The light through the windows was colored yellow by the thin cotton curtains and lit up the smoke floating in the office. The scribe’s quill quieted for the first time since I began my deposition. I had left out some things, mainly Rodgar, Heldar, and where I had found Helena. I had tied everything up under the label of honest work as best I could.
“Well, it was an odd way to go about it, but it came out all right in the end.” Maderon said. He smiled with his mouth and blinked at me. I moved my pipe with my lips. He was a rough blade, though you might not think it by looking at him, at least not if he didn’t look at you. His eyes always had that look that told of a person who wasn’t bothered by a little thing like conscience. He had fought in the revolution and got a reputation for torturing the soul out of people, then had been moved around a while after the foundation, until he eventually figured out how to adapt his skill set to the new order. Three wars and a few unspeakable whisper jobs later, here he sat, behind a big oak desk with a flaming skull on his shoulder.
Barrick sat to my left and frowned at Maderon like he was looking at a family dog that just wouldn’t stop barking. He was a cap to the bone and hadn’t any idea what to make of the Hunters.
Corowen stood behind him, leaning on the paneled wall and smoking a cigarette rolled about as tight as his suit. He looked like he was a majority owner sitting in on a company meeting and knew he was gonna have to make some heads roll by the end of it. He was the shining polished figure of the urban police at its most lethal and vaunted. A viper in tailored wool. He spoke like he got his voice out of his cigarette.
“So you lot’ll be leaving then?” It should have been a question but it wasn’t. It was closer to a threat.
The other Hunter sitting to the right of Maderon smiled like Corowen had just disemboweled himself. His eyes said he might have had a conscience but it knew when to keep its mouth shut.
“When the time comes.” He said.
“When’s that? Ain't the job done, like he said?” Corowen stabbed his cigarette at Maderon who watched him like he was a singing bird.
“When the time comes. You’ll know when that is because we’ll be gone.” the Hunter said.
Corowen chewed his cigarette. Barrack cleared his throat and rearranged himself in his chair. I blew smoke and pointed the pipe at Maderon.
“I could’ve been knifed in that cave, or torn apart in some wrath dungeon. You telling me you didn’t have eyes on me?”
“As I said, we left all surveillance and any other handling of this case up to Him, with only your team here to serve as a contingency should He require them. Such was as He requested.”
“But I didn’t sign a contract with Him, I signed it with you, and you said my safety would be guaranteed by all the power of the state.”
“And here you are, alive and much richer, which should put an end to your complaining.” Maderon said.
“But it hasn’t put an end to my questions.”
His smile fell off and his lip had the start of a curl.
“You will give me whatever questions you have left when I ask for them. I will decide then what to do with them.”
Corowen piped up.
“I got one for ya. Are the Skulls gonna make a habit of utilizing good caps every time some mage runs loose in the city? Cause if so, I’m gonna expect a bump in salary.“
Maderon’s mouth smiled again but his eyes kept on looking like two furnace doors.
“The only one being ‘utilized’ here is Sir Darron.”
“That’s one way to put it.” I said. He didn’t look at me.
“And that is only because He asked for him by name. You have done nothing beyond the scope of your rank.” Maderon said.
“Sir Maderon,” Barrick said slowly. “My men are unsettled by the fact that from their point of view, the Hunters swooped up one of their own and had him working off the books for four days. If word gets around it might seem to some of them like the Hunters are overstepping their bounds and any one of them could be next.”
“Hmm.” Maderon laughed. “Well, Captain, I leave such concerns to you and your Chiefs, but I suggest you remind them that Sir Darron here was called to take part in the capture of a dangerous fugitive, and the call to serve one’s government cannot be ignored by its servants, regardless of what symbol is displayed on their patch.”
“Must’ve been quite the scary little girl you guys caught.” Corowen said slowly, as if to make sure the words landed right. I dragged on my pipe and I could feel Barrick wince. Even the scribe raised one eyebrow as he took down the words. Maderon spoke as if he was discussing the weather.
“That little girl could have read your mind like a book from miles away as you slept, Sir Osteric. She could have sold everything about you to any number of dangerous individuals who would then know exactly when you’re the most vulnerable…”
“That’d be when I’m taking a shit. Wouldn’t have to go dream dancing to find that out.”
I found something interesting in the ceiling and I saw Barrick smile out of the corner of my eye.
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“Will there be anything else, Sir Maderon? If not I'll need you to sign Sir Darron’s signory termination.” Barrick let his smile color his words.
“Nothing else from you and your men, Sir, besides the signing of your attestation that you were privy to Sir Darron’s deposition. We don’t want to have to look far should any of the details of his efforts become street gossip.” Maderon smiled like a shark.
He signed my term paper, releasing me from the signorship of the Hold of the Hunters and the House of Magic. I was officially a civilian, at least until I resigned with the guard. It was a strange feeling. I got up to leave.
“You may remain, alone, Sir Darron, if you still have any questions.” Maderon said. Corowen and Barrick looked at me and I nodded. They bowed as slightly as possible to Maderon and went out the door. I sat back down.
“You will put up your quill and go out the side door to the adjacent office.” Said Maderon. He was looking at me but the scribe did as he was told without looking up. After a while, I spoke softly.
“Who is He?”
“Hmm. An incredible specimen, to be sure. Not only is every corner of the mind open to him in ways that defy our understanding of the power, but he can rearrange and even create memory, as you have experienced.”
“I mean who is he under.” Maderon seemed disappointed in my more mundane curiosity.
“Well, he’s an asset of the House of Magic of course, but as to who he answers to in practice...” Maderon pointed his first finger above his forehead. The Emperor.
“So he’s a Grim Warden.” That nonexistent unit of mage hunters, supposedly manned by the strongest mages in the empire, was such a fairy tale it seemed strange to say the name in adult conversation, and even stranger to be in a situation that called for it.
“I wouldn’t say that, but He seems to be heading in that direction. He’s young, as strange as it is to say about someone of his ability. His career is quite malleable at this point.”
I puffed on my pipe. I didn’t know why Maderon was answering my questions but I couldn’t help but try and take advantage of it.
“What will happen to the girl?” It was a mistake. Maderon smiled and I knew it was some kind of trap.
“She will be trained, of course.”
I exhaled. “So, you think she’ll sign on?” I knew enough about the House of Magic to know what usually happened to those that didn’t.
“Certainly. With those of her age, it’s just a matter of getting them in the right frame of mind.”
“I thought she was an orphan.” I said. He looked at me strangely for a moment then laughed.
“By the fucking tower son, do you think we operate like the Syndicate? You imagine she’s having her fingernails torn off right now?!” He laughed like a child. I tried not to break my pipe in half.
“We don’t need to threaten family or torture someone to get them to think reasonably. Most of the time, the testimony of other Sworn is enough. Once someone of her passion sees how much the state has to offer, how great a power would be at her disposal to change the world, they almost without exception get on board. Everyone sees this great Empire as a terrifying force, until they are offered a chance to decide its direction. Why do you think the assembly exists?”
I pictured her in night colored robes and a glass-eyed mask, the starred hand on her shoulder. Would she? Did it matter? I would never see her again.
“You could always ask her yourself, if you’re so curious about her future.” He smiled like a cat. So it was a trap.
“I thought she was a dangerous fugitive. Won't she be under lock and key?” I said.
He laughed. “For the present, yes, but I meant at a later time. I’m sure you two could find time to talk, should you remain under my signorship.”
“What good would I be to your outfit? Im a street cap, not a mage hunter.”
“You sell yourself short, Sir. You tracked one of the most elusive targets we’ve had this year. Her ability to conceal her thoughts even from Him is most unusual.”
“It was all by accident.” I said.
“Much of it was, yes, but much of it was also due to a quality that we cannot teach, and thus look for more greedily in our candidates. You were able to navigate the complex and contact one of its members-“
“I almost threw up on myself every time I did that and the only reason I got anywhere was because Helena contacted me. I was lucky enough to be with Liana for a night and that’s all that qualified me for this job, and you know it.”
He had an angle for trying to get me signed on. Whatever it was, I didn’t want any part of it. He sighed and stood up.
“Well, far be it for me to tell you of your own ability if you are so set on the matter.“
He held out his hand. I didn’t get up.
“I haven't got any more answers, sir, nor any more time. If you change your mind, contact my office. Otherwise, good luck with your peacekeeping.”
I stood up and shook his hand and then shook hands with the other skull, bowed to them both and left.
Out in the hall, I instinctively looked to my right, half expecting to see Him standing there. He wasn’t. I looked to my left. Liana wasn’t there either, just empty hallway and a few caps guarding doors.
I went down and outside and Corowen was smoking another cigarette on the second landing of the steps. The street was roaring and the suns were heading to the top of the sky. There weren’t any clouds and the solid endless blue gave me the feeling that the city and the suns were the only things in existence. Corowen walked up to me.
“You alright, Gar? It’s rough them dragging you out like this.” He said.
“I was about done laying around anyway.” It had been a rough few days in the hospital. I had picked a fight with an orderly when I tried to return to my unit and he had told me I wasn’t in the war anymore. There was a lot of that, being ten years old for an hour, being four days younger for half an evening, but it all cleared up in time for me to be summoned to the office.
“You give that story straight?” he asked.
“Yea. I didn’t bend it up, but there might have been some jumps in it.”
He smiled, then it snapped to a frown and he got closer.
“It was a tough move, turning her in.” It was almost a question.
“I didn’t really turn her in. I just went down and then she was gone. That part didn’t have any holes in it.”
He took a drag while I was talking and blew the smoke in different directions while he looked around.
“He offer you a sign?” He said.
“Yea. How’d you guess?”
“I wouldn’t take it.”
“Why is that? You got a cousin in the skulls?” Corowen had a million cousins. If he ever got knocked over on the job there’d be an army sniffing around taking down names.
“No, it's Him. He’s dark, man. He's like something out of a fucking fable. Those desk knights in there try and act like he’s all wrapped up, walking around with a badge on him, taking out a salary and shit. Fuck that. He’s not on the fucking tables. Demons don’t have ranks, understand?”
I nodded. He dragged and looked around again before starting up, this time quieter and closer.
“He’s been around a while, in the hidden places.”
The hair stood up on the back of my neck and I tried not to look around. Corowen was about the last person I would pick to have the Power. It seemed more likely he had family who did. No wonder he hated the skulls.
“He made such a mess they took him on but now they got a dragon by the tail. No matter what they offer you, don’t take it. And they won’t give her to you either, if they made it look like that.”
“They did, and I won’t. Trust me, I’m over it. I just wanna go back to work, the kind I understand. I’ve had enough fae shit for a lifetime.”
He nodded. He didn’t believe me, but he had done enough to feel all right about it. We said goodbye and parted and I took a cab to the northside. I had gotten a letter from Rodgar while I was in the hospital and now seemed like as good a time as any to pull up some work.