"Jahn said that you wouldn’t be," Ravishan remarked.
Giryyn glanced to John with a look of slight surprise. John supposed that Giryyn hadn’t credited him with the intellect to make such a statement. John shrugged at Giryyn’s narrow gaze. Giryyn’s attention shifted back to Ravishan.
"Parfir is revered here, even if the Payshmura are not," Giryyn said.
The sound of voices came from behind the main doors. All three of them turned as the doors swung open. Ji trotted through, followed by Arren and two big men John recognized from battle practice. Between them were Lyyn’s two friends. John could see that their hands had been bound behind them. Very last came Eriki’yu.
"The ground is still frozen so we threw Lyyn’s body on the refuse pile – " Ji broke off when she saw Ravishan. The men behind her stared at Ravishan as well, unsure of who he was or why the sight of him should silence Ji.
"This is Ravishan," Giryyn said. "He’s come to join us."
Ji glanced very briefly to John. Then she returned her attention to Giryyn.
"We need to settle the matter of Lyyn’s death first," Ji said.
"Lam is preparing the fathi," Giryyn said.
A slight nausea curled through John’s stomach at the thought of the sweet drink.
"I doubt it will be necessary," Ji replied. "Sera and Mahar have already admitted to ambushing Jahn. Eriki’yu testified that Lyyn was the one who had instigated it."
"Have any of them explained how Lyyn managed to get his hands on a captain’s pistol?" Giryyn demanded.
"He took it from the metal shop," one of the men quickly responded. "Lafi’shir had brought it in because the sight was off. Lyyn was supposed to repair it. Since Lafi’shir won’t be back for another week Lyyn thought he could have some fun with it in the meantime." The man bowed his head. "We didn’t think that he’d really try to use it."
"You should have reported him at once," Giryyn stated coldly. "Instead it seems a child had to come forward. Is that correct?"
"It is," Ji replied. "Eriki’yu, Lyyn’s ward, came to me and told me everything. That’s when I sent word to you."
Giryyn appeared to contemplate Parfir’s statue. Then he turned his attention back to Ji.
"If it weren’t for the pistol, I would be inclined to be lenient, since neither of these two is the instigator…" Giryyn paused as Ji shook her head.
"They are full grown men," Ji objected. "They knew Lyyn had the pistol and they still agreed to assault Jahn in cold blood."
Giryyn frowned at this. "Were they provoked at all?"
"Jahn bested them in battle practice but nothing beyond that." Arren spoke for the first time.
"If they are not punished harshly for this," Ji growled, "it will be a grave insult to my students and to me. If these men had lured Tanash or Kansa to the orchard and attacked her, you wouldn’t even consider lenience, Giryyn."
"No, I wouldn’t." This seemed to trouble Giryyn. He gazed down at his hands. "But Jahn didn’t seem to have much to fear from the three of them. In fact, when we arrived, he appeared to have them all well in hand."
Ravishan started to say something, but John caught his arm. Neither of them knew the Fai’daum laws well enough to argue with Giryyn. John didn’t even know if he wanted to. The few Fai’daum laws he was aware of were harsh. These men could be facing execution.
"Jahn’s strength does not alter the crime that these men attempted to commit," Ji responded. "Their failure doesn’t make them any less guilty, just less competent."
John thought he saw Arren smile slightly at this. Giryyn didn’t look pleased.
"Thirty lashes," Giryyn murmured to Ji.
"Sixty and half wages for a year," Ji countered.
Giryyn scowled at the suggestion, but before he could argue, Ji cut him off.
"I could demand their deaths," Ji said. "Lafi’shir will be back in a week if you want to wait for him to weigh in on it."
"Very well," Giryyn said at last. "Sixty lashes and half wages for the year. Are we agreed?"
"We’re agreed," Ji said.
John couldn’t help but glance to the two men who had been sentenced. Their faces were unnaturally pale and their expressions were miserable.
Ravishan made a soft, derisive noise.
"Sixty lashes," Ravishan muttered. "Dayyid would have sent them to the pyre."
Though Ravishan’s voice had been barely a murmur, everyone in the room seemed to hear him. Both Giryyn and Arren appeared alarmed by the statement. But there was an aspect of Giryyn’s expression that disturbed John. He seemed both horrified and awed by Ravishan’s ruthlessness. Ji cocked her head as if she were considering Ravishan’s suggestion.
"Sixty lashes are more than enough," John put in quickly. He could easily remember the intense pain of the prior’s whip in Rathal’pesha. Sixty lashes would nearly flay a man’s back. The pain would flare through his every motion for months.
"They tried to murder you, Jahn," Ravishan protested.
"But they didn’t," John said. "It’s better to let it go. This isn’t Rathal’pesha."
Ravishan only frowned at the flames burning in the fireplace.
"Sixty lashes," Arren said firmly. He addressed the two big men who had escorted Lyyn’s accomplices into the chapel. "See that the punishments are carried out immediately."
The men flashed a hand sign of obedience and then led their prisoners out of the chapel. Ji yawned as they walked past, displaying the wide gape of her jaws.
Giryyn’s attention still hung on Ravishan. He took a slow half step closer.
"Common men are not familiar with the kind of self-discipline that the ushiri’im possess," Giryyn addressed Ravishan. "They are weak and can’t tolerate what you could easily endure. I’m sure that you will become more accustomed to them after a little time."
Across the room, Arren cleared his throat.
"There is still the matter of Eriki’yu’s guardianship," Arren said quietly.
Giryyn looked plainly annoyed by the interruption. "Can’t that be dealt with within his district of the Warren?"
Eriki’yu bowed his head. He appeared embarrassed that Giryyn should have to consider his situation.
"He has no relations within the Warren or even in the north. His sister brought him from Nurjima," Arren said with a little more insistence.
"Then the head of his district should choose a guardian for him." Giryyn looked to Ji and she nodded in agreement.
"That might be a little awkward," Arren said. "Eriki’yu lives in the Smiths District. The head of the district is the uncle of one of the men you just sentenced."
"That should not matter," Giryyn replied. "It isn’t the boy’s fault that the nephew committed a crime."
"No, of course not," Arren agreed. "But in situations like this it’s difficult to be completely impartial. I’d like to suggest that Eriki’yu be allowed to change districts."
"That would be fine so long as there is one that will take him." Giryyn studied Eriki’yu without much interest. Eriki’yu’s face flushed red. "Does he have a skill that might recommend him to any particular district?"
"He’s just a boy." Arren shrugged. Eriki’yu’s shoulders sagged.
"Is there a particular district that you think he would do well in?" Ji asked Arren. Arren frowned down at his weathered hands.
"There are two empty rooms in my house," Arren said almost shyly. "I don’t think Lafi’shir would care if the boy were to move in there."
"You should have said as much sooner," Giryyn responded. "Very well, Arren. So long as Lafi’shir gives his consent, you may have guardianship of the boy. Do you agree, Ji?"
"I don’t see why not," Ji replied.
"Thank you." Arren bowed to both Giryyn and Ji. Eriki’yu stared at Arren’s back, wonderstruck.
Arren glanced back to him. "We should go and pack your things."
Eriki’yu simply nodded. They left the chapel, walking side by side. John briefly wondered what kind of a guardian Arren would be. He had at least shown more than a modicum of concern for Eriki’yu’s safety. That alone made him far better than Lyyn.
"Now do you think we can discuss Ushiri Ravishan’s admittance into the Fai’daum?" Giryyn asked Ji.