by Kit Walker
"So if it were someone smaller, they would have died?" Asha guesses.
"Most likely, yes."
"Oh," Tia says. "Oh, dear. Ysal must have picked up the wrong glass."
Kadar looks concerned. "You think someone just tried to kill you?"
"It wouldn't be the first time," Tia says with a sigh.
Itos shakes his head. "I told you this wedding was a bad idea."
Tia ignores him and moves closer to the divan. "Is Ysal going to be all right?"
"Sivari are remarkably resilient." Vaz scrolls through the readout on the scanner. "Ysal will probably burn through the toxin in a day or so. Still, I'd like to get xir to a hospital."
Tia waves at the guards. "Call for a medical evac. And Onorine Colonial Security, while you're at it."
One of the guards nods and steps out of the room to make the call.
Laela sits on the edge of the divan, reaches out to touch Ysal's arm, then stops herself. "Who did this?"
"Hard to say," Tia says. "But I have a few ideas. I'll brief the police once they get here."
The guard edges back into the room. "Lady Saksata? There's a problem."
•
The villa's communications array is housed in an open-air chamber at the top of a tall, ornate tower with a disconcerting lack of safety rails.
"I'm guessing it's not supposed to look like that," Asha guesses.
"You guess right." Laela circles the array, studying the damage; there are a lot of wires and panels dangling free. "And for the record? I fucking hate stairs."
"Noted."
"Well?" Asha says. "Can you fix it?"
"Not without replacement parts," Laela says. "Whoever did this knew exactly what to break."
"So we can't call out?"
"We can't call out," Laela confirms. "Not unless somebody's got a quantum entanglement communicator we can borrow." She directs a pointed look at Kadar, but gets no response.
"Someone is bound to notice we've dropped out of contact," Tia says.
"That could take days," Kadar points out. "What are we supposed to do until then?"
"Well," Laela says, "for starters, you should probably do something about the attempted murderer running loose around the house."
Tia taps her beak, thinking, then brightens up. "Constable Kadar," she says sweetly, "do you think you could help?"
Warily, Kadar says, "With what?"
"Of everyone here, you're the most qualified to find our would-be assassin."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Kadar says quickly. "There's jurisdiction issues, I don't really have the clearance—"
"Please," Tia says. "I worry for the safety of my guests. Not to mention my own."
"It's against procedure to conduct an investigation like this alone."
"I can help," Asha says.
"I would consider it a personal favor," Tia adds.
Kadar's shoulders slump in defeat. "Fine. I'll do my best."
"Oh, thank you," Tia chirps happily.
"I'll need a list of suspects," Kadar says. "Anyone you think might have motive to kill you."
Tia cocks her head to the side. "The list of people who don't have motive would be shorter."
"Any chance you could narrow it down a little?"
Tia contemplates that for a moment. "Well, you could start with my sister, Rica. She's been trying to have me removed as heir, so she can replace me."
"Your sister?" Asha says.
"Yes, of course," Tia says. "Do you not have sisters?"
•
The halls of the villa are practically deserted, even for this time of night. Nobody is willing to risk wandering the house alone.
"Okay," Asha says, following along behind Kadar on their way to Rica's room. "How do you want to play this? Good Cop/Bad Cop? I make an excellent Bad Cop."
Kadar pauses and turns to face her. "Sorry, what was your name?"
"Asha."
"Right. Asha. Why are you following me?"
"Because you said—"
"Yeah, I remember that part," Kadar says. "Why, though? Why offer to help me?"
"I'm trained for this kind of thing," Asha replies. "Well, in a manner of speaking. Finding a killer can't be much harder than finding out whose code broke the build, right?"
Judging by the look on Kadar's face, he only understood about half of that. "And what's in it for you?"
"Are you serious? Ysal's my friend. I want to find the person who hurt xir."
"That's it?" Kadar says, skeptical. "There's nothing else to this? Nothing you want from me?"
Understanding dawns, and Asha winces. "Well, I have a few questions you might be able to answer. But I wasn't thinking about that when I volunteered. Really."
Kadar nods, as if the world has suddenly started making sense again. Without a word, he turns and continues down the hall to Rica's room.
Shortly after Kadar knocks on the door, a voice from inside shouts, "Have you found it yet?"
"I beg your pardon?"
The door slides open. Rica Saksata is smaller than Tia, both vertically and horizontally, with the same blue-green feathers and fondness for heavy jewelry. She squints at Kadar and says, "Oh. You're not the guards."
Asha says, "Did you lose something?"
"My scarf," Rica says, with an annoyed sigh. "It's dieni silk. Very expensive. I assume one of the maids took it."
"We're here about the incident earlier tonight," Kadar says.
"Oh." Rica reluctantly lets Asha and Kadar into her room and settles down into a chair by the balcony. "It's a shame what happened. I remember Ysal. Xe seemed inoffensive enough."
"We suspect that your sister was the poisoner's actual target," Kadar says.
"Well, of course she was," Rica scoffs. She pauses, studying Kadar intently. "Oh. You think I did it."
"You have motive," Asha says.
"Half the guests at this wedding have motive." Rica puffs up her breast feathers. "But yes, I've been campaigning to replace Tia as heir."
"So you'd have plenty to gain from her death," Kadar says.
"Absolutely," Rica says. "But if I were to try killing Tia, I wouldn't be so tacky as to make the attempt at her wedding."
"Is that really how you're going to protest your innocence?"
"Fine. Let me put it another way." Rica sits up straighter in her seat, eyes shining imperiously. "I'm more competent than Tia in every conceivable aspect. If I wanted to murder her, I wouldn't botch it this badly. Trust me on that."
"If you didn't do it," Asha says, "who did?"
"Practically anyone." Rica relaxes in her seat. "But I have a theory."
"Oh," Kadar says dryly. "Do tell."
"Tia had a lover," Rica says, gleefully conspiratorial. "One of our company's top engineers. Tia broke off the relationship a few weeks ago, but invited her to the wedding. She's here tonight."
"I need a name."
Hirovans can't smirk, but Rica certainly looks like she's trying. "Enora Odakiin."
•
Enora Odakiin turns out to be a tall, rail-thin marcor woman with glossy fur and a well-trimmed beard. Her room, however, is a disaster.
"Sorry," Enora says, nudging a pile of clothes under the bed with her hoof. "I was looking for my earrings. Let me know if you see them, would you? They were my mother's."
"Okay," Kadar says hesitantly. "We just want to talk to you about the incident earlier tonight."
"Oh, it was awful," Enora says. "I kept thinking I should try to help, but I just froze." After a moment, she turns to look at Kadar and Asha. "Wait, you don't think I was involved?"
"The comm tower is down," Asha says. "We have reason to believe it was sabotaged by a technical expert."
"But why would I try to kill Tia's old bodyguard? I don't even know xir."
"Ysal sai-Vysri wasn't the target," Kadar says. "Lady Saksata was."
"What?" Enora sits down on the edge of the bed, shaken. "I don't — I would never hurt Tia. I love her."
"You don't understand," Enora says. "The hirovan upper class doesn't marry for love. It's a business arrangement. The Ikmari family wants an alliance with the Saksatas, so they're marrying off one of their sons to the Saksata heir. It doesn't mean anything."
"She still broke off the relationship," Kadar says.
"Temporarily," Enora insists. "And it was mutual. We both agreed we shouldn't see each other until after the wedding. For propriety's sake."
"And if we ask Tia about this?" Asha says.
"She'll confirm everything I just said." Enora looks down at the floor, biting her lip. "I have no reason to kill her. But I think I know who might."
"And who's that?" Kadar says.
"Sita Cavaris is here tonight," Enora says. "She used to be a low-ranking member of her family, but now she's the heir."
"How'd she pull that off?"
"Everyone else in line for the inheritance died."
•
Sita Cavaris is nearly spherical, with bright pink and purple feathers and a penchant for stuffing ribbons into her plumage. "Come in, come in!" she trills, ushering Kadar and Asha into her large, impressive suite. "Have a seat, make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you anything? Drinks, maybe?"
Asha weighs the risks and says, "No, thank you."
"We just want to ask you a few questions," Kadar adds.
They end up out on the balcony, sitting across from Sita. "Ask away," she says, hands clasped politely in her lap.
"You're probably aware that whoever poisoned Ysal sai-Vysri was actually targeting Lady Saksata," Kadar says.
"I guessed as much," Sita replies. "And you clearly think I had something to do with it."
"We asked around," Asha says. "Seems like every political enemy you've ever had has died under suspicious circumstances."
"Yes, very unfortunate." Sita doesn't even blink. "Drug overdoses, in many cases. Although I believe Veca Ikmari was bitten by one of those rare insects she used to collect."
"So," Kadar says carefully, "I guess my next question is, have you and Lady Saksata had any disagreements lately?"
"Tia and I get along quite well, actually." Sita's eyes narrow slightly, but her voice is as pleasant as always. "We're close friends. I even helped arrange her marriage to my cousin, Itos."
"Tia's First Husband is your cousin?" Asha says.
"Yes. The poor man isn't very social, I'm afraid. Without my help, he probably would've spent the rest of his life in our company's R&D lab." Sita shakes her head, as if this is the worst fate she could possibly imagine. "And look what happens when Tia arranges marriages on her own! She's marrying an Ikmari, for pity's sake. But that's not any of my business."
"I ... see," Kadar says.
"Let me make myself clear." Sita leans forward in her chair. "Cavaris Technologies and Saksata Industries are not direct competitors. I don't have anything to gain from Tia's death. But I know who does."
In the voice of someone dreading the answer, Kadar says, "And who's that?"
"Her sister Rica, of course."
•
Ysal is awake by the time Asha gets back to Tia's room, for a certain definition of 'awake.'
"Hello, Asha," Ysal says, blinking slowly. "May I ask why your face is bubbling?"
"Okay," Asha says. "I guess the recovery is ongoing."
"Xe was hiding under the covers earlier because the ceiling was staring at xir," Laela says. "This is a big improvement."
Asha looks around. Aside from Ysal and Laela, the room is empty. "Where is everybody?"
Laela gestures at the back rooms of the suite. "Tia's asleep, her guards are in her bedroom, Itos said he had to go look for something, and Vaz is in the kitchen. He wasn't able to isolate the toxin in Ysal's blood, so now he's trying to find the glass xe drank out of."
Kadar comes in behind Asha and slams the door shut. "Well, that was a spectacular waste of time."
Laela glances at Kadar, then looks back at Asha. "The investigation's going well, I take it?"
"We have three suspects," Asha says, "and they're all pointing the finger at each other." To Kadar, she adds, "I still think Rica's our best bet."
Kadar groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. Maybe all of them did it."
"Or maybe none of them did," Laela says.
The door opens again; Vaz hurries inside and slams it shut behind him.
"Stop slamming doors!" Asha snaps. "It's the middle of the goddamn night!"
"I found it," Vaz says, breathless. "There were traces of cepidotoxin in Ysal's glass."
It takes a few seconds for Kadar to process that. He stares at Vaz and says, slowly, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
"Cepidotoxin?" Asha asks.
"Cepida naturally produce poison within their bodies," Vaz explains. "It's a defense against predators. Even small doses can cause seizures, paralysis, and death."
"We met a cepida earlier," Laela says. "Marellus something."
Asha squints, trying to remember. "The guy in the fishbowl? Covax?"
"That's the one. Actually, I think he's the only cepida here." Laela pauses as this sinks in. "Oh, shit."
•
Covax's room is at the other end of the villa, among all the guests who were too important not to invite but too insignificant to bother sucking up to.
As they hurry down the halls, Asha glances over her shoulder. "Laela, you should probably stay with Ysal."
"No," Laela growls. "This guy almost killed xir. I want to look him in the eyes. And then rip them out."
Kadar comes to an abrupt halt in front of Covax's room and pounds on the door. "Marellius Aurus Covax, this is Constable Kadar of the Sentinels. Open up!"
A few seconds pass in silence.
Kadar knocks again. "Covax! This is your final warning!"
No answer.
With a shaking hand, Kadar keys in the security override on the door panel. The door slides open, and he goes very still.
"What's wrong?" Asha moves so she can see into the room. "Oh, shit."
There's water all over the floor, and a bullet hole in the front of Covax's tank. His life support system is a sparking wreck.
What water is left in Covax's tank is clouded with blue blood. Covax floats at the top, unmoving.
"He's dead," Kadar says.
•
Vaz shows up a few minutes later to examine the body. While he works, Asha studies the room.
It's even more of a mess than Enora's had been. Drawers have been pulled out and dumped on the floor, their contents tossed everywhere. Covax's bags have been opened and emptied. Even the mattress has been pushed aside.
There's a surprising amount of jewelry and expensive clothing lying around.
"I don't think all this stuff belongs to Covax," Asha says. "For one thing, I'm pretty sure cepida don't wear fancy scarves." When she doesn't get an answer, she adds, "Kadar?"
"What?" Kadar has crowded himself into the corner of the room, alternately staring at Covax's body and refusing to look at it. His face is ashen; he might actually be trembling. "Sorry, I didn't hear you."
"I said, I don't think all this stuff belongs to Covax."
"I — yes, you're probably right."
Laela has been intently watching Kadar ever since they found Covax's body. She narrows her eyes and says, "You came here chasing a fugitive, right?"
"... Yes." Kadar swallows thickly. "A thief. Calls himself the Revenant. I've been pursuing him for months."
"Looks like you found him," Laela says. "I guess the Revenant decided to try his hand at assassination. Try his tentacle? Whatever."
"It wasn't him," Vaz says.
"What do you mean, 'it wasn't him'?"
"The cepidotoxin doesn't match." Vaz holds up his scanner. "The poison in Ysal's glass came from a completely different cepida."
"How is that possibl
e?" Asha says. "He's the only cepida here."
"You can buy cepidotoxin on the black market," Vaz says, "which is what I would've told you if you all hadn't charged off. It's outrageously expensive, though."
Kadar finally moves, crossing the room, peering up at the light fixtures and shelves. He hops up onto the top of a dresser, opens the air vent, and pulls out a tiny, black cube.
"What is that?" Asha asks.
"Camera bug," Kadar says, climbing down from the dresser.
Laela raises an eyebrow. "How'd you know that was up there?"
Kadar shrugs. "Lucky guess."
Laela's eyes narrow again. She turns to Asha. "I need to check something. Can you guys meet me at the top of the comm tower?"
"Uh ... sure?" Asha says.
"Kadar, too," Laela says. "This is important."
•
"Goddamn it's cold up here." Asha shoves her hands under her armpits. The sun is starting to come up, but the warmth hasn't reached the villa yet. "If Laela doesn't show up in five minutes, I'm going back inside."
"Does your friend normally do this?" Kadar asks.
"I still haven't figured out what 'normal' is for Laela," Asha says. "For all I know — oh, thank god."
Laela comes up the stairs at her usual slow pace, and behind her—
"Ysal," Vaz says firmly. "You shouldn't be up yet."
"I appreciate your concern, Vaz," Ysal replies. "However, Laela has asked for my assistance."
"Assistance with what?"
Laela finally reaches the top of the tower and strides right into Kadar's personal space. "The guy you came here to catch. 'The Revenant.' Why didn't you tell Tia he was a cepida?"
Kadar takes a step back. "I didn't know he was one, before now."
"Really?" Laela says. "You've been chasing this guy all over the Protectorate and that never came up? You'd think that kind of information would get around. 'Suspect is two feet tall with tentacles and lives in a fish tank.'"
"Where are you going with this?" Kadar snaps.
"Where's your quantum entanglement communicator?" Laela fires back. "Sentinels in the field are supposed to carry a QEC for emergencies, but you don't seem to have one. For that matter, why are you out here on your own? Why send one constable after a notorious thief? Where's the rest of your team? Your ship?"
"I don't have to put up with this." Kadar pushes past Laela, headed for the stairs.