by S. J. Higbee
He stared straight ahead, in rigid military mode as he answered, “And I you, Your Ladyship.”
No one else would have realised how saddened he was. But I knew. After all, I’d spent more time in his company than anyone else. As he wheeled around and marched to the door, I swore under my breath, deciding that this time around, I’d have a say in who got the position of Captain to my Security detail. Not going through this roachbait again, anytime soon.
Which I did. Captain Crayler, after all, was someone I already knew and had proved loyal, even when I thought he wasn’t. Though Felina was still to be convinced, given his pretended shoddy treatment of her in the Security Suite. It was just one more urgent chore among a long list of other spiny tasks.
When Onice asked to see me, I was reminded I’d need to ensure that Cnicus had a new Storekeeper, because if she took me up on my promise to accompany me to Gloriosa then the village wouldn’t have anyone suitably trained to look after their produce. But, as it happened, she’d changed her mind. Stuck in The Square during the siege alongside her terrified family and neighbours as entitled outsiders ordered them around, she realised that Cnicus was where she belonged, after all. It didn’t hurt that she would be fast-tracked to take over as Storekeeper with the status and income the position afforded, either.
Paulder Commander informed me they’d discovered the guard who’d threatened me during the Siege of The Square was an agent for an underground movement calling themselves the Sons of Arcadia. They were plotting to return to the original vision of the founding fathers of the colony, doing away with all bots and returning the society to a rural economy where everyone worked on the land for their food and all produce was equally shared amongst the population. Up to this point, they hadn’t been taken seriously, but after so many Uppies had heard the roacher spouting his wet-brained notions, Gloriosan security forces were now targeting their operations.
We also had to bury Skyla Slurry and the three other villagers shot by soldiers on Clete Gator’s orders. I was reluctantly impressed that Hector, Head of the Gator Family in Gloriosa, insisted on providing a generous pension for the bereaved Slurry and Summer families without being prompted. They also received a sum collected by one of the weekly zines, who’d written graphically about the poverty endured by those who slogged in the fields without any kind of botware to help. The sadness was that they had to lose family members before getting the help they needed.
Adurn Brarian Major was stripped of his title, DeNamed, Collared and sent along to Pistacia to work at AcinosClean Services, the sewage processing company, as a data-processing clerk. Given he was responsible for the shoddy state of their Nodery, forcing them to put together a manual system to fulfil the demands of the Company, it seemed only right that he should devote the rest of his life to helping fix the situation. Kestor Brarian, also DeNamed, was given the option of being reApprenticed to the Carrier Family – a major demotion in status and income, which he took. Last I heard, he’d settled in Arugula, driving waggon-trains to and from all the local settlements, with adoring girlies fawning over him on each of his stops.
Thirty-three soldiers were shot as traitors, another eighteen survived to be reassigned to less hospitable areas. Seven requested to stay in Cnicus and all but one were allowed to do so. The fallout from this sorry business just went on and on.
When Ellern Healer Prime’s case came before the special committee assigned to deal with the culprits, they were confronted with a stack of pleas from former patients and colleagues in Gloriosa, all prepared to swear on their sorry souls that she was a thoroughly good person.
By this time, Seth had been released from the Medical Centre and was resting up in Felina’s Reception Room when Paulder Commander swung by to fill us in on the situation.
“Would you consider extending her a special pardon, Your Ladyship?” asked Paulder.
“No, I wouldn’t!”
“The charges as they stand mean she is due to be formally DeNamed and executed.”
“Kyrillia…” said Seth in that tone of voice.
“This whole shoddy business stinks! I don’t get to keep Helston, who merely made a misjudgement, after saving my life several times over.” I paced around the room. “Yet I’m s’posed to feel all warm and cosy towards the woman who made it her mission to turn me into a mindless puppet. She made my life one hellish round of pain with those roaching eyedrops designed to blind me!” I turned to face Paulder. “I thought I was s’posed to show my ruthlessness.”
He sighed. “Thing is, she can talk black into white and also has a devoted following of powerful people back in Gloriosa.”
“She has the ability to do a great deal of good,” said Seth, gently, willing me to do the right thing.
I let out a shuddering breath, knowing that while he was still ill and hurting, I couldn’t refuse him. And that perhaps those gore-drenched dreams where I gloried in the red ruin that had been Clete weren’t the way to go. It would be a hollow victory if I turn into the roaching skelper. So I granted her a pardon, while refusing her continual requests to see me. I’d had enough of Ellern Healer Prime to last me a vore’s lifetime.
*
The following day after that interview, I’d trudged through a stack of admin, having arisen from yet another of those bloody dreams well before sunrise. After brekkie some four hours later, I’d checked in on Seth, now staying in Lupita Honey’s house. One of the consequences of The Siege of the Square was that now everyone knew our marriage was a sham, I was firmly advised that it wasn’t fitting for us to sleep together anymore. A typical lace-lined Gloriosan attitude, which I’d have happily ignored, but of course Seth wouldn’t, being a Priest. He was still asleep and as his wound was taking longer to heal than it should, I wanted him to get as much rest as possible.
I wandered back towards Felina’s, enjoying the fresh early-morning air, intending to listen to a book, or play some of the music I’d recently started releasing from the archives. I was particularly fond of a song, ‘Wish You Were Here’ by someone called Pink Floyd. Though what possessed his mother to name him Pink, I couldn’t imagine.
I caught sight of Vrox and Jessob ambling along one of the paths running behind the row of houses facing The Square. Jessob had filled out, looking less harried and worn than when I first met him. As I watched, he suddenly jinked sideways, shoulder-barging the mantivore looming over him. I held my breath, waiting for the old vore to snarl at him, but instead Vrox snickered and lazily swiped his tail towards the boy, who jumped over it, crowing, “Too slow, crip-scale!”
Crip-scale? And Vrox isn’t foaming with ThreatDrool, or raising his neck-crest.
We’re bantering, Cub. A vorelord form of play… Vrox Sent, as happy and relaxed as I’d ever seen him.
I sighed. Small wonder I don’t hear from him all that often, these days.
Vrox hoots his awareness that he should await an invitation, before entering Cub’s mental space, before grumbling that she rarely so much as thinks of him, these days.
I thought you were too busy with your new MindLinked, Felina and Jessob, to bother with me. Even as the thought unpeeled in my head, I cringed at the jealous neediness of it. I hastily added, Ignore me. I’m not good company just now.
We’d be honoured if you’d join us, My Queen, Sent Jessob, while at the same time trying for a complicated feint, ending in Vrox flipping him over.
Though I noticed there was none of the bunched aggression I was used to seeing in the mantivore whenever he tussled with anyone. And my jaw nearly grazed the ground when the mantivore extended a clawed foreleg to help Jessob bounce back onto his feet.
He bowed low and even Vrox gave a formal vore greeting, before explaining the rules. Apparently, we were to try and rush Vrox. The aim of the game was to touch the topmost plate scale below his neck crest. If any cuts, nicks or scale damage was inflicted, then a major forfeit was incurred by the gamer who’d caused the injury.
Accustomed to Vrox’s short-fused, irrita
ble temperament, I was hesitant at first. But after watching Jessob’s frankly outrageous moves and the mantivore’s amused response, I, too, was soon ducking and weaving, trying to avoid his sweeping tail, hindleg shoves and forearm swipes.
I was soon breathless with laughter, the energetic exercise and very conscious of how unfit I’d become. Vrox, on the other hand, is more supple and active than I’ve ever seen him. And so much calmer.
My escort, from fanning out around us, twitched at the very idea of my taking part, were soon shouting encouragements and warnings in equal measure, while the two guards facing outwards to scan for any approaching danger, glanced reproachfully over their shoulders from time to time. We were all sorry when Captain Ruve, Crayler’s replacement deputy-captain of my personal guard, reminded me that I had a meeting scheduled with the new Brarian Major, who was arriving from Laurus in just over an hour.
I looked down at my dust-stained clothing, realising I’d need to change. “I have to go. Thank you for inviting me to join you. It’s been fun.”
“It’s been an honour, My Queen. We live to serve. May your horde be mindful an’ caring this long day,” said Jessob.
They both bowed.
Vrox huffed, Talk soon, my Cub. Then turned away.
Anyone watching him would have thought he was offhand and bit contemptuous, but I caught the aftertaste of his sadness at having failed me.
In the past, I’d have Sent comfort-phrases reassuring him all was shady. Since then, though, I’d had someone at my elbow, murmuring comfort at me when there was nothing remotely comforting in the situation, so I now knew how annoying that was.
I will… And I did.
Most days, I’d set aside two or three times when I would politely hail Vrox, check it was convenient, and chat. Usually I didn’t have much to say that he found interesting, other than letting him know how the Node was doing. And he was a regular visitor there, anyway, normally accompanied by Felina, or more occasionally Jessob, who seemed uncomfortable in the Nodery.
But I’d tell the old mantivore how I was feeling and what I was doing and in return he’d tell me how the hunting was going. Felina had encouraged him to start nocturnal hunts to help keep the more aggressive nightlife away and Jessob enthusiastically joined in their efforts. They’d managed to make inroads on the maw-sharks who lurked at the watering-holes along the River Salamander; keep the local nemmet population more wary; and encourage a local pack of jaspers to move further away. While the old mantivore was loving it.
He shouldn’t have to return to Gloriosa, he is so much happier here…
Vrox huffs his agreement.
I didn’t have the heart to remind him that this could never be more than a wonderful interlude. Because so long as he had the Codes, he’d have no choice but to return.
*
Five days after The Siege of the Square, Mr Detective presented the results of his investigation into Mother’s murder. Seth and Felina were also alongside, though we’d already agreed it wouldn’t be smart to have Vrox with us. So far, we’d kept his part in Burch Washer’s death between ourselves and I wanted it to stay that way.
While neither I nor Felina believed that Mother ever seriously considered marrying Eswin Washer, quite a few folks in the village, including Eswin and his family, thought it was a done deal. Eswin was thrilled. However in his delight, he seemed to have forgotten how a union with Mother would impact on the rest of his family, who worked long hours alongside him in either the village laundry, or producing the local brew, mushmouth.
Burch, in particular, was horrified at the prospect of the upcoming wedding. As the younger brother, it had already been decided that he would become a full partner alongside Leodan in the event of Eswin’s death. What happened to such a scenario if Eswin and Mai had children? Mother was only seventeen when she had me, so was still capable of having another baby, though I could’ve told Burch that she’d sooner gargle with ground glass than nurse a squalling infant. She didn’t have a maternal bone in her body – I don’t care what Felina thinks.
So Leodan and Burch, fuelled by too much mushmouth, one night broke into her house with the intention of frightening Mai into promising not to marry Eswin. Of all the wet-brain schemes they could’ve come up with, that had to take the prize! One sure way of getting Mother to do a thing, was to declare she couldn’t. When she ended up mouthwhacking the drunken pair flat, Leodan tripped and the mask he was wearing fell off, which was when Burch, thoroughly fired up by Mother’s defiance, strangled her.
They’d stolen the entrance codes from Eswin’s pocket – Mother never changed them – so were able to get in and out without raising any alarm. It was this that put Damita onto them in the first place. She knew Eswin was a regular nocturnal visitor, but his evident shock and grief meant he clearly hadn’t been the murderer, so who else was close enough to him to get hold of the codes? When the bedsheets that had been locked away in the Security Suite, waiting for the arrival of Mr Detective and his team, went missing, Damita worked back to see who had visited the Security Suite on that day. Leodan had sauntered in to collect the laundry load a day early and casually mentioned to poor Demri there were some sheets in the evidence locker by mistake, which needed washing. So he’d handed them over, getting him into a planetful of trouble with a furious Cupert, who’d yelled at him till he wept
When Damita questioned Leodan about Demri’s version of events, he coolly denied it. Too coolly, it seemed to her. Which was when she took her concerns to Felina, who was correct when she worried that no one would speak to Mr Detective or his team. They weren’t all that keen on opening up to Felina, either. Until Vrox started tagging along.
Felina would sigh and say how sad it was that Mai had died in such a terrible way.
The villager would nod and agree, yes, wasn’t it putrid luck that she managed to get herself strangled.
Felina would lean forward in a whisper and say she’d heard they’d got prime evidence that it wasn’t some roaching outsider – a favourite Cnican theory – but someone living and working in the village. She’d pause and mention that the murderer was still at large.
This was Vrox’s cue to start howling. Felina would stroke him to make him stop, then explain that he was grieving alongside Her Ladyship, who was heartbroken cos she never had a chance to make amends with her poor dead Ma.
I winced when I heard this, it being far too close to the truth for comfort.
Vrox would then start pacing and snarling, while Felina explained that being so sad also made him a tad on the short-tempered side. And when she then went on to ask her questions, the villager would be outright chatty. It worked every time, apparently, to Mr Detective’s helpless fury. Though I think it’s a measure of the man’s ability that he then turned to Felina and Vrox when he wanted any further information from Cnicans.
I was interested to see if he’d mention their help in his investigation during his report and was glad that he did. But then, they’re sitting in the room, too. Large as Life and twice as lively…
Leodan was especially helpful in putting together the case, after he’d been arrested. But then, he’d watched Vrox rip Burch’s head off. Not something he mentioned to Mr Detective, so I’m guessing Felina had a word with him about that.
The court case was held behind locked doors. My advisors all believed this was a mistake, but for once I didn’t care. Mother’s life already had been raked over in far too much detail and the feeding frenzy if certain aspects of the case had become journo-fodder didn’t bear thinking about. Given Leodan’s very thorough confession and the supporting evidence, it didn’t take long for the judges – flown in from Gloriosa – to find him guilty and condemn him to death.
What I hadn’t appreciated, was as Mother’s next of kin, I was expected to attend his execution. I’m the worst daughter in the galaxy, because when Leodan tottered into the Meeting House, his face the colour of porridge, I recall thinking it was roaching typical of Mother to tip me sideways into ye
t another horrible situation.
In a shaking voice, Leodan put all the blame for Mother’s death in Burch’s lap, claiming he’d have never gone along if he’d known Mai would be harmed. He looked up at me, then his grief-gripped father sitting in a pew behind me, and stammered how sorry he was. Two guards sat him in a chair and Cupert slapped the patches on his neck dosed with a lethal poison.
Seth, sitting beside me, prayed quietly while the boy stiffened, twitched and gurgled before finally going limp, his eyes fixed and unseeing. I wiped away tears, glad to have Seth’s strong presence alongside. I hadn’t liked Leodan all that much, but it was a shoddy way to go.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Mother’s funeral was held a few days after Leodan’s execution, the day before we were due to fly back to Gloriosa. Several of my advisors wanted to bury her in Gloriosa Prime, as befitting the mother of the Brarian Overlord, but I nixed that notion. Mother Mai would have hated to be stranded away from everyone who’d known her, and so would her followers.
We held her funeral in the late evening, as the sun was going down. Throughout the day, the roads to Cnicus were blocked with trafcars full of tearful followers, desperate to pay their last respects. I was shaken. Yes, I’d been aware that her Movement, where she claimed the Node and plants were deeply connected, had strummed a popular vibe. However I’d no idea just how much Mother Mai and her ideas had meant to so many people.
Those in my team paid to know these things were also taken by surprise. It became clear halfway through the morning, just when the noonblast was building with vicious intensity, that we’d not provided enough shade, or water, or food, or latrines. I’ll be everlastingly grateful to the villagers who opened their houses to parched, overheated mourners arriving from all over Arcadia. While at least those who lived in Acinos Province came with sunscreens and plenty to drink, many from further afield clearly hadn’t checked local conditions – to the extent that many didn’t even bring a decent sunscreen. We ran out halfway through the morning.
