"Karel Scarra. You have been found guilty by the Inquisition of the Final Faith of the crimes of apostasy, immorality and conspiracy to promote heretical actions, as well as the attempted murder of an Eminence of the Final Faith. Have you anything to say for yourself before your soul is cleansed of its heresy, by the sacred fire?"
"Only that I will soon be in the clouds of Kerberos with the Lord Of All, while you fawning dogs who take orders from a woman will be in the pits when it's your time."
"I'll take that as a no then." Kesar nodded to a runner, who darted into the cathedral. "Lord Of All, show mercy to the souls of those who would betray You. Accept them back into Your fold as they return to be with You…"
Within the crypts under the cathedral, Gabriella knew, two sweating squires would be operating the see-saw handles of the pump, sending the burning naphtha through the cathedral's reservoir to the gibbet. As she watched, flaming oil began to pour into the cage and Karel Scarra screamed as the burning rain sprayed over him, washing the sins from his flesh. He continued screaming for a long time, but a new hymn had begun, which drowned him out with the power of many voices. Gabriella felt a tear roll down her cheek at the beauty of it. Scarra was so privileged. He had turned away from God, insulted God, but, through the Faith, he would be returned to the fold.
On the night after Scarra's Cleansing, Gabriella tried not to breathe in as the squires carried the cooled gibbet past her. What was left of Scarra steamed slightly in the chill night air as they hoisted the gibbet up onto one of the poles in the Garden of Lessons, which ran along one side of the Preceptory.
Erak came over, removing his helmet. "Gabe, Eminence Kesar wants to see us."
Gabriella followed Erak to the largest refectory, where two Eminences were dining with Archimandrite Marek and members of his family at a long table. Marek, with his waves of silver locks, and chiselled features, was at the head of the table with Kesar opposite. A skull-faced man in black robes with silver trim watched from a seat beside Eminence Voivode. Eminence Rhodon, still weak from his recent wound, had retired to his chambers.
As Gabriella and Erak moved to kiss the signet rings of Kesar and Jan Voivode, Kesar rose with a slight bow. "That won't be necessary. Today it is we who pay you an honour."
Gabriella and Erak exchanged a surprised and curious glance.
"All of us here today," Kesar went on, "both the Archimandrite, and my fellow Eminences and myself, are grateful for your work. And we are most impressed by it. Most of my responsibilities, as you know, are in the realm of the Treasury in Scholten. However, my fellow Eminences and myself are agreed that we are willing to, shall we say, guide the next move in the search for the second mind behind the attempt on Eminence Rhodon's life."
"Did Scarra give further information about Kell?" Erak asked.
"Sadly not," Voivode admitted. "But I've communicated with the Preceptories in Gargas and Volonne, with the intent of shedding more light on the woman whom Scarra thought to be Kell's lover. They're not close to Fayence, of course, but they are our only other Preceptories in Pontaine, so…"
"You're asking them about the Huntress?" Gabriella asked.
"Indeed. It's early days, so we might yet hear of an actual person by that name — most likely a woman of fallen virtue, obviously — but it may be that Scarra himself was mistaken."
"Or lying."
"Perhaps," Voivode acknowledged, with a canny smile. "But hear on, Sister DeZantez. I've heard from our, shall we say, less official people in Fayence that there is also an actual place called the Golden Huntress. Apparently a house of ill-repute."
"A brothel? That would make sense of Scarra's comment about the Huntress bringing Kell profit."
"Indeed," Kesar said, taking up the story. "It seems this Golden Huntress is to be found somewhere north of Fayence. If it were in the Empire of Vos, we could simply send a force of Imperial troops under the command of the Swords to crush the place. Being in Pontaine, however, we shall have to be a little more circumspect. We don't want the Crown Prince in Gargas, or Lord Aristide in Fayence, to think we're starting a new war."
"Perhaps if we had representation in the area of Fayence," Erak ventured.
"We do," Kesar said, "The town of Solnos is about half way between Andon and Fayence. There is a moderately sized Faith church there, overseen by…" He looked at the skull-faced man. "Cabbert?"
"Kurt Stoll," Cabbert supplied
"Enlightened One Stoll has no Preceptory attached to his church," Voivode said, "But there is room for a number of soldiers."
Kesar closed his eyes as if reading something written on the inside of his eyelids, then glanced at Cabbert and DeBarres.
"It would be a shame to lose either of them from regular duties to such a detached assignment," DeBarres said, "but we do need to expand our influence in Pontaine. And as Gabriella is from Pontaine she will be a great asset."
Kesar looked at Gabriella quizzically and she nodded. "I was born in Andon, but my parents are both originally from Scholten."
"Very well. Go to Solnos and find the Golden Huntress and seek out Kell. Alive if possible."
"You can form a small Preceptory of your own," Voivode added. "We could do with one in the area and this is a perfect chance to test the waters in this matter. Take a full complement of squires, sergeants and soldiers-at-arms with you. "
Gabriella was so shocked that she could hardly speak. "Thank you, Eminence." She was going to be able to carry the Faith's laws to so many more people, in areas so far deprived of the light of the Lord Of All. This was the best day of her life.
Outside, Gabriella looked up at the azure glow of Kerberos and listened to the sounds of the city around her. The chatter of voices, laughter, distant screams. Erak followed her out quickly. "Gabe!"
"Well, that was interesting," she said. "I… I'm not sure what to make of our new careers."
Erak took her hands in his. Gabriella felt the tension ease from her. Maybe it was just his touch. She didn't mind either way. "I was thinking…"
"Now that's what I call breaking the habit of a lifetime."
Erak laughed. "It happens sometimes. Proves I'm not a perfect soldier."
"Nobody's perfect."
He opened his mouth to try speaking two or three times, but without success. Gabriella sighed. "What's the problem?"
"There's no problem." He looked at her.
"If there's no problem, then why are you having such trouble saying whatever it is you want to say?"
"I — You know I still haven't begun the quest for a child."
"Neither have I." Gabriella didn't expect to say the words, and was surprised to hear them coming out of her mouth. "We could… You'd be a good…"
"Father?"
"I can't think of anyone better. We've served the Lord of All, and the Anointed Lord, in every way possible way. Except for one thing. Neither of us has had a child to keep the Faith."
"Are you saying — "
"I'm saying maybe we should because I've loved you for years and I don't think I could bear either having someone else's, or someone else having yours. When the time comes, we can take the Pledge, even at Solnos."
His smile softened the hard edges of his features. "I think maybe we just did." He looked up at Kerberos and her eyes followed his. "Under the sight of the Lord Of All."
Goran Kell woke and crossed the room he had taken in Turnitia. It was a private room in an old coaching inn, tucked away behind the great hill. Kell opened the window and looked out over the stables. Two of Chaga's men were there, alert and on guard. Kell was satisfied. He had paid for the best.
As his servant dressed him in hard-wearing travelling robes, there was a knock at the door. The servant opened the door, admitting Chaga. The mercenary Captain's armour rattled as he marched in and gave a bow. "Word from the Empire, sir."