“I have never been there.”
“And yet you know the Lady Tamara.” Shock surged through Rik. How did the Inquisitor know about that? He kept silent, staring at Joran, waiting for some cue. Joran’s smile widened a fraction. He gazed at a point somewhere over Rik’s shoulder. It was all Rik could do to keep from turning his head to see if someone was sneaking up behind him. He did not want to take his eyes of the Inquisitor though.
“You talked to her in secret at the House of Sardontine.” Rik felt almost like laughing in spite of the trap opening at his feet. He had feared the Inquisitor would accuse him of many things, but being a Sardean spy was not one of them.
“Who told you that?”
“The Inquisition has eyes and ears everywhere. You were seen to disappear into Lady Sardontine’s chambers. Most people assume you were having a tryst with the Lady herself. I have reason to think that you were consorting with one of the Dark Empire’s most effective agents.”
Joran smiled. “Does Lady Asea know about that?”
“Well?” asked Joran. “Does Asea know?”
“Does it matter?”
“It might. If, for instance, she has been dealing with the Sardeans and you were merely her agent, then perhaps you could save yourself by telling us the truth.”
“Is that how it goes?”
“I don’t know. Enlighten me.”
“Asea has not been dealing with the Sardeans.”
“Yet she met with Malkior in Harven. We know this. So did you, as a matter of fact.”
Was Joran merely fishing? What did he really know? “I met him at a ball given by the Harven Council of Merchants.
“Of course, what else did you think I meant?”
“Nothing. I was merely stating a fact. If by having contact with the Sardeans, you mean meeting someone at a ball, I am sure many other people must qualify for that as well.”
“You are not in any position to get clever with me, youth. Let me spell things out- in Morven, you met with Tamara and Jaderac. So did Asea. In Harven you met with Tamara’s father, Lord Malkior. Here in Halim you personally met with Tamara again. Shortly after all of these events, Queen Kathea was assassinated, by Lord Malkior, who it is claimed you then killed. Have I summarised events correctly?”
“Yes.”
“You can see that it would not take much effort on any fair minded person’s part to put a somewhat sinister interpretation on these events.”
“I can think of other interpretations, such as the truth.”
“Ah, the truth. At long last we get to it. So tell me what is the truth of these matters?”
“Tamara and Jaderac were already at Morven. They had business with Ilmarec, were trying to win him over to the Sardean cause. They were not then the enemy. We were not at war with Sardea.”
“That has changed. What makes you think Malkior killed Kathea?”
He told me so, Rik wanted to say, but common sense kept him polite. “He was there. He had blood on him. He boasted of what he did.”
“To you. There are no other witnesses.”
“I am surprised that you cannot produce some. You seem to have them for everything else.”
“I am not sure I like your tone.”
“And I am not sure that I like yours. Perhaps we can both do our best to be polite under the circumstances.” Rik wondered if the Inquisitor was really as shocked as he looked. It was possible he was not used to being talked to in this fashion.
“Your patron is very powerful, and her influence shields you to a certain extent, but it is unwise to make me angry.”
Rik knew that was undoubtedly the case. He bit back a hasty retort and spread his hands apologetically. “I do not like being accused of being a Sardean spy. All my life I have been a loyal subject of the Queen. I swore an oath to serve her as a soldier.”
He sounded quite sincere, even to his own ears, and he suspected it was really the case. He was loyal to Asea and the army, and he supposed when push came to shove he was loyal to Talorea as well. If humans had to live under Terrarch rule then better there than Sardea, that was for sure.
Joran pushed his advantage. “What did you talk to Tamara about?”
“She wanted me to kill Asea. She offered me quite a lot of money to do so.”
“You admit you talked with an agent of a foreign power about assassinating a high noble of the realm.”
“It seemed like the best way of finding out what she wanted. As your spies have no doubt informed you, Lady Asea is still alive.”
“You are starting to be insolent again, young man.” Joran stressed the word man as if it were an insult. Rik paused and took a deep breath, calming himself, unwilling to be provoked further, to cede the advantage in this interrogation.
“I resent the insinuation that I might actually wish to do harm to my patron, the one who shields me, as you have pointed out, from your wrath.”
“Does Asea know of your discussions with Tamara?”
“Of course- who do you think told me to go ahead with the meeting?” That was something a Terrarch would have no trouble believing. Humans were notoriously incapable of independent thought as far as they were concerned.
“So you are saying that Lady Asea ordered you to make contact with an agent of a foreign power.”
“For purposes of finding out what that agent wanted.”
Joran looked at him. “How much did Tamara offer you to kill Asea?”
“As much as I was prepared to ask for. She told me the Queen-Empress herself would not be ungrateful.”
“Were you tempted?”
“I have no sympathy with the Sardean cause and would do nothing to further it.”
“That is not what I asked.”
“I was not tempted. Anyone can make promises. Asea has done more than talk.”
“I could have you burned at the stake simply for talking to Tamara. You know that?”
This was the crux of the matter, Rik thought. “You could have my life for many things. We both know that. You are an Inquisitor. I am a human.”
“No, youth, you are not. You are a Terrarch and must be tried as such. I have made my decision on that at least.”
Rik was taken off balance by this sudden switch, as he suspected the Inquisitor wanted him to be. Joran smiled. “Do not worry. You are not beyond my reach. If I decide you are guilty of treason, your action will stain a Terrarch house. Lady Asea’s actions have consequences for others beside you.”
“I expect she knows that.”
“Yes. I expect she does. You are free to go.”
“Inquisitor Joran thinks he’s being subtle,” said Asea. She sat by the fire, a book of ancient sorcery open on her lap.
“In what way?”
“He is making it very clear to all that you are my creature, Rik. I petitioned the Queen to make it so. Any disgrace that befalls you will be associated with me. He is forcing me to protect you in order to protect myself and my House. He thinks it will constrain my ability to manoeuvre.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“Yes. The process has already begun. I made the petition before Kathea was killed when you were still the hero of the hour. Now Kathea is dead and suspicion falls on you, and by implication on me. Recognising you as my ward emphasises this. There are many ways he could build a case against me, if that is what he wishes.”
“Do you think he does?”
“You have a lot to learn about politics.”
“Tell me something I do not know, Milady.”
“I am a power in the land, Rik. There are many beholden to me for favours, and some think I have influence on the Queen herself. Perhaps once I did.”
“I do not follow.”
“Inquisitor Joran is a very ambitious fellow. He is looking for leverage on me to further his own aims. I have no doubt that at some point down the road, some well prepared case will be shown to me, and I will be asked to do something for him in return for getting it dropped. It will probably be done in such a way that it will be easier to buy him off than to fight it.”
“That’s blackmail.”