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“Do you know what this is?” I continued, not waiting for their answer. “This is how I take testimony. It’s very important you tell me the truth, and I won’t be angry with you whatever you tell me. I’ll tell my… employer… that you need help if people are trying to make you lie about what you saw.”
“Who’s your employer?” their father asked.
“Silver. The Judge.”
He relaxed. “Go ahead, tell her.”
“It said, ‘I am Cayagaga. The oath is broken. I am violated, an’ I will take rec’pense if it is not given.’” Deb spoke even more rapidly this time.
“Who beat you?”
“Nobo—”
I held up a hand. “You have to tell me the truth.”
“They didn’t see.” Their father spoke to the LawBook. “Someone stunned them, rolled them in blankets, beat them, and told them worse would happen if they kept telling that lie.”
I grabbed the Lawbook and turned it off before shoving it in my bag. Then, I headed for the door, noting to myself that if I found out who hurt the kids, I'd do what I could to take care of them.
Ephraim followed.
“I can lead you, ma’am,” he said.
“I’d like that.” My bones ached as we walked toward the muck. I had to do something to appease Greene’s order, and a trek to the site would yield information, even if it was brief. At the least, I’d know the location.
The boy took me roundabout, wandering the edges of the bog, to a small hill that overlooked the orchard his sister had mentioned. I kept an eye on the sun as we went, since often it wasn’t safe to be outside after dark. The river here had overflowed its banks, rolling through the orchard, and it smelled as bad as the mucky water looked.
I shuddered. Almost like sewage and mold.
Pushing aside the smell the best I could, I tried to focus on the task at hand. If the creature the children saw was the spirit of the river, as I suspected, I needed to approach it as politely as possible. To do so, I would need its name. Greeting it by namemightjust make it a bit less hostile, which was essential when communicating and negotiating with spirits. Luckily, I thought I had an easy way of figuring out the spirit’s name.
“What’s the river’s name?” The wind shifted, rolling up to us through the orchard.
I stared at the water, breathing through my mouth. My prayers that my nose would stop working went unanswered. The reek of fouled water increased, tinged with decomposition, combining to make me nauseous.
“Cayagaga. Like what the creature said its name was. We saw it back there.” Ephraim pointed to the center of the trees. The wind shifted, stirring ripples in the water.
Measuring the light, I had time for very little exploration before we hurried back. While I liked the thrill and rush of a fight, I didn’t want to risk the boy.
I stripped my gloves off, uncovering my fingers, and immediately the chill nipped at them. Winter clung to the air with hooked claws and the evening sun shed little heat.
My talent for feeling emotions at a distance cooperated this time, and I sent my awareness out, questing for the curl and dip of animal thoughts. The usual creatures of the field answered me, but nothing with the brains or power to do something on this scale. I tugged my glove back on and shook my head.
“We need to get back.”
He led me back to the settlement at a half run to get us back to town before dark. Bright squares on the street, from the electric lamps I’d seen earlier, illuminated the town. They must have an old solar-powered generator, making the batteries even more valuable to them. The yeasty scent of beer, roasted meat, and bread drifted around me when I walked in. My stomach snarled, beating the queasiness down.
Ephraim walked into a cookshop in which his father and sister sat, sharing a meal. He let me at the door as I surveyed the area. The eating room was almost full. The trade in food and drink was brisk.
I did get a small table to myself. While folk eyed me with curiosity, the status barrier of a gem held them off. Even though my gem didn’t mean I had wealth and power, the people who told me what to do did.
As time passed, I was even happier we got here before sundown. The crowd had grown until people had to stand at the bar to eat.
Which meant the whole place was busy.
I sighed, frustrated at the prospect of my lonely bed. I took another pull on my drink, working my jaw to loosen it. Then I sighed and signaled for stronger spirits. I had enough money, on account from the earlier trade, to afford a stiff drink.
I smiled at the girl who brought the spirits, tossed back a gulp, and nearly choked. The fire raced into my belly to nestle with the stew I’d just eaten. It was a pleasant sensation, even if it took me a bit by surprise. I wiped a stray tear away, and then I sawhimcome into the bar.
