a message. I shouldn’t have left, I guess, but I didn’t know they’d beat her up.”
“You couldn’t tell. Next time there’s trouble, though, go to one of the guards at once to find me. Now, do you remember who else was in the room when Stephi came, and who left before you?”
“Korryn and Jens, Lurtli, Pinnwa, and Vik, I think. Vik left just as the corporal came in; I don’t know about the others. I was watching Paks.”
“Saben, have you ever asked Paks to bed you?”
“No. I’ve wanted to, though. But she has enough trouble with Korryn bothering her; I didn’t want to be that kind of worry. If she wants it, she’ll let me know. We’re friends, anyway.”
“All right, Saben; you can go.”
“Sir, you won’t let them hurt her any more, will you?”
“I’m doing what I can.”
“But, sir—”
“Enough, Saben. Go on, now.”
A full glass later, after talking to everyone he’d summoned, Stammel faced his corporals and sighed.
“I’m convinced,” he said. “And you are. But I wish it were any captain but Sejek.”
“He’s a hard man,” said Devlin, nodding.
“And stubborn. If he’s still in the same mood, evidence won’t mean a thing to him. Once he’s made up his mind—”
“You can insist that Valichi preside,” said Bosk suddenly.
“By Tir, I can! How did I forget that? It’s not as if Valichi yielded command to Sejek; he was just away. And since she’s a recruit—of course her commander has jurisdiction.” He rose. “Sejek’s going to be furious, I don’t doubt, but with what we’ve found, he’ll have to agree. I hope.” With a wave of his hand, he left the recruit barracks for the Duke’s Court.
At the gate, he spoke to the guard. “I need to speak to the captain.”
“He’s gone up,” said the guard. “Are you sure you want to disturb him?”
“He’s not asleep,” said Stammel, cocking his head at a lighted window across the court. “I need to see him before he goes to bed.”
“About—?”
“Just announce me. He’ll see me.”
“On your head, Stammel.”
“It already is.” Together they walked across the court and the guard spoke to the door sentry.
“Very well, sir. Down this passage, up the stairs, second door on the right. Not carrying any weapons, are you?” Stammel sighed and handed over his dagger. “Thank you, Sergeant.”
Stammel took a deep breath, checked the hang of his cloak, and strode down the passage, up the stairs, to pause in the second doorway on the right. Inside the room, a roomy study, the captain sat writing in the light of a double oil lamp. The captain finished his line and glanced at the door.
“Come in, Sergeant Stammel. Did you check on your recruit?” Captain Sejek’s broad, rather flat face rarely showed much expression, and didn’t now.
“Yes, sir.” Stammel stood stiffly halfway between the door and the desk.
“Well?”
“Sir, I’m not—easy about this.”
“Tir’s bones, man, no one expects you to be happy about one of your recruits going crazy—it just happens sometimes. Has she calmed down at all yet?”
“Sir, according to the guards who took her down, she made no resistance; she is not violent now.”
“Well, she was violent enough. Of course she’s big, but I never thought a recruit could mix it with Stephi and come off on top. That man’s known to be a tough unarmed fighter. Still, I suppose the surprise—” The captain leaned back in his chair and let the pause lengthen. Finally Stammel broke it, his voice as neutral as he could make it.
“Sir, I don’t think that’s the whole story.”
“Well, Stammel, she’d have some sort of story cooked up.”
“No, sir. It’s not that.”
“Well, what is it? You won’t make me like it better by being coy.”
“Captain, I wish you’d go and look at her—just look—or send someone you trust—”
The captain raised his eyebrows. A danger signal. “What—has she been drugged?”
“No, sir.
“You couldn’t tell. Next time there’s trouble, though, go to one of the guards at once to find me. Now, do you remember who else was in the room when Stephi came, and who left before you?”
“Korryn and Jens, Lurtli, Pinnwa, and Vik, I think. Vik left just as the corporal came in; I don’t know about the others. I was watching Paks.”
“Saben, have you ever asked Paks to bed you?”
“No. I’ve wanted to, though. But she has enough trouble with Korryn bothering her; I didn’t want to be that kind of worry. If she wants it, she’ll let me know. We’re friends, anyway.”
“All right, Saben; you can go.”
“Sir, you won’t let them hurt her any more, will you?”
“I’m doing what I can.”
“But, sir—”
“Enough, Saben. Go on, now.”
A full glass later, after talking to everyone he’d summoned, Stammel faced his corporals and sighed.
“I’m convinced,” he said. “And you are. But I wish it were any captain but Sejek.”
“He’s a hard man,” said Devlin, nodding.
“And stubborn. If he’s still in the same mood, evidence won’t mean a thing to him. Once he’s made up his mind—”
“You can insist that Valichi preside,” said Bosk suddenly.
“By Tir, I can! How did I forget that? It’s not as if Valichi yielded command to Sejek; he was just away. And since she’s a recruit—of course her commander has jurisdiction.” He rose. “Sejek’s going to be furious, I don’t doubt, but with what we’ve found, he’ll have to agree. I hope.” With a wave of his hand, he left the recruit barracks for the Duke’s Court.
At the gate, he spoke to the guard. “I need to speak to the captain.”
“He’s gone up,” said the guard. “Are you sure you want to disturb him?”
“He’s not asleep,” said Stammel, cocking his head at a lighted window across the court. “I need to see him before he goes to bed.”
“About—?”
“Just announce me. He’ll see me.”
“On your head, Stammel.”
“It already is.” Together they walked across the court and the guard spoke to the door sentry.
“Very well, sir. Down this passage, up the stairs, second door on the right. Not carrying any weapons, are you?” Stammel sighed and handed over his dagger. “Thank you, Sergeant.”
Stammel took a deep breath, checked the hang of his cloak, and strode down the passage, up the stairs, to pause in the second doorway on the right. Inside the room, a roomy study, the captain sat writing in the light of a double oil lamp. The captain finished his line and glanced at the door.
“Come in, Sergeant Stammel. Did you check on your recruit?” Captain Sejek’s broad, rather flat face rarely showed much expression, and didn’t now.
“Yes, sir.” Stammel stood stiffly halfway between the door and the desk.
“Well?”
“Sir, I’m not—easy about this.”
“Tir’s bones, man, no one expects you to be happy about one of your recruits going crazy—it just happens sometimes. Has she calmed down at all yet?”
“Sir, according to the guards who took her down, she made no resistance; she is not violent now.”
“Well, she was violent enough. Of course she’s big, but I never thought a recruit could mix it with Stephi and come off on top. That man’s known to be a tough unarmed fighter. Still, I suppose the surprise—” The captain leaned back in his chair and let the pause lengthen. Finally Stammel broke it, his voice as neutral as he could make it.
“Sir, I don’t think that’s the whole story.”
“Well, Stammel, she’d have some sort of story cooked up.”
“No, sir. It’s not that.”
“Well, what is it? You won’t make me like it better by being coy.”
“Captain, I wish you’d go and look at her—just look—or send someone you trust—”
The captain raised his eyebrows. A danger signal. “What—has she been drugged?”
“No, sir.
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