Chapter 19

“Report!” Laris demanded of the head of his personal guard.

“Sir, there is nothing to report. The prisoners all insist that they have no knowledge of a plot against the Empire.” Captain Ethane had served under Laris for the last twelve years and knew that his report would not be well received.

“Nothing? How can there be nothing?” Laris demanded. “That poison peddler testified under Oath that he was hired by a desert man!”

“Yes sir. But certainly, you understand, not everyone in Osh’riyo knows the details of your various plans for the realm. And in my experience, the fewer people who know of this sort of plot, the better.”

“Of course, I know that! You think I’m some sort of fool Ethane?”

“Of course not, sire. I would never think that.”

“These desert people operate differently than you and I. Some say that one knows what the others know. Tell me, do we have any magicians in the holding cells?”

“None that I know of sir. However, I do believe we captured several that were on their way to the City of Magic when they were apprehended. So they have the spark.”

“Excellent! Focus your attention on them. They will have access to the inner secrets of their people. Those with the skill at magic are revered above all others in their culture.”

“Sir, I’m not sure—“

“I am not asking you to think! Do whatever it takes to wring the truth out of these prisoners! They must be made to speak!”

Ethane could see that there was no reasoning with Laris at this point. He occasionally got into these moods. Laris could be reasoned with, but one had to approach him at the right time and in the right way. This was not the time.

“Yes, my liege.” Ethane bowed and turned to leave the throne room. He was not pleased with the task set before him. But he had his orders. He really didn’t think anyone in the cells had any knowledge of the plot against the Emperor. But he might get lucky.

As he left the room, he bumped into Yokir, the seneschal. “Lord Yokir,” he bowed.

“Captain Ethane. Off to continue the interrogations?”

“Yes, my lord. Do you have any advice on how I can get to the bottom of this?” Ethane, along with many others, respected Yokir for his keen grasp of strategy and his ability to see to the heart of the problem.

“As I recall, Captain, the apothecary mentioned that the desert man who hired him had green eyes. He remembered it because it is a rare enough trait among their kind. Focus your search there. Perhaps you’ll get lucky.”

“Thank you, my lord. As always, your insight is tremendously helpful.” Ethane bowed again and hurried toward the cells.

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