There must have been at least fifty senators standing before us in their fine tunics, their cloaks under one arm, nestled in shade on the one side of the stadium where the sun remained constantly behind them. I pitied those who stood roasting gently in the heat on the opposite side.
Our position was at one of the curved ends of the track, where a bold black line marked the start and finish of the race. Made of compacted sand the track was lined by yellow wooden poles. The other end of it was barely discernible, and even what was close enough to observe was almost vanishing in the shimmering heat.
After glancing at some of the faces around us – some of which I knew, some I could recall seeing from my brief walks around the Regallum area – I reached into my pocket to examine Veron’s list, and scanned down the names.
Nucien Malvus was the one I desired to talk to most, and I enquired with Veron whether or not he was here.
‘Oh yes, he’s here all right,’ Veron said. ‘May I introduce you to him now? I would take great delight in seeing the expression on his face when you arrest him.’
‘If you feel it necessary,’ I replied. ‘Though I’m not actually going to arrest him – I just want to talk.’
‘It is not necessary, but it would merely be one of life’s little pleasures to see his smug face confronted by an officer of the Sun Chamber. I don’t even care if he’s involved with Lacanta’s death.’
Veron led the way. We moved past the other senators and their guests, some of them nodding politely to me, some deciding not to meet my eye, and more than one glancing at Leana with disdain. Veron stopped before a tall, bright-eyed, long-faced and handsome individual who couldn’t have been much older than me. He held himself with great posture, relaxed shoulders, straight back; he had clearly spent some time in the gymnasium, too. His tunic was cut from a fine green cloth, inlaid with precious stones, and his boots were highly polished. All in all it was far too much for a day like this, but he didn’t seem in any discomfort.
I made sure my brooch of office was on full display as Veron made his announcement.
‘Senator Malvus,’ he declared, louder than was required, ‘I wish to introduce to you officer Lucan Drakenfeld of the Sun Chamber in Tryum. He wants to have a word with you concerning the murder of Lacanta.’
Malvus’ countenance soon cooled. He examined us, the small party who had come to ruin his morning. I gestured for us to step to one side. ‘Please, we can do this in the sanctuary below if you’d prefer.’
‘As you wish, Drakenfeld,’ he growled.
Veron took a gentle bow with his arm out wide, indicating the path for Malvus to walk. The senator strode back the way we had come while Veron merely stood there smiling. ‘Enjoy, Drakenfeld.’
Nucien Malvus
In the dark, relative calm beneath the stadium, I stood a better chance of hearing what Nucien Malvus had to say about himself. On the way to the venue Veron told me what he knew of the man. Before our conversation, I already knew that Malvus was the youngest in the Senate, and only because of a quirk of law and good timing, and in no small part because of his fabulous wealth. As a result of this he often went about with the air of untouchability, Veron explained, which in turn inspired the man’s attempts to steer various factions of the Senate according to his whims. Though I trusted Veron on some issues, I didn’t when it came to rivalries in the Senate. There would be another side to Malvus’ story, no doubt.
We walked along the neat rows of stalls, which weren’t as busy now that people were filling the stadium proper. Leana stepped vigilantly behind us, ensuring we would not be disturbed.
‘I was wondering when you’d come to find me,’ Malvus murmured. For a supposedly arrogant man, he had become very humble in his composure.
‘What makes you say that?’ I asked.
‘Come on – Lacanta is dead, so who would be the likely killers? Usually lovers and those closely associated with her – we are the ones dragged up before the courts, paraded about in public to have our innermost secrets aired. It’s good sport for many, I’m sure – there’s much pleasure to be had in watching successful people suffer.’
‘You seem rather experienced in such matters,’ I observed.
‘I have some legal training,’ he replied, ‘though nothing of the calibre of the Sun Chamber.’ There was a note of admiration in his voice.
‘The truth remains that anyone could still be responsible for Lacanta’s murder,’ I said. ‘It’s only been a few days and the case grows increasingly complex, so I am ruling out no one.’
‘If you care to share, what have you found out so far?’ he asked.
‘Your name in a book that belonged to Lacanta, for one thing.’ I smiled at his curiosity: senators, everywhere, were after information.
Malvus didn’t flinch or seem remotely surprised at my statement. ‘The two of us were close – this much is probably known by several senators. I gave her the book – something she might appreciate, as she liked to read.’ His words came slowly and with great consideration. ‘She was ever-eager to expand her knowledge of the arts.’
I recalled there were texts other than a book of plays. ‘Tell me upfront, to save us both a lot of hassle: were you and Lacanta lovers?’
‘I suppose that depends on what you mean by love.’ He laughed, but it was a sad noise devoid of his previous self-assurance. ‘If you mean, did we share a bed? Then no, we did not. Lacanta was enticing. She was flirtatious, even, but she was always chaste – something I respected greatly. For better or worse, such qualities are to be valued in people of Tryum. She once kissed me, though – softly, briefly, on the lips, and I valued that even more.’
I frowned. ‘I need you to be clear with me about this. You’re telling me your relationship together was not of a sexual nature?’
‘No.’
‘Did you ever try to engage in sex?’
‘I would have liked to,’ he replied. ‘There’s no harm in that is there? I wasn’t exactly going to push my luck on the matter and actually ask her, what with her brother being king – I value my neck too much. So I waited for Lacanta. I made my intentions obvious. I tried to seduce her with as many lovely words as I could possibly manage, but I would have been waiting a long time.’
‘People have told me she was very forthcoming when it came to such matters.’
‘People say a lot of things,’ he snapped. ‘You’d do well not to listen to people.’
‘That would make my job difficult,’ I replied. ‘Were you the only man or woman competing for her attentions?’
‘Probably not, but that doesn’t mean she bedded everyone, does it?’ he grunted. ‘And even if she did, would that cast her in a bad light?’
‘I’m not here to judge her lifestyle, I can assure you. I’d like to set her soul to rest quickly, so help me out: were you alone in seeking her affections?’
Malvus inclined his head. It was incredible how his demeanour could alter from one of extreme arrogance to something far more humble and considerate within a few sentences. ‘No. There were others on the scene. I don’t know if they were chosen by her for more intimate purposes, but what does it matter now?’
‘It could matter a great deal,’ I said. ‘Were you there, that night, at Optryx?’
‘I was, yes, very briefly towards the end. I couldn’t stand to be there for the first few hours, not with Maxant posturing about all over the place.’
‘I’ve heard descriptions of Lacanta seducing people in public. Is that really why you didn’t want to be there?’