“And which way did she sail?” Captain Varrik asked.
“I didn’t ask her destination,” Kiela said, “but the closest island is Faysa. It’s east of here.” She added, as if remembering, “She did sail east, I think.” And then: “If she switched directions later, I don’t know. If she is this heir and didn’t want to be found, she most likely did.”
He didn’t react to that, but he barked at his soldiers, “Report!”
Down the line, they reported: because of the poison berries, they could not conduct a thorough search, but from what they had seen, the cottage appeared to be overgrown from every direction, there was no clear entrance that had been used, the brambles were uncut and undisturbed, and the windows and doors were boarded up. One of the soldiers complained about a feral chicken in the midst of the overrun garden. None mentioned a talking spider plant or a mobile cactus or an apple-blossom bird or cloud bears or a lost heir. All of them were adamant that there was no sign that anyone had entered the house in months, and all were anxious to leave the poison-berry-covered cottage.
Kiela managed not to audibly sigh in relief.
The captain bowed toward her. “Again, apologies for the intrusion on your day.”
She wondered again what it meant that he’d invented the nature “fact” about the poison berries. Was he actively trying not to find Radane? It certainly seemed that way. If so, how far would he go?
He asked, “Will you accept a cup of tea at the bakery, in compensation?”
“That would be lovely.” Yet another lie, delivered with a smile.Maybe I’m getting better at this.She led them back through the greenery to the cliff stairs and wondered why he’d suggested tea. Did he want to interrogate her privately? Was she not yet in the clear?
The purple clouds on the horizon were massing, like a bruise in the midst of the blue—it looked as if the sky had been punched. She’d only weathered the one storm on Caltrey so she was no expert, but it didn’t look like it was dissipating to her.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t delay for tea?” Kiela suggested.
“Perhaps you’re right,” the captain said, eyeing the sky as well.
The sailor who’d dismissed the coming storm earlier agreed. “It has grown quickly, but we can still outrun it, if we leave now.”
The captain nodded briskly.
Kiela fell behind as the sailors strode through town, calling for the others. She trailed them to the dock, along with Bryn, Ulina, and other townspeople. Fenerer emerged from his house lugging a trunk and carrying a pack on his back. He pulled it down the dock.
“Requesting passage to Alyssium!” Fenerer called.
“This is not a passenger ship,” the captain informed him. Dismissing him, he shouted commands to his people as they swarmed over the deck, preparing to set sail.
“I request sanctuary!” Fenerer demanded.
Captain Varrik sighed. “On what grounds?”
“Danger of retribution.”
Kiela had read enough legal tomes to know that fear of retribution from the accused was considered a valid reason for granting sanctuary on imperial property, but it was only used in cases where the accused had been found guilty. It didn’t extend to instances of false accusations. In fact, there were laws that allowed those who were falsely accused to demand payment from those who had wronged them.
“Rejected,” Captain Varrik said.
He clearly knew the law as well.
Hmm . . . If he knows the law . . .“Request for payment as the wronged party,” Kiela said.
Fenerer squawked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “You can’t!”
Ignoring him, Kiela said, “This man has leveled false accusations at me and wasted imperial resources and time. As payment, I request that he be removed from Caltrey and relocated to Alyssium.”
Ulina chuckled.
“You dare—” Fenerer began, and then he shut his mouth. His eyes widened, and she could see what she’d said sink in. He turned to Captain Varrik. “Yes, that. That’s fair.”
Captain Varrik glanced at the growing storm. Kiela wondered if he was calculating whether it would be faster to let Fenerer on his ship or to continue the argument. “You may board,” he said. “Understand that this is no luxury vessel. This is a working ship, and we have orders. We will reach Alyssium when our search is complete, not before, and you will pull your weight about the ship and will not complain about accommodations. Is that understood?”
Fenerer was already up the ramp and onto the deck.
