replied, pointing to Mari’s papers. “Why were university students traveling outside Palandur?”
She might not have been bothered by Imperial checkpoints in the past, but Mari had been required to answer plenty of similar questions by Senior Mechanics and other supervisors, especially when she was an apprentice. She put on the same outwardly respectful attitude as she answered. “We wanted to try hiking in the winter.”
“Pretty stupid if you ask me, walking around outside in the winter.” The other officers grinned at their comrade’s comment.
“It was pretty cold. We won’t do it again,” Mari agreed, trying to appear meek.
“Where did you go?”
“A lot of it was cross-country. We went through Sinda, and stayed one night at the inn at Kolis.”
“Northeast of here, eh?” The officer handed Mari back her papers. “Did you see any other hikers? Coming down from the north? Maybe some in very old clothes or rags? Two of them?”
“Old clothes?” Mari asked as if totally puzzled by the question. “Like beggars?”
“Yes. They could’ve been men or women.”
Mari shook her head. “No. We didn’t see anyone like that on the road.”
Another officer spoke up. “Or it could have been a young woman, very good-looking, dark hair, with or without a young man. She might have been wearing a Mechanics jacket.”
“A Mechanic?” Mari put disdain into her voice. “No, we didn’t see any of them and I’m glad of it.”
“I didn’t say she was a Mechanic, citizen. I said she might have been wearing one of their jackets.” His gaze shifted to Alain. “She’s someone you might have noticed, young man. Any attractive women like that catch your eye?”
Alain shook his head in denial.
Mari didn’t have to feign unhappiness at the question. “He’s got a girl.”
The officer grinned at her reaction. “How about Mages? Maybe one, traveling with a common girl?”
“No.” Mari pretended revulsion this time. “Why would a common girl– — ? Ewww.”
The officer nodded, smiling knowingly. “Some girls like that sort of thing. Are you sure you didn’t see anything? There’s a reward. A big one.”
“We could use a big reward,” Mari admitted. “But I didn’t see anyone.”
“What about tracks in the snow?”
She couldn’t very well deny seeing those. There were tracks everywhere. “We did see some tracks.”
“Where at?” the officer asked, his eyes brightening. “North of Kolis?”
“Yes. In the fields there.” If she denied that, and such tracks had been reported already, it could unravel her entire story.
“Which way were the tracks headed? What kind where they? Boots?”
Mari shook her head, looking regretful. “We couldn’t tell. They were just big tracks in the snow and there had been some melting.”
“One or two sets of tracks?”
Pausing as if trying to remember, when in fact she was trying to recall how much she and Alain had walked side by side instead of one behind the other, Mari finally nodded. “Two. I’m pretty sure there were two.”
The officer regarded her for a moment, then smiled briefly. “Thank you, citizen. The Emperor appreciates your assistance.” Pulling out a silver coin, he tossed it to Mari.
She caught it with a delighted grin, then she and Alain walked toward the gates of Palandur. Alain looked around to see if anyone was close, then spoke in a quiet voice. “And I thought I was a good liar.”
“It’s for a good cause,” Mari said. “They think whoever got out of Marandur was most likely two of the barbarians. No one would ever mistake you and me for two of them. Of course those other questions mean they have some idea that a rogue Mechanic and Mage might be in the area, though if they keep searching for a ‘very good-looking’ girl they won’t look twice at me. I figured it didn’t hurt to throw them off the track.” Mari gave him a sidelong glance. “Do you think they’ve heard about you and me meeting up in the
She might not have been bothered by Imperial checkpoints in the past, but Mari had been required to answer plenty of similar questions by Senior Mechanics and other supervisors, especially when she was an apprentice. She put on the same outwardly respectful attitude as she answered. “We wanted to try hiking in the winter.”
“Pretty stupid if you ask me, walking around outside in the winter.” The other officers grinned at their comrade’s comment.
“It was pretty cold. We won’t do it again,” Mari agreed, trying to appear meek.
“Where did you go?”
“A lot of it was cross-country. We went through Sinda, and stayed one night at the inn at Kolis.”
“Northeast of here, eh?” The officer handed Mari back her papers. “Did you see any other hikers? Coming down from the north? Maybe some in very old clothes or rags? Two of them?”
“Old clothes?” Mari asked as if totally puzzled by the question. “Like beggars?”
“Yes. They could’ve been men or women.”
Mari shook her head. “No. We didn’t see anyone like that on the road.”
Another officer spoke up. “Or it could have been a young woman, very good-looking, dark hair, with or without a young man. She might have been wearing a Mechanics jacket.”
“A Mechanic?” Mari put disdain into her voice. “No, we didn’t see any of them and I’m glad of it.”
“I didn’t say she was a Mechanic, citizen. I said she might have been wearing one of their jackets.” His gaze shifted to Alain. “She’s someone you might have noticed, young man. Any attractive women like that catch your eye?”
Alain shook his head in denial.
Mari didn’t have to feign unhappiness at the question. “He’s got a girl.”
The officer grinned at her reaction. “How about Mages? Maybe one, traveling with a common girl?”
“No.” Mari pretended revulsion this time. “Why would a common girl– — ? Ewww.”
The officer nodded, smiling knowingly. “Some girls like that sort of thing. Are you sure you didn’t see anything? There’s a reward. A big one.”
“We could use a big reward,” Mari admitted. “But I didn’t see anyone.”
“What about tracks in the snow?”
She couldn’t very well deny seeing those. There were tracks everywhere. “We did see some tracks.”
“Where at?” the officer asked, his eyes brightening. “North of Kolis?”
“Yes. In the fields there.” If she denied that, and such tracks had been reported already, it could unravel her entire story.
“Which way were the tracks headed? What kind where they? Boots?”
Mari shook her head, looking regretful. “We couldn’t tell. They were just big tracks in the snow and there had been some melting.”
“One or two sets of tracks?”
Pausing as if trying to remember, when in fact she was trying to recall how much she and Alain had walked side by side instead of one behind the other, Mari finally nodded. “Two. I’m pretty sure there were two.”
The officer regarded her for a moment, then smiled briefly. “Thank you, citizen. The Emperor appreciates your assistance.” Pulling out a silver coin, he tossed it to Mari.
She caught it with a delighted grin, then she and Alain walked toward the gates of Palandur. Alain looked around to see if anyone was close, then spoke in a quiet voice. “And I thought I was a good liar.”
“It’s for a good cause,” Mari said. “They think whoever got out of Marandur was most likely two of the barbarians. No one would ever mistake you and me for two of them. Of course those other questions mean they have some idea that a rogue Mechanic and Mage might be in the area, though if they keep searching for a ‘very good-looking’ girl they won’t look twice at me. I figured it didn’t hurt to throw them off the track.” Mari gave him a sidelong glance. “Do you think they’ve heard about you and me meeting up in the
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