‘Aline,’ she said. ‘Aline Tiarren.’
My heart stopped and I felt my eyes darken. Kest put a hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it off. It was a name, that’s all – a very uncommon name, true, but a name nonetheless. A stupid name, given to a little girl who knew no better.
I knelt down in front of her. ‘Do you know what I am?’ I asked.
‘You’re a Greatcoat,’ she said. ‘You’re one of the King’s Magisters.’
‘And do you know what we do?’
‘Falcio …’ Kest warned.
I raised a hand and ignored him. ‘Do you know what we do?’ I asked again.
‘You hear cases,’ she said. ‘You give verdicts. You fight.’
‘We hear cases, we give verdicts and we fight. A crime has been committed, Aline. Do you want me to hear your case? Do you want me to give a verdict?’ I paused. ‘Aline, do you want me to fight?’
The girl looked into my eyes as if measuring my sincerity. Then she said, ‘I want you to fight.’
‘Falcio,’ said Kest, ‘you can’t do this. The Covenant—’
‘Fuck the Covenant,’ I said, rising and pushing him back. ‘And fuck you if you don’t know any better, Kest. What’s your solution? What’s your answer? Look,’ I whispered fiercely into his ear, ‘we don’t even know what’s going on. What if the Tiarrens were killed so that they couldn’t tell us where the King’s jewels were? What if this girl knows something about it? Keeping her alive is the only way we can figure out how to stop the Dukes. She’s part of it, I’m sure of it.
‘My Lady,’ I said to Valiana in a clear voice, ‘I feel a cramp in my leg. I am afraid I would delay your journey if I came with you. I beg your pardon to rest my leg and then I will join you all presently.’
‘When?’ she asked.
‘In about nine days,’ I said. ‘I’m confident my cramp will disappear by then.’
She looked at Feltock, at Kest, at Shiballe. Whatever answer she sought from them, she didn’t find it.
‘You are inconvenient, Trattari. My Lord father has made it clear I am to take my Patents of Lineage and make all speed north to begin preparations for my coronation. I cannot afford any more delays on your account.’
‘Your Highness—’ Shiballe began.
‘Silence. I’ve heard your instructions clearly enough: I cannot stay; I cannot take the girl. Very well then. Falcio val Mond, I order you to stay here until you are fit to travel.’
‘Yes, my Lady.’
‘Your Highness,’ Trin said, her expression full of concern, ‘it is too dangerous. They will have the entire city trying to kill them. Go instead to your father, the Duke; beg him to let you take the girl away. You can save her, give her a home, as your beloved mother the Duchess did for me.’
‘You forget yourself, Trin,’ Valiana said without looking at her.
‘Ah, yes,’ Shiballe said. ‘Consulting with your father would be the wisest course.’
I wondered if Trin was really so naïve as to believe that the Duke would ever be persuaded by Valiana after he had twisted her request already. More likely he would rub her nose in it.
‘Furthermore,’ Valiana said, ‘I have developed a special fondness for this girl. I would like to know her better. Should Ganath Kalila be completed by the time your leg is healed, then I instruct you to bring the girl to me.’
‘Yes, my Lady.’
‘You still work for me, tatter-cloak. If any of my special friends here in Rijou are inconvenienced by the poor manners of others, you will censure them on my behalf.’
We locked eyes. ‘Of that you can be assured, my Lady.’
She looked back at me. ‘Very well then. Feltock, get the men ready and let us be away. I am growing restless to complete my journey.’
‘Aye, your Highness,’ Feltock said.
He turned to me briefly. ‘It was nice knowing you, Trattari. But you’re a damned fool.’
Kest, Brasti, the girl and I were out of earshot of Shiballe and his men, who were standing a few feet away.
As the fat man gave instructions to his men, Brasti said quietly, ‘You can’t win at this. There’re too many of them – this whole town is a nest of snakes, and each and every one of them will be biting at you for the Duke’s favour.’
‘I’ll fear no blade,’ I said, my voice tight.
‘Falcio, they’ll kill you, and they’ll kill the girl!’
‘I’m not running, Brasti. You said it yourself – all we’ve done is run, and it’s got us nowhere.’
‘How then? Tell me how: even if you do somehow manage to survive the Blood Week, they’re never, never going to let you get away with it. What are you going to do then?’
‘I’ll reach the Rock,’ I said. I looked at Kest. ‘You’re quiet.’
He started pulling something from his pack. ‘Here,’ he said, passing me a small package. ‘It’s what I’ve got left of the hard candy. Maybe it will keep you awake.’
‘Oh, for the Saints’ sake – you think he can do this? Could you do it?’
‘No, I don’t think so,’ Kest said, ‘but I’ll wait the full Blood Week and five days more to find out. Falcio, if you haven’t returned by then, I’ll kill the woman. She won’t sit on the throne of Castle Aramor; that I promise you.’
He turned and walked towards the carriage. I picked up a small rock and threw it at him, striking him in the back of the head. He spun back around, ready to fight.
‘Just wanted to remind you that I do surprise you occasionally,’ I said calmly.
He didn’t smile.
Trin came to me. ‘Hide,’ she said, whispering in my ear. ‘They say this city has a thousand places where people could disappear for weeks, even months. Hide until it’s safe and get her out of the city. Stay away from the Morning of Mercy, whatever the girl says. Her name isn’t worth her life.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ I said.
‘Do better,’ she replied, and kissed me on the cheek before running back to rejoin Valiana.
‘What are they doing?’ Aline asked, pointing at Shiballe. His two guards appeared to be setting out a chair for him in the street.
‘They’re going to make sure we don’t leave,’ I said, ‘not until sunset, when Ganath Kalila begins and the violence starts.’
‘Then what?’ she asked.
‘Then we begin,’ I said.
Brasti was the last to leave. He threw his hands up in the air. ‘Fine. Goodbye, Falcio. You were a decent companion, if a little pretentious sometimes. I hope you realise I’m going to rob every damned corpse I encounter from now on.’
I smiled. ‘I suppose that’s only fair.’
He walked away, stopping only once to turn and say, ‘I’ll fire an arrow into the dying of the light in your name, Falcio. That’s all I can do for you.’
That might be something, anyway.
Having to wait patiently while the sun sets so that three men can kill you is an awkward feeling.
Shiballe had one of his guards bring him a small table for him to set a bottle of wine on while he passed the time. He kept a pistol on his lap and periodically slid his hand across the smooth wooden grip. The girl had tried to stay awake, but exhaustion overtook fear and she was now sleeping on the bench a few feet behind me.
‘A few minutes left, Trattari,’ Shiballe said, sipping his wine. ‘Are you sure you wouldn’t rather rejoin your friends?’
I didn’t bother to reply. When you’re in a situation like this, every movement, every word, has to be about gaining advantage. I needed to get him and his men on edge, and that meant everything was about timing.
‘I wonder, Trattari, what prompts a man to stand there, perfectly still, while Death comes to claim him? Is it that you don’t fear Death? Or perhaps that you fear life even more?’
I waited a moment until he stopped expecting an answer and went back to his wine.