The Verge Of An Empire

9

– It so happened that the genus el'Moria is in a very distant, but strong relationship with the ruling dynasty. Like all noble houses: el'Kalipsa, el'Zornaza. All in a different way. The countess has no direct influence on his majesty, but he treats her like a good sister. – Yes, and Alfina el'Moria is one of the five strongest mages of Mescia and, as befits a true el'Moria, she faithfully serves as the support of the throne. Her word weighs a lot, and even the monarch listens to her.

– Is that how? A very impressive resume! Thani el'Moria asked me to contact her on any occasion and expressed the hope that tomorrow you will be at home when she comes to visit me again.

The old cobra got into the habit of visiting me every day. This is terrible news! So terrible that it hurts me to think about her ... We, by mutual agreement, tried to reduce the number and duration of our meetings to an absolute minimum, but if she saw a worthy reason for uninvited visits, she would not spare either me or herself. One thing I can say for sure, tomorrow, when her ladyship will be declared, I will not be in the house!

“…and I chose a name.

- Name? What is the name? Ah the name!

“Yes, my thane, I leafed through the book you gave me and chose the name I would like to use. She paused for a moment, giving the moment a touch of solemnity. “For the time being, I will be Anois with your permission.

- Anois. - I tasted the name. - Anois.

- You do not like?

- What are you, a charming name, to match you! Sharp, mysterious, light, at the same time sweet, caressing the ear. Anois. I just thought that this is a name for a human lady, not for a tanya.

– Is there a difference? Her eyelashes fluttered in surprise.

“Actually, there is, dear Tanya. You see, tencris is not named at birth, but in the presence of all family members at the age of six months. Each tenkris receives one name and for life, we have no right to change names or introduce ourselves as strangers. Never and under no circumstances. You can not say your name, but you can not name someone else. At the same time, each tenkris has a second name. Diminutive, it comes from the first. Full name for the outer circle - the whole world, short for the inner circle - family and close friends. The use of a short name by a person from the outer circle is a terrible insult. Thus, all tenkris names should be well abbreviated. I am Bree, my friend Incival is Inch, my grandmother Alfina is Alfie, my late mother Monray was called Mon by her relatives, and so on. Anois is too short and does not shrink, however, if this is your honest choice,

I don't think I'll have an inner circle any time soon.

- And then change the name?

What's stopping me from doing this?

“You are a tenkris, you can do whatever you want, tani.

After dinner I bade her good night and asked Melinda to escort Tanya to her bedroom.

“An old cobra came crawling today, but you didn’t tell me.

“You didn't ask about the old cobras, master. I would tell you about her ladyship after supper.

- Reasonable.

“Besides, it’s unworthy of a noble tan to slander a noble tanya behind her back. Especially about an older relative. Her honor does not suffer, but yours is diminished.

- I understand your idea. Leave me be kind.

- The owner does not want to take evening dress?

- The owner wants to sit in the study a little longer, and he can handle the evening dress himself. And I don't need to be reminded what is good or bad for a noble thane. Good night to you, Sebastina.

The maid curtsied and went to the second floor. I locked myself in the office, turned on the lamp with green glass and began to review the papers. Autopsy reports, magical analysis reports, suspect interrogation reports, property censuses. All in all, I have more than a dozen corpses on my hands who died under unknown circumstances, presumably violent deaths. I have in my hands an unknown thief who coincidentally decided to rob the public prosecutor's house and was the first to discover the bodies. I have in my hands a certain collier, John Hahn, whose son-in-law, Heinrich, delivered coal to the victims on the day they supposedly died. And this collier can be both an incredible luck sent down to me by the Moon, and a dummy that will only take time. In the end, I have a pop-up suspension, and that's up to Tuzz. Motherfucker can't stand me the same like me, but I need his connections, and he doesn't want me to draw attention to him at Scoalt Yard. But actually, Sebastina needs to say “thank you” for this situation, because it’s quite possible to get rid of me alone, but as long as she’s around, the whole street army won’t be enough to spoil my skin.

Glancing at the clock, I put out the lamp and stood for a while in front of the window, looking at the street at night, covered with snow. Winters in Starkrar are very long and cold. I love Starcrar winters. And Starkrar winter nights, too.

When I woke up, with the help of Sebastina, I got myself into proper shape. If I can still drive her away from me in the evening, then on the eve of the working day, she does not give me the slightest chance to look less than perfect. I love waking up early on a winter morning, when it's still completely dark, and thinking that the sun would have been scorching at that time in the summer. Winter is cold and fresh, winter is mine. Although the Starkrar homeless would disagree with me.

He came down to breakfast, fastening his cuffs with his father's cufflinks, walked down the corridor under the eyes of his ancestors.

- Father.

He winked at me from his corner. I froze. This has never happened before. I had to approach his portrait and be patient. As you know, portraits painted by the hand of a real master keep echoes of the sitter's personality for a very long time. The more skilled the master, the longer the portrait is alive. In the museum of true arts, works that are more than eight centuries old hang, and those who are depicted on them can still move. The portrait of my father was painted relatively recently. The shadow of the father is inside, and the oil paints serve as her flesh. The image has the same facial expressions, the same habits, only it is not capable of speaking.

– Do you want to tell me something?

Father shook his head to the right and smiled conspiratorially, his eyes sparkling. I looked in that direction and saw Tanya Anois.

- Good morning, Tanya.

- Morning? I think it's still night, Thane el'Moria.

- It's a winter morning. It will lighten up soon. Have you already communicated your wishes regarding breakfast to the chef?

“Your maid was so nice that she asked me about it in great detail.

– Melinda? Yes, she knows how to be nice when needed.

“Thane el'Moria, I noticed you were talking to the portrait.

I unobtrusively covered my father's face with my shoulder.

- Tanya, I have a long working day ahead of me, and I'm afraid I won't be home until the evening. You will have to be the hostess. In any case, I hope you will have an interesting day in the company of my great-aunt, if she really deigns to visit us again. Also, I insist that you take Melinda with you if you want to leave the house.

- Leave? For what? she wondered.

I glanced at her blue dress with black trim.

“You see, despite the fact that my late mother’s dresses make you look charming, custom-made dresses will undoubtedly emphasize your beauty even more. I gently brought her hand up to my face and lightly touched her fingers with my lips. - Do not deny yourself anything. Not with anything. Melinda will take you to the best tailors in the capital if you wish. And, most importantly, do not forget that your beauty in this situation is also a matter of prestige. Tenkris constantly compare themselves to each other, every little thing counts. So if a guest appeared in the house of Brian el'Moria, it must be a delightful diva. Forgive me this excessive verbosity, but I am used to expressing my thoughts as clearly as possible.

"That's not verbosity, tan el'Moria, that's eloquence," she smiled admiringly. “A gift that the leaders of nations should have.

“Or any tencris. Are you hungry? I am very.

Already finishing breakfast, with tea in hand, I leaf through the Imperial Prophet and finish my cheese tart. The knock of a door knocker in the hallway. Melinda rushed to open it under Sebastina's disapproving look - a good servant should be quick, not fussy.

“Master, they came to you. Mr. Torch and Mrs. Wayne. Would you like to invite?

- I'll go myself.

- Master…

"I'll go out myself, Sebastina."

Two people are waiting patiently in the hallway. A man of medium height, dense, strong, slightly resembling a toad. Brodis Thorsh has a round head, wide mouth and large bulging eyes. A pomaded mustache gleams above a thin lip, and wide, restless palms crumple the bowler hat. Priscilla Wayne is much taller than a man, a thin, graceful lady with perfect posture, a cold, distant face and lips pressed into a grumpy bow. I would call her beautiful if I thought black snakes were beautiful. Torsh and Wayne are one of my subordinates in the Night Watch: she holds a high rank in the office and oversees some aspects of strategic planning, he is an experienced enforcer, a veteran with an impressive record and several serious awards for heroism in battle. Once I singled them out from the faceless crowd of interrogators and combined them into a pair. Torsh's forceful methods are perfectly combined with Wayne's cunning and prudence. And they also think that no one knows about their unacceptable hazing, although if they can continue to work successfully, then their leisure time will be completely of no interest to me.

“My thane,” Torsh bowed slightly.

“To what do you owe such an early visit, gentlemen?”

"There's a matter that needs your direct intervention, my thane," Wayne said. - It is advisable to leave immediately.

“Sebastine, cloak, top hat, cane!”

She appeared already fully dressed for the street. We went out under the blows of a cold winter wind, the sky began to brighten quickly, and the falling snow fluffs turned into a sort of drunken fireflies, lazy and slow. A black carriage without coats of arms, drawn by black horses, was waiting on the road. At the back of the carriage stood two persons in black coats with high collars and low-pulled hats. Night Watch agents can always be spotted from afar, even if they don't flash their insignia, but that's only to the point where they really want to blend in with the crowd. Torsh opened the door, letting everyone inside, and climbed in last, the driver waved his whip.

“So, what walk are you going to take me to, gentlemen?”

“My thane, have you already received reports of surveillance of a certain Gan and his family?”

- Coal miner.

“Yes, my thane,” nodded Brodis Torsh. “The constable has assigned a few servants, and we have sent our men. The dwelling of the Gan family was constantly monitored. This morning, that is, about two hours ago, the whole family was found dead. The constables saw nothing, and our agents were found a little further north. You should take a look at their bodies. Considering that it was you who gave the orders regarding the Ghans, my thane, we hastened to you as soon as we could.

"The fun begins," I muttered as I settled myself comfortably. – Where are we going?

“The edge, my thane.

- ABOUT! Let's have some patience!

The Edge is one of the poorest northern districts of Starkrar, so insignificant that it is not even placed on the city map in its entirety. A haven for handymen engaged in dying professions, a bastion of those whom industrialization did not help, but prevented from advancing in life. Chimney sweeps, lamplighters, coal miners, water carriers, goldsmiths, as well as other city rubbish of various stripes and, of course, orphans. What I've always found funny is that the End is home to seven of Starkrar's thirteen largest orphanages. Even the great Messiah is not so progressive and generous as to give due attention and respect to the elderly and children.

I had to make a way even longer than the previous day, through Brazhny Bridge, Klopovnik and all the Mob to the Bird Market. The area, populated mostly by aviacs, differs from the rest of the capital by the abundance of thin tall turrets, the so-called "birdhouses". In winter, there are few inhabitants on the streets of the Bird's Bazaar. Kokandi and Arani do not like the cold, these colorful birds hide at home, but Koraksi, Aquili and Chichiri have completely adapted to our winter. Especially coraxi, whose black plumage absorbs and retains heat better. Behind the Bird Market, the conditional borders of the Territory begin, no towers, no long barracks in which families of aviaks prefer to live. The inhabitants of the Territory, the extreme ones, settle mainly in small nondescript houses, but on the other hand the streets are wide, and the houses stand in such a way that it seems as if they were randomly scattered on a vast wasteland.

The scene of the murder was cordoned off by people in black cloaks with high collars. So Scoalt Yard hasn't had time to send its investigation team yet.

- In the house did not inherit?

“No, my thane, everything is intact from the moment the constables discovered the bodies.

Did you find the constables?

“Yes, my thane. Our agents died under unclear circumstances, but the constables spent the whole night in their chosen positions and did not see anything. Do you need a report?

– Already have a report? No, I trust your memory, Torsh.

“Er… Perhaps Ms. Wayne can reproduce better…”

“Apparently, the group murder took place completely silently. The observers did not hear or see anything. Something was wrong in the morning, when an unknown person approached the house. He knocked on the door for a long time and shouted, but they did not open it. When the stranger left, the constables themselves approached the house. They smelled a strong smell of burning, and after a long knock they risked breaking the door and found the corpses.

- Is the unknown person being followed?

– Unfortunately, by the time they came to their senses, he was already far away.

- Clutches. How did the Night Watch find out about what happened before Scoalt Yard Investigation? I doubt the constables rushed to us in the first place.

‘We found out ourselves, my thane. The shifters immediately reported to the headquarters, and we began work.

The Bird Market is nearby, and there are several pigeon houses that belong to the Night Watch. In case of need, messages and orders diverge throughout the city with great speed. I agree, old-fashioned, but very effective, because I'm already here, and the Investigation Department team is still on the way.

"Go inside and see what you're stepping on." If anyone gets dirty, I'll fire you.

The coal miner's house turned out to be very clean, considering that there is a large shed with coal next to it. I expected to see floors covered with coal dust. Stepping carefully, I passed through a tiny hallway and found myself in a small room. Two corpses at the table: an old and a young man, three on the floor: two boys and one girl.

“There are two more bodies in the next room, apparently the old man’s wife and daughter,” Wayne suggested, calmly examining the children.

I slowly walked to the table, carefully studying everything that caught my eye the first time. Walking around the room in a circle, I tried to see it all at once, while stepping on my own footprints. It was only after making sure that nothing else attracted attention that I decided to move on to the next phase. The young man's death apparently resulted from being stabbed in the back. Something hot crashed into his shoulder blades, burning clothes, skin, meat and charring bones to such an extent that the black fragile teeth of the vertebrae appeared to the naked eye. No blood, everything was baked. Judging by the color of the skin on the neck and arms, the blood in the veins was also caked from the high temperature. Both bodies lie face down on the tabletop.

“Sebastine, lift the late John Gun,” I said, seeing that there were no wounds on the old man’s back.

My maid straightened Gan's body, and before us appeared an interesting picture. In the middle of his chest gaped exactly the same burnt wound as that of the young man, moreover, part of the skin from the neck of the old collier had disappeared, and a thin trickle of something dark, muddy hung from the half-open mouth.

- Is that saliva? Torsh leaned forward with interest.

- Black saliva? I asked skeptically. - Well, if only he got drunk on coal ... Oh! Look, I really got drunk!

“The owner is perspicacious, as always.

It turned out that the old man's mouth was clogged with fragments of coal. A young dead man has the same ailment - a cut off piece of skin on his chest and a mouth full of coal. After examining the children and the two dead women in the next room, I studied each of the four rooms of the house for a few more minutes.

- So, a preliminary report can be drawn up. Record for me, then send the notes to Wolfeld, otherwise the wolf will soon start chasing its own tail. If you haven't already started. And write down this remark about the wolf, too, let him rage. Do you write?

Priscilla accepted the tablet and pen from Torsch's hands as if nothing had happened.

“There has been an undeniable murder. The killer entered the house through a window in the very room where the women lie. They were killed, most likely, in the same place. - I pointed to the opening, leading, presumably, to the nursery. “There are three dismantled children's beds in that room, the sheets are stained with blood, which leads us to the conclusion that the children were killed in their sleep and then dragged to their current location. Also, this hypothesis is confirmed by their children, bare feet. The young man was killed in the back, the old man saw it, but did not have time to do anything. Judging by the face, he was hit so hard that his cheekbone was broken, and then finished off with a burning weapon. Women's necks were twisted, it's curious. Most likely, the killer slipped through unnoticed, hid, twisted the necks of the women who entered. They came to spin, with bundles of wool at their feet, and an old spindle in the corner. Then he went into this room, hit the young man in the back, killed the old man, found the children and, here is another curious moment, cut them. Presumably with a sharp, wide leather-cutting knife. With the same weapon, he skinned the men, seated them at the table and stuffed their mouths with coal. He then left the house the same way he had come, nearly tearing the frame off along the way. Strange. The window is rather big, but he barely squeezed through. Our assassin must be of a very large build, which may account for his strength, but belies his dexterity. Torsh? which may explain his strength, but doesn't jibe with his agility. Torsh? which may explain his strength, but doesn't jibe with his agility. Torsh?

– My thane?

“The constables watched from the south, southwest, southeast, and east, and our people, now deceased, from the north, northwest, and northeast?”

“Exactly so, my thane.

“I suppose everyone understands from which side our tanner was approaching the house?”

“Yes, my thane. Our agents paid with their lives for professionalism.

“More like a bad draw. If it fell to them to keep watch from the south, the constables would die.