Soul of the Fire (68 page)

“
You were seen.”

Fitch felt an icy wave of dread tingle up his back. “Seen? What do you mean?”

“
Well, you remember you told me you heard a coach stop, and then you all ran off to that pond to dunk yourselves.”

Fitch gulped air. “Yes, sir?”

Dalton Campbell sighed again. He tapped a finger against the desk as he seemed to consider how to put it into words.

“
Well, the coach driver was the one who found the body. He turned back to get the city guard.”

“
You told us that already, Master Campbell,” Morley said.

“
Yes, well, I have only just learned that before he left, he had his assistant remain behind. The man followed your trail through the wheat. He followed you to the pond.”

“
Dear spirits,” Fitch breathed. “You mean he saw all of us swimming and washing ourselves clean?”

“
He saw you two. He’s just now named your names. Fitch and Morley, he said—from the kitchen at the estate.”

Fitch’s heart was hammering out of control. He tried to think, but panic was welling up around his ears faster than he could tread it.

Good reason or not, they would still put him to death.

“
But why didn’t this man say something before, if he saw us?”

“
What? Oh. I guess he was in shock over the sight of the body, and all, so he—” Dalton campbell waggled a hand. “Look, there’s no time to discuss what’s already happened. We can’t do anything about that, now.”

The tall Ander pulled open a drawer. “I feel terrible about this. I know you two have done good work for me—for Anderith. But the fact remains, you were seen.”

He took a heavy leather pouch from the drawer and plunked it down on the desk.

“
What’s going to happen to us?” Morley asked. His eyes were the size of gold sovereigns. Fitch knew how his friend felt. His own knees were trembling as he tried to imagine how they would execute him.

A new terror rose up inside his throat, almost pushing out a scream. He recalled Franca telling him how that mob put a rope around her neck and pulled her up to build a fire under her while she was strangling and her feet were kicking in the air. Except Fitch didn’t have any magic to help him get away. He reached up and felt the coarse rope around his neck.

Dalton Campbell slid the leather pouch across the desk. “I want you two to take this.”

Fitch had to concentrate to understand what Dalton Campbell had said. “What is it?”

“
It’s mostly silver. There is some gold in there, too. Like I said, I feel terrible about this. You two have been a big help and have shown me you are to be trusted. Now, though, with someone having seen you and able to identify you as being the ones … you would be put to death for killing Claudine Winthrop.”

“
But you could tell them—”

“
I can tell them nothing. My first responsibility is to Bertrand Chanboor and the future of Anderith. The Sovereign is ill. Bertrand Chanboor could be called upon to become the new Sovereign any day. I can’t throw the whole land into chaos over Claudine Winthrop. You two are like soldiers in war. In war, good people are lost.

“
Besides, with emotions over this running so strong, no one would listen to me. An angry mob would drag you away and …”

Fitch thought he might faint. He was breathing so fast he was near to passing out. “You mean we’re to be put to death?”

Dalton Campbell looked up from his thoughts. “What? No.” He pushed at the leather pouch again. “I told you, this is a lot of money. Take it. Get away. Don’t you understand? You must get away or you will be put to death before the sun sets again.”

“
But where will we go?” Morley asked.

Dalton Campbell waved a hand toward the window. “Away. Far away. Far enough away that they well never find you.”

“
But if it could be cleared up, somehow, so that people knew we was only doing what had to be done—”

“
And raping Beata? You didn’t have to rape Beata.”

“
What?” Fitch said with a long breath. “I would never—I swear, I would never do that. Please, Master Campbell, I wouldn’t.”

“
It doesn’t matter what you would never do. As far as the people after you are concerned, you did it. They’re not going to stop so that I can reason with them. They won’t listen. They think the same people who raped and killed Claudine raped Beata, too. They won’t believe you, not when a man can identify you as the ones who killed Claudine Winthrop. Whether you raped Beata or not doesn’t matter. The man who saw you is an Ander.”

“
The people after us?” Morley wiped a trembling hand over his pallid face. “You mean to say there’s people already after us?”

Dalton Campbell nodded. “If you stay here you will be put to death for both crimes. Your only chance is to get away—and fast.

“
Because you’ve both been such dependable men for me, and served so well in the cause of Anderith culture, I wanted to warn you so you could have a chance to escape, at least. I’m giving you my life savings to help you escape.”

“
Your savings?” Fitch shook his head. “No, sir, Master Campbell, we’ll not take your savings. You have a wife and—”

“
I insist. If necessary, I will order it. The only way I’ll be able to sleep at night is knowing I could at least help you in this small way. I do whatever I can to take care of my men. This is the least I can do for you two brave men.”

He pointed at the leather pouch. “Take it. Split it between you. Use it to get far away. Start a new life.”

“
A new life?”

“
That’s right,” Master Campbell said. “You could even buy yourselves swords.”

Morley blinked in astonishment. “Swords?”

“
Of course. There is enough there to buy you each a dozen swords. If you went to a new land, you wouldn’t be thought of as Hakens, as you are here. In many places you would be free men and you could buy yourselves swords. Get yourselves a new life. New work, new everything. With money like that, you could meet nice women and court them properly.”

“
But we’ve never even been out of Fairfield,” Morley said, near tears.

Dalton Campbell put his hands on his desk and leaned toward them. “If you stay here, you will be put to death. Guards have your names, and are no doubt searching for you as we speak. They are probably right on your heels. I pray to the Creator they didn’t see you coming up here. If you want to live, take the money and run. Find yourselves a new life.”

Fitch snatched a quick look over his shoulder. He didn’t see anyone or hear anyone, but they could be on them at any moment. He didn’t know what to do, but he did know they had to do as Dalton Campbell said and get away.

Fitch swept the leather pouch off the desk. “Master Campbell, you are the best man I’ve ever known. I wish I could have worked for you for the rest of my life. Thank you for telling us they’re after us and giving us a start.”

Dalton Campbell reached out with a hand. Fitch had never clasped hands with an Ander before, but it felt good. It made him feel like a man. Dalton Campbell gripped Morley’s hand, too.

“
Good fortune to you both. I would suggest you get some horses. Buy them—don’t steal them, or that will give them your trail. I know it will be difficult, but try to act normal or you will make people suspicious.

“
Take care with the money, don’t waste it on prostitutes and rum or it will be gone before you know it. If that happens, you will be caught and you won’t live long enough to die from the diseases the whores give you.

“
If you use your heads with the money, spend it frugally, it will keep you in good stead for a few years, give you time to establish new lives wherever you find you like it.”

Fitch reached out and shook hands again. “Thank you for all the advice, Master Campbell. We’ll do as you say. We’ll buy horses and then get away.

“
Don’t you worry about us. Both Morley and I have lived on the streets before. We know how not to get caught by Anders wishing us harm.”

Dalton Campbell smiled. “I suppose you do. May the Creator watch over you, then.”
 

When Dalton returned to the feast, he found Teresa, sitting in his chair, engaged in an intense conversation with the Minister. Her lilting laugh chimed above, while Bertrand’s chuckle rumbled below, the middling drone of the feast. Hildemara, Stein, and the merchants at the other end of the table were engrossed in their own whispered discussion.

Smiling, Teresa reached out and took Dalton’s hand. “There you are, darling. Can you stay now, please? Bertrand, tell Dalton he works too hard. He has to eat.”

“
Why, yes, Dalton, you do work harder than any man I’ve known. Your wife is frightfully lonely without you. I’ve been trying to keep her entertained, but she isn’t interested in my stories. She is quite polite about it, even though she only wishes to tell me what a good man you are when I already know it.”

Bertrand and Teresa encouraged him to return to his seat as she moved back to hers. Dalton held a finger up to his wife, imploring patience for just a moment longer. He moved around and put one hand on the Minister’s shoulder and the other on Hildemara’s as he leaned down between them. They both tipped their heads in.

“
I have just now received new information that confirms my suspicions. As it turns out, the first reports of the crime were sensationalized. Claudine Winthrop was in reality murdered by just two men.” He handed the Minister a folded piece of paper secured with a wax seal. “Here are their names.”

Bertrand took the paper as a smile spread on his wife’s face.

“
Now, please listen carefully,” Dalton added. “I was on to them, but before I was able to arrest them they stole a great deal of money from the kitchen account and escaped. An intensive search is already under way.”

He lifted a questioning eyebrow as he looked to each face to make sure they understood he was fabricating a story for a reason. Their own expressions told him they grasped the unspoken meaning between his words.

“
Tomorrow, when it pleases you, announce the names of the men on that piece of paper. They worked in the kitchen. They raped and killed Claudine Winthrop. They raped a Haken girl who works for the butcher, Inger. And now they have robbed the kitchen account and run.”

“
But won’t the Haken girl have something to say?” Bertrand asked, worried she might deny they were the ones and turn the finger to him, if forced to talk.

“
Unfortunately, the ordeal was too much for her, and she ran off. We don’t know where she went, probably to live with distant family, but she won’t be back. The city guard has her name; should she ever try to return, I will know about it first and personally see to her interrogation.”

“
Then she isn’t here to contradict the conviction of the murderers.” A scowl returned Hildemara’s face. “Why should we give them the night to escape? That’s foolish. The people will want an execution. A public execution. We could give them quite the show of it. Nothing like a good public execution to satisfy people.”

Dalton took a patient breath. “The people want to know who did it. Bertrand is going to give them the names. That will show everyone the Minister’s office discovered the killers. That they ran before the names were even announced proves them guilty.”

Dalton drew down his own brow. “Anything more than that could bring trouble in the form of the Mother Confessor. That is trouble beyond our ability to control.

“
An execution would serve no purpose and bring great risk. The people will be satisfied with knowing we have solved the crime and the killers are no longer among them. To do more would risk everything as we stand in the doorway to the Sovereign’s chamber.”

Hildemara began to object.

“
The man is right,” Bertrand said with authority.

She relented. “I suppose.”

“
I will make an announcement tomorrow, with Edwin Winthrop at my side, if he is well enough,” Bertrand said. “Very good, Dalton. Very good indeed. You’ve earned yourself a reward for this one.”

Dalton smiled at last. “Oh, I have that all planned out, too, Minister.”

Bertrand’s sly chuckle returned. “No doubt, Dalton. No doubt.” The laugh turned to a belly laugh that even infected his wife.