by Jo Walton
“Nobody will know,” Daverak said.
The piece of meat that had been in Sher’s mouth fell to the ground.
“I think we will see Haner and then go,” Penn said, in a very controlled voice.
“You cannot think it better to be disgraced than to lie,” Daverak said, cajolingly.
“Any right-thinking dragon would,” Sher said. “Now we will leave. But first, take us to Haner,” Sher said.
“I can’t,” Daverak said, his eyes whirling uncomfortably.
“Why not?” Penn asked, frowning.
“You can’t come here and insult me and then demand to do what you want in my establishment.”
“I wish to see my sister, who is unwell,” Penn said.
Sher pushed the dining room door open and caught hold of a passing servant, who trembled in his grasp. “Take me to Respected Haner Agornin,” he demanded. The servant looked past him to Daverak, clearly terrified.
“No!” Daverak roared, flame shooting from his mouth.
The servant twisted free and fled down the corridor. Sher and Penn followed him, Daverak on their heels.
Haner’s room, with the great pile of stones outside it, was easy to see.
“I can explain,” Daverak said, sounding almost apologetic.
Sher looked down his snout at him. “I doubt it. You can, however, help in removing these stones.”
It took some time to clear the way to the door. They did not speak as they worked. Sher wondered if Daverak was quite mad, and how long piling the stones must have taken. They were clearly the stones from a number of guest beds. He must have brought them out of spare sleeping caves and piled them here. He feared for how long ago it might have been. He needed Haner to approve of him, what would Selendra do if her sister had starved to death?
At length it was possible to open the door. Penn opened it and went in, calling Haner’s name. Sher heard her croak an answer. Penn came out carrying a limp form, so pale a gold as to be almost green.
“Daverak—” he said angrily, breaking a long silence.
Sher interrupted him. “Daverak, I think you are a disgrace to the order of the Illustrious.” He strove to keep each word distinct and clear.
Daverak swung around to face him. “That is an insult,” he observed, conversationally.
Sher almost laughed, though it was the correct response to his challenge. He had learned the code long ago, but never used it, never even thought of using it. “It would be an insult if you were a dragon,” he said, his next line, if he did not want to back away. He had no intention of it. He would have fought at that moment, had it been possible.
“I will send a friend to you.”
“You will find me in my House,” Sher said.
Penn struggled forward with Haner. Her eyes were half closed. “We need to take her home right away,” he said. His voice was choked with tears.
“She’ll recover,” Sher said, more confidently than he felt.
They left Daverak speechless.
59. THE SECOND HEARING
Avan was barely intimidated by the Court this time. He was too worried that Sebeth had not come home all night. He wondered if he would ever see her again, if she had found some stronger protector, if she thought he would lose everything in this case. He had come to care for her more than he should, he knew, but he had not thought she would go off without a word like that and not return. He missed her. He hoped she had not come to some misfortune on a solitary adventure, and knew he might never know if she had.
Hathor looked confident, his three wigs on the slab before him. “The jury are half on your side already,” he assured Avan as he sat down. The jury, all seven of them, crouched on the steps below the judges’ seats. They were all staring at Avan, or at Daverak, who was glowering at him from behind his three attorneys.
Behind them, around the walls, the witnesses stood. “Don’t look ’round, but your sisters just came in,” Hathor said, looking round. “One of them looks awfully pale.”
“Which one?”
“How would I know? They’re with a priest and a lord.”
“The priest must be Penn, but I don’t know who the lord is. Can I look?” Avan was worried.
“It doesn’t make a good impression on the jury if you twist about. Don’t worry, the lord’s coming over to us.”
Avan looked up to see a bronze dragon, sixty feet long. He recognized him, from Penn’s wedding, and from the holidays he had taken at Agornin as a dragonet, just as he was introducing himself. “Good day. I am the Exalted Sher Benandi,” he said, pleasantly. “I am betrothed to your sister Selendra.”
“Nobody told me,” Avan said. “Congratulations.” The first thing he thought of, naturally, was Selendra’s premature coloring at Agornin. Had everything gone smoothly? He could not possibly ask.
“Congratulations,” Hathor put in. “But the judges will be coming out any moment, you should go back to the wall.”
“It’s quite recent,” Sher said, gently ignoring this. “The thing is that yesterday I had reason to challenge Daverak’s fitness to belong to the Illustrious Order. He’s had time to send to me, but he hasn’t seen fit to do so. I’ll be making the demand, today, in Court, that he fight me. I’d like to do that at a time that doesn’t interfere too much with the prosecution of your case.”
“You’re planning to kill him?” Hathor asked. Avan could only gape.
“Oh yes,” Sher said, casually.
“Will they say it’s fair?” Hathor jerked a claw towards the steps for the judge and jury.
“Oh, I should think so. He’s ten feet shorter than me, but he has fire and I don’t. Undoubtedly they’ll let us fight if we do it properly here. Judges are supposed to like to see blood spilled, after all. Now, I’d also like to have this case settled against Daverak.”
“Wait until afterwards then,” Hathor said. “We’ll win. Look at the jury.”
“No, I need to do it before he calls Blessed Agornin to give evidence,” Sher said.
“Ah,” Hathor said. “Wait until I’ve established what the will means and what a bully he is then.”
“He has shut up Respected Haner Agornin and starved her in an attempt to bully her into complying with his wishes that she give false evidence,” Sher said. At this point Avan just had to risk a rapid glance behind. Selendra looked beautiful, and wore jewels in her hat, but was a clear and shining gold. Gold? Still? How did Sher feel about that? Haner looked pale, as Hathor had said, but resolute.
“Ah. Can you prove it?” Hathor asked, not sounding in the least disconcerted by the alarming news.
“If you can call Daverak’s servants, otherwise there is only my testimony, the maiden’s, and her brother Penn’s.”
“The maiden’s wouldn’t be admissible, but with you and the parson I could prove it to the jury.”
“Penn Agornin absolutely must not be put to the question at this trial,” Sher said.
Hathor thought for a moment. Avan tried to speak, to ask why not, but Hathor held up a claw to stop him. “Shut her up how?” Hathor asked.
“In her sleeping cave, with stones before the door,” Sher said.
The judges were coming. “Be ready to challenge when I get Daverak up and ask about that,” Hathor whispered, then made a motion shooing Sher back to the wall.
Avan was bemused. He wondered if he had perhaps not woken up that morning after all, if it could be a dream. He had been looking forward to this case for so long, and now it felt as if it were getting away from him. And Sebeth, where was Sebeth?
Hathor stood to address the judges, pleadingwig on his head. “Honorables, this case concerns three young dragons who were cheated of their inheritance by the bullying of their more powerful brother-in-law. Dignified Bon Agornin left a will, which will be read to you, in which he states that he leaves all he dies possessed, all his wealth, equally between his three younger children; his two older children, being already established in the world by his aid, should take only a t
oken. The eldest son, Blessed Penn Agornin, is a parson with a good living, and the eldest daughter, Illust’ Berend Agornin, who was then living but who has since herself died, was married to the Illustrious Daverak. It was understood by myself, as Bon’s attorney, and by all the members of his family, that the wealth he spoke of included his body. We are not all lords, Honorables, to eat those dragons of the demesne too weak to survive. But we are all free dragons who may all hope in the fullness of time to eat our parents and thus grow as dragons should grow. Avan, Selendra, and Haner Agornin, dragons of no more than Respectable rank, were robbed of this right, and their father’s intention, by the bluster and bullying of one who is a lord, who should have been their protector, their brother-in-law, the Illustrious Daverak. I will show you, Honorables, how Daverak demanded more than the one bite that was his by right, and how he and his wife and dragonets, those who of all the family of Bon Agornin least needed dragonflesh, came to consume the larger share of his body. I will show you what was Bon Agornin’s intention, I will show you how the Illustrious Daverak bullied his sisters-in-law, and I will show you how he attempted to threaten and bully his brother-in-law Avan, but how this bullying was unsuccessful.”
Dignified Jamaney stood up to answer this for Daverak. “Honorables, Bon Agornin did indeed leave his gold as my colleague has described,” he began. “The Illustrious Daverak has never disputed this. But gold is not dragonflesh, as we shall show. Avan Agornin has allowed greed to overcome prudence and demanded more than his share of his father’s body. If things are as my colleague says,” here he tipped his wig to Hathor, “then why are the two sisters’ names not set down beside Avan’s, why are they not feeling equally deprived? We see here a young dragon’s naked greed. He never wanted this case to come to court, he hoped that the Illustrious Daverak, his brother-in-law, would settle with him by giving him some dragon-flesh to satisfy his greed, would share with him the bounty of Daverak. Avan Agornin hoped thus to profit by his sister’s good marriage. I will be presenting you with evidence of his character, Honorables. He is an adventurer. He is unmarried, but shared living quarters with his clerk, a dragon who he found in the streets, who is not even of respectable rank, as if married to her. He works in the Planning Office, where he is regularly offered bribes. You will hear testimony from a colleague of his. You will hear testimony from his brother, Blessed Agornin, about exactly what Bon said on his deathbed and what he attended. You will hear the parson of Undertor, Blessed Frelt, speak further on Bon’s intentions and what is usual in that area. You will see, Honorables, the way he has persecuted the Illustrious Daverak, even to destroying his health.”
Jamaney sat down again, with a flourish of his wig. Avan craned his neck without turning and saw Kest among Daverak’s witnesses. If he had known, he could have brought Liralen here to testify to his hard work and good character, but he had not known. Too late now.
The next part of the case went much as Avan and Hathor had planned. Hathor juggled his wigs admirably. Bon’s will was read, worthy dragons, including Hathor himself, momentarily wigless, came forward to the center of the circle to testify as to what he meant by “all his wealth” and to the inclusion of his body. Daverak’s attorneys challenged and queried everything. Then Hathor had Daverak’s threatening letter to Avan read, despite many queries.
“May I ask your indulgence, Honorables?” Hathor asked, attorneywig on his head. “I had intended next to call Respected Haner and Respected Selendra Agornin, to testify to their father’s intentions and to Illustrious Daverak’s bullying. But it seems that Daverak’s bullying has made the Respected Haner possibly too ill to speak. She is here in court, but I am reluctant to call her in the circumstances. Instead I would like to call Daverak and reveal his character through his own mouth.”
“Query!” called Mustan, Daverak’s Querier.
Daverak and Jamaney were conferring rapidly.
“I see no reason why he should not be called,” the black-scaled judge said, wearily, looking over Avan’s head, no doubt at Haner.
Daverak went out into the center of the circle. He looked uneasy. Hathor let him stand there a moment as he changed into his pleadingwig to question him.
“You are the Illustrious Daverak of Daverak?” Hathor asked.
“Yes,” Daverak said.
“You were married to the Respected Berend Agornin?”
“Yes.” This came out somewhat impatiently.
“You have three dragonets?”
“No. Two. One died.”
“I’m very sorry to hear it. I gather that your wife has also died, subsequent to the death of her father?”
“Yes.”
“What a very unfortunate year you are having,” Hathor said, sympathetically. One or two of the witnesses laughed. The judges frowned at them. “I can see no need to ask you about the deathbed of Bon Agornin. Nobody disputes the facts of what happened, merely the intentions behind them, is that correct?”
“Yes.” Daverak looked sulky.
“After Bon’s death, you took one of his daughters under your protection?”
“Yes.”
Hathor waited until the court was sure that was all Daverak was going to say. “Haner Agornin?”
“Yes, Haner,” Daverak snapped.
Daverak’s querier shot to his feet. “Query!” he called. “What is the relevance of this line of questioning?”
Hathor whipped off his pleadingwig, kept it in his claw, put on his querywig, and looked at the judge. “I am trying to establish Daverak’s bullying of his relations. I have read out his letter to Avan.” Mustan could be seen to be shaking his head at this. “I wish to establish how he treated Haner and Selendra.”
“It has nothing to do with the case,” the bronze judge said.
“It has everything to do with why his sisters are not joining with Avan in this action, which my colleague tried to show in one interpretation and I wish to prove has another,” Hathor replied.
“Very well,” the judge said. “Continue. But be brief.”
“Yes, Honorable.” Hathor changed wigs again, quickly. “Illustrious Daverak, briefly, why is it that Haner Agornin is too unwell to give evidence today?”
“She is unwell,” Daverak said. “Maidens become unwell from time to time.”
“I put it to you that you shut her up in her sleeping cave and starved her?”
“Nonsense!” There was a murmur in the court. Avan could see dragons craning their necks to see Haner.
“I put it to you that you piled rocks before her door to prevent her from escaping?”
“She is unwell.”
Mustan was again on his feet. “Query! Is there any evidence for this?”
Sher rose to his feet and came forward. “Honorables, may I speak?” he asked.
Daverak bared his teeth.
“Who are you?” the bronze judge asked.
“I am the Exalted Sher Benandi, and I am here because I am betrothed to the Respected Selendra Agornin.”
“Selendra, not Haner?” the judge asked for clarification, looking at a paper before him.
“Selendra, Honorable. Selendra has been living with her brother the Blessed Agornin, in Benandi, where he is my parson.”
“Very well, continue,” the judge said.
“Last night I visited the Illustrious Daverak, in Daverak House. There I found Haner Agornin starved and imprisoned, exactly as the attorney has described.”
“And did you do nothing about this?” the judge asked.
“I had Haner taken to Benandi House, where she has been in my mother’s care. I also challenged Daverak immediately, but he has sent no friend to me. I challenge him again, here, before you all.”
Jamaney sat down and put his head on the ground. Daverak snarled.
“Daverak, you are a disgrace to the order of the Illustrious,” Sher said. “This is the third time I have repeated it. Will you fight me or shall I add cowardice to the tally of your infamy?”
Daverak rushed f
orward, flame jetting from his mouth, knocking Hathor aside. Everyone was shouting. A maiden screamed. Avan ducked as Sher went over his head, bowling Daverak over in the center of the court.
Avan heard the black judge saying something about “Most irregular!” The guards came forward, but the rusty-bronze judge waved them away. Sher and Daverak were rolling on the floor of the court, claws scratching and tails flailing. Hathor ducked down behind the slab with Avan. “Not quite what I was expecting,” he said. “They normally wait to be given permission.”
Fights rarely last long, even fights to the death. It seemed endless, but it was less than five minutes before the whirling flaming clawing heap of dragon sorted itself out, with Daverak dead underneath and Sher, scorched and bleeding, standing triumphantly above. Selendra rushed forward at once to lick the victor’s wounds. Before Avan’s eyes as she pressed herself against Sher’s side she blushed like a bride, from an even gold to a glorious and shining rose pink.
Hathor came to his feet, querywig firmly on his head, pleadingwig lost somewhere out on the floor amid the gore. “I believe we have heard enough of my case,” he said.
“Honorable jury members?” the rusty-bronze judge asked.
“Avan,” one of them said. “Avan,” the others agreed. “We find for Avan Agornin.”
Hathor grinned at Avan.
“Clear the court,” the judge said, with perhaps more reason than on most such occasions when those words are spoken.
16
Rewards and Weddings
60. THE NARRATOR IS FORCED TO CONFESS
TO HAVING LOST COUNT OF BOTH
PROPOSALS AND CONFESSIONS
When Avan got home, reeling, from the court, Sebeth was there, in the sleeping cave. She replied to his whistle as he went down. The relief was indescribable. He smiled, trying not to let her know how concerned he had been.
“Hello, Sebeth,” he said, as casually as he could, throwing himself down on the rocks where they slept.
“How did it go?” she asked, smiling.
“Very well, but surprisingly.” He gave her a brief account of the proceedings, speeding up as he noticed that she did not seem terribly interested. “Then once Daverak was dead and they’d decided in my favor, Sher said I could help myself. So Penn took the eyes and the jury took their share, and then Haner and I divided his body, right there in the court. Sher and Selendra just took token bites. It was as if we’d gone back and were doing it properly after all.”