Transgressions

by E G Manetti

  Those few found truly deranged are considered at least ‘Shade-touched,’ if not truly Shade-ridden even when the Shade’s intent cannot be discerned. If the derangement presents a threat to the deranged or others, the Shrines will act as custodian and confine the devoted. Most disorders are treated with supervision and spiritual discipline. In many cases, the Shade withdraws its presence after a time, and the wits return. ~excerpt from The Foundations of Order, a scholarly treatise.

  Sevenday 84, Day 4

  … The hallway stretches long and dark as Lilian races through menacing shadows toward the distant door… the pursuing footsteps thunder behind her. She dare not look back. Legs heavy, lungs searing, Lilian leaps through the doorway…

  She is deep in the overgrown ornamental gardens. Behind her, the branches rustle ominously as the pursuer pushes through. Dense foliage rips at Lilian’s hands and arms as she forces her way deeper into the gardens toward a distant light. Lilian stumbles and falls to her knees. The sounds of pursuit are closer. She scrambles forward, desperate for the light. The heavy underbrush gives way to a clearing full of blossoms. They glow with an eerie green light. The petals unfurl into fangs. Lilian is surrounded by snakes.

  Screaming, she pulls her thorn and slashes at the nearest serpent. It hisses and retreats. Another snake attempts a strike. Lilian slashes again. They are surrounding her, coming fast.

  Adelaide! Adelaide!

  “Adelaide!” With a start, Lilian is upright in her bed, drenched in cold sweat, her heart hammering wildly.

  A dream. It was naught but an evil dream. Reaching to increase the light, Lilian discovers her thorn in her hand. In her nightmare, she must have pulled it from beneath her pillow. As the dim lights push back the darkness, Lilian shudders slightly, gasping. The evil dreams that accompany the deep sleep from the Master Medic’s are worse than after the scourging.

  Knowing that the dream’s chaos has its source in Maman’s disquieting panels and her flight from Martin and does not make it less terrifying. Once again, Lilian wonders if she should tell milord about the snakes in the vision panels, only to discard the notion as soon as it surfaces. Milord was remarkably accepting of her insights. Suggesting that a deranged woman’s wild paintings are a prophecy is likely to see Lilian examined by the Shrines. Nor can Lilian fathom how the panels could be truly helpful. Milord is well aware that he has a traitor in his house and that Grey Spear wishes his destruction.

  Reaching for the water carafe, Lilian finds it empty. Although it lacks two bells until dawn, Lilian will not sleep again. Pulling on her training garb, Lilian knows that there will be no training this day. By Chin’s orders, she is even forbidden the contemplation forms. It matters naught, the garb gives her comfort. Thorn hooked to the gold warbelt, Lilian grabs her slate and the carafe. The kitchen is warm, and Gloribelle will be about. Even a wombat for company is better than none at all.

  »◊«

  Ignoring his rapidly cooling tea, Lucius gazes out at the Garden Center and Crevasse City, where pink dawn shines with the promise of the rains finally ebbing. It is early, but Trevelyan’s alert had Lucius springing from his bed. After months of searching, Trevelyan has found something.

  As seventh bell chimes, Trevelyan strides across the scarlet threshold, alight with excitement. Nothing in his appearance suggests he has had but a few bells of slumber. “Monsignor, our traitor is Blooded Dagger Senior Financials Associate Demitrov Sandoval, and there is no doubt he is in league with Grey Spear.”

  “That shadeless scum!” Lucius discards his cup. “One of my senior associates? How could you not find this seasons gone? And Grey Spear? Sebastian?”

  “If Monsignor pleases, the matter is complicated,” Trevelyan says calmly. “We know Grey Spear is involved because we have a monitor record of Demitrov and Martin planning the Archives assault on Lilian.”

  “The Archives?” Lucius’ mind whirls at the implications. “How does that tie into Angus?”

  “Monsignor, I do not yet have the whole of it,” Trevelyan replies, “but I have a great deal of it. We have had Demitrov in our custody since eighth bell last evening.”

  Self-master. Lucius must control his impatience. After a night of interrogation, Demitrov will have yielded much. Mastery of mind. Crossing to the conference table, Lucius reaches for his slate. A few taps later, he has the full profile of his traitor. “The rest of it, Trevelyan.”

  Taking a seat opposite from Lucius, Trevelyan continues his briefing. “It is clear in the monitor records that Demitrov takes his orders from Grey Spear and that Martin knew it. Demitrov knew about the disabled monitors and Martin’s propensity to prey on the female staff. It was not difficult to convince Martin to assault Lilian by citing that Monsignor Sebastian was inconvenienced by Lilian’s presence in the Archives.”

  “Inconvenienced?” Lucius echoes. His eyes hooding, he quickly concludes, “With the Archives’ monitors disabled, Lilian’s presence kept them from unfettered access to the Archives.”

  “Yes, Monsignor,” Trevelyan nods, his face hardening. “Demitrov also states that Monsignor Sebastian would respond favorably if Lilian’s removal were permanent.”

  “A crime of opportunity,” Lucius’ lips compress. Mastery of anger. Martin’s caning has barely touched Lucius’ need for retribution.

  “Monsignor?” Trevelyan looks up in confusion.

  “Lilian was certain that there was more to her attack than Martin’s spite,” Lucius explains, “and that the monitor sabotage required planning beyond Martin’s abilities. It appears she was correct. Sebastian and his dog, Damocles, were behind this.”

  “Knowledge is not evidence,” Trevelyan frowns. “There is only Demitrov’s word that Monsignor Sebastian sanctioned this, and his word is not enough. Demitrov is a traitor.”

  “Martin is vicious, but he is also clever and competent,” Lucius comments thoughtfully. “He would not have taken Demitrov’s word that Monsignor Sebastian’s shadow sheltered this action without corroboration.”

  “Monsignor Sebastian’s hatred of Lilian is well known in the Cartel,” Trevelyan reminds his lord.

  “They had no means to know that Lilian would be in the Archives that late.” Lucius shakes his head. “Lilian’s assault could not have been the motive for the sabotage. And we know it was sabotage, Solomon confirmed it. Martin’s attack was a crime of opportunity, but it was risky. The Archives were open, and he could have been discovered. He would have wanted more than the word of a traitor.”

  “True enough, Monsignor.” Trevelyan continues to frown. “But I can find no direct evidence of Monsignor Sebastian’s participation. So far, Demitrov has refused to reveal why the Archives’ monitors were disabled or confess to involvement in the sabotage. There were over a dozen Cartel members in the Archives at the time the monitors failed, including Lilian. Seigneur Solomon is reviewing the visuals to determine whose movements are consistent with the sabotage.”

  “Once you know who disabled the devices, will you be able to trace this back to Sebastian?”

  “Aye, Monsignor,” Trevelyan nods, his frown loosening. “If the saboteur was not of Grey Spear, someone from that house gave the order.”

  “What of Angus Blackthorn? How is he involved with Sebastian and his treachery?” Lucius overlooked Angus’ assault on his personal files because of its benign result. If Angus is intriguing with Sebastian, Lucius will not be so forbearing.

  “As to the Angus Blackthorn matter, Demitrov further refuses to speak. I think it unlikely that Monsignor Angus is connected with this latest assault. There have been no payments from Angus since the last breach of your files. So far, it appears that Angus’ connection to Demitrov ended with the Leonardo Society’s inclusion in Bright Star.”

  “Why did it take you so long to find Demitrov?” Lucius’ eyes narrow. “A senior associate in financials should have been among the most likely suspects.”

  “The payments were not made directly to Demitrov or any of his kin,” Trevely
an explains. “Demitrov has a brother, Benedict, with poor judgement in wagers and a taste for decadents. Angus Blackthorn’s payments went directly to the accounts of gray and black commerce raiders to pay Benedict’s debts. We were getting close even before the Archives incident. My operatives had recently identified the brother’s wager debts.”

  “How does the Hunter woman tie into all this?” Lucius demands.

  “It is not yet certain, Monsignor. I suspect Demitrov introduced Ann Hunter to the Cartel and Grey Spear through his brother’s connections in gray and black commerce. The timing is interesting. She entered the Cartel almost six months prior to the first attack on the monsignor’s logs, well before Monsignor Angus had any knowledge of Bright Star, so I suspect her purpose went beyond the attack on your files.”

  “Demitrov has been in league with Grey Spear for over a year and a half.” Lucius’ voice takes on the cool, silky note that Lilian knows to fear. “That is the only reason he would have any interest in finding a criminal to serve in Grey Spear.”

  “Aye, Monsignor.” Trevelyan’s face is as hard as Lucius’ voice is soft. “It would seem Demitrov has been acting for Grey Spear for some time. Again, Demitrov will not speak. He is proving more resistant to interrogation than expected.”

  “Did he murder the Hunter woman? Or know aught of it?” Lucius inquires.

  The Governor’s militia has not solved the murder. Should Demitrov be involved, he will be subject to the Governing Council’s judgement and not Lucius’ reprisals for being a traitor to the Cartouche.

  “He denies all knowledge. He claims he had no contact with Ann Hunter after she was released from the Cartel.” Trevelyan shrugs noncommittally. “For the moment, our only evidence is the payments from Angus Blackthorn to Benedict Sandoval’s creditors and the monitor record of Demitrov and Martin. It is not enough by Cartel protocols to bring charges against Monsignor Sebastian.”

  “Use the brother,” Lucius concludes. “Demitrov betrayed his honor, Cartouche, and Cartel for that weakling. He will give up his sponsor and anything else we need should we threaten the brother.”

  “Yes, Monsignor,” Trevelyan concurs without hesitation. He holds no sympathy for the corrupt associate or his brother. “We should have a sevenday before Grey Spear suspects that Demitrov is not absent on a family emergency. With the brother in our custody, we will break Demitrov before then.”

  »◊«

  “Come, Lilian.” Milord motions Lilian to join him on the scarlet sofa.

  Eager for the reassurance of milord’s embrace, knowing that with her restricted duty it will be no more than that, Lilian slips across milord’s lap with her back to the armrest. Milord does not smile, but his face is relaxed as he gently traces the bruise on her jaw. Even as Lilian revels in the contact, she cannot calm her rioting thoughts.

  With a light laugh, milord smiles. “So anxious for answers?”

  “If it pleases milord.”

  “You deserve to know.” All amusement leaves milord’s countenance. “You were correct. The damage to the monitors was caused by a Laser Sting. One of the new, smaller models designed for fine work.”

  “Someone stole it, milord?” Even though she knew it must be so, Lilian is horrified.

  “As you voice,” Lucius confirms. “There were few enough with access. The thief will be found.”

  “Milord, I—that is…” Grappling with the implications of the dangerous theft, Lilian cannot form words.

  “Peace, Lilian.” Lucius lightly squeezes Lilian’s shoulders. “Seigneurs Solomon and Thorvald are accelerating the development of countermeasures. The Cartel exit monitors are already configured to detect the Vistrite signature of the device. It will not leave Serengeti Headquarters.”

  “Milord?” Lilian worries. The miniature Laser Sting is not much bigger than her thorn and is as easily concealed. “What if—”

  “It is already gone?” Lucius’ lips quirk in approval of Lilian’s quick wit. “It is not. Seigneur Thorvald sealed the Cartel the instant he noted the Archives’ monitors were disabled. Everyone who left in the four periods between when the Archives’ monitors failed and the Cartel was sealed has been thoroughly investigated. Since then, anyone exiting has been fully searched.”

  Recalling the line of overnight workers waiting to exit when she entered this morning, Lilian nods, reassured. “Then it remains within the Cartel.”

  “And it cannot be used without our knowing it,” Lucius completes.

  Finally relaxing in milord’s arms, Lilian is content to wait on milord’s will. It is not long in coming.

  “What do you suspect? What was the target?”

  Lilian has had bells to consider this. It did not take her long to reach the same conclusion as Lucius and Trevelyan. “It was not to assault me, milord. They had no means to know I would be there so late. It was a dangerous play, so the rewards needed to be great.”

  Lucius cannot fault Chin for restricting Lilian’s duty. The effects of recent events are all too evident. The swelling on her jaw has eased, but the best cosmetics in the Twelve Systems cannot disguise the purple bruising. The dark circles underneath her eyes and the tension around her mouth telltale poor sleep, even with the aid of Chin’s potions. Feeling an unaccountable need to offer reassurance, Lucius gently traces the line of her throat.

  Doing her best to ignore milord’s distracting touch, Lilian continues, “Mayhap Vistrite transit routes with a plan for piracy, or information on Mercium fabrication. Except that cannot be it. Demitrov would know that the secrets of Mercium fabrication cannot be accessed through the Archives.”

  Lucius smiles, pleased by the completeness of Lilian’s analysis and the bright clarity in her gray eyes as he sends his fingers to explore her collarbone.

  Resisting the urge to arch into milord’s gentle touch, Lilian adds, “I wish we knew how much Monsignor Angus paid for his intrigue. Not merely the sums we have found.”

  Lucius agrees, “It would be better if we could add sums and know we have identified them all and their recipients. Seigneur Trevelyan has it in hand but does not believe he has a high probability of success.”

  “It is like the Hound of the Shades, cut off one head and another grows. This is sly, though, like a snake…” Lilian trails off at the recollection of her evil dream and its link to Maman’s vision panels.

  Shaking off the disquieting recall, Lilian finds milord regarding her in consternation. Unwilling to discuss Maman’s panels or her evil dreams, Lilian hastens to assure milord she is not deranged. “I beg pardon, milord. Master Chin’s potions disorder my wits. I will be pleased when he permits me to cease.”

  As entertaining as he finds a fanciful Lilian, Lucius will also be pleased when his apprentice is well enough to be released from the medic’s care.

  »◊«

  “Lilian, I had no notion you are so committed to my will,” Douglas grins. “It has been but days since I encouraged you to thorn score Martin.”

  When the associates at the adjacent table look up, Douglas inclines his head, suggesting they make space. With a polite shrug, they give way, allowing Douglas and Tabitha to join Lilian, Clarice, and Rebecca by the fountain.

  While Lilian easily cleared a table by taking her seat, she was bemused to discover that the next table did not empty. Lilian is not alone in rejoicing that Martin is to be banished from the Cartel, although the moderation in behavior could as easily be fear of milord’s retribution.

  More interested in her friends than the unknown associates, Lilian responds to Douglas, “You may consider that thorn score to Martin’s face my thanks to you for ridding the Cartel of Mistress Shoshanna.”

  “Not his caning?” Douglas pretends to be crestfallen.

  Lilian shakes her head at her friend’s silliness. “That was for Monsignor’s honor and all those who deserved to witness Serengeti justice. Truly, the scale was over-full. One stroke had to suffice for several offenses.”

  “Well, the Associate Master owns
a heavy hand when required. He extracted a full load of retribution with each stroke,” Douglas says with relish. “I walked away after twenty, and Martin was bleeding and needed to be carried after thirty.”

  Although she does not regret Martin’s caning, the reminder that Damocles exploited his position to savage her has Lilian’s gorge rising. Sebastian Mehta does not simply wish Lilian punished for her intrigues against Grey Spear, he wishes her dead. Lilian cannot doubt that the Grey Spear monsignor was behind Martin’s assault. Will the next attempt succeed?

  Rebecca is the first to speak. “Lilian, are you well?”

  At the sound of Rebecca’s voice, Lilian is able to gather her wits and respond.

  “I am well. A little lightheaded from the Master Medic’s potions.” The convenient excuse springs readily to her lips. If milord’s shadow cannot protect her, involving her friends will serve no purpose. It is better not to think on it. “Douglas, Clarice, I pray you, what have I missed in Mercium? Anything of note?”

  »◊«

  “Lilian, a moment if you please.” Tabitha’s soft voice halts Lilian as they rise from the table. Waving the others on, Lilian turns to Tabitha. “What do you wish?”

  “Have you respite to walk with me outside?” Tabitha wishes a private conversation.

  Curiosity flaring, Lilian nods and follows Tabitha through the lobby. Once clear of the doors, Tabitha announces, “I need to breach privilege, and I need to do so in such a manner that Monsignor Lucius and Seigneur Trevelyan may use the information as evidence.”

  At this outrageous statement, Lilian nearly trips. “To what purpose?”

  “I can identify the traitor’s confederates but not without breaching privilege.”

  Adelaide’s Thorn! The mongoose is hunting snakes. The hair on the back of Lilian’s neck rises in recognition that Helena’s mad ramblings are suddenly aligned with Cartel events. There is no time for superstition. They must discover a means. “I have no answer to this. We need legalistics assistance and a secure location for discussion.”