Alas, that particular flavour of redress was not to be.
Troubled by a host of thoughts, Cutter approached the entrance to the Phoenix Inn. He noted an old carter leading an ox away, but had no reason to give it any further consideration. As soon as he walked inside, he sensed that something was wrong. Irilta was behind the bar with a bottle in her hand — not, he saw, to pour dunks for customers, but to lift it to her mouth, tilt it back and take punishing mouthfuls. Her eyes were red, startling in a pallid face.
Few people were speaking, and those who were did so in muted tones.
Meese was nowhere to be seen, but Cutter noticed Kruppe, sitting at his table with his back to the room — something he had never before seen him do. A dusty bottle of expensive wine was before him, four goblets set out. Kruppe was slowly filling the one opposite the chair on his right.
His unease deepening, Cutter walked over. He pulled out that chair and sat down.
There was no sign of Kruppe’s usual affability in his visage. Grave, colourless, bleak. In his eyes, raw anguish. ‘Drink, my young friend,’ he said.
Cutter saw that the remaining two goblets were empty. He reached out. ‘This is the expensive stuff, isn’t it? What’s happened, Kruppe?’
‘Honourable Murillio is dead.’
The statement felt like a body blow, punching the breath from Cutter’s chest. He could not move. Pain surged up through the numbness, sank down again only to return once more. Over and over again.
‘A duel,’ said Kruppe. ‘He went to retrieve a lost child. The Eldra Mines west of the city.’
Something jerked inside Cutter, but he could make no sense of it. A recognition? Of what? ‘I thought — I thought he’d given all that up.’
‘Given what up, my friend? The desire to do right?’
Cutter shook his head. ‘Duelling. I meant. . duelling.’
‘To effect the release of young Harllo. The mine’s owner was there, or one of them at least. History comes round, as it is known to do.’ Kruppe sighed. ‘He was too old for such things.’
And now came the question, and it was asked in a dull tone, a voice emptied of everything. ‘Who killed him, Kruppe?’
And the round man flinched, and hesitated.
‘Kruppe.’
‘This will not do-’
‘Kruppe!’
‘Ah, can such forces be resisted? Gorlas Vidikas.’
And that was that. He’d known, yes, Cutter had known. The mine. . Eldra. . the history. He knows about me. He wanted to punish me. He killed Murillio to hurt me. He killed a fine. . a fine and noble man. This — this must stop.
‘Sit down, Cutter.’
I mean to stop this. Now. It’s what she wants, anyway.
‘Coll is coming,’ Kruppe said. ‘And Rallick Nom — Crokus, leave this to Rallick-’
But he was already moving, eyes on the door. Irilta stood watching and some shy;thing in her face caught his attention. There was dark hunger in her eyes — as if she knew where he was going, as if she knew — ‘Cutter,’ she said in a rasp, ‘get the bastard. Get him.’
And then he was outside. The day’s brilliance was like a slap, rocking his hand. He gasped, but breathing still wasn’t easy. Pressures assailed him, and rage rose in his mind, a nightmare leviathan with gaping mouth, and its howl filled his skull,
Deafening Cutter to the world.
The day is stripped down, time itself torn away, the present expanding, swallowing everything in sight. It is an instant and that instant feels eternal.
Recall this day’s beginning. A single breath, drawn in with love-
Bellam Nom took a length of braided hide, made loops at both ends. He crouched down in front of Mew. ‘See this loop, Mew? Take it in your hands — I’m going to hold on to the other end, all right? We’re going out. You just keep hold of the rope, all right?’
Round-eyed Mew nodded.
‘Don’t worry,’ said Bellam, ‘I’ll walk slowly.’ He then went to Hinty and picked the girl up, taking her weight in the crook of his left arm. Her thin arms wrapped about his neck and her wet nose brushed his cheek. Bellam smiled down at Mew. ‘Ready?’
Another nod.
They set out.
Snell was still with the old bodymonger, and Bellam had no interest in retrieving him just yet. He had no idea what had happened to Myrla and Bedek, but he left a message scrawled out with charcoal on the surface of the lone table, telling them where he’d taken Mew and Hinty.
Murillio should have been back by now. Bellam was getting worried. He couldn’t wait around any longer.
They walked slowly through the crowds. Twice Mew was inadvertently tugged loose from the rope, but both times Bellam was able to retrieve her. They left the unofficial neighbourhood slum known as the Trench and after some time they ar shy;rived at the duelling school.
Bellam set Hinty down in the warm-up area, instructed Mew to remain with her little sister, then set out to find Stonny Menackis.
She was sitting on a stone bench in the shade-swallowed colonnade running along the back end of the practice yard, her long legs stretched out, her eyes on noth shy;ing. When she heard him approach she glanced up. ‘Classes cancelled. Go away.’
‘I’m not here for any lessons,’ Bellam said, surprised at the harsh judgement in his own voice.
‘Get out,’ she said, ‘before I beat you senseless.’
‘Too many people, Stonny, are stepping in for you, doing what you’re supposed to be doing. It’s not fair.’
She scowled. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Murillio hasn’t come back?’
‘Everybody leaves.’
‘He found Harllo.’
‘What?’
He saw interest flaring to life in her dark eyes. ‘He found him, Stonny. Working in a mining camp. He went to get him back. But he hasn’t returned. Something’s happened, something bad — I can feel it.’
She stood. ‘Where is this camp? How did he end up there?’
‘Snell.’
She stared. ‘I’m going to kill that little bastard.’
‘No, you’re not. He’s taken care of. We’ve got a new problem.’
At that moment a small figured stepped into the corridor, stared at them.
Stonny frowned. ‘Mew? Where’s your ma and da? Where’s Hinty?’
Mew started crying, and then rushed towards Stonny who had no choice but to take the child into her arms.
‘They’ve gone missing,’ said Bellam. ‘I was taking care of them, waiting, but they never showed up. Stonny, I don’t know what to do with them. I need to get home — my own parents must be going crazy with worry.’
She spun round, still holding Mew, and her face was savage. ‘I need to get Har shy;llo! Take them to your home!’
‘No. Enough of this. Take responsibility for them, Stonny. Once I let my parents know I’m all right, I’ll go and find Murillio. Take responsibility. You owe it to Myrla and Bedek — they did it for you. For years.’
He thought she would strike him, saw the fury warring in her eyes. He stepped back. ‘Hinty’s in the warm-up, probably sleeping — she does that a lot. Oh, and they’re hungry.’
He left them then.
It took the words of a young man — no, a boy — to do what Gruntle could not do. It took a barrage of blunt, honest words, smashing through, against which she had no real defence.
She stood, Mew in her arms, feeling as if her soul had been blasted open, and all that was left was a hollow shell, slowly refilling. Refilling with. . something. ‘Oh,’ she whispered, ‘Harllo.’
Shardan Lim was waiting for Challice when she returned home. He rose from the ornate bench but did not approach, instead standing, watching her with an odd expression.
‘This,’ she said, ‘is unexpected.’
‘No doubt. Forgive me for intruding on your. . busy schedule.’