Daverik stared at her for a moment, thinking.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I cannot speak his name. Good night, Zusa. I’ll buy you some time before Vrashka returns, claim that I’m giving you a day or two to think on my request. Come back to the order, and all will be forgiven.”
“They won’t let me come back,” Zusa said as he opened the door. “You know that. What would stop me from leaving once I am free of the temple? What would keep me chained and bound to the Faceless? The moment I accept myself into the Faceless is the moment I die. But that’s what you want, isn’t it? At least my soul would be saved.”
She could not deny the hurt she saw in Daverik’s eyes at her words.
“Someone will bring you food in a few hours,” he said. “Rest well.”
The door closed, plummeting her into darkness. The water glowed a soft blue, yet it cast no light about the room. The sight of it sickened her, so she closed her eyes, shifted her arms as much as she could given the constraint of the manacles, and tried to sleep.
23
One after another died to the executioner’s axe, and the sight slowly calmed Victor’s nerves. The deal he’d made with the thief, Alan, had left a bad taste in his mouth. The results, however, were undeniable. The Spider Guild was all but crushed, except for one niggling detail that kept Victor pacing everywhere he went. Somehow, Thren Felhorn had escaped. The one person that mattered, and he had gotten through their lines.
“It’s been a good day,” said Sef, joining him there in the shadow of the castle as the sun began to fall.
“Could have gone better,” Victor said, nodding toward the executioner’s block. “Thren could be up there, bound and gagged.”
“We’ll have his head hanging from the city gates soon enough,” Sef said. “But the whole city’s buzzing about it. Our men are reporting people far more willing to talk now, their lips loosening. I think after last night, everyone expected a war, for something like what happened before. But instead they got a bunch of dead thieves, and their symbolic leader broken and in hiding.”
“So what you’re saying,” Victor said, finally cracking a smile, “is that it was a good day?”
“That’s correct, sir.”
Victor laughed.
“Was there something you needed?”
Sef nodded.
“Our majesty’s advisor is ready to speak with you. He’d said he’d meet you in his chambers in the castle, to discuss your request.”
“Tell Gerand I’ll be there shortly,” Victor said, turning back to the raised platform. “There’s still a few more awaiting the axe.”
Sef bowed low.
“Of course. Enjoy your show.”
Thieves, murderers, and lowborn thugs trudged up the steps, their crimes labeled, categorized, and proven to the necessary extent. Then came the axe. For Victor, it wasn’t enjoyment, and truthfully, he would have been disturbed to feel that way upon seeing another man die. No, as the axe fell, and the head separated from neck, he felt his city taking one tiny step closer to peace. It carried the same satisfaction as pulling a flea from a dog, or yanking a weed from a garden. A sick, immoral life was snuffed out. They would commit no more crimes, frighten no more innocents, and take no more lives.
Step by step. Up the stairs, before the executioner, and then the chopping block. Step by step.
When it was done, Victor went into the king’s castle and trudged up the stairs to Gerand’s room. He knocked on the door, and was quickly let it. Gerand’s room was a tidy place, well furnished for its small size. Taking a seat at his desk, Gerand motioned for Victor to sit in the only other chair, which he did. It was overly stuffed, and far from comfortable.
“I thank you for coming to see me so late,” Gerand said.
“I should be thanking you for not making me wait another day,” Victor said. Gerand smiled at the comment, but he didn’t look amused. It was almost like a trained response to anyone attempting wit.
“I’ve gone over your request,” Gerand said, leaning back in his chair. “And while your results are impressive, and the costs you listed for hiring your soldiers fair, I am not sure the king’s treasury is ready to pay just yet.”
“Why is that?” Victor asked. “Have I not crushed the strongest, most dangerous guild in your city’s history? Surely that is worth a partial advance on the compensation I was promised.”
“Perhaps.” Gerand tapped his fingers together, collected his thoughts. “You see, Victor, while his majesty might be rash, and willing to agree to things without much thought, I try to be a bit more...patient. I like to peer deeper into things, and I’ve done so with your family. I know who you’ve done business with, from every major trader and merchant.”