Ryotwa toward the larger city on the Long Sound.
In the summer night Lessis the Gray Witch stood with Lagdalen on the moor outside Marneri. The bodyguard Mirk hovered in the darkness of the trees behind them. Standing under the lantern at the mile marker, they awaited the arrival of the witch Krussa. In the near distance glowed the lights in Lost Buck Woods.
"The news is good, Lady?" said Lagdalen, as Lessis rolled up the tiny scroll she'd been reading.
"Yes. The plague is over in Minuend. No new cases have been reported in three days."
"Thanks be given for that. The Mother has heard our prayers."
"But this was a warning. Our enemy struck with a deadly weapon, and we were almost overcome."
"He has a long head start in this evil kind of work." Lagdalen shivered. "Waakzaam has not finished with us. We must be ready for his next blow."
Chapter Fourteen
Once more Relkin walked into the high court of Marneri. By the Gods, he thought, but he'd spent too much time in this place.
It had started with the long trial for the killing of Trader Dook up on the Argo River. Then there'd been the long-drawn-out proceedings concerning Porteous Glaves, the former Commander of the Eighth Regiment of the Second Legion. Now he was on trial himself once more on the serious charges of looting the fallen city of Mirchaz.
Looting was regarded as a serious offense, although the provision was relatively obscure, number 545 in the Legion Rule Book. It came long after such important items as theft of camping equipment, or spoliation of cavalry sawdust.
Five hundred and forty-five, "the illegal possession of stolen goods gained in theft during a period of service abroad." Such service was a rare event in a soldier's life in the army of the Argonath, which perhaps explained the low priority given to such a regulation.
There were other charges, which came under the Legion's laws of financial regulation, concerning the accounts he had opened at the Royal Land Bank of Kadein during a brief stay in the big city. These charges, however, were lesser ones and unlikely to be pressed if the first charge was denied.
As he took his place on the front bench he noted the wry look he got from the Usher. They knew him all right. Here he was again, the famous scapegrace Relkin. innocent on murder charges in his first trial. Dragon testimony got him off. The law itself had been changed as a result of that case. Dragon testimony was now taken in many kinds of cases. But now he was back, and this time it looked like the prosecutors had got him cold. They had an admission of guilt. The Ushers and the Guards ran a finger down their collective nose; once a criminal, always a criminal.
Lagdalen came in and sat down just behind him. They had prepared him thoroughly for the trial. Lagdalen had chosen the Lady Bertonne as his barrister: she would speak his case and conduct the examination of witnesses. Lagdalen preferred to prepare the case, but not to argue it. Very few advocates were as good as Bertonne. She was expensive, but well worth the cost.
Quite a few people filed in and took seats in the courtroom. Relkin's case had aroused some interest, it seemed. There were one or two older men identified with the Aubinan cause. They had not committed treasonous acts and were thus still free, but their sympathies were known. They sat toward the back.
Just behind Lagdalen were a couple of dragonboys. The cast of dragonboys would change through the day, but there would always be one or two of them there. The 109th wanted to have its own observers on this trial. They had a vested interest in it after all. King Choulaput had given the gold to set up retirement funds for all the dragons who had campaigned in Og Bogon. There were two thousand gold pieces at stake, a sizable fortune.
The military prosecutor for the case was Captain Plake, a smooth-voiced man with olive complexion and a bright, artificial smile.
Relkin looked up to the polished wood of the judge's bench
In the summer night Lessis the Gray Witch stood with Lagdalen on the moor outside Marneri. The bodyguard Mirk hovered in the darkness of the trees behind them. Standing under the lantern at the mile marker, they awaited the arrival of the witch Krussa. In the near distance glowed the lights in Lost Buck Woods.
"The news is good, Lady?" said Lagdalen, as Lessis rolled up the tiny scroll she'd been reading.
"Yes. The plague is over in Minuend. No new cases have been reported in three days."
"Thanks be given for that. The Mother has heard our prayers."
"But this was a warning. Our enemy struck with a deadly weapon, and we were almost overcome."
"He has a long head start in this evil kind of work." Lagdalen shivered. "Waakzaam has not finished with us. We must be ready for his next blow."
Chapter Fourteen
Once more Relkin walked into the high court of Marneri. By the Gods, he thought, but he'd spent too much time in this place.
It had started with the long trial for the killing of Trader Dook up on the Argo River. Then there'd been the long-drawn-out proceedings concerning Porteous Glaves, the former Commander of the Eighth Regiment of the Second Legion. Now he was on trial himself once more on the serious charges of looting the fallen city of Mirchaz.
Looting was regarded as a serious offense, although the provision was relatively obscure, number 545 in the Legion Rule Book. It came long after such important items as theft of camping equipment, or spoliation of cavalry sawdust.
Five hundred and forty-five, "the illegal possession of stolen goods gained in theft during a period of service abroad." Such service was a rare event in a soldier's life in the army of the Argonath, which perhaps explained the low priority given to such a regulation.
There were other charges, which came under the Legion's laws of financial regulation, concerning the accounts he had opened at the Royal Land Bank of Kadein during a brief stay in the big city. These charges, however, were lesser ones and unlikely to be pressed if the first charge was denied.
As he took his place on the front bench he noted the wry look he got from the Usher. They knew him all right. Here he was again, the famous scapegrace Relkin. innocent on murder charges in his first trial. Dragon testimony got him off. The law itself had been changed as a result of that case. Dragon testimony was now taken in many kinds of cases. But now he was back, and this time it looked like the prosecutors had got him cold. They had an admission of guilt. The Ushers and the Guards ran a finger down their collective nose; once a criminal, always a criminal.
Lagdalen came in and sat down just behind him. They had prepared him thoroughly for the trial. Lagdalen had chosen the Lady Bertonne as his barrister: she would speak his case and conduct the examination of witnesses. Lagdalen preferred to prepare the case, but not to argue it. Very few advocates were as good as Bertonne. She was expensive, but well worth the cost.
Quite a few people filed in and took seats in the courtroom. Relkin's case had aroused some interest, it seemed. There were one or two older men identified with the Aubinan cause. They had not committed treasonous acts and were thus still free, but their sympathies were known. They sat toward the back.
Just behind Lagdalen were a couple of dragonboys. The cast of dragonboys would change through the day, but there would always be one or two of them there. The 109th wanted to have its own observers on this trial. They had a vested interest in it after all. King Choulaput had given the gold to set up retirement funds for all the dragons who had campaigned in Og Bogon. There were two thousand gold pieces at stake, a sizable fortune.
The military prosecutor for the case was Captain Plake, a smooth-voiced man with olive complexion and a bright, artificial smile.
Relkin looked up to the polished wood of the judge's bench
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