Missing Elements (The Lament Book 3)

by P. S. Power

  That string of invective didn't go over well and the tax man, probably the High Councilor of that section, given where they were, actually moved in to hit the other man. That meant that she, being a person that wasn't of a lofty position had to try and stop it from landing. Luckily for her the man didn't really know how to fight. Not that she was great at it herself. Pran did manage to hop in front of the boy that was protecting her and take the blow on a raised arm, rather than the side of her face.

  That would be bad.

  She had a wedding to play for the next day.

  "I said, calm down and step away! Do it now!" She roared the words, and seemed ready to back it up with violence, which she really wasn't. Being small that didn't work either, meaning she ended up between the two men as they started hitting at each other. They all ended up in a heap, with her gearing up to gouge eyes and bite when the floor boy pulled her free.

  "I'm sorry miss. They aren't even from this floor, they met on the stairs and spilled out here. I... don't really know what to do." Again he was freaked out, which Pran understood. If they got involved, then guess who would end up in the work camp for striking a government official, even if they didn't do anything of the kind? She bet their name wouldn't start with High Councilor, that was for certain.

  But what could they do? Let them fight it out?

  "Why did the tax man take that food? As part of a tax payment?" They didn't always work in coin she knew. In the smaller cities and towns they often just accepted reasonable trade. That would take having an assessor there however, which was a kind of person that she'd never run into, herself. Normally things were done in cash, whenever possible. The only time it wasn't was when people tried to avoid paying any more than they had to and bartered goods and services.

  Whatever the reason, the boy didn't seem to know, and finally some other people started to come. All of them just standing back and looking concerned. They didn't try to stop them however, since they were all smarter than she was. Sighing she moved back in and slapped each of them on the back of the head as they struggled on the floor. Hard, too.

  "That's it. You two are both under arrest for breach of the peace. Get up now, or find yourselves facing more than a fine. Move!" She kicked the bigger man in the back, if not too hard. That got him to grunt and pause in his attempt to twist off the head of the tax fellow. "You heard me. Get up, or so help me, I'll..." her ad-lib ended there. She wasn't able to do much more without killing them and that wasn't going to play well with anyone. As it was, she'd probably just falsely arrested them or something. Really she wasn't certain that they could be arrested. Not until Salle got there, just appearing beside the men.

  He grinned at her, but then made his face go serious.

  "A citizens arrest? Well, it looks legitimate to me. You heard her. Get up, gentlemen and cease your conflict. Failure to do so will require us to escalate this matter." He looked at Pran when he said it, clearly expecting her to back up her arrest, it looked like. She did, but it only took a bit of gentle arm pulling, and a few more raised arms to keep from being hit too hard. One blow did catch her in the ribs, but it wasn't enough to stop her. In fact she managed a credible job of pretending nothing happened.

  Ten seconds after that, they had the two huffing and wheezing men separated, though that didn't stop them from arguing with each other. Trying to distract them before they went for each other again, she started snapping her fingers.

  "Hey. Hey! Over here, gentlemen. We can get to the bottom of this as soon as you both realize that you aren't going to fix this with wrestling in the hallway. Even a duel won't help you now, since the flour is already taken. Come with me." Leaning in, she whispered, going low enough that not everyone in the area should hear her. Not unless they had very good ears. "Come peacefully, or we'll be forced to restrain you. This way." She turned and started toward the stairs before realizing she had no clue where they should go. Guardian Salle did, however, and gave her a funny look.

  "We should restrain them anyway, it's protocol."

  She nodded, actually having done that before, more than once, herself.

  "Right, then we walk them backwards down the stairs. I just don't want them to fall. It is down, right?" If the spots filled by perceived importance then the Guardians might be on the second floor. Money ruled, after all. Everyone knew that. The words did get a nod however, and the Guardian took the lead, moving suddenly in front of them, dropping from her view at least twice as he did it. Showing off.

  That would be about reminding the men that he, at least, was a quasi inhuman being that would brook no foolishness, to keep them in line.

  She didn't do that herself, just taking both men by an arm and turning them, so they were slowly going down the steps, in front of her, side by side.

  "If they start to fight again you'll need to get out of the way, Guardian Salle, because I'm planning to kick them down the steps." She smiled at the men and winked at the smaller one who was glaring at her finally, ignoring the real threat, who was right next to him. "Not that I want to. Then I'd be fined too, and I don't have any money at the moment. Just started a new job, you know how it is." They probably didn't, but the larger man gave a stiff nod anyway, and glanced her way.

  "Guardian?" It was more politely said than she would have expected from anyone that was less than two minutes from a fight and trying not to fall to their death, walking like they were.

  Before she could say anything, Salle laughed.

  "That's right. She's also a Bard. Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you? I spoke with High Councilor Saran about you last night, and she mentioned that they never actually let you out of your apprenticeship with us. Is that why Guardian Clark is supposed to be working with you in the mornings on fighting and skills?" That probably confused everyone but her, since she sort of got it, after a fashion. It really was a matter of paperwork, she bet. That could still work, however, even if only as a sign that she was polite and backed her word up, no matter how silly the situation.

  "Yep. I might even have to stand guard around here, if he says so. Probably not, since I'm really not good enough yet. I gave my word however and until Saran says I'm done, I have to try my best to follow what I'm told."

  The banter had both men listening, even as they bled a bit from their mouths and noses. The big man had a scratch on his cheek, but the smaller man seemed to have a nice knot on his forehead from impacting something hard. The floor was the most likely culprit.

  The Guardians had a large space, but it was nearly all the way across the building from where they started that was a good walk, going like they were. Salle was in the lead, but at the door turned and stepped backward a few steps.

  "I'll open the door and pass down the way here. You follow me, and we'll trade places in a spin. Then I'll go into the room first. Got it?"

  "Understood." Then she repeated it all, because it sounded official and like she and the other Guardian were a team, using all the same words like that.

  These men were still angry, and might fight each other, but weren't exactly hardened thieves or killers, thankfully. Either one could have tossed her into a wall on the spin, but didn't. Salle called out instructions, and they put each one, protesting now that they got the idea, into a tiny cell each.

  Tax man was the louder of the two, and spoke to her directly.

  "Here now, I'm a High Councilor. You do not wish to cross me!"

  She nodded, that being true.

  "I really don't, so get with me before my next concert and I'll get you a free seat. Both of you. You still have to answer for your actions however. Right or wrong, violence isn't allowed, except in defense of yourself or others from harm. Can either of you truly claim that right now? If so, keep it to yourself and tell it to the Judge. I'll see about setting that up. I need to talk to Judge Sims anyway." Hopefully she wouldn't feel like she was being rushed by this new happening. Some girl she didn't know showing up first thing in the day would have to seem pushy at first. It wou
ld be best then for someone else to explain the situation to her, not Pran.

  She needed a tool to handle that for her, then. A puppet.

  Luckily, she had one.

  Robest. Her cake loving new friend. Being that running messages like that was probably a part of his real job, it wouldn't be too big of a problem for him either. She just knew who to go to, that was all.

  As she turned to go see to that, several things happened at once. The first being that several Guardians, four of them, were suddenly in the room. They hadn't been a moment before, and while Pran had been distracted by her thinking and planning, she really didn't think it was just down to all of them moving in unexpected ways at once. No, this was some other trick. Probably a trap door, given where they were standing. A very well oiled one that ran along the far wall.

  It couldn't be too wide, or else it would be very obvious, she knew, but Clark was big, which meant his clothing would have to brush against the inside of whatever it was. There was no smudging however. For a second she just thought she might be wrong, but glancing behind the people, she could make out the seams in the stone there. No scraping on the floor, however. So it was a quality trick. They probably just made Tuvin scrub the place down regularly, so that no signs would linger on their black outfits. If so, it was smart of them.

  She smiled, but didn't mention it out loud. That would ruin the trick.

  No, she just needed to check in the High Bard office to see if they had one too. She hadn't even thought to check before, because it was insane. Very interesting however and potentially useful, if it covered other parts of the building. With a wave, Salle got the others to walk over, his face cold and unreadable again.

  "Bard Pran here arrested High Tax and High Farming. Disturbing the peace. I can back that in front of a Judge, too. Fighting in the second floor front space. She was just about to go and see if Judge Sims would come for a trial. That seems a bit high ranking to me, but it's her call." There was an odd tone to the words, as if he was ready to be yelled at, for backing her, but Clark grinned, the scar on the left side of his face pulling at his upper lip. It wasn't the kind of thing she was used to seeing him do, really.

  Then, he wasn't supposed to be himself, was he?

  Just like her.

  "Great work, Bard Pran. Saran told me and Mara that you seemed to be fitting in here already. We should probably let those two go, when they calm down, so they don't make a big fuss. No need to get them all worked up over something minor. I'm sure they won't do it again." That had to be part of his act, because, Pran knew. Guardians prized their ability to leave that kind of thing to the Judges. They took people in at times, and fought to protect anyone they were guarding, even to the death if it was needed, but they didn't try to tell what the facts were, past their own curiosity. She guessed that was true at least. Clark had shared some of his ideas with her, admitting that they were pure speculation, and not based on more than guessing and trying to think things out, like anyone else might do.

  Plus he was moving too stiffly. That just wasn't the way any of them did things. Not even her, though it was in a very different way.

  Tuvin glared at him, and then twitched, stumbled to the side and started to walk away. It would have indicated a medical problem or seizure if most people did that, but Guardians did things like that, at times. Not that obviously, but she thought she got it. They had to learn to control when they moved without rhythm, or not. The boy was clearly in a trance state, but they all were, except for her. Even Clark was, for all that he was pretending not to be at the same time. She tried to focus and just pay attention for a bit, while Saran made a sour face, and spoke calmly.

  "I think Guardian Salle has the correct idea, Clark. This is Pran's duty to see to. We should back her position, since she's one of ours. Judge Sims won't be in until nearly nine however, if she holds to her normal pattern. That leaves nearly an hour and a half for us to use. Let's meet back here at... Call it ten?"

  She nodded, but knew that was going to make a lot of things tight in her daily schedule. Thankfully not everyone kept the same hours, so it might be possible to find a few people, if she hustled and didn't slow down too much.

  There was also a matter of finding food. Bard Clarice had mentioned that she should eat more and that was the kind of thing that Pran could get behind in theory. What she didn't know was how that could be arranged. Saran knew though, and she was willing to bet that Clark did, too. Everyone there would, except for her, which might leave her seeming weak, if she didn't get a handle on that kind of thing.

  "That sounds good. Clark has been put in as Bard Clarice's Guardian, hasn't he? Or did that change?" It was possible that it had, because the whole situation had managed to go sideways since she'd last heard about that from Saran. The older Guardian nodded her slightly lined face, and gave her a look that didn't seem all that suspicious. Of her.

  There was a telling sidelong glance for Clark, who smiled charmingly. It was too obvious really. Not that the man never cracked a grin, but he was working to seem like he wasn't him so hard that it seemed like an act. People only liked things like that when watching farces. The rest of the time people wanted to see more realistic efforts being made. A download would have been desperately trying to fit in, not stand out.

  The idea behind it was pretty clear to her, certainly, but there still had to be some allowance for craft. Clark wanted people to see that he wasn't himself, so was doing what he could toward that end. So was Saran, and to a lesser extent, Mara. Tuvin didn't seem to be in the loop however, and really suspected the man, or thought he was a fool. That was clear in the way he kept fighting not to look at the large man the entire time. Salle seemed baffled as well, but shrugged, rather than analyzing it too much. That probably meant that he wasn't in on the idea of downloads.

  Tuvin however was. Not that she could prove that herself. Not without simply asking, which wouldn't work for the moment.

  Salle spoke first then.

  "Here at ten, got it. I need to get back to my post." Then he vanished, appearing at the doorway only for her to lose track of him immediately after that.

  Saran smiled at her, and didn't seem to be going that far into acting. The woman actually seemed to like her, most of the time. Which wouldn't mean that a kinetic pistol might not be coming out in the next moments. So far, so good, as for that morning on that score.

  "Indeed, Bard Pran. Guardians Clark and Mara have both been assigned the duty of watching you and Bard Clarice. She was most concerned that recent events might have repercussions for you, which could lead to harm. That's just her being a worrier, but this will let you continue on with your training. If nothing else it will make for an interesting story later in life for you. What do you have planned for the morning?"

  Pran had a lot to do, but some of it wasn't the kind of thing she could just chat about openly. Like trying to find a secret system of panels and spy tunnels in the place. It might not be there, but the dimensions of the stone wall in front of her seemed about a half meter too thick to really be there. Not unless the interior walls of the whole place were really a meter wide, which would be insane. Especially when some of them were clearly thinner than that by a good bit.

  She smiled, and then grinned at Mara and Clark in turn.

  "Well, I need to arrange for a message to be passed to High Councilor Sims and explain the situation here, and then see High Airship Jacques, about playing at his daughter's wedding. Twyla too, if I can. I need to weasel an invitation for Donal and Riley to it, if possible." She didn't explain who those people were, and no one asked, so she went on. "Then, if all goes well, we can finish the trial of our miscreants here in time to start doing a clay sculpture of Judge Brown. That should take up most of the rest of my day. I need to build an armature first, but have what I need for that." It sounded pretty busy for her, but didn't leave a lot of time for her to pry or snoop, did it?

  She also needed to get food in her. Hopefully the floor boys could set her up wi
th that.

  Which reminded her that she needed to get with the one from the second floor, who was a witness to the whole of the fight that had taken place. He'd be needed as a witness.

  Pran winked, trying to seem playful.

  "Annnd, about twenty other things I didn't mention, like breakfast, making sure everyone knows to come to the trial and all that. You know, I really thought that this job would be all about singing scales while Bard Clarice corrected my posture, most days. So, I should get to all that. I probably don't need guards, like you said, but you two are welcome to tag along. There should be food in it, if nothing else. Besides, it will make me seem important, as I go around making deals and glad handing." Which was just true. Only important people had bodyguards, and only the very top got Guardian protection. Regular Bards didn't really rate that sort of thing.

  The High Guardian looked at her, closely and for a long time, then nodded.

  "That sounds like a plan. If you're going to see Jacques anyway, let him know that I do need to have a few people moved along the line between Gladstone and O'Brien. More or less. I'll send him the specifics he needs, for the route. I have people traveling to Gladstone now." Then she just walked away, clearly meaning that she was dismissed.

  The others followed her, which was a bit odd since Tuvin shouldn't have, to the best of her knowledge. She shrugged however, and smiled at him, rather than asking about it. Maybe he was being sent to spy on Clark? Maybe her. It turned out that it wasn't that, he simply needed to find Robest too, so was taking the same route. He twitched and flowed through the hallway constantly, but the rest of them moved smoothly enough. Clark even seemed to be trying to copy how she was doing it, like a dancer.

  It looked funny, if you were paying attention, since his size made it impossible for him to have had that kind of training. Yet, there it was, and he managed it pretty well, too.