by Pam Uphoff
"Humph. Well, I've talked to everyone on Udzi's house computer's list of welcome guests. They were mostly the old aunt's friends, half the rest are too old or otherwise infirm to have done it. And there's not a motive to be found."
"Right. I'm going to go talk to Jioh, then talk to the rest of these women Udzi had his eye on."
She walked into the stable yard, apprehensively. A small crowd was watching the lower pasture. Xurug was trotting down the fence line, head up, eyes on some distant horses. A neigh from the stable brought his head around, and he galloped back.
"He's still going strong, after spending half the morning running." Jioh spoke from behind her. "I have two grid cams running, following him, both with advertising for equine products. The vet came with his portable ultrasound and says all the veterinary schools have called him wanting daily updates. Even if he does pop a couple of rocks, it'll be worth it, just to see him looking so good again."
"He is an Olympic gold medal eventer. It's not like he's even average, let alone bad. How many times have you cursed yourself for gelding him?"
Jioh paused. "Umm. Well, stallions are such a pain in the arse in competition. Umm." Her eyes swung from Xurug, back to the stable.
Xiat left her pondering and headed for the next young woman on her list.
Cair Neartuone was slow and warm and . . . cushiony. She looked like the ideal old man's bedwarmer. She batted long black eyelashes at Xiat. "I was thinking about it. I mean, I scraped by with one bare complete set and a couple extras. If I tried to play the Game, I'd be preggers inside of a week. So, a nice old man, money, a house . . . I told my big brother to negotiate." She shrugged, wavy black tresses sliding across pale shoulders. "I can put up with the Aunt for a bit, but not forever, so when he died, I either wanted the house, or enough money to buy a house. Depending on kids, you see? Because he didn't have any. So there's a bunch of nieces and nephews in his will." She reached out languidly and picked up a foil wrapped chocolate from a cut crystal bowl, and peeled it slowly, a corner at a time. "I guess we ought to have been a bit faster about it." She placed the chocolate between perfect white teeth and half closed her eyes as she savored it.
Xiat swallowed. "Ah, I'll bet you've got plenty of boys hanging around."
Cair smiled. "I dunno. I think I like the idea of a rich old man. Maybe I'll look around for another one."
Further uphill, Veol Clostuone was the daughter of two Servaones. They had a tiny three room suite in the back of their employer's home.
"I told Daddy, Hell no! But did he listen? Not a chance." Veol had silky sandy brown hair down to her butt, blue eyes and a wasp waist. The wasp also had her tongue. "Always coming back with a better offer. Same old man, though. No. No. No. I'm going to have fun, and no babies. These pretty boys can dance like anything, and bring me presents. I'll worry about picking up a stipend in a decade or two. I think it's poisonous, anyway, that Mummy and Daddy get twice the educational adjustment for my big brother as for me." Sniff. "Wretched Neartuone. 'He needs to go to special classes, indeed.' He isn't that much stronger than I am."
The rapid fire chatter was aimed at Xiat's reflection in a mirror as the girl swept rouge carefully over her cheeks, and pouted her red lips. She nodded in satisfaction. "The mistress is giving a party. With some young men on the guest list. Withiones. Now they've got glow!"
Across the ridge, and down in the woods, the lots were smaller, the houses tiny, and within the price range of a working family. Neaq Servaone was hosting a backyard party around a hot tub, clothing optional. Xiat opted to come back tomorrow.
"Everyone is throwing a party because of this damned vote." She juggled comm and comp as the investigator chuckled. She signed in and voted for Ozji, without bothering to think too hard. She glared balefully at the clouds. They weren't getting any thinner.
"I think we should talk to Ewmo. He's the only boyfriend whose name has come up. Maybe he didn't get the word about Udzi wanting the little sister instead of his squeeze."
"Can't hurt. Meet you at Aunt Zowm's?"
Aunt Zowm was the Ax's older sister. Elwy was her fourth husband, and had been so proud of the son he'd engendered, not to mention her three exes he'd just pissed on, that they'd stayed married for the intervening seventy-three years. He was a sub minister in the agriculture department, and traveled frequently. He was too proud to admit to a hearing problem.
At the moment he was traveling up and down stairs to their attic. "Zowm just has to have all the crystal she put away forty years ago, because it was out of style. Then she spotted something like it on some silly fashion show, and she has to have it all fetched back down. She's in the kitchen driving the servants to drink with menu changes. You'd think she'd never given a party."
They trailed the old man up the steep stairs to the attic. "Is Ewmo about, somewhere?"
"Oh no. Wouldn't let him get within ten feet of a box of good crystal. I don't need any help." He flipped on the light. "Now, as I recall, they were in white boxes, and we put them about in the middle of the side wall. Yeah. Behind this chest, where they wouldn't get tripped over and broken. Because things always do come back into style, don't they?"
Xiat let the man babble on. Her attention was on a long case, the sort of thing one might carry a musical instrument in. It wasn't designed to carry a sword, but it was long enough, and noticeably free of dust.
The investigator studied it, and turned to Elwy, and his boxes. "This case looks new. Have you taken up playing the clarinet or something?"
"Clarinet? What? Huh. Don't remember that case. One of the boys must have brought it. Dunno how it got up here." He juggled boxes uncertainly.
"Sorry, didn't mean to delay you, when you've got your arms full. Would you like me to carry one?" The investigator chivvied him downstairs.
Xiat opened her comp and pulled up a search warrant request, filled it out and sent it, called the station and requested the lab. She walked downstairs and waited. Her comp chimed. She printed out the warrant, and handed it to Elwy when he came back.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to go up until our lab people have looked at that case. Most likely it's nothing." Elwy gawped and stammered at the warrant, then the lab truck arrived.
No prints on the outside. Inside it was padded, with the form of a sword impressed in the foam. A faint scent—the lab had a fast field test for the exact chemical digester used on the body suit. It matched.
"Right. The murder weapon was carried here, the case hidden. Now let's search the rest of the house." The investigator was smiling tightly.
Xiat pointed the lab guys at the dining room. "If it's clear, we'll use it as an office. Good thing Aunt Zowm hasn't set the table yet. Uncle Elwy, you've got a household of Ewmo's friends staying here, don't you? Why don't you tell me about them? Ewmo's working in the Commerce and Trade department, isn't he? Are these new friends from there?"
The man waved that away distractedly. "No, they wouldn't come to Black Point during this convention. You can't suspect Ewmo. He was hosting a party for the young set when Udzi was killed."
The lab guys pulled out of the dining room. "All clear."
"What?" Elwy looked after them, then hustled through the dining room to the kitchen. "Zowm, get out here, we’ve got a problem."
"Oh, what now, can't you see I'm . . . Who are those people, and who are you?" Zowm's gaze left the investigator again for the lab guys as they ran their instruments over the furniture in her parlor.
"I'm Investigator Efku. We're investigating Udzi's murder. We're testing for some chemical residue that is important to the case. I understand Ewmo had a party here, the evening of the ninth?"
"Oh, young men and women, you know how they are! Just a few friends, really . . . I . . . we know them all . . . they wouldn't . . . " She shut her mouth long enough for her brains to catch up.
Elwy was already there. "We have Ukky, Orqu, and Atmy staying with us. Ifbo, Azky, Wpja, Ushy and, umm, Eccu was here, too, wasn't he?"
"Yes, they came for the party, and left about two in the morning, between them and those Servaone girls, Ewmo will have a completely watertight alibi." Aunt Zaom's anxiety level dropped to half its former peak. "And you are no doubt mistaken in suspecting any of our guests."
Xiat checked the names and affiliations of the young men, so as to be sure of getting the right ones. Damn these names, anyway.
The lab found evidence of the chemical digester in several rooms of the second floor. The house was built back into the hill, the second floor was at ground level in the back, where a large room held a gaming table, a wet bar, huge vid screen and a variety of chairs and sofas. Two bedrooms and a bathroom were at the front of the house and opened to the game room.
"Ewmo has a nice big bedroom upstairs." Aunt Zaom wrung her hands as she obeyed orders to stay well back.
"The chemical itself is long oxidized and gone, out here. But a few fabrics have been affected. That bedroom, the bed shows a spot that's been broken down. Three spots out here. The bathroom—one towel."
The investigator scowled at the shower.
The head of the lab team muttered something about it being big enough for a three some, and probably had seen several. He caught a glare from Zowm. "We'll check outside now." Grimaced at the raindrops, now coming closer together.
"Right. Now, we need to speak to Ewmo and your house guests. Do you know where they are?"
"Up at Kiaj's, of course. They'd be insane to not make points on their connections to Ajha. Bless the One! Of all the people to be a new Philosopher! Ajha!"
The investigator looked bilious, and turned to the lab people. "Bag everything up. Seal the attic. I want to talk to all these young men. Lady Zowm, can your party remain downstairs?"
She gulped. "I suppose it had better."
Outside, the rain was coming down steadily. Xiat joined the investigator in his car. "So. Our assassin stows his gear in Aunt Zowm's attic. Retrieved it during the party. And what? Put the suit on in the attic and jumped out the window? Tight fit. Perhaps he just tossed the suit and sword, then went back down and out. Everyone drunk, lights dim, patio doors open—it was a nice night, bright moonlight. He could walk right through and out."
"Dress, run up the hill and kill Udzi." The investigator nodded. "Back down the hill, suit and sword down the drain, and walk into the party. Except he'd have had the digester all over his clothes. Shoes, too." He stopped in front of Aunt Kiaj's, but pulled out his comm. "Check the roof, look for the digested residue of shoes and clothing." He dropped the comm in his pocket and they headed for the house.
The party was both casual and subdued. A Southern Season football game was playing on the vid screen with the sound turned off. Two couples were dancing on the covered half of the patio, door open despite the damp chill. Ajha waved from the far side of the room, and pointed toward the patio. They worked their way through the crowd.
"I'm quite sure I didn't plan a party, but one seems to have sprung up anyway." Ajha looked at his watch. "Five more minutes till the voting closes. Then the poor reps have to start their dance. Ajki left a half hour ago."
"Then Arlw will Rule the World!" Ewmo had found enough to get drunk on.
"Or Ozji," Ajha put in, unwisely.
"You didn't! You voted for that old man?" Ewmo staggered out the door, Bo trailing, looking disgusted.
"I flipped a coin. Well, not really, but I might as well have."
"I don't think I'm going to be one of your followers." Bo shook his head. "Pacifist. Coward. Quitter. Native Lover. Hey, did you really screw a Comet Fall witch?"
"Two of them, actually." Ajha wrinkled his forehead. "For just a moment there I could almost lie."
"Hey, those were deadly insults, aren't you going to challenge him?"
"Nah, those were just drunken . . . where the hell did you get those swords, Ask Me?"
"He brought them to show Ewmo." Bo got in Ajha's face and backed him out into the rain. "You man enough to use one, or did those Priests already cut off your balls?"
Xiat lunged forward as Bo shoved Ajha. Ajha leaned, turned, grabbed Bo's arm and rolled him over his hip and the low rail and dropped him about four feet to the slippery mud of the slope.
"Nice!" She leaned over the rail as Bo scrambled to find his feet.
Someone caromed into them and Ajha cursed as he went over the rail. Someone at the back of the crowd laughed and she caught the flash as two swords were tossed over everyone's heads. Fortunately missing the two on the ground as well. Bo slid down and grabbed one, and Ajha backed up cautiously to the other.
"This isn't a good idea, Bo."
She saw the spell as a flick of light. Ajha shrugged it off.
Xiat slammed an elbow into the person pressing her into the rail. A perfect setup! Two idiots sliding around in the mud and pine needles on a slope, with swords in their hands. Drunk, laughing. It would look so accidental . . .
The body behind her wasn't budging. "Let the Philosopher show what he's made of."
"Orc, don't be a blithering idiot!" Where the One Hell are those guards? Are they being blocked as well?
Ajha slid further downhill, and metal tinged as he pressed Bo's blade aside. They both slithered down to the path and found better footing. Bo lunged, lightning fast, Ajha parried, then the blades were moving so fast she couldn't follow them in the dark and rain. Spell sparks flew and the faint glow of mental shields was more visible than the men.
The guests started vaulting over the rails. Xiat dropped her barriers to half and hit Orc with a stun and dropped him. She climbed the rail and jumped. Lost her footing on the slick slope. Slid and rolled to the path. She saw Ajha lunge, Bo deflect the sword to the ground.
The snap of the shattering blade was quite distinct. Bo's blade rose as he lunged. Ajha's right hand reached across and closed around the blade a third of the way from the point, deflecting it, he let the lunge pull him into a spin, back to the blade. His left fist, still holding the hilt of the broken sword, slammed into Bo's nose.
Bo staggered backwards, jerking his sword from Ajha's grip. Ajha pivoted on his left leg and kicked out with his right. Bo threw himself back to minimize the impact. His elbow hit a tree and the sword flew from his hand. Bo blocked the follow-on snap kick, backing rapidly, throwing enough spells to make Ajha keep his shield up. He obviously wasn't going to break through.
Ajha advanced, they exchanged a flurry of blows, then Bo got a hand on Ajha's shirt and pulled him off balance. Ajha grabbed back and stepped off the path. They slid, rolled and flailed their way further down the hill. Ajha found enough footing to leap the water-filled ditch along the road. They faced off again, on the hard tarmac.
Xiat could hear the investigator calling for a halt, and cursing. They both knew Bo wasn't going to stop, so Ajha didn't dare. Xiat jumped the ditch in time to see Bo toss Ajha into the trees on the other side. The whole wild pack of spectators whooped and threw themselves down the next slope. She could barely distinguish the fighters, couldn't tell which was which, could see that throw, but the next looked more like a slip and trip than a deliberate . . . They rolled out onto the next road, a few feet from Aunt Zowm's. A car whipped around the corner. Ecclesiastical guards leaped out and one muddy figure got his shoulder into the other's stomach and shoved him into the ditch on the far side of the road. Cursed and flopped. They rolled around, hit the slope and started sliding again. Xiat was well to the side, and she threw herself downhill, got ahead of them and was waiting on the lower riding path as they floundered off the hill. One man flopped limply to the ground. An arm came back for a late blow.
She stepped in and snapped the handcuff on, got pulled forward, but concentrated on getting the other cuff on her own arm, and then heaving Bo away before he could strike the helpless Ajha. They slipped off the path and rolled downhill until they hit a tree.
Her prisoner yelped, then started laughing. She sat up, straddling him.
"Xiat! I didn't think you cared!"
"Ajha!"
She gawped at him.
"And you can get off me now. Unless you really like mud, handcuffs and . . ."
The guards grabbed her and removed her as far as the cuffs would permit, then removed them and shifted her ungently away from their charge.
"Relax, guys. Bo and I were just playing around. Right, Bo?"
No answer.
"Damn! I didn't kill him, did I?" Ajha scrambled up the hill, his hovering guards had their hands half-raised like they'd like to grab him and haul him off. About half of them were covered in mud, all of them radiating fury around hard-held mental shields.
Bo was twitching slightly. An ambulance was already turning down the street. Someone must have called it about the time the duel started.
Let Bo go? One Damn it all! "I do not believe you'd get into a drunken brawl a day after meeting all three Philosophers!" She glared past the fence of guardians.
Ewmo laughed.
"And you lot! Egging them on. I swear you haven't grown up at all in the last fifty years." She shook mud and the detritus of the forest floor from her sleeves, grabbed the investigator and hauled him away for a conference.
***
Ajha soaked in hot water for about an hour before he dragged out to face the still furious Guards. He looked at their rigid faces and sighed. Invited them all into his bedroom for a discussion.
"As you know, we've had a political assassination here. It doesn't really involve the Patriarchy, it's part of the political Game in Paris. I am reasonably certain that Ifbo was the assassin. No doubt if he'd managed to accidentally kill me, something incriminating would have shown up in my stuff. Stand still! You will leave Ifbo alone, because he is the only string we've got, to follow back to the Principal. Got that?"
"Yes. We'll find a reason to shift him . . . "
"No. He's easier to watch if he's living here."