Weapon of Fear (27 page)

“He
touched her?”  Arbuckle’s stomach writhed in disgust.  “How did he touch her?”

“I…didn’t
see exactly, milord.”  The woman stood trembling.

“Did
either of you others see what happened?”  Arbuckle needed to know the truth of
this, despite his disgust.

 The
younger man and woman looked at one another, then the woman stood, her jaw set
defiantly.  “Milord.  I’m Hanse, the baron’s house maid.  I seen it.”

“Tell
us exactly what you saw.”

“Yes,
milord.  Macie came into the baron’s parlor with the tea service, and me with a
tray of tidbits.  He, the baron, that is, grabbed Macie by the arm, and put his
other hand…on her…bottom.”

“That’s
a filthy lie!”  Baroness Ledwig shot to her feet.  “I refuse to have this
slander spoken in public!”

“This
is not slander, Baroness Ledwig, it is testimony.  Sit down!”

The
baroness sat at Arbuckle’s command, her face flushed with rage.

“Now,
Hanse, tell us the rest of what happened.”

“The
baron did that a lot to the younger maids.  It’s kind of a game he played when
he had his friends over for cards.  He did…more sometimes, but this time, Macie
slapped his hand away, lost her grip on the tray, and it fell.  She said that
he was a beast and had no right to touch her, that we had rights, and was gonna
have a new justice soon.  We talk about that all the time.  But the baron, he
knocked her down, called her a…a…bitch, and kicked her hard.”

“Kicked
her?”  Arbuckle bit back his rage.  “I thought she died from flogging.”

“Oh,
aye, milord.  She died from the flogging right enough, but that came later.” 
The maid glanced at the baron, tears running down her cheeks.  “He dragged her
into the courtyard and cinched her up on a post.  Then he stripped her and beat
her with a coach whip ’til it broke.  Then he used a piece of knotted rope.  He
made us all watch.  Said we better learn a lesson not to talk back.”

Arbuckle
felt sick, but forced himself to continue.  “What about the baron’s friends?”

“Sir
Hambley, Lord Vosk, and a merchant fellow, Master Templeton.  They laughed at
first when Macie talked back, but they left when the baron dragged her to the
courtyard.”

“Hambley,
Vosk, and Templeton, please stand,” Arbuckle ordered.

Captain
Ithross stepped forward.  “Milord Prince, we sought them, but were told that
all three men left the city when the charges against Baron Ledwig were
announced.”

Arbuckle
gritted his teeth.  “Well,
someone
recognized that what was being done
was wrong.  Baron Ledwig, do you have anything to say on your behalf?”

“Only
that I have broken no law.  A commoner struck me, impugned me, and destroyed my
property, and I punished her accordingly and justifiably.  If you charge every
noble who has struck a commoner with a crime, my
lord
, you will find
yourself with no nobility.”

“I
will not charge anyone for violations of the Articles of the Foundation that
occurred prior to my ascension to ranking noble of this empire, Baron Ledwig,
but I will see justice done under my authority!”

The
crowd of nobles stared at him in stunned silence.  Well they might; half of
them were probably as guilty as Ledwig for past offenses, and he’d just let
them off with a warning.

“Baron
Ledwig, do you deny that you beat your maid, Macie Walls to the point of her
death?”

“No,
I do not.  It was my right and duty to do so.”

Arbuckle
fumed at the man’s arrogance and contempt for life, and saw his disgust
mirrored in the faces of a number of nobles.  Another low murmur swept through
the room, but now, some of the whispers declaimed the baron’s actions.

He
turned to the accused, both commoners and noble.  “Sentencing for your crimes
will take place tomorrow morning in the Imperial Plaza for all to witness. 
Baron Ledwig, as the ranking imperial noble, I hereby revoke your title for
behavior unbefitting a noble, but I won’t punish your family for your
reprehensible conduct.  Baroness Ledwig, you are now matriarch of your house. 
Teach your heirs to behave better than your husband has.”

The
woman glared at him defiantly, but said not a word.

Arbuckle
stood, and the crowd came to their feet.  “These proceedings are finished.  Commander
Ithross, you will post announcements for tomorrow’s sentencing so that all may
bear witness.”

“Yes,
milord!”

Arbuckle
departed through the side entrance and headed back to his chambers in the
company of his entourage.

“Your
pardon, milord, but do you think passing sentence in the plaza is a wise thing
to do?  It’s apt to draw a large crowd.”  Tennison’s brow wrinkled with worry.

“Wise?” 
Arbuckle considered the question.  “I don’t know if it’s wise, but it’s
necessary.  They’ve got to see that I’m serious about equal justice for all.”

“The
common folk?”

“Everyone.” 
Arbuckle quirked a weak smile.  “Besides, after I burnt all the gallows and
pillories in the square, I’d probably face more danger at a cocktail party of
nobles than I would walking the streets of the Dreggars Quarter.”

“If
I don’t see another gods-be-damned saddle for the rest of my life, it’ll be too
soon.”  Paxal dismounted and rubbed his backside, then pulled the saddlebags
off his horse.

“I’m
with you on that one, Pax.”  Dee hefted his considerably heaver bags and
followed Paxal out of the inn stable, his knees wobbling with every stride. 
“I’m for a hot meal and a warm bed.”

“Add
a cool pint, and you’ve got a winner, my boy.”

Their
last day had been their longest.  Though they’d planned to arrive tomorrow, the
good roads and lack of traffic had urged them on, and they’d ridden well into
the night to reach Tsing.  They were both shaking with fatigue, but they could
start their search for Mya first thing in the morning.

A
lamppost illuminated the door and bawdily illustrated sign of the
Prickly
Pair
.  The painting of a porcupine in congress with a cactus brought a
smile to Dee’s lips.  He wondered if Mya would still be here.

Not
likely
.

If
the guild had accepted her as Grandmaster, her new quarters would be far more
luxurious.  If they hadn’t, she would have moved to evade Hoseph.

Unless
he found her first.
 Dee
shook off the disturbing notion, refusing to believe that their long trip had
been for naught.  In his musing, he almost ran into Paxal, who had stopped and
was scrutinizing the posterboard mounted beside the inn’s front door.

“Well,
there’s somethin’ you don’t see every day.” Paxal rubbed his stubbly jaw and
shook his head.

“What?” 
Dee stopped beside him, squinting at the collage of notices.  “Something about
Mya?”

“No.” 
Paxal tapped a broadsheet embossed with the imperial crest of Tsing and pinned
front and center on the board.  “Least ways, I hope not.  Looks like the crown
prince is sentencing some noble for killing a commoner.  It’s gonna be public,
too; in the Imperial Plaza tomorrow morning.”

“Is
that unusual?  Duke Mir has publically sentenced criminals.”

“It
ain’t the public sentencing that’s unusual.”  Paxal pulled open the inn’s door
and they staggered inside.  “Under the last emperor, nobles could do as they
pleased to commoners, and nobody gave a flyin’ bat fart.  That’s why I left. 
Maybe this crown prince’s got new ideas.”

“Can
I help you gentlemen?”  The man seated behind the small counter in the entrance
hall tried to hide a yawn as he stood to greet them.  “You look road weary.  Do
you need a room?”

“And
a hot meal?” Dee asked hopefully.

“I’m
afraid all we got is soup and bread, but you’re welcome to it.  And the bar’s
still open.”

“Bless
you, good man!”  Pax looked relieved.  “It’ll be like mana from heaven.”

“We’ll
probably be staying a few days.”  Dee fished a gold crown from his purse and
dropped it on the counter, then jerked his thumb toward the front door. 
“What’s that news we saw about the crown prince sentencing a noble tomorrow?”

“Oh,
our new prince is a right firebrand, he is!”  The man grinned and snatched up
the coin, peering at the mint.  Pocketing it, he waved them into the inn’s
common room.  “Things are changin’ for the better around here.  He actually
arrested some baron for whippin’ one of his maids to death, and he’s already
held a trial!  All anyone can talk about is what kind of sentence the prince
might pass.”

Dee
looked around as the innkeeper led them to a table.  He’d seen too many inn
common rooms lately, and there was nothing special about this one.  All the
tables were empty, since it was well past meal time, but several late-night
patrons still sat at the bar.  No Mya.  Gratefully depositing his heavy bags
beside a chair, he sat.  “You’ve roused my interest.  Maybe we’ll attend the
sentencing.”

“Not
wise, my friend.  Not unless you like a good fight and a night in the lockup.”

Paxal
raised his brows.  “The lockup?”

“The
last time Crown Prince Arbuckle had a gatherin’ in the Imperial Plaza, more’n a
few folks ended up behind bars for startin’ fires.  No, I’d advise you to stay
well away.  We’ll hear soon enough what happened.”  The innkeeper waved toward
their bags.  “Do you mind takin’ your own bags up?  My boy’s already gone to
bed.”

“We
don’t mind.”  Dee patted his gold-laden saddlebags.  Innkeepers had been trying
to unburden him of its weight all week, and it was a relief to not have to make
yet another excuse to keep it beside him.  “For now, I’ll bless your name to
all the Gods of Light if you pour us a pint of ale and bring us a meal.  And if
you’ve got a minute, would you mind filling us in on what’s going on around the
city?”

“Of
course!  I’ll be right back.”

Dee
nodded at the man as he hurried away.  “He seems helpful.”

“Not
much to do on the night shift,” Pax explained.  “Probably glad for the
distraction.  So, what’s our first step to finding Mya?”

Dee
nodded toward the inn’s front door.  “That posterboard gave me an idea.  Mya’s
a Hunter; she deals in information.  She’ll be keeping an eye on the news.”

“You
want to post a flier to find her?”

“Yes,
but we’ve got to word it so nobody else knows who we’re looking for.”

Mya
reveled in the cool night air and the shadows that rendered her all but
invisible.  It felt good to be out at night for a change, dressed in her
comfortable dark trousers, shirt, and soft boots instead of a bulky and
restricting dress, not to mention the heeled shoes.  Here in the dark—her
daggers at the ready, her continued existence dependent on her skills as a
Hunter—life made more sense.  Alone, stalking the deep shadows, she felt right,
alive, a monster in her natural habitat.

Sure
as hell beats staring at the ceiling trying to sleep!

Ducking
around a corner, she paused to listen as another squad of constables clanked
past.  They seemed intent on making noise, as if by sheer bluster they would
keep the peace. 
Good luck with that
.  Not since the news of the
blademasters’ mass suicide had the city been so charged with nervous energy. 
Rumors of the sentencing had spread like wildfire.  Crown Prince Arbuckle was
being true to his word.  Baron Ledwig had gone too far, and there would be hell
to pay.

Unless
someone makes the prince pay it first
.

Mya
wondered again if she had miscalculated by planning to warn the prince instead
of concentrating on killing Hoseph.  Now Arbuckle was coming out in public, and
she knew that the Assassins Guild wouldn’t pass up the chance to try to kill
him.  Lady T might promise to aid Mya, but until Hoseph was dead, she had to
play along with the conspiracy.

As
she made her way down an alley, Mya considered what she knew of the Imperial
Plaza.  It seemed the perfect setup: wide-open with thousands of people to
serve as distractions for the guards, and an unwitting target.  At least she
assumed the crown prince was unwitting, for only a fool would show his face in
the public if he knew someone wanted him dead.  Ignorant or foolish, his public
appearance had forced Mya’s hand.