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Next morning Derlex, the young Pontifex, arrives at my door, thrusting a collection box under my nose. He's come for a donation to the fund for repairing the tower on the local temple, recently damaged in a fire. I rummage around for a few coins. Always pleased to do my civic duty. Also it might get him off my back. It's making me nervous, the way he's always around these days, asking me how I am, encouraging me to go to church. There must be worse sinners than me for him to worry about. Makri appears and Derlex departs with a frown. #2 | | |
"To hell with him," sniffs Makri, which I guess is exactly what he's thinking about her. #3 | | |
Makri is reading today's copy of The Renowned and Truthful Chronicle of All the World's Events. #4 | | |
"Anything interesting?" #5 | | |
"Another Sarin the Merciless story. Apparently she killed a rich merchant in Mattesh and fled with his money. Fought off three Civil Guards who were after her." #6 | | |
I scoff at this. "I bet. These news-sheets, they exaggerate everything." #7 | | |
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I explain to Makri that I've tangled with Sarin the Merciless before. "I ran her out of town about six years ago. She was trying to set up some protection racket. The Transport Guild hired me to get her off their back. Bit of a joke, really. She's no killer, just some petty hoodlum with big ideas. The papers always like to build these people up. It gives them something to write about. If she fetches up in Turai I'll soon show her who's number one chariot around here. Hope she does, I could do with some reward money." #9 | | |
Makri grins. "Who's Mirius Eagle Rider?" she asks, glancing again at the news-sheet. #10 | | |
"Sorcerer," I reply. "Works for Rittius at Palace Security. One of the most powerful Sorcerers in the city, although not averse to dwa, from what I hear. What's it say about him?" #11 | | |
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I raise my eyebrows. That is news. Mirius Eagle Rider murdered? Mirius was not an obvious candidate for murder. There isn't much to the report. Palace Security have it under wraps for just now. #13 | | |
But it does contain one notable fact. Mirius was found by one of his servants this morning with a bolt from a crossbow in his back. Strange. A crossbow is an unusual weapon for a murder. Pretty cumbersome thing to carry around as a concealed weapon. It would have to be concealed because it's illegal to carry one in the city. Too powerful, makes the Civil Guard nervous. Generally they're only used in wartime. #14 | | |
Deputy Consul Rittius isn't going to be pleased at such a senior Sorcerer being killed like that. The thought of the Deputy Consul not being pleased gives me some pleasure, although as a man's death is involved I don't get too carried away. Strange, though, that a Sorcerer like Mirius should have succumbed to any normal weapon, no matter how powerful. #15 | | |
"Dwa'd out of his head, I expect. Probably had an argument with his dealer. These Palace Sorcerers, they're all degenerate." #16 | | |
"Everyone in Turai is degenerate," opines Makri. "I met people with better manners in the Orcish slave pits." #17 | | |
With that she goes off to her early shift downstairs, and I head off to visit Jevox at the Guard Station to see if he has any information for me. I stop off at Minarixa's bakery and arrive at the station still wiping crumbs off my face. It's already too hot to be comfortable and I'm perspiring freely as I stroll inside. My sword is uncomfortable at my hip. It's chafing at my skin. I never used to notice that sort of thing when I was a young soldier. #18 | | |
Jevox is on duty at the desk. He's mopping his brow as I arrive. "Hotter than Orcish hell in here." #19 | | |
"Damn right it is." I ask him if he's learned anything. #20 | | |
"That Sorcerer who's been chasing you about, Glixius Dragon Killer. He had a big reputation in the west. Very bad, and very powerful. He was expelled from Samsarina a few years back. Involved in an attempted coup." #21 | | |
Samsarina is a large, wealthy country some way to the west, one of the strongest of the Human Lands. Glixius Dragon Killer. A name I'd never heard before Kerk mentioned it. It doesn't tell me much. #22 | | |
Sorcerers always take on exotic names when they finish their training and don the rainbow cloak. He might be able to kill dragons. He might not. He's of aristocratic birth though. Any man with a name ending in "ius" belongs to an aristocratic family. It's one of these class distinctions we have, just like anyone with "ox" or "ax" in their name is low-born. Like Jevox the Civil Guard. Or Thraxas the Investigator. #23 | | |
"Our Prefect got a report he'd been seen in Mattesh. Left suddenly after the royal vaults mysteriously emptied themselves of gold." #24 | | |
I wonder if he survived the alligator attack. #25 | | |
"Who's got the Cloth?" Jevox asks me. #26 | | |
I tell him I don't know. I don't mention my theory that it's inside the dragon. #27 | | |
"You know you're famous now, Thraxas?" #28 | | |
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"Prefect Tholius says you were mentioned in a debate in the Senate. Senator Lodius was denouncing the authorities for their incompetence and he cited you as prime example. Wanted to know why you hadn't been arrested and charged with Attilan's death. He claimed there must be some sort of cover-up going on. Is it true?" #30 | | |
I shake my head. I'm not important enough for anyone to cover up for. #31 | | |
"In that case I reckon the Consul might swear out a warrant for you just to shut Lodius up. He's not going to want Lodius accusing the King and his ministers of incompetence with the elections approaching. #32 | | |
Maybe it's time you found yourself a lawyer." #33 | | |
I'm sweating and thirsty so I visit the large street market that separates Twelve Seas from Pashish and buy a watermelon. When I've got most of it inside me I notice Palax and Kaby, who often busk here during the day. They're sitting on a small patch of waste ground next to a fruit stall, talking to someone. #34 | | |
As I wander over to say hello their companion rises to leave and I smile, because he's a giant of a man, completely dwarfing the young buskers. He dwarfs me as well, in height if not in girth. He must be close on seven feet tall, with shoulders and biceps to match. Not a man to tangle with, though from the way Palax and Kaby are waving and grinning I guess he must be friendly. #35 | | |
"Who was that?" I ask, while accepting a draw on a thazis stick Kaby offers me. The mild narcotic is still technically illegal in Turai but since dwa swept the city the authorities don't bother much about it. "That was Strongman Brex. We used to work with him in the circus, down in Juval. We played music while he smashed rocks with his bare hands. Sometimes he'd come busking with us. He'd hold us up in the air, one on each palm, while we played. We earned a lot of money like that." #36 | | |
"What's he doing in Turai? Is the circus in town?" #37 | | |
Palax shakes his head. Strongman Brex has apparently left the circus. He'd had enough of the life and came to Turai looking for proper employment. #38 | | |
"He's already got a job. Pity, he won't be able to busk with us." #39 | | |
"What's he doing?" I ask, passing the thazis back to Kaby. #40 | | |
"He got a job at the Palace. Working for Princess Du-Akai." #41 | | |
I blink. "Princess Du-Akai? What's she want with a strongman?" #42 | | |
"Don't know. But Brex likes it. He gets well paid and he doesn't have to smash rocks with his hands any more." #43 | | |
I leave them to their busking. People round here don't have much money to spare, and if they try playing up in the better areas of town the Guards chase them away. #44 | | |
Why would the Princess want a strongman? I wonder, as I haul myself up the outside stairs towards my office. Bodyguard? Can't be—Palace Security provides her with bodyguards. Maybe it's only temporary employment. Maybe she just needs someone strong enough to cut open a dragon. #45 | | |
I reach the top of the steps. I open the door and gape stupidly at my room. It appears to have been torn apart by a whirlwind. Papers, broken glass and smashed furniture lie strewn in an incredible jumble across the floor. The last of my precious kuriya is seeping through the floorboards. I groan, and rescue what I can. I do more than groan when I see my only bottle of klee lying smashed beneath a chair. I was saving that. #46 | | |
"Goddamn those Brotherhood pigs!" I roar, unsheathing my sword. #47 | | |
The noise attracts Makri. "What's happening?" she says, finding me about to march outside, sword in hand. #48 | | |
"That stinking Brotherhood is trying to put the frighteners on me!" I yell. "Well, I'm not having it!" #49 | | |
Madder than a mad dragon, I storm back down the outside stairs. Makri, perhaps feeling that a single-handed assault on Brotherhood headquarters is a little ambitious, grabs her swords and hurtles down the steps behind me. #50 | | |
