“Oh, Langhorne,” Alahnah breathed.
“You do know where she went?” Gahstahn’s eyes, the same hazel as his daughter’s, widened with sudden hope.
“Uncle Gahstahn, she told me she was going to meet with friends.” Alahnah released his hand to put both her own hands on his upper arms. “She said one of them was Sebahstean Graingyr. They were going … going to discuss a petition.”
“A petition?” Gahstahn repeated sharply, but there was less surprise in his voice than Alahnah had expected. Or than she wanted to hear. “A petition to whom?”
“Vicar Rhobair,” she said quietly. “They wanted … they wanted him to … look into their concerns about all the arrests the Inquisition’s been making.”
“Sweet Bédard.” Gahstahn closed his eyes, his face sagging suddenly. “I knew she hiding something from me—I knew it!” He opened his eyes and managed another fleeting caricature of a smile. “I could always tell when one of you was up to something. But I told her—I warned her—that sometimes, in the middle of something like the Jihad, you can’t just.…”
His voice trailed off, and Alahnah nodded slowly while tears welled at the corners of her eyes.
“We don’t know—don’t know—that … that anything bad’s happened,” she half whispered.
“When was the last time Krystahl didn’t warn me if she wasn’t going to be home?” Gahstahn asked bleakly. “At the very least she would’ve sent a message!” He shook his head. “She’d never have done something that would have caused me to worry this much—not willingly, anyway.”
“What … what are we going to do?” Alahnah asked in a very small voice.
“We aren’t going to do anything,” her uncle told her sharply. “You’re going to stay entirely out of this, young lady!” She opened her mouth to protest, but he shook her sharply by the shoulders. “Listen to me, Lanah! I don’t want you doing anything that could get you in trouble, too. If … if Krys is already in trouble, you need to promise me you’ll stay as far away from it as you can. I don’t want anything happening to both my daughters!”
The tears broke free, rolling down her cheeks, and he gathered her into a fierce embrace.
“Then what are you going to do?” she asked in an even tinier voice, one that was almost inaudible over the wind blowing about the apartment building.
“I’m going to find Krystahl.” His voice wasn’t a lot louder than hers, but it was carved out of granite. “I’ve checked with the Guard, and I’ve checked the hospitals. I haven’t checked with the Inquisition. Yet.”
“But if … if—”
She broke off, unable to complete the sentence, and his expression was as granite-like as his voice.
“If the Inquisition’s arrested Krys,” he said unflinchingly, “it has to be a mistake. I can’t even begin to imagine anything she could’ve done to get herself into that kind of trouble, but young Graingyr and his lot…” He tossed his head, his worried eyes touched with a flicker of anger. “I could see them doing something stupid, and if she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the Inquisition might have taken her in for questioning.” He swallowed. “Even if they did, they have to let me at least talk to her—that’s the Inquisition’s own law! And when I talk to them, explain that they must’ve made a mistake, I’m sure they’ll release her as soon as they can.”
Alahnah nodded quickly, although she was sure of nothing of the sort. Neither was he, she thought; he just wasn’t going to admit that to her.
“You’ll tell me what you find out?” The question came out as a command, but he shook his head.
“If I can. But if the … misunderstanding’s more serious than I hope it is, I may not be talking to you for a while.” His lips twitched another smile. “I’m sure we’ll get it all straightened out eventually, but for now it would be best if I didn’t get you involved in … anything.”
She started to protest, then closed her mouth and nodded unhappily.
“Well,” he said with forced brightness, “I suppose I’d better be going. If I’m lucky, I’ll find Father Charlz in his office. We’ve known each other a long time, Lanah. I’m sure he’ll be as shocked as I am by the notion that the Inquisition could have any reason to take Krystahl into custody!”
.VIII.
HMS Fleet Wing, 18,
Gulf of Dohlar,
and
Manchyr Palace,
City of Manchyr,
Princedom of Corisande,
Empire of Charis.
“Are you all right, Hektor?” Lieutenant Hahlbyrstaht asked quietly, and Hektor Aplyn-Ahrmahk looked up from his wineglass quickly.
The cabin provided to HMS Fleet Wing’s captain was tiny compared to similar quarters aboard larger ships, but it didn’t quite seem that way tonight. The weather had been unseasonably warm for the last three days, so the broad, diamond-paned stern windows were opened wide on a beautiful view of the silver moon, just rising from the waters of the Gulf of Dohlar, and the wind scoop fitted to the skylight sent a brisk, cooling breeze through it. Hektor and his first lieutenant shared supper at least three times each five-day, catching up on all the innumerable decisions involved in commanding even the smallest warship, and this evening weather and breeze had combined to make it a far more pleasant meal than many. But Hektor had been noticeably distracted, and Hahlbyrstaht looked concerned.
“Hmmm?” Hektor’s eyes were a bit blank for a moment, as if he’d been staring at something only he could see. Then he smiled quickly.
“Sorry, Zosh.” He shook his head. “I’m afraid I’m just a little distracted at the moment. Thinking about Irys.”
He smiled again, more broadly, and Hahlbyrstaht smiled back.
“I can understand that,” he told his CO. “I may not be married yet, but Marzh plans to fix that as soon as I get home! And I have to admit there are times I find myself thinking about her … a lot. Besides,” his expression sobered a bit, “it’s just about time for the twins, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Hektor nodded. “Yes, it is, and to be honest, that’s a big part of the reason I’m thinking about her at the moment. I’m sure she’s fine. Pasquale knows Daivyn’s going to make sure he has the best healers in Corisande looking after his big sister! But I’ve discovered it’s a lot easier for my head to feel confident about that than it is for the rest of me to go along with it.”
“Probably be something wrong with you if it wasn’t. And it’s not like the two of you had a whole lot of time together before the Navy sent you back off to sea, either.”
“I guess not,” Hektor acknowledged, although both of them knew the Navy would have done nothing of the sort to any member of the imperial family, especially given the damage to his arm, not to mention the minor matter of just whom he was married to, if the family member in question had objected.
“Well, I think we’re just about done, anyway,” his first lieutenant said. “I can’t think of anything important we haven’t already covered, anyway. Can you?”
“No, not really.” Hektor’s smile turned crooked. “Of course, we just finished agreeing I’m a little distracted this evening.”
“Fair enough. You deserve the chance to be a lonely husband every now and then.” Hahlbyrstaht touched him on the shoulder in a display of affection he wouldn’t have allowed himself in front of the crew. The captain’s sacrosanct dignity must be maintained at all times, even in so small a ship. Possibly even especially in so small a ship. “Why don’t you sit down and write her a letter or something while I discuss that sail survey with the Bos’un? If anything else occurs to you, you can always tell me about it later.”