Draggah by Toby Neighbors Page B

more to this group than the others.
    “ I want to know who the girl was, ” he said.  “ I want to know how they met, what they were planning, and why she left.  The first of you to bring me what I need to know will never want for money again. ”
    The men smiled and Leonosis waved them away.  He had important business to attend to in the Earl ’ s audience chamber, but first he wanted to check in on another group that was busy gleaning information.  He had to go down to the lowest levels of the palace, far underground.  The palace dungeons were carved into the bedrock beneath the huge structure.  At one time, those dungeons had been full of the city ’ s most unsavory citizens, but Leonosis ’ great grandfather had built a more humane detainment center further away from the palace.  For nearly sixty years, the palace dungeons had been empty, at least until recently.
    He heard the screams as he slowly descended the narrow circular staircase.  Robere, his brother ’ s manservant, was not enjoying his new accommodations.  That was part of Leonosis ’ plan.  He had found a man who had once been a physician in the city, before his thirst for knowledge had led to him becoming a grave robber.  The poor soul had been languishing in drunken squalor, but Leonosis had lifted him from the mire and given him a new purpose in life.  The man ’ s knowledge of the human body was very useful when it came to inflicting pain.
    Leonosis passed by the grimy cell where Robere was being tortured.  He chuckled at the hoarse screams that echoed off the stone walls.  The elderly servant was weak, Leonosis thought.  He wasn ’ t in danger—nothing the torturer was doing would kill him—yet he wailed as if he were in his death throes.  Leonosis then opened another door.  The heavy door was made of oak, which was rare in Avondale, and banded with rusty strips of iron.  The hinges squealed almost as loudly as Robere.
    In the center of the room, tied to a small wooden chair, was Hellen, Lady Olyva ’ s maidservant.  They had come to Avondale from Hamill Keep together.  Hellen was wide eyed, and tears ran down her fat cheeks.  A rag had been stuffed into her mouth and held there by another rag that was tied around her head.
    “ You hear what awaits you if you do not cooperate? ” Leonosis warned.
    The servant nodded, her neck bulging as her chin dipped down toward her chest.
    “ Remove the gag, ” Leonosis ordered the soldier guarding her.
    He wasn ’ t sure if the soldier, or any soldier for that matter, would have obeyed him if he had ordered the lady ’ s maid tortured.  But he didn ’ t need to find out. Just hearing Robere ’ s agony was enough to loosen the maid ’ s tongue.
    “ How long was your lady fooling about with Rafe Grentzson? ”
    “ I, I, I don ’ t know, your lordship.  I know he came to her a few days before they were banished, but I had no idea before that. ”
    “ Attentive, aren ’ t you? ” Leonosis chided.
    “ Lady Olyva was never open with me, ” she said.  “ She ’ s spoiled, that one, selfish, but not rebellious, my lord.  I had no knowledge that she was unfaithful to Lord Brutas. ”
    “ How did she spend her time here? ”
    “ Fretting mostly.  She was unhappy, but I always thought it was a matter of youth.  They always seem bored and unable to sit still for even an hour. ”
    “ So what did she do? ” Leonosis asked, letting his ill temper show.
    “ She walked in the gardens mostly.  She liked the gardens; it was a welcome change from Hamill ’ s Keep.  She toured the city when we first arrived.  She had dinner with your family, my lord.  That was all. ”
    “ And you were with her all the time? ”
    “ Almost always.  She did occasionally send me out for things.  Fruit, flowers, occasionally even books. ”
    “ Did you take care of her laundry? ”
    “ No, my lord.  Your palace servants did that for us. ”
    “ I see.  Did you ever see her with