“You really came.”
“Of course. I’d started to wonder if you really had.”
“I came out early to scout the field before anyone started setting up. I didn’t see anything suspicious, though.” Lisha shook her head. “I was trying to track down any of the Brothers’ operatives, but no luck there, either. Did you see the protest over there at the church across the way?” She pointed.
“Yes.”
“Massey’s supposed to speak there right after their service. I wonder if he’s got the nerve to show up knowing that you and I might be over here.”
“He doesn’t know about the recording,” Roulette pointed out. “As far as he knows, I’ve never seen him or even heard him.”
Lisha bared her teeth. “He should be more worried about me seeing him.”
Roulette touched the vixen’s arm. “Let’s get the Guard to arrest him, not you. ”
She sighed. “The recording implicates Massey in a conspiracy with them, but to do what? There isn’t any water here.”
“I thought it might be the fire…thing at the Society. It fits what I saw. But Tiran was right—even if that could work, it’d just create…” She trailed off, her ears folding down flat into her hair. “Three Lords.”
“What? Create what?”
“Martyrs.” Roulette looked up at Lisha in horror, then took off in a hard run toward the church.
“What—” Lisha ran after her, expression still confused.
They pushed through the crowd in the square and kept going full speed, the raccoon the first one charging up the white wooden stairs of the chapel. Her foot had started to hurt again—it was far too soon to be putting that much force on it—but that couldn’t be helped. They both burst into the foyer. Some of the congregation turned to stare before a somber and displeased elderly usher intercepted them. “Don’t you dare bring your protest into this holy house.” He kept his voice low but firm.
“Unlike your protest,” Lisha snorted.
“That’s—”
“Does this church have fire pipes?” Roulette interrupted.
“What?”
“Places for water to come out.” She looked past him at the ceiling. “It does. This is it.” She looked back at him directly. “Someone’s sabotaged the system and you’ve all got to get out.”
He stared at her incredulously. Lisha did, too, but with the shock of realization.
“I don’t know what you’re playing at, but we won’t have this service interrupted for silly non-human pranks.”
“This isn’t a prank!” Roulette’s voice was rising, and more of the congregation was turning to give irritated and hostile stares to the intruders, although the minister was—so far—placidly ignoring it all and continuing the service. “In less than ten minutes those things are going to rain blue acid and people are going to start dying .”
Murmurs started to run through the crowd.
The usher had begun to look apoplectic. “Ladies. Don’t make me have you thrown out.” Several burlier congregation members had risen to their feet, frowning threateningly.
“Look!” Roulette pointed up at an attic door flush with the ceiling. “It’s got to be up there. I overheard them when they kidnapped me—”
“What in the Merciful Names are you talking about? Who?”
“The Brothers of Atasos. I know that sounds crazy but you have to believe me.”
He grimaced in disbelief, and shook his head. “That’s more than enough.”
She ignored him and screamed directly at the crowd inside. “Get out now!” That made the whole congregation—and, finally, the minister—stare at her.
The congregants who’d stood up a moment before started striding toward them, and the usher had both his arms out, trying to herd Lisha and Roulette toward the exit. The raccoon darted to the side, and leapt up against the wall, digging in her claws and starting to climb straight up.
“What are you doing? Get down!” The usher started for her, but Lisha interposed herself, blocking him and holding back his
“Of course. I’d started to wonder if you really had.”
“I came out early to scout the field before anyone started setting up. I didn’t see anything suspicious, though.” Lisha shook her head. “I was trying to track down any of the Brothers’ operatives, but no luck there, either. Did you see the protest over there at the church across the way?” She pointed.
“Yes.”
“Massey’s supposed to speak there right after their service. I wonder if he’s got the nerve to show up knowing that you and I might be over here.”
“He doesn’t know about the recording,” Roulette pointed out. “As far as he knows, I’ve never seen him or even heard him.”
Lisha bared her teeth. “He should be more worried about me seeing him.”
Roulette touched the vixen’s arm. “Let’s get the Guard to arrest him, not you. ”
She sighed. “The recording implicates Massey in a conspiracy with them, but to do what? There isn’t any water here.”
“I thought it might be the fire…thing at the Society. It fits what I saw. But Tiran was right—even if that could work, it’d just create…” She trailed off, her ears folding down flat into her hair. “Three Lords.”
“What? Create what?”
“Martyrs.” Roulette looked up at Lisha in horror, then took off in a hard run toward the church.
“What—” Lisha ran after her, expression still confused.
They pushed through the crowd in the square and kept going full speed, the raccoon the first one charging up the white wooden stairs of the chapel. Her foot had started to hurt again—it was far too soon to be putting that much force on it—but that couldn’t be helped. They both burst into the foyer. Some of the congregation turned to stare before a somber and displeased elderly usher intercepted them. “Don’t you dare bring your protest into this holy house.” He kept his voice low but firm.
“Unlike your protest,” Lisha snorted.
“That’s—”
“Does this church have fire pipes?” Roulette interrupted.
“What?”
“Places for water to come out.” She looked past him at the ceiling. “It does. This is it.” She looked back at him directly. “Someone’s sabotaged the system and you’ve all got to get out.”
He stared at her incredulously. Lisha did, too, but with the shock of realization.
“I don’t know what you’re playing at, but we won’t have this service interrupted for silly non-human pranks.”
“This isn’t a prank!” Roulette’s voice was rising, and more of the congregation was turning to give irritated and hostile stares to the intruders, although the minister was—so far—placidly ignoring it all and continuing the service. “In less than ten minutes those things are going to rain blue acid and people are going to start dying .”
Murmurs started to run through the crowd.
The usher had begun to look apoplectic. “Ladies. Don’t make me have you thrown out.” Several burlier congregation members had risen to their feet, frowning threateningly.
“Look!” Roulette pointed up at an attic door flush with the ceiling. “It’s got to be up there. I overheard them when they kidnapped me—”
“What in the Merciful Names are you talking about? Who?”
“The Brothers of Atasos. I know that sounds crazy but you have to believe me.”
He grimaced in disbelief, and shook his head. “That’s more than enough.”
She ignored him and screamed directly at the crowd inside. “Get out now!” That made the whole congregation—and, finally, the minister—stare at her.
The congregants who’d stood up a moment before started striding toward them, and the usher had both his arms out, trying to herd Lisha and Roulette toward the exit. The raccoon darted to the side, and leapt up against the wall, digging in her claws and starting to climb straight up.
“What are you doing? Get down!” The usher started for her, but Lisha interposed herself, blocking him and holding back his
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