozens of big bastards walking around there, looking to gut me!”

“Then you had better stay quiet, hadn’t you?”

Sancia lay perfectly still as the carriage rattled over the muddy Commons lanes to the Greens. This was possibly the worst outcome for her: she’d intended to never return to the Greens, let alone trussed up in Captain Gregor Dandolo’s carriage. she said.

said Clef.

Finally the carriage rolled to a stop. There was darkness outside the windows, but she could tell they were at the fisheries by the smell. Dread bloomed in her stomach as she remembered that night — just last night, though it seemed so long ago now.

For a long time, Dandolo said nothing. She imagined him sitting hunched in the cockpit, watching the streets and the fisheries. Then she heard his voice, quiet but confident: “Won’t be a moment.”

The carriage rocked slightly as he climbed out and slammed the door.

Sancia sat there, and waited. And waited.

asked Clef.

said Sancia.

Really small. Tiny, even, easy to miss. It’s…like a dot, stuck to the outside of the carriage, in the back.>

Sancia tensed up. She realized what must be happening. she said.

The cockpit door opened, and someone climbed in — presumably Gregor Dandolo, but she couldn’t see. Then she heard his voice quietly saying, “No bodies. None.”

Sancia blinked in shock. “But…That’s impossible.”

“Is it?”

“Yes. Yes!”

“Where ought there have been bodies, young miss?”

“Upstairs, and on the stairs!”

He looked over the back of the seat at her. “Are you sure? Positive?”

She glared at him. “Yes, damn it!”

He sighed. “I see. Well. I did find quite a bit of blood in both of those locations — so I must grudgingly admit that some aspect of your story appears to be at least somewhat true.”

She stared at the ceiling, outraged. “You were testing me!”

He nodded. “I was testing you.”

“You…You…”

“Do you know what was in the box?” he demanded suddenly.

Surprised, Sancia tried to recover. “I told you. No.”

He stared off into the distance, thinking. “And…I suppose you don’t know anything about the hierophants?” he said softly.

Her skin went cold, but she said nothing.

“Do you?” he asked.

“Beyond that they were magic giants?” said Sancia. “No.”

“I think you’re lying. I think you’re lying to me about something — about what was in the box, about how your deal went down, about how that blood got there.”

said Clef.

“And I think I’m about to save your life,” she said. “Again.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Walk around to the back of your carriage and look for something. It’ll be stuck on the bottom right. Looks like a button, one that shouldn’t be there.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “What kind of ploy is this?”

“It’s not a ploy at all. Go on,” she said. “I’ll wait.”

He looked at her for a moment. Then he reached down and pulled at her ropes, confirming they were secure. Satisfied, he opened the door again and climbed out.

She listened to the crunch of his feet outside. He stopped somewhere behind the carriage.

said Clef.

Gregor walked around and looked through the back passenger window at her. “What’s this?” he asked, slightly outraged. He held it up — it looked like a big brass tack. “It’s scrived, on the bottom. What is this?”

“It’s like a construction scriving,” said Sancia. “It pulls at its twin, like a magnet.”

“And why,” he said, “would someone want to stick a construction scriving to my carriage?”

“Think for a second,” said Sancia. “They stick one half to your carriage. Then they tie another to a string. Then the string will act like a needle in a compass, always pointing to you like you’re true north.”

He stared at her. Then he looked around, peering at the streets behind him.

“Now you’re figuring it out,” asked Sancia. “See anyone?”

He was silent. Then he thrust his head back through the window. “How did you know it was there?” he demanded. “How did you know what it was ?”

“Intuition,” she said.

“Nonsense,” he said. “Did you put it there?”

“When could I have done that? When I was sleeping on the roof, or tied up with your ropes? You need to let me go, Captain. They didn’t put it on there to track you — they put it on there to find me. They’re coming for me. They figured out you knew where I was, so they just followed you. And now you’re right here in it with me. Let me go, and maybe you can survive this.”

He was quiet for a while. It strangely pleased her — for so long it’d seemed like the captain had ice in his veins, so it was nice to see him sweat.

“Hm. No,” he said finally.

“What?” she said, surprised. “No?”

He dropped the button on the ground and stomped on it. “No.” He climbed back into the cockpit.

“Just…Just no?”

“Just no.” The carriage started off again.

“You…You goddamn fool!” she shouted at him. “You’re going to get us both killed!”

“You have damaged lives and careers through your actions,” said the captain. “Not just mine, but those of my officers. You harm those around you without reflection or compunction. I am obligated to amend that. And I will not permit any threat, any lie, or any attack to dissuade me from my path.”

Sancia stared at the ceiling, stunned. “You…You smug idiot!” she said. “What right do you have to speak such flowery words with the Dandolo name hanging over you?”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“Harming people, using people, damaging lives — that’s all the merchant houses ever do!” she said. “You people are every bit as dirty as I am!”

“That may be so,” said Dandolo with infuriating serenity. “This place has a tainted heart. That I’ve seen up-close. But I have also seen horrors out in the world, young lady. I learned to tame some of them. And I have come home to bring to this city the very thing I am delivering you to.”

“And what’s that?”

“Justice,” he said simply.