Moon's Artifice (13 page)

Perel coughed and shuddered under the impact. The blow drove him a step to the right and there he stood for a moment, impaled and shocked by the blow. Then Kesh whipped the broad knife out again and a gout of blood spattered onto the dark packed earth underfoot. The goshe wheezed, weapons tumbling from his hands. He tried to turn and Kesh hopped back, out of reach of his lightning-wreathed hands, but as he turned towards her she saw the agony on his face.

He didn’t make it all the way round before the pain became too much and he crashed down to one knee. The man gasped for breath, chest heaving, but, as he exhaled, a fresh stream of blood poured out from the wound. Ashen-faced, the goshe pitched forward and fell, twitching once before he was still and the light around his hands winked out.

Kesh stared down at the body, then the weapon she’d killed him with. The blade was slick with blood and her hands started to tremble, but there was a tiny raging voice at her core that fought through the pain, confusion and horror to be heard.

Mother ! I have to warn Mother !

She looked again at the corpse and suddenly was on her knees, vomiting up what little food she’d managed that day. Gasping for breath between heaves, Kesh cried out as convulsing bands wrapped around her stomach, but the voice in the back of her mind continued to scream. Panting hard, she fought through it and, using the alley wall to support her, forced herself back onto her feet. With shaking hands she wiped her father’s knife on the dead goshe’s back and returned it to the sheath inside her jacket.

The fox hadn’t moved and she hesitated as she focused on the creature again. Before she could pick her way past the man she’d murdered, the fox bobbed its head as though bowing to her – unblinking gaze fixed firmly upon her all the while. With that, it turned and fled in a flash, vanishing from sight and somehow Kesh knew that by the time she reached the entrance of the alley, it would be gone completely.

Warn Mother !
The voice in her head continued to shriek and now she obeyed, staggering forward for a few steps until she was past the body and she found her balance again.

She looked left and right down the street. Seeing no figures in black advancing on her, Kesh set off without daring to look back, arms tight across her chest and wincing at the pain in her head. The canal remained ahead, a sudden and familiar sight that she almost ran to. Once across the canal it was busy main streets all the way home and Kesh walked as quickly as she dared – head down, not meeting or even noticing any curious gazes she attracted. Of the foxes that had saved her, she saw not a trace.

Narin circled slowly, stave half-extended in an axe grip as he watched the other man give ground. The sound of his feet was muffled by the clatter of water on all sides, a steady thrum of noise that enclosed him in a world of his own.

He struck, surging forward as he snapped the stave towards the man’s head. With impossible speed his opponent brought his own weapon up to bear and deflected Narin’s with a sharp crack. The Investigator pressed on, swinging at the other man’s knuckles as he edged right – then striking up at his arm.

His opponent whirled his stave down to catch the first then took the second blow on the other end. Holding it in the centre, he slipped his stave over Narin’s and stepped inside his guard. Before Narin could retreat the man rammed the butt back into Narin’s shoulder and hacked down towards Narin’s face. The Investigator was forced to drop backwards to avoid the strike and ended up on his backside in the dirt.

‘The edge of Dragon and the Harbour Warrant,’ Rhe said casually as Narin picked himself up.

‘Where I found the goshe ? That’s right,’ Narin confirmed, readying himself for a second attempt. ‘Why ?’

He retreated to the edge of the marked ground where a channel of water flowed. They were in a training courtyard, one of several to the rear of the Palace of Law between buildings. At each corner stood a stone plinth supporting an ancient bronze statue – to the north, a phoenix taking flight, to the south a lion roaring.

East and west were the first of the Gods to ascend to the heavens – the God-Emperor and God-Empress, whose line stretched dozens of generations to the current Emperor himself. From each statue – the mouths of the beasts, a jug in the God-Empress’s hands and the God-Emperor’s drinking horn – poured water. Below each was a steel drum, each of which sang with a different pitch to the others as the water struck it.

‘Bodies were found there,’ Rhe continued, darting forward and aiming a flurry of one-handed blows at Narin.

He beat them off, started forward then hesitated. Something of Rhe’s balance told him not to move in and to demonstrate why, the Lawbringer dipped and extended his arm into a straight lunge. It was well short of Narin’s chin, but he could see what would have happened had he been drawn in.

‘Bodies ?’

Rhe nodded just as Narin launched forward, smacking Rhe’s stave aside and kicking at the Lawbringer’s midriff. The bigger man angled his body as Narin struck and the impact was glancing. Riding it with ease, Rhe whirled around and smacked his stave into the back of Narin’s calf – knocking him onto his back once more and calmly stepping back to allow Narin to struggle up.

‘Burned bodies,’ Rhe said at last. ‘Burned in the open street after some sort of confrontation on the roof above.’

Narin paused in the process of levering himself up with the white wooden staff. ‘On the roof ? More goshe ?’

‘Perhaps. What is interesting is the burning itself. There is almost nothing left ; though it was a cool night and no buildings were damaged, they burned so hot nothing useful remains.’

Rhe attacked lazily as he spoke, with slow and unhurried movements that forced Narin to react but still gave him time to process the news.

‘Some sort of demon ?’

‘Or God,’ Rhe pointed out. ‘This was no natural fire.’

‘The fire was what killed them ?’

‘There is no way to tell. It would certainly kill, but there was no flame-damage to the rooftops – only blood. More likely, the fire was set once they were dead.’

‘Hiding evidence then – but evidence of what ?’

Rhe shifted his grip, holding the stave in the centre once more and beckoning Narin forward. The Investigator copied him and moved to attack with shorter strikes of each end, watching Rhe for where he would counter-attack.

‘We have only questions,’ Rhe said as they sparred, clearly holding back as he warded Narin off, ‘but still they tell us something.’

‘If something needs to be hidden,’ Narin said, kicking out at thin air as Rhe avoided his sudden strike, ‘it tells us they have something to hide – more than that, even. The fire did not kill the victims, yet they were able or prepared to cover up their actions.’

‘So unlikely a God.’

Narin grunted, too intent on defending Rhe’s quickening blows to reply immediately. ‘A God doesn’t fear reprisals,’ he agreed, ‘but Lord Shield could have acted more directly than he did. He might not want his involvement known in this instance either.’

‘Why leave a body at all then ?’

Narin paused and realised Rhe was right. Surely a God could leave no trace if they wished ? ‘So a mortal. Astaren ?’

‘Quite a coincidence if so. The same area you find a goshe being chased by a God. If your man is an Astaren agent, why have they not found you yet ? Or do we all ascribe too much to their mystical abilities ?’

Narin grimaced. ‘I’ll ask them when I wake up with a knife to my throat.’

As Rhe made to reply Narin made his move, stepping in and hooking Rhe’s weapon-arm. He turned into the Lawbringer and dipped his shoulder, dragging the bigger man over it even as Rhe tried to spin away. Narin drove his leg forward in anticipation and caught him just in time, using his hip as a pivot to haul the Lawbringer over and finally break his superb balance.

Rhe hit the ground hard, but he was moving even as he fell. Narin felt the man’s stave behind his knee before he’d released Rhe and in the next moment he was pitched backwards with Rhe rolling on top of him, stave ready at his throat.

‘Excellent,’ the Lawbringer panted, a trace of colour appearing in the faint blue-grey tint of his skin. ‘Few Lawbringers would have caught me that way.’

The Investigator grunted and mentally cursed – both at the elbow pressed heavily on his ribs and the Lawbringer’s praise. Arms splayed wide, he felt like a turtle flipped on its back. Catching Rhe off-balance hadn’t been enough to stop the Lawbringer finding a lethal opening.

Aren’t you a good puppy, Narin ?
he thought darkly.
You get a treat for impressing master.

‘Narin !’ yelled a voice from somewhere behind them. ‘Narin, come quick !’

The two men turned to look even as the shout came again and Narin realised it was Investigator Diman calling. Rhe rolled to one side and Narin groaned as the weight on him was relieved. He lay on his back a moment longer, staring up at the sky, before he found the strength to haul himself upright once more.

‘That’ll be fun in the morning,’ he muttered as he gingerly retrieved his stave and turned to face Diman. ‘You called ?’

Diman padded to a halt, his face flushed with animation but abashed in the face of the legendary Lawbringer. ‘Investigator Narin,’ he said formally, trying to present himself with the expected dignity after having sprinted around the corner. ‘You asked me to keep an ear open for word of the goshe.’

Narin glanced at Rhe and nodded. ‘And ?’

Diman’s face lit up again. ‘And there’s a woman just run into the great hall – bleeding and shouting all sorts ! Some goshe just tried to kill her, she says, and murdered her sister this very morning !’

‘Murdered ? Where ?’

‘The bloody— Ahem, apologies, Lawbringer. At the Raven free hospital, so she says. She’s, well she’s scared and angry – yelling all sorts. Something about poison and foxes ; I didn’t stop to hear too much, just sat her down with someone to watch over her and said I’d come fetch you.’

Narin looked down at himself and dusted the worst of the sand from his clothes, aches forgotten but all too aware of Rhe’s scrupulous gaze. A Lawbringer must be composed and serene ; thoughts free of emotion and the cares of the world. Without warning Kine’s face appeared in his mind – her smooth dark skin and easy smile.

I must be a Lawbringer
, he realised,
and soon, if I’m to help Kine and our baby. Whatever shit I must eat as I deal with idiot noblemen, I must win Rhe’s approval. Even if it means looking as soulless as he does.

‘Thank you, Investigator,’ Narin said calmly. ‘With your permission, Lawbringer ?’

Rhe watched him a moment without blinking then inclined his head. ‘A crime,’ Rhe commented. ‘It seems your instincts are as sharp as your throws. Lead on, Investigator – the matter is yours to pursue.’

They found her huddled in a side chamber of the great hall, one hand thrust inside her coat as she stared suspiciously at the faces around her. A young Investigator named Eperei stood a few yards away – a wary distance from the injured, wild-eyed woman who looked ready to hit out at anyone coming closer. Narin crossed the great hall that served as entrance to the Palace of Law, noting the glances Rhe’s presence drew from many of those present. It was quiet in there ; the avenues of slender pillars that ran down each side of the high, airy hall empty and echoing.

The whole building was built of pale stone and was austere in its adornments – the only colour being the yellow on the two dozen banners bearing the Imperial sun. Against all that, the young woman in muddied, blood-spattered clothes and a scorch-mark on her face was a stark contrast.

She sensed them approaching and looked up with fear in her eyes. From the way her hand was hidden he knew she had a weapon, but if half of what Diman had said was true he could understand the urge to have a blade close at hand.

‘Mistress,’ he said gently as he reached them, ‘my name is Investigator Narin. I understand I may be able to help you ?’

‘Why not him ?’ she snapped, glancing at Rhe as the Lawbringer stopped a yard behind Narin. ‘I need a Lawbringer, not his monkey.’

Narin inclined his head, trying not to rise to the comment. ‘This is Lawbringer Rhe – he oversees all I do, however, I may be better able to help you.’ He held up a hand to stop her instinctive retort. ‘Please, right now that doesn’t matter. Tell us both what’s happened to you.’

She pursed her lips, body tense though he could see her left hand shaking. ‘Here ?’

‘Somewhere more private, perhaps ?’

Narin pointed back across the hall towards a wide stairway that stood behind the brass-fitted desk where a white-bearded Lawbringer supervised all those who entered. He had half a dozen young Investigators waiting on his command, ready to be directed towards visitors or sent to carry messages, while behind him the stairway led to a maze of offices that surrounded the Chamber of the Lawbringers.

‘A room upstairs ?’

She nodded and got to her feet with a grimace of pain.

‘Do you need a doctor ?’ he asked gently, only to have her flinch at the word.

‘Any doctor comes near me I’ll cut his throat,’ she growled.

Narin paused. Threats like that were not what he wanted to hear from an armed woman. From the scorch-mark on her head and generally battered demeanour, he didn’t think she was anything more than a victim who’d fought back, but that was beside the point.

‘What’s your name ?’ he asked, standing in her path as she made to follow him towards the stair.

The young woman paused and squinted at him as though he was mad. ‘My name ? Kesh – Kesh Hinar Vesis. Why ?’

‘Well, Mistress Hinar,’ Narin said, ‘you’re here in the Palace of Law now. There’s no one going to hurt you, but we can’t let you hurt anyone else either – understand me ? If there’s someone after you, they’ll have to get past me first, and if they’re having to take me down they’re not watching Lawbringer Rhe properly, if you get my meaning. So let’s go and have a talk somewhere quiet – but first, please take your hand off the knife in your coat. I don’t want to have to explain anyone getting hurt by mistake. My superiors look down on that sort of thing and I’ve already got one unconscious man on my account this week, okay ?’

Kesh’s eyes widened, in her shock not realising how obvious she’d been about gripping her weapon. Eventually, she nodded and jerkily removed her right hand from inside her coat, revealing another blackened burn on the back of her hand.

‘You sure you don’t want a doctor ?’

‘Yes.’

Narin sighed. ‘Very well. Diman, could you please fetch some clean water and a cloth ? That is, if you wouldn’t mind me cleaning your wounds, Mistress Hinar ?’

She shook her head so he stepped back and directed her towards the stair, Rhe moving ahead of them and Narin falling in beside her. Kesh limped forward a few steps, eyes on the other faces in the hall still, then seemed to straighten and move with greater purpose.

‘That’s really Lawbringer Rhe ?’ she muttered, looking askance at Narin.

‘It is,’ he confirmed.

‘Thank the Gods,’ she said with a sudden rush of relief in her voice.

She almost missed her step as the tangled ball of fear and tension within her seemed to partially unravel, but when Narin put out a hand to steady her, Kesh withdrew like a scalded cat. Her hand twitched towards her coat again. Narin was careful not to react and Kesh caught herself in time.

‘Don’t,’ she muttered. ‘Just don’t.’

Once her story was told the three of them sat in silence. Narin was lost in his own thoughts, Kesh in the emptiness of grief. What Rhe was thinking, Narin couldn’t tell – not even whether the story had affected him. It prompted a memory of that morning, when Rhe had been holding the baby back in Wolf District. With a start, Narin realised it was loss he was feeling – a grief of his own at the child he’d most likely never hold. The Investigator lowered his eyes, feeling ashamed to be thinking of himself in the face of Kesh’s truer hurt.

‘You mother is safe,’ he forced himself to say – dully repeating what she’d only just finished telling him. ‘She will not return to the boarding house.’

Kesh nodded. ‘I told her to run, to tell no one where and go nowhere I might guess … in case …’