Before they could begin building clankers they had to produce all the parts that went to make one up: metal plate, gears and driving rods, housings, nuts and bolts, pins, and a thousand other objects, to say nothing of controllers. The seeker laboured just as hard in the mine, for finding crystal proved more difficult than merely pointing to the rock. However, the crystals Ullii did locate were the best they'd ever had.
In their few free moments, Nish and every other able person laboured with stone and timber for the carpenters, the masons and the metalwrights as they worked to improve the defences of the manufactory. The new gates and strengthened walls were not impregnable, but they would resist attack by the small bands that had so damaged the place before. It would take a sizeable force now.
No one had time for leisure after the work was done – they simply fell into their beds in the middle of the night, knowing they would be dragged out again before dawn. And after all his work was done, Nish still had to visit Ullii and find out if she had seen anything, and if Tiaan had reappeared on her fans. The answer was always the same. Nothing. Nish hardly saw Irisis from one week to the next, though each time he did she looked more and more stressed. They had not been lovers since leaving on the failed hunt for Tiaan. One night he went past her door at two in the morning and noticed that her light was still on. He knocked.
'Come in, Nish!'
She was sitting up in bed with a coat about her shoulders, staring at the wall. 'I'm not in the mood,' she said before he could open his mouth.
'Neither am I.'
'But…' She did not go on.
'I came because… are you all right, Irisis?'
She had drawn the coat sleeve across her face and was rubbing furiously at her eyes. 'It's started again.'
'What?'
'The sabotages. Another controller was damaged yesterday while we were out. Gryste has been making veiled threats.'
'Against you?' he said incredulously.
'The saboteur isn't Tiaan!' Irisis said with dripping sarcasm. 'After she went to the breeding factory I felt that it was the apothek, but he's dead. So who is it? I once suspected Muss the halfwit, but I don't know any more. Now I'm being blamed. Every time something has happened, I've been around. I have a record and I'm the obvious suspect. And if I didn't do it, Gryste is demanding to know why I haven't found out who did. I am in charge, after all.'
'Gryste is a bitter man,' said Nish. 'Is he out to get you, do you think? Have you ever had…?'
'He's not my kind of man.'
'Have you ever rejected him?' Nish asked delicately.
'Not knowingly. He's never asked. Besides, he goes for big, blowzy women. Artificers and other low types.'
He did not react to the provocation. She was not herself. 'Then why does he hate you so?'
'He was passed over for overseer, remember? Tuniz was way below him and promoted straight to the top. Her work is flawless so he's after me instead. He'd never have made overseer anyway, and the scrutator blames him for not uncovering who the saboteur was last time. Gryste blames his troubles on me.' The following day Nish was on his way to the water barrel when he heard two artificers gossiping.
'Reckon it is the crafter,' said one. 'You heard what she did to set up Artisan Tiaan?'
'Yeah! I've never liked Irisis, the stuck-up cow! About time the scrutator…'
They broke off as he approached, hurrying back to their benches. Nish heard a lot more of that in the next few days. The scrutator went about with a thunderous face and there were unannounced searches of many rooms in the manufactory, including those of Nish and Irisis.
Nothing was discovered, but a week later a hedron, one of the best, was found smashed on the crafter's bench. Within the hour Irisis was in the cells.
Nish was not allowed to visit; the way was blocked by a pair of the foreman's personal guard. He went looking for Gryste, but he was in conference with the overseer and scrutator. Collecting a plate of stew and rice from the refectory, Nish went to Ullii's room to ask his daily question.
'Have you seen any sign of Tiaan or the crystal?'
'No.' The seeker wrinkled up her nose, then slipped in her noseplugs.
He did not offer her any of his dinner, for she would not have been able to eat it. The stew was heavily spiced to disguise that it had been made a week ago and was well past its best. Ullii lived on fruit, vegetables and cereal, with an occasional piece of mild cheese, poached fish or boiled kid. She could not abide strong flavours of any kind, nor any sort of spice or condiment.
Nish sat on the floor, miserably eating his stew. It tasted even more horrible than usual.
'What's the matter, Nish?' The seeker crept up beside him.
'Irisis has been put in the dungeon.'
'That's nice.' She sighed.
'What?' he cried.
Ullii scuttled away from the miniature explosion. 'I was happy in the dungeon of Mancer Flammas.'
'Irisis will not be happy. And I can't even talk to her.' The trial had gone badly from the first. A succession of guards testified that, at the time of the sabotages, the only person in the vicinity of the artisans' workshop had been Irisis. Foreman Gryste confirmed the evidence of his guards. Notes made previously by Gi-Had were read out. They contained Irisis's admissions about planting evidence against Tiaan and stealing her work. Lastly, the clerk read a statement by Jal-Nish, detailing his suspicions about Irisis and describing her 'unprovoked' attack on him by the frozen river. Witnesses were called to confirm the attack, including Nish.
Two chroniclers sat on the scrutator's right hand – the official historian of the manufactory, and a scribe recording the event for Irisis's family, to be sure the shameful scene was written correctly into the family Histories of the House of Stirm. The manufactory's teller was there too. When all was recorded the scrutator sat back in his chair, sucking on his whiskers. He stared at Irisis, at Nish and at each of the witnesses in turn. Irisis met his gaze defiantly. The others looked away.
'Well, Crafter Irisis, have you anything to say?'
'I have previously admitted to planting evidence against Tiaan and to stealing her work. It is true that I assaulted the perquisitor. The brute deserved it and I would do it again! I deny the sabotages and all the other charges.'
'She would!' cried Gryste. 'Scrutator, we must be rid of her for the good of the war.'
Xervish Flydd turned that gaunt face to him. 'Are you trying this case, foreman?' he said mildly.
'I just…'
Flydd waved his hand and the man fell silent. 'Clerk, would you read out the penalties for this series of crimes?'
The clerk, a tiny woman of advanced years and as wrinkled as a dried olive, squinted at a piece of parchment.
'On the charge of planting evidence, admitted, a month in the breeding factory.'
Nish was watching Irisis. As the penalty was read out, her face cracked. For an instant it looked as if she was going to scream, then she took control and he saw only a mask.
'On the charge of stealing Artisan Tiaan's work, admitted, three months in the breeding factory. On the charge of assaulting the perquisitor, admitted, two years in the breeding factory.' She paused to draw breath.
'On the charges of sabotage, denied, the penalties are public execution in each case, by any of the methods specified for the criminal's craft.' The clerk handed the parchment up to the scrutator for signature.