Chapter 64
Berilo had attended many Twin Suns celebrations before, but when he entered the Courtyard with the others, the sheer size of the crowd caught him off guard. The massive walled structure could seat almost a thousand, and there was room for more than two thousand more in the standing area in the middle. It was filled to capacity.
Two each from approximately four hundred stra’tchi patches, and what looked like dozens more from each of the Sustained ones. The Councilors took their individual places, evenly spaced around the edges of the Courtyard with their own attendants and bonded bodyguards surrounding them. There were even two clerics from Penntu patch here, eliciting a chuckle from Berilo. The Chronicler was no doubt keeping tabs on him, making sure he’d keep up his end of their little bargain.
He glanced over at his son. Arico was looking down at his feet, his face blank. His shoulders were stiff though, and his lips were moving. No doubt he was rehearsing what he was going to say. Berilo wasn’t sure, but he got the impression his boy was nervous about speaking in public despite all the training he’d received. Yet another sign of his bravery, if he was willing to face his fears.
The only completely clear place in the Courtyard was the platform itself. Berilo led the others up onto the stage, trying to project an air of confidence. Strangely, Lord Tanner split off from his group at the entrance and followed them to the stage, though he didn’t actually walk up onto it. His guards and attendants waited to the side, apparently for him to return to them. Then Berilo remembered: the Council had chosen Tanner to host the opening of the ceremony this time. Usually it was the Lord Ascendant or one of the Councilors who was chosen, or Weaver just volunteered. This was a little unusual.
There was another difference as well. Unlike the last time, when this had been an executioner’s block, the sundial was now here. It had been carefully placed in front of the improvised stage where everyone could see it. It cast two shadows: one from the image of the sun projected by the threads, and the much darker one cast by the real sun above them. The second was already pretty small. When it disappeared entirely, it meant that the sun—the real sun anyway—was directly overhead. It wouldn’t be long now.
His daughter was absent, but that wasn’t unusual. She hadn’t been feeling well, and had asked to be excused. Berilo had allowed it gladly. Whenever Hazra went out, there was always the chance that someone might recognize her as Heartbane. If that happened the ramifications could be catastrophic. With Prenim’s help Berilo had covered up many nasty truths about the Ascendants, the Council and the penets, but it was doubtful a secret as big as Heartbane’s true identity could be covered up for long. At least her consort was here, though. The Clarion’s presence would help people deal with whatever Arico was going to say.
The Harbinger was part of the procession as well. She was bound and gagged as before, but mostly hidden behind the others. It was unlikely anyone would notice her until Berilo brought her forward.
“Citizens of Patchwork!” Tanner called out to the crowd as he made his way up onto the stage. “Welcome to this, the six hundred and eighth Twin Suns celebration!” The crowd responded with cheers, but they seemed muted. Berilo gave Tanner a sidelong look, wondering what he was up to. His tone was cheery, almost jubilant. Which was very out of character for him.
“As many of you know, this particular celebration is of special significance,” he continued confidently, before all the cheers had completely died down. “Ever since the Laentana, we have witnessed increasingly uncertain times. Rumors of strife and bloodshed in patches all over the city. An attempted attack on the revelers at the Aquunsaya. The increased threat of another Tumult here in Sustained territory. And worst of all, the horrifying return of the Blood Plague, as it destroyed Tellek patch.”
He paused for a moment, and gave a small smile. “For the faint of heart, it must seem as though Aquun has deserted us, or is at the very least testing our faith with these frightening events. However now, we finally have reason for joy again. We have uncovered the dwarven plots to spread terror across our society, and thanks to the bravery and skill of our stalwart Ascendant warriors, have purged the city of the dwarven threat. Never again will we need to fear their disruptive, deviant influences upon our lives!” He raised his arms triumphantly, and the crowd cheered again.
Berilo looked at Arico again. His lips were curled in contempt at that, and his eyes were focused on Tanner. He kept his place, though. For now.
“During their daring raid upon the enemy stronghold, our Ascendant warriors managed to capture the leader of the dwarves, their vile Hauld, and bring him back here safely,” Tanner went on, waving an arm to his right. Two Ascendants responded to his signal, bringing forth a dwarf, bound hand and foot, and dumping him on his knees at the front of the stage. “In accordance with Sustained law, he was judged by Council and deemed guilty.”
Arico grimaced again, and Berilo felt a little sympathy for him. Arico had said he didn’t know the bodyguard by name, but it had to be hard for him to see the last dwarf alive treated this way. He didn’t know the fullness of it, though.
The bodyguard was dressed in the Hauld’s armor, complete with the crest the old man had worn signifying his clan. He wasn’t gagged though, because there was no need. Berilo had seen to it the dwarf couldn’t speak and disrupt the ceremony. According to Prenim, the dwarf had taken the searing of his throat very stoically, barely even grunting with the pain. It was fitting that the last dwarf would be such a credit to his race.
“Of course the Hauld will die for his crimes, here in front of everyone,” Tanner went on. “That is why none of your children have been allowed here to see it. As just and necessary as his death will be, it is not for the eyes of the young. And as important as that event will be, it is only now that we come to the really interesting part,” he said conspiratorially to the crowd. Even though he was no longer speaking loudly, he could still be heard—the acoustics of this open arena had been very carefully arranged when it had been built.
“Over the past few months, many of you have wondered what to think about this man. You’ve heard many things about him, but are they rumors or are they facts? Is he a traitor, or is he a savior? Is he a heretic against Aquun, or a speaker of truths before Her? His past is shrouded in mystery and half-truths, but he is here today in the flesh. Ladies and gentlemen of Patchwork, I give you Arico!”
All eyes riveted on Arico, and Berilo felt another surge of pride. Whether they loved him or hated him—and there were plenty in both categories—everyone was interested in what he had to say. Not even Berilo could command that kind of undivided attention anymore.
Arico stepped forward slowly, and raised his eyes to the crowd. “At… the Laentana, I made a proclamation to all the stra’tchi. I then repeated that proclamation to the Sustained in writing. Among other things, I claimed that the High Penet was guilty of forcing himself on a number of young boys in his care, and that he’d arranged the murder of two of them. That claim, shocking though it was, was true. The Clarion himself investigated,” he nodded over at the Clarion briefly, “found him guilty, and punished him right here on this stage.”
Arico sighed. “I also claimed that stra’tchi children are sometimes born as navigators. That is also true. There is a chance, however small, that any child, even a stra’tchi, will be able to pass through the threads as easily as the Lord Ascendant can. Whether they’ve been blessed by Aquun or were simply born that way because of one of their ancestors doesn’t matter: the result is the same.”
He gave a grim chuckle. “Anyone who knows how the Council’s power works would also know that they couldn’t leave navigators to be raised by stra’tchi. That is why I also claimed that they were taking those children away. That they were using the test at age three, the test originally meant to protect us from the Blood Plague, to find out if those children were actually navigators. Then they would be taken to be raised in Sustained territory. That claim… was not entirely true,” he said somberly.
If possible, the crowd grew even more quiet. Everyone had a stake in this, especially his loyal Councilors. “The Council is not taking your children away to be raised elsewhere,” Arico spoke again, louder. “They’re taking them away and killing them!” Tanner quickly gestured to the guard behind him. “They’ve killed thousands of stra’tchi children over the years, and lied about it to maintain con-” The guard struck him with the butt of his gun, hard on the back of the head.
Arico swooned and started to fall forward, but the guard caught him deftly. Pulling out a strip of cloth, he forced Arico to his knees and gagged him tightly. He then held him there at the front of the stage.
Berilo had started to move when Arico had been hit, but slowed when he saw the danger pass. His son seemed all right. It looked like he was regaining his senses, anyway.
“A liar to the very end,” Tanner took his place, gazing down at the crowd sadly. “I had hoped he would show some remorse for his part in our suffering, but it seems he has rejected Aquun’s mercy yet again.” He shook his head, and then turned to face Berilo. “My liege. Given the heretic’s many crimes and blasphemies, and the fact that the penecy has yet to choose another High Penet, it falls to you to punish this traitor.” He pulled out his gun and extended it grip first towards Berilo.
Automatically, Berilo took it in his hands. Like everything else Tanner owned, it was immaculately crafted, no doubt highly expensive, and functioned no better than any other tool of the same design.
The crowd was still silent, waiting with bated breath. You could have heard a needle dropping from anywhere in the enclosure. “Do it, my liege,” Tanner said in an undertone, as he took his place next to Berilo. “Show them what the Council’s justice looks like!”
Berilo took a deep breath and stepped forward. He aimed the gun for a moment, and then sighed theatrically for the crowd. “Aquun’s deeds are ever merciful, else all of our ancestors would have died centuries ago. It falls to us as Her children to be just as merciful: to forgive the misdeeds of our neighbors and to hope that they will also come into Her light as we have. I will see to it that the heretic does not harm anyone else, but I will not kill him. Not while there is even a chance his soul can be saved.”
He handed the gun back to Tanner as the crowd started murmuring to each other, but Tanner didn’t look disappointed or shocked as he had expected. His face was a picture of smugness, and of triumph.
“I knew you couldn’t do it,” he whispered with a sneer, and stepped forward again. “My people!” He projected into the crowd. “There is a great evil which has taken root in the heart of this city. A corruption so far-reaching that even the Council itself was not beyond its touch! The time has come, my friends, to strip away the lies that have protected the powerful and caused harm to so many of us. The time has come to follow the example of our noble Clarion, and to hold the mighty responsible for their crimes!”
He pointed back at Berilo. “Seize him,” he ordered casually, and the nearest two Ascendants grabbed Berilo by the arms.
Despite his long years practicing emotional control, Berilo felt a flash of outrage as the Ascendants held him tight. “What is this? Unhand me at once!”
He struggled briefly, but the guards didn’t budge. “They won’t listen to you anymore, my lord,” Tanner said bitingly. He turned back to the crowd and raised his hands calmingly. “Everything is all right,” he said soothingly. “Allow me to explain.”
The people had been increasingly agitated ever since Arico had been spared, but they seemed receptive, and willing to listen. “Berilo Fisher wanted to portray mercy to you just now,” Tanner went on with an air of sarcasm, “but what you saw wasn’t the mercy of a Lord Ascendant to a fallen enemy. It was the fear of a father, as he protected his son!”
There was a sharp exclamation at that, which Tanner took full advantage of. “That’s right. The dreaded heretic: the traitor, the disruptor, the agent in service to the dwarves, is none other than Fisher’s own son!” He jabbed a finger at Berilo again. “And he knew it! He’s been aware of Arico’s identity for weeks, perhaps months now!”
He raised his hands again to the crowd. “I’ve known some of Lord Fisher’s secrets for some time now, but I only found out about Arico’s true parentage two days ago. I didn’t want to believe it at first. How could it be possible that our own beloved leader could have fallen so far as to deceive us? Still, I shared what I learned with the Council, and they agreed with me: we had to be sure. We had to test the Lord Ascendant, and see for ourselves.”
He shook his head sadly. “Now we have. By refusing to kill the traitor, he has shown his true colors.”
He snapped his fingers, and the guards pushed Berilo forward, closer to the crowd. “Lord Berilo Fisher, head of House Fisher,” Tanner announced triumphantly. “It is the decision of the Sustained Council that you are hereby stripped of your title as Lord Ascendant. Your position as a member of the Council is also suspended, pending a full investigation of this matter.”
Berilo looked from one House head to the next, in a wide circle. None of them showed any signs of surprise or remorse. It was true—they had abandoned him.
Beneath his rage, Berilo had to admit a certain chagrin. Prenim had mentioned Tanner's meeting with Weaver days ago. Obviously there had been more than just those two at the meeting, but he’d been so busy with Arico he hadn’t investigated. There was also some admiration. Despite being a vicious, petty bastard, Tanner had managed to orchestrate this stumbling block for him. Score one for obsessive schemes.
Out of the corner of his eye, Berilo also noticed something strange about Arico. He wasn’t looking at Berilo or Tanner, but across the stage at the Harbinger. He nodded minutely, and then closed his eyes. Surreptitiously glancing in her direction, Berilo saw the Harbinger’s bonds suddenly loosen. She carefully kept her hands in the same position, but the ropes binding them were no longer wrapped tightly. He smiled. Arico had pulled on the threads to free his friend, and he’d used the distraction to do it unnoticed.
“Lord Tanner!” A voice cried out from the crowd. After a moment, Berilo recognized the man speaking. It was Arno Calvert, the owner of several large herds of cattle on the outskirts of Sustained territory, and head of his own minor Sustained house. “I mean no disrespect, my lord, but why would the Lord Asc—uh, Lord Fisher, do this to us? What could he hope to gain by hiding the heretic’s origins? Aside from hiding the truth about his son, what crimes has he committed, exactly?”
Calvert was known as a reasonable man and a respected businessman. His questions seemed well-received by the crowd, most of whom looked up at Tanner expectantly. Tanner only smiled in response. “That’s a valid question. What motivated him to betray us like that? The same reason he does everything: to enhance his own power!” He paused a moment and began a slow pace along the stage, passing in front of the Clarion and then Arico. “It’s my belief that Lord Fisher has been working with the dwarves in secret for years now. His son was raised by them, most likely as a gesture of trust to the Hauld. Together, the Hauld, Fisher, and the heretic made the dwarves into such a threat against the rest of the city that we couldn’t ignore them any longer!”
He gestured back to Calvert. “You asked why he would do this, and the answer is simple: fear! Together they made sure that we were all so afraid of the dwarves that we couldn’t think of anything else! Every time someone questioned Fisher’s actions, from how he ran his own house, or how he ran the city, to the orders he gave the Ascendants, all he would have to do was arrange some new dwarven threat and the challenge to his authority would be forgotten!”
He clasped his hands together with a strange laugh. “And now that the Council has acted and the dwarves are gone, he’s without his greatest ally! His protection has been stripped away, and we all can see him for the traitor he is!”
Berilo had to admire the ingenuity of Tanner’s fabrication. A lie was always easier to believe if it had a grain of truth to it, and aside from Berilo being in league with the Hauld, everything Tanner had said was true. What he’d failed to mention was that he had gained just as much power from stoking fear as Berilo had.
“I never worked with the dwarves, Tanner; you know that!” Berilo spoke up, trying to break up the verbal spell he was weaving for the crowd. “That’s why you made sure all of them were wiped out. That’s why you scorched the Hauld’s throat, too, so that he could never tell anyone that he had nothing to do with me!”
Arico gave him a shocked glance at that, but Berilo went on. “Either way it doesn’t matter anymore. Do you really think you can run this city without me?” He asked loudly and scornfully. “It’s my force of will that holds the Council together! Without me, you’ll have chaos in the streets inside a week. In two weeks, the people will be starving and shooting each other for food. Inside of a month, you’ll be begging me to step back into my position.” He laughed at them, as wickedly as he could make it sound. “So be it. If you want to dig your own graves by discarding me, then go ahead. Rest assured I’ll remember everything that happened here today, if any of you survive long enough to come crawling back to me.”
Tanner shook his head, but Calvert spoke again before he could respond. “What about the heretic’s claims, though? Is it true that children have been killed on the Council’s orders?”
“Of course not,” Tanner said dismissively. “The heretic was clearly lying. He would say anything to break the trust between the Council and the rest of the city. Just as his father would say anything to save him!”
“They’re not lies,” another person called out from the left side of the Courtyard. This time a woman.
She and another woman next to her were both removing brown travelling hoods and robes as the crowd looked at her. They were both tanned with dark hair, but the speaker was taller and more authoritative. Berilo didn’t recognize her, but she didn’t hold herself like a Sustained. Given how tanned she was, he suspected she was a stra’tchi. She was standing very near the wall, with a little room between her and the stage itself.
“I am Velya, of the Deathwatchers,” the woman announced, and lifted a pair of scrolls, rolled up in each hand, in front of her. “Here is proof that the heretic was telling the truth!”
Berilo looked back at the crowd, to where Drakos Bloodeye was standing, but he was also looking at her with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth. Clearly he had no idea what his underling was up to. Berilo also caught sight of another hooded woman on the other side of the stage. As she got closer, Berilo blinked in surprise. It was Hazra!
What was she doing here? Had she come to protect Arico as he had? Did she know about the Council’s decision to remove him? Whatever the reason, she was clearly trying to be unobtrusive. Keeping her cloak on, she silently made her way up onto the stage and took her place next to the Clarion.
“You all know about the Registry on display in Penntu patch,” Velya went on loudly, and raised the right side parchment over her head. “This was copied directly from the Registry. It’s a list of every stra’tchi child who’s gone through the Ritual of Rejoining in the past year. It has their names, their patches of origin, where they were sent, and the parents to whom they were entrusted!”
She lifted her left arm with the other scroll. “This is a list my friend and I have put together over the past few months. We’ve visited every stra’tchi patch ourselves, and written down the very same information. Oh. I’m a navigator, by the way,” she added offhandedly.
There was a gasp that ran through the crowd. Deathwatchers may have been odd by stra’tchi standards—they were exceptions to a lot of the normal rules—but they were still stra’tchi. The idea of a stra’tchi navigator, other than Arico himself, was shocking!
Velya didn’t give them time to think about it, though. “The two lists should be identical,” she called out, and released the clasp on both of them. They were both thickly covered with writing, but the left side one unfurled all the way down to the ground.
“The second list is three times as long as the first! Why is that?” She asked pointedly into the silence. “If those children aren’t dead as Arico claims, then where are they?”
“That is a forgery,” Tanner said stubbornly, from up on the stage. “Stra’tchi aren’t allowed in Penntu patch, so this Deathwatcher would have no way of knowing who’s on the Registry! Even if the second list is accurate, and let’s face it, Deathwatchers aren’t known for their literacy skills, she clearly made up the first list herself!”
“I never said I copied the first list myself,” Velya said with a smirk. “A friend did it for me. But if you don’t believe me, examine it for yourself!” She thrust the list in his direction. “Any of you can take it to Penntu patch and compare it to the Registry yourselves, and you’ll know I’m telling the truth!”
Berilo glanced over at Hazra again, and instinctively knew it: Velya’s ‘friend’ was Hazra. But why? He certainly approved of seeing the Council get some comeuppance for their actions, but revealing the truth would also undermine the Fisher family as well!
The crowd had other concerns, though. Large numbers of stra’tchi were looking confused and increasingly angry at the possibility. Calvert spoke up over their voices. “And who is your companion there?” He asked curiously, gesturing to the woman standing at Velya’s side.
The shorter woman stepped forward. “I’m Endu, of Tellek patch,” she said loudly. The surprises were just coming too fast for the crowd. Endu’s face wasn’t familiar to most of them, but her name certainly was. She was still a wanted woman after all. Berilo barely thought about that, though. Again he looked over at his daughter, but this time she looked back and smiled.
She’d known about this! She’d willingly worked with her brother’s murderer!
“Guards! Arrest her!” Tanner pointed down at them. “Arrest them both. The charges are treason and murder.”
Even as they started to move in her direction though, an enormous figure appeared at the top of the wall behind the two women, and leapt into the Courtyard. It, or rather he, landed with a resounding crash right in front of them. Then he drew himself up to full height, almost twice that of the guards facing him.
“Allow me to introduce my brother,” Velya said mildly into the aftermath, and the Deathwatch monster roared at the guards in front of them.
Screams of fright erupted from the nearest in the crowd, and the guards stopped their advance for a moment. They glanced at each other, and then pulled out their guns. The giant may have been intimidating, but he was still just one man, and there were at least fifteen guards on and around the stage.
“You will face justice for your crimes,” Tanner said inexorably. “As will the Hauld, the heretic, the former Lord Ascendant, and anyone else who dares challenge the Council’s right to rule!”
“Then you’d better put my name on the list as well,” said another voice from behind him, and he spun with surprise.
The Harbinger, now free, was striding forward on the stage. “Either way, it’s too late!” She pointed down at the sundial. As the people looked at it, the final traces of shadow vanished from it. The Twin Suns had arrived.
At the same time the sky darkened strangely, and a sort of… thudding noise began. Something small dropped down on Berilo’s head, and he swiped at it with his hand. It was wet. All around him, he could see others doing the same.
