'Moment of truth then, Dinlay said as Edeard stripped off and scurried into the shower.
'Yes, Edeard called out above the spray of water.
'I've never known so many people say they're coming out to vote. I suppose that's a victory in its own way.
'What do you mean?
Dinlay had sat himself at the small table where one of the ge-chimps was serving him with fruit and cereal. The second genistar was tending the kettle on the iron stove. 'You've finally got people stirred up about the city's leadership. Before, it never really made any difference which candidate you voted for. Nothing was different afterwards.
Edeard stepped out and started rubbing himself dry with a towel. 'That's down to Finitan rather than me.
Dinlay laughed. 'I'm not sure I believe the false modesty routine any more.
'Okay, if I'm that confident about myself, how come I'm not standing?
'Not the right time, Dinlay said shrewdly. 'For all you achieved, you're still too young. Even Captain is pushing it.
'Ha! Edeard grunted. Walsfol hadn't objected to Ronark's astute manoeuvring; indeed he'd been keen to accept the old captain in his own office at the Courts of Justice. Crucially, Owain had mounted no challenge to Edeard's promotion as he took charge of the Jeavons constable station. Coming into direct conflict with the Waterwalker while the city's mood was unknown was not something the wily Mayor would allow to happen. They'd maintained a scrupulously courteous attitude to each other ever since the Sampalok riots. Sometimes it was all
Edeard could do not to snigger at how polite they were whenever they met. There were strong elements of farce to the encounters.
Edeard flicked his friend's epaulettes playfully. 'Thank you, Corporal.
'That's different, Dinlay said, straightening the epaulettes. 'These were well deserved and sorely earned.
The ge-chimp brought two large cups of tea over to the table. Edeard picked his up, and gave Dinlay a mildly concerned look. 'Er… you didn't want to be Master of Sampalok, did you?
'By the Lady! Dinlay was genuinely shocked. 'No, Edeard. I'm a constable. And that means so much more today, all thanks to you. I'm going to be Chief Constable to your Mayor.
'Okay. I was sort of improvising back there.
'I know. But it was a clever choice. He already knows far more about Grand Family politics than I ever will.
'The Grand Council needs to worry about her, not him, Edeard said.
'And that's a fact.
They grinned again, then finished their light meal in companionable silence. The ge-chimps cleared the table, then started picking up Edeard's discarded jogging clothes, putting them in the laundry basket. Dinlay paused as he was pulling on his jacket, noticing something odd. His third hand swiped one of Edeard's odd running shoes. 'I've never seen anything like this before. Did they have them in your village?
'No, Edeard said as he buttoned up his own jacket. 'Something I dreamt up. They're very comfortable to run in.
Dinlay shrugged and gave the shoe back to the ge-chimp.
They walked out of the tenement together and headed for the district's public hall. Edeard's farsight swept through the scene ahead. The hall stood by itself in the middle of a square, a strange onion-shaped building standing on twenty fat pillars. Big folding wooden doors had been fixed between them, sealing off the large central auditorium from the elements. The curving internal wall that overlooked the chamber was ribbed by eight narrow galleries that provided access to the hundreds of small unlit cubicles wrapped around the whole structure like a honeycomb. For once, the galleries didn't have Makkathran's bad stairs between them, instead the hall boasted steep ramps. Nobody ever really used the galleries or their cubicles.
On the floor of the auditorium long tables had been set up, along with voting booths. Constables from Jeavons station worked alongside a team from the Guild of Clerks preparing the hall ready for the election. The clerks had their big ledgers of official registry ready, along with sealed boxes of ballot papers.
People were already arriving outside, well ahead of the official starting time. They were all watching the end of Forpal Avenue when Edeard and Dinlay emerged, farsight had forewarned everyone the Waterwalker was on his way. Edeard smiled pleasantly as he moved through them, making sure his mind was well shielded, not allowing anybody to see how nervous he was becoming. He'd never seen an election before. Back in Ashwell the vote for the Mayor was limited to village elders.
Felax opened the door to let them inside the auditorium, saluting as they went past. Edeard saluted back; it was good to see constables actually out of the station again on active duties. The team he'd built up to help him fight the gangs had spent far too long cooped up in the small hall working diligently through paperwork like apprentice clerks. Now they were out on patrol again, visible and helpful to citizens as they should be.
The clerks inside the public hall were completing their preparations. As soon as Edeard arrived Urarl beckoned him over to the first table.
'Boxes are ready for inspection sir.
'Thank you, Edeard said. He looked to the master of Clerks standing beside Urarl, who nodded. Edeard used his farsight to examine the wax seal on each box to check if it had been tampered with. He couldn't sense any flaws.
'They are undisturbed, he announced.
'I concur, the Master of Clerks agreed. He proffered a clipboard to Edeard, who had to sign the docket for each box in triplicate. The Master added his signature.
Under Urarl's instruction, Marcol and two other probationary constables opened the boxes and started distributing ballot papers along the tables. Edeard did his best not to smile at Marcol's diligence. The boy was trying desperately hard, and slowly succeeding in throwing off his Sampalok upbringing to shape up as a decent constable.
'Almost time, the Clerk Master said.
Edeard used his farsight to perceive the Orchard Palace. The Grand Master of the Guild of Clerks was standing on the balcony that faced Golden Park. He was waiting stoically, a big brass pocket-watch in his hand. Everyone in the hall finished what they were doing and waited. It was a scene that was repeated in every single district across Makkathran.
'I declare the voting open, the Grand Master longtalked.
Dinlay gave Felax the okay, and the auditorium doors were opened. First in were the accredited observers from both mayoral candidates, who presented their papers to the Master of Clerks and Edeard. Balogg, the current Jeavons District Representative was the first voter, as tradition dictated. He was followed in by his two rivals. All of them were allied to Finitan, claiming to support the banishment.
Edeard watched with quiet interest as the voting began. People came in and went over to the clerks, who confirmed their residency in the ledger. After that they were issued with their two ballot papers, one for the Mayor's office, and one for the District Representative. They went into the little booth to mark the paper, most casting a seclusion haze for privacy, though some proudly and openly put crosses down for their candidate. Finally, the ballots were posted through a slot in the lid of a metal box that was already locked and sealed. The keys were kept by the Grand Master of the Clerk's Guild. Edeard couldn't see any way to cheat the system, providing everything was conducted in the open and monitored by honest dependable officials. Which, In-acknowledged sadly, was the weak point.
Dinlay had taken great delight in telling him of hidden ballot boxes stuffed with voting slips by a single candidate that
'appeared' along with the real ones in the Malfit Hall where the count would be made. Of the 'ghosts' on the registry. Of bribes. Of people claiming to be someone else.
'If voting never makes a difference, Edeard asked, 'why go to so much trouble?