Missing Elements (The Lament Book 3)

by P. S. Power

  Out loud she spoke to Clark.

  "I should be armed. I don't suppose I could borrow something?"

  To her surprise Salle handed her a hard wooden rod with a leather strap on it. A sap. If she needed to, she could knock a man out with one. Or kill them, though it would take work to get that done most of the time. If it was meant as a joke, it didn't show on his face. She tucked it into her waist band and covered it with her shirt. None of the kids or other High Councilors that had shown up seemed ready to truly riot on behalf of the men that were in trouble.

  Tuvin spoke loudly, but didn't yell.

  "Attention to the Judge. Attention to Judge Tansy!" Then he moved back a step, ready to protect the girl from harm, if it came.

  "Please bring the accused forward." The girl's voice was soft, but not weak. Girlish, was all. A bit breathy, but that was due to the trance state she was holding.

  The two men were both let out of their cells and not manhandled into place, since they went willingly enough. The tax fellow scowled at the little girl, and started to speak, only to have Pran cut him off.

  "What is this? I-"

  "Stop." That got the man to turn and look at her, his face a bit less then pleasant when he realized who was standing there. "Attention to the Judge." She raised her eyebrows and nodded at the girl meaningfully. That was all the help she was giving the man though. The High Farm Councilor seemed to realize what was going on and looked at the young woman politely enough.

  The smaller man scowled at her again, then did it, not smiling, but clearly seeing that the situation wasn't being treated as life and death either. Not yet.

  The girl spoke.

  "These two men, Morris Exeter, and Lee Jamison, stand accused of public fighting and breach of the peace. This was well witnessed, and a known thing. Is the Recorder of Arrest present?"

  Pran got a helpful shove from Clair, so took a step toward the scene and raised her voice, projecting for the crowd. "I am, your honor."

  "Please step toward me, and state your name."

  "Pran." She stopped there, having been asked for her name, not anything else.

  The girl looked confused for a moment, then nodded.

  "Do... um, do you have a title? Or a second name for the records?"

  She did, finally, a few of them that were even real.

  "I'm Apprentice Guardian and Bard, Pran. No second name. No family connections, being an orphan." It got a few of the people there to look at her, but no one mentioned the two titles.

  The youthful lie sniffer nodded then, as did most of the Judges watching.

  "True. Can you tell us why you made a citizen's arrest of these two men, from the beginning of..." She floundered for a second and looked at Judge Sims for a prompt. It didn't come, the lady merely waiting for the Judge of the day to go on. Or not. It was her court, so that made sense. She was in control of it, no matter how young she was. "From... when you first noticed something was happening?"

  She nodded a little and didn't put her hands behind her back, since that would be muting her body language and look like she was being untruthful. Given all she knew that might be inconvenient for her.

  Which was probably why a young girl was doing the job there and not the High Judge herself. So that she wouldn't have to report everything that her fellows were thinking to the room. It wasn't about Pran, since no one there would care about her that way. They either knew what she did or assumed she had no secrets beyond what anyone might.

  "It was between the seventh and eighth bell, and I was up on the third floor toward the back, when I heard a commotion. Being foolish, I hurried to find the source of the noise, in case anyone needed help, and found two men, both standing in an angry, but not violent, fashion. Shouting at each other. I didn't understand why. Something about stolen flour, I think. I asked them, very firmly, to step back and not continue as they were doing. Then one of them, the larger of the two, suggested that I simply didn't understand what was happening."

  "True. There is a little hesitation at some points, but no overt lying. Can you explain, uh, tell us what happened next?"

  "At about that point, and I might have the timing wrong here, the floor boy for that area stepped between me and the men, I believe it was in an attempt to protect me, in case violence ensued. They began fighting and I went around the floor boy, Tims, to try and stop them. Calling out didn't work, so I tried slapping them on the back of the heads, and ended up in the middle of their pile on the floor. Tims then jumped in to pull me free. It was rather heroic on his part." She smiled a bit and shook her head as people laughed. "Which isn't what you asked. Sorry, your honor. Things were intense for a bit, and I was hit a few times and blocked more than that. Then I placed them under arrest, and Guardian Salle came. We discussed the matter and then the men came along with us to the cells here. Peacefully, and without further issue." It was true, so she added the last bit, since it might help them a little.

  "True... I... There were some things that seemed wrong, but I couldn't... It was true." She looked at the High Judge, who nodded.

  "Misremembered things that are believed can seem like that at times. Please continue."

  Tims, who had bothered to show up like a good floor boy, seemed a lot more relaxed than he had. There was no stress in his voice, and in fact, he seemed just a touch drugged. His face was slack, and his body language so subdued it was probably impossible to tell anything that way. The girl looked at him and frowned, but narrowed her eyes, her trance slipping.

  "Your name?" The girl seemed hard, but the story that was told, while it differed from hers slightly was pretty close, and the girl did proclaim it true, though it was clear she didn't know what was going on either. In short, she lied about it, which some of the other kids picked up on. Pran waved to the collective group, using a low gesture down by her right hip. When they all looked over she shook her head no, just a bit and pursed her lips. She couldn't afford to put a finger in front of them, since everyone would see that. Thankfully it was enough, and the kids went back to listening as the High Counselors told their own stories. The first one, which came from the High Farmer, told of treachery, backstabbing and unfair tax assessments.

  The High Tax Councilor had a similar tale, if one about a public official allowing people in his area of control to cheat the system, which he tried to back with threats and ultimately violence. It was true that the other man had thrown the first punch, but that fact didn't seem to interest Judge Tansy too much.

  "The reason for your crime does not mitigate your actions. Stand fast, for sentencing."

  Tuvin called that out, even though neither man moved or even made a disgruntled face.

  "Stand fast, for judgment!" It was a bit off, since that had clearly just happened, but no one said anything about it. They got the idea, something was coming. It worked well enough. He'd probably be corrected later however, if he hadn't already caught the mistake. Anyone could get flustered on stage, especially if they didn't practice enough first.

  Pran wouldn't make that mistake. It had both been part of her own training and a personal goal in life. Always prepare, whenever possible. That couldn't be assured all the time, so she'd just have to make certain that her main skills were sharp and ready to be brought out. Thinking of that helped her decide what her evening would be spent doing, if nothing else came up that needed her attention worse.

  Judge Tansy might have been only eleven or so, but she didn't bat an eye at what Tuvin said, simply straightening a little like Judges always did when commanding attention. It was a trained thing, which wasn't too different than some parts of stage craft, Pran noticed. Things could, and did, overlap that way.

  "Gentlemen, as members of this society, we all must hold to certain agreed upon rules and laws. By breaking the peace, you have disturbed the minds and thoughts of those that witnessed this action. By engaging in mutual combat, which is clear in both of your descriptions, even if Councilor Exeter struck the first blow in anger, you again damaged
the structure of societal trust. This is known and given. For these crimes, you are both sentenced to two weeks on a work crew, to begin immediately."

  That was a bit harsh, Pran thought, but not outside her ability to command. After all, they were guilty and knew it, so it would be hard for them to claim they were being wronged. Not that they wouldn't try.

  The girl, however, wasn't finished. That caught everyone by surprise, except the High Judge, who gave a single nod upon hearing the words.

  "Worse, when asked by a fellow citizen to not behave in an illegal fashion, you both struck at her. Truly, this was not done with intent to harm, but neither of you sought to protect her, leaving that task to a person who would naturally feel at risk doing so, given your combined positions here and personal social power. For that action, you are both sentenced to an additional two months of service, at menial labor." She stepped back then, not smiling or even looking scared about what she'd just ordered.

  It... Actually made sense, given the law, but a gasp still went up in the room, and Tuvin moved, without any organization at all, to suddenly appear in front of the girl. Ready to kill anyone that presented too great a threat for him to handle more peacefully. Violence was the last resort for Guardians, but anyone attacking a little girl over doing her job wasn't going to just give up when politely asked.

  Clearing her throat and smiling warmly, Judge Clair waved to the girl, and the High Judge, dwarfing them both with her size. Not that she was a giant, being merely about Pran's own height, if carrying about twenty more pounds. That made her thin still, which was a comparison that Pran didn't really like much. She must look like a stick to most people. That reminded her to eat when she got a chance.

  She sort of had orders to, didn't she?

  Whatever was whispered in the little huddle of happy yellow and clean white couldn't be heard, but after some discussion, and a few nods and words from each of the three Judges, the older two stepped away, allowing Tansy to change her sentence a little.

  "Given that you are both government officials, these acts should carry more weight, rather than less. However, it appears that Bard Pran has requested you not be stripped away from your families over the holidays. To that end you will be allowed to serve your work responsibilities here in the city of Lincoln. For three months, from sun up to sun down, you must both work at street cleaning. You may see to your other duties after dark each night. If you fail to meet these responsibilities for any reason other than injury or illness, you will serve the rest of your time in a remote camp, where compliance can be assured." Then, before she could step back again, the High Tax Councilor frowned.

  "Wait, wasn't the original sentence for two and a half months?" The tone wasn't pleased, but spoke of negotiation, rather than demanding he be let out of his repayment to society.

  The girl did smile then, and nodded.

  "It was. If you wish to serve your sentence in a normal camp, that will still be allowed. This special privilege has to come with a cost however, or all those serving away from their homes and families would come to understand that mere political power places one above the law. Even the appearance of that must be avoided. Don't you agree?" The last bit was said like a little girl faking being an adult, and nearly made Pran have to cover a smile. No one else did however, and High Farm Councilor Exeter actually nodded.

  "I agree, your honor. We will, I am certain, both serve to the best of our ability."

  She nodded back, even if the tax fellow glared at both of them. No one wanted to serve at work that wasn't theirs after all. On the good side they probably wouldn't have to work half as hard, since the city didn't have a rock quarry that she knew of. It would be street cleaning, most likely. That or road repair. Both were easier than breaking rock.

  They weren't taken away immediately, but Tuvin did walk over to them, his face still and set. Saran moved in behind him, but was clearly letting him take the lead on this one. It had to be good practice. The other guardians all floated in that general direction too, so Pran moved along as well, in case there was something worth hearing about. No one else did however, but her dark clothing let her blend in pretty well, she thought.

  "Gentlemen. Your sentence will begin first thing in the morning tomorrow. We'll meet in the lobby here for your assignments. If you fail to show before six bells, then you'll be collected to transfer to a work camp." There was oddly enough no threat to the words. It had a flat, almost sing-song quality to it. Soothing, rather than harsh or bullying toward the two men. That was prudent of course. They were both powerful in their own right, and had friends that could get at nearly anyone, she didn't doubt.

  They could set people on Tuvin, or even her, to see to their deaths, no doubt.

  The trick there would be to distract them from Tansy, who had only been doing her job. Pran readied herself, planning to distract them with some bold and annoying proclamations if she had to, when the big farmer cleared his throat.

  "I acted foolishly, Bard Pran. If I did any injury to you, or upset you, please know that I didn't mean to." He looked a bit sheepish, but not slow, his slightly messy gray hair having been swept to one side to keep it out of the way.

  The tax man, Jamison, didn't let her speak, muttering his own apologies. He even looked over to include Tims, the floor boy. Tuvin nodded at them both, his head coming back up, so that his chin was high.

  "That's a good start. You're both getting off very light for this. You'll be safe and snug in your own beds each night, and no more than slightly chilly during the day. Winter in the camps is brutal, I hear. Plus, the real sentence should have been closer to two years. Judge Tansy clearly thought that your abrogation of duty was all in the heat of the moment. If the High Judge had been doing it... Well, that was probably why you got Tansy instead. Do you understand?" It looked a bit funny, a sixteen year old boy taking two grown men to task like that, until you realized that the men were surrounded by enough Guardians to ensure that no one left the room alive, even if they didn't pull a weapon. It changed the feeling of the whole thing. For the men at least.

  Saran smiled however and then patted Exeter on the back.

  "Now, why don't you two, without any hitting this time, explain what it was all about? We can probably smooth some feathers in your individual sections, if we know what's going on first."

  That caused both men to try and talk at one time, but the basic idea was that Jamison had found irregularities in a regional tax, so had set his men to raid one of the government farm depots, to collect the value of taxes that had been hidden under the guise of barter.

  That kind of thing was legal, but no one liked it much, and Exeter viewed it as theft, since the other man hadn't really proved that it needed to be taken. They were both representing the government, and it didn't line their own pockets, but the stores had been meant to go to some areas that needed a bit extra that winter, and now wouldn't.

  Pran rolled her eyes.

  "Fine. Jamison, see to distributing that, in the correct area. You did your duty and got the taxes taken in, now finish it and make sure they get to where they're needed. Or, you know, have your people do that for you. I can't see why you let this get so out of hand like that. Is one of you sleeping with the others wife, or something?" It was a rude thing to say, but Exeter looked away. Not guiltily either, but like he didn't want to engage in a conversation about it.

  Clark cursed. It was a strange and almost shocking thing to hear from him, but no one else seemed to think that. Pran had seen him be taken prisoner and almost hooked into a download machine once, and he hadn't used that kind of language however.

  So she just nodded, remembering that they were both supposed to be seen as out of place.

  "Really? Well, stop that, Jamison. If one of the Judges hears about it, you'll probably end up in a camp for real. That kind of thing goes against social harmony." She growled the words a bit, but smiled, showing that she really didn't care. It was a stupid thing to do, become jealous like that. People did wh
at they wanted, and acting like you could control them was stupid. Unless you had a knife. That worked, for a little while. Until their friends got there.

  You really needed to make the kill and move off, in that kind of situation. Not argue over it, using flour as an excuse to fight.

  What kind of an idiot slept with the wife of a High Councilor though? The man had probably thought that being powerful himself the rules wouldn't apply, but the second he heard that the man was put out by it, he should have tucked himself back in his pants and walked away from the situation. It wasn't illegal to have an affair, but it was to cause strife, knowing you were doing it.

  Luckily that wasn't her responsibility.

  Saran seemed to agree with her words, and Tuvin nodded along, which got the smaller man to make a hard face and clench his jaw. It was pretty certain that the situation wasn't really over, but again, it wasn't her job to take care of it. They were all let go then, so Pran moved over to Judge Brown, and waved at the kids, while smiling. A few did it back, which lacked decorum perhaps, but was friendly and made them seem like real children.

  Clair smiled and came over too, her face beaming.

  "Well, this was interesting. I'd just come to find you Pran and make sure you were doing well. Things are a bit boring for me, when we're in the city like this. Too many Judges, and not enough to judge." She pulled on Pran's arm and linked her own through it, like they were close friends. No one looked at them funny however. Not even Brown, who just followed along when they started to walk away. "I hear from First Mate Paul that you're playing at his wedding party? That's a coup for him and Twyla, isn't it? The Apprentice of the High Bard playing for them herself, like that."

  Behind them Saran called out, her voice actually very pleasant seeming, looking back it was clear that Clark and Mara were right behind brown, looking around for attack or possible violence already.

  "Bard Pran. Not Apprentice. Clarice heard her play and promoted her on the spot. That's incredibly rare, but allowed for their type, in special cases. Technically that makes her the High Bard's official assistant, which pays better, I bet." There was a chuckle to go with the words, but they didn't turn it into a joke.