Page 7 of A Trade of Blood

“Well, for one thing, so many folk standing in the street makes it goddamn hard for me to get about! But more, dozens of angry boys holding big sticks with blades attached tends to end badly. If I have to manage more murders today, sir, it shall take me even longer to release your daughter’s body. And that, I know, you do not want.”

“If we leave,” said Burilis, “the Armentas will surely snatch their boy away!”

“And if they do that,” snapped Ana, “I will feed them their own hands! You are aware of what was done in Talagray. I will achieve the same here. Do you doubt me, sir?”

Burilis glowered for a moment. “I will withdraw—but I will take up positions to the east, on the roads to the Armenta holdings. I wish to receive my poor, blessed daughter’s body swiftly—and if the Armentas try to run away with the boy, we shall chase them down! This I swear to you, Iudex.”

“Swear all you like,” said Ana with a sniff. “So long as I can do my duties here, sir, it is all the same to me.”

I waved to our carriage pilot to wait for us at the inn’s stables. Then, together, we entered.

—

“How was that, Din?”asked Ana as I led her inside. “Was it as diplomatic as you desired? I swear, I thought I heard a squeak and squawk as your sphincter puckered beside me.”

I shut the door firmly. “I did enjoy your claim to be so unbiased, ma’am.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Given that, as you made clear during the journey here, you are quite biased against the gentry class.”

“I am not biased against them at all!” she said, feigning offense. “I am merely biased against bastards. The gentry class just happens to brim over with folk of that particular breed.”

“Even when they are grieving fathers?”

“Oh, then they are even more dangerous, boy. A powerful, grieving father will do all manner of mad things to achieve the vengeance he desires! It was only by indulging in the unpleasant tactic of withholding his daughter’s corpse that we extracted any obedience at all.” She cocked her head. “What did you make of his comment, though—that he was so verycertainthis was the first time his daughter had ever done such a thing? Do you think that is so, Din?”

I glanced about the interior of the Cat’s Eye Inn. It was rather a shabby place: the fretvine walls had not been adequately trimmed, and bloomed with pale leaves in the corners. I got the immediate sense that it was a tavern where the lodgers and porters all very carefully minded their own business—and I struggled to imagine any innocent reasons why a gentrygirl would wish to stay here, of all places.

“I think a father’s love, ma’am,” I said carefully, “is often blinding.”

Ana grinned. “Aptly put! Let’s speak to that damned innkeeper.”

The innkeeper was a nervous, doddering little woman named Ithia, who smelled very strongly of cabbage and kept offering us cups of watery tea as we spoke to her at her counter. Before we had evenintroduced ourselves, she told us repeatedly that she knew nothing and could not understand what had happened. It took some work to calm her and hear her story.

“The boy gave his name as Vineo Tibrum,” Ithia said, stammering, “and the girl gave hers as Bosa Muzin. I had no idea who they were, sir, none at all! They certainly had never stayed with me before! The boy arrived yesterday afternoon and took the room. The girl came at evening. I did not ask questions, madam—and sir—for that is not my station. My lodgers enjoy their privacy. But it was not until midnight that the boy came running out! He dashed right down the hall all dripping in blood and ran outside and began hollering madly! Then I…Well. I went to the room, and I…” She trailed off, too horrified to speak.

“Did you hear any screams?” I asked. “Any sound of a struggle?”

“No. No, not at all.”

“None?” I said.

“No, sir. None.”

“And how long were they in the room together?”

“Ahh—Iwould say about five hours, sir.”

Ana leaned forward. “This was thefirsttime they had ever stayed in your establishment?”

“Yes, madam,” said Ithia.

“And they were in there forfivehours?”

“Yes, madam.”

“And you hadnoidea who they were?”