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39

Lagro, Royal Prison,

the end of the night watch and the first third of the morning watch

I flew into the guardhouse half an hour before the deadline and was greeted with reproachful (and slightly hazy from the intoxicant taken on my chest) looks, so I blurted out right from the threshold:

- I understood everything, I realized, I am a sinner, I promise to improve!

While the players looked at each other in bewilderment, he reached the chosen cell, changed his clothes with his last breath and collapsed on the bunk, closing his eyes. I don’t remember how and when Alden came in: I fell into a short and heavy sleep, but upon waking up, neither the sword, nor the heap of clothes in which I dangled along the night streets of Antreya, was observed within the cell. But there was Viger, patiently waiting for my arrival in a meaningful state.

- What time is it now?

- The hedgehog has just changed.

- Excellent. Take him or some other smart guys and visit the house of a merchant named Soyner in the Copper Quarter.

- With the aim of?

There are two corpses in the house, a man and a woman. The female must be taken to the shelter and handed over to Alden. Male ... He is of little interest to me in its current form, so I leave it to your discretion. The only thing: find out what you can about the identity of the deceased and his meetings over the last, say, a month and a half. And you need to tidy up ... You can also attach the baby somewhere. All free.

“Command-i-i-i-ir…” Vig drawled sarcastically.

Perhaps he added a few more words about my strengths and weaknesses, but I did not hear anything: I was sleeping, hastily providing the opportunity to recover, which was spent almost to the limit.

The offer of the sentry to have breakfast was ignored by me: despite my hunger and fatigue, more than anything in the world I needed peace and quiet, so I had to pretend to be asleep until the very return of Viger, who, having figured out my game (and as soon as he manages?), sent local soldiers away, leaving their trusted people at the cell door.

- I've done everything?

- As ordered. Ra-Ken pulled a chair up to the bunk, sat down on it, listened to the hoarse creak, but considered the piece of furniture strong enough for its weight. “The corpse of a woman was taken to you, the corpse of a man was attached to the vault of the City Guard as a victim of robbers, although no one will pat me on the head for this: just yesterday I reported to the amiter about the successful maintenance of order and safety of the streets at night ... They cleaned up the house . I'll tell you what, Ray: next time, don't go without so much blood, please.

- I had some problems?

- Were. The parquet at the front door, you know, is a little trodden, the varnishing is almost gone, as a result, suspicious stains remain, looking at which even a person with a poor imagination will come up with God knows what.

— How did you manage?

- How-how ... Etched. Well, the Hedgehog in the top ten has its own magician, whose strength is enough to work with a tree. But a lot of work has been put in. Why did you bleed the poor fellow like that?

I tried to shake my head. In the prone position, you can do a similar trick, but the effect is completely undesirable. I had to sit down and repeat the gesture again. For greater understanding.

- I didn’t intend to kill him at all: he himself threw himself on the sword, besides, he grabbed it with his hands and drove the blade even deeper.

- But for what?

I shrug.

- Who knows? I didn't have time to find out his ulterior motives.

Viger chuckled and changed the subject.

“But the girl seemed familiar to me. Where could I see her?

- When detained for illegal entry into the city.

- Do you want to say...

— Yes, the same one that I met in the market.

“Strange… According to you, she was insane. But you missed it yourself!

- Yes.

And how does one fit in with the other?

“Straight and bad, Vig. I must have lost ground if I did not immediately recognize in her a tendency to "water madness." If this is true, I should resign, and the sooner the better.

Ra-Ken frowned.

- Crazy!

“I would like to leave, but I can’t.

Ray, you're scaring me.

“I scare myself, which is much worse. I'm sick, Vig, sicker than ever.

“But it worked out, right? The Re-Amiter's gray eyes filled with pleading. You found and destroyed the enemy. Everything is fine!

- Yes OK. Only Ballig died.

It happens, Ray. Viger's hand rested on my shoulder. "No one can escape...

“He died because of me, you know?

“He was your bodyguard and he knew that something like this could happen sooner or later.

“He died because his stupid master failed to recognize the danger in time!”

I almost shouted out these words, in a hurry to get rid of an unbearable burden, as if if they stayed with me, they would not let me breathe. I had to confess. Not to myself, but to someone else, someone who will remember my words and remind me from time to time. No matter how hard I try to forget.

Ra-Ken sighed mournfully.

Don't blame yourself Ray. First, it won't help. Secondly…

It's the truth, and you can't hide from it. I killed Ballig myself. With my own hands. With his frivolity and carelessness.

“But if you understand it well, in the future…”

“There will be no future, Vig.

— What are you talking about?

- I have no right to count on the protection of my own life, if I do not know how to protect someone else's. No, I must say differently: if I allow death where it can be avoided.

- So-o-o.

Re-Amiter leaned back in his chair, no longer paying attention to the annoying creak of cracked furniture, and sternly crossed his arms over his chest.

- I wanted to talk to you as a friend, but I see, in vain. Then let's go back to the origins and remember that my rank is older than yours, which means that I deserve to demand from you, as a junior officer, a report in full form. Is it clear the first time or repeat?

I looked longingly at Vig, but he remained uncompromisingly stern.

- Clear.

Report, captain!

Hmm, where to start? And what can you tell Ra-Ken without giving away details that may have a direct bearing on the whole story, but are not at all intended for prying ears?

- The essence of the events is that an unknown attacker prepared and carried out an attempt on daneke Amir. I do not know anything about the reasons for the assassination, and I will not speculate in vain. But as a witness who almost became a victim, I declare that in order to commit a crime, a woman was secretly brought into Antreya, disposed to "water madness." Despite the fact that I happened to meet her in the first minutes of my stay within the city, I could not do my job properly, and the future assassin received free access to the city, having fallen into the care of a certain merchant named Soyner, judging by the appearance of the house, respected and wealthy person. Perhaps I would repeat the search, as I had some doubts about the new arrival, related to my ... partial non-compliance, but in the evening of the same day there was a fire in the shelter, during which my health was undermined more than is allowed for service. I left for the family estate to recover, and returned to the city two days later. I paid a visit to Soyner, but had the pleasure of talking only with a servant, who assured me that the merchant was outside the city limits, and the strangers placed in his care were also absent from Antrey. At the same time, I had reason to suspect the merchant of unscrupulous thoughts. given to his care are also absent from Antrey. At the same time, I had reason to suspect the merchant of unscrupulous thoughts. given to his care are also absent from Antrey. At the same time, I had reason to suspect the merchant of unscrupulous thoughts.

- What exactly are the grounds?

— His house was covered with lilies.

- O!

Viger nodded in understanding, and I continued:

— The whole next day I had to accompany the mentioned daneke Amira in her movements around the city. In the evening, she arrived at the guest house, where the assassination attempt took place, during which it became clear that the killer was not only insane, but also had the rare ability to speak with water, which he uses to successfully influence others, completely subordinating their consciousness to his own. By unforeseen circumstances, I got in the way of the killer before she reached her intended target, but although the victim survived, one of my bodyguards died, and I myself received moderate injuries. The comparison of facts carried out further led me to the idea of ​​taking advantage of the presence at the Small Reception of Her Majesty in order to obtain an unhindered opportunity to act, assuring all those present of inaction. Person survey, whom I believed to be involved in the events, supported me in the correctness of my conclusions and allowed me to find and destroy the enemy. Would such a report suit you, dan re-amitter?

- Me - completely. True, I think you will be three times, if not four times, more frank in front of Kallas, ”Viger smiled sadly.

I can't say more, sorry.

“I'm not asking for MORE, Ray. I ask you to be honest with yourself.

- It can't be more honest.

- It happens!

Ra-Ken slammed his fist on the table.

“You're stubborn at the thought that Ballig died because of you. So, listen to what I have to say. Forget! Get it out of your head now! If you could not identify the danger, then no one could, and it is impossible and unnecessary to see an enemy in every person, otherwise you will really go crazy. Stop thinking like that, Ray! As dear as Ballig is to you, he's dead and there's no way to fix it. Everything has passed, passed, passed! Cross it out, tear it up and throw it away. You won't repeat your mistakes, will you?

Viger's eyes were very close as he leaned forward.

You won't do it again, right?

I didn't answer, but probably my look was more eloquent than words, because the Re-Amiter sighed in disappointment and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

Okay, let's get back to this conversation. But you know... You did a great job of fooling everyone in the palace. And Nais played well with you. How much time did you give her a warning so she could get ready?

I averted my eyes.

Ray?

Hhag, well, why did he get into this jungle?

“Ray, did you… Didn’t you warn me?!

Yes, how could I do that? Stupid question.

“She… doesn’t know it was just a performance?”

- Not.

That's all I could squeeze out.

Viger looked at me with horror:

"Do you understand what you've done?" After all, after all Nais ...

- Can I rest? Please let me be alone. Good?

Ra-Ken got to his feet and walked towards the door, swaying in confusion, and I again stretched out on the bunk, turning to the wall so as not to see the face of my friend, when he, already leaving, quietly remarked:

- Well, you're a fool.

Fool, that's right. Arrogant and irresponsible. Whig can console as much as he wants, but I will remain in my opinion: Ballig died in my place and because of me. Suppose the first does not contradict the terms of the once concluded agreement, but the second ... It is impossible to forgive, as it was unthinkable to admit. Death itself is the tenth matter, not of much importance, in contrast to its circumstances.

I felt uncomfortable! Let it be unclear, without confirmation, but there were doubts. Yes, for the first time a baby hid from me the sweet ashes of madness sleeping in the blood of a girl. But when Vig arranged our meeting for the second time, why did I shamefully give up? Cowardly? No. What then? Confused? It sounds more true, because that day she tried to talk to me, but she did it unconsciously, without preparation, which is why I considered her feelings sincere. They were like that, but amplified to the extreme, and it should have been noticed even then. Notice and try to understand what the catch is. But I was bored and uninterested in messing around with oddities that didn't seem to promise any trouble... Cretin. For which he paid.

However, if I had not succumbed to the attempted conspiracy, or rather, had not pretended to be caught, that night she would have struck without warning, and would not have wanted to play like a cat with a mouse. If I didn’t arrange the game, I wouldn’t give me time to make a decision. So my initial mistake, which led to the death of the "shell", whatever one may say, has borne fruit. And yet it could not be allowed!

Did someone want to get the Navigator out of the way? Yes please! But why in Antrey and why by the hands of a madman? We must look for answers to these questions, and then it will become clear WHO. And it seems to be worth very, very high, because if the fans were not secretly sold from the customs warehouse and were not transported by "free carriers", an unpleasant truth is born: the weapon got into the city in the personal belongings of someone from the highest families. By the way, about the fans - I completely forgot ...

A desperate knock on the door was not immediately answered, but the bored face of the sentry nevertheless appeared in the window.

“Re-amiter has already left the prison?”

- How do I know?

"Catch him immediately!"

— Why is that?

"You don't have to worry about why!" Fast, I said!

The soldier, realizing that there was a chance to show off, grinned:

- What kind of order is this if a prisoner of the guards is in command?

“If you don’t catch up with the Re-Amiter right away and give him just one word ‘fan’, I’ll do my best, but I’ll send you to the quarries to swallow the dust. Do not trust? Then stay where you are.

I calmly returned to my seat and lay down, depicting regal contempt not only with my face, but also with my posture. It seems that half a minute was enough for the sentry to think: after the indicated time, the rapidly receding clatter of boots lined with iron horseshoes was heard outside the door. And five minutes later Wiger was again standing on the threshold of the cell.

What games, Ray?

— These are not games, to my deepest regret.

"Then what...

I jump impatiently.

- Where are you doing fan?

Understanding in the look of Ra-Ken did not increase:

- What other fan?

- Red, silk, with black painting. A cross between a female trinket and a crossbow. Who took it?

- No one took anything!

“Wig, remember, please!” The fan lay on the floor next to the stairs, in a puddle of water. Well?

The Re-Amiter took a deep breath. Exhaled. And then he said just a few words, from which it was just right to freeze:

— There was no fan.

I must have swayed, I don't know, but in the next moment I realized that I was almost hanging in the arms of Vig, who was clutching my shoulders.

Ray, what does that mean?

- Everything is bad.

- What is wrong?!

- Swear, okay? And I will swear.

- As you wish ... Just explain yourself!

“You see… You asked why I put on a performance in the palace. I had reasons, but I kept silent about one, although it should have been mentioned in the first place. However, at the time I wasn't completely sure...

Viger barely restrained himself from slapping me in the face:

What were you not sure about?

“I needed to convince the courtiers that I would be in custody for some time so that the attacker would feel calm.

- Intruder? And the courtiers from what the fuck are weaved here?

- The attempt was made with the help of weapons that could only get into the city illegally.

- So what? There are also different ways.

— I checked all possible channels. The fans did not disappear from the customs warehouse and were not smuggled in. And that means...

Ra-Ken was no slower, and in many cases much faster than me:

- Someone from the nobility?

- A hundred to one.

- Any ideas?

- None. Sorry Vig.

Surprised gray eyes

- For what?

“I should have said right away though… Nothing would have changed. The fan has disappeared, which means someone went into Soyner's house and saw what happened. And this someone was hardly an ordinary thief. The noble villain must have already received the news of the failure of his plan and hid ... I lost this game outright.

But the game isn't over yet!

Ra-Ken's face showed fierce readiness. To whatever.

“I will do my best, Ray. If that dead man matters to you, interrogators will reconstruct his every breath, every step.

- I hope you can make it. Just Vig...

- Yes?

“Do you understand that the investigation must be conducted quietly?”

- Who are you talking to? We will do everything in the best possible way! And you try to rest, you understand?

Rest, yes... Now even in prison it is impossible to feel calm: the attacker knows that the instrument of his plans has died, and this could happen only in one single case. When meeting with me. Moreover, this damned fan with traces of my exercises in water magic ... Bad, very bad. I not only gave myself away with my head, but also discovered one of my strengths. And advantages can easily be turned into vulnerabilities, especially with proper skill.

← Part 7.4

Twelfth Day of the Month of the First Thunders →