Multiverse mashup omnibu.., p.66
Multiverse Mashup Omnibus, page 66
“I agree. But she is an expert at deception.” He stopped and leaned back against the wall, then ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. “We have gotten nowhere today. We learned nothing from any of the Keepers.”
He wasn’t wrong. The Keepers were a varied bunch, some pleasant, some not. Coin had been just as much of an ass as when he had first sicced the Peaceful on the kids. Faith was smug and smiling and oozed insincerity. History was the kindly grandpa who kept launching into boring stories. We interviewed them and all the rest, but got no indication that any of them knew anything about any secret way into the Keeper of All’s bedroom. I had gently probed for clues to my own personal mission as well, and learned just as little.
“It might not be a Keeper,” I said. “But we had to start somewhere.”
“I started days ago. Blast!” He pounded the wall, then covered his eyes with his forearm. “Mysteries and deceit. Treason and assassination. Give me an honest war any day.”
My heart broke for him. I had only known Maccus a day but I had already come to appreciate his plainspokenness, a rare trait in this world of political intrigue. The responsibility of untangling this twisted mystery was wearing on him.
I took his arm and gently lowered it from his face, hoping to distract him from his distress. “What did you do before, back in Western Green?”
“I was a soldier. I served our local lord. Western Green borders a Banned Land, and we defended our people from raids. I had a house. Some land. It was a good life.”
I don’t know if he noticed that my hand was still touching his arm, but he didn’t move it away. “How did you wind up here?”
“I made the mistake of saving the Keeper of All’s life. He was visiting, we went riding, there was an ambush.” He shrugged, and his arm pulled away from me. “The previous Keeper of Peace had recently died. I was appointed.”
“Could you have refused?”
“No.” He looked away. “Perhaps. I don’t know.” He shook his head and stood away from the wall. “It doesn’t matter now. Whether I should be Keeper of Peace or not, I am, and we have one more interview to conduct this morning.”
“Right.” I stepped aside to let him lead the way down the hall. “Let’s go meet the queen.”
“I told you before, don’t call her that.”
“What do I call her? Keeper? Hearth?”
“Other Keepers might refer to her as Hearth, but in person she is addressed as Highness.”
“Your Highness? Isn’t that what people call queens?”
“Just Highness. And I’m not saying she isn’t the queen, I’m saying we don’t call her that. If she likes you, she may tell you to call her by her name. If she does, only call her Malinali in private interviews. At the Claiming tonight, you would still call her Highness.”
“Got it. I think. That’s complicated.”
He barked out a laugh. “Protocol. I hate it. Every Kept Land has its own and it’s impossible to keep track. I scarcely go a month without insulting some visiting noble.”
“You’ve questioned her already, right? How did that go?”
“As well as any other. She knows she’s the prime suspect in most people’s eyes.”
“You think she wants her son on the throne? Killed the Keeper so Ustoffe would inherit and she could rule by proxy?”
He shook his head. “I said it’s what most people think. I don’t. Malinali is devoted to her child but she is in no hurry to see him on the throne. You’ll see when you meet her.”
We arrived at the wing of the castle containing the not-queen’s chambers, passing the two guards on duty outside the late Keeper of All’s rooms. They saluted, and Maccus gave a half-hearted salute back.
We reached another door, just as large as the other. There were four Peaceful on duty, and they repeated the salute.
“Does she usually have this much protection?” I asked.
“It’s not for her. Ustoffe must be here.”
The Peaceful stepped aside and Maccus opened the door. The main room of Malinali’s suite was only slightly smaller than her husband’s, but it was much more inviting. She had less of a need for ostentation, I gathered. A blazing fireplace provided most of the light, as this chamber, like the other, had no windows. The furniture was attractive and tasteful, and the room was designed for comfort and company. A semicircle of couches and chairs stood near the fireplace, all empty.
Five Peaceful stood guard, stationed all over the room. They were distracted, and took a moment to snap to attention when Maccus entered. The source of their distraction was a young boy of thirteen, who knelt on the rug with a sixth Peaceful. The boy was fair, with a round, simple face and dirty blond hair. He was dressed elegantly, in white and pale yellow silks.
“Keep it steady, dolt,” he hissed at the Peaceful. “Don’t let it scratch me!”
“I’m sorry, my lord,” the Peaceful replied.
The guard was pinning a squirming, hissing black-and-white cat to the rug. The boy held its head in one hand, and with the other he was attempting to yank out one of its whiskers.
“Hey!” I shouted. I ran across the room and shoved the little rotter off the poor animal.
The boy - obviously Prince Ustoffe - fell back on his heels and looked up at me in astonishment. “You struck me! You can’t do that!”
The cat howled and bolted for another room as the guard jumped to his feet. All six of the Peaceful drew their swords and advanced on me, putting themselves between me and the boy.
“Stand down!” Maccus yelled. “Back to your posts!”
“Beat him black and blue!” Ustoffe yelled back.
The guards hesitated, but ultimately obeyed their commander. I saw a few smirks suggesting they weren’t entirely unhappy to see their beloved prince given a good solid shove.
“Obey me!” Ustoffe shouted. He gave one brute of a Peaceful a kick in the shins, which went entirely unnoticed. “I am your prince! You have to obey!”
An interior door opened and a woman appeared. This was Malinali, the Keeper of Hearth. She was younger than I had thought. Thirty at most. She was tiny, pale skinned, with hair so blonde it was almost white. She wore a diaphanous pale-blue gown and a small golden tiara, with no other adornments. “What is all this racket?”
“That man pushed me, mother!”
She gave Maccus and me a quick appraisal. “And what were you doing at the time, my fine and honest son?”
Ustoffe looked down and dug his toe into the carpet. “I was conducting a scientific experiment.”
“You were torturing that poor cat again, weren’t you?”
His eyes widened. “History told me that whiskers help a cat see and I wanted to know what it would do if I—”
She held up a hand and the boy stopped immediately. “Enough. I told you to leave the animal alone. I won’t have you being cruel, Ustoffe. I won’t have it.”
He kicked at a chair, very lightly. “I’m sorry, mother.”
She turned to me. “You must be the Truthseeker.”
I bowed slightly. “Jed Ryland, Highness.”
She gestured for us to sit around the fireplace. “You must call me Malinali. Like Maccus, I have never been comfortable with titles.”
She took the grandest chair, and Maccus and I sat on the small sofa next to it. Ustoffe came and stood behind his mother, shooting me nasty looks.
“Ustoffe,” Malinali said, “this man is going to ask you some questions. You will answer them truthfully, do you understand?”
“Yes, mother,” he grumbled.
I hadn’t actually been expecting to interview the prince quite yet, but I decided to make the most of the situation. First, though, I figured I’d better smooth things over with the little brat. “Sorry I pushed you, Ustoffe.”
“My lord,” Maccus corrected me softly.
“My lord,” I said. “I have a soft spot for animals.”
He drew designs in the back of the chair with his finger. “I wasn’t going to hurt it.”
I could have quibbled with the idea that yanking out a cat’s whiskers wouldn’t hurt it, but I let it go. “Are you looking forward to the Claiming tonight?”
“No.”
“No?”
He looked at me as if I were an idiot. “Why would I want to be Keeper of All?”
I was at a loss. “Well…you’ll be in charge of everything. You don’t want that?”
“Everyone already has to do what I say. The Keeper of All has responsibility. Princes get to do what they want all the time.” He sniffed. “My father was supposed to be Keeper of All for years and years yet.”
Malinali twisted in her chair and gently pulled Ustoffe to her side. He sat on the arm of her chair and leaned his head on her shoulder.
“I’m very sorry about your father, my lord,” I said.
He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “My father was the greatest Keeper of All there’s ever been. Do you know who killed him yet?”
Maccus answered. “We do not, my lord. Not yet.”
“Are they going to kill me, too?”
Malinali squeezed him tight. “No one will hurt you, my son. No one.”
His face, softened with tears, suddenly contorted in rage. He pushed himself away from her. “You can’t promise that! You’re useless! I wish you had died instead of father!”
He bolted into anther room, slamming the door shut behind him. All six Peaceful immediately followed. As they re-opened the door I heard the boy scream, “Get out! Get out!” then “Bring me the cat!” before the door closed again behind them.
“I’m sure he didn’t mean that, Malinali,” Maccus said.
Malinali was trying to keep the hurt from her face, with only moderate success. “He’s not as cruel as he seems, Truthseeker. You know there is goodness in him, Maccus? Don’t you?”
“Of course,” he said. “I have seen him be quite kind to his favored attendants.”
I didn’t ask how he treated his unfavored attendants. “This must be a hard time for him. For both of you.”
She smiled at me, then looked over her shoulder at the door through which her son had ran. “He’s not used to being so closely guarded. It’s making him more fearful, and when he’s afraid, he…” She looked back at Maccus. “If I could have some time alone with him, I could—”
“It’s for his safety, Malinali,” Maccus said. “And yours.”
Her smile tightened. “I suppose I shall have to get used to it. Ustoffe will become Keeper of All tonight, and we shall never be alone together again. Isn’t that right?”
Maccus shifted in his seat. “I’m sorry, Highness.”
She shook her head. “Don’t start calling me ‘Highness’ just because I’m angry with you, Maccus.” She sighed. “We had best get to business. You have questions for me, Truthseeker. Ask them.”
I met Malinali’s eyes. She raised an eyebrow, her smile unchanged, and didn’t look away.
“Did you kill your husband?”
“Jed!” Maccus spun on me, his mouth hanging open.
I shrugged. “Why not get right to the point?”
“Indeed,” Malinali said. “Do you know how old I was when I married Edric?”
“Young.”
“I was thirteen. The same age Ustoffe is now. Sold by my father to a strange man, twice my age. Veskoule, my home, is a beautiful country. Have you ever been?”
I shook my head.
She leaned her head back. “It’s far to the north. Ustoffe has never seen it. Edric would never let him take such a long journey. It snows more than half the year there.” She frowned. “It’s never cold in Sacred Oath. Almost twenty years I have lived here, and the weather still feels wrong.” She looked at me again. “Edric and I did not live as husband and wife. But he was kind to me, and he waited for me. He was under a pressure to produce an heir, but he waited for me to be ready.” She sat up. “He was a good father to our son. And now he is gone, and I am expected to help Ustoffe rule over this land that is still so strange to me, when all I want in the world is to finally show my child his first snowfall.” She looked up at me. “Did I answer your question?”
“I think so, yes. Thank you, Malinali.”
She nodded and sat back, gazing into the fire.
“Did you know about the secret passage in your husband’s room?” I asked.
She didn’t look at me. Her eyes stayed on the crackling logs. “Secret passage?”
“It’s how the murderer got in and out.”
“No. No, I wasn’t aware of any secret passage. I’m sorry.” She looked at me and smiled. “Is there anything else?”
“No,” Maccus said. “Thank you, Malinali. We won’t bother you any longer. You have much to do to prepare for the Claiming tonight, I’m sure.”
“Very little, in fact. I’m just another Keeper, as far as Faith is concerned.” She rose, and the two of us jumped to our feet. “Good luck with your search, Maccus. And to you as well, Truthseeker. Oh, and tell History to bring his grandchildren by tomorrow.” She laughed. “I’m trying to imagine him fathering a child. Or maybe I’m trying not to imagine it, I’m not sure.”
We laughed politely. Maccus bowed, and I followed suit. We left the room and walked a ways down the hall, then paused halfway to the Keeper of All’s chambers, out of earshot of the guards.
“She was lying about the hidden door, wasn’t she?” Maccus asked.
“I think so, yes. She knew about it.”
“Damn it. That’s not good.”
I bit my lip. “I believe her when she says she didn’t kill her husband, though.”
“As do I.” He shook his head. “Though perhaps I am blinded by our friendship. Power is a strong motivator, and she will be Keeper of All in all but name when Ustoffe ascends.”
“Could she have any other reason to lie about the passage? One that doesn’t involve regicide?”
He blew air out of his lips. “The Keeper of Hearth’s Oath includes not speaking of private matters learned from the Keeper of All. So that the ruler of the Keep can share weighty matters with his or her spouse without fear.”
“Okay. We already think that knowledge of the secret passage was passed down from Keeper of All to Keeper of All. Maybe he told her about it, and told her not to tell anyone.”
Maccus considered, then nodded. “Perhaps. She would have to lie to us, if that were the case. But we have no way of proving it.”
“No,” I agreed. “I’m afraid we’ll have to move her up on the suspects list, for now. Does she have any connection to the Keblians?”
“None. Veskoule and Keblia are on opposite ends of the world. She may have met some residents of Sacred Oath with Keblian blood, I suppose. They’re common enough. And most of the Keepers learn at least a little of the Keblian tongue. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing that might incite treason.”
“Hm. What about Ustoffe?”
He raised an eyebrow. “He’s a devil, make no mistake.”
“A devil who’s about to become your monarch.”
Maccus rubbed his forehead. “Promised God keep us. What you saw with that poor cat is the least of Ustoffe’s cruelties. We hope that between Malinali and the council of Keepers his excesses can be controlled. But as for whether he’s our killer, I don’t think so. He worshiped his father, and the thought of becoming Keeper of All terrifies him. There’s no suspect there.”
“I agree. He’s more pawn than king in this game, I think.” I sighed. “Well, that’s all the Keepers interviewed and it isn’t even noon yet. What now? On to the household staff?”
“I believe your charges are already taking care of that.” He clapped me on the back and grinned. “Shall we see how the mystery of the missing fish is coming along?”
Twelve
“Where’s Maude’s kitchen?” I asked as we started down the main staircase.
“Quite a distance,” Maccus responded. “It’s on the ground floor, in the middle of the western side of the castle. It’ll take us a few minutes to get there.”
I got a little dizzy as we spiraled down a few flights.
“I’ve told you a bit about Western Green,” Maccus said, breaking the silence. “What was it like, growing up in Uscurg? I’ve heard it has its own beauty.”
“Oh, it does, it does. I travel a lot, though. Don’t get there much. Hey, what’s the insignia on that banner mean?”
If Maccus knew I was changing the subject, he was polite enough to let it slide. He explained to me the story behind some random coat-of-arms we had passed. There were ancient houses and bloody wars centuries past involved, the kind of history that seems very important to everyone in a universe like Sacred Oath’s, but which I find a boring digression. I’ve forgotten the details, and none of it was relevant to any of the matters at hand, but it passed the time as we walked through the castle.
We walked through a large dining hall and into the kitchen. It was immense, with huge stone ovens and long wooden counters. Several storerooms led off on either side, and across from the entrance was an exterior wall with one large doorway leading outside, and several open windows.
The staff were all gathered near the doorway to the yard. Billy and Sally were standing up on a nearby counter, and everyone was gathered around them, enraptured. Cuna stood off to the side, looking somewhat amused. Her arms were crossed and with one finger she idly scratched the pale scar on her deep brown cheek as she watched the children.
“How goes it?” I asked her.
“We’ve been here two hours,” the tall warrior answered. “They have spoken, in great depth, with everyone in the kitchen, from the great and terrible Maude down to the lowest scullion. Everyone is in awe of them. I heard one kitchen maid swear that they are not children but imps in disguise, for no child could be so keen of wit.”
The kids spotted us and waved. “Hello, Jed!” Billy called out. “Hello, Maccus! You’re just in time!”
“Solved the mystery, have you?” I asked.
The three of us cut through the small crowd to join them at their counter. Billy hopped to the ground while I lifted Sally down.
“Not yet,” Sally said. “But I think we’re almost there.”
